January – Family

I started the year with a bad bout of cold and cough.  I remember trying to barely keep myself awake to toast the new year.  Good thing though, I spent it with my second family here in Beijing, the Camposagrado’s.  I met the Camposagrado family through Marco and bowling.  They’re a loving family who keep me grounded here in this mad world that I’m living. 

This month also brought me to my ancestral home of Fujian.  It’s my first visit and I didn’t know what to expect.  As my family was never that into the Chinese New Year tradition, I don’t really know what to expect.  One thing I know is to be equipped with lots of red envelope.  It was quite a different Chinese New Year for me.  My direct relatives were warm, accommodating and attentive.  They were too attentive that I can’t seem to go around the place by myself.  I feel like a kid who’s out in the big world for the first time.  One thing I’m sure, I don’t want to go back there unless I’m staying at a hotel and no worries of somebody looking over my shoulder.

February – Love

I was in love or I thought I were.  Every year at work, I saw my colleagues get flowers during Valentines Day.  If your boyfriend gives you one rose, it means “You’re the Only ONE”.  If he gives you three roses, it means “He Loves You”.  However, if he gives you ninety-nine roses, it means “He loves you forever”.  Well.. Valentines came and gone but I didn’t receive any rose nor went out to any date.  I’m a romantic but somehow the person that I was going out with wasn’t romantic at all.  Hmm.. maybe I’m setting my standards too high.

March – Breakup

No.. I didn’t leave my job but I broke up with the person I was seeing.  I was fed up with his lack of attention, his disappearances and his lack of respect.  Somehow, he would only call when he needs something.  My bowling score also went into nosedive from an average of 120 to barely making 100.  March ended though with a shock as my mom suddenly took up my offer of coming to visit me by shouldering her ticket!  It’s like I woke up and she said I have my visa and I booked my ticket!  Hehehe.. I love you Mama!  You can come and visit me anytime. 

April – Sweet Reunion

During Holy Week, my two younger sisters decided to visit me.  I met up with them in Shanghai and stayed two days there before flying to Beijing.  My mom joined us here as well and it was FUN!   Thanks to my friend Richard for picking her up at the airport and letting us stay at his place.  It was good for the soul, being with my family and going around and bonding together.  We went to the usual haunts in Beijing and just enjoyed being together.  It made me love them more and realize how important they are in my life.

May – Flowers and Shopping

The one thing I like about May is the cool weather and the vibrant colors which surrounds the city.  The Chinese Government is quite good in making the surrounding so colorful with all the flowers which seem to sprout up overnight.  During the Labor Day holidays, my travel buddy Marco and I went to Seoul.  It was shopping heaven.  I think I made a big dent on my savings that’s why I can’t seem to have enough money.  I bought some beautiful pieces which my officemates love and they were of good quality and design.  This trip to Seoul was relaxing and totally undemanding.  We weren’t able to go to all the destinations but really, it’s nice to shop there!  The rest of the month passed by so quick that I didn’t realize that it’s almost Summer.

June – Concert and Goodbye

As to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the China-Philippines relations, the embassy invited Mr. Pure Energy, Gary Valenciano to a concert.  The best thing about it is, it’s free!  Even though his song selection is limited, I thoroughly enjoyed it as my friends and I sang our hearts out with Gary V.  The month of June as well signals the exodus of student going back home for their summer holidays.  It’s the time for goodbyes and a good friend moved on to Shanghai to pursue his MBA.  I met Pete through my old colleague Trevor, I remember the first time I met him, he was drunk and was hitting on me.  He makes a mean potato dish.

July – Parties 

Two of my friends celebrated their birthday this month.  Of course, it was party and party!  Food was aplenty and so was the booze.  I learned my limit with booze as two bacardi breezer will still keep me sane, three will make me feel sleepy but four will knock me out.  Of course, three or more breezers will also give me hives.  That’s good right?? At least I’ll know when to stop.     July also marked the end of our bowling tournament’s spring season.  Our team was in second place and the party was held at Landmark Hotel. 

August – Road Trip and Moving On

I love long drives.  That’s one thing I miss about Manila and owning a car.  The Asian division basketball qualifiers was held in Tianjin.  To show our support to Team Pilipinas, a group of friends and I took his car for a road trip.  It was relaxing and nice as I got to enjoy the view.  Team Pilipinas lost the game to Korea but we didn’t mind.  Towards the end of the month, I received news that my paternal grandmother’s health worsened.  Relatives who are abroad were asked to go home as doctors feared the worse.  I wasn’t able to see her anymore as enroute to Manila from Hong Kong, she moved on to a better destination.  I miss you Lola!

