Hopeful 2021 – In a review

Oh hi! *dusting the cobwebby blog* After a year of hiatus, here I am back just right before the year ends! 

Here’s to another year, another 365 days of being grounded right here in Singapore. I suppose I can account for the lack of updates due to not travelling abroad, right? *Cough* Excuses. *Cough*. There are plenty of past travels to document, but in reality, it is always easier to post bite-size content on Instagram.  

I themed the year, Hopeful, hoping that life will gradually revert to pre-covid days. Looking at the current situation looks like I have underestimated the power of Covid. That’s me, a little too optimistic and idealistic. Looking at the bright side, we are getting there! I remained relatively positive throughout the year, so hope was something I held on to. 

Now it is time to reflect on the past 365 days, so let’s begin with my resolutions for 2021. 

2021 Resolution – Reflection

Read 15 books – 🙁 

Even though I only completed 12 books instead of 15, this is one of the highest book counts I’ve read in recent years. Kudos to that! In addition, I have expanded my reading genre, so much so that I only read one novel this year! It takes effort to pull myself away from all the distractions to read a book, but if it is good enough, I would have a hard time putting it down until I flipped all the pages. 

Keeping fit – 🙂

I’ve split this resolution into two portions, one for and one for other forms of workouts, ensuring that I get some cardio done and muscles toned. The quantitative target I set for the year was to run 200km and finish 25 hours of workout. I tracked myself diligently throughout the year, and I am happy to announce that I ran a total of 233km and completed 27 hours of static training. I pushed through this unknowingly because I thought I set a higher target! Well done, Pam! 

Find and start a course – 🙁 

Ooops. Unfortunately, this has fallen through the “crack” for other things such as making money took priority. I started searching for courses under the SGUnited programme; however, nothing interesting caught my eyes. On another note, I made a feeble attempt to learn to program again only to be reminded why I dropped out of programming aeons ago. The saving grace is that I MAY have an idea of what to sign up for next year. We shall see! 

I did not look too accomplished completing one out of the three resolutions on paper. However, in reality, it was not shabby at all. Even though 2021 is another year of living with the pandemic, it has been a good year to a large extend and here is why. 

A clear vision

I finally did the LASIK eye surgery to make my vision perfect again! The dry eyes and signs of eye exhaustion drove me to this life-changing decision. For someone who fumbles for the glasses every morning since eight years old, the ability to see clearly when I open my eyes every morning is such a blessing. Okay, let’s be realistic; I am still experiencing a side effect: dry eyes in the morning. But then, I was already dealing with some dry eyes issues before the LASIK. Thus, the trick is to drip a drop of eyedrop into each eye every morning to help resolve the issue. It is not too bad at all. For now, let me enjoy the perfect eyesight and deal with the presbyopia when the time comes. 

Intermittent Fasting

It is always challenging for someone who is not obese and exercises regularly to shed the last few kilograms. I stumbled upon a show about Intermittent Fasting backed with an experiment and interviews with subject matter experts, so I thought, why not give it a try? So I did. I followed my IF regime strictly for two months during May and June, which nicely coincides with our Phase 2 Heighten Alert. The lack of social gatherings and no dine-in ruling made it easier for me to exercise this IF. I lost 2 to 3 kilograms which I had trouble getting rid of previously. Now, I no longer practice strict IF; it is difficult, especially with year-end social gatherings; however, I still make an effort to keep up to it as much as possible. 

Cooking

This year, I have also expanded my cooking repertoire and am more creative and experimental in the kitchen. Previously, my cooking consisted of using a lot of different pre-mixes. However, Tiktok opened my world to new creations. I also find myself cooking more than just buying food home to eat. Not only is it healthier because I get to control what I put in my mouth, but also I am eating way less fast food and processed food as a result. Good job, Pam! 

Explore Singapore

Despite the opening of Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) in September 2021 with Germany and Brunei and subsequently, with many other countries added to the list, I choose to stay put. Being so Pam, it is for practical reasons, such as the high cost of PCR tests and my job. Thus, I spend the year actively seeking adventures within the borders of Singapore. I am lucky to have like-minded friends who prefer going from heartlands to nature, checking off untouristy parts of Singapore instead of hanging out in malls and going shopping. Just gonna list them down for the record. 

1. Geylang
2. Dairy Farm Nature Park
3. Spottieswoode
4. Toa Payoh
5. Pulau Ubin
6. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
7. Clementi Forest
8. Keppel Reservoir
9. Crawford Street
10. Botanic Gardens – Gallop Extension
11. Ang Mo Kio
12. Bukit Brown
13. Joo Chiat
14. Mount Serapong
15. Hougang
16. Bukit Timah
17. Potong Pasir

If I dare say, it is quite a feat! 

Well, with all these good things, the year is not always a bed of roses as I hit my lowest in August this year. 

Lowlight of the year. 

The entire month of August was just horrible. It consisted of a handful of episodes all consolidated into a month. Looking back, I came to realise the signs of gaslighting, perhaps due to someone’s insecurities. I also will accept some of the blame because it was a good wake up call where I forced myself to self-reflect and take action after that. I am still thankful to brush past the person in my life. The subsequent episodes were complete shitholes where it was where they exploited my vulnerability. Anyhow, I eventually got my shit together, stood by my stand, made my point loud and clear (but some people just don’t get it, can’t blame me), ended everything and moved on to the new month! Oh boy, it was a tough month, but I pulled through. 

All in all, I rate 2021 an 8/10! I have my fair share of ups and downs with some anxiety, uncertainties, and self-doubts, but that’s life, huh. It is still incredible, despite the global pandemic. How did yours fair, and how would you rate yours?