Lifescape of the Year Past

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.....G.K. Chesterton

This blog turned a year old recently. For my maiden offering, I figured it would be good to review what transpired in the year now behind me. Most of what I have written was forgotten just as quickly as I wrote them. Some memories, on the other hand, are worth reliving. I'd like to review my life a year ago today and look at my mountains, hills, valleys, and plateaus for the past 12 months.

At first, I was thinking that this post will be a compilation of my best monthly posts (at least to me) but as it turned out, I have lots of favorites. I am making this instead the collection of posts I'd go back to over and over again as it reminds me of the the highlights and the lowblows of life in my recent past.

Take a ride down memory lane with me.........

June 2008
Ika 25 ng Hunyo 2008. Of course, this had to be it as it started my daily blog. Even if this highlighted my stupidity........

July 2008
Ika 1 ng Hulyo 2008. It was my eldest daughter's debut and it marked the day I went back to the academe which would always be my life's passion.
Ika 2 ng Hulyo - Describing my usual mode of transportation on my way to work...
Ika 8 ng Hulyo - Riding a familiar van, I recalled an event that happened some months back.......
Ika 9 ng Hulyo - This morning, I would assist my two kids on their homework.....
Ika 10 ng Hulyo - An encounter with a pushy unknown neighbor would make me start my day on the wrong foot. In my tagalized post, I was horrified by the threat of a Manny Pacquiao concert....
Ika 14 ng Hulyo - Trying to get my lazy butt out of the house..... In my tagalized post, I related how I put my foot down after experiencing injustice in a service center....
Ika 16 ng Hulyo - Late for work, I decided to take it easy and have a nice lunch with a friend. In the tagalized post, a celebrity would justify her husband's misdemeanor....
Ika 17 ng Hulyo - A segment of the Rachel Ray show would be dedicated to a guy named Joey.... In the tagalized post, I talked about discipline or rather the lack of it by our public transportation sector....
Ika 18 ng Hulyo - The mega earthquake predicted might have caused a little altercation between my son and I.....In my tagalized post, I would find my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in simple pleasures.
Ika 21 ng Hulyo - Got a dressing down from hubby due to a past 'sin' made known recently...
Ika 22 ng Hulyo - A bad start for me because of a fight with my son...
Ika 23 ng Hulyo - I made up with my son as my husband challenges me on a threat I made in a post.... My lunch date with friends is the subject of my tagalized post.
Ika 25 ng Hulyo - My blog is a month old and I have 50 posts.....
Ika 26 ng Hulyo - I am learning things. This is the first post where I used a picture....
Ika 28 ng Hulyo - I still have to be in the office on a stormy day after being assaulted by my two kids who stayed home because their classes were suspended....
Ika 30 ng Hulyo - Base number and my mistake in teaching my son...... In the tagalized post, a couple would make me squirm because of their PDA.

August 2008
Ika 1 ng Agosto 2008. Talk about my frenzied mornings usually spent with my dear son as he slowly grasp the responsibilities of being a student even as he remains dependent on me and other people around him. The day happened to be a rainy day and the last of the workweek. I would look forward to my weekend. My tagalized portion brought back poignant memory of my childhood as I offered flowers picked by the railroad track to my mom.
Ika 5 ng Agosto 2008 - A day where wisdom is gained from both the young and the old. I was reflective this day and using an old tree I passed by and ignore daily as an analogy, I would notice the tree that day. Viewing it from different angles and at different times of the day, it can give different perspectives similar to how we view life from near and far.
Ika 9 ng Agosto 2008 - The day gives a glimpse of just how fast-paced life is for this blogger. From attending the funeral of a friend's mom to meeting friends for lunch to watching a circus-musical show in the evening, this must be one of those full days falling on a weekend.
Ika 21 ng Agosto 2008 - Remembering Ninoy's life and death at a time we all need a hero.

