New Year, Same Me

Of the January that went by in a blur, I had the right balance of work and play. Of work, swamp could be such an understatement to describe how the first month of 2011 was. I had work left from the past year and I had more coming in, that I simply had to stop, breathe and of course, read, and to top it off, travel.

I may have mentioned that the stress levels at my workplace is directly proportional to the number of books I could finish (and I could buy) somewhere in this blog. For January 2011, these were crossed out of my reading list:

Currently by my bedside are:

My parents, brother and I went to Singapore, and took a side trip to Kuala Lumpur just to see the Petronas towers. That 5-day trip was a real eye opener. Somehow, I have high hopes for the Philippines. But all the hopes could never catch up with what Singapore, and even Malaysia have. We used to be the tiger among the Southeast Asian countries. But now, we're too far down the line as the peso's purchasing power would attest (exchange rates between the peso and Singapore dollar is at, give or take, Php34.00, while that of Malaysian ringgit is at, give or take Php14.00).

Given the stress at work (and I wonder what other profession considers stress levels as bragging rights), and even at home and all the ruminations about the future of the Philippines, I was tempted to relocate to Singapore.

I'm still thinking about that prospect, in the meantime, I bought these from Kinokuniya (a popular bookstore in Singapore, with branches all over Asia and the Pacific, except Philippines:

The new year is here, the Chinese new year is yet to come and I still am the same old me, wishing for a better Philippines.

2010 in Retrospect

The words that could best sum up my 2010 would have to be -- one roller coaster ride.

For one, the period of waiting for the bar 2009 bar exam results ended and life as a lawyer began.

For another, the boyfriend got reassigned in Cebu and since June, I'd been there and back twice.

For the most part, family and their health have never been better, save for my Godfather's demise a day before Christmas (and I wasn't there, and couldn't come home).

There were all the books read, movies and TV shows/series seen, music heard,  all the gastronomic delights and the travels within Luzon for vistas.

This year also ushered in a lot of enriching experiences, blunders of a neophyte lawyer as well as pleadings approved without a single revision (if you know my boss, that would have really been a great achievement).

The next year is proving to be as exciting as the year 2010. I can only say, whatever is in store for me this 2011, bring it on!

Gifts For Myself

First stop, I had the lenses to my eyeglasses replaced with the same photochromic lenses I was using. The gift certificates given by one of the senior partners in the firm meant that I saved almost five grand on the lenses alone. (Thank God for generous bosses!) I just hope our Christmas bonuses didn't figure into the GCs we received. 

Second stop, the only shop I care to spend hours on, Book Sale (hehe). These are my finds for today:

Third, I got SB's 2011 Planner. I've been collecting SB planners since 2006. Oh well, I am a sucker for notebooks, writing pads, other paper stuffs and office supplies and of course, the coffee too (especially at Starbucks where Espresso shots can be added to suit one's caffeine fixes).

Fourth, I might receive an ebook reader (fingers, even toes, crossed) from my sister. But if  I won't, then I'd definitely be saving up on that. The iPad seems like a contender but I love how Kindle or Nook's format is in e-ink which is so close to the original physical paperbacks and are way lighter.

Fifth, for our gift giving in the office, we were made to list down our wishes. I wrote down a gun as one of my "impossible" wishes for this Christmas. My name got picked by the partner who hired me and is known to give his "baby" everything he/she lists. He phoned me yesterday, gave me a client's name and contact details whose business was selling guns, so that I could pick out the gun I wanted. I declined, but if my boss insists, I'd accept the gun (I think, LOL).

Lastly, I was told that there is something in a little velvet box for me with an amethyst stone on it. (*.*)

On the books I've finished in November, these are:

1. Julie Hecht's The Unprofessionals about the friendship between a teenage junkie and a middle-aged woman who is perpetually on anti-depressants, which friendship did nothing to prevent the teenage junkie from committing suicide.

2. Roland Merullo's Fidel's Last Days which depicted a botched assassination of Fidel Castro leading to a premature take over by his assassinators.

3. Erma Bombeck's Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession illustrating the different kinds of mothers and their responses to child bearing, rearing and weaning. (Note: Erma's works are categorized under Humor and so, topics as serious as motherhood is given a light treatment without necessarily veering away from the reality of it)

4. Graham Greene's The Ministry of Fear set my heart racing for a former soldier who was caught in a web of conspiracy among spies in London circa second world war.

Currently, the following titles are on my bedside:

1. Philip Roth's Operation Shylock: A Confession

2. Ward Just's Forgetfulness

3. Kim Ponders' The Art of Uncontrollable Flight

4. Charlaine Harris' Definitely Dead and All Together Dead