"How do you measure a year in the life?"


From asthelightgrew:

[P E O P L E]
1. Best boyfriend/girlfriend? I dated two guys and spent three days with an amazing person, but no, they can't be considered boyfriends.
2. Lost any friends? In death, yes, and just recently.
3. Gained any friends? Oh, yes! Most of them from work :)
4. Met a new good friend? Chebee, KV, and Kat, all from work.

[P L A C E S]
1. Went out of the country? Sadly, no, as I can't take long breaks from work yet and I've yet to get my passport.
2. Moved? No.
3. New school? Nope.
4. How many times on an airplane? Never. It's very sad.
5. Road trips? Hmm, one to Laguna earlier this year, and to Baguio in March.

[Y O U]
1. Have you changed? Who doesn't? Hopefully I've changed for the better, but I can't say so for myself.
2. New look? I was too busy to jazz up, but I want a new hairstyle for 2008!
3. Any new additions? Oh God this is difficult. I don't know about my weight, I keep on fluctuating, although I've yet to check my weight. Let's just say my old clothes still fit. Haha!
4. Biggest conflict this year? Writing vs. working for a company I loathed. In the end I wasn't sorry for letting go of the job because I got a better one!
5. Most depressed time this year? I think it was during the last few weeks of work at the magazine. Things kept on spiraling downhill, I was pretty determined to leave, and I didn't know what to do next. Thankfully I had good friends who kept me sane, an ex-boss who said things would get better, and the History Boys to distract me.

[L O V E]
1. Did you fall in love? No, I just had a terrible crush.
2. Did you get heartbroken? Yes, but I should have seen it coming. It was partly my fault because I kept on hoping that things would change.
3. Who was your summer love? I didn't have any! :\
4. How many boyfriends/girlfriends this year? Zero. But it's all right. I'm still happily married to tristantrakand! XD
5. Favourite date? I don't know if I could consider the dinner/coffee/cheesecake date with Cheesecake Boy because it wouldn't have happened if not for unlightedcandle and the fact that she, morethanfiction, and dramashit were with us, haha! But that was fun, yes, compared to the dates with Easter Sunday and the Canadian guy.

[S E A S O N S]
1. Favourite season? Summer. I went to Baguio, left the magazine job, and went out almost everyday with friends before I entered Summit.
2. Least favourite season? The cold of the early months. Not quite fun.
3. Good birthday? Yes! I was excused from work, I spent the day with my family, watched Music and Lyrics with a friend. The next day I went out to dinner with the Boring Friends and sang the Chinese New Year's Eve away in Malate.
4. Any snow this year? For my mum, yes, haha.
5. Highest temperature? It was a very hot summer--temp went up to 35ºC or 38ºC, I think. Then again I wasn't that surprised.

[F I N A L Q U E S T I O N S]
Snuck out? n/a
Met a person who will change your life? Hmm, I don't know for sure, but my new friends are interesting.
Kept your resolution? About writing more: sadly, no.
Got arrested? No, but I renewed my NBI clearance for work!
Had a first something? Dirty dance with a stranger! Hahaha.
Drank alcohol? Of course. :)
Smoked weed/drugs? Just cigarettes and not much, I've been laying off it a bit.
Did anything illegal? I ripped videos and bought a lot of pirated DVDs.
Had a crush? Hell, yes!
Liked someone who didn't like you? It's been going on for four years, but this year was the time to let go. And right now I can say I'm happier with how our friendship turned out!
Lost a family member? Yes, a great-aunt from my mother's side.
Got bad grades? N/A
Got suspended? N/A
Moved states? Nope.
Spent over 1 million dollars? Give me 1 million dollars first!
Went streaking? Nah.
Done something you shouldn't have? Used my card even when I had cash, I think. Pretty stupid of me.
Kept a secret? Yes.
Told a secret? Yes, but it wasn't that important.
Done something you totally regret? Nothing big. Maybe just little things that were still easy to fix anyway.
Changed your view on things? I've favored doing a job that does very little writing (so far. Next year there'll be definitely more since we're doing more editorial stuff for work, and I'm looking forward to it) vs. a job at a magazine where I hated the daily grind, the people I worked with, and the lack of a proper system.


1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Went out with a guy that a distant cousin had set up for me. It was a pretty lame date and I wasn't attracted to him, though. But he was the "lesser evil" guy. What else, hmm. I went to a lecture about theatre and learned to appreciate theater more.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Hmm, about writing, not really. About getting more focused at work, I would say yes. And yes, I will still be making a few.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A new friend and my partner at work, KV, to adorable Matthew :)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Kuya Ronald, an ex-colleague from the Expat weekly. He was our cigarette buddy then. It was a few days before Christmas, so I could imagine how sad and difficult it was for his family. And one of my great-aunts from my mother's side.

