12 Days of New Year

Dust from the new year fireworks has barely settled. Christmas decors have just been taken down. I have yet to write my resolutions. And the first month of the year is almost half done!

Ang Mga Kagilagilalas Na Pakikipagsapalaran Ng Iskolar Ng Bayan.
Do I have to fill all 365 pages?!?

2011 seemed like a blur. I'm still trying to recall the high points. And also taking note of the low points (they definitely outnumber the former!) as I try to map out my life for 2012. Even bought a limited edition planner from my dearest alma mater to aid my cause. (It's so thick that I was kinda overwhelmed by the sheer thought of writing down my goals for the year. Said goals fitted nicely in one page with size 20 font. So I think this little black book is gonna be more of a journal. And most likely a ledger of my meager modest finances.) To sum it up, I'm thankful to be alive and well. And I'm glad 2011 is over! Haha!

Lights of Happiness - Part 3

O star of wonder, star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect Light.

The last of the series. The end of our Quest for the Lights of Happiness. All in the 21 days of a Filipino Christmas. (That's officially from Dec 16-Jan 6! Just in case you got stuck in your own Himalayas.)

Lights of Happiness - Part 2

" How often has the Christmas tree

Afforded me the greatest glee!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Much pleasure thou can'st give me. "

So goes the traditional German carol. A Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree. Since Iloilo is glued to a tropical country where there is a dearth of real evergreens, we have to make do with the artificial ones. Yes, the kind you buy in a store downtown or the mall. The one we place inside our homes and painstakingly decorate it with all the trinkets and love we can find. Well, all the money you can spare if you'd like it to look professionally done.

Lights of Happiness - Part 1

It's the cool and crisp evening air. 

It's the chaotic traffic of cars and shoppers everywhere. 

It's the sound of carols that you often hear. 

It's the twinkling lights of Yuletide cheer.

The Christmas season is definitely on us. Right after they kept the candles and took down the Halloween decor.  To each his own way of enjoying the holidays. Endless parties. Bonuses. Gift checks. Exchange gifts. White gifts. And all the gifts in between.

Damires On My Mind

The whirring sound of the pulleys alerted the people of an oncoming rider. Some have their cameras ready. Others hoist their kids up for a better view. Then the rider zips by. A few break into a cheer but most go back to whatever they were doing - either eating, drinking, swimming, singing or strolling. It's a typical weekend at Damires Hills Tierra Verde, a leisure farm resort in the hinterlands of Janiuay, Iloilo.

Milestones

When I typed in today's blog title, I didn't know that there is more to the word than just the usual very important events in one's life. I researched it (Google of course!) and found this charming piece about the Seven Milestones of Life. According to this article, I'm somewhere in my 4th milestone but the actual numbers of significant points in my life exceed it. Here's an excerpt of Ma Vie:

Striding Down A Different Path

While walking along the usual path of life, a rock made me stumble and almost fall. Letting out a string of expletives (that's !@#$%^&* when written) I kicked the offending piece of the earth's crust out of the way. It flipped under a shrub, and glinted! Strange. And curious. Of course, we know that That C (Curiosity! in case you didn't get it) has killed lots of cats before. But it didn't stop me from reaching for the mysterious glinting rock. And once my fingertips touched its jagged smoothness, it just have to roll away. Curiouser.