Best of 2007

Maybe it was because I took so many photos, maybe it was because there were so many things to take photos of; maybe it was because I went out more, maybe it was because I ate at so many new restaurants; maybe it was because I watched so many disappointing movies, maybe it was because I watched so many good DVDs; maybe it was because I read so many good books, maybe it was because I read so many bad books; maybe it was because of my consistent bad luck with dates (blind or otherwise), maybe it was because of spending more time with people who love me (blindly or otherwise). Whatever it was about 2007, I have many vivid, mostly happy memories of the year past.

Firsts: my high school barkada went on a trip together; I went to Europe; became a godmother (to Vina's son Tyler); "caught" a wedding bouquet; got a photo op with Sir Tirol; attended mass at the Church of the Gesu; went on a trip abroad with Auntie Nene; toured Macau

Momentous and memorable: SATC was born; Angge, Yang and Jenny passed the Bar; the Harry Potter series came to a close; Malu Fernandez; Ateneo beat La Salle in the UAAP elimination round, TWICE, and then again in the semis; Portuguese men in New York; Loida gave birth to her third child; Trillanes and the Manila Peninsula “siege”; our company acquired a new brand, Elianto

Events: a cousin (Ahia Stib), 4 friends (Pame, Gail, Tangsoc and Juls), and 2 office staffers (Ivy and Abi) got married; our long-time sewing supervisor Ate Eres passed away; 2 friends’ sons turned 1 year old (Kaizer and Ty); Auntie Selena threw Shereen a surprise birthday party; Charity Fyrinx threw Maddy a surprise kiddie party; Tangsoc threw a post-wedding costume party, where AP-Annex dressed up as the Spice Girls; the LM girls threw a surprise bridal shower for Juls; the Family threw a semi-surprise baby shower for Pame

Reunions: with the Escalera brothers, with Marilyn, with half of my high school batch, with my soul sister Bel (we forgot to take pix =(), with my dad's side of the family

Despedidas and balikbayans: Ria left for the US; Maddy left for Singapore; Tangsoc came back then left, then came back and left again; Inigo the Shanghai gigolo came home for a visit; JT left to study in Toronto; Jen Ong returned from Lah-lah Land twice during her breaks from NUS

With so many milestones, celebrations and experiences shared with family and friends, it truly was a year worth remembering. And though my brother beat me to it, quoting Frank Sinatra seems the perfect way to sum up 2007:

"And now I think of my life as vintage wine
from fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs,
it poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year."

Here's a list of the highlights of my very good year:

Best day: January 20
Best life-altering decision: resolving to return to teaching someday
Best (incomplete) family vacation: Europe
Best non-family vacation: the Family’s Tagaytay weekend
Best traveling companion: Hanks
Best wedding date: Abi
Best first date: Bri (we forgot to take pix =()
Best surprise: Openness living room invasion =D
Best gift received: an Exilim digicam from my parents
Best gift given: a Tittot dragon for my parents
Best party: JCA Batch ’97 10th Graduation Anniversary Reunion
Best luxury item purchased: Coach wallet
Best TV show: Heroes, tied with Boston Legal
Best sitcom to share with shobe: Two and a Half Men
Best movie: Hairspray
Best actor: Alan Rickman (for being one of the few bright spots in the 5th Harry Potter movie, and because I only watched Sense and Sensibility and Die Hard this year)
Best actress: Nicole Kidman (narrowly edging out Michelle Pfeiffer, who shone in both Hairspray and Stardust)
Best sports hero: Roger Federer
Best book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Best book that isn’t Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
Best author: John Updike
Best CD: Eye to the Telescope, KT Tunstall (released in 2004 but I only discovered it this year)
Best song: Other Side of the World, KT Tunstall
Best LSS (last song syndrome): Makes Me Wonder, Maroon 5
Best band: (technically not a band, and technically not even real, but…) the fictional Four Seasons, a.k.a. the Jersey Boys
Best imported object of lust: Gerard Butlerrrrr
Best local object of lust: Marc Nelsonnnnn
Best not-so-pedophiliac-anymore fixation: James and Oliver Phelps, a.k.a. Fred and George Weasley, the Weasley twins :)
Best miracle moment: Kirk Long’s buzzer-beater in the 2nd round game versus UST
Best reason ang sarap maging Atenista: my Upper Box buddies =D
Best fashion trend: kimono tops
Best fashion staple: denim minis
Best beauty aid: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
Best caffeine fix: Double Vanilla Soy Tea Latte from the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Best sweet tooth treat: Sebastian’s Ice Cream
Best meal: dinner at Elbert's Steak Room
Best 15 minutes of fame: serving as an Oscars panelist for BBC.com
Best achievement: finishing my New York Times reading list
Best healthy pasttime: reading good books
Best unhealthy pasttime: reading Hollywood gossip blog IDontLikeYouInThatWay.com
Best new online preoccupation: playing Word Battle on www.king.com
Best blog post: again, I’ll let my adoring public decide this one :)