Merry X-mas & Happy new year!!

[location:Northpole]
[mood:Busy...the elves are lazy]

*g* ... Just a little daydream ... I am still expecting Santa Claus to come down the chimney on christmas. So please don't you dissapoint me ;)
(Btw: If Santa Claus - assumingly it is a woman - really looks like the one from the Heineken TV-commercial - I will make sure there is beer in our fridge!!)

Anyway ... I am off to Germany tonight and will enjoy the cold weather & snow there. Hmm ... Beside of the 10hrs flight, I am already really excited to go back. Miss my family & my friends.

X-mas is already taking part in my daily food consumption. I've just started to re-start my sport training program, but I would have to spend 24 hrs a day in the gym to get rid of all the food from the different parties & functions.
Worst thing to come ... I am coming back to Germany ... My dad is just such an amazing cook. (I could literally sit in his food and do nothing else beside of eating all the yummy things.)
So ... one of the intension for the new year is for sure to get rid of the useless pounds ... (But I assume I am not the only one!! *g*)

Quite funny ... I was strolling along Orchard Road - huuuuuge shopping street - and everything just looks like one big Disneyland. So many colorful lights around ... I am still waiting for Mickey Mouse to run around and sign autograms ;)

Thanks to my cute sister, every year it is quite easy for me to escape all the shopping trouble. She buys all the presents and I will just get the big receipt to pay afterwards. You can call that lazy and boring ... but believe me: It is also a question of the right taste. Of course my mum would be happy to get a new wireless laser tractioned computer mouse, even if it would be a real useless present for her ...
Sorry ... but I am a man ... (premature stage!!)
I am happy when I find 2 matching socks every morning and don't wear any ridicolous combinations. (Over the time I've learned which of my clothes match ...)
So ... for the best of all - Let my sister buy the presents! (She is also a good fashion consultant - I just always have to chose the things I would never buy and then it might be something she would consider to buy)

- Can men be independent?! -
Women even consider shopping as being a sport. So called card-swiping-sport!! So how shall we (all the males out there) be able to keep up with them?! Simply not possible!!
Lessons learned for today: Always be nice to your sister(s)!! Once they've left the bothering age - they might become quite useful!!
Now the only thing left is a present for my sister - she wasn't really happy about the necklace I've bought her last year, so I might think about something else this time. Any recommendations?

Would be funny to see how many are inwardly agreeing with that ... Of course never admit a weakness ... but at least know them for yourself ;)

-cut-

If you got all your presents already - Congrats!
For all the people I won't see in my vacation break:

- Merry Christmas ... And also a haaaaaaapppy new year!! -

Let's see what happened in 2005:
- Jan & Feb: I left Manila and prepared my leave to Australia. Carneval was amazing ... (Sad to know I will miss it next year)
- Mar: Left Germany to go to Australia. Arrived in Sydney and started my 'new' life there. Enjoyed the rest of the good weather there.
- April: Sandra came down and we went for a nice vacation in Australia. Beside had to work ...
- Mai: Work ... work ... work ... Nothing to exciting happened. Went to Cairns / Great Barrier Reef for diving.
- June --> now: Left Sydney to work in Singapore - Met nice people here / since then working for one of our clients here. Enjoying all the weekend trips to the surrounding countries.

What lessons did I learn this year:
- Milestones: Life is not always as easy at it appears. Especially for me: Mr. wanna-be-smarty ... Sometimes decisions will have a long tail of sequences ... Make sure you know what will happen before you decide.
- People: I met a lot of new & interesting people. Living abroad makes yourself think different about certain things. People I meet - as in Expats - are all very open minded. It is just very interesting to listen what stories they have to tell ...
- Love: Everybody knows it already ... but there were also some bitter things this year. E.g.: Sandra. Even if we broke up this year - i still hope we remain friends. Thanks again for everything. Hope we both get the chance to see each other once I am back in Germany!
- Future aspects: Even if this year was much harder than I've expected it to be, I've set my goals for the coming year. Can't mention too much yet - But more details to follow...
- Lifestyle: I can't complain about the current life-style. Singapore and also Sydney are amazing cities. Things I've seen over the last couple of months are priceless ... They will for sure embose my character ...
- Friends: They come and go ... Once you don't see them anymore - a lot of people will simply forget you. A hard lesson - Of course you can be sure that once you are back, they seem to be your best friend - up until you step on the plane and leave. I don't think friendship has geographic borders ... It doesn't matter where you are - just trying to keep the friendship up is important.
- Life: I've spent a lot of time last year just trying to find myself. What am I?! What am I doing here?! Why am I doing that!? Finally now, I got some of these questions answered and can concentrate on the next year. If it will be more successful? We will see!

So that's it for now - Hope to see & meet a lot of people back home ...

Ste[ph]an