2008 in review

With a 4-day long weekend for the New Year holiday, there is plenty of time for me to reflect events in the past year and plan for the new year. Though the world-wide financial meltdown of 2008 had shaken the very foundations of every society on earth, it was a very good year for me, albeit, a hectic one.

On the home front, no misfortune or disease befell any of my relations in Taiwan except my eldest brother who underwent a rectal surgery to treat the severe hemorrhoids that he suffered during his biking adventure around Taiwan. Thanks God, he had a speedy recovery.

As for my 84-year old mother, she was as healthy as she could be consider her advanced age. I kept my weekly calls with her throughout 2008 and I called to wish her a happy new year on the eve of New Year. My weekly call is the one thing she always expect on Saturday mornings, she talks, I listen, it will not change for 2009 and for the years to come.

I was delighted when my youngest sister called to tell me the improvement of her depression, as a result, her relationship with my mother had taken a turn for the better. I couldn't help feeling a sense of relief, after years of efforts, that she began to see that blood is thicker than water regardless whether there was some perceived injustice and injury inflicted on her, and by and large the perception may not be always correct.

As the first daughter of my parents and the only unmarried child of their eight children, I feel it's my duty to keep the different family relationships in harmony. It has not been an easy job, especially in a huge family like mine, nevertheless, every effort counts and I intend to bear it.

One thing I did early in the year was to document my family tree so to provide a way for the younger generations to connect with their elders and their cousins regardless where we live. In May, I took a quick trip to Taiwan for the wedding of Benson, the son of my youngest brother. As all my nephews and nieces get to the marriageable age in the next 10 years or so, there will be many weddings to attend. In 2009, there is one in June and I probably will make the trip.

On the personal side, health first. I kept my weight at 112 pounds and all my vital signs in the healthy range, thanks to the years of healthy diet and exercise regimen and a very good family doctor. However, in two of my yoga classes, I experienced a sudden excruciating pain of my lower back and my right shoulder that prevented me from doing the yoga poses that I used to do easily. Since I have exercised and practiced yoga regularly for many years that should keep me in great shape, I thought that the pain would just go away with break from exercise and yoga for a week or two. Little did I know it took me more than four months of physical therapies to get back to near normal. I still feel a tingling sensation every now and then, maybe it's just the sign of aging after all. However, I am not ready to throw in the towel yet without doing every exercise that I can to reverse it.

On my literary project, I completed the reading of three novels by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (The Cossacks, War and Peace, Anna Karenina) and four novels by English writer George Eliot (Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Middlemarch) in the Library of Essential Writers Series published by Barnes & Noble. I will release my review of each novel in the new year.

I also cataloged some of my books in LibraryThing site and got involved in its Early Reviewer program which publishers offer unpublished books for review before releasing them to general public. I need to complete the cataloging of all my books in the new year.

On the career, I am still working on this multi-year and hundreds of million dollars program for the same company that I joined in 2004. If everything goes as planned, I probably will retire within this program in five to seven years when I am ready to retire. The jury is still out, but everyone is hopeful since this is the most important strategic project the company has in 60 years.

On the financial side, I am still on a very solid ground as I suffer no more than everyone has suffered when world-wide financial meltdown shock the very foundations of every society on earth. Though it was a tremulous and scary year, I was shielded from it to some degree. For that, I am grateful.

Last but not the least memorable was my reconnection with Winya and through her with some Hoppingers that I may meet again. Life comes in full circle, we plan, God laughs, how wonderful it is!