In this inaugural List of Lists (LoL), I shall recap some of the most memorable things of 2010. Overall 2010 was a year of exploration, both of the inner and outer world. I pushed the boundaries in many areas, experiencing and learning new things, discovering moments of artistic and sensory delight along the way. Without further ado, here is the LoL 2010 with categories in alphabetical order. Music-related entries to follow in a separate post.
Comics
http://www.xkcd.com/734/ - Not so much funny, but that would make an awesome movie.
Fiction
The Human Chair, Edogawa Rampo - Move over Haruki Murakami, this guy is the true master of Japanese short fiction. Edogawa Rampo, whose nom de plume is a transliteration of Edgar Allan Poe, pioneered the mystery short story form in Japan. His stories reveal an obsession with the perfect crime, his dedication putting most real-life villains to shame. Pretty much all the works in his anthology Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination were masterpieces, but The Human Chair gets my nod for combining both Edogawa's idée fixe and masterful emotional writing. Chosen by Harlan Ellison as one of his favourite short stories of all time, which says enough.
Test to Destruction, Keith Laumer - One of the gems in the legendary anthology Dangerous Visions. This short story has an ingenious and imaginative sci-fi premise that enables the telling of a moral fable, with a classic twist at the end. This is the science fiction of yore.
Food
In a year that I visited four countries, tried 2 Michelin Star food and possibly spent more on food than I should have, it is interesting to note that most of the following list costs less than $20.
Oyster Kilpatrick, Esposito (Melbourne)
Wah Kee Jumbo Prawn Noodles (Cambridge Road Hawker Centre)
Zembu-Iri Ramen, Jangara (Tokyo)
Akamaru Ramen, Ippudo
Ah Hock Oyster Omelette (Whampoa Hawker Centre)
Tokusen Toroniku, Ramen Santouka
Grilled Salmon, Gulf Beach Restaurant
Nam Sing Hokkien Mee (Old Airport Road Food Centre)
Dim Sum, T'ang Court (Hong Kong)
Porcini and Truffle Oil Pizza, D.O.C. (Melbourne)
Football Match
Inter 3-2 Barcelona (aggregate) - An intense 180+ minutes of football that saw Inter take the lead through some great attacking play in the San Siro, and then transforming into the most dogged defence ever in the Camp Nou after having Motta wrongfully sent off due to a Busquets dive. More than a clash between two great sides to determine the Champions League winner (pace Bayern Munich), this was also a clash of two philosophies that look set to define football in the near future, total possession via intense pressing and tiki-taka, and total non-possession to facilitate counter-attacks. Considering the implications, this was surely the match of the year.
Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona - Manuel Almunia channeled Lev Yashin and Peter Schmeichel to keep the scoreline at 0-0 after the most one-sided first half I have ever witnessed. Theo Walcott came on to change the game at 2-0, and Fabregas turned in a captain's performance despite having been booked and thus rendered ineligible for the return leg, converting a penalty after a leg injury.
Germany 4-x Australia/England/Argentina - A revamped German side was the most exciting team at the World Cup, restoring the image tarnished in Euro 04. Wunderkinder such as Özil, Marin, Hunt and Müller made them my team to watch before the Cup, and Die Mannschaft delivered, playing fast, flamboyant counter-attacking football. Mesut Özil was surely the revelation of the tournament, skilful on the ball but arguably even better without, as his intelligent movement off the ball created space, chances and goals.
Movie
Tron: Legacy - Not only was it a visual spectacle, with graphics and a distinctive style (unlike Avatar) in tandem to blow us away, the concepts were pretty interesting too, such as the vehicles and the Isos. However, the true value of the movie might have been the positive spillover into the visual arts, as the style led to many cool crossovers, such as superheroes and Street Fighters. Now if only someone would do a Tron-style Audi R8...
Pen
Caran d'Ache 1010 Chronosport - One of the nicest things I saw and touched in 2010, although the rose gold version would have been even nicer.
Poetry
Subject
Cognitive Psychology - Last year, Composition Studies opened my mind to the possibilities of music, and aesthetics in general. From Cognitive Psychology, I gained insights in areas such as linguistics, perception and reasoning.
Watch
Only including watches I have tried on.
Chopard L.U.C. Engine One Tourbillon - Possibly the single most beautiful thing I saw in 2010.
Ulysse Nardin Super Yacht Cup - Blue and gold complement each other really well, and the classic, nautical design hints at the life of a man at sea.
Eberhard & Co Chrono 4 Grande Taille - The four counters in a row are the key to this classic design and could probably do with an Audi collab.
Honourable mentions:
Azimuth Mr. Roboto - A tribute to the tin lantern robot that has been popping up in vintage-themed shops everywhere.
Perrelet Turbine Titanium - The titanium rotors look really cool when they spin, but ultimately the concept deserved better execution overall.
Looking Forward in 2011
The release of Rebuild of Evangelion 3.0, hopefully - In a year when the word epic has been unrepentantly abused, Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 was truly epic, with epic battles that kept topping the previous ones. (If biomechanical monstrosities fighting extraterrestrial beings for the survival of humanity and the Earth isn't epic, then I don't know what is.) It was so epic that one wonders how they are going to continue the rest of the series, especially when it was only the second instalment of four.
University subjects next year - Looking forward to expanding my knowledge in neuroscience and sports science, as well as learning some cutting-edge shizzle in Biomed at last.
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