Year 2015: Goals and Impressions

I haven’t officially started my blog life this year yet, as I have to compartmentalize the happy clutter that is going on in this heck of a brain first. There’s so much to tell, and I can’t wait to do just that, but I don’t want to do it in such a hurry that I don’t get to give justice to every good thing. And so, I am writing this down as an overview of what’s to come.

In so far as adventures, trips, dates, and plans are concerned, my year is shaping up to be a pretty exciting one. I hope that all of these plans come to life (while I also hope that my pocket won’t be as empty as I indulge hahaha).

Travel is in everyone’s list this year. I want to experience new places near and far. Summer is nearing. We all know what this means. But before all the beaching, there are other important dates in line as well – birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I just can’t wait for everything to happen!

As a solution to my being an ambivert, I shall strive to balance my extroversion with my introversion by spending just as much time going out to see my best buds and the world as staying in for some home time with the family and loved ones and myself. Both are different in experience but same in pleasure.

Books and movies and series, three things I felt I have neglected in the last semester of my 2014 which I have added in my goals list to make up for this year. I am coming back to late nights of binge-everything-ing because that’s what I do.

Writing/blogging was also a bit set aside last year which was a late realization for me. I never want to lose the fire of my love for this diversion, as it’s become a great companion of mine both when I’m feeling down and cheery. It’s also one pursuit in which I wish to improve on greatly, and neglecting it last year was a move which dragged this dream/goal down a bit. So this year I pledge to give this more time and thinking, and more time and thinking. This makes for a great first baby step.

These are just a few of my semi-goals aspirations for this year, but I am not closing doors on any other opportunities. Anything can happen, but now I am not just going to take whatever life gives me. I’ll weigh matters first. That’s another change for me. It’s time.

These things are more personal than career-driven, I know. Career is another matter altogether, and I want to keep my more serious plans to myself in the meantime until I am ready to share them when I have already crafted concrete steps and goals.

Let’s do this one first. J

I love you, 2015! I’m owning you!

Friendsgiving

From the usual Christmas parties my college mates and I hold, we have decided to go for something more fitting, intimate (but still wild and fun) and religion-considerate this time – FRIENDSGIVING.

Actually, there wasn’t much of a difference. It only partly changed the vibe of the party by putting the real focus on the F.R.I.E.N.D.S at that moment, but the faces and fun were the same.

We were more in attendance compared last year. Hence, we were out of control. Loud voices overpowered and mixed with other loud voices, and the hosts could barely do anything to calm everyone down for the games. Voices would lower down for a few seconds then full chaos again. It rained gifts and prizes as well. That feeling of receiving a gift would never ever get old. Each was also awarded special recognitions for the eccentricity that made each lovable and despicable at the same time.

Above all the loudness, though, was this feeling of intimacy. Maybe we just really missed each other. I mean, we hadn’t seen each other’s faces in a long time. We had so much to share that we were all so restless and hyperactive. We didn’t know where to begin, which to talk about first, how to compress all our stories and laughter. And we only had the night for everything because this is the only time of the year we get to be this complete.

I guess it was also the intimacy of the night that gave me the courage to finally share a very important part of my happy life right now – the boyfriend. So there were actual and “almost” tears that were totally unexpected. Dear friends were that affected. I was moved. I was not prepared for the overflow of love and support from them. Their happiness was all so genuine. Beyond grateful for these friends!

To Jerome and Kreng, thank you so much for putting all this together. All your sweat and convincing powers and harsh words paid off. *wink-wink You guys did it! Thank you for organizing all of this year’s special events. A for Effort!

Special thanks are also in order for the following people’s generosity: Vyna for the cake (From Dubai with love! We hope to have you here next year), Purita for the cute knives (Seriously, why a knife? Hahaha) and Marfi for her special gifts (Unique gifts for each, big time! You really know what we like)!

At the end of the day, we’re all just kids trying to have fun. Because at this point in time when every chance at letting loose and letting our hair down is not as easy to get as it used to, spontaneous moments like this night are a treasured gift we get to truly enjoy when we are with the people who are just as crazy as us.

To quote my friend Jusz:

“Here's to the nights that turned into mornings with the friends that turned into family. ‪#‎Friendsgiving2014”

Enough said.

Let’s open the year by spending it with the people we love most.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!!!

(Late post)

*Big thanks to Monica Mangalino, Paul Maunahan and Antoniette Pulutan for the lovely photos!

Housing Party 2014

Annual Housing Departmental Christmas Party | December 19, 2014 | Patio Acerado Resort

Housing and Settlements Department at your service!

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!!!

(Late post)

“D” Party

Like what my high school pals and I do every year, we have thrown a mini-party for the Christmas season to reminisce our cherished HS memories and celebrate the feats we have achieved this year. We like bullying and admiring each other at the same time. 

School project! :)

You couldn’t have expected anything less.

