Day 9: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days.

To wish for happiness would be folly, for everyone can be happy if we choose to be. For the next 365 days, I wish not for happiness, but for things, people, and events that will make choosing to be happy much easier.

To hope for love would be ignorant, for love is already within ourselves. For the next 365 days, I hope not for love, but for someone who truly deserves my heart.

To dream of wealth would be foolish, for nothing lasts forever, most especially your possessions. For the next 365 days, I dream not of wealth, but of great health for everyone I hold dear.

To plan for adventure is absurd, for life already is. I plan to enjoy life the best way I know how. I will try new things, make mistakes and learn from them, and see new places. For the next 365 days and beyond, I plan to live.

Day 8: What’s in my bag.

The last bag I used was my handy brown leather clutch. The content of which are simply the basics. These are things that you will find in whatever bag I use, simply because I can't leave anywhere without them.

1. Money. How can you get anywhere without it?
2. ATM Card. You never know when your cash might run out.
3. Keys. Who wants to be locked out of his/her own house?
4. Rosary. To protect me and guide me to the right path.
5. Phone. It's usually in my pocket, but I put it in the bag for safekeeping.
6. Comb. When you've got unruly hair like me, it pays to have one at all times.
7. Tissue. Only when I have a need for it.

Company Night-out with the Super Keps

I promised to stay home this weekend, but my friends forced me to come to our company party. I have to say, it was so much better than I expected. All my friends came, and that's all I really wanted. I downed a few glasses of beer (it's a mystery how I managed to do it), laughed out loud, and danced till I could barely stand. I had so much fun, albeit the headache.

Day 7: My worst habit.

My worst habit is wallowing in self-pity. I'm quite the depressive, and it seems to me like a day can't go by without me feeling sorry for myself. Sometimes, like right now, it can get very debilitating. It breaks my spirit, but there's nothing I can do about it. I can't help it sometimes.

Day 6: A song that makes me cry (or nearly).

Considering how emotional I am, there are probably quite a number of songs that I've listened and cried to. When the words and melody go together in a way that tugs on my heartstrings, expect me to turn into such a sissy. This goes without saying that to name one song is quite hard. Especially since I have filed these songs in categories according to how they make me feel. Like when I listen to my playlist of religious songs, I can't help but tear up at the realization that I am not as a good a person as I hoped I'd be.

However, if there's one song that's sure to get to me, it would be this. Someone's Waiting For You from The Rescuers used to be my favorite song as a kid. It is also the very same song that my mom would sing to me when I'm sick. She sang it to me when I was in the hospital for dengue and wouldn't stop crying from the endless needle pricking, and again when I was scared to go under the knife to have my inflamed appendix removed. I won't offer any guarantee of tears when it plays, but it will always remind me of the most trying times in my life with my mom beside me, helping me to get through.

Day 5: My dream house.

Paris Disneyland (source)

Day 4: Something I am OC about.

There are plenty that I'm OCD about, but I can't think of much right now. Here are the first three that came to mind though. Let this be enough for now.

1. Hands and Feet. I cannot stand having my hands and feet dirty. Sometimes I go crazy thinking about it, and could hardly focus on anything else. One time, while wearing dorsal foot-baring espadrilles, a colleague accidentally brushed the dirty sole of his shoe on my right foot. I had it so bad that I could no longer concentrate on the meeting, and was cursing him in my head for not being careful. Haha! Other times, I'm okay with it though.

2. Notebook/Sketchbook. This one I'm starting to get over with. I used to be so OC when it comes to my notebooks and sketchbooks. One mistake, one tear, one stain on its perceived perfection, and I can no longer look at it the same way. I would get all lackadaisical about it. Sometimes I wouldn't even want to look at it because I am reminded of how "ugly" it has become. Yeah, I'm weird like that. I have been trying to look at things differently as of late though. I have been trying to convince myself that flaws give them character, and somehow I can see that it's beginning to work.

3. Books. I have great love for my books. I take very good care of them, and so I expect anyone who borrows one to do the same. If you borrow a book from me and return it in bad shape, expect me to not look at you in the same way again. It kills me to inflict damage on someone else's book, so I can't see why anyone would treat mine like a piece of trash. I can only take very minimal creases on the spine, the kind that's barely visible. Anything bigger than that will surely get the crazy wheels in my head to start running.

