As the year’s coming to a close, I’m going to sit back and reflect on the things that happened to me this year.
On health…
I’m not a sickly type of person. I get a fever only once or twice a year, but this year I got three. First was in early March, on the exact day of our thesis presentation. We defended our thesis early in the morning. Later that day, I had severe stomach cramps that wouldn’t go away. Hours later, I was already in the emergency room of our university hospital. I had acute gastroenteritis.
The second and third times I got a fever were in September and December. The second one was due to sore throat and colds. The third was unexplained. Aside from those fevers, I also suffered from a lot of sore throat episodes which could clearly be justified by the empty Bactidol bottles in our trash can.
On career/academics…
I think the first half of this year was completely devoted to our board exam. Our school had been holding board review sessions since the start of January but I barely attended any (if at all). My thesis group successfully defended our thesis in March and I graduated with a degree in Pharmacy in April. My classmates and I enrolled ourselves in a review school after graduation. The review lasted until May but I only started reviewing seriously in June, the month of the board exam. On the morning of July 3, there were about 30 new messages in my cellphone, waiting to be read by me. They were all messages of congratulations. I passed the board exam. 
Three days after the results came out, I flew to Ovada to study Clinical Pharmacy with some of my schoolmates for yet another year. It sounded uninteresting to us at first, but we had no better choice. It would serve as our key to be eligible to take the FPGEE in the US. Now, barely 3 months are left and we’re done!
On friends…
In terms of “friends,” I can say that the year had started well for me. In my class, I was already friends with everybody. After 4 years of being together, maybe that was the way for graduating seniors like me. After graduation, there were some of them who I never saw again. During our board exam review, I got closer with my other classmates, especially Audrey. We always sat beside each other. We were like study partners, and together we dreamed of landing on a top spot in the board exam. That way, we became truly motivated to study. When the day of the board exam came, we never had a hard time answering the questions. And when the results came out, we were already confident that we had passed the exam. Actually, what I was nervous about that night was whether or not Audrey and I were included in the top ten. Well, we weren’t. But when our grades were mailed, they were just a couple of decimals away from that of the 10th placer. If only they had extended the list to top 20! Oh well, it’s alright. It’s not the rank that counts. What’s important is the fact that we did our best. And it was fun reviewing too!
When I went to Ovada, I learned how to deal with dormmates who have different personalities and attitudes. There were times that it was hard for me but, hello? I’ve been living in a dormitory my whole college life. I should be an expert with this stuff by now. I also learned how to distinguish between true friends and superficial friends. I met a lot of new faces and got along with them. My circle of friends also got wider because of Kpop. It’s really fun remembering those late-night chats, discussing rumours about Korean boybands, and sharing links to their videos and stuff. (I suddenly imagine myself laughing at this 10 years from now).
Sad thing is, I’m failing to keep in touch with my high school friends. All of us have been quite busy this year.
On family…
When I started college, I only got to see my mom and brother every weekend or twice a month (except during sembreaks and summerbreaks). Now that I’m studying in Ovada, I only get to see them once a month. I miss them a lot, and I know that they miss me too, especially Mommy. I’m thankful and happy that I have a wonderful family. My mom is just the best. Period. I cannot deny the fact that she’s getting old, and that her health is starting to deteriorate. But despite all that, she still takes good care of us. I know it’s very hard for her to play mom and dad at the same time. I appreciate everything she does from the bottom of my heart, and I love her very much. A mother can be weak, can be subjective, can make mistakes. But a mother’s love is perfect.
I admire my brother’s unending patience and great sense of humor. Very few people have that gift. I love my mom and brother very much. Maybe this would be our last New Year’s Eve together. Where I would be 365 days from now, I do not know. Life is so uncertain.
On spirituality…
My family has always been a religious family, and I have always been a religious person. I read the Gospel everyday and I pray the moment I wake up in the morning and before I go to sleep. When I’m at home, I join my mom and brother pray the rosary. We also include in our prayers the poor souls in purgatory. It is our belief that we should pray for their salvation since they can no longer pray for themselves. In exchange for it is a promise that they will pray for us as soon as they enter the gates of heaven.
Last October, I started to read the Bible. I started with the Book of Revelations. Unfortunately, the reading stopped upon the start of the second semester. Hopefully, next year, I could read the Bible further.
On addictions passion…
When this year started, I was a big fan of anime. I even wrote an editorial about it in our college gazette. During the summer break, when I was reviewing for the board exam, I was roomed with this nursing student who was also a writer and an anime lover! We got along really well. At night, we often talked about our fan fiction ideas. I had a lot of ideas then, mostly about Uchiha Itachi and Sayuri Amaya (my original character).
Last October, I got addicted to “House MD.” Everyday I would sit in front of my laptop and watch Dr. House. One day, I got tired of watching it from online streaming, so I bought DVD’s. When the 2nd sem came and I left again for Ovada, Mommy watched the DVD’s and got addicted too!
Now, I’m no longer addicted to anime or to House, but to Kpop! Oh, how I love Super Junior, especially the maknae Kyuhyun! He’s such an inspiration. From his awkward dance moves from their earlier performances, his dance moves now are just amazing! But it was his voice which captivated me from the very start. I so love his voice!
On other things…
This year is memorable because this is the year I created this blog. I only wrote my thoughts in my diary before, where no one could read them. One day, my cousin who was a law student, lent me a book entitled “Anonymous Lawyer.” It was a nice book, and it was really fun to read because the text was presented in a very unique way. It came in a form of a blog with daily entries and all, just like in the novel “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” but it was different because it was taken from an actual blog! (Check it out: http://anonymouslawyer.blogspot.com). It was created by a law student from Harvard. Because of the great response it got from readers, it was published as a novel.
Sometimes, when I’m alone in my room and have nothing to do, I pull out one of my diaries from my shelf and scan through the pages. It makes me happy, just reading my diary. Some entries are full of wonderful insights that I myself couldn’t believe I wrote them. By reading my diary, I learn a lot of things about myself—what makes me happy, what makes me sad, et cetera. I noticed that I tend to write a lot when I’m upset, and only a few when I’m just fine.
On dreams…
Right now, I just want to pass the FPGEE, have my internship, take the NAPLEX, work as a pharmacist in the United States, and take a doctorate degree in Pharmacy. Those are my concrete goals. I still have a lot of goals in mind, like to be a composer and playwright and to learn Korean, Nihongo and other languages, but in the end my ultimate dream would always be to have a happy death and a happy life after death. Amen.