Hibek and Vangie!

Che and Jusz!

Froiland, Joson, Alexa, and Katrina!

Vangie hosted the games. There were those surely tailor-made for couples. Said games exposed the possessive girlfriends in the group, hugging and keeping to themselves what’s theirs while pushing away those who ever wish to even just touch their guys. Lol! Of course she couldn’t leave out the singles to grieve alone. There was also a game for them, singles edition! Haha!

Personalized cupcake c/o Faith!

And since I like tackling the has-beens of past celebrations and the new stuff this year, I have observed a few notable things. Our attendance was record breaking this time! It’s really nice to know that each year we grow more and more in attendance. My mates really made the effort despite their tight schedule. Aw. Haha! More to the point, we were more because they brought along someone with them. Boyfriends showed up. Hooray to everyone enjoying their love life this Christmas! Haha! But not just boyfriends, we also had a baby present that night, say whaaat. The delicious and so good-smelling Baby Miesha played with us too. Parties are more fun with boyfies and babies around, that I can say now for sure!

Diemond? Chritmas? Whaaaaat?

Katrina and Julie!

Shout out to the supergirls Krizia and Justine for letting their patience and love for everyone prevail to successfully hold the Christmas party! Fistbump! 

Also very grateful to Hibek for accommodating us in their very nice home. He had no qualms nor complaints when our loud mouths entered their territory. We could be really loud as in loud-loud, you know. Sorry, neighbors! That was just one night. Haha! Maybe next year again?! *wink-wink

I’d also like to thank Faith for sponsoring the party when she was only supposed to give us souvenirs as gifts! She’s abroad, but she still wanted to partake in our celebration, and she did so grandly. Thank God for friends like her, hoping to have her here next year. 

Class picture!

The party was loud with everyone wanting to take over the moment, wild with all the fun-filled games we played, crazy with everyone who participated with such energy, and unforgettable with all the new memories we have created in those few hours.

This post is the reason why I love Christmas so much!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my Diamond Family!!!

*Big thanks to Froiland and Hibek for the lovely photos!

DARK PLACES by GILLIAN FLYNN

Libby Day lives her post-family-murder life for nothing. Forever unconcerned with whatever life throws at her, she could care less about what happens to her already destroyed self. She thought about and tried suicide a hundred times but never got around to truly ending what’s left of her. She’s alive but running out of money to survive, so she finds a new way to earn using her family’s murder’s through a group of people who take interest in the mystery of who murdered her mother and siblings. While in search for past suspects whose names came up during the past investigations, she finds herself facing new realizations about his convicted brother, Ben Day, and new angles as to who might actually did the murder.

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Slit me at my belly and it might slide out, meaty and dark, drop on the floor so you could stomp on it. – Libby Day

With a plot centering on murder and Satanism, Dark Places’ theme is as dark as it could get. Every chapter makes me play an eerie scenario in my head. But more than the visual brutalities, I see violence in the characters’ broken souls and minds. I see it in the way they think, the way they act or in the way they don’t, and it’s far more disturbing.

I got hooked even when the intensity wasn’t that much, as it was scattered here and there, revealing itself only little by little and in an unproblematic narration while building up to the big reveal. It’s slow-paced, very, the storytelling taking its time, but it got to me and kept my interest going with the end of every chapter always leaving a simple yet intriguing statement every time.

Flynn’s approach in using multiple perspectives and time periods, as she did with this one, is a very effective and engaging writing style, as it keeps me drawn deeper into her story. Dark Places is strategically exciting in a way that the story unfolds through the overlapping and meeting of different characters’ storytelling at different times. I was never confused; I never felt overworked while reading. Everything fell into place seamlessly.

I felt something loosen in me, that shouldn’t have loosened. A stitch come undone. – Libby Day

Dark Places has that Gillian Flynn signature with its ring of unusual truth and brutal reality which I truly admire. In general, Flynn’s stories are always too real that they tend to be scary to read.

Based on her novels that I’ve read, Gillian Flynn is not an idealist. She knows how to point out the truth behind the possibilities of every unusual thing happening, that sometimes people think people can’t do certain things even when they actually can because these things are in their nature, that sometimes people are just really harsh, that sometimes justice can’t be served and people don’t always get what they deserve, and that all people can do is accept all these things and carry on with their lives. These are things I as a reader ponder on every time I open a Flynn novel, and I love that she makes me think about all these because very few authors get to me like that.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book because it’s just so twisted. I mean, not as much as I enjoyed Gone Girl because I believe that to be her best brainchild yet, but it still has all the elements that made me read and think about it nonstop.

The trend that it is today, Dark Places is already set for its movie adaptation come 2015. No surprise there anymore but that’s still something worth looking forward to, right? J

Are you done reading this book? Share your thoughts!

*Photo source: http://theaimn.com/book-review-dark-places-gillian-flynn/