The Year that Was and the Year Ahead.

Happy New Year to one and all!

As I bid 2009 farewell and say hello to the new year, let me look back at some of the memorable experiences that happened to me for the past 12 months.

1. New Year celebration with the family -- cooked Arroz Valenciana
2. Loricer mini reunion -- a night filled with lots of laughter and reminiscing with my high school batchmates
3. Celebrating Chinese New Year with friends -- I will never forget Jan eating the taro puff!
4. Tito Bert's homecoming -- had weekly get-together with the family; celebrating his birthday and Lola Bait's birthday at Legends Restaurant
5. My 23rd birthday -- what I could only describe as the MOST AWESOME BIRTHDAY I could ever ask for! 3 separate celebrations in one week: with officemates, with family and with my barkada
6. Singing in front of a crowd -- it was one of the most unexpected things I've done ever since! Haha!
7. Kuya Rom and Mama celebrate their birthdays -- even though Kuya is in the US, we still managed to celebrate his birthday by eating at Mei Lin Chinese Restaurant. Meanwhile, Mama turned 60!
8. Mother's Day celebration at Super Bowl of China -- another memorable family gathering with the Franciscos
9. Mama and Papa's 33rd wedding anniversary -- all expenses paid date for Mama and Papa: overnight accommodations in Hotel Celeste, dinner date at David's Tea House, lunch at Amici with me and Kuya Miguel, coffee at Starbucks
10. Tita Connie, Tito Monching and Tina visit the Philippines -- bonding time with my balikbayan relatives, as well as celebrating Father's Day and my brother's birthday
11. Kuya Miguel turns 28 -- we went out to celebrate my brother's birthday and it was a real blast!
12. Bonding times with my "anak" and my "bru" -- yes! spending time with them is one that I always look forward to. Next get-together?
13. Going to Laguna, Davao and Ilocos in one month -- August was probably the most exhilarating month of the year because I got to go to lots of places. I love it, I love it, I love it!
14. Celebrating Papa's birthday -- Papa turned the big 6-0 and Mama couldn't be happier! Hehehehehe
15. Monthly get togethers with my after-work buddies -- one of the most memorable dinners we had was during Ate Det's birthday celebration! Totally hilarious!
16. Monthly family get-togethers -- the Francisco matriarch never let a moment passed by when she didn't ask me, "May boyfriend ka na ba?" Hahahahaha! I really thought she was kidding about the Christmas 2009 deadline
17. Kuya Rom's surprise homecoming -- none of us expected that my brother would be home the month of December...I swear, it's one of the best things that ever happened this year!
18. Christmas with the Franciscos -- as always, Christmas with the Francisco family is a day filled with lots of laughter, lots of food and lots of picture taking...and yes, my Lola looked for my "plus one"
19. Year-end trip to Davao -- it was a totally unexpected trip...but well worth it! Thanks to my officemate-slash-friend who invited me to go!

These are just some of the highlights of the year that passed. All the memories from these events will always be with me. And so, as the year 2010 begins, let me just share some of the things I'm looking forward to:

January: Trips to Boracay and Laguna

March or August: Trip to Davao again

April: My 24th birthday

June: My 2-year anniversary in SEAIR

December: Christmas

Once again, I greet you all...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This Month of May...

I wish this would be a happy blog entry. But unfortunately, it's really not. The fact of the matter is...this month of May is my worst month by far this year. Yes, I hate to say it -- but it's really the most depressing month I've been through. How so? Let me count the ways...

May 5-7
These three days were the most excruciating days! It was my first time to be confined in the hospital. I had vertigo, or to put it in medical terms, vestibular neuritis. It was absolutely horrific! To stay in the hospital and be so sick, it was unbearable.

May 20
It was the day my Sony Ericsson C905 got stolen as I was riding home on a bus from Makati to Pasay.

May 21
I couldn't work at all. I was still "grieving" over the loss of my SE C905. What's worse is that I got to talk to the thief who took my phone. I was practically begging for him to meet with me and give me my phone back. And he said, "Tumawag ka ulit mamaya. Pag-iisipan ko." And I did. But he never answered my calls again.

Three reasons why I really hate this month. Just three. But those were days I really broke down. *Sigh* Good thing there are things to look forward to June, such as...

• Mama and Papa's 33rd wedding anniversary
• Cousin Paolo's 24th birthday
• Alla's 23rd birthday
• Kuya Miguel's 28th birthday
• My first year anniversary at work