I blame my lack of time (also known as laziness) for not being able to get a jar as I have mentioned in here for the lack of entries on my happiness project this year. Also, upon reading them I realised how most of the entries are written in the first two quarters of the year. Apparently the new professional home has taken most of my time (or maybe I am just too lazy to write then and sleeping is more inviting. Heh.)

Anyway, instead of the old school round up, I think it is more fitting to post what I have written on those silly little papers in the past year. There are at least 50+ of them so I just chose to share the top five. They are not exactly my favourites but in a way or another, they are special. Some have surprised me, some I could not even remember writing, some are funny and some, tugged strings in my heart. 

Heartfelt dinner with my sister, grandfather and grandmother. 

Those solemn, simple moments hat I miss.

- Jan 1

It is always special to get to have some bonding moments with the family. I think we are even more bonded these days since our aunt has died a year ago. We are closer, the extended family and it is such a good thing.

I dreamed of him, and it is the best of the dreams that I had in weeks.

-  Feb 4-5ish

Reading this made me laugh out hard. I cannot even remember who him was. hahaha but yeah, it's February then. Maybe....maybe... ;-)

"No, all you need is to little your fears and enjoy what you are able to; Change and work towards self happiness. #ibelieveinu" - @joeythunder

-  March 18

"I'm here with open ears and eyes when needed." -@joeythunder

- March 18

I made two different posts for this but they go together. This happened at that moment where I was so down and confused to what lies ahead of me. I was about to make a decision that is to change me, professionally, and this push is exactly what I needed. I have already made a separate blogpost for this but it is so overwhelmingly special that it deserved to be included in this yearender post.

In addition, it's not only Joey that I am thankful but his family (girlfriend included). I may not know them personally and vice versa but they were there to push you to be on your best. I could not be more grateful.

Finally! After so many failed attempts, I was able to do a "sand angel"

(because there is no snow in here)

- March 24

Random. I've been wanting to do that since I was a kid haha. And I was too "into the moment" to even ask them to take a photo of me lying, spread-eagled onto the sand. It was totally fun.

And lastly,

Watched the Gatsby movie with Jofer. Cool to meet

him for the very first time in person.

Also, it is my first time to visit ATC!!

So rad!!

- May 17

This mainly spoke of the transfer to the South (because of work), or the start of it. And I love meeting new people. Well, not exactly new because I have known them for a while but you know, some of them I have not seen in person yet/in a while. And by the way, I have been visiting the Alabang Town Center a lot that there was a point that I go there at least once a week. Why is that? FullyBooked, is why. ;)

Not included in here but also deserve some nods are the three days-two nights stay in Potipot Gateway Resort/Potipot Island, and getting to attend concerts of The Script and Bazooka Rocks 2. And recently, our reunion of sorts with the college buddies. It's been a while.

Here's to new experiences and possibilities and the chance to grow more in all the aspects of life! To the many books to read and music and places to discover! To do good, and to enjoy life!

Happy new year everyone!

xoxo

Sometimes life overwhelms you and you cannot put them into words, hence the lack of holiday stories on my blog. I'm just too grateful to getting to spend most of the free time with my family, and I am looking forward to the awesome one week off of work (because of the holidays) that is ahead.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year to all!

I have been on a reading spree (having finished 7 books in a matter of two weeks) you would not even know I was pretty occupied by my work. I was busy in all sense of the word but... I don't know. Maybe sometimes you feel like doing something that makes you feel good and you just do it. It transports you into a different world; it opens your mind into a lot of different concepts and things. It is addicting and it will make you forget. You could never blame me.

So these are the books that has occupied my in-between and afterhours of work (in a particular order of when I have finished reading). This is my attempt to try to collect my thoughts and post "short" reviews, also to update my blog with new stuff of which I have not really done in the longest while:

A fast-paced series that has caught my interest maybe too much that I even have finished it way too fast, faster than my friend who has introduced me to it. I said yes so that we could watch the film adaptation next year together. It has the ingredients of a good read: characters with cool names to love and/or hate, an interesting plot, perils and conflicting ideas. I'd like to think the series is doing well until it has reached the last few chapters of Allegiant, where...this thing has happened. Maybe because I was not expecting that it would happen. That it could actually happen. Or maybe I have been expecting more, that it could have ended the other way. Or maybe Roth has put a lot of emotions and expectations on the second book that could not be surpassed (which is my favourite of the three, by the way) that after reading the last one I ended up questioning myself if the third book is even necessary. Or maybe that is how dystopian stories work, and it has just begged to differ from the others hence the twist... I love happy endings but now I don't know anymore.

Every book has its dainty part, then there are the lows. It also has the tendency to be repetitive, violence that would make you cringe and then there are parts that will make you nod your head in agreement.

