I've said this before, and I will say it again: 2009 is one of the BEST years for me, ever! This year has been really awesome for me, and through this survey (I also answered this on 2006 and 2007) I would like to tell you why. Ü

This year, on February 21, I attended a cosplay event with the theme Victorian Valentine.




It was my first time to attend one and I had lots of fun putting my costume together. It was also amazing to see the costumes of other cosplayers who are really passionate with this craft.

And can you believe it, this is also my first time to go to a beach with friends! My first memory of going to a beach was when I was eight years old, and I hated it! After that it was all pools for me. It all changed though, when I had a Super Summer Escape  with my college friends on April 18 - 20 :D




Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I listed my resolutions for 2009 here. I made good on the pampering and rediscovering my passion for writing parts, and thanks to Facebook I was able to get in touch with my old friends. My newly-discovered passion is the passion for watching TV shows (does it count? I think it does, seeing that I was not a fan of the TV before) and I was able to visit some places I have never been to before. I just don't think I was able to manage my finances wisely though XD

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. Dianne - one of my best girl friends since high school - gave birth to Kaylee Brent. Ü


Did anyone close to you die?
No. But I was really affected by the deaths of Francis Magalona, former President Corazon Aquino and Michael Jackson. I don't know about you, but for me, a famous person dying really brings a different perspective to life and death. The Man in Manila -  Francis M. - looked on his way to recovery from leukemia and was even set to perform at the Eraserheads' reunion concert two days after he suddenly surrendered to his sickness. The Man in the Mirror - MJ - on the other hand, was due to perform to a sold out concert. I watched This Is It! and was awed by how he can still perform at that age. He didn't look frail nor weak at those rehearsals, and then suddenly, boom, he was gone.  I had the privilege of meeting Tita Cory personally when I represented my university for the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Leadership Learning Center when I was in college and she is one of the most warm and charming  persons I have ever met. She has been battling with cancer for a couple of years befoe she died but it still came as a shock when she succumbed to her illness. I stayed in line for two hours with my friend and officemate Justin just so I can offer my respects  to her on her public viewing.  And I am a witness to the number of people who love and respect her, judging by the number of people who came.

It was shocking and disorienting, like having a rug pulled out from under you. Now, I know this sounds morbid and all, but if I suddenly die, I have a backup plan. I gave someone special to me instructions when I die to post here in my blog when and how I died. Just so you won't think I suddenly abandoned you.

What countries did you visit?
None this year. In my 19 23 years of living, I've only been to one other country and that is Singapore five years ago. It was an amazing experience and it started to open my eyes to the beauty and joys of traveling. You see, I was not a big fan of traveling before. My Singapore experience in 2004 changed me though, and now I would like to see more stamps in my passport! :)

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A credit card :D

What date from 2009 will remain in your memory, and why?
February 6. It was the day Dane and I reconciled. :)


What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Celebrating my first year of independence! And my pet dragonfins Yin and Yang not dying on me, after five other species of fishes stayed with me for only a maximum of a week. :) And  finishing my 30-Day Blog Challenge, of course! :)

What was your biggest failure?
I am happy with my job, yes, especially as I am with the best officemates a girl who's on her first job can wish for, but somehow I still feel like a failure for still not having enough courage to really go after my dreams.


Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious, just the occasional heartburn, hyper acidity, and  terrible bouts with menstrual cramps. I had a skin infection that lasted almost a year though, and it caused three ugly scars in my legs =[ Thank God the scars are fading now and the infection is gone, taking at least a fourth of my half-a-month's salary.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida's! People like him make me proud to be a Filipino. :) On a more personal level. it would have to be Dane. He certainly earned my forgiveness, friendship, trust and affections again. :)

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre. It sickens me until now how other people can have no conscience and commit this inhumane act.

What songs will remind you of 2009?

