Monday, January 28

2007: What Became of the Likely Lad

1. What Did You Do In 2007 That You'd Never Done Before ?
Copywriting. At least not for the past five years. Just like riding a bicycle, which I never learned, copywriting remains a mystery. Wordplay, wit, or whatever the client is privy to. But it does pay for the comic books, so not complaining at all.


2. Did You Keep Your New Years' Resolutions. And Will You Make More For Next Year?
It's always food related. So, no.

3. Did Anyone Close To You Give Birth?
A good friend from the office I left in 2006.

4. Did Anyone Close To You Die?
Two of my dogs. They were greatly missed over the holidays.

5. What Countries Did You Visit?
Hong Kong. My favorite place on Earth.

6. What Would You Like To Have In 2008 That You Lacked In 2007?
A purpose. And this...


7. What Date(s) From 2007 Will Remain Etched Upon Your Memory, And Why?
Ach
. Not very good with dates. But the recent HK trip was the year's best. I got to shop all I could for 15 minutes in HMV, W's idea of a birthday gift. Which is the best birthday present ever but also the most nerve-wracking. 3 hours after landing, we passed by an HMV and he went, Okay, start now! I was shaking all over. And confused and delirious. Also got to hang out with Mida: dinner, drinks in Volume, then dessert. So yes, forever etched much.


8. What Was Your Biggest Achievement This Year?
Got an Immortal Iron Fist sketch from Leinil Yu. And won original inks of Superman: Birthright by Leinil and inked by Ed Tadeo! Which is really not an achievement. But it's the first time I ever won anything.

9. What Was Your Biggest Failure?
Life's too short to be let down by anything. Or it's somewhere buried in my subconscious. Sleeper failure.

10. Did You Suffer Illness or Injury?
And I quoteth the Dodo: Nothing you can't pin blame on age.

11. What Was The Best Thing You Bought?
My comic books. They almost always never fail me. You can always drop one and move on the next. Now, that's a perfect relationship. Heh.

12. Whose Behavior Merited Celebration?
My sister, Faye! *Naks* The perfect partner to geek-treasure hunting.

13. Whose Behavior Made You Appalled And Depressed?
Mostly strangers in the lift. The rude ones. There was this one guy who leaned on all the buttons. Took me a whole 15 minutes before I reached my office's floor, the 23rd.

14. Where Did Most of Your Money Go?
See #11.

15. What Did You Get Really, Really, Really Excited About?
Every Thursdays is new comics day! And, err, the Beyonce concert. Clearly, nothing much has happened in my life. And like it that way.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Editors' Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors, The Bluetones' Surrendered, Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good, M. Ward's Chinese Translation and Tilly and the Wall's Rainbows in the Dark.

17. Compared To This Time Last Year, You Are:
More relaxed. Happier.

18. What Do You Wish You'd Done More Of?
Sleep. Travel. Drinking. Blogging.

19. What Do You Wish You'd Done Less Of?
Nothing, really.

20. How Did You Spend Christmas?
Parent's house in Bulacan. Made pasta sauce. PSP-ed til my fingers were numb.

22. Did You Fall In Love In 2007?
In love still.

23. How Many One Night Stands?
None (and the heavens opened up to the singing of angels)

24. What Was Your Favorite TV Program?
TV Programs. Addicted. According to order. Here goes why I haven't been blogging much. Doctor Who. Torchwood. Lost. Spooks. Battlestar Galactica. Rome. Brothers and Sisters. Chuck. Life on Mars. Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Gossip Girl. House MD. The Tudors. Reaper.

25. Do You Hate Anyone Now That You Didn't Hate This Time Last Year?
Judd Winnick. Not really hate. But hate his work on Green Arrow. And I love Ollie.

26. What Was The Best Book You Read?
Rob Sheffield's Love Is a Mixtape. The best. The sweetest. The saddest.

27. What Was Your Greatest Musical Discovery?
Lucky Soul! (Thanks, Dodo.) The rest, not really discoveries. more of a new habit---M. Ward, Tilly and the Wall, Midlake, Kate Nash, Bishop Allen and Jens Lekman.

28. What Did You Want And Get?
The Batman Jim Lee Black & White statue. Classic New Teen Titans, and Big Barda & Mr. Miracle DC Direct editions.

29. What Did You Want And Not Get?
Justin Hartley. As Green Arrow.

30. What Was Your Favourite Film This Year?
Movies I saw more than once so I guess they're favorites. David Fincher's Zodiac. Kim Yong-Hwa's 200 Pounds Beauty. These are the only two I recall.

31. What Did You Do On Your Birthday? And How Old Were You?
Downed beer to an Amy Winehouse BBC Special and Temptation Island. Then a Battlestar Galactica season 3 discussion: the cylon reveals, the rescue in Caprica. Am old enough to like the new Rilo Kiley album. Heh.

32.What One Thing Would Have Made Your Year Immeasurably Satisfying?
Justin Hartley.

33. How Would You Describe Your Personal Fashion Concept In 2007?
Geekosexual. A comic book shirt and checkered pants, like Sheldon. (If you know Sheldon, then you're one of us!)

34. What Kept You Sane?
Coming home every night to W. *awwshucks*

35. Which Celebrity/Public Figure Did You Fancy The Most?
Also---Mark Ronson, David Anders (Mr. Sark in ALIAS and Adam Monroe in Heroes), Tom Smith (Editors).

36. What Political Issue Stirred You The Most?
The Manila Pen invasion. Because my friends work from across the hotel.

37. Who Did You Miss?
Drinking buddies from way back.

38. Who Was The Best New Person You Met?
Sandy of Comic Odyssey! (Who let me choose my raffle prize when my name got picked in the Comic Odyssey anniversary---Michael Turner variant, JLA #13 .)

39. Tell Us A Valuable Life Lesson You Learned In 2007:
Old is the new young.

40. Quote Song Lyric That Sum Up The Year:
"When you caught my eye, I saw everywhere I'd been, And want to go to." Editors, An End Has a Start. Short and sweet. Not completely sure about the dangling modifier but it works.

The first month of the New Year is almost over.

That was a quick one, 2007, fast-paced distractions taking up most of the days. The year I took the back seat---enjoying the view, watching the sun come up at least once in a month. Gradual transitions, from dark to light, from blue to gold-speckled pink; I relished the laziness of sunrise.

At least until my blood pressure shot up. Heh.

Now it's early to bed and early to rise just like most. Romanticism is really for the conveniently young.