Start the New Year Right

Posted on January 5, 2007
Filed Under Fun, Parenting and Family, Thoughts | Viewed 6916 times

Let’s start the new year in reflection, or maybe a personal review of the UPs and DOWNs of the past year. Be thankful of the UPs, resolve to replicate them in the year, or even surpass them. Accept the DOWNs and face them, difficult though it may be. Regret if you must, say sorry if needed, but put a closure to it. And don’t take a long time in doing so. For how can we have a new beginning in 2007 if there is no closure of what it was in 2006? There is nothing we can do about the past, but learn from it. Surely, we can make a difference with the present and the future. It is all a matter of attitude and taking up a positive disposition. Like what I have always told my best friends when things go wrong, “Erase those negative thoughts and memories from our hard disks”, meaning, from our minds. And this has always worked, even in very difficult, extreme cases.

I have for a long time now stopped making new years resolutions, they would be broken anyway. But one time, I made a mid-year resolution, which I kept for a while, then entirely forgot. For me, what matters is one’s openness to change for the better, regardless of the time and circumstances.

4-day holiday at the Shang

As has been a practice in the family for the past 10 years, we celebrated the New Year at the EDSA Shangrila Hotel. I placed my booking about 6 weeks in advance. Earlier, I tried booking at the Philippine Plaza Hotel, I was not lucky. Our stay there about 3 years ago was memorable – with the hotel’s own fireworks display, bands, partying, and the grand fireworks display on New Year’s eve.

We were lucky to get 2 adjoining rooms, one room was shared by the boys with Angelo and the other room was shared with the 3 girls. EDSA Shang has, as in the past years, been offering their “stay 2 nights and get the 3^rd night for free” as part of their Holy Week and Christmas/New Year promo.

Different this time

I told the kids that the hotel stay will have to be different this time. They have to do their own packing, keep their rooms uncluttered, and as much as possible, refrain from calling “mom” for whatever errands or requests they have. Mom, I told them, would like to relax this time. The past years, I always ended up being something like being an OC (obsessive compulsive) mom, who spent the time tidying up, feeding the brood, ad being at everyone’s beck and call. Thank you, dear ones, for allowing mom the much needed holiday, though, every now and then, one or the other would forget him/herself. The last morning prior to checking out, would have been a disaster, had I not come to their rescue. I had to do all the packing up for home.

We attended Sunday Mass at 6 pm at the St. Francis Church, right across the street. We came back at 8 pm for the New Year’s Mass. I have been in this church in the past, and I always had an eerie feeling every time I enter the church, something like spirits hovering around, especially in the left side dark corner. Angela had an eerie, frightening and unexplainable experience that night. She had a sudden attack of restlessness, and a feeling that she was being pushed down by a great force, which she felt she had to fight. She just wanted to walk fast out of the church, which we did. She was crying and was afraid, but when we reached the door, the wisp of fresh air brought her back to her senses. She was just afraid to enter the church again, but I encouraged her to face her fears. Instead to going to the left side, we lined up by the right side for Holy Communion. She was fine afterwards.

Greeting the New Year

Everyone was in his/her best that night, but some of us had a temporary feeling of being underdressed when Kris Aquino passed us by at the hotel lobby. She came with hubby James Yap, and son Josh, for dinner, I guess. She was in a golden yellow cocktail dress carrying a Louis Vuitton bag, which Monica says costs about P300 grand. I was star struck, I like Kris. Oh well, Kris is a star, she can dress up however fancy she wants.

pau and mox ♥

Two bands played that night, the Drizzles and Amadeus bands. We had a great time, listening to the music and joining the countdown by midnight. Nothing new, it was the same concept the previous years, when balloons would fall (this year, it’s gold balloons) from the ceiling, and a curtain like fireworks display by the high glass walls of the coffee shop lounge. But still, it was a magical night, when everyone was merry, having fun, embracing, and greeting each other. BA and Vince danced the night away, urging Angela and Pauline to dance. Even Monica who had an appendectomy a week ago, was dancing to her heart’s delight. As to Pauline, she kept texting, and texting and texting, while I clicked and clicked and clicked, pictures for posterity sake. Alan, Sr and Jr also enjoyed the night. Angelo and family spent the New Year’s eve with Caren’s family, but they, too, had fun. They reached the hotel at past 1am

We checked out of the hotel on Tuesday, 2 January, the pockets lighter but the spirits high, all looking forward to the surprises of 2007.

To complete the holiday, we proceeded to the Shangrila Mall to watch a movie. We had a wacky time, watching Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo. A must watch movie.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL May 2007 be filled with blessings of wealth, health and a good life, despite whatever challenges would come our way

Comments

9 Responses to “Start the New Year Right”

Lazarus on January 5th, 2007 3:47 pm

Hi Dine, thanks for visiting my site. Happy New Year to you and to your family!

Very nice site you have here! Mind if I link you up?
Sexy Mom on January 5th, 2007 3:54 pm

thanks, Lazarus! i, too, enjoyed reading your articles. cheers
Kyels on January 5th, 2007 5:26 pm

Heya Dine,

Salamat sa pagdaan sa blog ko!

I had fun reading your posts and yes, of course, I am planning to go back to Pinas again this year—- definitely!

Anyway, Manigong Bagong Taon to you and may you have a blessed year ahead!

(:
anna on January 5th, 2007 7:02 pm

Hello D! How did you get me in ur mailing list. Not complaining though. Interesting site. Yes, we should start the new year with clean slates for all. I got my own (temporary)blogsite too … put up during the holidays when i found myself with too much time in my hands. Would u read it? its about growing old happy. Check: http://ode2old.blogspot.com. All best – anna
cruise on January 8th, 2007 8:39 am

hi supermom, super na super talaga dating, ganda ng mga entries dito. sensiya na ngayon lang ako nakabalik simula nung bumisita ka sa site ko. anyways.

agree ako na dapat pasalamat sa UPs at tanggapin ang DOWNs at mag move on matuto sa mga na experiences.

madalas ko rin makita si Kris sa Shang mall namimili kahit di naman ako mahilig sa artista kita naman na celebrity talaga sya, maputing maputi
Sexy Mom on January 8th, 2007 2:19 pm

thanks, Cruise! nice photos you have. inspires me to post pictures of my trips one of these days!
Rach on January 11th, 2007 4:51 pm

Hi Dine. Thanks for visiting my blog. I love your comment about chocolates. I love your choice of words. You certainly have a flair for writing. Something very admirable. Looking forward to reading your other interesting posts.

Happy New Year to you and your family. It’s really a time to be thankful for all the positive things that have happened and also a time to reflect on the negative ones. Hopefully we can get over the latter ones and look forward to a brighter year. God bless.
Sidney on January 12th, 2007 7:21 pm

Happy New Year! Wish you all the best for 2007! Glad you enjoyed your stay in the Shang! You have a great looking family!
Leah on January 18th, 2007 8:29 pm

I agree with Sidney. You all look great. Happy New Year too.