Looking Back At 2011

2011 is already coming to an end. 'So soon?' you ask. 'But I wasn't even done!' Yes, many of us still feel like the year had just begun. Unfortunately, time has its way of passing by us without us knowing.

In any case, before we bid adieu to 2011, let's just take a quick look back at this tumultuous year and how it's altered life as we know it.

THE ARAB SPRING
One of the biggest world changing events, what began as a demand for a change in the administration of Tunisia had suddenly spread to numerous Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya and a few other nations. Egypt saw the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's long reign of power, but the country still remains divided as the locals clashed with the military, demanding for fair elections. Syria remains in a volatile state; nobody is certain of what will happen next. Libya is slowly going through a transition period after Gaddafi's untimely death. The Middle East was definitely rocked by the Arab Spring, and the changes that followed were hailed as momentous occasions for different reasons. But I can't help but wonder if it really is over.

DEATH OF THE GREAT LEADER
The sudden death of North Korea's Great Leader put a lot of pressure on the world. What can be expected from his successor, Jong-un, now that he is the new leader of the last true Communist nation in the world? Already he's put all military activity on hold, but whether it's a smokescreen for something bigger or not remains to be seen. While the whole nation weeps and praises the 'divinity' of Jong-il's most favored son, the US and their South Korean allies have tightened security in preparation for what might be 'the next Big One'. I hope that it's not true.

THE COLLAPSE OF AL-QAEDA?
Osama bin Laden, the world's most infamous terrorist, was finally killed by US special forces in his 'secret' home, ending a manhunt for the world's most infamous terrorist and the man who fanned the fire of growing anti-US sentiment when Operation: Iraqi Freedom was launched. While he is still despised for his forever-remembered 9/11 attack, as well as numerous other terrorist operations worldwide, one can't help but feel a slight feeling of respect for the person who proved that even a mighty superpower like America could be challenged. Following his death, al-Qaeda has remained rather silent. But time can only tell when his successor would counter-attack.

POLITICAL CHANGES
Thailand went through some harsh times in terms of the political world, especially with so many people calling out for then-PM Abhisit's resignation. The elections saw the sister of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and political greenhorn Yingluck trumping Abhisit's party in the polls, but she now faces tough times ahead, especially regarding the floods that have devastated much of the nation. Meanwhile in Japan, the poor handling of the Fukushima reactor meltdown forced Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down in the wake of growing sentiment over how his cabinet handled the crisis. Hopefully his successor Yoshihiko Noda will be able to turn things around in the next year.

NATURAL DISASTERS
Flash floods, hurricanes and earthquakes rocked the entire globe, with the unprecedented earthquake that rocked Christchurch early in February and the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and follow-up tsunami over in Japan being some of the worst that have ever been recorded. If that wasn't enough, don't forget the floods in Australia (January), severe weather in America (April-May), Hurricane Irene (August), floods in Thailand and the Phillipines, and other scenarios worldwide. Total damages are estimated at US$350 billion, with the crisis of Japan being the most costly of all, standing at approximately US$300 billion!

THE ROYAL AFFAIR
The wedding of Prince Charles and Kate Middleton on April 29th will be remembered as a true fairy tale wedding: the marriage between a dashing young prince and a beautiful commoner. And I gotta say it was indeed a grand wedding - the wedding of the decade, perhaps? I didn't watch the whole wedding, but it wasn't hard to tell that the millions of others watching it would never forget it at all. And while the wedding was the main attraction, let's not forget how Pippa Middleton charmed the pants off guys across the world, as well as that little girl on the balcony with the royal couple, sulking away with her ears stopped up!

HARIMAU MUDA BOLEH!
Our national football team did the country proud when they knocked Indonesia's socks off in last year's Suzuki Cup final. This year, they continued to excel by giving the visiting EPL football teams a run for their money in the friendlies they played, as well as bringing back a gold medal from the SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite security concerns, the team still pulled it off and showed their rivals that Malaysia still has the Midas touch it had in the yesteryears. Kudos to them for bringing pride back to our country in the sports arena, as well as their determination and willpower to show that 'Malaysia Boleh!'

THE BERSIH 2.0 STORY
Another Bersih rally made headlines on July 9th, proving that Malaysians have had enough of all the unfairness happening. The Bersih proponents demanded for clean and fair elections in Malaysia, and the rally gathered as many as 150 thousand people taking to the streets, braving the police's best efforts in stopping the 'illegal' rally. But their determination and courage helped in making a change: already the EC is taking steps to ensure the next elections are fair, including the introduction of indelible ink among other things, as well as the enactment of the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill, and several other initiatives. Who knows, Malaysia might just undergo the change we want to see.

FAREWELL STEVE
Steve Jobs, the infamous founder of Apple, passed away on October 5th, thus marking the passing of yet another great innovator and radical thinker. While many would disagree with his beliefs and his very conflicting personality, one cannot deny that he was instrumental in the advent of marvelous new technology that has got his rivals powering their R&D to take on Apple. It was due to Jobs' powerful ideas and his quirky/unorthodox methods that have helped Apple stay at the top of its game. With his demise, the world mourned the loss of a visionary who wasn't afraid to take the plunge into uncharted depths and forever revolutionized the world of technology.

WINEHOUSE HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
Amy Winehouse's death is another surprising one. While a heck load of people knew she had problems, nobody anticipated she would kick the bucket so soon. And when later it was made known that she was quite ready to release a whole new album, everyone felt even more saddened by these turn of events. Now that it has been released, people are wondering how it would really sound like if it was complete. Hopefully Amy would be resting in peace, knowing that her music will now live on forever.

THE MJ CASE VERDICT
MJ's doctor was convicted of intentionally killing the King of Pop, and the court's verdict has given relief to not only his close friends and family, but to the millions of fans out there. When the verdict was announced, I can easily imagine people screaming and jumping with sheer delight, apart from hurling more 'serves you right!' abuse at the doc. Wonder how MJ would react to these news up there.

TECHNO-MARVELS
Speaking of technology, we've seen so many new phone and tablet models being unveiled throughout the year. While the iPad was one of the biggest highlights, Apple's competitors were not very far behind. HTC unveiled a string of innovative smart phones, while Samsung became Apple's biggest challenger with its line of Galaxy smart phones and Tab series. Nokia had also launched a number of cool phones, including the fascinating N9, but at the moment seems to be trailing behind Samsung and Apple. In the computing world, ultrabooks are the new in-thing, boasting awesome CPUs and an ultra-light and slim body; 3D too has become a rave, with the introduction of 3D HDTVs and monitors.

GAMES GALORE
There have been so many games released this year, it's hard to keep track of all of them: StarCraft II: WIngs of Liberty, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Fallout: New Vegas, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2, Dawn of War II: Retribution - those are just some of the many awesome games out this year, and many of them have just blown the minds of gamers worldwide, especially Battlefield 3 and its amazing Frostbite 2.0 engine. Can't imagine what is going to come up next year!

MOVIE MANIA
And who can forget the movie world? We've had a string of hits and misses, and a number of them hint that there's more to come. (Example: The Avengers) Among some notable movies this year include The Muppets, Puss in Boots, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Ides of March, Songlap, Arthur Christmas, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, We Bought A Zoo, Hanna, Thor, Captain America, Fright Night, Kung Fu Panda 2, etc.

There may be more that I might have missed, so I'll update this if I do feel it's needed. Until then, Happy New Year everyone!