Tuesday, January 9

New Year...

They say that the coming of the new year is the time of retrospect... the time when you examine the past year and past activities of your life... the time of looking intently at the man in the mirror...

The past year had been an overwhelming year for me... in all aspects. It was, one might say, a whirlwind - everything happening so fast you become overwhelmed. Like the years that passed me by, the past year had its up and downs - there maybe more downs, ups only few and in-betweens, but it was really worthwhile and satisfying... Indeed, the past year will be an unforgettable year for me because it taught me very important lessons in life. Lessons that I feel changed me forever and made me appreciate life more.

Most of the last year I spent with my wife working in Sydney. The celebration of the New Year outside looking at the spectacle in front of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House with our Indonesian and Filipino friends was a contrast with how we celebrate it at home lighting our own fireworks and sharing the traditional media noche meal. I missed my children that time, having celebrated New Year without them after several years (the last time I missed celebrating new year with them was in 1998 when I was in Kagoshima). I missed them more this New Year's eve... it did not help that me and my wife celebrated it this year with more Filipino friends doing the traditional activities and meals except for fireworks, of course (I don't think there are those many fireworks in the Gulf) . I think the longing for the kids stem from the fact that everything happened so suddenly, and we just found out one day that we'll be spending a long time here without them. Well, that is the Pinoy phenomenon - the OFW diaspora. I believe that there are interesting individual stories for each Pinoy that decides to go and work abroad... and we have ours too... I might tell that story one day...

Anyway, it is another year for each one of us... they always say that old cliche the new year is the time for new beginnings... new life, new hope, new expectations... I believe that new year is more of a renewal... when you become a better person from the past year's lessons... I do hope we do well here this year...

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