2007 recap

2007 has been ... well a busy year. there were a lot of things happening, both great and not so great that to be honest, i can't wait for the coming 2008. hopefully, the next year is going to be b-e-t-t-e-r.

travel. i was in arizona for a couple of months mid-january to mid-march and it was by far the longest trip i had (last time was around 7 weeks). it was kind of different this time because i decided to stay at a serviced-apartment with a fully-furnished kitchen, a jacuzzi and washer and dryer. i had access to a full gym which i rarely used (lol!) and i managed to go a bit around during that trip - first snow and trip to the grand canyon, weekend in oregon with jessica, reuben and morgan and a side trip to new mexico. i was back again in arizona sometime in april for a 3-week stay where i got to go back to see the grand canyon with maricar & bel, then to las vegas and finally to LA and disneyland. in between these US trips, a bunch of friends (ali, allan, arlene, trixy) and i went to eagle point resort in batangas for the summer. the family also went for a long-drive to baguio where jacob enjoyed another round of horseback riding and visiting the sights. on a sidenote, i'll be back in arizona for two-weeks in january (12-26).

work. work was a mixture of ups and downs - lots of stuff going around in this front. it was really disheartening to say the least and i finally decided to start "exploring" what is beyond the big blue's walls. so far the exploration has resulted in a lot of potential prospects (2 locally and one overseas). i'm hoping the coming 2008 will be a lucky year workwise.

school. finally, after more than three years studying (or suffering) i've finally completed all of my mba units including the units required to major in supply chain management. my OCE is still scheduled for january 5 and i remain optimistic that i will pass. the only bad news here that i have not lost sleep over is that i'm not graduating with honors. i did feel a pang of regret about it but i honestly couldn't take writing another paper. what is important for me right now is that i learned a lot during the last three years and that is more valuable than any medal.

family. the highlight of 2007 was my sister being in and out of the hospital. we decided that it will do my sister good to take a break from work so with that, i've officially become the sole breadwinner in the family. being at home, my sister has had more time to spend with my nephew and now looks healthier, not sickly thin like before. the grocery/supermarket has officially been my new past time its become sort of a weekly ritual. because of these events, in a way i've realized more how important the family is and despite the heavy responsibility, its a good feeling to be able to help out. i'm now more cost-conscious and more responsible - both of which is a good thing. my nephew is now 4 years old, talks a lot and despite being naughty is a very loving, sweet young boy. he's really enjoying school and loves to work on his assignments and seeing he got 30/30 in both his language and math exams the last time makes paying that stiff quarterly tuition fee easier. we also brought jacob to enchanted kingdom mainly so we can see if he will enjoy the rides - and he did. this means he's ready for HK Disney in 2008.

friends. 2007 is well a time for change. two very good friends, ali and jona, were out of the big blue at the closing of 2006. iam also decided it was time to go. both the friends i've hang out with in portland, jessica and morgan, have decided to pursue careers outside of the big blue. trixy joined ali at the new blue sometime in may(?). i won't see jerk or ice at the big blue come january. my good friend from costa rica, papeco, also has decided to pursue a career in another industry. 2007 was a indeed a time for goodbyes, a time to pursue our individual paths in life. knowing these people have been truly a gift and while we don't see each other that often today, some of the friendships have grown deeper. other people i've come across with in work left also - ronald, diwani, venus ... there are many more i've lost track of. its truly a time for change.

personal. not a lot happening here. in terms of leisure, mostly just enjoyed the places i visited during my trips to the US. school had me pre-occupied the last six months. in terms of shopping, i did most of the shopping for clothes in arizona and the expenses at home made me think twice splurging on more clothes. i did finally get a macbook though. for the fam, i bought them a new gas range and by feb i'd probably spend a little more to buy them a new ref. been blogging a lot about personal stuff mainly just to pass time or maybe just to keep sane. i've stopped biking altogether - my brother and dad use the bike every now and then. not a lot of "gimiks" in 2007 - its hard to get together when everybody else is busy with their own lives.

i can't think of anything to add here anymore. next on my list will be plans for 2008.