2009 Year-End Survey # 1

I am officially on vacation again. :D I miss last year’s Christmas break, two whole weeks of no work. But beggars can’t be choosers today, so, I’ll take any day off from work. :)

As with tradition for the past two years (or so), here’s one of the year-end surveys that I do every end of the year. Let’s see how different my answers are this year from the past two years. :D

(And yes, I will still make a better recap. But answering surveys can be a bit mindless, requires little words, and I don’t have to have a health risk life insurance for this. So here you go. :D)

What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Read more than 50 books in a year. Watch more than 40 movies. I also started to sponsor a kid to school through World Vision. Go to Hong Kong and Coron, Palawan! Follow a diet, work out consistently and lose 20lbs! :-)

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I managed to accomplish half? A lot of it weren’t accomplished because Ondoy kind of threw us all out of the loop. :(

Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one I know. My teammate isn’t due until February.

Did anyone close to you die?
No one again, but a lot of people passed away in 2009. :(

What countries did you visit?
Hong Kong! I want to go back, if only for the food.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Can a person be too organized? I feel like I’m not too organized, at least not consistently. I also want to have a house with a second floor. :P Oh, and more confidence in driving — I mean it this time! :P And more, more, more time to pray, because I still can’t get it in my system. :(  Materially speaking, I want a 13″ MacBook Pro, and a new wardrobe. :P

What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 26, 2009 — Ondoy. My life seriously changed because of it, and I can barely remember anything before that.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting promoted! :) And losing 20lbs! :D

What was your biggest failure?
Not driving again. Too chicken. And possibly losing a friendship that I couldn’t really try and sustain anymore, at least by myself.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Indigestion because of an oyster around March and an A(H1N1) scare around June. I always manage to catch my sore throat before it becomes a full blown fever. :P

What was the best thing you bought?
Macy, my 32GB iPod Touch. And Elyon, my Nokia 6730c, to replace Captain Tal.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Can I say mine? I’m amazed at how I managed to stick to this weight loss goal since I started. :))

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Some people at work…but I don’t really have to mention it here, right? Oh, and there was this person who I was expecting concern from but didn’t get any. :( And…mine, too, especially when I was being selfish. Yes, I know, it’s vague.

Where did most of your money go?
Food. Gadgets. Gym. And travel stuff. :D

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Coron, Palawan!

What song(s) will always remind you of 2009?
Blessed Be Your Name because of Ondoy. Migraine by Moonstar88 because of…something I’d really rather not say. :P And because of our Palawan trip, Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. :))

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? right now..I think I’m sadder. I just really want to get 2009 over with, please.
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner! Wohoo, I love saying that. :P
iii. richer or poorer? I think…richer? Thank God.

What do you wish you’d done more?
Pray on the days when life is okay. :(

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Talk. I think in 2010, I’ll talk less and listen more. And I want to get to know more people, more than I met this year.

What was your favorite TV program?
Castle was a favorite this year. And oh, I revived my love for As Told By Ginger!

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think so. I can dislike someone, but I don’t really hate anyone. Oh, but I hated 2009. Does that count?

What was the best book you read?
Okay, there’s so many! Most notable ones are The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, City of Glass by Cassandra Clare, Belong To Me by Marisa Delos Santos. <3

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Rosi Golan, James Morrison, Safetysuit.

What did you want and get?
An iPod Touch. I think that’s pretty much it? My new phone was a necessity because the old phone broke down, so I didn’t reall want it.

