So 2010 is ending. It's been a busy year. It started in snow, and within a week I'd moved to Singapore, and 3 days later started a new job. Within 2 months I had a new flat. That's probably enough for most years, but this year I also decided I would sit for chartered engineer status - weeks of preparation, and a weekend of exams. And 2 weeks after that I got married, then held a second reception 2 months after that. Not bad work.
So my aim for 2011 is not to undo all my good work of 2010.
Having been in Singapore for almost a year I have to admit that I rarely miss the UK. The big exception is friends. One of the very strange things is that on a typical day, the only person who I see who has known me for more than a year is my wife; this can be a strange feeling. Still, having no history can be an advantage. (And this is just a little harsh - there are quite a few Singaporeans whom I made friends with when they were in the UK).
In many ways engineering life out here is pretty similar to the UK - we use the same codes, we worry about the same sort of things. I stay far more in the same place - in fact, there hasn't been a work day when I haven't been in the office at some point. This has meant a lot less time in cars which has got to be a good thing.
I think that Singapore is gnenerally happier than the UK that I left. This is not quite a sad a reflection on the UK as it may seem - Singapore is a very nice place to live. Part of this is that Singapore hasn't slowed down economically - people are mostly in work. There is not news each week of another corporate disaster, and people are looking forwards hopefully rather than with dread. Then there is the weather - being cold is far worse than being hot. It only takes me a few minutes to cool down after over heating. Warming up takes far longer, and can be very hard to achieve if you don't want to spend a fortune on gas.
The Dodgess and I really loved both the Singaporean and UK weddings - we had a great time at each. The other day I'd had a bad day at work... by the time that I left I was fuming. I had a couple of hours to let this brew, and then I had decided that I would lease off all my frustration at the Dodgess. As soon as I saw her, all my problems were gone... and work was not a problem... that's why I married her.
Professionally, I passed my chartership exams. I thought doing them in Hong Kong, would be great. It wasn't. The only time the weather was nice was when I was in the exams. Which led to hours spent in an unmemorable hotel room. Possibly not a bad thing. I hear from a most reliable source (the Dodgess) that Hong Kong can be great, and I think that I will probably go there again next year to find out. Still, I'd far rather have had a poor weekend and passed, than have to sit the thing again!
So looking back - I did alot in 2010. As I said above, I really hope that I don't undo all that good in 2011. Looking forwards, in 2011 I hope to have some new and exciting projects at work and I hope we can do a little more exploring of Asia. And, within 12 days, there will be more than just my wife who I will have known for more than 1 year over here :)
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