Finishing this, though, I have realised something. Harry Potter has the Houses. Hunger Games has Districts. Divergent, factions. And why is that? Because we all want to feel that we belong. We want to be assured that we are not alone and we could be grouped by whatever traits or qualities that the majority of us have. In the same way that every individual (as the word itself would imply) is also different and we can't be just that one thing, we are a mix of all things (hence a Divergent).

Right now I am still in the middle of being impressed and disappointed and Abby has told me reread it after a few months and maybe I will. And then we'll see if my feelings about this book, or series, will change.

"We should try not to see those differences because they will only divide us."

"Everyone has some evil inside them, and the first step to loving

anyone is to recognize the same evil in ourselves, so we're able to

forgive them."

It is a series of interconnected stories of the different characters, but I have this notion that each could go as a stand alone. YA genre, with lots of kissing, lovemaking (especially the third one. It's just too much..in-porn-mation, I mean information. Ughh..) and fluff. I may have enjoyed the fluff but there are things that...I don't know, still bothers me even though I know that it is a part of our lives, of the grown up life. Hahahaha. It has surprised me that I have actually went to finish the series knowing how... anyway, it has been a fast read, and we should finish what we have started so.... Of the three I'd say Ten Tiny Breaths is the best because of how the story is put together and the plot and the ending has been justified.

Don't even get me started with this one. It has just made me love The Beatles even more if that is even possible. I may not be the kind of fan who knows all of their songs (in fact, I haven't heard them all and still waiting for my copy of all their songs from my best friend) but I'm the kind of person who's heart swells with joy when being exposed to a lot of fun and enthralling facts. I'd like to say that because of this book, it has  ade me appreciate them not only as musicians but as imperfect, talented individuals who's made a couple of good and bad decisions in life and has made their impact not only in the music industry but in the lives of the people.

This is a spinoff that could be a stand alone novel from the Hopeless series of Colleen Hoover. It is..an okay book; a short (300+ pages!), light read that one could finish in one sitting.

I'm an old-fashioned person when it comes to love and although I know how liberated people from different places can be, it still surprises me of how straightforward they could be and how losing your virginity to anyone (because I believe in purity before marriage. IKR? Crazy.) is not much a big deal to them. But then I'd like to believe I am open minded enough to understand why those has to be included and I'm talking about the majority of the YA stuff in general. R-e-s-p-e-c-t, I guess.

Next in line are books from Chris Colfer and A.S. King. And maybe I'd get a hand on Battle Royale and Warm Bodies again and a couple of Murakami's and get to finish them. ;)

Ohhhh by the way, merry Christmas! See I have been too busy to even put up a "wishlist" blog. But I am ever glad to have received one of the things that I have included in our Monito/Monita activity in the office: a Mockingjay pin.

Due to the many re-scheduling and availability problems, the One Republic date with the friends did not push through. Then because of the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the Matchbox 20 concert of which my best friend has initially bought me a ticket has been cancelled. But that is the least of the things that would worry me for the disastrous typhoon has left millions of people homeless, thousands of casualties. The whole place (Tacloban City, Leyte being one of the most destroyed places) was a mess it felt like it is being eradicated from the map. For the first time in years I don't feel like watching the news anymore because it is so heartbreaking seeing our fellow Filipinos suffering like that. For the first time in the longest while that complaining for anything seemed so wrong.

I have finished reading The House of Hades after some four days (I know, it took me quite a long time because I only get to read it during breaks and before I sleep at night) and I felt the urge to blog everything but I am afraid that it will be such a spoiler to everyone. 

It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face

I've been everywhere and back trying to replace

Everything that I had 'til my feet went numb

Praying like a fool that's been on the run...

I could listen to the same old song all day and feel good about it. Seeing and cuddling with my cats after a week of work makes my heart swell with joy. Eating ice cream after a very long day. Having random encounters with friends you have not seen for a long time, no matter how short it was. Getting your milk teas and donuts without having to queue for hours. When you get a smile and a "hello" from your crush. The list could go on and on and it all comes down to this fact: I find joy in little things. And my friends could attest to that. 

Which is also probably one of the reasons why as much of a concert-goer that I am, I don't mind getting the farthest seat even when I can afford (savings!) the higher-priced tickets (heh.) just to be with my friends (Ever heard of #TeamGenAd? Well, hey, it is not so bad.) I just want to live in the moment and be there as it unfolds. I just want to sing along with the songs that has helped me through most of my days, in various points of my life. I just want to experience it as it happens and catalog it in my mind and my heart all throughout my Earth-ly existence. Try new things (I found out recently that concert mosh pits are fun!) every once in a while (like joining contests, like this one.)