This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ~ Winston Churchill
I started this post in Nov as I was doing my spring cleaning. But I lost my train of thoughts and now I cannot find it back. So I decided to just revamp the whole post and write a summary of 2013 instead. Not because everyone else is doing so. But because I know it deep down in my heart that 2013 is different from 2012 and 2011.
I stepped into Melbourne in the year 2010 not expecting to go through what I went through for the next 3 years. And out of the 3 years, 2013 is the year which the path seems "clearer" in a sense I know I will leave Melbourne finally. Do I hate Melbourne that much? On the contrary. I love Melbourne but know that I cannot just keep repeating this daily process again and again. I needed to get out of my comfort zone. But as each day goes by, with each major events passed, I start to miss Melbourne.
Thoughts of "this is my last chance to watch the comedy festival"
or "I will miss Hosier Lane"
or "I must visit xxx place before I leave".
@ Footscray - Heavenly Queen Temple
One of the last state that I had to visit was Darwin. The only place I feel that is truly Australian. In fact this trip taught me more about Australia than my last 3 years in Melbourne. (I have always felt Melbourne more European.. and Sydney more Singaporean/Tokyo/any other big City names). Darwin on the other hand is so laid back, that I felt time seems to have stopped in Darwin.
@ Bardedjilidji sandstone walk
And before I knew it, it was winter. At that time I thought this is the last winter (for 2013) and I was going to miss it for awhile. So I embraced it twice.
Staying over at my friend's place for a weekend of cold winter...
and finally catching the husky dogs sled ride @ Mt Baw Baw. I was so happy because they cancelled on me 2 years ago and they did cancel on me again once but I managed to postpone to a doable date. Yeah!
And then it is July again. The time for fireworks at Docklands. I do have a fetish for fireworks.. I never seem to grow tired of seeing fireworks again and again.
It is also the time to move out. Bye bye to the place I almost called home after living for 2 years. I learnt a lot from household chores, to cooking, to repairing light bulb, clearing sinks, removing stains. Maintaining the house is indeed hard work.
I had 4 friends due for delivery in Oct/Nov/Dec. Funnily, I never got to meet any of the little ones because of work commitments (in SG) and because I left Melbourne by then. :( Sigh.
Oh and I caught a musical before I flew back. A musical a year ... hmm but I think I only watched 2 musicals though haha. Annie & King Kong.
The other "departure" experience I had was with regards to Singapore Zoo. I started volunteering since 2008 with them and had forged so many close friends throughout the years. Thus I felt sad that I had to leave them because I could no longer fulfill their basic requirements.
After being in the SAP industry for close to 9 years, I finally get to see the SAP HQ in Germany - Walldorf. Quite an eye-opener. Though this trip was totally unexpected as I thought I would be in SG for quite a while and had planned my own holiday trip with my parents to Amsterdam.
As mentioned, I still had thoughts that I will be in SG long long long time.. and started to do serious spring cleaning. Clearing all the old magazine covers even. Felt so sad to throw them away as some of them reminds me of the good movies...
like this Korean movie.. which is really one of the best love drama.
Or the Singapore television serials which we used to love to watch when we were younger (and didn't know the existence of youtube etc to watch the TVB/J/K drama)
we did catch some Jap dramas too when it was the J-pop rage. Nowadays though it is the K-pop rage. Even in Japan I think k-drama are more popular than j-drama. (oops and so ya as mentioned, my so called long stay in SG was cut short when I was told to go Tokyo for a project.)
2013 is also the year where I had to bid my blackberry good bye. Another sad feeling. I do like my new HTC One but it is still a touchscreen handphone. The touch of keyboard is now lost forever :(
I'm glad though that my samsung managed to survive another one more year ++ though I had spent a small amount to revive it.
As 2013 ends and 2014 begins, I know it will begin with Tokyo. A place I find 10 times more crowded than Melbourne, 10 times busier and 10 times faster in terms of pace of walking even. I have been so spoiled in Melbourne, that I had been gasping for breath at the fast pace of life in Tokyo. Sigh.
The fast pace of life also includes thrilling pace and thus I added a roller coaster ride (on the right of the photo) before my 2013 ended. It does seem scary now that I take a second look again. But at that time, when I was at the top of the track, and I opened my eyes just to see Mt Fuji before closing it again, that was so awesome.
And I have to thank Google+ for their awesome photo effects. Been having fun seeing what awesome effects they have automatically applied such that I don't mind backing up my photos in google+. Though I know I have to sort it out one day due to space limitations. But that probably is a 2014 task haha. (Truth is, it wasn't snowing here even though it is so so so cold. And also I never expect to experience another winter after having just bid the winter in Melbourne good bye in June.... )
As I spend my last 2 weeks in SG, and compare the crowd level while trying to be a tourist in SG (I needed to get some stuff back for client).. I told myself I shall not complain in SG cos it is 5 times better than Tokyo still haha.
And now to look forward to 2014 to give me new insights and learning experiences. :D
