I haven’t notice time flying this fast. Ang bilis talaga ng oras. It’s this time of the year again when I look back and see how I have been this past year. Have I been a happier, better Roger this 2011? Hmmmmm.
Life this year has been hard and challenging. Early on, it was full of chumminess- tinatapos ko pa lang yung mga naiwan kong subject nung pumunta ako sa Korea. Summer classes came and I was taking GE classes again. Then 4 months of fieldwork that gave me the opportunity to know, to live with and work with the Aytas of Porac, Pampanga. It was fulfilling, yung nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na makibahagi sa pang-araw araw na buhay nila; makilala hindi lamang sila kundi maging ang sarili ko; at ang mapagtanto ang mga bagay na dapat sa pag-unlad ng aking pagkatao . Masasabi ko namang hindi ako mapagpanggap at pekeng organisador. HAHA. My birthday came, and it was a happy one, I guess. Now is the continuation of my fieldwork program and this 2nd semester has been intense, working with the women of Marikina. Now it’s Christmas break and I am making the most out of it because the moment I step on my field site again, alam na. 헐.
Experiences wise, I think I have earned experiences needed for my community development practice in the future. From writing bunches of papers to facilitating workshops and meetings, to theorizing and discussing ideas, I think this year, I reached and even exceeded what I need to experience. Relationships wise, it was also good. Having been connected to friends after leaving for a year, making new connections with people that came my way and digging deeper those friendships I already treasure. It is also nice to have an unexpected person make you smile unexpectedly.Hmmm. Well, andun yung kagandahan nang hindi nag-eexpect. Expectations either give you bliss or heartaches. I think we expect not for ourselves, certainly not for ourselves. Person-wise, I don’t really know. I think this section is just for personal consumption. 
Well, comparisons are inevitable. Comparing life this year from last year always makes me wonder, ‘am I happier now?’ Looking back always makes me nostalgic and euphoric. Tama nga ata, hindi naman talaga tayo nakakamove on, nasasanay lang tayo na hindi natin ginagawa yung mga ginagawa natin dati o nakikita yung mga kaibigang hindi na natin gaanong nakikita ngayon. And when I have time to look back, yes, it’s really coming back- the feeling of being happy and sad at the same time and that moment when I smile and shed a tear.
In this continuing search for happiness, one thing is important- dreaming. So my 2012 would be more about dreaming about my future and of course living the dreams I made before. This year had been colorful, yes. I am a better Roger now and this coming 2012, I will definitely be a better, happier Roger than I am today. Cheers to 2012 and beyond! Cheers to happiness!
