Dear 2010, It has been a bittersweet love hate affair between you and I. The heartaches, the illness, work-related stress, and the personal struggles were equally matched with victories, awards, career opportunities, newfound friends, and another chance at life. Thank you! It has been a life-changing year. The world really does have a way of making things go right or wrong to shake us and make us realize things. I would like to think that 2010 made me stronger, wiser, and better. Also bigger. Literally. I vow to change that in 2011. Figuratively, I guess I've done even better than I expected, as a blogger, as a writer, and as a person. To all the people who made me laugh, who caused me grief, who helped me achieve victories, or contributed to my pains, salamat! To Mommy and Daddy, to the Joses and the Abellas, and to my other relatives, thank you for being there! Always. To my friends from grade school, high school, college, culinary school thank you for keeping in touch and for always reminding me of who I was and who I should be! To my DotA and kubo friends, thank you for always making me laugh…
Year: 2010
A Life Changing Illness
When I entered the hospital for dengue, I was very upbeat and just a little bit worried that I'd have to cancel an out of town trip and several meetings. I was even updating my friends through Plurk and Facebook regarding my platelet count and blood transfusions. Then, things got worse. My platelet count went lower even after several blood transfusions. Some people were wondering why I still seemed normal and functioning well even when my platelet count was at a critical level, lower than the count of some patients who died of dengue. My doctor cousin suspected I had leukemia and I had to have a bone marrow aspiration (BMA) to check if my bone marrow and whatnot is functioning. It was very scary time and I was already ready to die. LOL! But true. The verdict after the BMA was Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Idiopathic means there is no known cause, thrombocytopenic means an abnormally low platelet count, and purpura means a reddish or purplish discoloration of the skin similar to rashes and bruises. I have an illness that afflicts 50 - 100 persons per million per year. That's around 0.005% of the population. And it's a chronic…
A Letter to My Future Boyfriend
Dear Love, Merry Christmas! :) I don't know who you are yet and as I write this, I am still undeniably in love with someone else. I am reading random posts that I wrote while listening to overly sentimental OPM songs. I don't really know why I am doing this and what I will be writing to you about. But I had the urge to write to you. I may not know who you are yet, or maybe we have crossed paths once or twice. I don't have any inkling. All I know is I look forward to the day I love you. And you love me back. Unconditionally. One of my favorite quotes is from one of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return." You see, I have this tendency of loving and falling helplessly in love with guys who don't seem to think I am worthy of loving back. I waste time investing in guys who don't have the time or heart to love me back. Friends often reprimand me for investing in those guys. But I am dumb as hell. I think when I…
Thy Will Be Done
I first saw Kristian Somera's Thy Will Be Done in the Ateneo Human Knights Film Festival Press Screening. It was my favorite among the films I viewed that day. I watched the film again for the 6th Mindanao FilmFest and my initial impression of the film didn't change. Thy Will Be Done is made by Ateneo de Davao University communications majors including director Somera, producer Carmelle Jumawan and the film's lead actress Diana Grace Juaban. They are mentored by multi-awarded filmmaker and professor, Ronald Bautista. The film won as Best Student Film in the 6th Mindanao FilmFest. Thy Will Be Done stood out from a field of good competitors, which you never imagine to be made by students. What I liked about the film is how the story was revealed. For this, I give much credit to the story writer and the director. Adding strength to the film is the credible acting by Juaban. She comes off as a natural and you would notice that she's an amateur. She delivers her lines without hesitation and acts without the OA factor that most amateur actors are prone to doing. Technically, the film could have done better in the cinematography, lighting, and…
My Christmas Messages… for the Guys who Broke My Heart
I wasn't in any relationship this 2010 but I went out with some interesting guys, and kept in touch with some guys I dated in the past years. I'd like to think we're all good friends. And just because it's Christmas soon, here are some of my holiday messages for the guys who broke my heart. :) AJ, Thank you for being a friend! For never getting pikon even if I sometimes tested your patience. I admire you for being a good father to your kids. Don't worry my dear, I'll try to be your lucky charm in the coming years rather than the bad luck charm I have been. All is forgiven. Hope you find that special person who'll finally give you clarity and permanence. JF, WHADDAP?! I guess I should have believed people when they told me you're up to no good. You should really learn how to give closure to the girls you date. Hope you find the one who'll finally make you forget your past. I know there's a part of you holding on. LS, I know you're not happy but you don't have the balls to choose freedom. Call me when you do and I'll…
Facing the New Year
There are around 10 days left in 2010. Needless to say, it has been a good year for me. Despite everything bad or scary that happened, I am happy to be alive. Career-wise, I am very happy with everything, even if it has been challenging. For the first time in 20 years, I won't be celebrating New Year with my relatives. They're all going to Hong Kong. The New Year Celebration might be different for me this year in both good and bad ways. On one hand, it will be a bit lonely. On the other hand, I can think of a new way to enjoy it. Might go out of town. But this post is not about that. It's about 2011 and how epic it's going to be. Why do I say that? Because I want it to be epic. Career-wise 2010 has been a landmark year in the sense that I was able to accomplish a lot as a blogger and writer. Moreover, new doors and opportunities opened for me. As a person, I overcame hurdles I never thought I'd have to hurdle. And while there were relatives and friends who helped along the way, it was a…