September – Birth, Typhoon and Cultural Diversity

After coming back from my grandmother’s funeral, I had to put my energies into work.  The first week of the month is usually the busiest as there’s the monthly report on top of my usual workload.  Also, I was preparing for my long holidays that I usually take along with the October holidays.  This year, I’m heading to Singapore to visit my friends and Manila for my birthday. 

It was an eventful second half of September.  My cousin’s wife who was seven months pregnant suddenly gave birth.  Typhoon Ondoy hit Manila and flooded the capital so bad that places which normally don’t get floods became flooded.  I’m grateful to God that nothing happened to my family and relatives.  I remember during my stopover in Manila the day after the storm and looking out of the windows, most of the roads were virtual small rivers.  Service at NAIA-2 at that time was horrible and nobody knows if what time your flight will be leaving or will it be leaving at all.  Last but not the least, I enjoyed the cultural diversity that Singapore has to offer.  That’s the first time in my life where I see different races living in such a small city.  Thanks to Ate Susan for letting me stay at her apartment.  I miss the Cereal Prawns at Jumbo Restaurant!  Here’s a link of other dishes you can enjoy in Singapore.  Oh yeah, Charles and Keith shoes are quite nice and affordable compared to buying it in Manila.

October – Beauty and Celebration

After my journey to Singapore, I spent the remaining days of my holidays in Manila.  To give my vacation a twist, I searched for someone to teach me how to put on makeup.  I found a makeup artist who teaches at Basement Academy to come to my house for a one on one class.  It was four days and three hours long of make up sessions.  I learned a lot and will be blogging it this year.  Of course, you can’t just learn it you need to buy makeup to put in your kit.  That’s an ouch as they don’t come cheap.  It’s ok though, people are giving me compliments when I put on makeup.  It’s well worth it. 

October also marks another year of my life.  I’m blessed to celebrate my birthday with my relatives.  Something I’ve missed in the past couple of years as I’m either travelling or is stuck in Beijing.  My cousins and I also had a wonderful night of dinner and bowling arranged by my pretty cousin Kerry.  I also met the first niece in my father’s side of the family. 

November – Snow and Datong

This winter is quite weird.  We had snow on the first day of November!  It was a surprise but a good one.  We had beautiful pictures on the first snowfall of the season which you can view on this link.  The snow didn’t abated as we had two more snowfalls this month.  Towards the latter part of the month, I had to work double time as my brother and sister-in-law will be visiting for the first time in Beijing.

On November 30, my brother, sister-in-law and I went to Datong for their out of town trip.  They enjoyed the scenery of the Hanging Monastery where we were the only visitors at that time and Longmen Grottoes with the big buddhas.  However, the train ride was something that they would rather forget.  Here’s a link to my brother’s chronicle of our trip, from the train ride to the Hanging Monastery and Longmen Grottoes.

December – Christmas and Life Realizations

I attended my first Philippine Ball and was able to wear the Tyler dress that has been gathering moths in my closet for a year already.  The event was graced by comedian Nanette Inventor who the foreigners enjoyed watching to.  She actually remind me of my Aunt.    I also attended my first Christmas Party at the Philippine Embassy where our group placed last out of the three groups who joined the Christmas caroling competition.  The emcee said we should have joined beauty pageants instead of a singing contest.  Hahaha!  

Since China doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, I had to work that day but my mind was far away.  On Christmas eve, some friends and I had dinner together at their place, watched Avatar and sang songs using the Magic Sing mic.  Christmas Day, we had a buffet dinner at Marriott Beijing City Wall.  The dinner was quite good and the ambiance was great.  Of course, being with good friends made it even better.

As the year was about to close, I realized that I wasn’t enjoying my job that much anymore.  People are pointing at other people, the workload is driving people crazy and life at the office is not as good as it was before.  Money is so tight that the budget has been cut several times.  I don’t know where will this lead me but I’m already thinking that maybe it’s time to move on.  I’ll be actively searching for a new job and if God is willing for me to move to a different location, I’ll close the Beijing chapter in my life.