What do you wish you'd done more?
Meet-ups with friends. I miss them! I am happy though because this year I was able to get together with the following people after months/ years of not seeing them:




Joner, my flamboyantly gay friend from college, also made his presence felt by forcing himself unto Dane and me when we watched Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. He also attended our Family Day at the office. :D

Life is short! So to all of my friends I don't see anymore, we should meet up again soon! :D

What do you wish you'd done less of?
I wish I did not spend too many lazy afternoons just lounging around the apartment or sitting in my lazy ass  just surfing the web and abusing my unlimited Internet.

What was your favorite tv program?
Oooh I had lots! This year is the year I watched the full six seasons of Sex and the City and also the year I discovered awesome shows How I Met Your Mother and Glee! Of course, oldies but goodies Survivor (Tocantins and Samoa were shown this year), American Idol and Ugly Betty also belong in the list of my favorite shows. :)

What was the best book you read?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I also liked Para Kay B. by Ricky Lee, 12 by Manix Abrera, and the Every Girl's Guide series by Marla Miniano.

What did you want and get?
A netbook! I got one in white, and I named her Lady Fabrize. If you are a new reader,  let me introduce her to you. Click here. :)

What things did you like?

Gladiator sandals. Curls. Facebook apps, most especially Pet Society. Nail art. Lucky Me Mac & Cheez. DVDs. Mineral makeup.

What was your favorite film of the year?
500 Days of Summer. I am seriously in love with this movie. My review (and a little bit more) can be found here. My next favorite is Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.


What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I celebrated my 19th 23rd birthday this year! I had a Pink Positive Party (I looove alliterations) in our old apartment attended by awesome people.

This is what I wore for my birthday soiree :)

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I think I will keep my answer to this question a secret. :)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?


What kept you sane?
Blogging! And my friends, who are always there for me no matter how insane I get. :)

What political issue stirred you the most?
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announcing she will run in Pampanga. Political analysts stipulated that through this way she can finally rally for the change in Constitution and take the position of  a Prime Minister. How greedy for power and money can you get? Enough with the megalomania already!!


Who did you miss?
My ex-boyfriend Athan. We used to be really good friends.

Who was the best person you met?
I met lots of awesome people in the blogosphere this year, and I am grateful I did! I met Ms Mariel, Marj, Jessica, Nikolett, Kym, Manju, Shirley, Rick, Tiara, Nashe^, Abby, Annie Marie, Leah, and a lot of other bloggers who made my blogging life more colorful. I want to take this opportunity to present to you this:


I know most of you have already received this award as well but I still want to present my token of appreciation. This was given to me by the sweetest Andhari (who I met last year). I would also want to give her the award as well. And to Meream. Thank you all, for sharing your stories with me. ♥♥

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
This is an excerpt from the blog post I wrote when Dane and I reconciled:



The most touching experience you've had this year?
Seeing the Filipinos help one another during the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy. :)

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
This is not a song lyric, but a quote.


I have always loved this quote ever since I received it via text from my good friend Ed.  You may notice that the text has stayed in my sidebar for more than a year now. Last month, notebookdoodles gave the followers of her blog a chance to have their very own quote transformed into a doodle. I have always been fascinated by her talent  so I jumped at the chance, and here is my quote transformed into a notebook doodle. :) You may see the rest of the 99 other doodles here. 

Was 2009 a good year for you?
YES! It is one of the best years for me. :)


What was your favorite moment of the year?
Oh gosh, this is tough as I have lots!

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
During the Typhoon Ondoy. We were stuck in the office and were required to take calls until 8:30 in the evening (our shift starts at 6am and ends at 3pm) because the people for the night shift were not able to go to work. But that's nothing as compared to what other people went through. Lives, houses and properties were lost. It was a terrible disaster for us Filipinos and it is something I wish will never happen again. But if anything, this catastrophe only proved that we are a resilient and nothing can bring us down.

