… when all your dreams come true.
So said Galinda - renamed Glinda the Good - of the Broadway musical WICKED, for which I flew all the way to Singapore just to watch, and I’ll do again in a heartbeat. I’ve been writing about this musical since the time I first listened to the Original Broadway Casr recording. It’s my favorite musical (obviously) together with Les Miserables. I didn’t think I’ll have the chance to acually watch it live this soon, but hey no complaints here. My bestfriend, who lives in Singapore and has had a couple of Veterinarian Jobs there since 2006 came with me and my sister, and it’s simply just one of the best nights I’ve ever had in a long while. It’s oe thing to watch an excellent show - quite magical in fact; it’s another thing not to be disappointed a about something you’ve been dreaming about. I had the greatest time!
Can you believe that January is almost over? Yeah, if everyone gets a peso for hearing that – about any month of the year, we’ll all be a few hundred pesos richer methinks. I purchased my tickets for Wicked - Singapore last August. Back then I thought I have so much time to prepare for everything I need for the trip, not the least of which is to be all vain and make sure that I lose some weight so I can fit into some nice dress for the show. Well, we’ll be flying next week and I still haven’t got something to wear. (And, yes, it’s because I can’t fit into those pretty things I see at the mall.) My point is, time flies so fast. But we already know that.
Now I’m just excited for the remaining 11 months of 2012. I’ve been keeping 2 weekly planners - despite the fact that I manage to fill them in with details but not exactly follow my own shedule religously. I guess I’ll have to take it week by week. My only hope is to be more productive this year than I was the last one, and not exactly about work. So far, I’ve managed to shake things up a little so I’m happy about being able to get the ball rolling, so to speak. I’ve been pushing myself to go out of the house - my home office - a lot more often than I did in the past 14 months. Now if only I can work at our apartment’s rooftop space with outdoor wireless speakers blasting music from my unit. But I guess my neighbors wouldn’t be happy about it.
Just two days left and that’s it for twenty eleven. Goodness, where did the time go? Earlier this week, I actually had to stop whatever it is I was doing just to check how old I actually am this year and how old I’m going to be next year. ‘Coz, you know, these days when people call me “Ma’am,” I was hoping it is because I look respectable and not because I look old. Vanity, what else can I tell you?
So I presume we’re all looking ahead at the new year thinking of how we can improve on this year’s turnout. Personally, I’m hoping to have a different kind of year - one with a better variety and one where I can make use of the relative freedom with time that I have to incorporate more fun - and better work scheduling, not necessarily less work - into my life. Preferably without having to spend a lot lest I’ll be needing some debt advice by the end of next year.
Here’s to a very good 2012 for all of us. Happy New Year!
When I heard my aunt say that she was very disappointed that she bought my cousin this rather expensive keyboard only for him not to appreciate it, and not even make a good effort to learn how to play it, I suddenly remembered how when I was a teenager, my parents did buy similar keyboard for me and my siblings and asked a family friend to teach us how to play. But we practiced in their house, on a real piano, and though I was intent on learning and have the desire to really be good at it myself, I later accepted it that my time to acquire that skill has gone. So I moved on to wanting to learn how to play the guitar, which is something I really thought I can improve on in time. I must’ve bought three guitars - passed on to cousins and my brother - but I never got past playing the simplest chords. And now my sister, who rather reflects my interests and (pathetic) skill in this area - wants a ukulele because she thinks maybe since it’s so small, it’ll be easier to be efficient at. I’m not yet convinced. but one of these days, I may find myself buying one of those cute little things that make cute little sounds.
If you’re not yet watching this new show (ABC, US), then I’m telling you, you should. Well, only if you want to (*wink*). There have been just 5 episodes thus far, but this is fast becoming one of my favorites. Sure, I have a lot of “favorite” TV shows these days, but only few I watch every episode more than ONCE (pun intended).
Ok, in brief, a bunch of (actually a whole town of ‘em) fairy tale characters are being trapped in our world (Storybrooke, Maine, to be exact) unknowingly. There, time is frozen and their memories of their real identities are seemingly wiped. They can’t leave town, or something bad will happen. Even with the best best trucking gps, they can’t go past the town’s border. That is until their savior – the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming – comes to break the curse. Although, of course, she doesn’t really believe there is a curse in the first place, much more so her role in all of that.
If you need any more prodding, it’s from the writers of LOST. (In truth, though, I didn’t follow LOST religiously, but I know a lot of people did.)
Even with the popularity of the Philippine Azkals, I never really got into the sport. I’m all about tennis. But then my sister decided to open the TV to watch this game against the LA Galaxy, and who am I to resist the charms of David Beckham? He’s no Roger Federer, that’s for sure, but he’s David freaking Beckham!
Oh, right, I’m supposed to be cheering for the Azkals. Phil Younghusband scores! I’m actually enjoying this. Even with my limited understanding of the sport, I think they’re giving an exciting game. I’m even cheering like I’m watching a Federer-Nadal match. For the Azkals, of course. Now they’re talking about fitness. Sure way to make me think about weight loss pills, errr I mean seriously going back to the gym and playing badminton again. Well, I’m saving those for my New Year’s resolutions.
