What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?subjected myself to a “fashion makeover”
won stuff online
won clothes at a fashion event
got engaged
got all romantic in paris with a loved one
spent one whole day by myself in a foreign country
watched flamenco
sang in acs’ front-and-center quartet
tried yoga
went on a month-long leave
got a credit card
traveled around spain with girlfriends
did consultancy
got an article published in the newspaper
started planning for a wedding (my wedding!)
did not eat a proper meal in over 24 hours
drove a car
got into a car accident
dyed my hair
maintained a time deposit
dipped my feet into the mediterranean ocean
commuted wearing a diamond ring
had pamanhikan
yay ang dami!
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? i didn’t make any. this year, i’ll make a list of things to do – does that count?
Did anyone close to you give birth? aui, to beautiful little alexia maria cecilia (the most symmetrically-featured baby i’ve ever seen) on december 8
Did anyone close to you die? no, thank goodness.
What countries did you visit? singapore, hong kong, spain, france and the united arab emirates (as a stopover)
What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? i don’t think i really lacked anything in 2006, but i would love to have a fun OC wedding, time to fix my room, a wedding-dress ready figure, new skills and advancement in my career
What was your biggest achievement of the year? launching some of our network’s biggest primetime programs, going on tour with acs (and conquering fear haha), taking the next big step in my relationship with marlon, learning how to drive, facing up to responsibility
What was your biggest failure? being tamad to exercise, being magastos
Did you suffer illness or injury? i was rushed to the e.r. due to my mysterious allergy, which i had to bear with for most of the last quarter of the year. do my niknik bites from palawan count?
What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? october 21, the day marlon and i got engaged. november 4, the day we competed (and won!) in tolosa. november 17, the start of my fabulous barcelona weekend
What was the best thing you bought? hands down, my beginner’s guide to flamenco 3-cd compilation, from hmv in singapore.
the other big contenders are the black embroidered cowboy boots I bought for php795, over 50% off at janylin (they were great on tour, though I wonder when I can ever wear them again here in manila) and my sony ericsson k700i.
Whose behavior merited celebration? despite everything, acs! go acs! marlon, of course
What did you get really, really, really excited about? omigod the tour! my plans alone were almost a year in the making
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? appalled, one person in acs i’ll never look at the same way again. people i had to work with for the big account. maybe myself at some points, but usually not for long. may humabol pa – someone close to someone i love really disappointed me in the last few days of the year.
Where did most of your money go? pocket money for europe. i think i spent the biggest amount on plane fares within spain, then on my accommodations in barcelona. my big splurge was the entrance fee to casa batllo – i had absolutely no money, but i carded it because i felt so compelled to immerse myself in gaudi.
What song will always remind you of 2006? hmm. i don’t know. nothing really. my favorite live performances by club for five, which I have on their cd.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier. definitely.
ii. thinner or fatter? i have no idea. just about the same i guess, except i had a really thin period.
iii. richer or poorer? a wee bit poorer. i made more money this year, but spent a shitload.
What do you wish you'd done more of? focus
What do you wish you'd done less of? snack on junk food, vacillated over some really great purchases (and oh, the rental of audioguides! i still know nothing about the alhambra!) in europe
How will you be spending Christmas? working myself to death to advance all my plugs, attending charlie and gerwin’s wedding in tagaytay with marlon, and being with my family and fiance
Did you fall in love in 2006? all over again, yes
How many one-night stands? no one-night stands here!
What was your favorite TV program? definitely lost. and i was super addicted to my own account, starstruck
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? nope
What was the best book you read? the time traveller’s wife, care of maggie. don’t remember if i read it late last year, so just in case, fragile things, care of marlon, and notes on a scandal care of chris ong.
What was your greatest musical discovery? augh ang dami! flamenco takes the top spot, followed by (in this order) apocalyptica, club for five, massive attack, ella fitzgerald, nina simone
What did you want and got? atlantika (be careful what you wish for), to go back to europe, spend time with marlon, be a better (and a more fearless) soprano, see miikka again, and A ROCK ON MY FINGER hahaha
What was your favorite film of this year? was batman begins this year? happy feet and casino royale were great, can’t remember watching any other movies
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? i turned 25 in paris!
woke up early (for a change)
took the metro to ile de la cite to see the utterly gorgeous st-chapelle, then metro-ed to invalides
took cheesy pictures amongst the lampposts and brilliant autumn leaves of parc des invalides
wandered around musee rodin (which i have wanted to do for the past five years!)
had the best salad in the world for lunch in au petit vatel in le marais
walked home to our hotel in the louvre (stopping for a nutella crepe along the way)
attended a dinner party at the home of the philippine ambassador
did all of the above with marlon
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? having clear-cut goals and achieving them
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? lots of black
What kept you sane? new music, sleep, chocolate
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? you’re speaking to a daniel craig convert. oh and i love angelina jolie
What political issue stirred you the most? i all but swore off the papers this year, so nothing. i realized i knew a lot about the subic rape case, though
Who did you miss? on tour, maggie, jd and loi
Who was the best new person you met? toss-up between binky and gary
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006: i quote zoe hellerman’s notes on a scandal (beautiful, beautiful book) – “after saying no, no, no, there comes a moment when you say, oh bugger it, yes.”
that, and that there are times when you just have to let change into your life – like opening a window and letting the breeze in. whether the wind that blows in will knock you over or just cool you down a bit, there’s no telling (or controlling) it. you just have to let it in.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: hmmm let me get back to you on this one.
The most touching experience you've had this year? i can think of three – the first one was the moment i shared with marlon out in the cold after he proposed. the second one, well the person involved just kind of tarnished it for me. the third is just for me.
What did you like most about yourself this year? i think i was surprisingly levelheaded for my standards. i was able to rise above my emotions when it counted.
What did you hate most about yourself this year? my procrastination and my yo-yoing weight
Was 2006 a good year for you? definitely
