Flot!

Every year starts with new dreams.

This reminds me of one particular scene in Miss Congeniality, where Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock), an undercover FBI agent who finally and surprisingly won the beauty pageant title, when asked about her dream, somehow obligated and compelled to say:"World Peace!" Except for few people, no one really knows that she is actually doing her very part to keep the neighborhood peace and in order. Honestly, in that kind of situation and occasion, you can't say things like "I wish my father will quit smoking", even if you really wish to.

Well, that's in the movie. What about me?

Like most adults, I woke up and can't remember yesterday night's dream. And I don't dream as much as I do now compare to when I was still a naive kid. I mostly had bad dreams after I had my first kid-fight, stole the first rambutan, lost in some gasing game, get my first wound falling off my 3-wheeled bicycle…

Funny thing is I seem to wake up in time, say, before i dash into that 3 feet deep drain in front of my house together with my bicycle, again. My heart was beating 120/minute when I opened my eyes and think: Lucky! Not again!!!! Growing into teens, mother's timing was perfect to wake in up seconds before I kiss my dream girls, like she knew what's in my dream: Hey, you are too young for that! Now I knew why I don't seem to enjoy my breakfast sometime...not again!!! How Unlucky!

Into late teens, finished high school, enrolled into university, in love. Day dreaming or not I'm dreaming of her, before going out if love again. And love again. And...I hardly had bad dreams, since I'm lucky as a not-so-outstanding guy but still-have-some-attractions. I enjoyed new friends, sports, outdoors, endless times of movies and hanging out sessions and learning, knowing new things about everything under the sun.

Going into adult years, I realize that everyone have their own different dreams. Sis wanted to be a nurse, some friends thought Pink Floyd is not cool at all, while others believe the river and mountains in my small town will be always clean, free-flowing and forever green. I begun to accept my families, my friends, and everyone that I met with open hearts, and as there are, including myself. I understand that we always had dreams, good and bad. And dreams don't just come to me anymore. It's something that I have to search, for.

But again, nothing is impossible, as such that we still shared some similar dreams. We wish everyone healthy and to have happy life. Father to son, daughter to mother, siblings, friends, lovers, we all do.

So, what about me, my dreams? It’s not all that important sometime, no? :p

Anyway, this year has been superb.

Lets start with, umm, family.

Two sis and I moved into an apartment together as the year start, 2 years after working in the same city but living apart. I felt much like home now, having sis nagging me once a while to mop the bloody hairy floor. Including those of mine! When mother's here, not only that she help sis to do so on me, everyone else will kena (apparently, she had too much to share with us all)! Father will drop by sometime, or many times. I have 2 close aunts living in the same area, helps and warm welcome are just some 5, 10 minutes away. Maybe for them "troubles" are just too close to be good, hehe! I had finally written and exchange some letters with my Uncle back in Hainan island, China. My beloved grandpa's brother will be definitely delighted to know that my father, my aunts and few others are going back to visit them all in Hainan, next year.

Friends?

In general, in five simple words: Truly Malaysia, truly without boundaries.

Japan's trip in February was seemingly inevitable, like a continuation of my Japanese language classes some year back in university. Sometime I felt pity to have lost contact with most of my Malay, Indian and some Chinese friends in high school and university. But volunteering works opens up the door. And through various other channels, it keeps coming: Asia, Europe or North/South America. I've been spending most of my time mailing, communicating, learning, understand and working with them. Wonderful! Not forgetting my online friends, particularly fellow bloggers. Thanks for everything, my dear friends! I know you are there, and until we meet again...

And I'll keep my mind open for anything at all, my doors open for anyone at all. Well, golden rules apply, though. :)

Careers.

After almost 3 years, I finally decided to leave my previous company for good. I had been patient enough, I guess. For some reason, I would like to say that if you don't treat me as a professional, I don't see why I should treat you so. Kindly leave the office, if there's really nothing else to do. Sun is good and forest is green out there. Right now, I'm fortunate to find myself a new company with good working environment. It's not a perfect working culture that I'm looking for, but it's the best I've seen and experienced, so far. Hopefully I'll achieve something in the next few years. Well, that is, if I'm still an engineer. Opss...We all are, professional, anyway.

Frankly speaking, things in lives are much easier if all you need is just to accumulate more money, for yourself. I can't imagine doing just that, comparing just that, by staying away from some so-called untouchable, unreadable, unthinkable and unreachable people and culture. Of course, the choice is yours, like having such hectic lifestyle that you don't know who your neighbor is. I'm still obligated to some local culture and social peer, that's just Chinese, I would say.

On the other hand, I'm trying to find more "little people" along the way, one at a time. I still believe the possibility of the perfect mix of old and new, east and west, black and white, sun and the sea. I mean it has to be, as eventually, every country in the world will be multi-racial, multi-cultural. I live in one, but in some extreme cases, I would rather be comfortably dumb.

Back to my apartment, Randi circles the tiny Perhentian island in the map and wrote a Danish word besides it: Flot! I'm about to circle the whole of 2005 and wrote the same thing, deep in my heart.

Simply a fine, splendid and good 2005! Flot!!!

May the best have yet to come!

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

World Peace! *uh-huh?* :)