Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Year That Was 2008

 

Where did you begin 2008?
At home, I think.  Trying to avoid the smoke and noise from our neighbors who decided to line every available inch of our street with pyrotechnics.

What was your status by Valentine's day of 2008?
Mostly frustrated because I had to skip my ongoing Valentine Santa tradition of giving out chocolates to everyone; I had that weird episode with the left knee going all crazy.  

Oh, you were asking about my civil status or whatnot?  Teehee… 

Did you have to go to the hospital?
Just to get my left knee checked by rehab specialists.

Did you have any encounters with the police?
Traffic police crocodiles who probably desperately needed cash for a quick merienda.

Where did you go on vacation?
It was a vacation mixed with some sort of volunteerism and activism.  :P  You can’t take that away from me.  Taught high school kids in Macarascas (in a tiny place nestled in the forests in the mountains of Palawan) and participated in a Sikaran against mining on Sibuyan (the same island in Romblon where the MV Princess of the Stars almost made it to before capsizing during the typhoon Fengshen).

What did you purchase over $500?
Technically my mom paid for my year’s tuition in med school.

Did you know anybody who got married?
A high school batchmate.

What sporting events did you attend?
Uhm, does the Sikaran count?  I biked around the island, climbed mountains, scaled a moss-covered rock face and jumped into a river.  And I snorkeled around Snake Island in Palawan.  How’s that?

What concerts/shows did you go to?
None, unfortunately.

Where do you live now?
Still shuttling between Manila and Las Piñas, more often in Manila because of med school.

Describe your birthday.
I celebrated my birthday for about three days, with both sides of the family, and with cake, pizza, calzone, and tons of other food I cannot remember.

What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did?
The Sikaran.  Never thought I could withstand biking the rough paths around the island, finish the torturous climb to visit the indigenous Mangyans, and actually jump into a fast-moving and cold river from a height.  And oh, I never thought I could get sunburnt but spending almost six hours snorkeling around the Snake Island in Palawan got me my first sunburn.

Any new additions to your family?
Anya, my goddaughter and niece (she’s the daughter of my cousin, Rachel).  And hmm… some four kittens at home—they’re practically considered family by my dad aka Daddycat.  

What was your best month?
Probably April or May.

Who was your best drinking buddy?
What or which drink?

Made new friends?
Yes I did.

Any regrets?
I like to wave at them as they pass by.

What do you want to change in 2009?
The level of my physical fitness (I want to be able to run like Sam Witwicky in Transformers when he was carrying the cube away from Megatron or maybe kick a$$ like Sidney Bristow in the now-defunct Alias), the state of my (non-existent) finances, the fact that my passport is pathetically empty, the designation of MS2 to MS3,

Overall, how would you rate this year?
Fine, just fine.

Have any life changes in 2008?
Nothing much.

Get a new job?
I wish.  Am still in med school.

How old did you turn this year?
Put the numbers together and they add up to four.  (I think that's my mental age.)

Did anything embarrassing?
Yes.

Get married or divorced?
Married within ten years, divorced hopefully never.

Be honest - did you watch American Idol?
Towards the end.

Start a new hobby?
I now surf the net to look at cupcake and cookie recipes that I plan to make next year; am keeping my fingers crossed the friendly house mice haven’t ruined the oven’s wiring yet.

Are you happy to see 2008 go?
Yes.

Drank Starbucks in 2008?
I think.

Been naughty or nice?
Mostly nice.

What are you wishing for in 2009?
Fulfillment of crazy dreams, good changes, and for the Creator to start taking out politicians and criminals.  (I know the term politicians and criminals are usually synonymous, so forgive the seeming redundancy.  Let’s hope the Creator starts from top down and throw those criminals to the deepest pit of hell reserved for child molesters, chauvinist pigs, and people who cut in line.)

Lost someone?
They’re not mine.

Cut class?
Did I?

Was involved in something you'll never forget?
Yes, yes, yes.

Visited a different country?
Through fiction and my dreams.  (Yes, I’m starting to remember dreams.  And I discovered I dream in both color and black and white.  I wonder when I’ll start dreaming in sepia.)

Cooked a gross meal?
No.

Lost something important to you?
I don’t think I lost anything important or if I’m attached to things I don’t remember losing.

Got a gift you adore?
I adore my new red cardigan, my pillows, my multi-colored pens, my new vials of hair treatment, new bags, and those dark chocolate goodies a friend gave.

Tripped over a coffee table?
I don’t recall any coffee tables suing me this year.

Dyed your hair?
I wish.  Maybe early in 2009, I can go back to Sidney Bristow red.

