My Year in Review

2009 is now 2 days old, and all over tv land in the last couple of weeks are reviews of the old year - 2008, so I guess I too should review my 2008.

Well, sad to say, I didn't win the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2008, even though I have been doing loads of charity work (for examples, I have been a child-sponsor with World Vision for more years than the number of fingers and toes on my limbs, and just recently, as a matter of fact in December 2008, I joined KIVA [http://www.kiva.org] as a microfinance lender), among a host of other charitable donations, some of which are, unbashfully, for tax-shelter purposes.

So why didn't I win the Nobel Prize? I guess it must be that my "widow's mite" (note: I am not a widow) doesn't count as much as the millions that multi-billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates drop into the collection boxes.

Luckily, though, I did get to do a fair share of what I like to do best --- travelling.

March --- visited Cuba for the third time. Met a fellow traveller, Yariv, an Israeli flight attendant with Al El (or is it El Al, I am not sure). An interesting fellow on whom I based a short story titled "Yariv".

July --- went to London, England to attend Jeff's graduation. Got to see Adam, Jeff's best buddy from Toronto, now living and working in London.

Also met Karin, Jeff''s long time (4 years) girlfriend from Vienna, as well as her family (her brother is not in the picture on right).

In August, plans to Chile and Argentina for the second time had to be cancelled at the last minute because Yariv, the real guy,  (picture below)

            

was in town for a visit.

Another regrettable of 2008 is that I was not honoured with the Governor-General Award for Literature, even though I had "Yariv" (the short story) published, but that was no big deal as it was just a piece of raw spontaneous writing, totally unedited.

Also completed editing Toronto ALPHA's Resource Guide on the Japanese occupation of China between the two Great Wars. http://www.torontoalpha.org/ Hopefully, I will win some sort of prize or award; in truth, I would be satisfied to at least get some, any, sort of recognition, after I finished editing the second and expanded edition of the same guide this year (2009).

Finally, have I made any resolutions for 2009???

Well, I am not one to make promises that I can't keep, even if they were promises to myself, but you can bet your tush that I did.

What I have reolved for 2009 are:

• not to quit smoking until I am in a respirator
• not to take up drinking unless I outgrow my allergy to alcohol
• not to join a gym or to workout just because everybody tells me it is the best way to feel good and to look even better than I already am
• not to do or say anything just because people say it is the right thing to do or say
• not to acknowledge the existence of anybody who think that they know me better than I know myself

As my old (long time) friend, Martin, used to say --- So there!

2009 --- Give me your best shot!