looking back: 2008

As the year is about to come to an end, let me briefly recall significant events that happened these past twelve months.

ON AIR: YEAR IN MUSIC
Mariah's successful follow up to Mimi, E=MC², was snubbed by the Grammys while the likes of the Jonas Brothers get a nod for the Best New Artist category. Britney claimed her second number one single with Womanizer. Beyonce ponders about her life if she were a boy. Leona got lucky with Bleeding Love. Janet flopped. Jesse McCartney grew up. Clay Aiken came out. Rihanna got a new hair cut, again. Madonna ditched Guy. Nicole's back with the Pussycat Dolls. And Miley still sounds like a duck.

BOX OFFICE: YEAR IN MOVIES
The Dark Knight rocks. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was just downright creepy. Robert Downey Jr. was also a perfect fit for the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man. Shia LaBeouf was good in Eagle Eye, but I still don't like him. On the other hand, Keanu wore his trademark unfazed facial expression in the The Day The Earth Stood Still. Po, the Panda, Wall-E, Bolt and the penguins from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa are adorable. Pineapple Express and The House Bunny gave me a bucketload of laughs. Anna Faris is not vapid though Robert Pattinson was, in his role as Edward Cullen. On the other hand, Zac Efron and his girl was so lovely in their Can I Have This Dance scene on High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 reminded me of Bom, Jela and Jen. Mamma Mia! got me humming to the tunes of ABBA. Quarantine scared the hell out of me. I started watching City Of Ember with a few questions and I was left with a hundred more when it ended. And You Don't Mess With The Zohan was... well, Mariah was there. Oh, and Alwyn. Dreamy, dreamy Alwyn.

For some reason, I failed to watch the following: Cloverfield, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Definitely Maybe, Get Smart, and Tropic Thunder.

REPRINTS: YEAR IN COMIC BOOKS
Cable time-hopped with the mutant child who is suspected to be the reincarnation of Jean Grey. Bishop accidentally shot Professor Xavier. Cyclops believing their mentor dead, disbanded the X-Men. But Magneto, with the help of his acolytes, resurrected Xavier. The re-established X-Men moved to San Francisco with Cyclops calling out to all the remaining mutants to come and seek shelter in their new base of operation. Simultaneously, he also formed a black ops team to be lead by Wolverine. X-Force will deal with tasks in ways that an X-Man is bound not to cross. That means killing every resurrected major X-villain in the history of Marvel's merry mutants. In another story, Shadowcat is suspected dead after being stuck inside a giant bullet aimed to hit the Earth. Mister Sinister is dead, Archangel is back and Magik is out to claim her soul back.

ONE MINUTE: YEAR IN BLOGGING
I went to Palawan and survived the grueling ride to the Subterranean River. They served worms for dinner on our last night there. Then I went to New York and had the chance to ceremoniously walk, and shop, along Fifth Avenue. Also, I ate yogurt at the Met steps just like how Upper East Siders do.

I went to Batangas to find solace after a break up. I found it through a phone call from one of my best friends, and a bottle and a half of beer courtesy of PaulPaul. I wanted to get drunk but that didn't happen until the latter part of the year when new-found friends managed to convince me to party. It was definitely fun. Yep. Fun. What's more fun though are the movies, eat outs, and the Starbucks study sessions.

And speaking of Starbucks, I did wear that green apron for a couple of months. The job was tiresome but the experience of serving coffee to high-end clients is just priceless. Unfortunately, I had to quit in preparation for my resignation from my day job.

For a month I was a bum and a resident of the Power Plant mall. There were job offers but I had to think things thoroughly. Plus, I'm enjoying my break. Two weeks before the long Christmas break, I was ready to choose a company. In the process, I had to break a close friend-slash-ex-supervisor's, heart. It sucks.

But that's life.

If only they offered something better.


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POSTSCRIPT. Happy New Year!