10 Best of 2011

2011 is such a beautiful year for me, much has been done, much has changed, much has been said :) And much love this year has had!

Picking out the best 10 things this year is extremely difficult, as there are about a hundred events, a hundred things, a hundred people I wanna include. But as all things go, there are just a few occupying front row seats in my heart. So here goes.

10. Letting go of cherry red toenails. And finding time to pamper thyself. 2012 is going to more fun, more young, more carefree. Hello, bubblegum pink toes and cheers to sunshine yellows!

9. Memorizing Cogon Market like the back of my hand. When Sendong hit my city, and relief operations came in waves, finding the best deals to stretch donation money was our favorite option. As a result, I scoured the market for best deals and I have NEVER felt so at home in Cogon, as I have been the past days.

8. Paris. And yes, finally, I have learned to drive on my own!

7.  Starbucks Mocha Frappe. It's been 7 solid years since I've had my tall mocha frappe. South Super Highway days. Weeeelllll, it was one of the up there memories. And here I am, seven long years later, reunited with my first love: ice cold coffee.

6. Wheatgrass. Goodbye constipation forever!

5. Adele. She writes the most beautiful, sad love songs. I can play the album over and over and over... and never ever get tired. Classic, ranks among my Norah Jones favorites.

4. My new job. I love it and I love the people at work. Moving out of my old cubicle, and a few blocks down the street, I found happy change- just in time to save my sanity. AND  I found a new string of beautiful friendship and more along the way.

3. GOOD TIMES: Dahilayan with my college buds. MBB with my gorgeous gang. Bizu with soul sibs. Oceanpark. Elbi. Davao. UCC. Finding old friends in new places.Finding new ones in the old. In our UPs and Downs, we are together. Coffee, without coffee, beer, without beer. With each other. Love.

2. Presents. I love surprises. I know- it's weird. Never loved surprises but... the idea is just well, new and I find myself loving it now! :)

and most of all,

1. My hot chocolate mornings with my lil bear. No one in this world can ever replace the morning moments we have.


I can feel 2012 is going to be an even better year. Who knows, bubblegum pink will pave the way and finally, finally.. crazy love will FINALLY find me. ♥ 


yeeee!

Cheers to a great 2012! To beauty and love, and to happiness! Happy New Year, everyone :)

So sick of the mind games. And I hate that it gets to me.

Because it shouldn't.

Better Days

Sleepy town is still recovering, the skies are still overcast and only a few cars and trucks have started the hustle and bustle of the day- AND it's already 6am. It is weird and it's kind of depressing. I've never imagined, in my whole life, ever experiencing first hand a typhoon in this city. When Sendong hit CDO last Dec 16, it missed my town by just a few miles. But the effect is likewise traumatic.

Last night, we were kept awake by news about the river rising, and a tsunami coming (WTF), If these were practical jokes of some sick mind, they're by far, the lamest ever.

I have friends who lost their homes, who lost family members, loved ones missing and without a place to call their own this holidays. And the sick joke is just SICK. It's insensitive and callous, rude and everything shitty. I hope whoever initiated this whole crap would actually find himself in a manhole with all sorts of poo (EK)

Anyway. Such bad vibes on such an early Wednesday morning.

The good thing about the tragedy, though,  is that we get to take a second look on our lives. We get to re-set our priorities, become less urbanized and appreciate what are really and actually important; we find that we can do away with some material comforts, and actually battle the strangest fears to extend an arm and a limb for a friend.

we see family and friends, appreciate their presence in our lives and see that we can always work together better- systematically, automatically when the need arises.

I think it goes for all tragedies in our lives - there will always be the time when we go through the DABDA stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression then finally acceptance.

There will be the time when we just sit in denial, or in anger, just staring into space, questioning the circumstances. Sometimes, even questioning God. Pleading for the bad things to just go away.

Few days after the storm hit the city, we can see rich and poor alike, sitting on the streets, with what's left of their belongings just staring into space, with sad eyes and an empty air.

But then, there will be the time when we start picking things up, organizing the crap in us. Planning our way out of the tunnel. Sad to say though, at the time when we're all getting our acts together, this is also the time when people are quick to point fingers.

Then finally yes, eventually, we will come out of everything that scares us, scars us, even breaks us - alive and better.

Yes, we can't do it without our support groups. family. or friends. or prayers.
But certainly, we most can't do it without the conviction and the faith in ourselves.

We are actually tougher than we thought we really are. We are built for these crises, we are better than the circumstance.

And Maybe, just like all things, all bad events and bad people in our lives eventually fade in the background. I can't say there's always the forgiveness playing, but there certainly is acceptance.

The road to recovery may be a long and winding one, with a lot of road blocks on the way too. But all I know is, there will be better days. And the most comforting thought is that, certainly, there is an end to all this sadness. - and that, that makes all the difference.