Why 2007 is the best year of my life. =)
Sorry, I've been neglecting this journal. This is my first update in 11 months -- forgive the lack of an LJ cut.
Here are twenty reasons (and pictures!! High tech na ako eh) why 2007 is the best year of my life, in pseudo-chronological order.
1. THESIS: Yaan, Aaron, and I won Best AB Communication Research Thesis. Here's our picture with our adviser Ms. Borsoto and my two friends who won Best Project Thesis (Honey and Evi). Aaron's not in the picture. Haha.
2. HITACHI: I traveled to Vietnam for a week-long conference about South-East Asian issues, hosted by Hitachi. Made life-long friends who I hope to see next May in Singapore! That's me at the left.
3. JANUARY 30 -- THREE YEARS: Yaan and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. We're still going strong and pushing four years in a month from now!
4. BEST ORG: After a year of challenges, choices, and changes as Ateneo Debate Society president, the ADS won Best Organization in the Loyola Schools Awards. This is me with my beloved COA and Sanggu.
5. 4.0: Finally lived up to my "Cuatro Kid" nickname. I got that magic straight-A report card in my last sem of college.
6. MAGNA CUM LAUDE: Didn't get valedictorian (almost did!) but Ateneo chose my good friend Leloy anyway. Was happy enough to get my shiny medal and cry with my friends whom I would see less often after that fateful night. Here's me with Yaan, our good friend Junee (whom I really miss hanging out with!), and the AB Psychers.
7. T(WENTY) OUTSTANDING STUDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES: Well, I didn't quite make it to the top ten, but it was worth a shot. :) Top twenty is good enough. No picture for this one, because I was abroad doing something else when we were awarded, which was...
8. ASIA TRIP! May was my favorite month of the year. My Travel Club (Luis, Gita, Raffy, CH, Yaan, Monch) and I went backpacking across Asia for almost a month. This was our carefree month, before we all got jobs or took further studies.
9. ASIAN CHAMPIONS: After an 8-year debate career, I retired on a high note, winning the Asian championship in ITB, Indonesia. This is me with Sharms and Leloy, my great teammates.
10. ...and BEST SPEAKER TOO! Here I am cherishing the "Best Speaker in Asia" title, which I will hold until the next AUDC in May.
11. BALIK-MAPORAK (May 2007): Yaan, Mico, Raffy, and I visited my Aeta community in Cabangan, Zambales, to commence on our ambitious documentary project. It was nice to see our foster families again.
12. LAW SCHOOL: Started with law school last June, and made new friends, gained new knowledge, and lost a lot of my free time. I love 1-A, though. =) (Four years of Section A in High School, Four years of Block A in College, and here I am in section A again.)
13. NEW APARTMENT: Finally, my commuting problems were solved thanks to that serendipitous moment when Pau Balite and James Gregorio (flaker!) asked me to be their roommate. Also met new roommate Rex Ang, who sleeps earliest out of all of us. Here's me with our bedroom door, which I unhinged during our post-midterms inuman in our place.
14. RADIO SHOW: Me (Mr. Kite) and my co-DJ Rolly Stone host Music is my Girlfriend every Monday night, 9 pm - 12 am on RJUR 105.9. We play two classic/seminal/definitive albums every week and wax poetic about the lost art of the album.
15. INTRODUCING THE BREAKFAST CLUB: I spend four hours every morning studying for law school with my favorite Breakfast club! In the picture in front of the Rockwell Christmas tree: Kla, Jaja, Miki, Kira, and me. Crissy's missing in action. =(
16. MOOT COURT: I've retired from debating and started doing moot court. My class has won twice in our moot court competitions, and I also did VERY well in this one other moot court competition whose implications are pretty large -- but I can't disclose what it is yet. Here's 1-A after winning the Persons moot court competition:
17. TO HELL AND BACK: Yes I know it's nerdy, but Marts, Pao, Monch, Tan, and I finished all three levels of Diablo II in one overnight session. DIABLOVERNIGHT! Haha. Ok, yun lang. No pictures for this one.
18. JAKARTA SEMINAR: Went to Jakarta to conduct a 5-day long seminar with Bina Nusantara University. I felt very welcomed and appreciated by the wonderful Indonesian debaters.
19. GOODBYES...: Yet, with every hello comes some goodbyes. Many of my good friends went abroad to pursue higher goals: Luis is in France, Pao is in NY/DC, Honey, Audrin, Ramon, and many other Ateneans are in Singapore, Mick is in China (?), Chris Ho is in HK... and there are too many other people who have left/are leaving. Here's a picture in Luis's despedida, when we were kicked out of the compound for being too noisy:
20. A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR: And here we are, embarking on a new year. After a string of christmas parties with my law school block, orgs, high school classmates, family, etc, I've nothing else to do but to be thankful for the awesome year that passed. Here's to an even better 2008! Here's me, my sister, and my mom in Tagaytay (my Dad took the picture):
