This blog has been running for an entire decade! I totally forgot about the 19th April blog anniversary where I usually do my annual roundup until Cynthia texted me all the way from Australia.
This is supposed to be up on the 19th of April each year and has been since 2003. sixthseal.com started in 2002 and this is my favorite post to write as it shows how much it has grown since it’s inception. 🙂
I was planning to do something a bit special for the 10th blogniversary – the idea thrown out on the SixthSeal.com Facebook page was to write a completely new post featuring everyone’s favorite “guest author” – veritas. However, that idea has been scrapped – I’ve not been active in that scene for a long time except for a couple of discreet incursions and I think it’ll be counter-productive to what I’m trying to do with my life.
Further reading: A MapleStory from a Lvl 2X Swordsman
It’s filed under Satire/Parody and one of my favorite posts. It’s quite obvious what I’m talking about but I surprised myself by sustaining the metaphor for that long.
Thus, without further ado, here’s my favorite posts from the blog year (think of it as a fiscal year) in chronological order:
Kiwi fruit rice with yoghurt
25th April 2011
This is in here coz it was a major milestone for me. My then-girlfriend moved from Miri to KL to be with me and we’ve been doing a lot of cooking together. This is one of the quirky breakfasts that I make. We’ve broken up but still remain good friends. 🙂
The best of Northern Rivers in Australia
3rd June 2011
I flew over to the Northern Rivers region where I met people really big on organic food and low food miles and ate at their restaurants. The main event was Casino Beef Week – a cattle extravaganza in a small little town in Australia called Casino. I’ve never been to a cattle auction and street parade before and I loved the experience.
Skydiving and sea kayaking at Byron Bay & Beyond
28th June 2011
The next bit was skydiving and sea kayaking. I also ate a whole lot of good breakfasts which I really miss from my uni days in Melbourne.
Epic weekend: An impromptu trip to Ipoh, dodgy hotels, losing my wallet and my car bumper
12th June 2011
A little bit closer to home, I went on a road trip with a friend to Ipoh and promptly lost my wallet and the rear bumper of my car. It was totally unplanned, I went out for drinks with Bonnie and somehow we ended up in Ipoh. I’ve cut down a lot on my alcohol consumption since then and while I’m not a teetotaler, I drink quite a lot less than what I imagine a social drinker downs. 🙂
Chilling with Christy at Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi
6th July 2011
This travel streak was promptly followed by a trip to Bukit Tinggi with Christy. I actually spent my 30th birthday here and this is the second time I remember being at Colmar Tropicale, although my dad mentions that we’ve been there when I was a kid.
The real reason Judas betrayed Jesus (and how evangelism started)
19th August 2011
A post that I wrote in a couple of minutes that turned out better than I expected. It’s filed under Satire/Parody and the best post I’ve ever written in that category hands down is Newsflash: Another clinic hit by notorious doctor shopper veritas. This doesn’t even come close but it’s good enough for government work.
(although I’m quite fond of The OMG! I stepped on an electrical socket adapter! FAQ too)
Driving at the actual Sepang International Circuit!
15th September 2011
My first time driving a car at the Formula One circuit in Sepang. I met a friend which I later met up with in Penang too! The experience of driving at high speeds on an actual competition circuit is exhilarating!
Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum Specialists in Hong Kong
10th October 2011
I went to Hong Kong and Macau with my ex-girlfriend (the very same one mentioned in the first recap post). We had a lot of fun exploring with no itenerary and ate at the famous (and cheap) dim sum place opened by a Michelin 3-star chef. Locals wait in line for an hour on average to eat their divine baked BBQ pork buns.
Making big decisions in life – from someone who learned the hard way
10th October 2011
My life story for those of you who doesn’t know about my dark past. It’s a true story about addiction and redemption. I wrote it for Prudential and the entire article can be read here.
Chef Martin Yan Chinese food wine pairing banquet @ Mandarin Oriental
4th December 2011
This is the person who got me interested in cooking. If you’re an 80’s baby, you’ll remember the show Yan Can Cook. I finally met him in real life and he’s exactly like his on-air personality. 🙂
I got to taste his cooking too!
Meeting childhood idols are always good – kinda like talking to Ron Jeremy in SEXPO, Melbourne during my first year blogging. That post is NSFW due to the photos.
Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards – NAPBAS 2011 recap
18th December 2011
I was nominated for Best Lifestyle Blog. I didn’t win but it’s nice to be recognized for my efforts. 🙂
I also had an interview with Linora of Red FM prior to that.
It was a lot of fun to be on the radio and seeing how stuff works on air.
Merry Christmas from Bali!
24th December 2011
I went to Bali for Christmas and had a blast!
Babi Guling in Bali
1st January 2012
Forget the commercialized chains – for the best babi guling in Bali, head over to Denpasar and eat where the locals eat! 🙂
Happy Chinese New Year 2012 everyone!
