2011 = WIN

It's already 2012 - probably the most anticipated year in recent memory. It's the year we party like it's the end of the world. It's the year of the dragon!!! I'm really excited for what 2012 has in-store for me. I just can't wait!

I remember blogging last year that 2010 was just the beginning and that 2011 will be epic. And boy did the past year exceed all my expectations. The past year has been a BIG WIN.

2011 now sits atop my list and if the trend continues, 2012 will be way better!

So for this year, I'd like to call this year's list as victories because 2011 made me feel so blessed that it felt like winning a major pitch, hitting a buzzer beater, or even winning the lottery.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my personal list of "WINS" for year 2011.

It's 1am and guess what

I'm blogging! Of all the things I need to do, I end up blogging. I actually have a class at 7am which I'm currently preparing for. An important meeting at 2pm, a deadline at 3pm another meeting at 4pm and a pitch on Wednesday to prepare for. How's that for a Tuesday?

I'm actually getting kinda sleepy and I was thinking of a way to keep me awake. There you go, I'd rather be blogging to keep my head sharp and far from being soup (sabaw). I got to reflect a bit since a lot of things are actually coming up this August. I bet most of us are anticipating the long weekend from August 27 to 30. OH YEAH.

But guess what, it'll be my birthday on the 15th! I'll be turning... *tenentenen*... 23!

Been a while since a blogged something not as shallow as a video or a picture found online. The thought of turning a year older suddenly flashed.

I asked myself, did I expect to be THIS busy/preoccupied at the age of 22? Sometimes, that youth inside me keep on ranting about how life is so stressful. But more often, I tell myself that I am so blessed to have reached this point. I'm not saying I've climbed the corporate ladder and all that shit. I'm just saying, this must really be a high time in my life. Having this full-time job that's both interesting and challenging is really a blessing. Add to that two part time teaching jobs at DLSU and UP. Now that's definitely from up above.

To be honest, it's not an easy thing to do. But I really wanted to teach. Not for the money. I'm not getting married any time soon any way. My dream to teach has been fulfilled even before I attempted to enroll for grad school.

This thing called life is just surreal. And I'm really thankful. Looking forward to my birthday leave to stop and reflect.

....and probably renew my license.

Cheers to life, career and hopefully love. :)

Another Term Ends

Definitely had a blast teaching this term :)

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Top Ten for 2010! :)

2010 just ended and a brand new year just commenced. A lot of things happened in the year 2010. There were so many milestones, changes, new people, in new places and even new ventures. I can damn guarantee you that 2010 was one heck of a year and definitely topped all 22 years of my life.

As a quick trivia, our family doesn't do any age old new year traditions - no fireworks, no torotots, countdowns and whatnot. We simply pray the rosary precisely at 12mn then go back to our rooms. :) This yearly thing keeps me in check and definitely reflective in silence and yeah, in boredom. And as such, every year, I make sure I look back at all the blessings I've received. Thus, here are the top 10 things I'm very thankful for 2010 :)

10. "Daang matuwid" dominates the elections

The May 2010 elections marked the first time I voted for national government positions. That's a big jump from the usual class officers then student council elections I'm used to voting for. HAHA.

From the very start, I knew who I was going to vote for and I was confident that my bet, Noynoy would win. Yeah, you can cast a stone on me if you want to - especially those who never wanted and never will like the fact that a guy like Noynoy ended up to be our president. But hey, he is our president and I am happy that he is.

I know this guy does have his shortcomings. He doesn't have a masters degree or even a doctorate to boost his credentials. He doesn't have a long list of experiences and/or achievements.

But yes, I bet you guys will mention the name that he carries. To me, it was more than just the AQUINO bloodline/name. It was his responsibility to protect that name and the love for the country that he inherited. That incorruptible state of mind that we ourselves always wanted. Sa ayaw at sa gusto ninyo, we have a president who's blazing the straight path. :)

9. School Pride :)

Despite the fact that I'm athletically-challenged (if there is such a term), I am an avid fan of sports - especially if my alma mater/s are on the winning end. Thankfully, the teams I cheered for this year all won championships. :)

Ateneo won both Juniors' and Seniors' UAAP Basketball championship. Take note: for the third straight year!!! :) Sweet sweet double three-peat! :)

Now let's not forget the UP Pep Squad for reclaiming the UAAP Cheerdance competition crown :)

UP and Ateneo reprezent!

Hopefully next year I'll be cheering for the green side every now and then. :P

8. Highschool never ends

This is actually a late entry for this list. Had this high school-high the other day - eMboys Christmas 2010 reunion. :) Definitely, a lot of things have changed since the last reunion. Lalo na since high school graduation. It's actually cool to know that most of my classmates back then are mostly law or med students. Mga half pa lang kaming nasa workforce pala. :) Watch out guys, the eMboys just might run this country in the future. :P

7. SugarStop

It all started while my friends and I were walking around Eastwood waiting for a movie. We all needed some extra cash. We all needed some sources of income aside from our allowances/salaries. Thus, SugarStop came to be! :) 2010 will mark as the year this venture came to life and I'm claiming it, big things are coming for this venture in 2011. :)

6. Tagged as Sir Tonico

Yes, that's how I get called these days. I spend my early mornings in Taft teaching - or in better words, educating the minds of college students. I actually never thought I'd have this chance so early in my career but an e-mail followed by a phone call, then a teaching demo earned me the opportunity to teach. :) If you guys know me well, it has always been my dream to teach. Thus, I'm living my dream. Hope all things work out this trimester :)

5. Agency Life

That's me right there living the agency life. Most people say that life in an advertising agency or in a marketing research firm is living life like a prostitute. I must admit that working for my company hasn't been easy. Stress. Overtime. Panic. Information overload. All that mixed up with the honor of working in multinational company like mine. :)

I must say that I'm very honored to be part of the MRM team. More than just the milestones that the team has garnered, it's being part of a team that I can call my family in the workforce. Because of these people, I'm having a good time at work. Maybe it's the fact that it's my first job. But I'm pretty sure this group is special. :)

4. My Passwords

It took some time until the four of us got together. This was like our first complete picture after more than a year. I don't want to be cheesy but these guys and I go way back. Thankfully, we're complete once again and rockin' it. And yes, these are the other people behind SugarStop - which all the more makes it sweet.

