I thought we’ve been living in limbo

But it turns out I’ve just been looking in the wrong places.

It was at the tail-end of 2019 when we first caught wind of a strange virus sweeping through China, I was 26 at that time and arguably still in my mid-twenties. In the blink of an eye though, it has been 2 years and I’ve now been relegated to what is termed as the “old people table” in the office. #truestory #neverforget

So as we enter the last month of 2021 and start our yearly wrap-up (read: brain hibernation month in the corporate world), I thought it would be fitting to round up what the past two years have been like as we struggled to cope with COVID. But while we’ve all been so absorbed with how much COVID has taken from us, perhaps for once we can try focusing on the positives.

A win is still a win, after all, no matter how tiny and nondescript they may seem. So, here’s a mix of 22 personal, national and global joys in the past 2 years, that you may or may not have heard about.

1. TikTok goes viral
   Okay, hear me out. Is it a win at first glance? Maybe not, when we think about the cringey dance moves like the woah and throwing it back.
   BUT did it provide us with hours of entertainment, with our eyes glued to our screens like obsessed teenagers waiting for our crush to text us back? Yes it did.
   And did it turn out to be a new medium of content for creators and brands? 100% yes.
   So I’m counting this as a win, as both a consumer and a marketer.
2. Mcdonald’s turning out to be the hero that we need but don’t deserve
   I don’t think I’ll ever get over the return of the Chicken McCrispy and McGriddles all in the same year. God bless the Mcdee’s product team, I hope you always get the cold side of the pillow.
3. I joined Bloomr SG!
   I did say this would be a mix of personal, national and global wins, didn’t I? It’s been an amazing year and four months for me.
4. We launched the Bloomr SG MCN
   It’s the first and only official Youtube-recognized Multi-Channel Network in Singapore so far!
5. Bloomr turned 3
   Somewhere along the way, Bloomr SG celebrated its 3rd birthday!
6. Biden wins the US Presidential Election
   Who could forget this? I count this as a win for humanity (but mostly for America)
7. COVID vaccines were developed
   Finally, a tiny light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel but a light nonetheless.
8. Global carbon emissions drop by nearly 7%
   That’s one good thing to come out of the COVID quarantine. For context, global greenhouse gas emissions dropped by approximately 2.4 billion tons in 2020 just because we stayed home.
9. Europe’s oldest person survives COVID
   Just days before her 117th birthday, no less!
10. We launched the pilot year of the Accelerator programme
    Cue excited squeals. 2021 turned out to be quite a year for the Bloomr team and the Accelerator programme was definitely one of the highlights of our year (Am I biased? Probably.)
11. Said Accelerator programme saw 185 applicants;
    and 104 creators that we eventually signed to be a part of the very first year. Will there be a season 2, you ask? ;)
12. Tasmanian devils are thriving on the Australian mainland
    For the first time in 3,000 years, they’re no longer just found on the island-state of Tasmania and they’re definitely more than a Looney Tunes character.
13. We have our very own Panda baby
    Keeping up with the animal facts, our very first panda baby was born on 14 August, after 7 mating seasons for Kai Kai and Jia Jia!
14. Bloomr turned 4!
    Here’s another year that flew by. If Bloomr was a kid, he/she/they would be in kindergarten now.
15. Squid Game goes viral
    And suddenly my evenings were filled with Hoyeon Jung and my Instagram feed with Dalgona pictures. Squid Game also took the #1 spot on Netflix in 94 countries. (That’s nearly half the countries in the world btw so this is a big win for Netflix)(and us because again, Hoyeon Jung)(Move over, Gong Yoo) (Sorry Tiff)
16. Adele releases her first album in 6 years
    And unlike her song title, she did not go easy on us.
    I’ve never felt so excited while feeling so heartbroken and it was a very confusing time for me.
17. We can travel again!
    Well, kinda sorta but it’s a step nonetheless. The day where we can all take the obligatory boarding pass photo is almost upon us, I can just smell it.
18. Taylor releases “All Too Well (10 minute version)”
    Move over, Hot Girl Summer — Sad Girl Autumn is here.
    I’m fairly certain Taylor and Adele coordinated their music releases. Come on, there are only so many pseudo-heartbreaks I can pretend I’m having before my family hauls me off to therapy.
19. We launched The Pinwheels
    Because we’re all about great digital content and it’s time we recognized them. One last week to submit your nominations, especially if you’re a content creator in Singapore!!
20. Migrant workers enjoy their (semi) freedom
    It took us a while but the migrant workers are finally allowed out of their dorms for some fresh air. :’)
21. Singapore reaches 86% vaccination rate
    That’s 96% of the eligible population in Singapore. Fingers crossed this means more restrictions lifted in the coming weeks.
22. We survived 2 whole, longass years of living with COVID
    Saved the best for last — it’s been two years living with COVID; from a global pandemic to treating it as endemic. Sure, there’s still a long way to go but we’ve come so far too, don’t you think?

Before we go, clap for this article to join the petition for a global initiative to disregard the last two birthdays we’ve all “celebrated”.

Because if anyone asks, I’m still 26.