2022 has been quite an insane year. The beginning is a far cry from the end.
Let's begin with January 2022.
What happened in January 2022?
You might think this happened last year, but this occurred in the same year: a new lockdown because of Omicron.
Yes, in January 2022, Omicron came knocking and made itself known worldwide ferociously. In Singapore, booster shots were quickly dispensed so that the population were inoculated as soon as possible.
I had my booster shot on the 6th of January.
Countries worldwide have not opened their borders. Singapore and Malaysia both were not exceptions. Barring VTL, which cost quite a fortune, we couldn't travel between both countries freely.
But things changed when Omicron had been assessed to be very mild, and the fortress erected came down by March and borders between Singapore and Malaysia were opened in April 2022.
I caught covid-19 in March 2022. It was very mild, and I had been a lot worse, so it was okay for me. I don't suffer from Long-covid, which is a plus, but that quarantine took a real toll on my wallet.
I got my Singapore PR in March 2022. I was going to ICA to sign it early, but due to unfortunate catching of covid-19, I postponed it by two weeks.
Before that, I had to do blood test, do X-rays, which, thankfully, were completed before I got my covid. And then all I needed was to reschedule and sign it at ICA at a different time. Thankfully, I managed to get it done by mid-March, although I wouldn't be able to get my physical card yet.
I went back to Penang in April 2022. For a month, after two years of separation. It was good, and I liked it. Thankfully, my company allowed me to WFH.
I got my card in May 2022, and therefore CPF. It was painful to get a smaller chunk of my salary home. And my timing was bad - it reached the annual cap-off for Medisave top-up, so I was asked - legally compelled - to top up my Medisave account by transferring a few hundreds into it.
I travelled back again in August 2022.
I attended an ex-colleague's wedding in Singapore in September 2022.
I went to Sarawak in October 2022, to attend a friend's wedding in Sarikei. That was my first time travelling to Sibu via Senai airport - and Senai airport was quite an eye-opener, I never realised there could be two gates: one for passengers with checked-in bags and one for passengers without - and then my friend picked me up from there and we travelled to Sarikei.
I haven't met them for three years. It was good catching up.
In November 2022 I travelled back home for my cousin's wedding. It was good.
This year has been very eventful.
I'm not really in a mood to elaborate here, but this year has been exceptional. I hope the new year, set to begin in a few hours, could be as eventful, but perhaps less tumultous, and probably less negative too. Now that China has relented and reopened in a rather embarrassingly hasty manner, I'm afraid it doesn't bode well for the world.
Wow, lots of your circle of friends/families are getting married left and right. No wonder you made that post few months ago on how it affected you (slightly if it is) since it can get lonely not even having a gf/partner, let alone not going out finding one, yet.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I do have that same lonely mindset. I can't advice you on how to solve it because I don't have the solution - but mayhaps I share my thoughts on how I process my loneliness especially when those around me have already paired up for years.
Basically, I do lots of comparison. I compare myself with others and felt the need to have my other half, since, well, most are in a relationship at their mid to late 20's so why not right? But it took me years to discern the fact that I only felt lonely and felt something was wrong with me because of what I don't have (partner). Even before this, going back to high school/uni where I'm just having fun with my close friends, I don't have these sorts of ideas of finding a partner, settling down, since we were mostly single too. Take things less seriously, so to speak.
When I truly asked myself is it what I wanted, then I realized what I want/need when I dig deeper. Do I want partner? Yes, sometimes, since it can get hard doing things on your own especially when you're going through hard days and/or down with illness. Do I need one to keep living or be content? Nope, since I love my single life and chilling by myself. You know this as well I believe.
I realized I only felt the need for a partner only because most around me has one already, and not because I truly have found someone who I can see a future with, built a relationship with. Not sure why it took me so long to figure it out but once I did, then it gets way smoother in taking things slow and going at my own pace, which I love. Such is my journey in figuring out my priorities. (And no, I'd rather stumble across someone in real life while participating in events/hobbies - my friends brought up online dating/Tinder but I refuse to subscribe to online matchmakers LOL)
Hopefully you're doing fine and chilling at your own pace if you're not keen on finding partner just yet. Wishing you a good times ahead in this new year/journey!
Thanks.
DeleteI don't know who you are, but thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm not quite sure what I seek. I'm the kind of person who has only identified what I do not want, but cannot precisely pinpoint what I truly desire. The upside is that I open myself to infinite possibilities since I'm open to anything that do not strike me as unwelcoming.
Peer pressure hasn't been something terribly influential on me, so I'm pretty sure what happens now isn't a surrender to societal expectations. I think there's just something hidden, buried in me that I've not allowed surface, and I'm trying to identify what is it that's concealed thus far.
Thanks again for your words.