A Year-Ender Survey
1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
I went hiking up 3 mountains in Palawan, March 2005.


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't have any resolutions. Next year, no!


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin's wife gave birth to a baby boy.


4. Did anyone close to you die?
No


5. What countries did you visit?
None


6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Money to travel


7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 24, 2005 because hmmmm ... Never mind!


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I diligently worked on most of my assignments and got paid for it.


9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think of them as failures just charge them to experience!


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No


11. What was the best thing you bought?
Books


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My sister for her tenacity.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I rather not think about it, anymore.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Movies and books.


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new cellphone.


16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Pretty Vegas - INXS (with their new lead singer, DJ Fortune)


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier
ii. Thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. Richer or poorer? Richer


18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Travel


19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Pining for somEone


20. How did you spend Christmas?
Heard Mass at 10pm on Christmas eve, had noche buena and opened gifts. On the day itself watched "Love Actually" 3 times.


22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yes


23. How many one-night stands?
None


24. What was your favorite TV program?
Rockstar: INXS


25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No


26. What was the best book(s) you read?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Exile by Allan Folsom


27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lifehouse


28. What did you want and got?
A new cellphone


29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Phantom of the Opera


30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 37, we had lunch at Misato,a Japanese Restaurant in MetroWalk. Then watched a Japanese movie ("Hidden Blade") at Greenbelt, dinner was at Seafood Club, Greenbelt 3.


31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It would have been a big boost to my self esteem if the guys I went out with actually made some time/effort to see me again. So they won't be merely "first dates".


32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Always in jeans and t-shirts


33. What kept you sane?
Prayers


34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Josh Lucas


35. What political issue stirred you the most?
None


36. Who did you miss?
Nobody


37. Who was the best new person you met?
Manolet


38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
That loving somEone doesn't guarantee that he will love you back. Ergo!
The Beatles sang "Ob la di, ob la da ... life goes on ... yeah ... la la la la ... life goes on"


40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I would fall asleep
Only in hopes of dreaming
That everything would be like it was before
But nights like this it seems are slowly fleeting
They disappear as reality is crashing to the floor

After all this time
Would you ever wanna leave it
Maybe you could not believe it
That my love for you is blind
But I couldn't make you see it
Couldn't make you see it
That I loved you more than you will ever know
A part of me died when I let you go
And I loved you more than you'll ever know
A part of me died when I let you go

(Blind by Lifehouse)

2005 IN REVIEW

Take the first sentence (or two) from the first post of each month of 2005. That's your year in review.


December
Well I'm sorta, kinda back from my hiatus. But not entirely. Because you see, I am still monitor less. Actually I do have another monitor but it is currently on loan.



November
I did say on the first day of October that I was looking forward to having a good month. It being my birthday month and all. But now that it is over, I'm just glad I survived it.

Mere words cannot truly express my complete devastation.
The day I heard that he was going to be a father, soon.



October
My quote for this whole month [My Birthday Month]

"Always think of one happy thought each morning. Once a happy thought gets started, you can't help but feel warm hearted the rest of the day!" =)



September
Yes I am cranky, irritable and swamped with work but when I saw these in my inbox they really made me laugh out loud.



August
So popping 500 mgs of Ponstan continues. I'm heavily medicated and I look like something the cat dragged in so I think it is wise I just lie down and get lost in a sordid tale about the re-installation of a Russian Tsar in "The Exile".



July
I'm back! I had a great time relaxing. I will surely blog about it some time next week. For now I need to do some WORK!

I leave you with this image of my room key at the Westin - Room 735! I wish the guy
on the card was indeed in my heavenly bed but alas he is merely a model! Teehee =)



June
Blissful day at Tagaytay (May 30)
My mother's birthday celebration started with lunch at the Viewsite Seafood Restaurant.



May
"It's May, it's May .. The lusty month of May"
Ok nothing really lusty about it I was just humming the song from "Camelot". Can you believe it's already mid year? Time flies!

Let's all have a merry month of May despite the stifling heat.
Keep cool!



April
Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005
I've visited Vatican City twice. In 1982 with the family and the second time in 2001 with my sister. We were fortunate to have been blessed by the Holy Father. An experience I will cherish for life.

May a choir of angels welcome him in their midst and may God grant his humble servant, eternal rest.

Amen.



March (my Palawan trip)
Yesss!
I have my air tickets.
I have booked my accommodation!
I have my itinerary.
First day - island hopping
Second day - river adventure
3 days, 2 nights! Complete all inclusive package!
Short but hectic sked.
I'm so excited, I can't sleep! :D
Is it Friday yet????



