My birthday and the New Year are very close to each other, so I've always thought of both events as one event. It's also probably because we drink so much every night from Dec. 31-Jan. 3 that it all seems like a blur to me.
In case you didn't know, I had my birthday a couple of days ago. If you didn't greet me - shame on you! I know who you are, and I will not greet you as well on your birthday!
Of course, the above statement is just my lame excuse for forgetting to greet people – my friends all know that I forget birthdays all the time, even those that are 1 day before/after my birthday. My mom even reminded me to greet my girlfriend on her birthday 2 years ago – that’s how bad I am at remembering important dates.
As you may know, a lot of things can happen over a year – things we don’t expect or plan for, but happen anyway. I have listed down some of these unexpected items – some of them are silly, but well I am a silly guy:
1. Working a couple of months in Europe – this was probably the biggest surprise of all. It was triggered when my girlfriend found out that she was going to be working in Brussels for about a year. I talked to my boss and requested a similar transfer, and I was lucky enough to get it. Of course, Mav (my girlfriend) got a better deal – she’s got a company-sponsored car there – but who’s complaining. I love Warsaw – something that’s pretty obvious from this blog, and I am really enjoying my stay there.
2. Receiving a surprise party for my birthday – every time I am invited to attend these surprise birthday/despedida/anniversary parties, I would always feel envious. I usually ask myself – “when will someone ever throw me a surprise party?” I finally got one – thanks to Mav and Lissa (Mav’s best friend) for arranging it. If you weren’t invited, you know who to blame. =)
3. Weddings/Marriage proposals – first of all, I am not talking about myself here, so quit snickering. When you start attending more baptisms, 1st birthdays, weddings, and engagement parties – it’s a sure sign that you are getting older. I remember an era when I was spending a lot of time practicing for and attending proms and debut parties – I was thinking back then that I was getting older. Those were the good old days - the next big shift will probably be when I turn 60 – then, I will be attending funerals.
4. Spending an evening on board a yacht – A couple of days ago, we went on a short trip through Manila Bay to watch the World Pyrolympics – it was a fireworks display for those who don’t read the newspaper – and we had the best view in town. I hate boats in general, I get dizzy and sick from all the shaking – but this time I had lots of fun. I guess being on a multi-million dollar yacht with free-flowing food and wine makes all the difference.
5. Gaining weight – I never thought this would happen. Although I was a regular at Trellis, I was also regular at the gym – so it all sort of cancelled out. For the longest time, I neither gained nor lost weight. However, I stopped going to the gym when I left for Warsaw. Although I tried my best to walk more and take the taxi less, it wasn’t enough to offset the sheer amount of food I was taking in when I was there.
Before Warsaw:
After Warsaw:
What will my list look like next year? I’ll probably be still circling the globe trying to make more money for my employer, while my brother and all my cousins will have doubled or tripled their respective businesses. I’ll get to visit more places in Europe, many more of my friends will either marry (more like get pregnant and then marry) or propose, and I’ll be older and (hopefully) wiser. I won’t have that much more money, but I’ll be happier – and ultimately that’s the only thing that matters.
Happy New Year to everyone – let’s all look forward to better and happier times ahead!
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