New Year Resolutions for 2012

2011 didn't really treat me as well as I hoped it did. There were memorable moments for sure, but on the whole it pales in comparison to previous years. The highs included completing 3 marathons in a single year, 2 overseas holidays, and miscellaneous accomplishments both in work and personal aspirations. But luck wise I've missed out on several opportunities, and perhaps lost out in other relevant areas as well. And for the first time in my life I lost my handphone.

In a way, I kinda knew this year won't be as great since my praying at the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, where my omikuji turns out to be a bad luck one. But from another perspective, these are just minor set backs, nothing drastic nor life changing. And I ought to be thankful, both to friends and family who have been close this past year. Friends have made work bearable, and I'm glad to have companions who are so supportive. So, like the other years I shall try to lay out my new year's resolutions for 2012.

1. Achieve higher job satisfaction. Fresh start in a fresh appointment, so I'm hoping to make changes at work and to contribute back to the organisation in a new way.

2. Improve personal fitness. Been a negative year for me. Sluggish results in both physical fitness and marathon timings. Got my personal best and worst in the same year, but I'll do better in 2012. Didn't managed to get IPPT gold despite repeated attempts, but I have myself to blame for this. I'll do better next time.

3. Getting results in studies. So far my GPA's still pretty good but I hate myself for not doing better sometimes. I've been so careless in exams I need to resist the urge to bang my head on the wall. Halfway through, so hopefully I'll be able to do just as well for the remaining modules.

4. Self improvement plans. Aside from the part time studies, I need to read and write more. Even blogging counts, as it helps to encapsulate my ideas into words. I've just ordered more books, some related to work, so hopefully I can find time to read and reflect more.

5. Finding a new place. We've decided to move to a new home, hopefully a bigger one and nearer to my in-laws. It's not easy finding a suitable place, but I'm hoping we achieve this next year and I can finally shift all my stuff into a larger area.

6. Lastly and most importantly, to be a better father, son, and father for the family. I'm not really a great person to live with. I know that and it's hard to change, but I'll try to do it for my family's sake. Hopefully work allows me more time to be with Mabel and Rena, whom I'll try my best to groom and shape her for challenges up ahead.

That's it, 6 resolutions to be succinct and hopefully achievable. I urge all friends who are reading this to also try and articulate your resolutions into something that can be archived, such as a blog or even on your Facebook note. With that, I wish everyone a happy new year, and may all your wishes be fulfilled in the upcoming year. :)

MW3 and me

2 blog entries for nearly 2 months and now I have 3 in as many days. Well I just had to share this since it doesn't happen too often. As a Modern Warfare 3 player on the Playstation 3, I've been playing the multiplayer/Spec Op modes quite frequently during this holiday break. For those of you not familiar with the game, it's one of the best sellers this Christmas season. It may not be the best FPS around since Battlefield 3 seems to be the better title in most game reviews and comparisons, but still I'm too familiar and comfortable with the franchise to try something totally new. I'll still get BF3 one day though.

Back to the game. I'm not really a good player on multiplayer. I run and gun a lot, hoping to meet unsuspecting players behind their backs and give them a good spray from my assault rifle. Usually my kill streaks peaks at around 3 or 4 at max, while most of the time I just get the death streak rewards instead. Usually when I play, I seem to face asian opponents a lot. I've heard players from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. The rest of the players would usually be from America. I usually mute the HK players cause I can't really stand cantonese chatting while I run around the maps. I'd mute all Singaporean players due to the excessive hokkien swearing too. I have a headset but I'd prefer not to talk.

And the reason for this post is that 2 days ago, in an amazing stroke of luck, I managed to get a 5.0 Kill-Death ratio. That's incredible for someone who has an average of 0.765 from 20 hours of online gameplay. Somehow, the new setup and equipment's done me a favor. I now carry 2 primary weapons, one of them a riot shield, which I hardly use but it helps to provide cover for my (usually exposed) back. I switched to another assault rifle that fires 3 round bursts, and it's helped my accuracy a great deal. I try to play smart too (try), since in this new mode called Drop Zone most other players rush into a designated hot area without much hesitation and I can hide in a corner to ambush them within the kill zone. I racked up a 5.0 KD ratio, and JUST had to upload the clip to youtube. Too bad it can only record 30 second clips. Well, behold my once-in-a-life-time achievement via the video above. Hey it's nothing great compared to other players but for me it's stunning enough for a blog entry :)

Needs and Wants

A conversation with a co-worker left an indelible impression in my mind since its inception a few months ago. The topic started off as usual, complaining about the rising costs of living in Singapore, and how prudent we as parents should aim to be.

We discussed about how to save money, and of course how to manage the family's cheque books and other finances. According to her, she never buys anything unnecessary for her children, toys included. Instead, the family's income is focused on "assets". Things that make more money for you. In her perspective, anything that doesn't increase in value over time isn't worth investing in.

Naturally, this is not part of my code in life. While u do agree that we need to be prudent and watch over how we spend our hard earned money, I disagree on her view of tagging a value to everything on your purchase list. To me, and perhaps especially me, since I buy so many games and toys, which have zero value in fact and takes up so much space, there is more than monetary value when I look at the things I buy.

I'd admit I feel that sometimes I'm over doing it, when I eventually grow out of the figures or games. But from another perspective, having what I fancy makes me happy at the point in time. And that's something you can't have any other day. I'm not talking about eternal happiness that's for sure, but it's the little things that count. Be it games for me, or expensive camera gadgets for my other friends. Having something you WANT, and working hard to earn it, by itself is already an accomplishment through the sense of satisfaction.

It may not be a new private apartment or a fancy new ride, but to me, having a new Kamen Rider or Ultraman figure gives me the same joy. It may be valueless to the rest of the world, but it defines who I am, what I like, and how I want to live.

Well, I'm happy to be where I am and it's a season to be thankful too. If there's a lesson to share, it's not to worry too much about the future, and cherish the present. Don't let the very things that shape and define you, change you. And like they say, you were born penniless and you're going to go the same way. Happy new year my friends!

Hong Kong 2011

In what seems to be the longest hiatus this particular blog has taken, I've neglected any forms of updates for nearly two months. And I used to update this on a weekly basis too. It's not that I've been terribly busy, but just bitten by the lazy bug. Well, no more updates on vacations broken down onto a daily format that's for sure. So for this time, I figure one single video would do the trick. 

Following our Tokyo trip earlier this year, the 3 of us went for our year end vacation to Hong Kong this time. 2 Disneyland's in a year can cause tremendous fatigue, that I can tell you. Well at least on the father side of the house. Still, Rena had a great time as far as I could tell. While I've had my fair share of Mickey's and Minnies, Mabel and Rena can't seem to stop hunting them down for photos. Like how I told Mabel, next year I'm bring her to a Kamen Rider museum instead. Haha, enjoy the video while I prepare for my obligatory year end blog post inclusive of new year resolutions. Cya!