What a Year! What a Year!

I usually write this kind of stuff on New Year's Eve, but since I'll be heading downtown to embrace 2009, here it is:

When the flame of 2007 burned itself out, I made two new year's resolutions for the brand spanking new 2008.

1. Make Harry and I's Internet Radio Show a popular crowd-pleaser.

2. Beat the Danny of 2007 in terms of kindness, creativity, vocabulary, school/community involvement, intelligence and willpower.

Well, the first one died out after about 4 months into the year, but I'm glad we had a great time. Besides, we were able to use our account to help get some ridiculously high marks for English culminating. And I revisited the account to do daily shows during the Olympics.

For the long list of things I wanted to achieve in 2008, you can check off every one of them, because I truly did beat old self in all those things. Job well done, Danny!

It's been a year like that. A year marked by personal growth, maturity, and overall CHANGE. This was without a doubt, the best year in my life...so far.

To say time flew by is a massive understatement. Time felt like it was going faster than the speed of light. Time was, as one wise author writes, a dimension. However, the timeline of 2008 was not without speed bumps. There were plenty of trials and tribulations, and I'm proud to say we got through it all.

In this past year, I've met so many new people and learned a lot about what's important in life. I've learned, but not mastered, time management. I've discovered a lot about myself. I've improved as a person. And that's probably my biggest accomplishment this year.

It was a year when my homeland, China, proved itself to the world in what I think was the most extravagant Olympics ever.

It was a year when many of us were dazzled by the performance of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, when Canada won 18 medals, all in the second week, when an age controversy plagued Chinese gymnasts, but we still won 101 medals, 51 of them gold in the end.

It was a year when we, the Chinese, rose up to defend our nationhood in a sea of Western criticism on the subject of Tibet, and when we all pitched in to help the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake.

It was a year when America elected its first black president, the junior Senator from the Land of Lincoln, who brought hope to the United States and the world alike.

It was a year of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin and their counterpart on SNL, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

It was a year when oil soared to $148 a barrel only to be slammed down to $35, bringing gas prices from 140 cents a litre to what is now 66.4.

It was a year when the failed Conservative policies of Stephen Harper were given another chance, and when Harper dictatorially prorogued Parliament to avoid a defeat at the hands of the new coalition.

It was a year when Roger Federer only won one Grand Slam, when Nadal beat him in an epic 5 hour Wimbledon final, when the Williams Sisters made a huge comeback, and when the tennis world was introduced to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.

It was a year when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the World Series, when the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was renewed, when the Leafs continued to downspiral into a seemingly bottomless pit, and when we bid Yankee Stadium farewell.

It was a year when the world financial markets went head first down a toboggan hill, when millions of jobs were lost, when the entire nation of Iceland almost went bankrupt, and when "bailout" became a familiar term.

It was a year marked by a plethora or snowstorms, and rainstorms, and temperature that swung 30 degrees in a week.

It was a year when citizens around the world took symbolic action against climate change, in the first ever Global Earth Hour.

It was a year when we survived our first high school exams, and survived our first major lockdown.

It was a year when volleyball became a lunchtime favourite, when we went to movies more often, and when we learned about what a lung collapse is.

It was a year when more friendships strengthened than weakened.

It was a year with more triumphs than regrets.

It was an amazing year for me, but a not-so-good one for many others.

But it has come to an end.

In the spirit of an optimist, I will say: MAKE 2009 THE BEST ONE YET!

-D

P.S. New Year's Resolutions:

1. Find a paying job. [All suggestions welcome! :)]
2. Finish my "big project". I'll reveal it when I'm done.
3. And as always: Beat the Danny of 2008 in terms of kindness, creativity, vocabulary, school/community involvement, intelligence and willpower.

Comments?