Welcome to the new blog currently hosted on hostonfire.com rather than sharing space with my parent company site VelocitySpark.net. I just installed it about two days ago and have been tied up with other stuff such as the soft launch of VelocitySparkPeople.com and JustDial.tk.

It is approx 36 minutes before the Year 2006 and I am sitting at home in front of the computer rather than spending my time outside partying and getting drunk like I would in London I guess. Maybe not drunk but I would definitely be somewhere along River Thames opposite of the London Eye where I have celebrated the past two New Years. Well, London is definitely a place in my heart. I fell in love with London because it gave me so little and yet so much. It is the only time I felt independent and felt proud being a minority in almost everything I do.

Both my sisters are out tonight. One is in KL and the other is somewhere on the island which I somehow envy but am glad to be at home to avoid the crowds and the congestion that one would have to bare to safely get home. My mother is downstairs watching One Night In Mongkok on Astro’s Wah Lai Toi and I am upstairs in my room as all of a sudden I had some inspiration to write.

I just had a flashback of what a year it has been for me in 2005. I worked for a Swedish owned retail giant called H&M and had one of the best times of my life. I met people that I would consider genuine and are friends to keep for life. I would have never thought that one day I’ll be working in the fashion industry. At least, it taught me to dress better and how important of image is. I have to confess that because of that, I do regularly go for clothes shopping rather than a week before Chinese New Year.

Besides that, I personally grew so much within the year than I would have if I were to stay and worked in Malaysia. At least, that is what I believe and think so. I learn so many things and definitely am a changed person and learned much more from what one year of university has provided me. Maybe I was just immature during my University year.

Travel wise, I went to Rome (Italy), Amsterdam (Holland), Stockholm (Sweden) and Berlin (Germany). Well, it is something that I would have never done if I were to be based in Malaysia. People would say that I can easily go to those places by simply joining a European tour but it is totally different for me, I took my time at those locations without being forced to follow a strict tour itinerary. I truly did enjoy myself and discovered a passion that I never thought existed once because I was too stingy. I don’t blame myself for that as I always wanted to save and payback whatever I have owed my parents.

As a result of the whole year, I can afford some luxuries back home. I gave my mother some spending money, paid off my course fees to study MCSE and CCNA which is something I wanted to do long time ago, brought them out for some meals and paid half the amount to get my house painted and of course some savings for a rainy day. I am still planning to buy a new computer and earn some extra cash for my exam fees.

I guess that it is all I have to voice out for the year and we will see what life changing experiences and challenges awaits me in the year 2006. It is now just barely 6 minutes to New Year and there are police sirens that I can hear on the background. My mum just burst through the door a second ago as she got excited to see fireworks outside the house. Those guys are celebrating way ahead of time. Well, see you all next year.

Benny XXX