1.8.11

Breakfast of eggs and biscuit. Gym. Spicy Indian food for dinner. Billiards. Drinks at Jen's. Now watching Despicable Me for the Nth time.

1.7.11

TGIF. Mare did a great job on these home-made burgers for dinner.

1.6.11

To live in one the greatest cities on Earth and get paid to take pictures - PRICELESS!

1.5.11

Got out of the office for a few errands and got to see the New Year's Ball up close.

1.4.11

7:45 AM Queens to Manhattan to Brooklyn to Manhattan to Queens 10:00 PM. Computer Setup. Conference Calls. Scholarship to HITECH Program. 3-Hour Meeting. Surrounding yourself with great people!

1.3.11

First day back at work. Long day at CityOutdoor. Missed kick-boxing class. Regular Monday night dinner at Foxy's.

1.2.11

Epiphany Mass. Sunday Breakfast. Laundry. Movies. Gym. PJ time!

1.1.11

Dick Clark's Times Square Ball Drop. New Year's Celebration via Skype. Mare' 29th Birthday. Birthday Donut Cake. Wii Party. Walking under the train station at Queens Boulevard. Sidetracks. Two shots of tequila. A great start of the new year!

Year End Musings

I've always enjoyed Math growing up. It's logical, straightforward and bounded. There's a starting point and an ending point. It's something I like about a year as well, we start on January 1st and always ends on December 31st! It's time frame allows us to create a pause and re-assess our journey in life.

During the homily of the feast of the Holy Family last Sunday, the Deacon reminded me and made me realize of how important the following things are: 1. Family, 2. Prayer Life, 3. Taking Action and 4. Not Worrying/Not Stressing.

Family

Growing up, I've always put family first even if it means putting myself last. I've given even when I have nothing left. This year, I've realized that a family is more than who you sacrifice for but also who sacrifices for you. They share with your blessings as well as with your disappointments. Through thick and through thin. I love my big crazy family.

This year, I started my own branch on the family tree. When I married Mare, we knew that it was not just a commitment to each other but also to the family. We have learned to explore and experience the Chinese-Filipino-Italian-Polish-American cultures of our families. Each day, we feel blessed to be part of all of this.

Prayer Life

Living in NYC gives you that excuse of "hustle and bustle of city living" but it should never be an excuse to forgo your faith. I can honestly say that my faith grew stronger when I moved almost 10 years ago here in the city. This year, my prayer life was focused on married life. Mare and I have been very active with our faith journey. We discuss homilies over coffee after church. We made sure that our wedding was not just about the party but a sacrament witnessed in Christ by our families.

This coming year, I am praying for a more "deliberate" action within me to increase time exploring my faith and listening to the words of God.

Taking Action

We can pray all we want but God needs us to put things into action. We dream of big things in life but we stay so comfortable doing what we are doing that we become paralyzed of our own in-actions. The act of Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt has become a vivid scene in my mind about taking action. And so this be my guide in taking action in 2011.

No Worries and No Stress

Ask my friends, they'll tell you that I am a planner. From simple college thesis, to trips to Vegas and wedding preparations, I'll have a binder that will put some Executive Planners to shame. It has helped me in a lot of ways while sometimes putting me on an extreme.

Every year, I dread Christmas shopping. I worry and stress over what the receiver will think about the gift or worse, what they'll think of me as the giver. However, this Christmas, I attended the my wife's maternal side Christmas eve gathering. It struck me that everybody got gifts they needed/wanted but was not the focus of the night. Everybody was focused on everybody else that was there... on how they have been, what their plans for next year or if they are having enough pierogis/fried fish. It was about the gathering of people and not of gifts. No worries, no stresses.

I might have just flushed out these thoughts in my head without rhyme or reason but these are the thoughts that made my year end on a great state of being.

I’ll be damned. I’m a man…

Read on this link... I’ll be damned. I’m a man…

For the past few weeks, I'd come home and tell my wife, "I can't believe that I'm 30!".

Ever since the wedding (about 3 months ago), it feels like a stamp of approval was handed to me and told me that you are now mature, older, wiser... a man.

In my line of work, especially when I started in 2001, it was pretty difficult to taken seriously. First impression would be, "Where did they get this college intern to do this kind of work?" Even now, as I manage trainers who are "older" than me, I get the same response when I go sit in and review their seminars.

In two months, I would complete my nine years of working where I am. I've grown from, "The young kid who'd take on any assignment we give him, so send him to do training in Buffalo for 6 weeks without advance notice." to "The one in charge of training and discuss with him the client's needs and see what he recommends."

I pray that I as I get more "responsibilities" that I still keep that young optimistic attitude that I had when I started my first class in December 2001.

