WANTED: prayers

When I was old enough to realize that my parents' wedding anniversary is as old as me, I vowed to myself that I will give them something outrageous on their 25th year (I thought I'd be shitting money by the time I'm 25). I wanted to prepare a proper wedding for them, because back in 1983, the only wedding they had consisted of four people: my parents, my lola, and the priest (five actually, I think I was already a tiny speck of something by that time. haha!). That had been my greatest dream as a child, and I haven't talked about that idea to anyone until, well, now.

Fast forward to 24 years and 362 days or so (not counting leap years and such, do the math if you care), and my folks' silver anniversary dangerously looms ahead. And nope, sad to say but my dreams of shitting money did not make it anywhere near reality, so no wedding there. But that isn't really where the problem lies. For the past 7 or so years that he has been abroad, Papa has been routinely going home every December and goes back to work at the end of January - in time for the holidays and more importantly, their wedding anniversary. But of all the years he could've not gone home, he does so now because of some stupid balbas-sarado Arabo slacker who still hasn't fixed his papers so my old man can properly exit and re-enter his point of origin.

It's ok that he missed Christmas and New Year with us, but I'm thisclose to freaking out if he still doesn't make it to his and my mom's anniversary. And this is where I ask plead - nay, beg on bended knees - anyone who reads this to include my parents, my dad in particular, in your prayers that he makes it home in three days' time. What's left of my hope is slowly easing through the cracks, but until 11:59PM strikes on January 20, I'm holding on to a knife that li'l old Pops hopefully wishfully miraculously steps out of NAIA and into my mom's open arms with annoyingly loud ngalngal while looking up to the heavens and have those ridiculous cheesy reunions you will only see in a low-budget government-sponsored ad for OFWs. If not, I'm pretty sure God will explain the reason when we meet, and give me an earful on my Judgment Day for personally hunting down and beheading said Arabo who refuses to move his ass and bring my daddy-O back home.

R.I.P. 2007

2007 was my year of a LOT of rollercoaster emotions, and i'm not even talking about the romantic type. i just felt like there were a lot of things i wished i'd done better: at work, in life... which is really sad considering that i was looking forward to 2007 because it was supposed to be "my year". but hey, it's over, and i can finally breathe a sigh of relief and just look forward to 2008 with fingers crossed ;)

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Go abroad! My first time to travel to a different country, with my highschool bud Mars!

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I've actually stopped making resolutions, since i'm really bad at keeping them. I'm basically bad at keeping anything I promise to myself, so there.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yep, my cousin's wife. Miguel/Turtle was a really pleasant gift to all of us this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My dad's cousin, Tito Amon, a few days before Xmas. We weren't close, but I'd always seen him at every family reunion.

5. What countries did you visit?
Thailand. And hopefully more this year! Yeaaahhhh I think I know where my savings will go in 2008

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Beach trips. I didn't have any in 2007 *insert shock*, and I'm honestly not liking my un-tanned, un-beach/sunkissed color :/

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
07.07.07. I've been looking forward to this date for YEARS, and well... let's just say things took a different turn for me on that date, and the days after that.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
There were some challenges that I really thought would kill me, but I managed to pull through... And some that just downright made me wish I were dead. Haha! Just being able to live through those experiences, I guess.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being strong enough in some moments, being weak and letting my emotions take the better of me

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh yeah! My first surgery and hospital confinement, too.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets to Bangkok ;)

12. Where did most of your money go?
The good thing about my 2007 was that I sort of swore I'd save up. After my trip, I was actually able to swear off shopping

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Hmm, again I'd say Bangkok. Although it was met with a LOT of apprehensions and doubts at first.

14. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I really made strangers with the radio, so I've been SOOOO outdated when it comes to music. But one song that made it to loop in my player was Over It by Katharine McPhee.

15. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Met up with old friends.

16. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Having unpredictable mood swings, basically being Grumpy incarnate

17. How did you spend Christmas?
Slept. Had sardinas and tuyo for lunch. Not kidding. It wasn't such a big deal at home this year, and no one's really complaining.

18. At any point in this past year did you do something that you consider to be completely out of your usual character?
None naman.

19. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Oh my goodness... if I said I fell in love with Japanese boys who sing and dance in cheesy boybands, and a fictional vampire character, will those count?

20. What was your favourite new TV program?
Hands down, GOSSIP GIRL!! - same here, My! ;)

21. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I decided to stop seeing and speaking to certain people this year. For good.

22. What was the best book you’ve read this year?
Oh boy, I loved 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez... but I loved Twilight more (AAAAAHHHHH I LOOOOOOVE EDWARD CULLEN!!!) I have yet to finish the rest of the Twilight series, and I'm blaming Myra for this new-found obsession in fictional Gaspard Ulliel-looking vampires!

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
J-pop. *a whole LOT of dorkiness alert* Hey, I've gone beyond the Jap boybands I squeal over like a high school girl adore, I actually find the whole J-pop thing interesting... I found a few other Japanese artists with really nice songs ;)

24. What did you want and get?
An unforgettable "first" major trip

25. What did you want and not get?
A million dollars? haha

26. What was your favourite film of this year?
Transformers!

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 24, and I had dinner with my family

28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A worry-free mind hehe

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
A bit of the jeans-sneakers, a bit of the babydoll dresses-flipflops type.

30. What kept you sane?
My fangirling... seriously!

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Err... Matsumoto Jun and Ueda Tatsuya... Akanishi Jin, Kamenashi Kazuya... All of Arashi and KAT-TUN actually ;) (HAHAHAHA OH GOSH MAJOR DORKFEST!!!) And of course, Edison Chen will forever top my list.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
None. Couldn't care less about the whole political brouhaha

33. Who was the best new person you met?
Miguel! It's unbelievable how he can brighten up my day with his very existence

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Whatever life throws at you, no matter how insanely difficult and harsh, you CAN get through them with a LOT of prayers and determination ;)

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"You were born from the wreckage of your silent reverie" - Angel, Sarah McLachlan