September 2008
Ika 1 ng Setyembre 2009. A brand new month, another start as I take stock of my life. The start of a the Christmas season is ushered in the midst of a worsening economy.....
Ika 4 ng Setyembre 2008 - The Obama-Mccain Presidential Campaign takes centerstage. Sarah Palin has recently been announced as Mccain's running mate while Biden was Obama's choice. In this post, I intimated my bias for Obama as a believer of peaceful means in running world affairs.
Ika 12 ng Setyembre 2008 - A fully packed Friday.... The demands of motherhood compete with my full load at the office and at school. Can I still juggle my various concerns? This is also the day I would attend a PTA discover for myself my middle daughter's accomplishment in school. We don't make it a habit to discuss these things at home. My accidental discovery brings joy to the heart. My eldest daughter who is at her dorm has been sick since the night before. I worry about my son's reaction about my attending my middle daughter's PTA having missed his.
Ika 16 ng Setyembre 2008 - The sin of an errant mom to her son is the day's account. I regret this day. I am only human.......
Ika 25 ng Setyembre 2008 - Here, I related the helplessness felt by a parent as her kids were left by school bus alone in school. Having experienced getting lost as a pre-schooler, I could very well relate to the fear and panic by my kids longing for the safety and familiarity of home.

October 2008
Ika 1 ng Oktubre 2008 - In a book-launching event organized for our school owner, I would meet the former first dragon-lady, a woman whose ways I loathe. But I would be hobnobbing with her, even obliging for a photo opp thru my friend's insistence. Up close, I would see the epitome of what is bad and distasteful in a society where poverty abounds.
Ika 3 ng Oktubre 2008 - I am saddened on this day receiving a message from a friend who wants to meet up before going under the knife......
Ika 9 ng Oktubre 2008 - With the approval by the Senate of JPEPA, we made headline today. I actually just arrived home from an extended session of the Senate lasting till dawn today. It felt exhilirating concluding a work we have been doing for more than a year.
Ika 13 ng Oktubre 2008 - I had my day planned out going to work when I got this text message from the secretary of a top official that I was being hunted by the official. I was at my wits' end trying to think about the possible reasons. Have I been naughty? It didn't help that I was late coming to work. After about an hour agonizing, I would learn from the official that she has a special mission for me..... Whew!
Ika 14 ng Oktubre 2008 - Driving brings out some of my stupidity to the surface. This day saw me in one of those brainless moments as I brought hubby to the airport in his new car.
Ika 17 ng Oktubre 2008 - Another stressful day..... But the thing about this post is the tagalized portion which is an interesting conversation between my middle daughter and I as she asked permission to go out with friends. The generation gap would be evident in our conversation.
Ika 18 ng Oktubre 2008 - A foodie post as this day Dayap's hubby and I would jointly celebrate our birthday.
Ika 19 ng Oktubre 2008 - A post about real friendship..... the joys it brings and how it draws out the best in us.
Ika 20 ng Oktubre 2008 - This is my birthday post narrating my adventure for the day..... from renewing my driver's license, doing my pet duty, and finally having a quiet dinner with my family to celebrate my day.
Ika 21 ng Oktubre 2008 - This narrates our rather irritating but funny experience at the Land Transportation Office, one of those government offices frequented by lots of people. This is one office I hate going to......
Ika 22 ng Oktubre 2008 - This narrates the nice dinner party that my family had in Itallianni's to celebrate my birthday....
Ika 27 ng Oktubre 2008 - The worsening financial crisis is taking its toll on everyone..... even my junk dealer is affected.....
Ika 29 ng Oktubre 2008 - My eldest daughter will take her driving lessons starting today.... I remember my own thrill when I was learning to drive back in my college years.
Ika 31 ng Oktubre 2008 - Differences of practices in celebrating all saints' day is my favored topic today. In the tagalized post, difference in handling problem between hubby and I was tackled.

November 2008
Ika 4 ng Nobyembre 2008 - History was made for the American as they went to the polls to vote for their 44th President.
Ika 5 ng Nobyembre 2008 - Obama is the 44th President of the USA.
Ika 6 ng Nobyembre 2008 - The woes of a working class parent sending three children to school.
Ika 7 ng Nobyembre 2008 - Media fodder after the Obama victory.
Ika 14 ng Nobyembre: To Decorate or Not - I was caught in a dilemma whether I would put out our Christmas decorations or not at all with major home improvement underway. My kids were looking forward to a festive holiday. In a quandary, I took a trip down memory lane the past two years we spent Christmas when we moved back to our home. This post marked the first time I have put titles in my daily blogs.
Ika 15 ng Nobyembre 2008: The Great Repair - Finally, I have decided to deal with our recurring drainage problem. In my tagalized post, my son decided to tell me about a misdeed after confining himself to his self-imposed punishment.
Ika 16 ng Nobyembre 2008: The Great Repair 2 - A day gone awry.........
Ika 20 ng Nobyembre: Great Find! - I related attending a seminar conducted by a pedigreed academician but does not possess the knowledge to conduct the seminar I know by heart. It's unfortunate for both of us that I had to attend it. To balance the yin and yang of the day, I went to my most-awaited tyangge and bought really, really nice stuffs.
Ika 28 ng Nobyembre 2008: Office Politics - Friends and I talk about being caught in the ugly side of office politics.

