al arrowed monoceros and she in turn arrowed me to do this. So here goes:
Three names you go by: j_ _ _, may, shangmei
Three screennames you have: dimsumdolly, dsd, fluffy clouds
Three things you like about yourself: that I am adventurous, loyal to my friends, independent
Three things you dislike about yourself: lack of confidence, lack of determination, my impatience
Three parts of your heritage: Chinese, Chinese, Chinese (to be more specific, Cantonese)
Three things that scare you: Being unhealthy in old age, the dark, reptiles
Three of your everyday essentials: food & beverage (But of course! Can I treat both as one entity?), lipbalm, sleep
Three things you are wearing right now: black fleece jacket which I use in the office, a necklace I bought at Paddington market in Sydney, MAC liquid foundation
Three of your favorite bands/artists (at the moment): Joss Stone, Maroon 5, Jamie Callum
Three things you want to try in the next 12 months: go-karting, eating some cuisine I’ve never tried before, try to get myself to Japan to see the sakuras in bloom!
Three things you want in a relationship (love is a given): to enjoy activities together like dining, walks, sports; emotional intimacy; companionable silence.
Two truths and a lie (random order): I’ve eaten pig’s brain, I’ve backpacked alone to Europe, I’ve never gotten pissed drunk.
Three physical things about the opposite (or same) sex that appeals to you: broad shoulders and strong arms (I don’t care, that’s one!), a tall frame, eyes that dance
Three things you just can’t do: go on a diet, dance, act
Three of your favorite hobbies: read, travel, writing for fun
Three things you want to do really badly right now: finish editing the manuscripts piled high on my work desk, sleep (especially in this rainy weather!), have lunch
Three careers you’re considering: be a book purchaser for the National Library, a food critic, a lifestyle & travel writer
Three places you want to go on vacation: Egypt, the Silk Road, Japan
Three kids’ names: Sydney, Skye, Skylar
Three things you want to do before you die: Live in Europe for at least a year and write about it, see snow fall, do a round-the-world trip
Three people who have to take this quiz, or not: overacuppa, monomania, Dawn
Anyhow, this blog entry seems like quite a good way to round off the year. All in all, it’s been a good year. The first half of the year was difficult and very trying. I struggled with a bout of depression but eventually got over it with the help of family and friends. Thank you, I love you all!!!!
Second half of the year, things were brighter what with a new job, new experiences and some travel thrown in.
Travel-wise, I had a pretty good year. Managed to make a short trip back to Sydney, got to go to Beijing (albeit it was a business trip) and made a quick getaway to Hong Kong.
I also tried new stuff like wakeboarding which is really good fun. Took up tennis lessons, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. Made new friends through this blog. Though I haven’t met most of them and they remain virtual, I consider them friends nonetheless.
Other personal achievements also include writing a few articles for two magazines (relatively unknown ones really) and getting published. It was a kick getting to see my own byline!
In any case, the year has ended on a positive note career-wise. I got converted the day before yesterday to be a permanent employee (I had signed on as a contract staff) and got a small pay increment as well! Woohoo!
Well, am looking forward to 2005! And here’s wishing everyone out there a Happy New Year!