It’s that time of the year again when Starbucks afficionados drink up, probably more than they usually consume, coffee just to collect those stickers that will make you eligible for a free planner. Admittedly, I rarely go to Starbucks. Not that I don’t love their drinks, but the closest one to my home is still a jeepney ride, a pedestrian overpass, and a mall walkway away, so I figure it won’t hurt to be contented with my 3-in-1 sachet packs.
For the past 2 years, I’ve bought those planners over at Ebay, just because I thought they look cute. Not surprisingly, by the end of both 2010 and 2011, there are still plenty of pages to fill. But it’s a calendar planner, see, so it kinda defeats the purpose. Anyway, this year, just for the fun of it, I decided that I will collect stickers and buy myself some of those holiday drinks they have. Even if I have to go out late at night to order and then take my coffee home to drink while relaxing in teddies lingerie, waiting for sleep to come by. Let’s see if I can collect enough before time – and stocks – run out. *Fingers crossed* because by now I want to keep getting myself a planner each year.
I’m listening to Pink’s song Glitter in the Air, so I made a little “game” where I wrote down questions to myself that starts with “Have You Ever…?” Well, I’m too lazy to write them again here, but you sure know how it feels to wonder about the things that you have not done, ever. You probably have your own bucket lists and maybe even lists of things you not necessarily dream about doing but just seem so much fun, interesting, or “curious” when you see or heard of other people doing them. Like taking rv loans and living literally from place to place. I don’t really know any person who lives like that, at least one is not rooted enough to actually spend short amounts of time in one place before moving on to another. Well, I have never thought about trying that one. Maybe because I was lucky enough to be able to settle comfortably in the two places I’ve ever lived in other than my original hometown. Who knows if I’ll have a third in the future, but I’m quite confident I won’t be able to reach a number later than 5.
I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but I guess what I am about to write will have to do, no matter how it turn out sounding. I did something I didn’t want to do today. Make it, I did two things I didn’t want to do today. For both, I could have done something different, but I thought I did let my better judgment decide for one and allowed my inner coward to come through in the other. It was like I am this awful person pretending to be good and then acting merely confused.
I have been trying to sidestep one aspect of my life because I couldn’t let it go without hurting people I love. See? The drama. My drama, though, because I’m quite confident not too many people share my predicament. Just to give it some perspective, this has to do with religion. I have chosen to keep mum about it, and I still will here, because though I’m writing this I still have no intention of proclaiming any particular belief system, old or new or forgotten.
I just had a thought today that my view on religion is going to be something that I will have to carry around like a stake through the heart for the rest of my life, no matter how I eventually will face my issues. I wish I can write about it at length, but this is not the time nor the place to do it. I attended a Sunday meeting today - after years of “hiding” - because of a request I couldn’t ignore, and while at it I was trying not to get flooded by all things that used to make me feel so choked by. And yet, I wouldn’t deny that I also felt that I was in a safe place - like an old home that will welcome me back in a heartbeat, with wide open arms - if only I can be less of the person that I am in fact. Which is why I left the proceedings without saying hello to my old friends, despite feeling both the need and the want to do it. I didn’t think that it would be a happy homecoming if I couldn’t tell them that I was there to stay. In that world, at least to me, it has always been an all-or-nothing thing. I can only regret that I am, it seems, not selfless enough. I am too “worldly,” it would appear, despite my strict “spiritual” upbringing. If only this is something that can be remedied by taking something - Bioidentical hormone therapy austin?
For now I’ll say I’m giving up on trying to be someone who doesn’t collapse over my own weight at times. I can enjoy life, have a blast once in a while, and even be foolish when need be, but I cannot pretend not to be the tormented kind. Guilt can do that to anyone. But if it’s the last thing I do, I’m embracing my weaknesses as I am taking stock of my strengths. I am treading a thin line of my own doing; the least I can hope for is to keep my individuality, be true to myself. It can be a funny word - truth. You don’t walk away from your truth, they say. But what if your version of truth is something you had to redefine? What kind of person does that make you in the end?
I didn’t have a lot of reasons to give away gifts when I was young. We didn’t celebrate ALL major traditions, that’s why. Don’t ask why. So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise why I consider myself a terrible gift giver these days. In my earlier attempts, I tended to give away stuff that I found interesting - things I myself would like to receive, like books I like ornotebooks to write on . I can imagine now how most of those attempts can be considered a waste. I mean, except for those people who all they really care about it the ”thought” of it, or that the gift came from you, wouldn’t you wonder?
Anyway, so my sister is putting together stuff that she will send us from Canada, and I’ll surely give her my wish list so she won’t have a hard time thinking what to send me (hehe), but I’m sure she’s also thinking about personalized gifts for dad. Our father is a very simple man, and he has said that he doesn’t really want anything else except for knowing that we are ok, so I guess my sister will just send him a bottle or two of wine or brandy and maybe a few shirts.
