2011 Recap - My Most Played Songs

Thanks to my Last.FM account, I am now able to keep track of the songs I play on my laptop, so no need to manually tally them. Not that I have done that before. Haha!

#1 Adele - Someone Like You
Oh, definitely my song of the year. Not that I could relate to this song this year, but this one simply perfectly captured one of the worst pains one could ever have -- heartache. I can listen to this one all day.

#2 The Backbeats - Landslide

First heard this one when The Backbeats performed it in "The Sing-Off" Season 2.

#3 The Script - If You Ever Come Back

But she never did. Neh Lawi? Haha!

#4 Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All

The original American Idol was back with a great album this year!

#5 Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)

Ooh, I've had many great Friday nights this year! Not Katy Perry level though. Haha!

#6 Maroon 5 ft Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

As a newbie in the company, I performed this with batchmates in the office Christmas Party! Ugh. Haha!

#7 Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Best. Angst. Song. EVER.

#8 Javier Colon - Stitch By Stitch

My bet for The Voice won! Last time the contestant I rooted for won was in American Idol Season 8 when Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert.

#9 The Script - Nothing

Two emo songs from The Script in my Top 10. I should not be judged.

#10 Avril Lavigne - What The Hell

Angst and Bad-ass jam sound in one song, saan ka pa!

#11 Jojo - Disaster

#12 Cast of Glee - Loser Like Me

#13 The Script - Science & Faith

#14 Lady Gaga - Born This Way

#15 Shontelle - Reflection

#16 Greyson Chance - Unfriend You

#17 Yeng Constantino - Wag Na

#18 Sugarland - Stand Up

#19 Delilah - Grenade

#20 Maroon 5 - Just A Feeling

#21 Olly Murs - Thinking Of Me

#22 Taylor Swift - The Story Of Us

#23 Maroon 5 - Never Gonna Leave This Bed

#24 Kelly Clarkson - Tell Me A Lie

#25 Charice - Lost The Best Thing

#26 Cast of Glee - Light Up The World

#27 Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had

#28 Beyonce - Run The World (Girls)

#29 Reba McEntire - Turn On The Radio

#30 Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss

#31 Simple Plan ft Natasha Bedingfield - Jet Lag

#32 Javier Colon - Time After Time

#33 Natasha Bedingfield - Strip Me

#34 Delilah - Whataya Want From Me

#35 Cee Lo Green - It's Ok

#36 Jordin Sparks - I Am Woman

#37 One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

#38 Gloriana - Wanna Take You Home

#39 Colbie Caillat - Brighter Than The Sun

#40 Cast of Glee - Take Me Or Leave Me

#41 Chris Brown - Look At Me Now

#42 Jojo - The Other Chick

#43 Jule Anne San Jose - Super Bass

#44 McFly & Taio Cruz - Shine A Light

#45 Adele - Rumor Has It

#46  Sponge Cola - Tambay

#47 Train - Marry Me

#48 Alex Gaudino ft Kelly Rowland - What A Feeling

#49 Fantasia - Collard Greens & Cornbread

#50 David DiMuzio - Naiisio Mo Ba

26 + 1 = 27

I think this will be the first time in years that I get to post this mandatory birthday post during my actual birthday. Haha! Well, thanks to all the extra time I have since I moved closer to work.


So, how did I usher in my 27th birthday? Nothing special really. As I type this very paragraph, my laptop clock just turned 12:00 midnight! *Pause* Happy Birthday to me! Hmm, okay, moment over. Haha!


Well, on the eve of my birthday, I bought a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. I know, I know, I’ve been packing in the pounds since I stopped even trying to jog (or play badminton at that) a month ago. But hey, IT IS my birthday. If I want to eat something fancy to satisfy my sweet tooth, calories be damned.


I also went to Starbucks for my grande cup of Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha and decided to try their Turkey and Chicken Wrap with Apple Stuffing. I haven’t had dinner because I stayed late at work (for both work and “extra-work” stuff). Again, calories and gastos be damned! Haha! (EDIT: On my way to work today, I again passed by Starbucks! Birthday ko, I should not be judged!)


And when I got home, I simply went through the last minute stuff I had to do tonight. You see, tomorrow (well, today actually) is our company’s Christmas Party and I’m part of the committee that organizes it. I had some tasks to do and I’m relieved I was able to finish them without much hitch. I don’t want to be stressed on my birthday. 


Now I don’t think anyone at work knows tomorrow is my birthday, haha! I’ve mentioned it to my batchmates a few months ago, but nobody seems to remember anymore because none of them has mentioned anything to me lately.