Forgive me for such a hasty post. Remember when I said that time will be my biggest foe in this challenge? Well, it's only the fourth day, and yet it's beginning to gain advantage. No worries though. I will get through this. Aja!

Day 3: A photo of me taken more than 10 years ago.

Lost: big-headed child with round cry-baby eyes and pouty lips.

Last seen crying noiselessly in his seat.

If found, congratulations! You have successfully traveled through time.

This photo was taken approximately 20 years ago. I'm not really sure, but I think it was for my nursery ID. Look at that face. What a cry baby! Haha!

Day 2: 20 of my favorite things.

I admit to being quite materialistic. Ask me for a wishlist and you'll get a crapload of things that aren't all that important. It's not that I don't appreciate the non-material things (because I really do), but I do get a kick out of getting stuff. I'm not shallow. I'm human.

Asking me to name my favorite things is going to be hard though. Not because I have plenty, but because I barely have any. I love my things. I take good care of them, but I don't have favorites. Like seasons, they too pass. I can name a few general items, but nothing specific. And even then, I don't think I could come up with twenty. So I opted to follow the footsteps of Fraulein Maria instead, and named 20 of my favorite things that need not be objects.

1. Sleeping in on a cool morning. I don't think I have to explain this one. Waking up to a cool weather and curling back in bed for a few extra winks is everyone's guilty pleasure.
2. Staying in my room on a rainy afternoon with a warm cup of coffee and a good book in hand. I love rain. The sounds of pitter-patter and the cool breeze awaken feelings that I've left to hibernate within the corners of my heart. My emotions are heightened that I want to be wrapped around the warmth of words and the sweet aroma of caffeine. And when I have all three at the same time, I could only wish for time to stand still.
3. Travelling to places I've never been. There's nothing like the thrill of being in a new place. With every place you visit, you crave for more. Your body longs for adventure. And every day that you find yourself somewhere new, you feel reborn. Like each day was made specifically for you to see the wonders of wherever you are.
4. Under-appreciated movies. I can't explain why I love them. I just do. I guess when there's less overrated talks of how beautiful a film is, you tend to see its beauty in your own way.
5. Unexpected, yet pleasant attention. This doesn't happen everyday, but when it does, it never fails to make me smile.
6. Making art in my own accord. I will always love making art, forced or not. But one of the best things in the world is making it when I feel like it. When you feel creative juices flow through your bloodstream, and your hands itch to create, you will most likely come up with something beautiful. And who doesn't want to create something beautiful?
7. Writing poetry just before I fall asleep. Words flow better when I'm in bed at night.
8. Stars. What's there to say? I've been fascinated by them since the day I learned how to draw one!
9. Talking about life. Talking about life gets me to think. Not in the way that politics or neuroscience do, but in a way that really gets to me. It allows me to ponder and question one's existence. It allows me to think about the really important things.
10. Daydreaming. I am a professional daydreamer, and always have been since the day I came to this world. Back when I was a student, I used to do it full-time. It's my own private getaway when things get a little too hard to handle, or when I'm just bored off my ass.
11. Really good music. The best way to describe my feelings for music is to quote the movie, It's Kind of a Funny Story. When Craig asked Noelle if she liked music, she simply replied, "Do you like breathing?"
12. Great bargains. This is the shopaholic in me talking. I'm an impulsive buyer, and finding great bargains is like finding an oasis in the middle of a scorching hot, dry desert. It's like heaven in a price tag.
13. Getting under the covers and wrapping up on a cool night. Pretty much the same as #1.
14. Making my parents happy. I'm not sure how many times I've done this, but for the few times that I remember, I don't think I can ever trade it with anything in the world.
15. Laughing out loud with friends. This is one vice I will never give up on. It's one of those things that you can't get enough of. You find ways of getting it, and when you do, you get a certain kind of high that you want to hold on to for as long as you can. It's my drug.
16. The internet. :)
17. Cartoons. As a child-at-heart, I don't think I can ever get through life without cartoons.
18. Dancing unrestricted. Not many know this, but when I'm home alone and a really good song comes on, I get up on my feet and dance. Just dance. No choreography, no restrictions—just the feeling of the beat taking over my bones.
19. Brown paper packages tied up with string. Alright, you didn't think I'd write a list of my favorite things and not pay homage to The Sound of Music, now did you? Haha! Seriously though, like Maria, I like receiving packages. Most especially when wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. It feels so...old-fashioned. And I love old-fashioned! It has a certain charm to it that's very endearing.
20. Going to work with my parents. No matter how much I bitch about it in the morning, it's one of my favorite times of the day. I've been so busy lately that we hardly see each other. It's in that 45-minute (sometimes later) ride that we get to talk. And I love talking to my parents! Even if it's mostly me just grumbling. LOL.

