So it’s the end of 2019. I’m finally forty! And still fabulous, hahaha 😎
Work
The year began with a bittersweet ending for me. I resigned from a job that was starting to bore me and showed no prospects of any progression, but it was a workplace that I loved so much – the friends, the bosses, the wonderful location, and the proximity to my home. I struggled to make the decision to leave. Then the whole process took so long that I thought I would be happy to finally leave but my last day of work was actually not as happy as I imagined 😭
Score: ➖
Time management
Changing to a workplace that is not 15-munute walk from my home resulted in some changes to my personal schedule. I can no longer attend the exercise class at the park because the longer commute home means 1. I’m already tired by the time I reach home in the evening and 2. It’s challenging to gobble down my dinner and head off to a tabata workout immediately without throwing up the food. Everything became so rushed and I just stopped looking forward to the workouts. So that’s a minus point there, although my weight gain was a definite positive 😑
On the other hand, the longer commute means that I can actually do my reading on the bus and not have to stay up to read!
Score: ➕
Drawing
So instead of reading at night I started drawing again! It started with a personal challenge I set for myself in March – to spend 10 minutes drawing every day for 30 days. The challenge ended and I continued to draw regularly, practising on any blank paper whenever I have time. It’s cool. Its fun. And I can see myself improving. A definite win here 😁
Score: ➕
Sewing
Surprisingly, I got a bit of sewjo back this year and managed to sew a few zipper pouches, tissue cases for my sisters and friends, a coin pouch and 3 blouses for myself, as well as two zippered pouches, a dress, matching t shirt and skirt set for kiki, and also a grey skirt that is too tight for me so it has become kiki’s maxi skirt 🤣
My favourite sew of the year is this slim pencil pouch with 2 separate compartments inside! And of course I had to make a matching one for kiki or she would nag die me 😭
Score: ➕
Piano
Last year I tried to be home during lunch time at least once a week to do piano practise. This became impossible after my new job and so this is still something I need to work on 😣
Score: ➖
Time with the kids
The most painful price I had to pay for changing my job is the reduced time I have with the kids, especially the twins. In the past few years, it was the norm for me to have lunch with them during school holidays or just randomly take leave and bring them out. But because my current workplace is no longer 2 bus stops away from home, I’m not able to anyhow meet them for lunch. And because I have just joined the organisation, my leave is pro-rated, so I’ve been super frugal with my leave applications and have not been bringing them on any excursions or play time 😣
This truly sucks because the twins are now ten years old and slowly gaining independence. It won’t be long before they start wanting to go about their activities without me 😭😭😭
Score: ➖➖
Lost and found
On mother’s day this year, my favourite shinzi katoh tote bag was stolen along with my personal belongings, including the 平安符 that had been with me since I was in primary school. I was devastated and cried for many days, went around begging people to help me look for clues..
In the end I never found the lost bag and the culprit was never found as the police was not able to find any conclusive evidence.
I learned so much from this incident. I am touched by all my friends who offered their help, my sister who worried about me, my brother who got me a new 平安符，and my friends who started to gift me with 0.3mm mechanical pencils that they happened to see in stationery shops. #感动
more importantly, I now understand that physical items are replaceable and what matters most is the memory we keep within our hearts. I can now understand that I am letting go of my attachment to the physical item, not the memories. In a way, I am thankful for the theft for allowing me to understand this 😌
I am also thankful to my father who gave me enough money (via 4D first prize) to buy a new wallet to replace the stolen one. 谢谢爸爸 ❤
Score: ➖➕➕
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Although this was supposed to be a bad year for people born in the year of goat but I felt that it was overall pretty ok. Shit happened but I was able to learn something useful from it.
My favourite thing about this year is the amount of learning I managed to squeeze into my life. I hope I can continue to learn and grow next year. Read more, draw more, play more, run more, sleep more, eat more, but lose more weight lol!
Here’s a loving farewell kiss to 2019 💋
