the year that has been

December 31, 2008

Year-end surveys! I always love doing this just so to check how good have I been. : )

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Went to another continent. Reverse-bungee with Rey. Scuba-dive with Urven and Hannah.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I can’t remember but I always say that I will quit smoking. This 2009, I won’t say I’ll quit. It will come when it comes.

Did anyone close to you give birth?Not that I can remember. 

Did anyone close to you die? Nah.

What countries did you visit?
Singapore, Malaysia and US.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Savings account, printed photos (digital copies are not enough) and lovelife… haha

What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
There are a lot, mostly travels : Jan - Puerto Princesa & El Nido trip with family; Mar - Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro wit Cesar, Rey, Germs, Jo-Ann and Daisy; April - Art of Doing Nothing at Potipot, Zambales with Anj, Hannah & Boyen (AODN that turned out into an extraordinary wakeboarding experience with Anj and the eksena sa presinto ng Subic?!); May - AODN @ the place where they serve Mindoro Sling with the Harpers; towards end of May - Asian Invasion with Lovely; Jul - Surfing @ La Union aka Lagunion; Sept-Oct - US Trip, LA visit to Mae, Beng and Germs. Other than travels, this is the year Beng got married, Cesar left for SG, Patty left for US, TIn won Sonriza Cup 2008. Pretty busy year huh?! And as final whip cream, Dec 13th incident aka Light Bulb experience. hehe

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Promotion although it’s both an achievement and curse depending on the mood of my boss. hehe

What was your biggest failure?
CorpFin class. hehe.. although achievement din siya kasi our group did not meet AT ALL. Finance yan ha. hehe

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Short-term memory loss from the December 13 incident. Hu u?

What was the best thing you bought?
iPod, Charles & Keith shoesssss

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Clyde… oh yeah! ang galing ng kapatid ko! and Mak pala. : )

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine sometimes. I have undiagnosed case of ADHD daw kasi.

Where did most of your money go?
Same question I’m asking myself.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Trips (as always)

What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
Yael Naim’s New Soul. Adele’s Chasing Pavements.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? —happier
ii. thinner or fatter? –fatter after the US trip then thinner again. Generally thinner daw.
iii. richer or poorer? –indifferent

What do you wish you’d done more?
Live healthier. Save more.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Work overtime.

How many one-night stands?
Wala.

What was your favorite TV program?
I don’t watch often. ETC, Travel & Living and Living Asia are my default channels. I’m a DVD TV series junkie kaya I will not enumerate them

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
no one really. loving ako this year! : )

What was the best book you read?
2 eh! Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Blindness by Jose Saramago.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Bilderberg band! hahahaha

What did you want and get?
Travels, Handy friends, Promotion.

What was your favorite film of this year?
SATC (foreign) & 100 (local indie)

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
For a change -this year’s birthday is not too exciting. no celebs at all. -benchingko!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
the dizizits!

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I finally got that knee-high boots na di ko lam san ko susuotin. For a day, I had the cross-boho-wild-wild-west fashion pala. hehe 

What kept you sane?
Friends & Alcohol. : )

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Parang wala.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Ihardly rea/watch news kaya no comment although moved ako ng US Presidential Election.

Who did you miss?
Madame especially Beng, Cesar & Rey.

Who was the best new person you met?
Mak! Buti they moved me to the APAC shift.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Stretch yourself. You’ll never know your limits until you try.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
Siguro compliments from my boss. 

The most touching experience you’ve had this year?
Our Sunny Yellow Christmas & Dec 13 ER scandal.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
The What-Emcee-wants-Emcee-gets spirit. This has brought me to places.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
I can be the Nega Star at times.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I’m a new soul, I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take… This is a happy end, Come and give me your hand. 

Was 2008 a good year for you?
2007 was my best bad year but 2008 has been really good to me. There were a lot of great moments. Everything is not a fairytale though. There were lots of sad truths revealed. Perhaps, I can say that that this year’s spirit has the widest range.. hehe.. May pa-rang-range na ko ngayon noh?

What was your favorite moment of the year? Christmastime with family as always.
 
What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Dec 13. : (Apektado ang fashion statement ko for the next months.

Where were you when 2008 began?
Lolo’s

Who were you with?
with my family

Where will you be when 2008 ends?
Our home

Who will you be with when 2008 ends?
My family of course

Do you have a new years resolution for 2009?
Think Positive! Attract good vibes. Bless people with good vibes.

What was your favorite month of 2008?
Indifferent ako. Andami mashadong pagpipilian but definitely not November.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2008?
You can put it that way.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Madami nga! Beng, Cesar, Rey! HS friends: Rica, Patty, Icy, Mae, Kim, Kat. LB peeps: Joyce, Ghia, Corleai, QB Adan. Officemates who left: Jo-Ann and Germs.

How many concerts did you see in 2008?
Nada. I’m such a loser yaya!

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2008?
A lot is an understatement : )

Do a lot of drugs in 2008?
Nope to dope. haha

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Been good this year. I think I deserve a price : D

How much money did you spend in 2008?
I was accounting halfway through the year kaso it’s frustrating e.

What was your proudest moment of 2008?
Promotion siguro.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008?
Post-post-Light bulb scene.(2 post yan ha. Yung day after.)

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2008 and change something, what would it be?
December 13 incident - would have waited for Marilyn’s text.

