What am I doing posting a blog the night before Christmas?!?
Beats me!!! All I know is this is my third one in the UK and I'm reminiscing the 'golden days' and am a tad bit wistful. So, to keep my homesickness and sadness at bay I had some of my favourite things: 2 glasses of white wine, lots of cheese (roquefort and reggiano parmeggiano), pitted olives, and a full roast dinner (English style).
Christmas is good, I have my parents and one of my sisters right here. But you know what? A part of me is already thinking to Christmas 2010, for which I am planning on being home in Manila.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?! This blog post is a look back to what I have accomplished from the list I had set out just before new year last year. (Or of what I have failed to do?)
So here's my 2009 to do list once again, just one look is making me wince!!!.
#5. By the end of 2009 I should have at least £3000 in savings.
#4. I will celebrate my 1st year anniversary in my current job.
#3.Visit Theresa in DUBAI
#2. See the view from the top of Eiffel Tower.
#1. I will help Hydz come visit.
Right. I have failed to do all of it!!!. Do let me explain though, numbers 5 and 4 are co-dependent. Unfortunately, I was made redundant right smack in the middle of the year! I wasn't able to visit Tere in Dubai because of the financial constraints, and Hydz apparently has got totally different plans that does not include coming to England as a priority.
I did go to the City of Love, Paris and had the best birthday of my adult life.
I went to Euro Disney and went to all the key tourist spots.Here's my pic outside the iconic Louvre Museum -->
I and my friend, Carol decided not to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower because when we got there, we saw how you either have to get up by climbing the innumerable flights of stairs or by weird looking elevators and it was way too spooky for two altophobiacs to attempt!
Also, we took one look at the looooooong zig-zagging lines and we knew that even without the climb to the top of Eiffel, our 'Paris-ian' experience was already complete. (I did make a blog entry dedicated to that, please see post)
Then, despite my unemployment, for almost 5 months, (i was hired one time but decided not to continue due to the nature of the job, and I did some temp work throughout...but they are not real active employment in my opinion, just a ways to get some cash into the wallet) I was able to visit Paris' twin, the Eternal City, Roma in Italia and of course, the Vatican City.
Me at the Colosseum
with Tita Beng at St Peter's Square, Vatican City
Now Rome, Rome was something else, very different from my Paris trip. It was Tita Beng's birthday and we went with Tita Lorie. Somehow the experience was out of this world. We did all the tourist-y stuff and got fresh feet calluses for it, attended the Papal Audience and even met and had dinner with the current Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican City, Amb. Mercy Tuason.
I loved the experience and the trip to pieces albeit the dreadful plane ride and the ridiculously expensive mobile phone bill I incurred during it (almost £500!!!).
Oh and this year, I rediscovered e-bay and I bought myself a new mobile phone; a Nokia N97 which is a smartphone for which I don't seem to be smart enough to manage =)
I also started on a new job 2 weeks before the year ended. (Had the offer way back in mid October, but had to wait for all the paperwork to be completed)
Such a Christmas gift from heavens, don't you think?
So for 2009. I believe nothing has been lost and yet a lot has been gained. Met new people, nourished old links, strengthened familial bonds & friendships, and I did a lot of soul searching, contemplating and considering.
I may not have saved £3000, but I now have the capacity to start on that long overdue life savings. Besides, what is 2010 if not to start anew on old goals, as well as make some new ones?!
So here's my TO DO LIST ver. 2010:
1. Start life savings. Aim for £3000 by mid year!
2. Visit one more Schengen territory (ie. Spain, Belgium, Greece)
3. Exhaust all possibilities to renew visa in the UK (mummy wants me here!)
4. Visit Tere in Dubai and perhaps try to find opportunities there
5. Get my first designer bag...I was rooting for an LV or Gucci but all I was able to manage was a Longchamp...so ima trying again this year.
6. Get a new laptop - a Sony Vaio or, another Dell or a MacBook
7. Come home to attend my Lola's 80'th Birthday, Arlyn's wedding and spend Christmas 2010 at home sweet home.
8. Find my passion - careerwise
9. Watch a musical in West End
10. Watch a concert, show at the O2
11. See 2 or more places in the UK which I haven't visited yet; ie. Cornwall, York, Cambridge, Canterbury, Scotland, Ireland etc.
11. Take up a new hobby.
12. Be more health conscious and exercise!!!
Okay, I've got a longer list this year. My aims are quite tall order too. I hope to hit these targets, all of it if I can manage ...but I wont punish myself if I don't.
The whole point is to give myself some sort of direction, some very realistic goals that I can look forward to that aim to add more meaning, excitement and substance to my life.
I am very thankful for the year 2009, for all it is and for all that it isn't, the ups and downs it brought me, and the new plots that emerged.
I do not expect 2010 to be perfect, but I know for sure it will be better. I am very excited for everything that's in store not only for myself but for everyone.
Right. Now I'm off to get on with some of my new Christmas traditions, ima watching Love Actually and other Christmas flicks!!! But before that, just one more line:
Here's to a prosperous and blessed 2010 to all of us!
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