goodbye 2008 and hello 2009!

before welcoming the new year, it's always good to reflect on the past year. 2008 has been a rather challenging year for me. I guess the whole year was spent to pull up my grades that was terribly affected by year 1's lousy scores. The year started with a probation for my scholarship. and after 2 semester's effort, i believe my CAP is kinda stabilized. I don't think it can go any higher. So i shall aim to maintain it at 2nd lower. :) it could have been better if my year 1 grades weren't that sucky. but oh well, it was much worse. now that it's a bit more decent, i shall not complain.

i've learnt to appreciate chem engin more this whole year. with design projects, and challenging subjects, i'm proud to have survive the year. i've done most of my core modules. left with electives, design project and final year project before i can graduate. getting there! 3 more sems! :D:D

i've also spent the past whole year learning german. still at the beginner's level. hopefully can put all the german learnt into good practice when i'm in europe. i wouldn't have picked up any language course if i never got offered to go for exchange to swiss. something that i never expect myself to do.

i've experienced working life in tuas. the 3 months spent at the construction site has certainly taught me that routined life is no fun. travelling close to 2 hrs to work is no fun. and working in a construction site is no fun. on top of that, there're still a lot of things for me to learn. attitude towards work and taking interest to learn more is one of the more impt things to make work fun and meaningful. and must remember to party like crazy once weekend comes!

apart from academic, i believe i have picked up quite a lot of new things. i've picked up a sport! proud to be in the hall's floorball team. floorball is just so shiok! sad that i won't be able to play for IHG 2009. but hope that the team will have better placing this year! i just hope i don't lose all those skills. haven't touched the stick for months. :( i've sang in an acapella. something that i've been wanting to do. apart from conflicts that happened and unhappiness in working style of other people, singing is still one of the things that i truly enjoy and great music gives true happiness. :D mentoring has been challenging. it has been difficult to mentor the group of kids. but i'm glad for my bunch of dedicated mentors who have helped to organize weekly sessions and all the other outings. we've successfully organized cny home visits, botanical garden picnic, and a sentosa outing.

i believe i've made good friends for the past year. one group of people would be the chem engin gang. if it wasn't because of design projects I wouldn't have known nice people like daniel, szechao and foongyi. certainly widened my social circle in chem engin so that it's not always me and cindy. and certainly thankful for friends that has always been around. my weekend buddies, friends who'll just call to hang out; kr friends, friends who let me whine and intrude their rooms; cavewomen, people who i live with, eat with, study with, gossip with, brush teeth with, bunk with; friends who will pay me surprise visits; and friends who i don't meet yet hear from them fr facebook, msn, mails, parcels; you know who you are. and i'm thankful for having you as my friend.

so lastly, resolutions for 2009.
1. make good friends. and be a good friend. learn to be more sensitive to others.
2. keep in touch with old friends
3. travel europe :)
4. work hard and play hard, have a balanced lifestyle
5. always think positively. need to build more self confidence and be more optimistic.

2009 will be quite a special year. i'll be in switzerland for 6 months. really excited about it. but i can't really imagine life without my friends and family. i really hope i'll meet nice people. =)
counting down to 31st jan, 9pm @termincal 1, changi airport!