2011 Another Anihaff

Christmas 2011 is over!
It is the time of the year to compile the other half of what made this year awesome!
Life is like a soap opera complete with drama, suspense, thrill, comedy and what not, life imitating art of art imitating life?

July 2011.
Finally was able to met our manager from Atlanta, Tom Deaton. Being an individual contributor and being the manager I always CC'd him in emails. As customary to this event pictures and food!

X-PTPH mates dinner.
Even though I only spent there for almost a year, I made friends and as a group we like to eat and videoke!

The Controversial Team Building.
For a multinational company, I think NCR wins as the most "tipid" when it comes to promoting team bonding management. They really dont give much emphasis on team dynamics and how little rewards can strengthen a team - and this involves budget!

A Sporadic Afternoon Videoke
After some ukay2x shopping, we went to an early checkin at Songhits to kill songs :D

August 2011.
Singapore! I finally reached you. I was not just amazed I fell... Now I am faced with the dilemma of to be with or to stay...The reason I went to SG in a short notice is the wedding of my best-friend Juvy! Thanks for the accommodation and everything!

Arnel's Birthday
Thank you bai for inviting me :D

Palawan.
This year marks our 2nd annual trip with my Ideyatech ex-officemates. Palawan is so marvelous both in nature and food that the days we spent there feels short.

September 2011.
Revisited Baguio, it was my 3rd time, with my current officemates in NCR. Had so much fun, also took a sidetrip and look around at Luneta.

Disney's Mickey and Friends!
Got a chance to watch Mickey Mouse and friends at the Waterfront Lahug, all thanks to Ensogo for the discount.

October 2011.

Capitol joined the worldwide event of celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month by flood lighting the capitol Pink.

Sue's wedding, one of my SpEdmates got married! Unfortunately I think I got food poisoning after :'(

My Birthday. Oddly I did not took a picture on my birthday, maybe there was drama. Hehehehe....

Rainforest Cebu with Cousins.
We went to a newly opened nature park in Cebu, Rainforest! There were 2 snakes (a BIG one and a small one).

November 2011.
Birthday of Ate Jade. Met new friends.

December 2011 - The Last Hurray for 2011

NCR Christmas Party - As usual the date is very early at December we are I think the earliest to held a company Christmas Party.

POSI team only outing.
Also customary is for our team to held its special our own cost outing.

CIC Family Day.

This year I got to re-attend the last Family Day of my nephew's Cassy and Clyde since they will be graduating next year.

After the CIC family day we went to SM!

Christening of baby Bogs (son of mama Maia)

Christmas time! Christmas though is silent this year.

Gathering of highschool mates. Though it rained all day and some people cancelled, we pushed through with it and it was an enjoyable night!

HOPING 2012 will be as FULL and EXCITING!

A Little Reunion

It has been 12 yrs since we graduated from highschool. Most of these folks I know for more than 16 yrs (starting from when we were freshies). Even though we ended up with different careers and lead different lives, we somehow kept the friendship and bond as batchmates.

I am always happy to be in attendance on these gatherings because it keeps us updated with each other's lives, even though there is facebook, twitter and the likes, it is still different when you talk with them in person. These people collectively is a part of my life and it may not be obvious and we may not be very close but seeing them makes me feel I belong.

Torrential rains almost made this meetup cancelled but thankfully it pushed through and even though attendance was very limited it still is memorable and we got to know each other very well.

Countdown 'til Christmas

This year I got to have my first week-long Christmas holiday vacation as our company mandates it to file for VL. Thankfully I have the credits and will be work-free at least for one week!

Christmas countdown...

December 25, 2011 (Sunday)
- at the strike of 12 fireworks started. As customary in our family we went outdoors and watched the fireworks around us. There isn't many this year, we are hoping that by New Year we will see much more.
- Aunt Eyen shared her actions on the fire at Gaisano Capitol South which sadly burnt her Ampao from her boss. Hopefully it will be repaid.
- ate fruit salad before heading back to sleep and ow, upload the pictures.

  

 

December 24, 2011 (Saturday)
- attended my 3rd Misa de Gallo
- again movie marathon day long and started to write this blog.
- one of my inaanaks (son of Cathy) claimed his gift
- a super healthy dinner: Crispy Pata
- videoke2x while waiting for midnight

December 23, 2011 (Friday)
- attended my 2nd Misa de Gallo.
- nothing much happened this day as I only watched movies all day. Alternating with sleep and eat.

December 22, 2011 (Thursday)
- The last day of work! I still have issues to investigate. Thankfully I was able to resolve it and our QA endorsed an external release to customer. I really hope that no bugs will be discovered until at least after the new year.
- After working half-day, yes I used 4 hrs of my remaining personal leave credits I went straight to the department store and bough toys for my "inaanaks". They are just cheap ones under 200 pesos a piece. As a child they would surely be happy to have something for Christmas.

Pasko sa Piniriso

Christmas! Honestly not felt it for sometime. Sadly, count this year as one of them. I can still remember the Christmases past where I would wish it to be everyday! The lights, the decorations, the food, the toys, the joy! The world back then was colorful and simple in my eyes.

I don't know when exactly I lost the feeling. I just realized one holiday that it was gone. The reason perhaps? Maybe I've grown up as most people do. Maybe I lost the feeling because the spirit of Christmas  which is to love and show love and share love I did not do, or limited myself in doing. Yes Im guilty of that being an unloving creature. I certainly am not in a state of love as most people recognize love is. I am not void of love though, Im just not full of it.

As I have known myself, I need to be around people that shares the positive vibes of Christmas. It might be a temporary fix but like a drug or alcohol do it makes my heart feels better if only for a limited time - at least I can feel Christmas.

What do I need? Who do I need? I can't answer because I'm confused as to what I really want in this life. It's not a crisis but a serious cancer that one day will eat my whole being if left untreated. Im racing with time as to my boundaries on this family, what can I do and what I shouldn't do. What is acceptable and what is not. What is being a brother and being truthful even if it hurts someone you love.

I hate dramatics at church lately. They oversimplified forgiveness. An example that Im sick of hearing is this story. A child was "molested" by someone close to him/her.  Years passed and that someone who molested a child got very sick. The molester had become naturally fragile and old. The molester asked for that child for forgiveness. The child forgave the molester. Can you see what's wrong in this story? I do! It's sickening and maybe this is what is in the minds of the "religious" that EVERYTHING can be forgiven. It doesnt really matter how small or big your sin was/were. At the end everyone is mandated to forgive because Jesus was sacrificed by God for our sins. It is a gross oversimplification that I think is the root of all these twisted logic about forgiveness.

I do not know what is the right timing to forgive but I know when is it that I have forgiven someone for something that they have done wrong against me. And it is a wonderful feeling, it really is like a thorn is plucked from your body, it hurts but time heals it and when you touch it again, it hurts no more.

So this is Christmas, how I wish I will be much happier this time of the year.