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)