Where were you when 2009 began? Who were you with?
My whole family and I were in my grandparents' house as per our tradition. I had work the next day so what I did was I slept the whole afternoon and then woke up at 10pm - just in time for Media Noche and fireworks. :) And then, after work on January 1, my friends/ officemates and I went to Ruther's house in the island of Babatnin, Bulacan for a spontaneous road trip. :)

Where will you be when 2009 ends? Who will you be with?
The same as how 2008 ended. With my family. :) See my answer above this question. :)


Do you have a new year's resolution for 2010?
This deserves another blog entry. :)

What was your favorite month of 2009?

Can I have three? April, May and November. :)

Did you lose anyone close to you in 2009?

No.

How many concerts did you see in 2009?

Two and a half. I saw  


Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2009?

One of the reasons why 2009 is a milestone year for me is because it is the first time I got drunk. Yep, I'm goody two-shoes in that I don't drink and I don't smoke. But I wanted to know how it feels to get drunk so on February 24 I invited my friends/ teammates to share this experience with me.

After 7 shots of Red Horse Beer...


You may lose all respect for me after seeing that photo. Can't say I blame you :D


Did anything you are ashamed of this year?
I can't remember anything I did I should be ashamed of. I have been a good girl all year. :)

How much money did you spend in 2009?
I don't even want to know XD


If you could go back in time to change one moment in 2009 what would it be?
I don't think I would want to change anything. I have a No Regrets policy 'round here. :)


What are your plans for 2010?
This deserves another blog entry. But in a gist, I want to be more healthy, more financially-savvy, and finally pursue my dreams of being a writer. :)

What are your wishes for the new year?

Good health, good life, spontaneity, laughter and MORE memories and experiences. :)

Feel free to answer the survey as well! ♥♥

How was your Christmas?

I spent mine stuffing myself with delicious food and spending quality time with my family and officemates. I abandoned the apartment for quite a while to go to my parents' house after work everyday and today is just my second night back. My housemate Asther is enjoying a long holiday weekend at her hometown in Laguna so I am stuck here alone with my fishes Yin and Yang. I don't feel lonely though. I spent my free time lounging around and watching DVDs of How I Met Your Mother. I just love Barney :D

Because I am a loser and my rest days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Christmas fell on a Friday this year, I spent half my Christmas at work.

this is what I wore to work on Christmas day

Looking at the bright side, I work only until 3PM so I still have more than enough time to go home and spend half-a-Christmas with my family. Besides, can you hear ka-ching? Double pay baby :D I wasn't able to attend the annual family reunion though, and that sucks a bit. But I spent the day with my immediate family and closest friends at the office, so all in all it was quite a happy day for me despite the inconvenience of having to go to work.

On other news, my college classmates are brewing some plans to go out of town on Wednesday and I'm psyched-excited! :D

So, how was your Christmas? I sure hope it was lovelier than mine!

PS: I can't believe 2010 is almost here! I hope you are all enjoying your holidays! :)

I'm just taking a quick moment from the Holi-daze to say a prayer for all of us

This Christmas, may we celebrate with open, generous and kind hearts

And keep in mind that happiness is in giving

That Christmas is not just for kids who wait for Santa Claus year after year

That Christmas is also for us adults, who may not want to admit it all the time, but still believe in its magic.
Amidst the merry-making and abundance of food, 
may we not get lost in the flurry of festivities.
May we remember the Baby who was born in a manger,
and His purpose in doing so.

I wish you and your family a blessed and bountiful Christmas!

May we not forget the reason why we celebrate it.

♥♥

 

I believe in giving one's self a reward after a good deed or after achieving something. My room in my parents' house and my nook in the apartment are "cluttered" with stuff I have rewarded myself through the months and years. It may be a small thing like a new tube of lipgloss, a book or DVD, or something a little bit more expensive like a new dress or a new pair of shoes. The point is, I am all for giving myself gifts. There's just something inherently satisfying when you practice your purchasing power and get something you don't really need need (as it's not really one of the basic necessities of life), don't you agree?

