My Top Everything of 2009 – my best places

1. Iloilo

It was ten years ago when I first visited this Visayan place that is gifted with rich culture and history. A random invite to say the least, mom and I visited the quiet islands of Concepcion, the majestic churches of Jaro, Molo, Miagao among others, and the country’s Island of Mangoes, Guimaras.

More than enjoying the places, the food, and the people of Iloilo, my bonding moments with mom were truly worth it; no matter how at times, we’d get into petty fights and troubles along the way! I was able to picture out mom’s life snippet in Iloilo as she showed me to places where she lived, studied and enjoyed. At this point too, I was able to personally meet her closest girl friends. It was very fascinating to see these three female musketeers jeer at each other’s misadventures (or even the lack thereof). There were no dull moments with them. I suddenly felt so belonged in this (old) ladies group.

I was able to visit my great, great grandfather’s humble monument in Zarraga, and found out about my ancestry. Later on, I was also able to meet a few people who introduced themselves as part of the clan. As I now keep them in the loop, chances are high for me to fulfill my goal in tracing my roots.

2. Boracay

Our very first out-of-the-city escapade together – Dylan, Janet, Stephen and I – was in Boracay. Despite the unexpected circumstances days before we left Manila that could have had called off our much-awaited travel and buried this dream in perpetuity, it turned out that a lot of fun moments awaited us in the end.

3. Alaminos and Bolinao of Pangasinan

I spent Labor’s Day holiday at the Hundred Islands in Alaminos. I also had a quick stay at Puerto del Sol in Bolinao. This year, I have spent more days beach adventuring than I used to before. My love for the beach has just gotten better. Definitely in 2010, I’ll be yearning for another beach escapes.

My 2009 Status Collage

my year in status, an FB app

They aren’t really the greatest shout outs of a lifetime.

Nevertheless 2009 is the year I got hooked with Facebook, Twitter and the rest that followed. Speaking what’s on your mind couldn’t be that as short and sweet as it was then.

What a year two-o-o-nine is, oh what a year…

Inasmuch as I consider 2009 as a truly challenging year for most of us, I’d still like to remember this year with successes that I remain grateful for and moments that I will forever cherish.

I have come up with lists that I patterned with Time’s Top 10 Everything of 2009.  Time Magazine charts the highs and lows of 2009 in 50 top-ten lists ranging from most highlighted news down to considerably underreported stories of the year; from serious medical breakthroughs to light tweet topics; from pop culture to business and technology.

On one hand, my (top ten or lesser) lists would reveal:

• the top people who have made a positive impact in my life;
• the best places I visited;
• my great wins and achieved goals;
• the best stuff I got;
• my top picks of songs, movies and TV shows;
• the top global or local events that I think, have made such a mark; and
• the greatest learnings in life this year.

My Top 10 (or Less) Everything of 2009 will be posted very soon. Patience is a virtue, so wait for it!

UPDATES:  Here they are!

• Events of the Year
• My Best Places
• iLike!
• In High Profile

Wanted: Young coffee growers

This was all I had to say upon reading this article a friend shared with me.

“(I’m coffee addictus.) It is said that coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth. Why are we letting these opportunities pass by? Er…”

The country needs a new breed of coffee farmers to sustain and make the industry competitive, an official of the Philippine Coffee Board said.

Emmanuel Torrejon, Northern Luzon coordinator of the PCB, said the country only has about 30,000 coffee farmers, most of them between 60 and 80 years old.

The PCB, Torrejon said, was also urging agriculture schools in the country to offer courses on coffee farming and processing to spark interest among the youth to revitalize the coffee industry.

“These old farmers need to be replaced in the near future by younger, creative farmers to sustain the industry. Our farmers are too old and we are worried about who is going to take over,” Torrejon said.

He said the board partly attributed the decline in coffee production to the waning interest of local farmers to cultivate their coffee plantations and who prefer to plant high-yielding cash crops.

Read more

Coffee Reads of the Week – christmas and cadbury

Some of the articles I enjoyed reading over the net are worth sharing, too. Check out my weekly posts via the Coffee Reads series. I’ve got my google reader to back me up so do also check out my shared reads. Enjoy!

opinion: The Truth About Santa by the Editors of The New York Times
I think I was around 5 when my brother and I caught our mom bringing gifts from the man she called Santa. We were still in disbelief until I reached 8 when truth had to be told. I’m still not sure if I’d pass on this tradition with my kids or not. What do you think?

comic relief: 5 Ways to Reach with Santa on the Web by Amy-Mae Elliott
In case you aren’t fully convinced yet that Santa is a joke, you can still reach him, I guess. Here’s how.

personal: Quick, Cancel Christmas by Dayana Yochim of The Motley Fool
business: Consumers Plan to Spend a Little More on Christmas Cheer This Year by Kit Eaton
‘Tis the season to be prudent. But not being entirely Mr. Scrooge. It’s the time to go the extra mile in calculating your expenses, assessing your cash flow, and identifying what really matters to you and to your family. Seriously, yes.

following: All I Want for Christmas by Lourd Ernest de Veyra
A rather different, controversial yet wittingly funny wish list this year from Lourd.

personal: Free Christmas and New Year’s Eve WordPress Theme by Smashing Editorial
personal: Decorating Ideas from our favorite Christmas Movies via PointClickHome.com
personal: 5 Secrets to Wrapping the Perfect Christmas Gift via Nice Package
shopping: Apple 12 Apps of Christmas via YouTube
technology: Social Media and the Future of Christmas Cards by Catherine P. Taylor
Decorating your crib, wrapping Christmas presents, pimping your blog with a Christmas theme, sending Christmas e-cards, or giving away one of Apple’s 12 Apps of Christmas, it’s not too late yet to do all these. In the Philippines, Christmas is extended until January.

business: Cadbury: More Than an Iconic Brand by Gill Corkindale
Since Kraft has taken over my favorites, Oreo and Chips Ahoy!, these delights never tasted better than they were before. The works of commercialism, right? Now Kraft is trying to get my another favorite. I don’t think this should happen. Cadbury’s a classic, and yes, I have emotional connection to it!

follow more of my reads via google reader

Galaera Diaries: Boracay Trip with Friends

Photos taken by Dylan Yap-Gozum, Janet Borja, and yours truly.  A long overdue blog task, I’ve posted everything at last. It’s my New Year’s gift for myself and for Dylan, Janet and Steph. A remembrance for the year 2009, folks! Good times.

Five days before the trip, a tropical storm named Feria started lashing southern part of Luzon. We were really praying hard to the heavens above. We can neither reschedule our Boracay vacation nor ask for refunds.

By the time we heard that Feria had already gone out of our territory, we were jumping for joy until we heard another breaking news: a Zest Air plane overshot the runway of Caticlan airport. Luckily no one was seriously injured but a lot of passengers, including us, got their flight schedules jumbled.  We were born lucky nonetheless that we were able to get through the busy hotlines of Cebu Pacific and got rescheduled to an early afternoon flight.

Come hell or high water, we still persisted to go to Boracay.