Looking back, it has been an eventful year, having just enjoyed the long break after A levels, enlistment came and I became part of NS. Throughout the different stages in my army life, many friendships were formed, people who were close headed to different places after BMT, people come and go and that's just a part and parcel of how life is supposed to be. Thankfully, the people under the same course platoon were all posted to the same place and for that, I was really thankful for it. Personally, transitions are tough, friends that go through all those trainings with you ultimately all head to different locations and that feels like a close friend has now ventured somewhere far away. Nonetheless, I'm already 50% through my NS life and it has brought many new experiences, many lessons learnt and most importantly, many everlasting friendships :)
The end of the year signals the start of having more gatherings since some of us would be on block leaves or clearing offs, and its really a good time to see old friends again and hang out elsewhere other than the usual locations. That includes meeting up with the dudes who're back from overseas.
had an awesome time over at the Esplanade area, having a very "local" dinner over @ the Makansutra Gluttons Bay. Cereal prawns, BBQ stingray, Satays... *drools* :D
didn't really dared to try those alcoholic drinks that I've never seen before so I settled with normal juice like some of the others. the price over there is really eye boggling but I guess it isn't a place to specifically go to get a drink or two but instead it's more of an extra price for the more ambient atmosphere over there. Had heard stories over at clubs where essentially the music is super loud and the flashing lights were extremely bright at times, so having experienced a bar instead, I guess I'd not be heading over to clubs if I was given a choice. The pizzas there were REAL good though, personally I actually preferred the pizzas @ Timbre as compared to maybe pizza hut? Personal choice though :) Quite a good night handout location too, coupled with music / live bands and as a place to chill and relax. New experience, new experience :)
Breaks past faster than working days as usual and it's time to say goodbye again :X
All the best overseas and take care!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
two days ago, me and my friends finally went for another cycling trip after like soooooooo long. awesome day and awesome rain... got caught in a downpour while transiting between shelters at Punggol Waterway park. Had headed there to see the path that links all the way to Punggol Beach and so from Pasir Ris, its all the way to Punggol! Unfortunately I don't think the path was actually completed as it was still red brick pieces making up the road, like there was a missing layer of black tar to make the road smooth. An extremely bumpy road and finally we've arrived at Punggol Beach! Not quite something I had expected since the Beach wasn't as "free" as it was like in Changi or Pasir Ris where the sand is like many metres out and was not fenced up like it is in Punggol. Didn't stay on the spot for long and headed back to Pasir Ris soon after. Not quite sure about the total distance we cycled but the legs were like totally tired after all the cycling here and there. Nonetheless cycling is still just as shiok :D
Weeks before we just headed over to Botanic Gardens and perhaps its a sign that rain follows us quite closely. The moment we arrived at Botanic Gardens MRT, the rain was pouring like real hard. Thankfully it lasted for only a few minutes but the rain that was collected over on the trees really made the rainforest literally a "rain"forest. @_@
considered myself lucky that this time the swans at the Swan Lake actually swam close to the edge of the lake. They were quite shy the previous time and hid at a corner so this time I guess I was pretty lucky :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 was also the year I finally picked up my own electric guitar. Had been wanting to learn this for quite some time, so the "wish" has finally come true! :D good way to advance after learning the classical guitar for about 2 years+ in JC, happily jamming away over the last few days xD
and now it's transition back to a look back on the 2012 anime charts.
looking back, it wasn't exactly a wonderful year unlike the series we had over in 2011, with the powerhouses: Steins;Gate and Madoka Magica but with SAO being the overrated series this year, I'm glad that I ain't a hardcore fan of SAO :P
A look into the winter season of 2011/2012, the year kicked off with the unique original story animation of Black Rock Shooter. That was actually the main action series that I would say I actually missed after it had ended. The franchise started off with the lucky dude Huke who created the character and later shot to fame after Supercell wrote a song about it and then, the BRS franchise had begun. Coupled with the Original Anime series, it's pretty good so see how a storyline is put into place for the characters of the BRS series and the shocking twist of the story where Yuu and STRength had actually swapped places between their worlds. Other than the BRS series, for the season, only "Another" remains as a up-to-now still a good horror series that I've last seen a good one. Perhaps Higurashi could be considered as a horror series but that had a good mixture of supernaturals and science in it, and the second closest that I have tried to watch was Shikabanehime, which in the end had a rather bad plot that I gave up watching just a few episodes in. I really applaud Another for its mystery and suspense and finally revealing the whole truth which caught me off guard as I wasn't suspecting the Another to be that individual after all. A good twist and something that would make me remember in times to come.
