Calaidescope World

My 2007

I began 2007 with a beautiful Neil Gaiman quote sent to me by Bianca: "May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." And Ma-an said: "...I'd like to wish you the same thing I wished for myself...To surround yourself with people who will NEVER let you lose your sense of awe and wonder, and who will refresh your childlike spirit."

I had a feeling that 2007 was going to be a very sociable year. And it was! Likewise, my year unfolded as dear Mr. Gaiman said it would with art and love and many strange things in between (Gaiman and son were part of my magical, whimsical 2007, too!). So here’s my personal review of the year that was, and I wish you will all look back on 2007 with fond memories and will look forward to 2008 with grace and hope.

What is/are the best thing/s you did in 2007?
I traveled a lot. And sang like a closet-karaoke princess unleashed. And I started writing (not sure if it’s going to be a short story or a novella). Somewhere in that travelogue/series of tragic love stories is Miggy’s favorite (something that actually happened to a friend of ours at work) which begins with the line “They met on the bus from Kalibo to Caticlan”.

What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Singsnapped without shame, engaged in intimate conversations with complete strangers speaking in 5 different languages (thank the Lord for the international language of charades), started my Christmas shopping at the end of November (I usually start in September), facilitated a particular Search-in activity alone for the first time without any notes, and took Layla and Max out with Bianca but without a yaya.

What was/were the best place/s you visited in 2007?
Everywhere I went was great! Yes, even Singapore, Intramuros and Pasig! I was surprised that India (at least Delhi and Agra) was not bad at all. In fact, I seriously want to go back! Portugal wasn’t part of my and Gars’ original itinerary, but Lisboa in particular turned out to be the highlight of my first trip to Europe. Santiago de Compostella was more emotional than I thought it would be, and to think I didn’t actually walk there like all the other pilgrims.

What was/were the best meal/s you had in 2007?
Davao lechon on my birthday. Filet de beuf (?) at Cuillere in Serendra. All the food in India, Singapore (soft shell chili crab noodles!), Spain and Portugal. The herb rice I made for Christmas dinner (if I may say so myself, hehehe).

What was/were the best drink/s you had in 2007?
India’s Kingfisher Beer (it saved me from Delhi Belly), Estrella Damm and Damm Limon in Barcelona, and all the wine in Portugal.

What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More time to write, a better eye and faster trigger finger for photography, and more money and leave days to travel.

What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
27 September 2007. “You really know all the U2 albums!”

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Exploring new places and sharing a bathroom with people I don’t know (you have no idea how out-of-the-box that is for a creature of comfort like me). Not selling Leslie/Anna and Kit/Cay out while hosting their weddings (well, not completely selling them out, hahaha).

What was your biggest failure?
I started smoking again. And something that made one of the senior managers want to tear off my hair.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Something with my knees and more back pain. Ask Katkat's Kuya Bunny. I’m falling apart!

What was/were the best thing/s you bought?
A cheap little MP3 player/FM radio, Panasonic Lumix TZ-3, and new travel gear. Red espadrilles for Layla (they’re so cute!), digital photoframe for my Mom, a book with the lyrics of almost all of Bruce Springsteen’s songs for Bianca, Disney Trivial Pursuit for my family.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Gars’ (map reader extraordinaire) and Vince’s (the man with the plan): because they put up with me while traveling. And Bianca’s: someone had to mind my dog while I was away.

Whose behavior appalled and/or depressed you?
Out of the 5 on my list in 2005, one remains. Will people ever change?

Where did most of your money go?
To Europe.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to the Taj Mahal…for free! Having Davao lechon on my birthday. Visiting La Sagrada Familia. Attending mass at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostella. Anna I. cooking her kalderetang callos. Meeting Neil Gaiman again and my niece Alyssa Nielsen for the first time. My cousin John coming home after 20+ years.

What song/s will always remind you of 2007?
Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Everlong by The Foo Fighters, ‘Til Tuesday’s Voices Carry, With or Without You and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2, Umbrella by Rihanna (that stupid song haunted me for months), Mariza’s Chuva (I think it means “rain” in Portuguese), everything on Chris Daughtry’s album, the songs from High School Musical (1 *and* 2!), and all the ‘80’s music on my MP3 player/FM radio that seemed to know to what song to play for every situation (eerie).

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or more sad? – Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? – So much fatter, it’s ridiculous.
iii. richer or poorer? – Definitely poorer. But richer in spirit (naks!).

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Same list since 2005: attended more Search-In Alabang retreats, some work-related stuff that I can't explain, worked on my photography skills, studied Spanish seriously,...

What was the best book you read?
It’s a tie between The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Fado (traditional Portuguese music).

What did you want and get?
Last year, I wrote “I am determined to swim at least 1,000 meters every weekend and to train for an 8-day 120 km. trek from Leon to Santiago de Compostella in September (it will happen! I know it will! I'll make it happen!).” And I did swim that much almost every weekend and I worked out 2 to 3 times a week until September. I didn’t walk to Santiago, but I made it there!