December 2008
Ika 8 ng Disyembre 2008: Whirlwind on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception - I unexpectedly became the accidental chaperone to middle daughter being fetched by his boy classmate who is her friend. Later, I would be attending our office party.
Ika 30 ng Nobyembre 2008: Mensa Challenge - Recalling yesterday's date with the girls, it was a thrill watching hairspray. Later, my eldest daughter and I would be taking the Mensa IQ test...... the nerve of me......
Ika 10 ng Disyembre 2008: Development....... At Whose Expense - Lives and livelihood have both been sacriced in the name of development.
Ika 11 ng Disyembre 2008: My Feel Good Day - My long awaited spa day with my friend, V.......
Ika 15 ng Disyembre 2009: Missing - This is one dreadful day as I discovered that my USB holding my school files and other important file is missing and I had to make an important exam. Problem is I did not backed up some files.
Ika 18 ng Disyembre 2009: My Boy's Wish - It's my only son's birthday and he celebrated the day in school as a child for the last time.
Ika 20 ng Disyembre: Unlucky Streak - It's our Christmas party in the school where I teach. I was excited because everyone will be getting a gift. Known as the most unlucky person in raffle draws, I look forward to getting a gift like everyone else.....
Ika 24 ng Disyembre: Christmas Eve - I was in the office and I was sick. What a lousy way to usher in Christ's birth. In time, I would be headed home to be with my loved ones.
Ika 25 ng Disyembre 2009: Merry Christmas - Greetings to everyone!
Ika 26 ng Disyembre: The Day After Christmas - Feeling much better, my daughters and I are off to our traditional MMFF movie watching.
Ika 28 ng Disyembre: Family Reunions - My thoughts on family reunions revealed...... getting apprehended by a traffic enforcer.... celebrating with friends.......
Ika 31 ng Disyembre: On New Year's Eve Reflecting on the Year that Was - As the year draws to an end, I reflect on the year that was as I look forward to what lies ahead in a time of uncertainty........

January 2009
Ika 1 ng Enero 2009: A Toast to a Brand New Year - New Year's Eve fireworks were lesser than in previous years which seems to foretell the difficult times ahead. Still, we toast to a band new year with our neighbors.......
Ika 2 ng Enero 2009: Clean Slate - Starting fresh the first days of a new year. As when the garbage truck came to collect the dumps of yesterday, we want to rid ourselves of life's clutter to be able to start fresh.......
Ika 6 ng Enero: Pondering - Tragic news greeted us at the start of the year. My home improvement is almost complete. Lots of things on my mind....... Ora et labora....
Ika 10 ng Enero 2009: Fixing a Sticky Situation - My mettle was tested when one of the workers broke our pergula. I am not sure whether just it's the just finished Christmas season that made me more patient. My iron work contractor is a good man and I didn't want to ruin the good relationship. Will he own up to the responsibility?
Ika 12 ng Enero 2009: Vicious Cycle - A realization of the beauty in something that I might consider one of life's thorns, my work.
Ika 13 ng Enero 2009: Turn a New Leaf - Making baby steps towards a change for the better at work.
Ika 20 ng Enero 2009: Breaking Traditions - Who would miss the Obama inauguration as history is forever rewritten. Yet, media trivializes the event with their inanities.....
Ika 22 ng Enero 2009: Traffic Jams and Acronyms - Recalling the previous day adventure in a busy city that turned into a food trip and bargain hunting. It's like revisiting my childhood.....
Ika 23 ng Enero 2009: Of Builders and Makers - All the beauty that surrounds us can be attributed to the craftmen whose labor make all these things possible....
Ika 27 ng Enero 2009: Looming Threat in the Year of the Ox - As an Ox, what is in store for me in my year. With an uncertain economy, I am not very upbeat about the future.....
Ika 28 ng Enero 2009: Smoggy Morn - My concerns about the continued degradation of our environment as I noticed a haze enveloping the metropolis of my way to work this morning....
Ika 29 ng Enero: Prophet of Doom - Hubby and I had to deal with the anxiety of unemployment with the buyout of the firm that he works for.....
Ika 30 ng Enero 2009: New Day Dawning - The top management is experimenting on a job rotation scheme among the heads of offices. My boss is being reassiggned....ya'y........
Ika 31 ng Enero 2009: Hubby's Birthday - It's hubby's birthday and we're eating out......

