Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Year's Resolution


11:50PM. It's ten minutes before midnight. It's another midnight and it's not. It's going to be a spanking new year. Year 2009. Vincent is trying to set some goals for the new year, something he has never seriously done in his entire adult life. Maybe that explains his lack of focus in life. He feels like he is running out of time. In actuality, he ran out of time two years ago. He is on borrowed time. His mom used to remind him he doesn't prioritize, always does things he shouldn't be doing and let things he ought to be doing slide. He doesn't let his mom down. He knows he should be sleeping yet he is not. Every night. He needs a New Year's Resolution, an ultimate to-do list now. Before mid night. To right his life.

It's been cold outside, just cold, no wind, no snow, no drama. The silence of the night is almost deafening if not for the occassional bangings and hissings of the radiator. The whole heating system is old and it's good at making noises but not heat. The house is always under heated in the winter he could never wear shorts or short sleeves like people live in apartment buildings do.

Vincent takes out a piece of paper and a pencil and sits himself down at the kitchen table. He starts pondering a list. He starts to think about goals and objectives, something he learned from long time ago. What goals are, what objectives are, and how to be realistic so that they are attainable and measurable. The kitchen reeks of cooked food that he doesn't normally notice except during this time of the day. Winston* Vincent lights a cigarette as if to combat the stench. The nicotine kicks in and now his brain is oozing with ideas. He begins his list by writing:

New Year's Resolution 2009

His penmanship has never been good, it is bad, actually bad is an understatement. But he almost takes pride in his bad handwriting. He has this twisted theory that only ugly people have good penmanship and only snobs would dwell on and take pride of good penmanship. But for the resolution, he tries to write as neat as possible, as neat as his mom would write, as neat as only an illiterate knows how. The kitchen should be the warmest place in the house but it is not. Vincent thinks the cold is hindering his resolution. He moves one flight down to the basement of the house where the mother of all heat comes from, the boiler room.

It's been quite some time since he left his bedroom to start his New Year's Resolution. He thinks he needs to find out what time it is, he wants to see Times Square on New Year Eve, he wants to know what is going on. So he turns on the computer in the basement. The computer is a big beige box from the '90s but it simply works. Vincent always feels like he mistreats his old trusty machine by leaving it in the basement, out of sight, together with the aging heater, the sewage system, the entrails of the house, the necessary unpleasantries of modern living. Vincent lights another cigarette while the computer slowly comes to life. It's 1:25 AM 1/1/2009. Vincent just can't locate the paper anymore. Perhaps it's not the cold that made him go down to the basement. He just needs be distracted. But distracted from what? That's something he needs to figure out. Meanwhile he is checking on the news, his emails, and more news, just like every night.

******

*thanks to Haricot for catching that.

16 comments:

  1. Maybe Vincent can start working on New Year Resolution 2010.

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  2. Vincent finally give up and go back to his Roman, Greek or Eygptian history

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  3. I am not a techno guy, but every time I wrote somethings of my hi-tech stuff will attract Professor Black's quick response, so I pretend that I was well-equipped with those techno toys, yesterday finally I got my "free" PCCW network selector, it's a finger like, with USB plug-in stuff with auto network selection of Wifi-HSPA and 3G, just insert a PCCW SIM card inside and there's also a place for a micor-SD card, then it can be used as an ordinary Flash Drive, PCCW claimed that it's the only Wifi-HSPA-3G auto network selector in HK, I have not yet installed in my notebook, but it supposed can be used for my notebook, in every where, can be connected in outdoor with the real broadband 48Mb connection speed and charged me at HK$18 per day, of course, my HK$48 monthly outdoor plan including unlimited access to some PCCW wifi hotspot in town without the need of this network selector. Right now, unlike some Japanese selector, it can only be functioned in HK, but I think sooner or later it can be with global rooming function. Then I can test it in your basement

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  4. Anonymous4:29 AM

    Today will be freezing cold. Stay warm.

    If you don't oppose, I'd add you to the list of this biweekly gathering this time.

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  5. Extant: Yes, perhaps.

    wp2007: He is not as well read as our friend Vincent, maybe he is I don't know.
    USA is in the backwater as far as mobile computing is concerned. Or it's just me. So I don't know much about it. My experience is with wi-fi and Sprint's Blackberry HSPA (I think I don't bother to check for sure). I just use them not so much fascinated any more.

    readandeat:
    I was inspired and emboldened by your recent comment so I started this post just 10 minutes before midnight and I am glad I finished it. Sure you can add my post to your list. Thank you. It's cold but at least it's sunny....