But when other people give me gifts, now that's something that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It just goes to show that they took the time to figure out what they think I would like, or basically give me something they know I would appreciate. And I think I may be one of the best recipients for gifts ever because I appreciate everything! It just makes me feel special, knowing that they thought of me. :)

A week ago, Marj (who is one of the kindest and sweetest persons I have ever met in the blogosphere) e-mailed me to ask for my mailing address. She sent me this:

with a sweet note from her and her daughter Nia :)

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I appreciated the fact that this is actually her own copy. I felt so honored that she has given me something that belonged to her. I mean, I cannot part with my own books, even those which were not really my favorites, but here she is, giving me her copy of one of her favorite books! She is so sweet! That, and the fact that she was seatmates(!) with my biggest local celebrity crush-ever Chito Miranda back in college makes her sooo amazing! :D

On to the next story. Last Sunday our team had our Christmas party at Mich's house. Everyone was there! Even MO Meydy came. :) It was an awesome day filled with food, festivities, laughter, songs, and good cheer. I love my teammates and I couldn't have asked for better people to share my first job with. :)

Asther, our direct supervisor TL Jimmy, me, and Mich

me in my F21 dress, Asther, Sasha

Frank, me, Watcher

So, we had our Secret Santa right? I picked Frank's name from the lot and I gave him a pair of boxer shorts and a bottle of Body Spray. :) And who picked my name?

It was Dane. :) (Read our story here if you haven't yet.) I was actually sweetly asking badgering him to tell me who he picked (since I already told him who I picked and I even asked for his help to pick out a gift for Frank) but the guy was tough and did not budge! Come to think of it, he told me once he picked my name but I didn't know whether to believe him or not because two other people are telling me the same thing. :D

So, what did he give me?

Ü

A very pretty white bag from Marithe Francois Girbaud :)

This is big enough to house all my essentials, and can even fit Lady Fabrize, my white netbook!

I must admit, I was very pleasantly surprised because I didn't know he picked my name, and besides he told me that he will give me a DVD of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. More so, the budget for our Secret Santa was only 300php! I do not know the exact cost of this, but it is nowhere near that price limit :D Now, guess what, all our other teammates are lobbying for another Secret Santa and this time, they want their names to be picked by Dane! What a funny bunch! :D

And last but not the least, today I got my package from Tiara! She was assigned by Mel to give me a present for our Blogger Gifts Exchange Program. :)

 This came all the way from Indonesia!

 Girl, you've got my favorite color down pat! :D

The package contains 2 pretty scarves, with one having a detachable floral clip and two beaded necklaces I can also wind around my wrist. Thank you so much, Tiara! :)

I was assigned to send a present to the girl in stiletto, Arlizan, and she has already received my package as well. :) Such a shame they did not let me include the facial masks and the bottle of nail polish (it was a very lovely blue shade, very much like your banner) because creams and liquids were apparently not allowed. The goodies travelled from the Philippines all the way to Dublin, Ireland. Technology is such a wonderful thing, don't you think so? I am so thankful to the blog gods for letting me meet all these wonderful, awesome people I wouldn't have met otherwise. :)

I have also done my part, making like one of Santa's elves and preparing gifts for my friends and family. And, I have already mailed these out last week

Christmas cheer from Krissy!

My friends here in the Philippines have already received them, great! :D I hope they do not get too caught up in the holiday rush... If they do, I guess that's fine anyway so people who requested for them will have something to look forward to even after Christmas :D

So, that's all for now I guess. Thank you for thinking of me this holiday season. :) I hope you all celebrate a wonderful and meaningful Christmas, and may we not forget the reason why we celebrate it. :)

Last Friday after work Dane and I went to SM Fairview to get a gift for our Secret Santa for our team's Christmas party. The mall was packed! There were so many people rushing to get gifts for their family, friends and godchildren :D Anyway, I got what I wanted to get, so we went back to my apartment.

