Retrospect of 2009

2009 is coming to an end. End of the first decade of the 3rd millenia of human kind. A lot has happened around the world, both good and bad. Habs are still struggling to win their 25th Stanley Cup (seriously, will I be alive to see the 25th cup??), the war on terror is still going on and there is no sign that it will end, a recession which created millions of unemployed citizens, the death of several celebrities (Heath Ledger, Micheal Jackson, Brittany Murphy, the list goes on). However, there was still good things that happened around the world: the first american African American president who elected elected last year, who was not only well versed but is also a huge geek (he was wielding a LIGHTSABER!) is still going on strong as a president , Google finally leveled the playing field for the eternal Evil Microsoft corporation by revolutionizing the usage of the Internet (google maps, google apps, google Android), Canada has been chosen to represent the world for the 2010 olympics.

As for me, the past year was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. After receiving my first promotion as a team lead, I experienced the worst professional "screw up", which resulted in a massive layoff at my old company and a quasi burnout. I managed to lose 10 pounds in a month, and literally started to lose my mind. After two years and a half of mental abuse from my boss, my mind finally gave in to the pressure. After seriously contemplating the idea of a three month sabbatical, my client offered me a full time position as QA analyst. Although it was a step "down" from being a programmer, it was better then blowing off all my savings. Have I regretted the decision? The answer is a convincing no. Aside from the harsh working environment, my knowledge has grown exponentially and I gained valuable skills and learned from my mistakes. I believe the step "down" is not as bad as people would thing, there is alot of knowledge for me to gain here along with meeting amazing coworkers.

Now, what does 2010 have in store for me? I don't know. Maybe I'll be living somewhere else outside of Montreal, maybe i'll be part of the Montreal Stanley cup celebration (if this happens, i'll be driving in a flying car while screaming go habs go), or maybe i'll be stuck in montreal, I don't know. One thing is certain though, it will not be a boring year (hopefully)

weeeknd in NYC (aka the failed attempted to inebriated blogging)

[This portion below was written on Saturday November 28th @ 1 something AM. I do remember typing all this, but i don't remember how come i never posted this]

So I just got back from drinking (well "just got back". My cousin just came back to her apartment so as a a good cousin/host, i was talking... so by the time i got to this state, I'm somewhat sober but  very VERY tired).Therefore shame you can't see me while i'm drunken blogging.. in person, i have been told i'm very entertaining (not to mention very VERY loud and obnoxious) .


For the 9th (10th?) time, I am back in NYC for "vacation". I usually o there to relax and have fun (mostly to catch up with my cousins. I used to be very close to one cousin but since we started HS, we kind of lost touch). This time i have experimented a bit: i went drinking ALONE. Usually, I would NEVER EVER go to a social place alone. I never know what to do, and to be honest, it looks loserish to go into a bar totally alone. But this time, with a kick in a butt from a friend,  I went drinking.. ALONE. It was quite something. It's very hard to actually start a convo if you're not  in a group, especially if it's a bunch of strangers (in my case, it was AMERICAN stranger which is even HARDER. I didn't end up drinking that much and i sure as HELL din't exect to be THIS happy. Let's just say I REALLY REALLY like this place (hint: it's owned by JT HIMSELF (yes. JT.. the n'sync dude). There was a blackboard sign that said "best drink in town", which as called 901 - bulous (something like that.. can't remember for shit... I took ONE sip in that baby and i felt like i had a shot of tequilla bfore hand... i [Something happened here. I might have passed out, a roofie i have ingested in the bar might have kicked in who knows]

All in all, this was a wonderful trip, exactly what i needed: ME time. I have always managed to find somebody to hang out with when I go travelling (local friends, or friends i travel with or family) but this time, Saturday was ME time. I got to say, it really feels GOOD. I truly adore Manhattan as a city. Granted it takes a bit of time to get used to the "confusing" subway system (compared to Montreal that is) and the "new york" style, but this city has so much to offer. Ranging from arts (MoMa had a TIM BURTON exhibit!!!) to restaurants (Iron Chef Bobby Flay and Morimoto have restaurants here along with so many other famous chefs along with Michelin star restaurants) and let's not forget about the night life, it's like a cooler version of Montreal (sorry, San Fran is still my favorite US city in my heart though). Don't be surprised if i go back in a few months!