What was your favorite film of this year?
Up! Followed closely by Avatar. :)

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 23. I was surprised by my friends at the office, received a sunflower from my best friend, then had a birthday lunch with my family and ice cream with teammates. Had extended birthday dinners the next few days, which was fun, fun, fun. :)

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Oh, hm. I just realized that I didn’t have the same big goal as I did last year (WYD in Sydney), so I couldn’t think of anything. Haha. Okay, I guess I’ll say it out loud here: I guess falling in love would have made 2009 a better year than it was? :))

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Still the same (ugh), but I’ve started to change a bit by the end of the year because my clothes don’t fit! ACK. But I love it. New wardrobe coming this year! :D

What kept you sane?
Friends and exercise.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
John Lloyd Cruz? Haha. Oh, Taylor Lautner! :D

What political issue stirred you the most?
I didn’t exactly get stirred, but I started caring a bit more this year. Book Blockade, is one thing. The Maguindanao Massacre really appalled me. I started caring a bit more about the presidential candidates because I registered to vote this year too (I know, how late).

Who did you miss?
Still the same answer this year…and I’m really getting tired of missing that person over and over again. Maybe one day I’ll post about it.

Who was the best new person you met?
Re-met? My high school friends. :P

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Possessions are nothing, especially after a flood hits you.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
I don’t really keep track of things like this, but maybe I should? I received a lot of good commendations at work, but that’s too professional. Oh, wait. Someone did tell me that I’m really kind. It sounded better in Tagalog. :P

The most touching experience you’ve had this year?
When people sent their support and prayers to me while I was trying to move on from the flood.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
I lost weight! :)

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
Overthinking again? And…procrastinating a lot. And hiding a lot from other people.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
You give and take away, my heart will choose to say “Lord blessed be Your name.”

Was 2009 a good year for you?
I honestly think…it’s half and half. I try to remember what the first half of the year was and honestly it’s very fuzzy because everything changed after the flood…I could remember it was all pretty good, actually. Things went downhill from the flood, but it’s mainly the little inconveniences in life that got me pissed off at 2009.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Coron, Palawan trip. Hm, I just realized that I went to the beach 3 times this year. Yeahbah. :)

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Ondoy weekend, obviously. Although I have to say, it’s a weekend full of love and caring, too.

Where were you when 2009 began?
At the condo.

Who were you with?
With my family, trying to watch the fireworks at the rooftop through the smoky skies. :D

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Home, probably.

Who will you be with when 2008 ends?
With my mom and brother. We miss you, Papa! :D

Do you have a new years resolution for 2010?
Yes I will, and I have yet to write them. :-) I love New Year, and I love making New Year’s Resolutions. :)

What was your favorite month of 2009?
November. As much as I love NaNoWriMo, this year’s November is just harder than the others.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2009?
Not in physical death, but death in the form of lack of contact. :(

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
A friend who didn’t seem to care anymore. :(

What was your favorite record from 2009?
Hello Hurricane by Switchfoot and brand new eyes by Paramore.

How many concerts did you see in 2009?
Katy Perry (November 14, 2009). I watched it just for Mae. :)

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2009?
I…think so. Haha. I discovered a new favorite drink — apple vodka! And this is the year that I got seriously tipsy.

Do a lot of drugs in 2009?
Nope. And I never will.

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Yeeeees…and it’s really not something I should share.

How much money did you spend in 2009?
Oh dear, a whole lot more. I bought a lot more gadgets, spent a lot on the gym and other trips! I can see myself spending more next year. :))

What was your proudest moment of 2009?
Getting promoted, losing weight. :)

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2009?
Sending a text message to the wrong person. :)) It was really embarrassing. :P

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
I wish I could say that I could change Ondoy weekend…but I know I can’t.

What are your plans for 2010?
Drive. Finish my two novels. And go on more trips! :)

How are you different now that the year has ended?
I think I’m a lot different from last year because the flood really, really changed my life. I wish I could say that I’ve changed for the better, but sometimes I still struggle with my materialism. However, it had definitely opened my eyes that in times like that, prayer and preparation is the key. It’s left my faith still struggling, but awed at His mercy and power.

What are your wishes for the new year?
I wish that Ondoy would not happen anymore. I also wish that I’d be able to finally drive, because my brother is getting married in 2010 and I can’t rely on him to drive me around after that. I also wish for more love, more patience and more friends. :)

I need to start thinking of my theme for 2010. :) 2 days to go!