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  6. you have Blackberry HSPA ? may be you have mentioned before but I didn't keep it in mind, US is in the blackwater in mobile connection ? I don't think so, CIA & FBI should use the best technology in chasing every single mobile or blackberry message, Big brother is watching at you

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  7. WP2007 was obviously at a loss as to what you're doing here, LAICHUNGLEUNG.

    I'm in the know 'cos I've been stalking you [ie your blog] and your comments elsewhere for some time although I've relegated myself to a "CD-rom" or "ROM" of your blog.

    Happy New Year, man!

    I forced myself and my wifie to clear out our cluttered home quite a bit over the Christmas and New Year holidays. So it's a good start for 2009, I think.

    Under your influence, I've read the first part of the three-part novel Pull Over and Ask the Way. What struck me was Ms Chung was a real master of the Chinese language at her age, or at any age for that matter. The plot was simple enough but the historical setting of the story was meticulous and most importantly, it's beautifully written.

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  8. Sid, happy new year man. We all can use some more books. I am glad you actually read some books instead of buying them. Ha ha.

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  9. Anonymous4:31 PM

    i've added this post to mine.

    Wish you a happy & healthy new year!

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  10. It is refreshing to see such a fluently written (English) article. And, you said it had taken you only abt 10 minutes. Good job there bro !!! Here are my two bits worth of comments:

    * Did Vincent light up a Winston ? ^_=
    * My house is heated by gas, so there is no more moaning sound of the radiator at night (altho I sort of miss the noise).
    * Just like to-do lists, New Year resolutions seldom work. Vincent's Mom is on the right track tho, time management is all abt prioritizing. I mean if something is important enough, one will find time to do it. For example: If the boiler in the basement completely conks out and the freezing pipes start to burst, Vincent will most likely have to stop fiddling around with email etc and call the furnace man, right?
    * If not, maybe he should have his head checked for OCD symptoms (e.g. looking for distractions ---> procrastination ---> not having to face success/failure of his own actions, etc). I am no expert, so please don't take my word for it.

    From your northern neighbour
    Haricot

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  11. If I were to write one more sentence then my Chinglish will come pouring out.

    But seriously, I don't even write half as good as you.

    No, not in ten minutes. I started starting the post really about 10 min before midnight then slowly I plowed through it just when I wrote it's 1:25AM , with some editing and such, it's less than two hours. It's all readandeat, I just can't say no to a lady like her. What can I say? It's not easy but I got it done.

    What does Vincent smoke? If he can find Viceroy he will, but you are right it could very likely be a Winston, something cheaper or just cheap, working class stuff.

    Thank you for the comment.

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  12. readandeat, thank you for the link now I have a potential WORLD audience waiting to click your link. I hope Google/Blogger can manage the impending traffic without burning down their server farm somewhere in Oregon.

    hongkie, thank you, you have a happy new year too.

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  13. Oh bravo LCL!!!! This short story is really great, I'm so glad R&E persuaded you to try your hand in fiction writing :)

    Actually Vincent's experience of time-wasting over priority-setting and list-making rather mirrored my own procrastination over all my festive preparations, and perhaps even reflective of the whole past year of my life... (sighs)

    However, I couldn't help but wonder, if it is as you say that you began the story at 11:50pm on New Year's Eve, and that the next thing you know it was 1:25am already, does that mean you missed the new year countdown with your family?? I really hope not...

    Anyway, look forward to reading more posts labelled CW to come from your blog in 2009 :)

    Happy New Year.

    p.s. oh btw I can't stop laughing at your "featured comments" panel on the right hand side, which I only noticed now (me being blind as a bat as usual you prolly had it from the very beginning). Those are indeed great, great comments :D

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  14. No. We didn't do the countdown ... But that's OKAY. It's the same every year.

    R&E knows I am such a loser so she suggests me to join the 2-week a post thing. It's my idea to come up with my own short story format.

    Now I am contemplating to quit my day job.

    The featured comments section wasn't there from the very beginning. I added that when I ripped out all the links to outside, I figure this blog is ALL about me anyway.

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  15. Anonymous5:07 AM

    hi lcl,
    i'm also learning to prioritise, not easy though...
    have added your post on mine too.
    happy 2009!

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  16. wordwordword,
    Thank you for the link and gracing my comment section. I was a fan of City Magazine when I was growing up in HK. I can't believe someone from the Magazine would leave a comment on my blog, a professional writer. You've made my day. Thank you. I don't prioritize, I never know if I should wash my face or brush my teeth first, it irks me to have to make that decision every morning.

    You and yours have a great 2009 too.

    ReplyDelete

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