I don’t talk about new year resolutions. Yes, I’m turning 50 in 2014 and that’s when I probably have to struggle a little less and be a little less resolute about things which can tax my biological currency. At this age and stage, I’ll need to let some things go and hope for the best. I have three simple wishes for the new year.
1. I must say that “going forward” is a phrase that has been so overused that it seriously irritates me now – especially when it’s misused over and over again. Very often, it seems as if the writer or speaker is merely copping out and changing the subject. Anyway, my first wish for 2014 is to hear or read less of this phrase especially in our newsPAPers and interviews on TV.
Yao mo gao chor ah? 😉
Yea, that’s really quite trivial and I’m just kidding. But it’s truly mind-boggling how some people can react violently just because they have been annoyed or irritated. My first wish must be for something that can bother me far more than “moving forward”.
It’s called health. At this age, good health cannot be taken for granted. Nowadays, it really amazes me to see my waistline getting bigger and faster even when I haven’t been eating more. Energy levels are also going down. It’s getting harder and harder to get those joints moving when I wake up on a non-workday. I just don’t feel as energetic as before.
Sabahan model, Stella
Some months ago, I went for a thorough medical checkup. The xrays and CT scans showed nothing, but my cholesterol levels and blood pressure have gone up. I may be doing better than most of my peers, but any physical overexertion can precipitate stroke or heart attack. It’s time to take it easy and not try to “punch above my weight” all the time. A doctor friend’s advice: do age-appropriate things.
Looks like I really need to cut down on drinking (after CNY, of course), watch my diet and moderate my exercise intensity. You may admire Jet Li, Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung, but they’re all only human.
Vietnamese model/blogger Crystal Phuong
2. My next wish is for the dying reading habit in Singapore to come back to life. Youngsters these days are finding even Facebook too wordy and are going for Instagram. This problem is occurring everywhere, but it is especially serious in Singapore. If this wish isn’t going to come true, then I hope my foray into overseas markets will work out. I’m currently looking at distribution networks in the US and India. Meanwhile, my mind has been flooded with ideas in recent months. I’m having trouble deciding on which project to start on first. Yes, too many ideas, too little time.
I’m now finishing my travel book which will be launched as an e-book first, probably in March next year. If response is good, I’ll print it, maybe hold a mini book fair on my 50th birthday and donate all proceeds that day to charity. If that doesn’t work out, then most of my future publications will be e-books on Kindle, most of which will not be available in Singapore.
3. 2013 has been a stay-home year for me, so I’ll definitely be travelling more in 2014. I’m going to Nepal again in March 2014 – this time with my family. It’s a very courageous move to introduce soft adventure to people who are not very fond of or familiar with it. I hope they can either understand and appreciate why I love to travel to “such” places or decide that I’m crazy and leave me alone.
Anyway, my elder son is the one most likely to enjoy the trip and maybe I can bring him on a trip to Mt Bromo during the school holidays. If I’m able to get close to my former fitness level, I may want to do return to Nepal and do a quick ascent of Pisang Peak (6092m) in September. I’ve also been longing to do an Indochina circuit encompassing Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia including a Sino-Vietnam and Sino-Laos crossing. Hopefully, that can happen towards the end of 2014.
So those would be my 3 wishes for 2014. I wonder how many of them will come true. Anyway, happy new year.
© Chan Joon Yee
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