Again, as with tradition, here’s another year-end survey that I’ve been answering since 2003. Well, at least I think I answered it every year since then. Here’s the survey last year, and here are my answers for this year. :D Oh, and I can’t remember where I got this, so just feel free to grab. Here we go!

PLACES:

1) Place you hung out the most in this year:
Office, brother’s condo, home, Eastwood and Robinson’s Galleria.

2) Favorite new place you discovered:
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf! Their tea lattes are amazing, and it’s the perfect writer-ly hangout.

3) Places you went on dates:
Erm, if it’s just a normal friendly group date thing, mostly CBTL and Starbucks. As for the serious, romantic date — nah. Still nothing. :P

4) Favorite vacation spot for the year:
Cebu! I would definitely go back, if only for La Merea and Da Vinci’s Pizza.

5) Places you made out in (or more) this year:
Same answer: none.

PEOPLE:

1) Person who taught you a lot this year:
My team lead, IBM Club friends and other people I met at work.

2) An old friend you rediscovered this year:
Rosco. We weren’t exactly friends back in college (in fact, I only remember seeing him like once or twice at the tambayan), but we were both in YFC and apparently, we were in the same household during freshmen year. Heh.

3) Person who told you the nicest thing about yourself:
My team lead (“You’re an asset to the team”), IBM Club and other people from the office (“You’re so dependable/creative”). Haha thank you. :”>

4) Person who did something really great for you (and what):
Cors, Rosco and Gel — on the day I finally broke down! Rosco met me during lunch and watched me cry (haha), Gel and Cors let me ambush them at the condo just to rant. Thank you. :)

5) Person you spent the most time with this year:
IBM Club people. I swear, the meetings were the highlights of my year.

6) Person you did something really great for (and what):
You know what, I don’t really count. I guess…just being there to listen to my friends when they need someone to listen is one thing I’ve learned to do this year.

7) Someone you wished you talked to this year:
Bea. We met up like what, three times this year?

8) Someone whom you started a great friendship with this year:
IBM Club people, most especially Cors, Gel, Bel, Rosco (the jologs movie people, haha). Also with some new PinoyWrimos during November. :)

9) Old enemy/s you made peace with this year:
Still praying.

10) Someone you lost this year:
None, thankfully.

11) Person/s you kissed this year:
Family. No real romantic kiss yet. Haha!

12) Person who made you laugh the most:
Erwin, Ojie, Ron and Josh. =)) You should be at our meetings.

13) Person who made you cry:
Ahaha, Mike (you’ll read this one, I know :P), Grace (when she left), my mom during our petty fights, and …who else? /:)

14) Person you disliked when the year began but ended up becoming good friends with:
Again, I don’t really dislike people. There are some that I was initially intimidated with when I first met them, but never really dislike. So I guess none.

15) Person you crushed on the entire year:
AHAHAHAHA. It wasn’t the entire year, come on. :P <showbiz>

16) Someone you wished you apologized to:
Hm. I guess my mom again, but I modify this question: someone I wish I apologized to quickly. Haha, that would’ve avoided so many fights.

17) People you went out on dates with:
It’s not a date! It’s friendly conversations over food/coffee! Haha. :P

18) Friends you went out with a lot:
IBM Club friends, Street Team friends and PinoyWrimos (but only during November).

19) Coolest person you met this year:
Hm. Again, I might sound like a broken record already, but IBM Club friends and the new PinoyWrimos. :)

STUFF:

1) Clothing item you wore the most this year:
My fashion sense hardly changed. T_T Slacks and work tops. I swear, next year, I will try something different!

2) Nicest present you got this year:
Camera (from myself). And…er, I don’t know anymore. I did not get any Samsonite luggage, but it’s not like I want one anyway. Still waiting for the elusive bookshelf. :P

3) Favorite songS for the year:

• You Could Be The One by Bethany Dillon
• Migraine by Moonstar88
• Praying to the Wrong God and Industry by Jon McLaughlin
• Fall Back Into Me by David Cook
• ..really, there’s too much. I’ll just make another post about my 2008 soundtrack.

4) Coolest event of the year:
Altar Boyz, Hillsong United in Manila, Lifehouse in Manila, PinoyWrimo TGIO/For the Love of Writing Party. :)  I have a feeling I’m missing some stuff, but I’ll let this be for now.

5) New hobby you picked up this year:
Reading more books? I am not sure if I actually picked up a new hobby. This Tina, whattaloser. :P

6) Best book of the year:
It’s not a new book, but it’s definitely one of the best I read this year: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. :) Closely followed by Sushi for One? (well, this wasn’t released in 2008, but I read it this year) and Single Sashimi by Camy Tang and Marley and Me by John Grogan. :) Oh and lastly, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, but only because I’m curious about the trilogy, and because it’s the first urban fantasy I actually liked.

7) Best Movie:
Wanted, Wall-E. And of course, A Very Special Love! :P Oh, and I actually liked High School Musical 3. :D

8) Most shocking news headline of the year:
This headline made it within 2008 and it is just horrifying. How cruel. :(

9) Favorite food of the year:
Sour gummy worms. KFC Hotshots. And Moroccan Mint Tea Latte.

10) Favorite new artist that came out this year:
Paramore. I know they didn’t come out this year, but I discovered them this year, so. :P

LESSONS:

1) Wisest thing you did this year:
Be flexible and try new things.

2) Stupidest thing you did this year:
Thinking that I can do everything. And again, not praying as much as I should be.

3) Biggest change in your life this year:
Getting to know more people and getting more responsibilities.

4) Biggest challenge of this year:
Time management! Argh, so hard.

5) Something you learned the hard way:
That people leave and move on no matter what.

6) Greatest lesson you learned this year:
I need time for myself. Being good at what I do and taking care of other people is good, but I also need to take care of myself.

7) Best joke you’ve heard all year:
Can’t remember, sorry. :P

8) Biggest disappointment of the year:
No WYD or Sydney. :(

9) Biggest blessing of the year:
My friends who kept me sane. :D Thank you!

10) Biggest thing you discovered about the world:
I think it’s actually the same as last year — there’s so much more to see! :)

11) Biggest thing you discovered about people in general:
People deal with their problems in their own way and most of the time, you just have to sit there and wait/listen until they come around again.

AND LASTLY!!!

1) Goals/dreams for next year:

• fix my prayer time
• drive (for the nth time!)
• lose weight.
• finish 2008 NaNo Novel (2006 would have to wait)
• Read 50 books, 25 of which is new and 5 classics.
• 100 PinoyWrimo winners in NaNoWriMo 2009.
• There’s more here.

2) Predictions for next year on:
A. LOVE:
Still open to anything. Let’s see where this year brings me. :P

B. CAREER:
More challenging, but I think it’s moving upward now. :D