Came close to losing your life?
I think I actually did die but hell spat me back out.  The river jump almost did me in.  Leaped from an elevation and landed in a river whose depth I had misjudged; I trusted the local kids who told me the river was deep enough for me not to smash my noggin on the river bed’s huge rocks.  Turns out the water was too deep for my own good and the water was a bit too turbulent.  Had an out of body experience—saw my form floating for a millisecond before I snapped back to reality and started swimming to the surface amidst the strong current.

Went to a party?
Yes.

Read a great book?
Do ebooks count?  Can’t afford to buy really good books, no matter how longingly I stare at them inside book shops.

Saw one of your favorite bands/artists live?
No.  That would entail either bringing them back from the dead or a plane ticket halfway around the world.

2008: FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

Did you meet any new friends this year?
Yes.

Did you dislike anyone?
Plenty of times!

Did you grow apart from anyone?
Not really.  We’re just out of phone credit most of the time.

Do you have any regrets when it comes to your friendships?
As was stated above, I like to wave at them as they pass by.

2008: YOUR BIRTHDAY

Did you have a cake?
Black forest, I think.  Not too black because the cake shop skimped on the chocolate shavings.

Did you get any presents?
I think I did.

2008: ALL ABOUT YOU

Did you change at all this year?
Lost some weight and gained it back, got new friends, had a recurrence of asthma, got involved in a lot of things, became more sedate passive, learned to become passive-aggressive, learned to be patient indifferent, became a godmother, changed my favorite color, spent a summer on more worthwhile pursuits, discovered The Beatles, and hopefully became wiser.

Did you change your style?
Style meaning?  I wear a white uniform 90% of the time, I don’t know if you can call that style.

Were you in school?
I still am in school.

Did you have a job?
Technically, no.

Did you drive?
Yes, and had a jolly good time trying to arrange a meeting between my dad and his Maker.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin, Rachel.

Would you change anything about yourself now?
If I were, I’d keep it to myself.  I like to keep myself unpredictable so that I can smash other people’s expectations right smack in front of their faces.

2008: WRAP UP

Was 2008 a good year?
Fine, just fine.

Do you think 2009 will top 2008?
I will make it top 2008.

I CONFESS THAT IN 2008 I...
( ) stayed single for the whole year
( ) kissed in the snow
( ) celebrated Halloween
( ) had your heart broken
( ) mooned someone
(x) went over the minutes on your cell phone

( ) came out of the closet
( ) gotten someone pregnant
( ) had an abortion
( ) done something you've regretted

OTHER
(x) painted a picture
(x) wrote a poem
(x) ran a mile
(x) shopped at Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch (window shopping counts right?)

( ) posted a blog on MySpace (LJ forever!)
( ) visited a foreign country
( ) cut in a line of waiting people
(x) told someone you were busy when you weren't
( ) partied to celebrate the new year
( ) cooked a disastrous meal
( ) lied about how old you were
( ) prank called someone

IN 2008 I...
[x] broke a promise
[ ] fell out of love
[x] lied
[ ] cried over a broken heart
[x] disappointed someone close
[x] hid a secret
[x] pretended to be happy

[ ] slept under the stars
[ ] kept your new years resolution
[x] forgot your new years resolution
[x] met someone who changed your life

[ ] met one of your idols
[x] changed your outlook on life
[x] sat home all day doing nothing

[ ] pretended to be sick
[ ] left the country
[ ] given up on something/someone important to you
[ ] lost something expensive
[x] learned something new about yourself
[x] tried something you normally wouldn't try and liked it
[x] made a change in your life
[x] found out who your true friends were
[x] met great people
[x] stayed up ‘til sunrise
[x] cried over the silliest thing (med school has a peculiar thing of doing this to you)

[ ] had friends who were drifting away from you
[x] had a high cellphone bill (sorry, mum)
[x] spent most of your money on food (duh, who doesn't?)

[ ] had a fist fight
[ ] went to the beach with your best friend(s) (how about nice friends?)
[x] gotten sick
[x] liked more than 5 people at the same time (you can't call me a hoor for this one)

[ ] became closer with a lot of people

 

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Beloved Friends

I am blessed to be in the company of beloved friends tonight.  I wonder, though, when we will see each other again.  We're all starting new chapters in our lives and slowly drifting apart physically.  Maybe the best thing we all can do is cherish our moments together and keep talking to each other through all means possible.

Back to the 50s and 60s


 

Perhaps it comes from watching Pushing Daisies and Mad Men.  I am officially in love with clothing styles from the 1950s to 1960s.  The silhouettes are so feminine and fun, yet polished and elegant.  This has me wishing I could create my own clothes, or maybe have enough money to burn on having clothes done by a mananahi.


Should I try my luck in Cubao-X?