February 2009
Ika 2 ng Pebrero 2009: Life is a Gamble - I met up with an old colleague who tried his luck in a foreign land....
Ika 3 ng Pebrero 2009: Chatterbox - I rode with my unusually chatty neighbor whose stories I don't particularly relish. How I survived the ordeal is told in this post.
Ika 5 ng Pebrero 2009: Men, Oh Men...... - A post about men like hubby who can't ask questions to get the right answers. The tagalized post talks about an experience riding the shuttle bus sandwiched between two elderly ladies.
Ika 3 ng Pebrero 2009: Chatterbox and Ika 11 ng Pebrero 2009: Chatterbox 2- Surprised encounters with chatty neighbors.....
Ika 12 ng Pebrero 2009: The New 40 - People are getting more and more health conscious resulting in not only good health but good looks as well. Even this blogger joins the bandwagon......
Ika 13 ng Pebrero 2009: Pre Valentine - With valentine falling on a Saturday, celebration of love's day started this day. Individually, each member of our family has his or her own way in celebrating the day......
Ika 14 ng Pebrero 2009: Waterless on Valentine - The agony of having no water on a day of hearts is narrated.
Ika 15 ng Pebrero 2009: Post Valentine Assessment - A day after valentine, we look into how our family members spent the day.
Ika 17 ng Pebrero 2009: Living Dangerously - Hubby and I had to deal with the after effects of the US recession as their company was bought by another.......
Ika 27 ng Pebrero 2009: Neighbors Galore - Interesting encounters with several neighbors in one day.....

March 2009
Ika 3 ng Marso 2009: Feeling Good - Feeling better than the previous day, I went to the office knowing that things will be accomplished today. The tagalized post talks about a sister's feelings on her brother's life journey.
Ika 5 ng Marso 2009: HK Here we Come - The excitement and nervousness that engulfs this blogger in her travel after a long time and the foul ups......
Ika 8 ng Marso 2009: Heading Home - Home finally after five days in a foreign land. Bonding moments with my best friend as I spent the last hours in HK before going home...
Ika 18 ng Marso 2009: Last Minute Instructions - The bane of a working mom whose helper will go on a vacation.... I have to maximize the use of the remaining time before her vacation happens....
Ika 19 ng Marso 2009: Going Home - Our helper is going home after three years of working with us.... a happy occassion for her and her family..... a sad occasion for me.....
Ika 21 ng Marso 2009: The Day After - Reliving my previous day's affair with two friends I have not seen in a while........
Ika 22 ng Marso 2009: With One Less Hands - A fully charged day for me.... especially coming from a birthday celebration the previous night......
Ika 25 ng Marso 2009: Early to Work - This blogger talks about the benefits of being an early bird......
Ika 26 ng Marso 2009: Downpour - Rains raged the night before my son's graduation. As I set out to go to work, a pleasant day greeted me......
Ika 27 ng Marso 2009: Coming Home from a Food Trip and AI - We celebrated my son's graduation in a japanese resto the previous night. I also had to watched this season's American idol.... the reason for my headache this morning.....
Ika 28 ng Marso 2009: In Observance of the Earth Hour - Just like last year, we would be observing the earth hour tonight as our family's tradition and contribution to mitigating the effects of global warming.....
Ika 30 ng Marso 2009: Fascination with Photos in the Digital Age - Rediscovering an old passion using a different technology.......


