2007: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

The Good:

1. finally resigned from my (previous) job
2. got a new (and better) job
3. moved to the city
4. got good housemates
5. hubby got a promotion
6. discovered some really nice people at w@w-sg
7. got our Nikkon D40 (our baby)
8. my sister finishes her school
9. my other sister has a more peaceful family life
10. blogging world and blogger friends (click here)
11. more of my friends getting married (or some of them at least/finally getting a love life!)
12. new haircut
13. still surving my buhaySG

The Bad:

1. wasn't able to go back to Manila this year
2. discovered there were really some people stabbing my back
3. moved out of a flat that we really really loved
4. being far from Nana
5. Philippine economy still developing at a slow pace
6. bills, bills and more bills!

The Ugly:

1. our previous flat-owner lying to us
2. office politics
3. my rollercoaster relationship with certain people
4. no major holiday vacation this year
5. countless false alarms
6. major weight gain hehe

Hmm.. not bad, after all. I was kind of afraid to make this list because I might discover that the The Bad would outnumber The Good. Frankly speaking, this year wasn't the best year for me. This year was a real test for me–a test of patience, integrity and survival skills. If I was able to survive this year, then I'm sure the subsequent years will be easier. Like the overused cliche goes: If it doesn't kill you, it will only make you stronger.

I just hope, pray and will work my freaking ass out that things will be better and brighter this 2008.

Testing…testing…

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007

CLICK on the photo to see the rest…The week we bought her, it was raining non-stop! Excited pa naman kami to go around and test our little baby. So our first shots were taken at home…

 

Then last Thursday, it was Hari Raya Raji so it was a Public Holiday. Kendz and I headed to Orchard to take some photos (playtime ni Nikki and Eos). I'll post some of those pics next time. Meanwhile, let me share lang our first few shots using baby Nikki. Hopefully, I resized it low enough for faster loading.

 

Singapore’s Countdown to 2008

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007

I am still stuffed with all the noche buena food I ate last night! Whew! I will post photos next time…

Now I'm thinking: Where should I spend my new year countdown this year? In my almost four-year stay here in Singapore, I have developed an alternating pattern of spending the holidays in Manila and here. There is the ever-present theory that the countdown fever only lasts for two minutes here, as compared to other cities in the world where the celebration fever can last til the wee hours of the morning. Well, those on the SG clubbing scene is exempted from this theory, of course.

So here's a rundown of my choices for the 2008 countdown. How about you, where will you be as you welcome the year 2008?

Read on, guys… and for more updates on SG nightlife, do visit e.clubbing.com ! CHEERS! TAGAY!

CLARKE QUAY: COUNTDOWN THROUGH THE MUSICAL LANES

Come experience this year's hottest countdown party at Clark Quay hosted by Najib Ali. 5 streets covering Clarke Quay will be converted to party-lanes each with its own music genre: pop, soul, world, latin and hip-hop.

10pm till late. Admission is free.

CHIJMES: DISCO COUNTDOWN PARTY TO 2008

The Most Anticipated Chijmes Countdown Beckons! Dance the night away as you soak in the energy and excitement. Be there, be seen, be at Chijmes - Celebrating Life, as we revel in the New Year with live latin jazz performances.

10pm till Late, Chijmes Lawn. Admission is free. (more…)

Few days before Christmas

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

 Now that I’ve accepted the fact that only a miracle can make me fly over to Manila to spend my Christmas with my family, I get this sickening feeling in my stomach everytime I go to Orchard Road. Standing amidst people doing their holiday shopping makes me even more lonely. The lowest of all lows would be today, when I was walking along the pedestrian tunnel of Scotts Road. There was a string quartet playing Christmas carols! And though they are English songs and not the ever famous Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit, I still felt so homesick! In a movie-like trance, the ghost of Christmas Past appeared before me, making me remember those Christmas activities when I was still back home.

 

 

… attending endless Christmas parties… gift-giving AND gift-cramming… tiangge, tiangge and more tiangges (Greenhills, BF Ruins, Alabang, etc)… setting up your home’s Christmas tree (in our family’s case, we would have a Belen too)… going to a friend’s place after noche buena to drink the night away… wish lists sa office… exchange gifts and monito-monitas… office christmas parties, sometime with matching dance or song presentation hahaha…

Over the past years, I (unintentionally) alternated spending the holidays here and in Manila. One time, my flight was Christmas day itself. It was such a nice feeling to be going home on Christmas day! For us Pinoys, Christmas means coming home and being with your family, celebrating inspite of life’s hardships.

Here, they also have their gift-giving. Actually, sometimes it seems that it’s all what Christmas is supposed to be for them. Sometimes I wonder if they know that Christmas is the day we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, that it’s not only the “holiday of Christians”. Even non-Catholics here practice the tradition of gift-giving, which I find amusing and thoughtful at the same time. And the most common gift is… chocolates!!! And yes, they do have their own version of “Simbang Gabi”. Most Cathollic churches here, especially those that are frequented by Pinoys, have mass starting on the 15th of December at 8pm. The sad part is, we have work on the 24th of December. Luckily, I get to work only half-day on Christmas Eve. Unlike back home, we start preparing for Christmas Eve dinner as early as the 23rd.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas, y’all!!!