16 A Quiet New Year

All good for the soul, but not good at all .. because I spent my New Year gorging on the most addictive chocolate chip cookies. Now I feel like a well nourished potato, rolling her wobbly way around the house. I knew I was asking for trouble when I made the decision to bake the legendary Nestle Toll House cookie but my regrets aren't real. It brought me immense satisfaction. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pumpkin Seeds and Almonds

Aah..2015. "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!", we cheered to each other. Some with renewed hope, others a little superficially.

You see, it's been a tough year for Malaysians in general. A year of sorts. It was a year for the extremists. We were torn apart by racial barbs. It was the year of kidnappings for ransom. That put a dent on the tourism industry. It was the year of aviation disasters. Flight MH370 remains missing, MH17 was shot down and QZ8501 had, it seemed, succumbed to bad weather. QZ8501, although an Indonesian plane, flies under the banner of Air Asia, a Malaysian low-cost airline.

To top it off, several states are facing the worst floods. The rain has been relentless. More than a hundred thousand people have been displaced. Homes have been washed away. Many of us have risen to donate and help in any way we can.

All this, as we try to usher the year in with positive thoughts. The skies remained grey and it was chilly throughout. I didn't stay up to catch the fireworks on the eve. That doesn't mean that I didn't have a good day. I did.

I snuggled up in bed with chocolate chip cookies and three movies. No whoops of joy with friends or running off to start on my resolutions. It was just a day to appreciate the little things more and to be grateful for what I have.

Happy New Year, everyone.