2011 in review and 2012 resolutions

What happened in 2011: 

1. Celebrated the New Year in Times Square, New York! Miserable experience though. It was too cold. My brother and I stood in the freezing cold (and starving too!) for a solid 8 hours and the countdown was disappointing. BUT, at least we get to say we celebrated NY in NY, you know? Haha. 

 The crowd at Times Square

 This is me bored out of my mind. 

 See that round thing? That's the famed ball. 

This is me bored out of my mind and extremely cold! Ended up sleeping on the sidewalk on my brother's lap for 30 mins. Hahahaha. Who else can say that they slept on the sidewalk of Times Square New York, huh? ;D

2. Had my confirmation in July. Was so nervous but so relieved to finally be a second year PhD candidate. Got a new co-supervisor, whom I think is so intelligent that he gets kinda intimidating but I actually enjoy our sessions together because I learned A LOT from him. Looking forward to spending next year with him (and also my main supervisor who has been here from the start!). Cewah, I sound so jiwang. Haha. 

3. Went to Tasmania and fell in love with that place. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Tassie. The downside was we didn't get to see the famed Wineglass Bay because the viewing platform was closed for renovation and the track down to the Bay itself is about 3 hours with steep climb. But otherwise, the trip was great despite the fact that the weather wasn't so good when we were there. 

Beraksi di tengah jalan raya di Mount Wellington, Hobart

A view from one of the bays in Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay

 This place is SUPER AWESOME - Cataract Gorge, Launceston. Right in the middle of the city! 

4. Went back home and met my three musketeers! 

Iman Amani

Amni Nadira

Muhammad 'Nak Kuar' Ammar (because he cannot stay indoors, selalu 'nak kuar!'. Met him for the first time this year!)

5. I lost 7 kg this year! Woo hoo! But I regained 3 kg, thanks to Mak's FABULOUS cooking when I went home in September but managed to lose 2 kg of it as of today. But anyways, I lost weight and it feels great! =D

These are the highlights of my year. Other than that, I spent the rest of the year studying. Acewah, macam la rajin sangat. Haha.

2012 resolutions:

1. Attend conferences.  

2. Publish a paper.

3. Lose another 10 kg! 

4. The ultimate, almost impossible resolution is to submit my thesis in early December 2012. But that's Mission Impossible so I'm just gonna work and see what happens from there. 

5. Stop over-thinking, stop over-worrying, stop judging and try to be a wholesome person. And yes: STOP EXPECTING TOO MUCH FROM OTHER PEOPLE! Stop being too angry and too bitter to the world and its people. 

6. Spend more time on the prayer mat than on the bed! Read more religious books. 

7. Khatam Quran. 

8. Visit at least one more state in Australia. I really want to go to the Northern Territory and see the Uluru, but it's too darn expensive! But maybe I will, InshaAllah. 

9. Buy a DeLonghi espresso machine! Hahaha. Ini sangat la materialistic, but I really want an espresso machine. Nak beli bawak balik Malaysia. The cheapest DeLonghi is $299, so I'm aiming for that one. But kalau takde duit nanti, I'll settle for a Sunbeam espresso machine for $100 plus. The downside is that Sunbeam is an Aussie brand so kalau bawak balik Malaysia and it breaks down there, takde tempat nak baiki. So might as well beli DeLonghi je kan? Ngehehehehe. 

Before anyone asks, getting married and settling down is in my list of things to do but for now, I'll leave it to God. If somehow He says I could get married in 2012, then Alhamdulillah. If not, I'll just enjoy my 28th year in style and in gratitude, InshaAllah. =)

Happy New Year, everyone! See you after New Year!