22nd January 2012
It’s my favorite time of the year – firecrackers, drinking and family reunions!
The 2012 Chinese New Year firecrackers and fireworks roundup!
8th February 2012
This is MY SECOND FAVORITE POST to write during the entire year. What I do is get a bunch of fireworks and firecrackers during Chinese New Year – take photos and video it and post it up. I write about the pyrotechnics and if there’s only one post you’re going to read in this entire roundup – read this one! 😀
The story of the little gangster that could
10th February 2012
This is a photo story I wrote for my ex-girlfriend’s brother. I was the subject of their high pass photography experiments too and the the photos turned out great. I wrote two versions too – one exclusively for the newly launched SixthSeal.com Facebook page.
My Valentine’s Day
15th February 2012
I got together with a girl I met while having breakfast at TDH. You all know the story.
My girlfriend just moved in with me!
29th February 2012
She moved in with me not 2 weeks after. I was totally in love and thought this was the one, that I’ve finally met someone that I can settle down with.
I even hired professional cleaners to sanitize my studio apartment, something I’ve never done for anyone.
My girlfriend just broke up with me…
11th March 2012
It didn’t work out. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Okay, I’m tired of saying that so I’ll just say that it wasn’t my fault. It was doomed from the start and I was the last one to know about it. It really hurt and it took me a long time to recover from such a short relationship but I’ll like to think I’m wiser now.
You live, you learn. 🙂
I’m flying high on the trapeze!
18th March 2012
I had a lot of fun at the flying trapeze in Club Med, Phuket. In a few short days, I learned how to do a knee hang back flip and my crowning glory was being a flyer and timing it just right so I can be caught by one of the Circus GOs. It felt like I was an actual trapeze artist in the circus! 🙂
Happy Easter and the search for God
8th April 2012
I’ll end this with a slightly cryptic post about my spirituality and the changes I’ve made since then. It’s safe to say that it’s not a temporary thing, I am getting some serious things done with my life. 🙂
It just hit me that one year has just passed by since I last wrote this and I hate to use this cliched term but time really does fly!
My other social media sites:
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/sixthseal
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sixthseal
http://www.facebook.com/SixthSealcom
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/sixthsealdotcom
On the home front, I’m still single (and available). I’m looking for the right person but I still haven’t found her so I’m just going to let fate run its course.
Here’s the list of blog anniversary posts I’ve done since sixthseal.com came online on the 19th of April 2002:
2003: sixthseal.com 1st Birthday
2004: sixthseal.com 2nd Birthday!
2005: sixthseal.com 3rd Birthday!
2006: sixthseal.com 4th Birthday!
2007: I was in rehab. There are (officially) no posts in 2007.
2008: I just got out of rehab. There is no 2007 recap to be done. 🙂
2009: Seven years of sixthseal.com
2010: I was in New Zealand at the time while my mom underwent an operation for lung cancer. I am pretty sure I still wrote the blogniversary post, but I’ve been having a bit of problems with the archives so let me double check on that.
2011: Happy 9th bloganivarsary sixthseal.com!
Happy birthday sixthseal.com! You have come a loooong way since the days of blogging in a cramped room in Melbourne with a webcam as a camera.
Here’s to 10 more years of sixthseal.com – it’s something I’ll like to show my children, a “Hey kids, this is what dad used to be like” kinda thing but I’m sure I’ll still be blogging then. 😀
Thanks for reading everyone! It just won’t be the same without you all. 🙂
Hey hey it’s finally up! I’m reading your ’03 and ’04 ‘blogniversary’ posts.
Some of it is quite scary, like that “Come out and play” post.
You had some pretty wild days hey? 🙂
Happy blogday sixthseal and HB!
Thanks for reading Dianne! 🙂
Oh ya, that post…well, it was quite an unusual time in my life and I was keeping some unusual company so stuff like that was pretty common. Speaking of the incident I was aghast that the weapon was left at my apartment, it took me a week to get rid of it. I really didn’t want it around coz I didn’t know the history. 😡
2003-2006 was quite an interesting period in my life. Cheers for the well wishes! 😀
Happy blog anniversary!!
Thanks Sherrie! 🙂
awesomeness brother, and to think that you and i started somewhere at the same time.
so yeah! 10 years of blogging for the both of us and still counting mon!
I remember Stephanie being the very first in 2001. She’s still around too but doesn’t post that frequently anymore.
I think the trick is passion, you have to love to write and you have to like documenting your life. I find one thing in common for people who’ve been blogging for a long time – they all kept diaries as a kid. 🙂
Cheers and here’s to another 10×10 years for us mate! 🙂
i never kept a diary. but i just love to write a lot. and yeah 10×10 years for us.
