2009 in a nutshell

2009 is such a memorable year for me. I would like to say it could have given me some reasons to smile but I would believe it is the most painful year for me.

Happiness in the forms of:

-> Travel, I have a few roadtrips and long vacation including my first business trip in the US
-> I've learned how to drive a "matic" car the hard way and was able to go back to SFO without getting caught
-> This is my last semester in UP Diliman. I hope that I will graduate on time
-> I've got a new camera body and a bunch of new lenses. I've sold my old gear to gain back some of the funds as well
-> I've got a very high running mileage this year. Been active with running since I got back from the US to lose a few pounds but eventually it became a passion! From 5K -> 10K -> 21K -> 32K, wow! It's been a very productive running year
-> New friends and groups: Active again with RACE barkada and Takbo.ph. :D
-> Got a new car which replaced my old Rev-O. Loving every day with my new ride (Zoom-zoom!):D
-> Mickey's new pups which brought some new joy here at home

But there are a lot of pains this year:

-> Ondoy and Pepeng wreaked havoc in Luzon. A significant number of people lost their homes and loved ones because of the onslaught it brought
-> Work-related stuff. Changes which shattered my morale and to think twice if I will be pursuing my career in my current work
-> A lot of personal issues with a few folks due to my stubborness and arrogance. Tried saving a couple of folks but I didn't get any thanks in return. Sorry guys for being like this, I'll try to minimize it in the next year
-> Opening up the shell and lowering down the shield to expose the reality inside. It hurts when it is often misinterpreted and I believe this is where Karma sinks in.
-> A big number of frustrations which builds-up and waiting to explode. I really hate the feeling that almost every week in the last few months that I have some new issues or problems which I have to face alone. What makes me sick is they are not related to me but I need to do something to fix them all

I wouldn't say I hate 2009 but I would like to thank it for the important lessons it taught me and let me grow as a person. I'm looking forward to what 2010 has in-store for me but I hope it will help me recover from the year which was 2009.

Happy new year everyone!

Amador Daguio

During our trip in Pinatubo last Saturday, we had a side-trip to the Capas Shrine. The huge needle surrounded by marble walls was truly an eye-candy for anybody who went there. The walls bear the name of all those patriots and veteran who marched from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac during the war.

But what struck me most was a line of a poem from Amador Daguio at the end of one of the walls. It says:

"And when the world shall wake again, from the grim decay to growth and beauty, let no one know my pain, but i have done my humble duty..."

Wow! This was one of those things that struck me by the heart; I easily connected with the message it was trying to relay.

Now I'm a fan of Amador. I'll search more of his poems and put it here in my blog.

One on one

Had a one-on-one session with my mentor today in Starbucks. I just want to release this disappointment which is lingering in my chest since that announcement. Was it good? I think so as now I have a bigger idea on how such decisions were made plus a few more inputs to help clear the topic. It was hard and bottomline is the final decision will be with me alone which I agree.

Thanks Marc for being patient with my angst and doing your best to explain the current scenario we have in our company. I have learned a lot; I will use this info to explain to other folks as well to understand such decisions.

Post-Corregidor Report

One of the most fantastic run I had this year. Very tough course, lovely weather and breath-taking scenery would make this run a worthwhile to remember.

Kudos to the organizers for this race!

Corregidor fun!

I'm excited for my trip tomorrow! It's my first time to be in Corregidor and I'm going to enjoy every part of it :). Together with the takbo.ph folks and one of my hs buddies, I would be running 10 miles of rugged terrain.

What excites me more is the thrill of somebody wishing me luck for this run. I hope that I can get a good PR tomorrow minus the freaking cramps and haggard slowdowns.

See you tomorrow at the rock!