On New Year's eve, I had a few friends over for a quiet New Year's celebration. Nothing big or fancy just a simple dinner with lots of drinks and chats. We also spent some time reflecting on how 2012 has been to us and all of us agreed that it was a good year. Here are my highlights for 2012.
In January, I left my very first job in New Zealand as a part time retail assistant after working there for over a year. Sure, it was just a shoe store but it was also my first working experience overseas so in some ways, it meant quite a lot to me.
Team Rockport
Despite working there only as a part timer, I also managed to save up a little bit of money which I was able to buy a return flight ticket back home for both Calla & I. No idea how I did it but I did so it was really an accomplishment.
Calla finally meeting my family and spending her first Chinese New Year.
And then there was the Jakarta/Bali trip for one of my friend's wedding which was one of the highlights of my 2012. Ironically, despite being born and raised in Brunei, this was also my first trip to Jakarta and Bali. And it's only 2 hours flight away! After this trip, I've concluded that shopping in Malaysia is definitely overrated. Haha!
Bali 2012.
Catching the sunset at Rock Bar Bali, Ayana Resort & Spa.
After a great start to 2012, it was then down to serious business. I was an unemployed graduate with only a part time working experience. I would spend hours and hours on the computer just looking for jobs online and applying for whatever positions I felt was suitable. Sure, it was quite fun for the first few days thinking your next job could possibly be your next dream job but after a few rejection letters and no interviews, the whole process can really dampen your spirit.
It took me approximately about a month of job hunting that I finally managed to secure an interview with a local events/video production company. I can still remember the moment where I read the email from my current employer with a reply saying to 'come in for a quick chat'. After two interviews, I finally secured my first full time job as a video production assistant at Madant Productions.
It was quite a hard transition for me as I came in during a busy period for the company. Everyone was busy doing something while I, the newbie was trying to be as helpful as I could. And just as everyone agrees, once you start working as a full timer, time definitely flies. It's been a little over 8 months with the company and work has taken me to a few places around New Zealand. I've also had the privilege to meet a few local and international celebrities.
With Australia's celebrity chef, Tobie Puttock in Queenstown.
With US X-Factor (1st season) third place winner, Chris Rene.
Working on the set of Hobbiton where I was filming an international press junket for The Hobbit premiere.
I had James Nesbitt and Graham McTavish on my pod!
There were definitely more stuffs happening at work but those were just the main ones off the top of my head. Another highlight of 2012 is seeing Calla do her first Adidas 10k race here. This was definitely a big milestone for her as she accomplished her fitness goal. As for me, I'm just glad I was there for moral support.
And then just only last month, both Calla & I visited Queenstown for the first time and spent an amazing 3 nights in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And not too long after that, she went back home to Michigan to surprise her family for Thanksgiving and spent her Christmas and New Year's there while I'm left behind in New Zealand all by my lonesome. Although 2012 did not end with a bang (no pun intended), I personally felt that a quiet celebration to welcome 2013 was more appropriate rather than the usual partying and dancing celebration.
So what's next? What's 2013 going to bring? As of now, I haven't made any big resolutions for the year yet but I can foresee that it will definitely be another exciting year. Here's to a brand new year. May 2013 bring everybody great health, happiness and success in everything.
[Update 17Jan2018] - Wow. To think that 8 years later, this scam is still going on as I'm still getting the odd notifications every now and then with comments on this post. TLDR: If you guys stumble upon this random site because of the APL*ITUNES 866-71-2-7753 charge on your credit/debit card, call your bank immediately and report it as a fraud.
If you have an iTunes account and have any bank cards associated with it, you might wanna beware. I normally check my bank accounts every now and then just to be sure that there's nothing fishy going on in there and of course at the same time, just like many of you *secretly* hoping that someone might accidentally transfer $1 million to my account as well. I've had a few cases of credit card frauds happening and so far, banks have been very cooperative with disputing transactions and issuing me a new card (especially my local bank, SCB Brunei. Well done!).
So today, i checked one of my overseas bank account and found out that i…
I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come out of it. I'm talking about my annual 'Guilt Trip'.
I got tickets to fly there on WISH I HAD airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which i could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world would come to this dismal town.
As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting this year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town's leading citizens would be there.
First, there would be the Done family - you know, Should Have Done, Woul…
Still somewhat on a high over last night's event. My former school, St Andrew's School celebrated their 60 years anniversary in Brunei. It's quite a milestone especially for a private school in Brunei that started with only 70 students at a church.
And what made the event even more special was the fact that we got the opportunity to take a class photo with the His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah who was our classmate for a good six years during our times at St Andrew's School. How about it happened is definitely something worth mentioning.
I think I can safely assume all of us weren't actually planning on attending the event. I feel it's been 14 years since we left school, it's still somewhat too 'early' for any form of reunion. Plus, I still see a few of my classmates and teachers around and have many of them on social media so it doesn't really feel like we've actually lost touch. At least that's…
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