The Spring season got a better start with Accel World, whose plot was good, well, only the plot... The character design was a little disappointing and the story development was just awkward. Thankfully in place of it were Hyouka and Jormungand which were both good in their own aspects. Hyouka was a slice-of-life coupled together with mysteries, both simple and complicated, and in both ways, continue to amaze me in the way the story is written. No surprises about a story written by an acclaimed author yea. Jormungand showcased the "other" side of the world of weapons trade and in that, shows the possibility of another world that lives in the same dimension as us, and the people who are drastically affected by such dangerous trades. Eureka Seven Ao was also slotted under the same timeframe, a good series at the beginning, lost itself somewhere in the center and barely managed to get the momentum back, before ending with an extremely disappointing ending. And so the season ends with both Accel World and E7 Ao pulling te year down to a boring level...
The Spring season got a better start with Accel World, whose plot was good, well, only the plot... The character design was a little disappointing and the story development was just awkward. Thankfully in place of it were Hyouka and Jormungand which were both good in their own aspects. Hyouka was a slice-of-life coupled together with mysteries, both simple and complicated, and in both ways, continue to amaze me in the way the story is written. No surprises about a story written by an acclaimed author yea. Jormungand showcased the "other" side of the world of weapons trade and in that, shows the possibility of another world that lives in the same dimension as us, and the people who are drastically affected by such dangerous trades. Eureka Seven Ao was also slotted under the same timeframe, a good series at the beginning, lost itself somewhere in the center and barely managed to get the momentum back, before ending with an extremely disappointing ending. And so the season ends with both Accel World and E7 Ao pulling te year down to a boring level...
The turning point of the year then came with the highly anticipated and overrated anime series: SAO. I wouldn't deny that the series was good, but perhaps it was the original writing or the scripting of the anime that made the 2nd arc weird and spoiled the momentum of SAO. Kokoro Connect was also a good series, a good one IMO where we get light shed on how individuals act around each other after they were forced, through supernatural means to get to know what the others were hiding behind their back, or even their true feelings and that really triggers the tear buds.
And... of course the year ends with a bang with Chuunibyou airing over in the Fall season, with tears shed over a cute romantic series, a start of a action and debatable story of Psycho-Pass and the successor to Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes. And of course not forgetting Shin Sekai Yori with its extremely weird story progression but still nonetheless interesting to watch.
Those were the more memorable series that had been shown in 2012, but not as memorable or a series that I really had total admiration for its plot, like 2011 with Steins;Gate and Madoka Magica. Hopefully 2013 might be a year that we'll have similar powerhouses again so it's a look out to 2013!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
experiences experiences and 2012 was finally the year I got started with actually playing WS. Got hold of some of the cards over in 2010 but had left it as a collection purpose until I finally got the chance to test out playing the actual game itself over at AFA this year.
got really thrashed since my deck wasn't complete yet and as a solution to that:
and my deck is finally completed! Won my 1st match in public as well and that feeling is actually quite good :D looking forward to 2013 with more versus opportunities!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and a wonderful song to end the year:
Aozora no Namida by Hitomi Takahashi
English Translation:
Alone in the darkness, I found out the meaning of your tears
I stepped out toward the place I wished for, but I don't want to hurt anyone
I stepped out toward the place I wished for, but I don't want to hurt anyone
Today, the wind that crosses the ocean will blow straight toward tomorrow again
But why can't my heart start moving?
But why can't my heart start moving?
I wonder that fate awaits me
I don't want to regret having been born
There is courage within sadness
I believe that I can find the light
Tears of blue sky, still falling
Someday it will change into a smile
I don't want to regret having been born
There is courage within sadness
I believe that I can find the light
Tears of blue sky, still falling
Someday it will change into a smile
The wind that I chase after at a fast pace slips through between my fingers
I'm still afraid to trust, but I will no longer linger
I'm still afraid to trust, but I will no longer linger
The moon softly taps my shoulder, the water's surface shows the path of the moon
It makes me forget that I was confused
It makes me forget that I was confused
Even if there is nothing waiting for me tomorrow
I still have hands that can make something
I can even change the fated path
Now I build up my strong feelings
Tears of blue sky, overflowing
The sky will be clear tomorrow
I still have hands that can make something
I can even change the fated path
Now I build up my strong feelings
Tears of blue sky, overflowing
The sky will be clear tomorrow
I should be able to step toward the path I've looked up to
I can go anywhere, as long as I don't lose myself
I can go anywhere, as long as I don't lose myself
I wonder that fate awaits me
I don't want to regret having been born
There is courage within sadness
I believe that I can find the light
I don't want to regret having been born
There is courage within sadness
I believe that I can find the light
Tears of blue sky, still falling
Someday it will change into a smile
Someday it will change into a smile
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All in all, this year has been a really fun year, the day of Dec 21 flew by just as quickly as any other day and I'm counting down to the end of next year and then a great year ahead of 2014 :)
So cya 2012! and Hello 2013!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! All the best for future endeavours and most importantly, stay healthy and stay safe!
No comments:
Post a Comment