happy 2009!

For some reason, I prefer the 1st of January -- especially after a good night's sleep -- to the glitz and glam and all the hub-bub associated with the eve of the New Year. I like the hope and the willingness the start of the New Year always brings. It's not like 2008 was a bad year -- it was anything but that! -- but there's something about starting fresh on an unmarked calendar.

I'm excited to how 2009 unfolds. Besides the usual culprit of exercising more (I just joined the local gym after suffering the joys of going to the council-run leisure centre), this is the year I submit my PhD thesis (fingers crossed). I'm striving for the slightly unachievable because it is rare for students in my department to finish in the proposed 3 years. It'll be a tough and challenging year.

Happy New Year, my friends! Here's to a healthy and prosperous 2009, filled with lots of adventures and -- hopefully! -- more blog posts from yours truly.