This little factoid (my birthdate) will prove to be crucial information. Haha! If my officemates will start greeting me I’m sure my age is bound to be brought up. And that fact, my friends, is some sensational (at least to them) information I don’t to be revealed just yet. Hahaha!


And so, it’s almost 10 minutes past midnight, I’m officially 27 years old (I was born at 12:08am)! Yey!


*Switching to 3rd Person*


Happy Birthday, Rex! You haven’t planned anything special today. I don’t know what kind of schtick you are playing because we both know you love surprises and celebrations all that (which is why you do that to your friends whenever you can). But I think you’ve accepted that fact that circumstances are not conducive to wonderful merriment. And it’s actually amazingly weird that you are okay with that. Enjoy this day nonetheless. Just pretend that the company Christmas Party is your Birthday Party. Who knows you just might win the grandest prize in the raffle draw. Haha! Have an amazing day ahead, and I hope you will get the most perfect birthday gift we both know you are truly longing for – year after year. Ingat! 


PS. That cold you suspect to be nursing already, I hope it doesn’t get worse today. 

Feels Like Home

I kept thinking of ways to come up with a creative preamble to this farewell piece, but alas, I can’t think of anything that does justice to the truth – words fail me when I try to fathom how much 34G means to my life, my character, my very being.


How does one say goodbye to a place you’ve considered your second home for the past nine years? I look at the underside of the upper bed of my double deck and my mind is taken over with all the thoughts, ideas and feelings I’ve reflected on and the memories I’ve made for the past nine years. And that is just the underside of the upper bed above me! Don’t get me started with the cabinet, the window, the other room, the stairs! Oh dear – the refrigerator! Haha!


**********
34G practically represents every period of my life after high school – it’s freakin’ one-third of my life. It’s even longer than my childhood and teenage years! Next to our Pampanga home, there’s no other structure in this world that I stayed longer in. I’ve experienced and learned so much from it that all that I am, all that I say and do these days is an influence from my stint at this legendary Aguman apartment.


Throughout my bests and worsts, 34G was as constant, secure and dependable as the best of my friends. It’s the second safest haven for me.


My housemates (and their annexes, haha) were pretty much my second family. Most of my best circle of friends in my entire life I have met courtesy of 34G. Starting from the older “kuya’s” and “ate’s” I’ve learned to deeply look up to, to the younger “wali’s” I have grown fond of taking care of, all of these people have touched and continue to touch my life even as some of us are geographically very apart. These are the kind of people I will always miss when I don’t get to see them often, and when I do, it feels like I’ve only seen them the day before. These are the people I want to grow old with. When you share an apartment with four or five other people for years on end, you get to share your life as well.


**********
Now 34G, in all its sovereign glory, was not always a peaceful place. Every now and then conflicts would arise. Resolving these minor misunderstandings taught me valuable lessons on maturity, selflessness, consideration and most importantly, responsibility.


Maturity because being away from home and your family teaches you how to be independent and there are many things you have to handle on your own. Selflessness because looking out for other people will make doing things for them come naturally. Consideration because a lot of it prevents five boys from killing in each other when they get on each other’s nerves. Haha! Responsibility because it takes real effort to turn a drab two-storey apartment into some semblance of a home you would love going home to and make sure that all affairs are in proper order.


**********
I wrote the excerpts below about 34G for our organization’s website almost four years ago:


“When I moved in to 34G, I was the youngest, most naive, dependent and innocent housemate. But I was surrounded by the best set of older brothers and sisters so I learned and mastered the ways of the world (and of the org) in no time. Like I always say, ‘I learned from the best’.


“They say familiarity breeds contempt. Yes, it’s true. But it comes with the territory anyway. No other experience has taught me more things and lessons in life than living with the organization’s best people. So yes, the pros definitely trump the cons – to the words of Simon Cowell – by a mile.




“I admit though, there were many times when I wanted to move out for a number of many different reasons (mainly mood swings). But at the end of those manic episodes, I’ve always realized that I cannot do it. I thought, how could I possibly deliberately cut myself out from a place that has actually helped define a huge part of my being.”


**********
Leaving 34G was no mean feat. I had to pack and move lots of stuff to my new place – it was raining and all my bags almost didn’t fit in the car. But leaving was heavier emotionally. 


I became a part of 34G and 34G became a part of me. And in wherever amazing palace, or God forbid worse shanty, life will take me someday, I will carry that 34G part with me – always.