What Brought You Joy This Year? We Ask 10 Malaysians To Share Their Stories
There are so many things to be grateful about this year!
Published for BMW, 24 Dec 2020, 03:41 PM
2020 has been a whirlwind of a year. But it definitely made us appreciate the joy in our lives just that little bit more!
Together with BMW Malaysia, we asked Malaysians to reflect back on the year and tell us what brought them the most joy. Was it family? Was it career? Or was it something completely unexpected?
Come read their stories!
2. "I managed to open a stall in a kopitiam during this pandemic."
"My family and I were managing a kitchen in a local cafe, but unfortunately, we had to shut down during MCO. We lost our business and income, so shutting down was inevitable. We spent months trying to navigate through the tough season, but, one day I just walked up to a kopitiam near my home in Jinjang Utara, and enquired if I could rent a stall there.
"The owner was generous, allowing me to start the business without needing any payment upfront. Studio Kitchen started its first kiosk and is currently helping us tide through this difficult time."
- Peter, 32
3. "I survived an accident and lived to still celebrate with my family"
"This year, I am really joyful and grateful because I survived a pretty nasty accident. While I was on my way to my chiropractor's appointment, the other party didn't notice their red light and just rammed into my passenger's side. I was the only one in the car so the impact wasn't immediate.
"I was super impressed that immediately after my airbags deployed, my BMW X3's entertainment system dialed BMW's Helpline, and Customer Support was very helpful given the situation.
"The accident made me REALLY grateful for my life and my family. I appreciate all the little things that much more now."
- Hilman, 27
4. "2020 really helped me reignite my passion for teaching."
"I love children. They are such a joy. Working in a kindergarten this year and being around kids made me realise what I'm really passionate about - teaching children and educating them. I feel so blessed that I am able to see these kids every day, and they just put a smile on my face."
- Gabriella, 24
5. "I landed a job that I really, truly love!"
"So, earlier this year, I had to finish my degree at home and didn't get to graduate at all huhu. I took a short break before I began applying for jobs. And man, did I apply for A LOT OF JOBS. I attended quite a few interviews but because my degree wasn't exactly relevant to what they're looking for, I got rejected here and there. But, I managed to score an internship with an awesome company!
"Thankfully, the company I was interning at was looking for a full-timer so I got employed! I'm really happy I persevered during this challenging time, and just glad that l I finally have a job. I really enjoy working, and I feel blessed that I get along with my co-workers."
- Timothy, 21
6. "I supported a cause that is dear to my heart."
"I really enjoy painting as a hobby. Earlier this year, I decided to paint and sell tote bags, with some of the proceeds going to OrphanCare. It's an organisation that gives children who are in institutions and unplanned newborn babies whose lives are at risk the opportunity to grow up in the care of a loving family.
"It's a cause that I feel strongly for, and since my family members work closely with them, I thought, "Why not?". I am very happy that I got to raise some funds and help out in my own way."
- Alesha, 15
7. "I graduated from med school! Next step, hello adulting!"
"I studied at the University Sains Malaysia - Karnataka Lingkayat Education Society in India, and it was definitely super challenging last semester because we had to conduct classes online. We absolutely had NO access to the hospital or the patient. It was tough as we were unable to look and talk to patients. Observing simulated cases just made everything harder to understand the subject ):
"However, with the hard work of students and lecturers, 100% of the students at the university passed their professional exams with flying colours! Woohoo!"
- Amirah Faizah, 24
8. "I wanted to ease my parents' burden, and introduce authentic Peranakan food to KL locals, so I started my own home business."
'Well, being stuck alone in KL is no fun during the MCO. I felt even sadder especially after getting the news that the CLP exam is postponed till March 2021 T_T To ease my family's burden, I thought, if I sell food, at least that money can be my allowance and pocket money. I decided to sell Peranakan-style Mee Siam (got kuah wan, my great grandma's legendary recipe) and nasi lemak.
"After posting in a local Facebook group, Joanne Kam Poh Poh (the local celebrity comedian) ordered, gave a super awesome review, and suddenly the numbers escalated real high!
"Orders poured in even though I wasn't posting anything. Along the way, I met nice people, people who shared and reviewed about my food to their friends and family, people who even cooked some food for me. One customer even brought me to buy my ingredients as she knows that I don't have any transport here <3"
- Sarah, 24
9. "This year provided me with a great learning curve."
"This year, I am grateful that learning opportunities are plenty. I started translating short paragraphs about birds as a way to learn a foreign language, and it ended up triggering an interest to learn about birds!
"It involved observing birds around my housing area and reading up about the species. Through this, I discovered a passion for drawing the birds - a pastime that brings me peace of mind and happiness that no money could ever buy! Plus, I also gained a deeper awareness of the need to conserve the environment so the birds can thrive (: Next, I would love to use my hobby for a greater cause!"
- Noraishah, 56
10. "I'm thankful that I got to make a change in the world."
"I work with refugees, stateless people, and the disabled; all groups who have been hit hard by the economic effects of COVID-19. Seeing their struggles is eye-opening, and I'm happy that I got to impact their lives in one way or another.
"I am also thankful every day that I do not worry about a place to live, food on the table, and affordable education for my kids."
- Norma, 57
To bring joy to Malaysians, BMW is running a daily contest from now until 31 December 2020!
BMW's 10 Days of Joy is a daily contest on social media that will go on for ten days until 31 December 2020. Lucky winners will be gifted exclusive BMW merchandise, as well as a test drive with a swanky BMW car. Wow!
That's not all! BMW Malaysia wants to remind you of all the good things that happened this year with the BMW Joy 2020 Review campaign, too.
All you gotta do is list down your top 5 achievements that you’re proud of this year, as well as your top 5 resolutions for 2021, then share them on an IG Story template from BMW Malaysia's official Instagram page between 28 to 31 December 2020. Don't forget to tag your friends and share it with them!
You could be in the running to win exclusive BMW merchandise! What prizes, you ask? Well... they're a mystery (;