Congrats, buddy! Keep up the good work…
Thanks Arthur! 🙂
I will, it’s always a pleasure to write. 😀
Happy Blog Anniversary friend !!!! Love reading your blog. Keep it up
Thanks for reading Sylvia! 🙂
I’m not going anywhere. Cheers for the kind comments! 😀
happy burpday Sixthseal.com!
Cheers to many more years of writing:D We need to celebrate this…3litres of Paulaner and Pork knuckles? Hehehe
Thanks for the well wishes! 😀
Haha! Definitely, that sounds good. 3 liters of Paulaner, some good sausages and pork knuckles when you’re free.
It sounds like a great plan! 🙂
here’s to another 10 years!
Cheers mate! 🙂
Thanks for the kind comments!
a 10-year-old blog might kinda be like a 30-year-old person, rite. one that’s been through a heckuva lot of ups and downs, but still around to keep living and learning. here’s wishing that Year 11 will be the best one for you yet 😀
Heh! Yeah, although I think of it more like my progeny, it is essentially me. 🙂
Thanks bro, appreciate all the kind comments and well wishes!
Yup, lots of ups and down but that’s life and I get to appreciate the ups more when they happen. 😀
Happy Blogniversary!
I never celebrated that before haha! Maybe next year 😉
Thanks Charmaine! 🙂
Haha! Well, I decided to do it when I started blogging (when during the second year anyway) – so instead of a roundup during New Year’s Day, I did it during the blog’s anniversary, which makes more sense. 😀
Happy Blogniversary….
Thanks mate! 🙂
I hope that my blog can survive that long too!
Of course it can, all you need to have is a passion for writing and documenting your life. 🙂
Happy Birthday to your blog! It has been a decade, awesome!
Mine’s turning 4 soon. 😛
Thanks bro! 🙂
Congrats, that’s a milestone mate! 😀
Yay, your blog anniversary post is finally up! =)
Wow, you went to New Zealand at such a young age. How was the life there back then? And I hope you’ve since learned from your lessons there.
Yeah, I went when I was 15 for high school. I had a New Zealand PR, the first time I went there was when I was 13 for my first landing.
It was different…the best club I remember in Christchurch is one called Ministry (which doubles as a gay bar during weekdays). However, on certain weekends, it attracts the PLUR crowd with raves from various DJs both mainstream (Daft Punk) to obscure (hardstyle and gabba).
There’s also another unlicensed rave venue a block down from Ministry that was making waves – an underground (sorta) rave back when most people don’t know what raves are with a nice MDMA/LSD vibe. This was back in 1996, mind, and phenylamines were (relatively) new and novel.
…to show how far back this is, 2C-B was completely legal back then. 🙂
(so was ketamine, if I’m not mistaken, or at least it wasn’t scheduled yet)
Thanks for reading mate! 🙂
My turn next year!
Awesome! 🙂
Congrats in advance bro! 😀
wah. so old already…;) Gratz anyway!
Haha! Well, I prefer to think old like single malt Scotch, not old like moldy bread. 😉
Cheers mate! 😀
Happy Blogday! Proud to say I’ve been reading since 2004! Keep them awesome posts coming.
Thanks Vincent! 🙂
Will do, I’ll keep on blogging bro.
Thanks for all the years of reading! 😀
Happy Bloggasary to a really accomplished blogger.. your writings speaks volumes, and you’ve obviously lived a colorful and dangerous life! Seem, like you’ve slowed down a little now, but it’s all for the better. Well done.. and keep up the good blog!:)
Thanks Mei! 😀
Yup, it’s been an interesting life and age and maturity has slowed me down quite a bit. I don’t do a lot of the crazy shit I do back then.
A lot of my old readers grew with me too, I know a couple who’s still around from back in the good ol days. 🙂
Cheers for the well wishes! 😀
Happy 10th anniversary to sixseal.com
Thanks Hazel! 🙂
It’s been a good decade, can’t wait to see what lies ahead. 😀
Dear Huai Bin,
Happy Birthday to sixthseal.com!!!! I have been reading your blog since 2007 i think and i have never looked back 🙂
I hope to meet you in person as i find your blog posts and life very interesting.
Keep up the good work and your fans will be forever grateful and the odds will forever be in your favour 😀
<3
Hello Pamela! 🙂
Yeah, it’ll be great to meet you someday.
Thanks for the well wishes. 😀
I’ll keep on writing, it’s always been a pleasure. Thank you again for touching my life too. 🙂
Hope it’s not too late to wish you a Happy 10 years Blog. Keep that writing spirit high!
Never too late. I was late myself. Haha.
Thanks Eiling. Will do! 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday!;))
Btw, was that a tongue in ur mouth?:|
Hey there Lorraine! 🙂
Yes, it’s a tongue. Species porkus maximus.
I was about to cook it. Heh.