SINGAPORE — Where did last year go? It seems like only yesterday that 2008 was starting.
And now, 2009 has officially begun… another year full of potential… promise… and promises.
It’s that time of year when everyone, no matter his/her station in life, creates that mythical list of tasks and to-do’s for the coming year. Another list of, yes, promises that will most likely be kept for just a few weeks or months… or not at all.
Nevertheless, I’ve decided to compile my own list of resolutions. It’s become quite the custom for me to write down what I’d like to accomplish or achieve in the next 12 months. As far as my professional aspirations are concerned, there are factors that determine its success — one of which is the present dismal state of the world economy — so I’m going to jot down only things that are fully within my control so that, no matter what’s going on in the world, good or bad, I should be able to tick these items off one by one.
I’ll let you know at year’s end how I did.
And so, without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2009:
1) Eat more healthy.
2) Exercise at least three times a week.
3) Sleep at a more decent hour… like before 2 a.m.
4) Improve my sight-reading
5) Relearn how to play the piano.
6) Learn to play a new musical instrument, just for fun.
7) Stay more on top of my finances.
8) Be better at remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special events.
9) Complain less when stuck in monumental Manila traffic... only because there isn’t anything I’ll be able to do about it.
10) See more shows, concerts and other musical events.
11) Stay away from coffee (I quit drinking this delicious beverage a month ago; my stomach is much happier for it).
12) Get my family to an allergist (allergy doctor) to see exactly what it is we’re allergic to, individually.
13) Start and finish the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series of books.
14) Learn a new word everyday.
15) Refrain from buying first-generation technology.
16) Drink more water.
17) Let common sense rule, as much as possible.
18) Save… save… and save money.
19) Update my blogs more regularly.
20) Be better at remembering my friends’ birthdays, and actually greet them.
21) Give my mother less grief (oh yes, she gets her share of it from me from time to time).
22) Cook… as in, stand over a hot stove every so often and create a good meal.
23) Introduce my daughter to the music that has influenced me as a musician and an artist (musical theater, film soundtracks and selected pop music).
24) Improve my spoken and written Filipino.
25) Visit more of the Philippines… it’s a shame that I don’t see as much of my own country as I should.
26) Listen to more classical music.
27) Find out more about distance learning… that college degree can’t be that hard to get, can it?
28) Finish that blasted scarf!
29) Read the “Noli” and “Fili” again, and never forget the reason (and spirit in which) they were written.
30) Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Congratulations
Hearty congratulations to my brother Gerard for a successful run of shows at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
You’ll get a big box of donuts when I get home!
