Okay, I know it's still a couple of weeks before we say goodbye to 2008, but I thought I'd make a things to be thankful for in/ things that will always remind me of 2008. Okay, here it goes. In random order.
1. Travel. 2008 was definitely a banner year for travel. It’s been only a week (or was it two?) since the new year started and already, I was onboard a plane to Iloilo. A couple of more days and then I was back in Iloilo for the Dinagyang Festival. Iloilo was followed by Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Dumaguete, aside from the other land trips to Luzon provinces. And then, for the first time ever, I got to visit three countries in one year – Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Wow! When I was much younger and with really limited resources, it didn’t occur to me that I would one day be able to experience something like this. So I’m really thankful for the good career and the blessings that allowed me to do this.
2. Falling in love… with Iloilo and Singapore. The first time I set foot on Iloilo and got to see the city and the countryside, I just knew that I could live in the city. I love that it was laidback and yet still has an active city. And then, there’s Singapore. Oh man! One of my greatest fears about going to Singapore is that I would want it so badly. And that’s exactly what happened. Three days in the city, and I want to stay there already. I don’t care if others say it’s boring. I don’t care about the fines. I love the order. I love the discipline. I love that I don’t have to worry about getting mugged. Upon my return to Manila, that’s when I really felt that I am just so fed up with the chaos of Manila. Let me make that clear though. It’s just Manila that I’m so annoyed with. But the rest of the country, I still love. If an assignment ever opened in Iloilo or in some other part of the country, I wouldn’t mind trading Manila in an instant.
3. Adventures. The year has been filled with adventures, I must say. For someone who’s (almost) always on the safe side, I found myself in so many “adventurous” situations this year. There’s the whitewater rafting and the zipline adventure in Cagayan de Oro. Then there’s the conquering my claustrophobia by entering the Cu Chi Tunnel. And then I guess I’m really glad that I let go of all fears and took the trip to Kuala Lumpur all by myself. Getting lost in my own country was okay, but getting lost in another country that had a different language was different. I was a bit scared about being alone in KL, but I'm glad it went great and I couldn't help but think on the way back to SG, I was SO happy for taking the trip.
4. Getting (re)connected to people thanks to the Internet. Thanks to the Internet, I reconnected with friends from college and I was able to meet new friends as well. Through Facebook and Multiply, I got in touch once again with friends from college Len, Ella, John, Lovelynn, Christy, Dulch, to name a few. And then there’s Couchsurfing. Woohoo! Gotta thank Sharon for introducing me to Couchsurfing. The irony here though is that we’ve never gone to a CS event together. I signed up in May, but it took a couple of months before I stopped making excuses and decided to just go attend a CS meet. I was kicking myself for procrastinating. I’ve met so many interesting people through CS since and it really is just a wonderful way to expand one’s network of friends. CS really rocks!
5. Having more photos for the celebrity wall project. Okay, this not that life-changing but I can’t think of any other thing to add to this list. Hehe! But hey, having a photo with a former President, with a popular comedienne, with one of today’s hottest celebrities, with an up and coming pro bball player, and with an international band, to name a few, is enough to make any year memorable, right?
6. Good career. It’s been a pretty good year for my career as well, I think. A reshuffling of work assignment early this year paved the way for me to get involved in two things I love – the online world and community work. I would always be on a high when I am in the countryside, talking to the local community and learning about their lives. Uhm, there are sometimes when I would have my own interior conflict but a little processing always helps resolves whatever it is I’m thinking about at that moment. These are the times when I wish two friends from college were around. They almost always help me see things in another perspective. It is now that I really, really understand the need for “coaching.” But I digress. Going back, I’m really happy and thankful to be where I am right now. I enjoy what I do, and I hope I get to do more in the coming year.
7. Change in some beliefs. Because of the new environment I’m in and some recent situations I got myself into, there have been a couple of changes in the principles I believe in when it comes to a couple of things – relationships, marriage, fatherhood, career, friendship, to name a few. What’s nice about this is that these changes were brought about by conversations with people – old friends and acquaintances, young and wiser, gay and straight, and so on. Some things that I recall right now – “you don’t have to be friends with all the people you meet;” “you want people to remember what you said – say it in the beginning, say it in the middle, say it in the end;” “in an event, people won’t remember the program, but they’ll remember the food – so serve good food;” “a good host is ready to be the first to make a fool of himself.”I wanted to have 8 on my list, but I only managed to write 7 so far. Hmm, maybe more good will happen before 2008 officially ends. Haha!
What's on your list?
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