5. What countries did you visit?
Huhu nothing. I wish I could go to Singapore or Thailand in 2008, at least.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A nice boyfriend of the non-creepy type. Haha! And self-imposed discipline.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Nov 23. :D

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting regularized at work for the very first time. The last one, though it lasted for seven months, didn't have an evaluation system of any sort. Getting two poems published, even though it was a bit unintentional, haha (*cough* morethanfiction *cough*). And appreciating theater more thanks to The History Boys and Avenue Q!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to finish a project on time, but it didn't have any lasting damage, thankfully.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had more asthma attacks during the rainy season.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Insanity Defense by Woody Allen, Samuel the mp3 player, and William the laptop.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
morethanfiction and dramashit, for always saying yes to the emergency night outs, the adventures, and for staying with me; fallenw0man for confiding in me and for being a good confidante as well, and unlightedcandle for keeping me sane!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My brother, for being more demanding and annoying than usual. We didn't have any major fight, but his asking for more than I could give depressed me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
My brother's allowance, clothes, books, DVDs, and gadgets!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Working on the Cosmopolitan project and the FN Christmas video! Also, finally watching Avenue Q!

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Bewitched (thank you, Samuel Barnett)!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. Especially my face--it's depressing, actually.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer but I had more expenses, eek!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleeping properly, writing when I had the time, minding my budget, and planning earlier.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spending a lot of money on days/nights out, slacking off.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my family, as usual.

21. How will you be spending New Year's?
With my family, too, as usual. Sadly, mum isn't here.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Oh, god, the same question twice! No.

23. How many one-night stands?
Nah. I could have had one if I stayed with the dirty dance partner, but I was grossed out at the thought of playing with a younger boy.

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
The Tudors (even if I watched it on DVD)! Grey's Anatomy's too exhausting.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nah. I promised myself I would just let go.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Insanity Defense! Brilliant.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
It's not really a discovery, it's more of a renewal of love for musicals! I watched the local productions of Avenue Q and Into the Woods, and Rent on DVD. I am loving the Wicked soundtrack as well.

28. What did you want and get?
Career - a job at a stable company. Material stuff - a laptop, an mp3 player, an iPod, books and DVDs!

29. What did you want and not get?
A boyfriend. Haha, oh well!

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Definitely The History Boys. Runners up: Annie Hall, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Two Days in Paris, Manhattan, Paris Je T'Aime, and Citizen Kane.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was excused from work, so I spent the day with my family. It was my dad's birthday as well, so it was a double celebration thingy. Also watched Music and Lyrics with a friend. The next day I went out to dinner with the Boring Friends and sang the Chinese New Year's Eve away in Malate.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time to get to know Cheesecake Boy! And a trip to Japan! Hahahaha.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Skinny jeans and big/long tops, ballet flats.

34. What kept you sane?
Friends and family.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ahahahaha Jamie Parker, Samuel Barnett, Johnny Depp, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jon Robyns. And Felix Rivera. Teehee.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Malu Fernandez issue got a bit political, so that one. I had forgotten that Erap existed. It was weird that Benazir Bhutto's death affected me more.

37. Who did you miss the most?
My mum, Varsi friends, Cheesecake Boy.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
There was no "best," though.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Plan things carefully. Follow through.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"You are 22 and you live on Avenue Q!"


January: Had post-holiday depression, started going out on picnics with morethanfiction and dramashit, learned to cook onigiri, attended the Varsi 79th birthday party, survived many overnights at work.

February: Birthday-related sadness, spent half of V-day with fallenw0man, failed to find Evangelion, fell in love with The History Boys, bought Samuel the mp3 player as a gift to self.

March: Learned that I was born on the year of the Rat (yikes identity crisis), three days in Baguio City where I had lots of "firsts."

April: Seriously considered going to a shrink, shirked work at least twice, surprising deaths (Kurt Vonnegut and Julia Campbell), celebrated Día del Libro at Instituto Cervantes, bought William the laptop, fell in love with Woody Allen and radio plays, and went on a ho-hum date.

May: Quit the magazine job, got addicted to cooking again, voted at the national polls, fell in love with Carol Ann Duffy and Don Paterson.

June: New job!

July: Heart broke over a discovery about a friend, got sick, read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, assisted in a makeover for work.

August: Went out on a date with a creep whom I vowed never to see again ever, worked on the Cosmopolitan project (whoohoo MEN!), FN relaunch, got sick again, saw a lot of movies in the Cinemanila film festival, lots of rain.

September: Bought a lot of books in the Manila International Book Fair, took on an overripe guyabano on the head, Jonathan Rhys Meyers obsession officially started, saw mum off at the airport, fell in love with Avenue Q but missed the September shows, started "Facebooking."

October: Saw Spanish films, met up with moodyshei, Ate RJ, Mikee, Julienne and Jason, finished the Cosmopolitan project, Dumbledore came out, attended a lecture about theater.

November: Didn't go to the cemeteries, watched Into the Woods and Dogeaters, discovered Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, decided to adopt Mimi, and met Cheesecake Boy.

December: Busiest time at work ever! But managed to do quite a lot: the Christmas video, a shoot for FN, loads of stuff for ShopCrazy. Adopted Mimi, did a lot of last-minute shopping, went on many nights out with friends, and finally watched Avenue Q! Also first Christmas without mum.

"In daylights, in sunsets,
in midnights, in cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles,
In laughter, in strife.
In five hundred twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?"

- "Seasons of Love," Rent

It's been a crazy and fun year. Thank you, lovely family and friends, for making a lot of things happen! :D Happy new year!


[mood| Optimistic]