2011 in review...

another 360 degree transition in 2011. i started the year without knowing i’m gonna sit here in jebel ali, dubai. c’est la vie! i really didn’t expect any change in 2011. early of the year, i was still very much excited about my new found life in kl. i only wanted a smooth and easy life in kl and travel around asia as much as possible. i love being a kuala lumpurian. even in july, i still didn’t think of changing job or moving to a new environment (again).

in mid of july, i suddenly received calls and started interview sessions. i actually didn’t take it seriously. guess where was I when they called me for phone interview? i was at parkson, one-u with ah tong. surrounded by shoes while doing an interview for an engineering job, just weird! even after the interview, i didn’t expect myself to get the offer and not to say moving to middle east. somehow, here I am! not a bad thing and i love this place.

the changes from kl to dubai…
from the bad traffic of jalan tun razak to crazy drivers of sheikh zayed road
from the daily rain of kuala lumpur to the sunny desert life of dubai
from the stunning looking petronas twin towers to the world’s tallest burj khalifa
from the great pavilion to the exciting dubai mall
from exotic and exciting lunch exploration to self cooked lunch box
from gossiping in cantonese at work to learning indian english at work
from doing grocery at jusco maluri to crazy buying at spinney karama
from using rm to spending aed

beside the big transition (new job, new life and new environment), 2011 is actually quite a special year. why? i bought my first apartment. a small apartment at cheras. i did plan to move in around mid of 2012. i actually started planning on how i want my first apartment to be like. i guess for now, the renovation plan has be on hold. will i be able to execute it will be another story. it is actually a huge challenge for myself. i always have the care free kinda lifestyle. someone who has never mortgaged anything before and now, have to fork out 1500 rm every month. i did think i will have to cut down on beers and trips. but hey, now… i not only can pay the monthly installment, but can also have more beers and trips. gotta thanks myself for making such a huge decision (say yes to middle east, folks).

speaking of trips, where have i been in 2011? i only went to 5 trips in 4 countries and explored only 22 world heritage sites.

-phuket in june with colleagues (i should say, ex colleagues)
-sri lanka in early august with lim yeeyin, moon, kwai fun, wai leng, Sharon, ann and her man
-beijing, china in end of august with mom
-korea in end of september with sam and ryan
-sichuan, china in mid of november with lim yeeyin

china is such an interesting place to visit. so many to see and do over there. would love to visit china again in the future. i always wanna see the terracotta warriors with my own eyes. anyway, I believe 2012 will be another interesting years in my life. so many great places to explore. i will rock middle east.

well! i will be having a gathering on new year's eve with a few friends while counting down at burj khalifa. let's pray for a great year ahead. thanks 2011 and hello 2012.

You Are So Beautiful (Scent of a Woman OST)

our life is full of uninvited plans. some days will not be as what we have planned. instead of being unhappy about it, why not take it as a new experience and challenge it? life is actually beautiful and we should make full use of it. live like there's no tomorrow. everyday is a special day!

my feeling after watching korean drama, scent of a woman.

the 1st week

i landed at dubai a week ago. life started to get really interesting. i didnt expect myself to like this place. this place is giving more than what im asking for. with malls bigger than pavilion and klcc, this place cant go wrong. i actually feel like im in an european city more than in a middle eastern one. but sometimes, i do feel like im in india. there is more indians over here than the locals. the last 7 days, i have been eating a lot of basmati rice and curry.

i've started working! the office isnt as nice and comfy as technip kuala lumpur but it's offering something what technip wont be able to give. the office is just right next to the yard. means, i can see the real actions going on. im the only non-indian in pipeline section. is good to be the odd one sometimes. they gonna remember me for a long time.

guess what? i booked a trip a few days ago. crazy yeh? the 1st week just ended and i have already started planning trips. so many to do and see over here and dubai is in the middle of the world and emirates can just fly you to anywhere. the next few years gonna be very exciting and im so looking forward for it.

friends told me, life start at 30... yeh! they are so damn right! im enjoying every minute of it.

new life?

life can be very interesting. 18 months ago, i flew back to malaysia and was so excited to restart my life at kl. but 18 months later, i gave up my extremely easy and peaceful life at kl for middle east. i was quite doubt on my decision to move here. but yesterday, when i landed at the dubai international airport, i knew i must move forward. no more regret or upset...

a few days before taking my flight, i was so damn upset for leaving my parents at malaysia. but they are so damn understanding and encouraged me to take up this new role. my parents and sister are really important in my life. i will not be what i am right now without them. all the trusts and encouragements they had given me really shaped my life and my future. thanks mom, thanks dad, thanks sis!

everyone thinks that since i have stayed overseas for many years before, it wouldnt be so hard for me to leave malaysia again. oh well! you guys are wrong. i somehow got older and family became even more important in my life. when i left malaysia for the very first time, i was young and was so eager to see the world outside. this time is my third time leaving malaysia for a long stay. i'm still very excited about it but at the same time missing my family and friends in malaysia dearly.

speaking of my friends... fellas, i will surely go back to malaysia one day. for beer sessions, for expensive lunch/ dinner gatherings, for karaoke sessions, for retail therapies or for trips with you guys. be patient fellas, we will surely meet again.

oh well! all the best to you guys and myself...