Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching

Can't believe it's time for a year-end report. I hardly felt Christmas and it's already New Year's Eve. Time to toss the old calendar and hang up a new one, with the realization that I weigh about the same as last year, forcing myself once again to seek out the best diet supplement, or simply crash the treadmill again.

So here's a New Year's postcard I digitally designed using a photo that a friend (a cousin's boyfriend) took of my back while I was photographing one of the "Crown Fountains" in Chicago's Millennium Park. I've always wanted to step inside Millennium Park, and I got to do that on my birthday this year.

A look back at 2009:

TRAVELS:

• New York City: A city I never grow tired of visiting. I was able to tour the United Nations headquarters, attended a free lomography workshop at the Lomography Store in Greenwich Village, saw the Statue of Liberty twice, ate at Cafe Lalo (where "You've Got Mail" was filmed), signed the condolence book at the Philippine Consulate for the late President Aquino, met my Croatian friend for Irish beer at Times Square, among others. Surprisingly, I wasn't able to catch a Broadway show this year. Recession much?
• Myrtle Beach on Easter weekend, with a sidetrip to Savannah, Georgia and the kooky South of the Border. I loved how there's Calabash Seafood Buffet restaurants and Sonic fast food places everywhere in Myrtle Beach.
  
• Florida: Finally basked in the sun in the "Sunshine State!" And it's a proud driving moment, too--as I was the substitute driver for an uncle. Drove from South Carolina all the way to Kissimmee, Florida...then visited all four theme parks at Disney World (where I met Capt. Jack Sparrow) and Universal Studios in nearby Orlando. Rode nearly all of the neck-breaking roller coasters they had, except for the Everest ride in Animal Kingdom. Also had photos with Mickey and the gang.
• Niagara Falls, New York: Rode the Maid of the Mist yet again in America's oldest state park.
• Ottawa, Canada: The only international trip I've taken this year, and it's by road. Toured the Canadian capital by amphibian bus guided by a French-Canadian monsieur. Feasted on falafel for the first time!
  
• Thousand Islands, Ontario: Discovered the origin of the famous condiment by the same name. Climbed their view deck via high-speed elevator. Bought a bottle of the dressing from the duty-free shop before crossing the border.
• Eastern State Penitentiary: Visited Al Capone's cell in this Philadelphia prison institution that is said to be haunted.
• Atlantic City: New Jersey's gambling playground by the ocean is still part of the itinerary, primarily because of my grandfather. Little did we know that the week-long stay in September would be his last. Finally saw Absecon Lighthouse. Discovered celebrity handprints on the Boardwalk.
  
• Margate, New Jersey: Just minutes away from Atlantic City is the home of Lucy the Elephant, whose belly we invaded and whose back we climbed.
• Chicago: Totally unplanned, but a last minute invite to an aunt's 50th birthday celebration had us flying there. Actually ended up as two golden birthdays with another uncle in Plainfield, then I celebrated my birthday in downtown Chicago at a Greek restaurant, a walk in Millennium park (and a lightning fast parking ticket), and a birthday dinner in Aurora, Illinois. Also went speedboating down the Three Rivers.

TRIUMPHS:

• Nearly passed an exam. I guess that makes it a near-triumph instead of an actual one.
• Became a Yankee: a mad fan rooting for them in the World Series, and a real one by naturalization.
• Conquered my fear of driving on the interstate highway when I drove my share of miles from Jersey to Florida and back. Also mastered the art of pumping gas by myself. Got too pampered in Jersey whose gas stations have gasoline boys to do it for you.
• Joined a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on my birthday month and helped raise money for such cause.
• Danced for a fundraiser with the Philippine Nurses' Association in our county, albeit I'm not a nurse. Unleashed the sleeping folk dancer in me and danced the Muslim "Malong" dance and the upbeat "Subli." The last time I "folk-danced" was as a college freshman, in Phys. Ed.
  
• Got lucky in quite a number of online contests in which I won things such as a lamp, a Papemelroti handcrafted necklace, a watercolor organizer and Dutch souvenirs from Malaysia, and a National Geographic Traveler magazine one-year subscription. I'm a bit miffed that two contests I won did not send me my prizes, namely a back issue of National Geographic about China from Manila, and a Rirakkuma plush toy from Japan. Boo-hoo!

TRAGEDIES:

• My beloved grandfather passed away earlier this month due to complications from stroke. We spent three weeks watching him at the hospital. It's therefore a sad Christmas for me and my family.
• One of my cats, Maki, died mysteriously shortly after my grandfather died. We suspect he ate something poisonous. My other cat Siomai's firstborn kitty also died soon after being born.
• Lost my camera on my last day in Orlando, and lost my celfone on the eve of my birthday in downtown Chicago. What a way to ruin two vacations!

I also realized that some of the disappointments or delays in life have a particular reason that we usually don't understand at first. There is a grand scheme of things, and the events in our life are pieces of that puzzle.

From my snowy neck of the woods to you, I wish you a New Year filled with 2,010 reasons (and more) to SMILE!