February
My sister and I were brainstorming for gift ideas for our parent's wedding anniversary this coming Saturday!
Sipping coffee at Segafredo in Greenbelt - We were on a roll:
- a trip to Brussels, Belgium (not possible within such a short time frame, need at least 6 months to prepare for that!)
- a trip to HongKong (short notice)
- an overnight stay at a 5 star hotel (we couldn't decide which hotel :D)

So pressed for time, we just ordered 2 movies from Amazon for Dad. He has been looking for those titles for ages. Hopefully the package gets here on time.
As for mom well we are still clueless! It is always very difficult to buy a gift for her.



January
A new year beckons thus a new layout for my blog.
And I'm throwing in my new picture as well. :D
I'm posting in advance because I'll be busy.
Busy cooking and eating.
Yes I do know how to cook! DUH!
Busy drinking.
So I will be too drunk to blog.
Busy wishing.
Wishing for not just happiness but pure joy.
Not just wealth but heaven's treasures.
Not just silence but God's peace.
So go out and party. 2005 is here!
Happy New Year!!!

It is the day after Christmas
And I am still overjoyed.
Overwhelmed more like it.
I was completely taken by surprise when I got these gifts from my family.
Utter joy beyond words. =)




P.S.
The cellphone which I bought for myself a few days ago ... well I gave it to my mother.

4 malls and a new cellphone
So with 5 days to go before Christmas, I was stricken with a guilty conscience. My sister berated me for being such a cheapstake. She told me I should stop being a scrooge and go buy gifts for our parents. She claims she did her Christmas shopping while she was in Davao so in order for me not to lose face I should haul my butt to the mall(s) and get them something ... Anything!
At first, of course I resisted with remarks like:
"Are you crazy?, I don't like crowds" "Traffic is horrendous this time of the year."
"I'm broke!"
But it was useless.
She insisted she would drive me to the malls.
And threatened me with "Unless you want to walk home, I will only pick you up when you've bought the gifts!"

So first stop was The Podium to withdraw money from the bank because unlike 83% of the population who have regular jobs and are entitled to a 13th month pay and hefty bonuses this time of the year, me I dip into my fledging savings.

Then I walked to Robinson's Galleria scoured every wing in that mall. Trying not to faint from hunger while roaming its ultra chaotic crowded environs.

I decided I might have better options at Megamall instead so I hopped into a FX and 20 minutes later was in the midst of yet another crowded environment.
I tried to do my shopping as fast as I could.
Gift for my father ... Done!
Gift for my mother ... Done!

I already knew what to get for my sister but that meant walking over to Edsa Shangri-la so fine I might as well just to get it over with. Gift for my sister ... Check!

Since I was on a roll, I bought myself a new cellphone, finally. Nothing fancy and it doesn't even have a camera but at least it won't hang and freeze whenever I make a call.
And in my excitement and shopping euphoria I decided to have it giftwrapped as well so I will open it on Christmas eve.

Teehee! =)

This made me smile, today
I received this email from one of my oldest (as in longest not age wise) and dearest friend, Carr:

"Daphne, send my greetings to the whole family .... I wish that in the coming year, your Prince Charming will arrive & hopefully take you to his neverending world... :-) Seriously, I know you're not looking for him anymore ... but when the time comes, I hope he loves you & take care of you in his own way."

The Holiday 10

1. What's your favorite holiday movie?
Love Actually

2. What's your favorite holiday song (title and artist)?
"So this is Christmas" by John Lennon

3. What's the best holiday gift you were ever given and why?
I don't remember anything tangible but I do recall all those envelopes with money I got when I was still in school.

4. Do you have a special someone to kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year's?
No, I don't .... boohoo

5. Name your favorite reindeer?
Rudolph

6. Favorite holiday food?
Keso de bola and Ham!

7. Snow day - cuddle by the fire or hand me a snowball?
We don't have snow here. Another boohoo!

8. What was your New Year's resolution from this year? Did you stick to it?
I didn't make any resolutions.

9. Is there really a Santa Claus?
No he is just a figment of our imagination.

10. Present or stocking stuffer?
I have no idea what this means.


P.S.
Don't you just love that feature that tells you when your intended recipients opened the e-card you emailed them? So I know for sure when someone is ignoring me and doesn't bother to read the e-card I painstakingly chose out of the 34345677 cards on the Internet. I know it bruises my ego but I still send e-cards to people who have long forgotten me. I don't know why!

"He's making a list and checking it twice gonna find out who's naughty and nice, Santa Claus is coming to town!"

And in my case, I'm Santa Claus.

But.

I don't have a list.

My immediate family aren't getting anything from me.

For us, it is birthdays that matter.

My inaanaks (godchildren) will get cash.

Most of my friends are either far away or they don't celebrate Christmas because they have different denominations.

I don't have any office mates.

So I don't have to buy a gift for my monito/monita.

Only thing I have to do is send e-cards.

2 sets.

1 for Christmas and another bunch for New Year!

That's about it.

So I think I will just buy myself a gift.

But first I got a date.

A date with a giant ape named King Kong.

Heh

Laterz dudes and dudettes! =)