What was/were the best movie/s you saw in 2007?
Definitely, 300. Enchanted was a welcome surprise. 30 Days of Night was pretty good, production-wise, as was The Golden Compass. I also liked Stranger Than Fiction.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a little get-together at home. Age? I love Europe – hardly anyone thought I was a day over 25.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Ah, well, there’s a ridiculously long answer to that one which includes visiting Jaipur and Goa, wiping out a particular store in Delhi, having more shopping money in Spain for Desigual and Stradivarius, having my family spend a week with me in Singapore (thank God for Geia, Justin, Cecile, and Cherry), and some work-related things. Should you decide to engage Andaya and Gars on a drunken (or even sober) conversation on my non-existent lovelife, they will gladly tell you EVERYTHING that could have made my 2007 immensely more satisfying.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I would like to thank the powers that be at Chevron for allowing me to finally afford one blouse at Zara.

What kept you sane?
My dog. My niece. My workmates Lynnette and Ruthie. My travel buddies. My fellow Singsnappers.

Who was/were the best new person/people you met?
Everyone I met at the Lisbon Lounge Hostel and the Tuesday Club.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
I can share many! Walang amoy sa Delhi. I can actually carry a tune to save my life. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known each other; you just never really know anyone half as much as you think you do…which makes sharing a drink or a bathroom such an interesting experience. The Iberian Peninsula has the largest concentration of good looking men. The best way to go “sightseeing” is with a camera that has 10x optical zoom (right, Ate Kat?). Expat guys always get the girls, but not all expat girls get guys. Had you met under different circumstances, some of the people you’re friends with wouldn’t be your friends; yet you band together not because you’re used to each other or been through a lot together, but because you wouldn’t have it any other way. The bread and butter served in Portuguese restaurants don’t come for free. The absolute best chocolate cake, chocolate and butter cupcakes, and food for the gods comes from the kitchen of the Dels. Your family (even your extended family) will always be there no matter what. My Mom and my dog really love me.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
Mabait ka pala (said by someone at work).

The most touching experience you've had this year?
The pilgrims’ mass in Santiago de Compostella.

What did you like most about yourself in 2007?
I think I grew as person, know what I mean?

What did you hate most about yourself in 2007?
I grew sideways, too.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I am everything you want. I am everything you need. I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be. I say all the right things at exactly the right time, but I mean nothing to you and I don’t know why (Vertical Horizon).

Was 2007 a good year for you?
YES! VERY! It was absolutely fantastic!

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Ayan ang “too many to mention”! Meeting Neil Gaiman for the second time. Seeing Neil Gaiman’s son! Stalking said son with Bianca. Bianca and I spending an entire morning shopping with Layla. Layla running around Bonifacio High Street. Everything about Lisboa. Everything about my dog, Max. Andaya’s reaction to 300. Andaya calling from someone’s beautiful bathroom. This one night at Capone’s. The Big Fish party with Gabby, Gars and Mike Mendoza. Vince not wanting to swim in Delhi. Vince’s kwento about his trip to the Delhi Zoo. Shopping with Khun Lek. Gars finding me in the middle of the street in Valdaura (how bizarre). The look on Gars’ face when I said I almost fell out a window at La Sagrada Familia. Gars crossing the bridge in Porto. Gars and I getting kilig over an email I got from… Barcelona’s Feste dela Merce. Everyone’s reaction to Kit and Cay’s engagement. Kit pacing before his wedding ceremony began. Leslie singing to Anna. Miggy singing with Rit-rit. Benjor singing Bad and The Killing Moon. The day I spent with Gabby like we were still in High School. The Vargas Reunion. Hanging out with my first cousins. Jay Ignacio’s Shakespearean encounter. The look on Tristan’s face when he realised the copy we gave him of Beowolf was autographed by Neil Gaiman. And the list goes on and on and on….

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Ahhh…let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot here, shall we?

Do you have a new years resolution for 2008?
Again, I am determined to swim at least 1,000 meters every weekend and to train for our 300 themed Christmas party.

What was your favorite month of 2007?
Mid-September to early October.

What was your favorite record from 2007?
Mariza’s Fado Em Mim.

How many concerts did you see in 2007?
I think I saw 3 (Titani, Femme Fatale, Taylor Hicks). Wait, how many times did we sing in Gabby’s house? Is Jay’s Evenstar Project gig in mag:net counted?

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?
There are so many moments of 2007 that I wish I could change….

What are your plans for 2008?
The only things I’m sure of are work-related and some travel plans with family and friends (Singapore F1 in September – if we can find race tickets, Bangkok United reunion in Lumpini Park and Chiang Mai in December, Christmas with my Dad in California).

How are you different now that 2007 has ended?
I'm a lot happier now that I was before.

What are your wishes for the new year?
An end to global warming [insert award-winning capped-tooth smile here]. Thank you. I love you all! Good night!

posted by Calai @ 2:18 PM