Day 1: A photo that makes me happy.

To try and explain why this photo makes me happy would risk understatement. How could you look at it and say that it can't make a person happy? This is a prime example of how a picture can paint a thousand words. Apart from the obvious uncontrived spontaneity of us falling down, it captures the essence of the friendship I share with these people. Fun. Candid. Close.

Whenever I find myself missing my Burkies, I take a quick look at this photo, and instantly I find myself transported to a time when we were young, carefree, and virtually inseparable. I smile at the idea that at one point in our lives, a problem meant not knowing where to eat for lunch or which room would we hang out in. Life is catching up on us, and now we're facing real problems, and alone most of the time. This Kodak (not really) moment, however, still brings the same kind of joy it once did, albeit tinged with longing and melancholia.

My friends and I still catch up every now and then, but traditions have been harder to keep, and simple get-togethers now need careful planning. I miss them, and I miss the way we were, but I guess we all have to grow up sometime. I take comfort in the fact though that even if we're growing up apart from each other, we still remain the best of friends.

The 30-day Challenge.

Just last week, Elinore put me up to a challenge that both of us must accomplish. Fairly common nowadays in the blogosphere, she wanted us to do a 30-day challenge patterned after one of her blogging idols'. For the past few months, I barely had time to write anything. Work's been crazy, and the little time I have for myself, I use to catch up on sleep. Even reading a book or sketching took a backseat! I had been too caught up with a lot of things that I broke a promise I made to myself before coming back to the working arena.

So here I am. Foolishly taking up the challenge, and diving in. Time will be my biggest foe. It will probably tie me down and prevent me from succeeding, but rest assured that I will do my best to overcome it. Anne Lamott said that if you want to succeed in writing, start with small assignments. Well, here it is, Anne. My daily small assignments for the next 30 days. I may not end up being a celebrated writer after this, but I will at least feel good about myself for trying.

Okay, here goes. Day One in four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Words from the Master

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

- Neil Gaiman, My New Year Wish

2011: A Year In Photos

I am no photographer. Let's be clear about that. And if you're asking how I could be so bold to sum up the past year in photos in spite of this reality, well I account that to one thing: laziness. I now write for a living, and no matter how much I enjoy it, I have to admit that it can get exhausting. So bear with me on this one. Don't worry, most of it aren't my own shots anyway.

Celebrating Gwen's success at MO2. This was the night I lost my part-time job. LOL.

The first half of 2011 was dedicated to my personal growth. I cried, laughed, baked, read, did art, started a business. I tried to find myself then, and still am now. I guess it's a sort of journey that takes a lifetime to complete.

Wanderlust #1: Bantayan Summer Escapade with the Burkes. I've had my fair share of travels this year, but this has got to be my favorite. The reason? I got to share the experience with my best friends.

The best thing about coming back to Intelmed. :)

I turned 23, and gave up on the plans I've long been a slave to. I gave it up not because I lost hope, but because I'm making space for a new one. Hopefully this one turns out better than the last one.

Wanderlust #2: Meeting Peter in Manila. The trip I've been most excited about the whole year. I GOT TO WATCH PETER PAN ON STAGE! That show made my year.

Wanderlust #3: A Short and Sweet Visit to Beautiful Tagaytay. I've only had lunch at Sonya's, and already I'm in love.

Lucas Nathaniel. This little bundle of joy came to our lives. He almost peed on my phone, causing me to drop it, but I still love this bugger.

Wanderlust #4: Palawan Paradise. By far, the most beautiful place I've ever been to. I was gonna write about it in detail, but I've been swamped with work. :| I'll try to get around it really soon.

These are the only pictures I could find, but this thing right here is the highlight of my 2011. Enough said.

There. 2011 summed up in photos. I'd love to say more, but there's not much I could say. 2011 was a very interesting year for me, and I hope 2012 proves to be a whole lot better. To friends old and new, to places I've been and will be going to, to the family that's ever growing, and to life that's never boring, I lift my glass up for you. Cheers to a new year!