What are your plans for 2009?
I wanna be inspired. I wanna get high grades for a change : )

How are you different now that the year has ended?
I’ve grown up but haven’t grown old.

What are your wishes for the new year?
More DIZIZIT moments with my family and friends!

buhay ng gala

December 16, 2008

Last Friday, I left office at 7. So for a change, I was set to meet the Harpers early-Friday night. And then after Son told me that she was running late, my cell batt got empty. We didn’t have a specific meeting place whatsoever, just Greenbelt. Anadami kayang pwedeng puntahan. I was a little upset already because that was one of the few times I could meet them early and our plan almost screwed up. I went to Coffee Bean and asked the barista if they had SE charger. They didn’t. Kinapalan ko na mukha ko - Nakitext ako! hahaha. I realized I only knew Tin’s number. Grabe! Well, so eventually we met. Few drinks at NSG and then went South for a change of heart. What if I didn’t remember Tin’s number, would I have met them?

The following day, I was preparing for our office Christmas Party. On my way to our meeting place, I was undecided on what mode of transport to take. Jeepney, FX, Taxi, MRT. I was so undecided I even crossed the street so many times until I finally thought of taking the jeepney to the FX stop. Then on my way in, my head hit the bulb and then I even apologized that I broke it then I saw blood rushing down. blah blah blah. I was rushed to the hospital, got 5 stitches, got bandages around my head I ended up looking like one of the main characters of Coneheads.

I was crying while I was being stitched, not because I was feeling pain but because in those moments, I realized how alone I was. Although I was brought to the hospital by the driver, I entered the ER alone, explained everything myself, consoled myself that things are going to be ok. Good thing, my office-friends and Maui came eventually. I ended up decided not to stay home alone so I went to the Christmas party (with red shawl-turned-bandana) but feeling a little OP, I joined Son & Dino instead.

What I thought to be one of the loser nights, turned to be quite exciting. Actually the conehead look made it more exciting. There were moments when I cried becauce I was wondering why shit happens to people who are trying to be positive. How am I going to handle my panot? Then again, every time I’m with the harpers, life is a lot better, and they never failed me that night. Imagine a conehead girl with red bandana exiting Alchemy bar, walking around Bonifacio High Street & A. Venue. Hahaha.. Hilarious?!

Shit happens but in every bad thing that happens, you will always see miracles afterwards. My miracles? I have the greatest office friends, barkadas and family. I also get to have an early vacation. : )

project dreamboard

December 10, 2008

It’s so surprising that 2008 overwhelmed me with the highest peaks and the lowest valleys. The range of my emotions has been at the widest so far. Anyway, at least I think I’m back on the happy spirit mode again.

Last Sunday, Mica and i watched 100, an indie film about a lady who, having learned that she’ll die in six months because of cancer did not resolve to treatment but instead listed down things she needed to do before her time came. 100 was like Bucket List with a younger, Pinay appeal. Along the main character’s journey, (Mylene Dizon), her best friend (Eugene Domingo), her family particularly her mom (Tessie Tomas) and nephew added things in her to-do list. So she did what she had to do,  went gaga in her last days, made the most with her loved ones. I was crying most of the time even in the part where they were skinny-dipping. How weird can my emotions be?  Immediately after the film, Mica and I went to the nearest bookstore to buy things for our ‘dreamboard’. We have long planned to make one after reading ‘The Secret’. On the same night, even though we were sleep-deprived and tired, we started on our Dreamboards. Will post picture as soon as I’m done. I haven’t printed out my to-do list yet (plan to revise my old one) and the priceless pics I have collected.

In light of the happy discovery of 100 and initiative to get the dreamboard before the year ends, last Monday, our Guest Speaker for our Service Awards was Bo Sanchez. I so love this guy and have read a lot of his books.

I couldn’t help but be inspired more as Bo discussed Happiness 101. He said about something about himself listing down things he wanted to do. This list, he claimed to read everyday is one-by-one becoming reality. I can imagine my dreamboard while he was speaking. I got his latest book and I started reading it today. Can I be more inspired? I wanted to talk more about his speech but I might not give justice to it. : )

Happy December everyone!

no return

December 2, 2008

I don’t want this to be a rant site but I just can’t help it. I officially hate my job! Unfortunately, I can’t even share this to my friends in the office because I have a feeling that they are getting tired of me. Who aren’t? I’m really really tired! Tired and demotivated. Last night, I can’t sleep even though I was really exhausted. I was really frustrated and near-tears out of frustration and anxiety.

Any reaction is futile. I can’t resign anyway because I have a two-year contract because of that damn US trip!  I didn’t want that in the first place but they insisted because it was operational requirement blah blah blah. I knew that this would happen. Oh well, nasa huli talaga ang pagsisisi.

I said to my boss that I was a commitment-phobe that’s why I don’t want to commit myself in this company for the next two years. Commitment freaks me out because there is the fear of the unknown. Now I am commited to this job and the unknown is finally realized. Will somebody please help me?

I don’t know what kind of help I need. I need prayers definitely. I need prayer warriors. I need someone to hear me out but I fear that my friends will get tired of all these. I need money ( I checked that I need to pay close to 200k if I wanted to leave) but fluching that big amount of money is ridiculous. With the financial crisis and all, will there be a compny willing to hire me and pay for my bond? Help me oh Lord!