as 2006 ends

yes, i'm back. back here after four months since my last entry. it's funny to think that i've been online most of the time, yet i haven't put anything in here for quite a while.

well, let me see... ah. i'm starting to hear lots and lots of noise from fireworks. coz in a short while, it's time to say goodbye to yet another jam-packed year, that is 2006. it sure has been a crazy rollercoaster, full of its ups and downs. and since this is the last day, the 31st, it's time again to reflect on my 365-day journey (actually, i've just finished reading my 2005 recap entry. see my archives! :p).

so here goes.

january started kinda off. i had flu with bodyaches for the first two weeks and had a major heartbreak right after. how nice. so obviously, i was kinda lost and disoriented, yet i managed to put my life back on track. well, that's how life is. we still have to move on even though lots of crap happen around us.

when school was about to end for summer break, i found myself caught again in an emotional phase. it was time for me to prepare myself to go back to the US, and leave people here again. but on the bright side of it was that i'll be able to see my family.

and so i went back to the US this past summer to get reunited with them. my mom, dad and sister brought me to so many places, bought and gave me so many things, like they haven't seen me for ten years. and i felt like i was kinda spoiled, but then it was so good. haha. those two months with them made me realize more that i've missed them so much after being away for a long time.

i came back here the second day of june. i remember giving missed calls to some people that time, tricking them because they didn't know that i'd be back that day. and to make things more exciting, i went to batangas for a beach getaway with my arki 2002 friends the day right after that, with all the jetlag and stuff. and when i went back to manila, i got my car Pesto. :D

and then we went back to arki acads mode again. but that time, most of my subjects were already fourth year level ones, which i took with arki 2003 people. i've strengthened bonds with some friends there and was able to create lots of friendships with new people i've met in the batch. but on the flipside of this is that i somehow lost my link with my former batchmates. i don't get to talk to them that much anymore, though there’s a few left that i keep in touch with (you know who you are guys, and thanks for that).

as arki life continued, so did my arki forum life. i've become closer to some people, most especially to my batchmates mark, mary, shayne, jika, agnes, jb and xtian, and friends like edpat, loz, dax, jaypee, bea, jon, kim, anj and leni. i've even made friends from the first year batch like fae, tom, keith, joe, lando and mike. arki forum's 25th year anniversary went well, despite all those bits of issues and stuff. everybody had a blast, and i'm proud to say, being the vice chairperson, that arki forum has gone a long long way. yeyo to the 11 new members, and kudos to AF!!!

other than my arki 2003 batch and new af people, i've met more and more new friends from everywhere like julian, my arkaira dance group buddy, and ayit and lou. and of course, people from UAPSA-UP, the new org in the college, where i'm one of the founding members. haha. :)

but on the other hand, i've lost some people along the way too. what hurts more is that i couldn't do anything to bring them back. it feels so bad up till now, and worse when i recall all the fun times i’ve spent with them. oh well… there were times that i've been emotionally way too low like the past sembreak... but hey, maybe our paths will cross again some time. all i have to do now is just wait. and wait. and wait...

our lolo alex passed away last september. all our relatives from the US came back here to see him for the last time. i saw my sister and mom again, and mom stayed here till the second week of december. and so, we had the first Christmas without lolo, and we're celebrating new year's eve later without him. it feels way different, but at least we know that he's here with us in spirit.

november was like the peak of the fourth year peoples' bonding experiences. haha. we went to tomatokick, brother's, mini-stop and many more places, and have done so many things that've made us all stick to one another more than before. all those sessions we've had strengthened our bonds, really. these went on until the last day of 2006 classes, and i'm pretty sure were looking forward to more of these in 2007. haha!

and lastly, december was actually a great month. i was part of the arki chorale which placed third at the university-wide carolfest. that was so fun. though the mess-up is that the annual lantern parade didn't happen due to the approval of UP's tuition fee increase. and of course, there were lots of parties i went to like the one at anj's, and the batangas holiday beach getaway which took place just this past 28 and 29.

and lastly... i got my faery... :)

so there. that was my 2006. crazy, wild, happy, sad, exciting, thrilling, dramatic, emotional, and all that. all things that happened during the past whole year have taught us a lot of lessons in life.

and thanks to everybody who've been a part of it. see you all again in the next year to come. 2007 would be my last full year here in the philippines, since i'm going back to the US for good on 2008, so i better make sure that things will go right... and of course, that all of us will have a blast!

cheers to 2007!!! i wish us all the best. :)