I’m sure you’ve heard this ad nauseum – it’s not just a new year but a new decade. If you follow the ordinal year system, that is.

I remembered greeting the coming of 2000 vividly. The cold wintry night with some mates in Newcastle watching the best fireworks display ever over the Tyne. The Y2K bug didn’t happen and things were the same as before, partying like it’s 1999.

The decade went by nicely (it may feel quick reminiscing about it now – but not that quick). As usual, friends come and go (usually to pastures new – what were you thinking?). I also had loved and lost (the benchmark hands down, and still is). Career-wise, the first half of the decade was upwards, with a few tumbles in between, both of the unexpected and err.. expected kinds.

The decade’s latter half saw me being it, and I played/listened/bought more music/musical instruments. My attendance at gigs increased exponentially – with my fifth Metallica and fourth third Pearl Jam show in my books. I also met more like-minded souls and we managed to kickstart an annual (for now) event that had laid dormant for years.

The decade also saw two major surgical procedures in the family, which hopefully, had made all of us stronger. It did strengthen the family bond nevertheless, with the second major event culminating in a welcomed addition to the family (and of early this year, we’re now 4+1).

I realised that I finally ventured out into the continent after all these years (I like travelling comfortably, thank you very much). And the past two years saw me buying the most expensive gift/investment for myself (don’t really like to be in debt again – but this will be worth it, insyaAllah), and me doing things I have never done before (with the rumah la).

And surprisingly, 無秩序の胃 trundles on, and has been since 2004, in the blogosphere, although not as strong as I would’ve liked it to be. Here’s to the next decade. Hope you will have a good one too, insyaAllah.