resolutions, resolutions, resolutions

Hellloooo, 2006!!!

You know what? I've been putting my laptop to "hibernate" with this page (create message page) up for two days. The only thing that had been written was the title, "resolutions, resolutions, resolutions".

Guess this year started in a really busy way.

It was exactly a year ago when I was away with my girlfriends at an impromptu vacation in Bali (yes, it was beautiful then, it is still beautiful now). And I was at that time, very anxious to know the result of my interview at Gucci.

I got interviewed for a position as a store manager. In the advertisement, they wanted a girl, but I wrote that I was gay and my homosexuality would be a plus point because two homosexuals actually changed the course of beauty and fashion history (John Galliano - the bitch I eventually hate because of his love for fur, and the late Kevyn Aucoin - the make-up genius).

Anyhoo, I wasn't accepted (bien sur, because right now, I'm comfortably working at this huge five-star-diamond hotel!).

Enough of the nostalgic flash-back.

Here I am again, one year has passed, and although the year 2005 hasn't been quite as... how should I put it... heavy, I am fortunate enough to be blessed with a colourful year that has actually contributed a lot in my way of becoming more mature.

Yes.

1. I got a job as a birthday present (my first-day was exactly on my birthday).
2. I got four new kittens (one kitty got lost, so there're only three left).
3. I learned photography using Nikon D-100 (digital's sooooo much easier).
4. I learned new tricks with Photoshop.
5. I became even more familiar with Illustrator.
6. I learned Freehand (quite easy).
7. I bought presents for my family and friends, presents that they really want, with my own money!

Well, what can I say, this year has been really, really, really fulfilling.

So, I stayed at the hotel during the countdown on New Year's Eve, right? I was the one responsible for the digital/analog clock countdown animation. It was simple, really (since I actually found the script on the net. Hah!)

Everything was fine and dandy and being a resourceful kitty (with a piece of knowledge just below average), I created an escape claw: a button that would lead the scene showing the clock to another scene showing fireworks. I actually created the button since I didn't know how the hell it was to make the scene automatically switch to the fireworks when the clock hit 00:00:00.

And how lucky I was.

The MC was sooo stupid that she began counting backwards when it was only 23:58:55. So there was still 1 minute 5 seconds left.

And when it was 23:59:00, she screamed as if we were already in the new year.

That very button, the escape claw, was quickly pushed, the scenes changed, and everything was solved.

Phew!

Anyway, after going to the bar to do some disco, I went home. Mom was there to open the gate.

And we hugged. For about two minutes. I was so ready to burst in tears. I told her happy new year and she said that she hadn't hugged me like that in years.

Geez...

The other day, when the five of us went to Bogor (we always do that) for Christmas, on the way back, I looked at the photos I took, and one of them made me cry.

From left-to-right: Aunt Judith, Aunt Florence, Mom, Aunt Corry.

It was a snap shot, a candid shot, when they were all laughing.

I cried in the backseat where I was sitting alone, thanking God for letting me spend yet another Christmas with Mom.

(Gabby, if you're reading this, I just want to let you know that when I hugged my mom, I also felt that it was YOU hugging YOUR mom. I believe that whenever a child hugs his/her mother, all the mothers, whether alive or up-in-heaven, would feel as if their own children were hugging them. And what a great feeling it is.)

On the lighter side, on New Year's Eve at the office, I wore this really flashy headpiece (a friend gave me a red halo, really weird. halos were supposed to be white, right?) and I ripped of a string of stars from my Christmas tree and put the stars around my head and the halo.

As always, I attracted the attention of the whole Shangri-La: the guests and the employees.

And guess what? Even the General Manager and the Resident Manager (probably like the President and Vice President of a country) asked to pose with me in a picture. And they took two pictures!

Of course I couldn't say no!

My God, I looked as if I had moustache in this photo.

Okay, so my resolutions for 2006 are:

1. Prepare myself for postgraduate study.
2. Work out more often
3. Groom myself more
4. Work harder, play harder, spend harder
5. Dedicate my life in three most important things in life: family, friends, and felines.