Goodbye to an old friend

We've been through a lot, you and I.

Ten years is a long time.

I remember the day we first met. We shared a connection and I knew we would journey well together. You were my faithful companion since my first job. We've shared long days and long nights, ups and downs, good times and not-so-good times.

Over the years, I may not have treated you with the care you deserved and I'm sorry for that. That fateful night when you finally gave up will live in my memory. Major surgery on your part and financial losses on mine will mark us - you more than I.

Time has not been kind to you, my friend. Your body wore, your skin dulled, and yet you still carried on; you still carried me with grace. And now comes time to part ways. I'll almost miss your familiar creaks and bumps, your quaking body stoically holding on. But all things must end, and today we journey together for the last time. I hope your next companion will treat you well and that you continue to travel the roads good or bad.

Farewell to you my friend, my first car, my Proton Iswara.

And thanks.

33

Another year over, and it's time for the 'traditional' birthday posting.

Posts are rare this past year since I joined Google+. I suppose it's not so much writer's block as writer's laziness. Hopefully I'll have the will to write more before the '34' post. In any case, it's been a fairly uneventful year for me. On a sad front, Steve Jobs passed away and evoked perhaps surprisingly sad feelings for me. I watched some great movies but was too lazy to review them. I attended my company annual dinner dressed in home-made zombie make-up - my first costume ever. I had pleasant end of year festivities, did some cooking, and had my first paint-ball game. Oh and I also bought a nice new Sony Xperia S to replace my unbearably unstable Xperia X2 and finally (very happily) entered the Android ranks.

For my birthday this year, I am writing this just after a very nice lunch in Penang. By celestial good fortune, my birthday coincides with Hari Raya festivities this year so I was able to go to my parents' place for an extended period. I've also placed an order for a spanking new car which I'll post about later - a birthday gift of sorts from me to me :). As Emperor Kuzco would say, "I'm so happy."

Cake by Aunt, Icing by Sister and Me, Lettering by Me

In terms of numbers, it seems 33 isn't all that fun:

• It's the smallest odd repdigit which is not a prime. Whoopie.
• It's the atomic number of Arsenic, commonly used in rat poison. Of course it's also used in some semiconductors so that's something.
• It's the number of vertebrae in a normal human spine
• It's traditionally considered to be the year Jesus Christ was crucified.
• It's the numerical representation of AMEN (1+13+5+14 = 33). Cute.
• It's a symbol of the Klu Klux Klan (K=11, 33=11x3=KKK). Not so cute.
• It's the alleged age of Alexander the Great when he died. Bummer.

Happy Birthday to me! Hope it will be an awesome year :)

Until next time, thanks for reading!

(Number facts from Wikipedia)