On normal days, I would just have lounged at the apartment, maybe watch a DVD or read a book, and then go to sleep since I have work the next day. But that night was HSBC's Center Stage night and I really wanted to go! Good thing my flatmate Asther is at the apartment as well so she went with Dane and me back to the office to watch and support our former housemate Ruther. :)

Center Stage is a talent search and Ruther was part of the singing contest. We met with Mich at the office, and we agreed to just watch Ruther's performance and then go home already (because of the inconvenience of work the next day) but we ended up watching the full show anyway because he was the last to perform :D

There he is, owning the stage!

He is a very, very good singer and was part of a theater group in his hometown, Bulacan. My favorite is when he sings Ewan McGregor's part in his and Nicole Kidman's Come What May from the movie Moulin Rouge! For that night though, his piece was Take Me Out of the Dark by Filipino singer Gary Valenciano, and guess what, HE WON! I am so proud of him! :)

After the contest, Dane was supposed to drop us off to Philcoa so Asther, Mich and I can just take a cab home but we were still full of adrenaline from Ruther's winning that we did not want to go home just yet. They were confident because it was their rest day the next day and it is only me who had to go to work, but I said, screw work and just went with the flow :D

So, where did the night take us?

To McDonald's, where we feasted on french fries and sundaes layered with hot fudge and Oreos. Yum!

Asther and Mich

Dane and Krissy

Dane doesn't want to have his photo taken...

... but I can be sssneaky!

Dane drove the three of us back to the apartment since Mich decided to just stay for the night and then hear the morning Mass with Ar at 4am. I asked them to wake me up before they leave (which should be at about 3:45am) so that my mind would already be awake by 4am. Guess what, I woke up at 4:30am and they were still sleeping! XD

Singing, winning, sundae-ing, and driving past 10pm. I daresay it was an awesome last Friday before Christmas. :)

Noticed anything new around here lately? This post is way overdue XD I got too caught up in the holiday rush! No one's complaining though, because I love Christmas and it's my favorite season of the year! :D

Anyway, look up to see what my BEST guy friend Jerome did for my blog! Yep, a new banner! Do you like it? I know I do!

I have been badgering him for one for so long to no avail, so imagine my surprise when he e-mailed me this banner last Thursday. It took him only a day since he is not too busy at the office :) He said the girl is a caricature of me. It's too cute how she also has glasses, dimples, pink lips, and is even holding a pen for good measure. Sexy too, don't you think? And that pink kissmark on her left shoulder is just too adorable :D

Jerome is now working as a web designer for  Union Bank. He has been drawing and sketching since we were young (he drew all the Yuyu Hakusho characters for me when we were in high school)  so I am happy that he landed a job he loves. He is also an ace badminton player and has won several tournaments already. And, get this, he and his twin brother Jonas are endorsers of Babolat. Do I sound like a very proud stagemom? LOL!

Thanks Jer! You really are the awesome-st! :)

For his other works, please visit his Deviant Art account ;)

Eight days before Christmas! Wow, can you believe that? The days are a-zooming and I am not  yet completely done with my Christmas shopping! Every year around this time I complain and swear I will start doing my Christmas shopping early next year so I won't be beaten by the holiday rush, but I guess I never learn :D My social calendar is full with plans to see friends and relatives and I looove it :)

It's a time when people's pockets are looser; perfect time for giving and sharing as the spirit of the season leaves us feeling warm and fuzzy all over. I am a pink and fabulous girl who loves receiving gifts as much as I love giving them, and this blog post is dedicated to just that, a list of stuff I would love to get not just this Christmas but for the coming year. So yeah, it's my Wish List: 2010 Edition. If friends and family won't give them to me I am sure I will still get them, thanks to my willpower when wanting anything. As Paulo Coelho very wisely said on my favorite book of his The Alchemist, "When you really want something, the universe conspires in helping you achieve it." So hey universe, I know I am just a little speck as compared to your vastness, grandeur and ineffability, but I would greatly appreciate it if you conspire with your, umm, conspirators in getting me these this coming year (I love that the universe sounds so badass when you think of him/ her conspiring with others :D):

