Encapsulating 2008

Goodbye, 2008! As we bid adieu to 2008, I would like to reflect back on what kept me entertained throughout the year. As with every year, I will focus on events with words starting with a particular letter. If it is still not obvious what alphabet I will be touching on, it is none other that 'E'.

Elections

"Penangites voted for a new government and a new Chief Minister!"

Nothing can come bigger than this in 2008. Election was not held in Malaysia in 2008 but also in a lot of other countries. Just to name some, the United States, Taiwan, Pakistan, Spain, South Korea, and Nepal. The theme for most elections seemed to follow that of United States. Change was the focus. Change was what people were made to believe possible. Yes, we can! United States saw a change from Republicans to the Democrats. Not only that, they voted for the first African American President, Obama. Nepal had their first parliamentary elections. Pakistan and Taiwan too saw changes in power if I am not mistaken. And of course, Malaysia's government BN lost five states to Pakatan Rakyat namely Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, and my hometown, Penang. In addition to that, the BN administration also lost 10 out of 11 of their parliamentary seats in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Will Malaysia face a federal government change in the next General Election? I hope so!

Environment

"Green now and beyond?"

Since when we all start to become so conscious of our environment? Supermarkets started to sell shopping bags encouraging buyers to stop using plastic bags. Starbucks even changed their serviettes into those produced through recycled papers. Also, more people became eco-friendly. More people buy only stuffs which did not use animals in their testing, consume organic food, and start to recycle things which they would not think twice throwing. It was such an eco-conscious year that fashion also took advantage of it. "I'm not a plastic bag" sounds common? 100% biodegradable plastic bags sound common? What about the term "going green"? I must say, Al Gore's effort on saving the earth really had a big impact on the world population. Media played its part and the rest was left for the people to do. Did I become any more eco-friendly or less unfriendly than I previously was? I doubt I played my part. Maybe I will start playing my part when eco-friendly stuffs become cheaper than those which are not environmental friendly.

Erosion

"Will Bukit Antarabangsa be the last victim of human neglegence?"

Malaysia definitely is not a country lacking in land erosion! The first major one came in 1993 which caused the collapse of the Highland Towers. 15 years down the line, another major one happened at Antarabangsa Hill. It truly is sad that despite having suffered such a tragedy 15 years ago, our government has failed to implement the necessary measures to prevent such events again. In a 15 year time frame, they almost did nothing but encourage such hillside development. After the latest land erosion which affected the rich Malaysians, the government has stopped all hillside projects of a certain height. How long will such development be stalled? For sure, it won't last forever. Soon, we will see more hillside projects. We will see people forgetting about the danger and fond of getting one of those luxurious bungalows or condos. Let's just not stall those projects. Come up with some rulings and more importantly, enforce it for God's sake!!!

Entertainment

"Maya Karin got hitched!"

I always love to see news from the entertainment world. On the local front, I would consider Maya Karin getting married as one of the big news. She's probably one of the few pleasant looking artiste in Malaysia and it was nice to hear that she has found her man of her life. Also if you have been following some Malay papers, you would have probably came across an article about some artiste getting conned millions of Ringgit to join some stupid religious cult which allowed them to skip prayers and have sex before marriage. I have to say, that's plain stupid because I think you can just do those without having to join any cult. It's just a matter of morally and religiously right or wrong. This year, I would say that the local industry did quite well especially the indie music. Groups like One Buck Short, Bittersweet, Estranged, and Pop Shuvit had some big gigs. Estella came into the scene and radio stations are still playing their song. It was quality! I love it. Hopefully such local indie/rock/pop bands can come into the scene and play a bigger part in 2009.

"Britney making a come back?"

On the international front or rather the Hollywood world, I just have to talk about Britney Spears. It is definitely her year, isn't it? It looks as if she has made a come back. Her life is more organized and she just released a brand new album. She still has fan base. She may not be the girl who wears the school uniform anymore but she sure is still popular despite having two kids already. Kudos, Britney! I will wait how long her sanity will last. What about the drama-filled Jennifer Aniston? Get hooked up with John Mayer, then broke up, and then back together apparently because she is pregnant with his kid. Someone has not been practicing safe sex but no surprise! It's Hollywood! It's all fine for her to have found a guy who can make her pregnant but then I don't understand why she's having such a bitch over Angie's relationship with Brad. It's over Jen, get over with!!! Let's focus on keeping John happy and forget about Brad! He isn't coming back after having tasted a girl called Angelina Jolie! I know I wouldn't if I have Jolie! Also, Heath Ledger definitely worth some mentioning for his death was such big news which broke so many hearts. Not only that, his death too helped the Batman break some records in the entertainment industry! Well done, Heath! May you find peace in Heaven.

"A sad end to Joker!"

English Premier League

"I love this sport!"

Okay, it is now called Barclay's Premier League but essentially, it's still English! I think this season is a great season. Aston Villa is now third but if M*n U*d win their two games in hand, they could take over the spot and be on equal points with Chelsea. That would put them just one point behind Liverpool. I have been following the Premier League since 1998/99 and have never seen such a close fight among the top teams. It is my tenth year watching the Premier League and it is such a joy to see Liverpool top the table currently. I am not focusing whether they will it or not but surely hope so. At the moment, I just enjoy the close fight from the top teams. I remember not too long ago people were saying that the league is always about the top four and end up being a two-horse race between M*n U*d and Chelsea. This season, it has proven that the other teams are stronger than ever and we have yet to see the top two pulling away from others. We have yet to see a clear top four shaping up. Arsenal who are usually in the top four are currently at fifth place. However, they are just 8 or 9 points off Liverpool. This is the most exciting season I have experienced and I am enjoying it. Last season, it was all credit to M*n U*d. They won the Premier League and Champions League. A lot of it was due to the magnificence of Ronaldo in front of goals. However, I still hold by the belief that Fernando Torres should be winner of the Golden Ball for he was fantastic in his first season at Liverpool, he won Spain Euro 2008, and he would have scored more than Ronaldo if we take off Ronaldo's goals from penalties and free kicks. Hopefully, he will be free injury now on and emulate his brilliance last season. If he does that, Liverpool have a great chance of achieving the doubles M*n U*d did last season this season! I sure hope so!!!

I would like to wish everyone who dropped by a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!