Cheers to more adventures with you guys. :) We've come a long waaay. :D

3. Weekends and Holidays

Never have I appreciated weekends and holidays this much until I joined the workforce. I just realized why there are such things in the calendar. :) These non-working days have kept me sane amidst the stressful life of balancing work and school. Other than using these weekends and holidays to sleep and energize, marami rin akong narating - now with my new found adulthood freedom. HAHA.

I've partied hard on several friday nights. :)

and went out of town with friends as well! :D

tagaytay with password

Kim and Yaw's wedding in Baguio

Although it's been said that there will be less long weekends for 2011, I'm looking forward to more adventures with my friends this year. :)

2. I earned my BS Stat Degree!

FYI, I graduated last April 2010. :) Not only did my graduation mark the end of my college life, but it marked the start of my life as part of the labor force. I definitely felt so honored to wear that sablay and receive my award and diploma early this year. It really was a big milestone for myself as I move on now with my corporate life. I've got to admit, I miss my college friends and living the isko life.

1. One big happy family

This year, our family grew slightly bigger as my brother and his wife Kim bore a child - Zia Charlize Maningat. Ever since she was born that faithful morning, she's been our family's bundle of joy. :) She's the first "girl" in the family and that all the more makes her special.

Take note guys, Zia's my inaanak! That makes her doubly special to me!!! :D

As I always say, I'm having the time of my life. 2010 just started everything. I know 2011 will be epic - as well as 2012, 2013... and so on and so forth. All these stress and fatigue that I'm feeling are all worth it. Never have I felt so happy and blessed in my life.

Happy new year everyone!

Naamoy ko na ang pasko

Wow, imagine that. It's less than two weeks away from Christmas - the most wonderful time of the year. Every single year, Christmas always brought out the good from everyone. There may have been some exceptional years - years when I wasn't looking forward to Christmas but hey, once that clock ticks 12mn on December 25, there's always that feeling of love and joy, thanks to the big guy up there. :)

Two weeks from Christmas and I look nothing like I'm ready for it. Aside from buying my first set of Christmas gifts for the family, I haven't even set my schedule for the holidays. This is what happens when you're still a probationary employee - you can't just take leaves whenever you want them. Heck, I've never even been absent for work since day 1. :)

I feel like I'm in college struggling to reach the holidays in one piece. I have a laundry list of things to accomplish by next week.

1. make sure that this *toot* for work runs smooth.

2. set things up for number 1.

3. craft a bunch of reports

(pardon me for not being explicit about numbers 1,2 and 3 - there is such a thing as an NDA)

4. check TONS of papers

5. compute for my students' grades

6. buy my family gifts

7. buy my friends some gifts

8. prepare for a Baguio wedding on Dec 27

All that and the madness of the holiday season. :) I'd rather be happy than stressed. Life has been so good to me this past year. Too many blessings that I can't count anymore. :) More than anything else, I'm very thankful for my family and friends who have been so supportive of me this year. I'm thankful that He has given me these chances to grow and be a successful person. :)

As I've said, it's the most wonderful time of the year. :D

so many things to do, so little time

Man, it's been almost a month since I last posted something sensible on this blog. These past few months have been the most hectic ones since those dreaded papers back in college. Work has been so hectic that whenever I get home, I end up turning my laptop on then continue working. Sucks right? haha...

Technology is just so amazing that there work can be done precisely anywhere. No excuses. It works both ways. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and lock yourself inside your room so you can focus on the tasks at hand, which cuts you off from the people inside your house. Your family and all your other duties in life. On the other side of things, you can be twice as efficient because work doesn't necessarily require you to be present at your desk at the office.

You might ask, how about my career in the academe? It definitely took some time before I actually got the hang of it. The schedules. The lessons. The reviews. The checking of papers. The computing of grades.The harsh reality that not all of your students may not pass your subject. The rush for deadlines. Heck, I just got past the middle of the trimester! haha. Nevertheless, I am definitely happy and honored to be in the academe.

Stressful? Yeah. Fulfilling? Definitely. Am I just trying to convince myself? Maybe. HAHA. But we'll see. Still have a long way to go. :)

Career wise, I'm pretty sure I'm in the industry I want to be in. More than just advertising, it's marketing at its finest. Besides, I still do get to use my skills as a stat major. Not as thorough as I envisioned it to be but heck, not everyone really went down that ideal path. :) The people I work with are definitely a joy to be with.

Work hasn't been good to me lately as I've spent more than half of my time for work. Even on weekends and holidays! I've got to admit, I haven't been spending much time with my family, my barkadas, even my bestfriends. But hey, I guess that's the biggest trade-off of being in the type of company that I am in. I chose to be in this situation. So I have to make the most of out it :)

But seriously, do I blame work for making my life this way? Nah, I'm still young and pretty capable of adjusting to this fast-paced life. It took me six months to review my career goals and I'm pretty excited about what's next for me. I really am looking forward for the things God has prepared for me. :)

AM+DG

poor kids...

i hope they understand my handwriting. :P