Swansong: 2007

As the number of days left in the unsatisfying year of 2007 are reduced to a mere two, I would like to take this chance to enter a swansong entry, summarising my thoughts about what has happened in the span of this unbearable 363.5 days.

Junior College Year 2 and GCE A Levels were what was facing me from the early part of this wretched year, of which I relentlessly pushed myself on mentally, pscyhically and emotionally through that guantlet of challenges and academic setbacks. One particular memorable setback I dealt with immense will and strength had great impressions in me. It was the first common test of the school year. I got back my results shortly after, it was the greatest impact thus far in my academic life - I only passed one subject which is General Paper, of which I topped the class. However, I failed all the others, even my most trusted Biology. Extremely traumatised and reeling from the intense hurt, I was very tempted to withdraw from junior college and give up, but I didn't. I took a few months to get back to my confidence and optimism. Working doubly hard and continuously for the rest of the JC 2 life, I pulled my beloved Biology grade from a U (ungraded) to a B in my Preliminary exam, which is considered a quality grade in JCs. Hard work, routinised essay writing practices, exam paper practices ruled my life. Plus, the hectic long hours in school made me so desenitised and delirious. It was a hard path. And, I walked all the damn way through it. It left a bittersweet imprint within me. It's pretty hard for me to relish everything altogther in a single moment, the feeling is just pretty overwhelming. A triumph for 2007 - surviving JC? Haha.

Metal music. 2007 has been a rather fruitful year for the general metal scene here, and I am not counting on the randomly massive amounts of local pseudo black metal wannabe bands. Haha. Let's see. Slayer, Megadeth, Dragonforce, Heaven and Hell graced Singapore with their live performances this year, if my memory serves me right. Not too bad. But not good enough! We need more and wider exposure of metal here, thus Darfina and me has started a hopeful petition for Asia's first and only Pagan Metal Festival here with Lamc productions. I just hope it will come into fruition. =)

Flourishing-wise for 2007, nothing really exciting happened, to be brutally honest. Apart from knowing who's your ally and who's not, I am just rather contented at the rate I am creating moves and how I evolve as a flourisher. Bleh, flourishing gets so dull nowadays. Maybe it's just a thing when you get when you have been in it for 3 years and counting, everything gets repetitive and monotonous. But, it's still a nice thing to do when you are watching TV/movies, they prevent you from falling asleep. Heh.

2007. A year of my serious actual Buddhist practice, albeit on my own. I became rather closely acquainted with the Dharma and read closely to it all year long. Needing an alternative release of stress from school and whatever crap that comes into my way, I experimentated with meditation, found it to be useful and has an extremely healthy effect on my emotions and concentration. I believed I have progressed in that abovementioned subject. It feels quite good to self learn a subject all by your own, I guess.

Other than that, 2007 came and went, it seemed alot quicker than most years. Maybe I was just in a constant blur between consciousness and comatose. Maybe it's because I was busy with school work so much so time lost its tracks.

Whatever it is. 2008, you little bastard, be good and well. Bring no troubles. Thanks!

Posted in: 2007