As we all fast approaching 2008, which will
arrive in about 2 months, I suddenly feels keen to look back on my life in
2007, about my achievements, my non-achievements, how it affects my life, and
how it affected other people’s life. I don’t want to call it a failure, but
instead ‘non-achievements’ because to not achieve something is not a failure,
it is simply ‘not finding the right way to achieve it’, or whatever you guys
wants to call it.

   To be honest, I’m pretty much satisfied with what I’ve done and what
God has given me in these past 10 months or so. Some of my early-year target
has been achieved by the 9th month, and the rest still to be worked on by next
month and the last, if I am well enough to pursue, insyaAllah. There’s no need
to tell each one of those ‘personal target’ in here, as it will greatly
embarrassed myself, and myself, HAHA. Well, financially it is not like what I’d
hoped for early on, but it goes with good progress I would say. Year-end bonus? I’m
praying for it. One of the highlight of the year is that for the first time in
my entire life, I did managed (were forced to) to WORK, I repeat, WORK for 24
hours down the line, with only about 1 hour ‘nap’. My definition of WORK in
this matter is ‘sitting in front of my workspace, working on current job on the
computer hoping to finish it ASAP, with the intention of working as normal
people‘. That experience is as close to as what people call it ‘insane‘…

   But above all, there is one thing that made some very dramatic
impact on my life, on a professional and a personal level.  :-) The year
started with me buying a brand new set of a long-awaited-dSLR-camera at Sg
Wang. A Canon 350D to be precise. Frankly, it is not a newfound hobby, in fact,
I’m the one in the family that always playing around (e.g.: perabis filem) with
my Dad’s camera since I can remember, no matter what model he uses at that
time, haha. If not because of me, the film will not be sent to the photo shop
until the next year come calling…

   Taking photograph never been more fun and challenging with this
new set of camera where the possibility is ‘ENDLESS‘. From taking landscape to
wedding, every assignment was a new experience which I savor every moment. From
casual outing, the hobby fast developed into a part-time business. The side-income
from photography never really took off until that ‘fateful’ weekend in early
June, barely 3 weeks before my 25th birthday. I was there because of an
invitation from an old friend to attend his brother’s wedding, that I met
soon-to-be-my-photographic-partner. It was that short meeting that after 4
months, we’ve been shooting wedding actively almost on every of his job, which has generate some
generous income which I am thankful to God. To be honest, to make money out of photography is not my priority when I first intend to make it as a hobby, let alone wedding photography…

   Now, if that is good enough, the next week after that week is even
better I say, at least for me. Also on invitation from the same friend as last
week’s, this wedding took place up north, just below

Penang

,
haha. From KL, it took about 3 hours drive, but who cares? I was there to ‘gain
experience’ in wedding photography (really?). But, it was there also that I met
THAT ‘someone‘, totally unintentional, totally unexpected… That ’someone’
brings a new dimension and happiness into my life, and a reason to be cheerful.
I will never forget that 2 weekends in succession. What I believe is that whatever happens, happens for a reason. They say, if
you’re doing something with good intention, the good will come back to you. I
think I came back good, very good indeed. As they say, the rest is history… Many thanks to ‘this’ old friend for making this happen in the
least expected circumstances. Fate…

   So, the second half of the year makes some very interesting
reading. But the above article concludes the 1st chapter of this so-called year
end diary summary of my (not so) personal life. Expect the second chapter to be
written in the next couple of weeks, or rather the last week of the year, so
the conclusion will be more complete and thorough, hehe…

   See you in the 2nd chapter. Thanks for dropping by…

ridhuan abubakar® 2007