When I read in The Daily Telegraph- we also get the Belfast Telegraph here in Dublin - that Facebook would be available in the Spanish language for its Latin audience, I was thrilled. I realised it was a really good time to be in my forties and to be visiting here in Europe.
I say 'visiting' because as a world traveller for 10 years, you never really shake the stardust off.
If you check out my bookmarks, you'll observe a long list of my favourite international newspapers. Those are the first online pages I read diligently through every morning, with my orange juice.
And though I may be playing houses for the moment, - my new flat will soon be painted, I bought my first apron since domestic science lessons in school and I got my telly today - it could still be a novelty. One never knows when I may take off.
I lived in Melbourne for five years and London for 3 and now in Ireland. During my time in Australia and England, I travelled constantly to the South Pacific, East Africa and the Middle-East. I remember fondly, acquaintances and friends. There are still ever so many places for me to go. Hey...Acapulco and Capri. :-)
One of the most wonderful things about our Barisan Nasional government, is that my Malaysian passport is welcome everywhere. And the liberal freedom with which I as a Malaysian am allowed to fly the globe without hassle, is probably one of life's more durable gifts. I consider my travel document more valuable than a gem.
Now, I am at times dissatisfied, excited, challenged and enthused all at once.
You couldn't feel those things unless you saw life as really beautiful and tasted the scent of its sugared-lemony breath on your skin. This, in spite of its failings. Or perhaps you viewed it as an adventure or as my friend says now, a fun game.
Don't be fooled.
I have crossed through excruciating circumstances and languished in my fair share of upheavals but I still love waking up in the mornings.
And because of my universal passions, here I am in my 40's having been fortunate enough to savour all the different flavours of an iced cake since the psychedelic era. But I have always latched onto a fascination for world history in any case; possibly in the form of a lighter entertainment context like an old Broadway musical or medieval chants.
I can never understand why people often moan and complain about nothing in particular. Or that a mountain may force itself out of a molehill. Nothing is changed from a gripe or sneer.
There is something very comforting to be thankful for the things we have and that has always been my philosophy. To call out to the beckoning stars and not to cringe down at the squelchy mud. Even the damp soil will slowly be dried up by the sun and patterns sketched on the hard earth.
I love my past and my history but very much relish the present and the future. A hardback or its Kindle version, gladdens the heart equally. I admire the swift way in which the world advances and any kind of technological advancement appears to suit me. Hence, Facebook.
For instance too, I collect beautifully-packaged editions of ancient European classics as a hobby but I am also enraptured by the charms of quirky online classics, the sort you may never spot in a bookshop.
I know from having lived in Australia and England and especially what I observed in Singapore last December, that there will always be a place for retro inclinations. Nothing old is ever forgotten. History is adored and cherished.
And so, as we move on, let's count the sparkling hallways that lie ahead and stop lamenting as some of us so often do, over the dreary ones that shadow the light.