tinkling

it has been a while. listening to yiruma over to radio yesterday made me want to play the song. i haven't played so much in a long while. it is great tinkling the ivories. gave me alot of peace.

one post per month

all the updates have been sporadic these days.

there's alot to do. never ending list of work to do. one deadline after another. it doesn't seem to end.

glad we are learning new things; baby steps to learn a new language. others in class seem to be flying, i'm barely crawling.

the home project has been going great so far. we finished painting of the living room, 2 bedrooms and the 1 toilet today. just 1 more room and doors to paint. i love the white walls. it makes the place look alot bigger. the fresh coat of paint makes everything new. great opportunity to spring clean. we don't have alot to dump as we have been packing our stuff every now and then. both the kitchen and toilets are the challenge which we will slowly fix up after the time-consuming painting. as we are on a shoe-string budget, we will go mainly diy. paint the cabinets. seal the ones which we don't intend to use. it will probably take us another month or so - a long drawn process, but a really worthwhile one. we live here, this is our home, and we will do all it takes to make it more pleasant. after we get through this, i want to pick up my piano over the weekends again.

should i be writing more. doubt it for now. no real compelling reason to do so.

010114

first day of the new year - a good juncture to housekeep the year that has passed and plan for the year ahead.

2013 has been a well-travelled year - one which i have got the opportunity to visit more places than any of the years in my life. took a short break with dearie in hongkong, induction to uk and wintery christmas in korea with my family. a trip to uk and a holiday in dec, these would be things hardly possible if i have not chose to move on. it was a leap of faith for me; i hope i have landed on a land of greater possibilities.

second half of 2013 was pretty challenging with the leap, but all that has definitely slowed down into something more manageable now.

i have been seeking out new challenges for 2014, this must be a lifelong pursuit for me. i started to re-read some of my favourite zhang xiao xian novels again. that's the least i can do to salvage my deteriorating chinese.

tax courses are on the list right now. that'll take me a good 12-24 months to fully attain what i want to get.

while i am hoping to find more time for myself and with my loved ones, i am also hoping to do well in career, earn more, save more and enjoy another good year ahead.