20100904 - Hoboken

What Works: A Day of Rest - Busted Halo

What Works: A Day of Rest - Busted Halo

Countdown...

5 days to go until my Philippine vacation after almost 2 years.

We have been looking forward to this vacation for a couple of reasons: 1. attending and being part of a good friends' wedding (Arman & Alnie) in Boracay! 2. a break from winter snow and 3. a breather from all the hustle and bustle of work and the city. On a plus note, we get to see family again... and I heard that relatives from Europe will be in town when we get there, so the bigger the family to see!

54 days until I turn the 30!

I can't believe that I am 30. I don't feel like 30. I don't think I look 30 (I am assuming!). When I was a kid, 30 was like ancient, wise, knows everything, stable, etc... now, I'm re-thinking my 30's stereotype. But then my turning 30 will bring in something new.... marriage.

146 days until I turn a new chapter in my life: marriage.

A friend once told me, "When did we get old enough to be talking (and getting into) marriage!" It was just like last year that our idea of a Saturday party was ice skating, pizza and gallons of soda, now its about dinners, wine and cheese!

I am looking forward to these dates. With family and friends along the journey, it will be a blast!

PS: Additional count down days:

12 days until Arman-Alnie's wedding.

19 days until my sister Jennifer-Horacio's Manila ceremony.

33 days until Carlo-Eunice's wedding.

61 days until my future sister-in-law's Angela-Basil's wedding.

159 days until Marianne-Joe's Wedding.

Christmas Eve Thoughts

Noche Buena translated as good night and refers to the Christmas Eve dinner usually celebrated in Spain, Philippines and Cuba. For us Filipinos, its a celebration not only of Christ's birthday (we usually have this dinner after the Vigil Mass) but also the celebration of family.

It is really exciting that I get to spend Christmas twice every year. With family in the Philippines celebrating it 12 hours ahead, I get my Christmas greetings just before noon here in the US and on midnight I relieve that moment.

This year would be a little bit different though. Jen is hosting her first Christmas as a wife to Horacio and I have to plan my "trip" to her house since I live far, far away (like 6 blocks away). Mare and I decided to celebrate Christmas this year with each other's families as our last year of being "single". Next year, here comes the questions, "your family or mine?" With the options of celebrating it in Ohio, New York and the Philippines... we just might find ourselves in Switzerland.

Can't wait for the next Christmas!

It's Starting to Smell Like Christmas

My Sister Gets Married

The Journey of Our Lives have been in hiatus for a long time. And for good reasons. Jen is getting married today!!

As another journey unfolds, her two other sisters and I wishes her the best and prays with confidence that God will watch over and bless her with a happy and long marriage.

We will always be here though...as she changes her last name to Hernandez, she'll still be the Jennifer we have always loved and will continue to love.

My God-daughter is a Published Artist!

From her mom:
"A few months ago, Ally asked me to send one of her princess drawings to her favorite Disney Princess Magazine, and so the "stage mom" willingly complied. Last Sunday, she saw a magazine rack in the Mercury Drugstore in Glorietta and quickly grabbed the November issue of the Magazine. As soon as we got our table at Friday's for dinner, she opened the magazine and was very delighted to see that her "Princess Aurora" drawing landed as runner-up in the Best Drawing category! "Mama, there's my drawing!".... of course, the stage mom (and dad) are soooo proud =)"

Proud of you Ally!

Oh My God

Making a Difference

It's Been Awhile

As I walk into my doctor’s office two day ago (last visit at that particular office was in 2007), the medical assistant asks me, “Has anything changed?” My initial response was, “Nothing.” After a few minutes sitting down, I came back up to her fished out my new insurance card and wrote down my new address.

And of course with all medical appointments, you wait and wait. Me waiting, means thinking of various stuff. And one thing that lingered was, “Whew, a lot have changed!”

Just recently, I moved in to my new apartment. A quaint space enough for me (and my fiancée when she moves in next year [more to that later]). It is starting to come together and everyday I get more and more attached to the place. I have been living quite independently ever since college. However, this time the lease just has my name on it, even my mailbox. This living independently has increased responsibility (bills, bills, bills) but also a sense of accomplishment.

If moving apartments is a big thing for most people, think about getting engaged. After almost 2 years of dating, I proposed to Marianne on May 31, 2009. Now, wedding plans are rolling. Colors, church, reception hall, and all the works. But before that, 5 weddings are scheduled ahead of us, starting with her cousin, 11/7 in Ohio and my sister, 11/14 in New York. For us, see you in Charlotte, NC, July 10, 2010!

Work is also one thing that experienced a lot of changes. Moving to a new office. Closing of a department. Moving to a new department. New programs. New protocols. And as resilient as ever, we roll with the punches.

I’m excited about these changes and all the new things ahead of me. I’ll keep you posted.