April 2009
Ika 1 ng Abril 2009: Birthdays in the Family - It's my second daughter's and our dog's birthday and we look forward to a celebration......
Ika 2 ng Abril: Day of Reckoning Coming from MD's Dinner Party - Another hectic day as we need to prepare for our trip. With the previous night's dinner celebrating my second daughter's birthday, it will be an uphill climb.....
The entire HK experience with my kids.....
Ika 3 ng Abril 2009: HK Finally
Ika 4 ng Abril 2009: Rural HK
Ika 5 ng Abril 2009: HK on Palm Sunday
Ika 6 ng Abril 2009: Disneyland Adventure
Ika 7 ng Abril 2009: Going Home on an Early Morn
Ika 12 ng Abril 2009: Easter Sunday Celebration - We are off to see my mother's best friend in our old home. A feast was prepared by their family. Dinner at my brother-in-law's home followed. I was so full........
Ika 13 ng Abril 2009: Scurrying to Meet an Obligation - I never knew that settling a financial obligation can be this unsettling. In the tagalized post, a traffic enforcer would get my goat for milking us......
Ika 15 ng Abril 2009: My Small, Slim and the Big, Fat Bill - I have been working for the longest time and yet the pay will always be not enough to pay all the bills........
Ika 16 ng Abril 2009: PTC - Because of my busy sked, my parental duty was delegated to my eldest daughter who kept changing her mind about the task.....
Ika 17 ng Abril 2009: Getting Back into the Groove - After months of hibernation, I am finally allowed to reassume my duties at work with the changing of guards at the office.
Ika 22 ng Abril 2009: Real Learning - What I did when I mistakenly picked an unfamiliar subject to teach in school....
Ika 22 ng Abril 2009: Midweek - Dealing with the middle of a workweek can be tough.... In the tagalized post, I would rant about my damaged tv.
Ika 23 ng Abril 2009: Meeting and Exceeding Customer Expectation - My lesson to my students and my own...
Ika 27 ng Abril 2009: Life's Soap - Real life stories unfold as I hitched a ride with my son in his school bus.
Ika 39 ng Abril 2009: Post it Notes - My family's communication system.....

May 2009
Ika 1 ng Mayo 2009: New Pandemic - We celebrate Labor Day even as the threat of a new pandemic looms....
Ika 2 ng Mayo 2009: Nostalgia - Reliving yesteryears through old photographs....
Ika 5 ng Mayo 2009: Broken Dreams - As I go through life, I would at times be reminded of what I want to be that I am not.....
Ika 12 ng Mayo 2009: The Trouble with Goodbye - Emotions hidden in a tough facade are the hardest to deal with.... and so it was when my brother and his family finally said goodbye....
Ika 13 ng Mayo 2009: Shoe Mishaps - Narrating my many shoes misadventures......
Ika 14 ng Mayo 2009: The Baby is Now a Lady - Just feeling melancholy as I watch my eldest daughter becoming a lady.....
Ika 19 ng Mayo 2009: Kids Bonding Time - My son gets to choose who will accompany him to their school outing......
Ika 21 ng Mayo 2009: Intense - It is to me coming from my outing with the kids and watching the finals of American Idol. I had to stretch it just a little bit.............
Ika 22 ng Mayo 2009: Is that a Threat? - Battle of wits betwwen mum and son.....
Ika 26 ng Mayo 2009: Social Etiquette - Minding manners when in public is essential to survival...... In the tagalized post, I would learn about the beginnings of my new saloon owner....
Ika 27 ng Mayo 2009: M & E - The difficulty of monitoring the household of a working mum is narrated..........
Ika 28 ng Mayo 2009: I Hate Telecommuting - I feel grouchy on this day as I have to meet a deadline.......
Ika 29 ng Mayo 2009: Moral Dilemmma - What does one do when faced with one?

June 2009
Ika 2 ng Hunyo 2009: Crossroads - I got a surprised email from a friend who made a life-changing decision....
Ika 3 ng Hunyo 2009: Taken Aback - A surprise text message from an unexpected source lightens my day......
Ika 13 ng Hunyo 2009: Real Life Drama - The suspected involvement of someone I know in a grizzly crime jolts this blogger on this day.........
Ika 16 ng Hunyo 2009: Slumdogs in our Midst - Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, one cannot ignore the poverty permeating our society...... In the tagalozed post, the threat of H1N1 looms....
Ika 18 ng Hunyo 2009: Constipation and Consternation - Dealing with physical examination can be a feat.....
Ika 19 ng Hunyo 2009: Empty - How does one deal with her worst fears and sudden loss?
Ika 21 ng Hunyo 2009: Father's Day - Remembering dads on this day as I recall my own experience with my father......
Ika 23 ng Hunyo 2009: Happy Birthday Blog! - My blogsite is a year older. It should get wiser....
Ika 24 ng Hunyo 2009: Judgment Day - Tis the day dreaded by my students.
Ika 26 ng Hunyo 2009: Mortality - Coming from the wake of my neighbor, I would be shocked to hear about two celebrity deaths instead of just one.....
Ika 28 ng Hunyo 2009: Goodbye, Hello - Of course, I just have to include the last of my daily post.....

And that is how life was in the year that just passed....