I have worn eyeglasses since I was in second grade (eight years old). Can you believe that? I am my high school batch's geekest. There is only another one from my Elementary class who wore eyeglasses that time, and he's not wearing them now anymore x_x 

I would like to play with eyeshadow and other whatnots, even try those fancy contact lens just for fun but I cannot see without my trusted pink eyeglasses. I wanted to try graded contact lens for the longest time, but they're so expensive (because of the added cost due to my astigmatism. Thank you, genes.) and I'm afraid I'd just lose them. Besides, I am squeamish about putting strange foreign objects on my eyes. Eek. But this coming year, I am going to conquer my fear. Please pray that I might have the courage. :D

Our Casio Exilim I-forgot-what-the-exact-model-is conked out on us this year, and I was forced to blog using photos taken by my phone Alister's 2mp lens. Alister takes decent photos but I want clearer ones. I can't wait to lug around a pink camera. Or a white one, so she can go well with my white netbook Lady Fabrize.

Ah, the pink phone conspiracy. I have had two pink phones before and you really cannot deny their cuteness factor. Or come to think of it. a white phone will also do, so she can also go well with Lady Fabrize. Yes, I am a lady who likes matchy-matchy stuff.

I love Alister (who houses my Globe SIM) and my other-phone-who-doesn't-have-a-name (who houses my Sun SIM) but I have had him for a year now. Plus, him not being wifi-enabled makes him look ancient. Sorry Alister. But I will still keep you and won't ditch you even when I get a new one. Because I love you like that and you have served me well. :)

Yes, the dilemma I posted here has been solved. I have decided I really want a digiperm.

Now if only I have the cash already I will have this treatment right now, but with the status of my finances right now, I guess I would have to wait for a bit more. x_x I wish I can have it before HSBC's Holiday Party! x_x

Because you can almost hear my personal computer's internal hard drive weep with the weight he carries. I'd like to get an external hard drive so I can back up my files, plus have room for other stuff I'd like to download thanks to the wonderful world wide web. Plus points if it looks girly. :)

I know it would signal the end of a debt-free life as I know it. But I would very much like to have a credit card just so I can have a Paypal account and finally order stuff from etsy sites I want to buy stuff from! x_x I know I don't really need them... But you can't justify wants so I won't even try. :)

I may not know how to draw to save my life and I can't even doodle, but I know talent when I see it. And this, you can't deny there is some potential in here folks.

I made these manually (using just the brush included with the nail polish). I also designed some hearts before on my nails, and flowers on my friend/ officemate Sasha's, too bad I don't have photos of them. Just think how many other designs I can make with nail art pens. :D

A Chanel sounds great, but unattainable at the moment.

There's just something sexy and ultra-feminine about it. I like!

I love collectiing original DVDs of my favorite movies and I already have quite an impressive collection. But why, oh why, does my top favorite have to be so elusive?

Have you seen this? If not, I would highly recommend it. Sigh. Beautiful, beautiful film. Just. Beautiful. I have searched high and low for a copy of it but video stores here are already out of copies. I have the original VCD and my bestfriend Jerome has already downloaded a copy of it for me but I still want the original DVD, with the features, commentary and all. So far the only store I saw this in stock is Amazon.com. And that, my friends, is the reason why I NEED a credit card.

I am absolutely in love with this movie. I have seen it seven times already but I never fail to cry at my favorite scenes. Read my review here! The DVD comes out on December 22. This is attainable! :D

So, that's all for now. Wow, that's a pretty short list as compared to some wish lists I have done in the past. I guess I will update this post from time to time, and will update you on the status of my "attaining" these as the universe conspires with his/ her conspirators. Will post a link on the top link bar. :)

So, *coughcoughwinkwinkhinthintnudgenudge* Happy 8 Days Before Christmas, everyone! ♥♥