Looking Back… and Forward

(Warning: This is a holiday post, and thus, a bit cheesy; proceed with caution. Hehehe.)

 My 2008 is a very challenging year. And I guess this is an understatement. During the early part of this year, I have been in the downside of the ride in the following aspects: financially (needs no explanation); emotionally (this needs an explanation, but it won’t be happening here); and intellectually (I stopped grad school, I stopped buying new books, but MOST importantly, I concentrated on short-term concerns like attending to my monthly bills and similar stuff neglecting the more important and long-term goals). I also gained 2-digit worth of fatty pounds, which I am really, really having a hard time eliminating.

Although the challenges didn’t end in the early months of this year (still have some problems up to this date), I am so happy because of so many things.

• I have reconnected with a few long-lost friends of mine. And no, this is not the typical reunion of friends who were simply out-of-touch; these are dear friends who I thought I lost already.
• My finances have been somehow improved by a regular gig plus a couple of freelance stuff here and there. These gigs also helped me gain more friends (and stalkers, unfortunately, nyahaha!).
• My siblings got new jobs that they really like.
• My mom will have her dream house soon (fingers crossed).

Another thing that makes me happy (and sane during the super-down moments of my life) is the presence of my friends and family regardless of, well, anything and everything. The best moment of my life, of anyone’s life, is when your friends become your family, and your family becomes your friend. I can proudly say I’ve been there.

The year 2007 witnessed my decision to change direction and destination. This year, 2008, marks a new and very important milestone in my life because I needed to re-start so many things. I am taking a new road; I do not know where this will bring me but it’s looking good so far. I hope 2009 will treat me a lot better. I hope it will present more challenges and opportunities. I hope it will not only “smile” at me but more importantly, at my friends and family.

From me and my pips:

Maligayang Pasko! Masagana at Mapayapang Bagong Taon!

After 10 Years

Densan, Lando, and I met up yesterday at Dampa. It was a very fruitful meeting because whenever we meet, we always develop a different and better global domination scheme. We talked about China being the next world power, Obama and his very, very fast rise to ’stardom’, Trillanes and some Trapos, US recession, and other seemingly intellectual topics (mostly to impress the girls occupying the table next to ours). None of the topics I mentioned made the girls approached us. Hehehe.

But I won’t be writing about those stuff. I’m reserving those topics for another medium. I want to share how much we felt so old when we talked about how we survived college, and got where we are right now.

It was 1998 when I and Lando (1997 for Densan) first got a copy of what we Iskos and Iskas call Form 5. (I am not sure if other schools also label their registration forms like that.) We remembered all of us working our ass out just to make sure we’ll have enough moolahs for the next week or so. I was a student assistant for 4 years; Lando was a tutor; Densan was a handyman. To make sure we won’t be spending our hard-earned money unnecessarily, we didn’t go out and party unless it’s free, we didn’t photocopy readings (what the hell is the library for, right?), we didn’t date (again, unless it’s either super-low-cost, or it’s free courtesy of the girl, hehehe), we didn’t– ahh, so many things.

As early as our sophomore year, we already started writing dissertations (yeah, MA to PhD dissertations) for a fee. Our happiest moment was when a client of ours agreed to pay the three of us 100K for her PhD dissertation (which we wrote in a month–25 hours a day!). Deym! Was that evil or something? Well, she has the money, we have the ideas. Fair trade, that was what we said. We also started working for our honorable congressmen. We do their press releases, letters to civil society, etc.

We remember disagreeing with how the tibaks approached the different social problems they were presenting. During that time, the #1 issue was the “commercialization of idle assets” (Philcoa area). And we were smiling, grinning, while talking about what has happened in that area now — the UP-Ayala TechnoHub (with IBM, HSBC, Manulife, Pointwest, and others like Starbucks, YellowCab, CBTL occupying the place). Hehehe. Well, Densan and Lando understood that I only joined LFS because of Satria (item #3 in my post below).

Right now, the two are finishing their MA dissertations (Socio for Densan and PolSci for Lando). I started MA PolSci, transferred to MBA, attempted Cert in IT, and did not finish anything. My goodness. I don’t think I’ll be able to get another degree anytime soon. Oh well… Also, Densan is being eyed to be the executive director of an NGO, Lando is a consultant to a government agency, and I am a part-time analyst in a top-secret Middle East-based WMD company.

A decade of ups and downs… of Sarah’s and Ayala gimiks… We’ve witnessed a few political power grabs, failed mutinies, economic roller coaster rides.

I feel so old right now. Hehehe.

HBD, Mordsith!

Para kay Mordsith…