a new year; a new start?

for most people, the countdown to 2007 was much anticipated - a new year, a fresh start, and a hope for better things to come.

for me, 2006 was a wonderful year - probably the best yet in my short life. ;) 2006 brought me surprises and experiences that i never dreamt of having. most people claim to have the best of both worlds, well for me, i believe i've experienced the best of three worlds. you see, i was born and raised for 6 years in England - although i don't really remember much, there are still certain things and traditions that i picked up and will surely carry with my for the rest of my life. It was through the next 12 years that i spent in Singapore that i picked up the Singapore lingo - more fondly known as "Singlish". Picking up Chinese in primary school was not easy at first, but i am thankful my mum made me learn it; as without it i would not have been able to communicate as freely as i can with my China and Hong Kong schoolmates and hostel mates. The Asian traditions and culture i took to quickly. Although not superstitious, I am terribly fond of Chinese traditions - for example, i love the tea ceremony that takes place at chinese weddings.

On the 21st of January 2006, along with my dearest mum, i left my comfort zone and all that i was familiar with to embark on an adventure and journey from which i have brought back lessons and memories that no amount of money can buy. Not only did i learn so much about myself, life, our purpose in life, and the true meaning of being rich (no, it does not mean having a huge sum in your bank account), i also formed friendships that will last a life time! I really had a blast in 2006, and i found out who my true friends were and who i could count on in times of need. To my MPCC friends, thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers and for not forgetting about me.. To my Paradise friends - Fiona, Wilson, Ing, Noelle, Bruce, Katie, Leah, Erica, Jenn Yong, Phylia, Ern Chee, Lynn and all the rest of you, thank you for welcoming me and going out of your way to make me feel welcome.. you guys did a great job! you guys helped to make my time there the best! to both sides of friends, along with my school and house mates, I LOVE YOU GUYS LOADS.. May all of you have a wonderful 2007. may it be an even better year for one and all - but in all that we do, may none of us lose track of our purpose here on earth! :)

I'm sure 2007 will be an even more exciting year than 2006 - it'll be my first year in uni, i'll be staying in a new place and a whole new area, gonna get my driver's licence, and hopefully a car, gonna make heaps of new friends and so much more. the main thing is to seek first the kingdom of God.

a hostel mate of mine from Brundi, in Africa, taught me so many lessons about life that i want to share with all of you. so often we get comfortable with our lives and lifestyles that we fail to notice and bother about the more important things in life. But all that is another story for another time. :)

Being back in S'pore is great - good food and familiarity. i'm getting used to the weather, so that's a good thing! :) although i still havent put in any effort to exercise.. haha.. not so much cos i wanna lose weight, but more so because i need to increase my energy levels; i've become so lethargic! oh well, i'm off now.. heading down to Orchard.. will blog soon with pics..

here's wishing one and all A VERY BLESSED AND WONDERFUL 2007! May the new year be filled with love, laughter, friendship and success for one and all..
p.s.: thank you mummy darling for all your love - there wouldn't be me without you, and i wouldn't have anything if not for you! i love you a zillion truck loads!!!

p.s:Love and miss you guys back in Adelaide! see you guys in 7+ weeks..