2008 In Retrospect

In a matter of minutes 2008 will leave us behind. No doubt many would rant about the economic meltdown in late 2008, it had been a great year for many. My traveling and one-month stint in France had definitely opened up new horizons, and following that our home-grown badminton star almost made it gold in the Beijing Olympics.
Many would agree to remain pessimistic about the tough times ahead - as international corporates slash jobs, freeze new recruits and force employees to unpaid leaves; banks slash interest rates to encourage spending in hope of stimulating the economy - sounds contradictory is it not?
Nevertheless, the optimists would point out that the previous year had unravel several beacons of light in the dark - Barack Obama's successful election as the first African-American president was aptly summarized by the president elect himself:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Malaysian citizens had also done proud upon itself by voting against further racial manipulation and inequality through the March 8 political tsunami. It once again revitalizes the power of the people. However, all Malaysians must bear in mind that with democracy comes respect for all forms of views and responsibility of action - one's personal dissatisfaction must never jeopardize the entire well-being of society and freedom of the public.
Later this year the global economic meltdown witnessed how fragile and wrong the Americans are in business and finance. While the rest of the world had gone forward with open policies without government intervention, allowing for the survival of the fittest; Americans are still stuck in post-WWII policies seeing dozens of struggling companies hiding under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The fireworks are just being released. I could see a clear view of the most part of Hualien city tonight. It'll be a harsh and cold year coming ahead, but the beacons of light and words of wisdom from all over the world will guide us out of the woods. Very soon we should be able to savor a market with more freedom, more liberal governments and experience greater adventures.
Happy 2009 to all!