about the talking fish

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Writer. Wheelman. Occasional DIY mechanic. Walking collection of hang-ups. Hopeless romantic. Old-school. Analog soul in a digital world. I am all of these things and more.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010 was a good year for...

Travel. Bohol, Bacolod, Baguio, Nasugbu and Tagaytay were some of the notable places Mav and I went to this year, and I loved every minute. Baguio was particularly memorable: until recently I've gotten sick of going there because my mom insisted on going at every possible opportunity without giving me freedom to explore on my own. Not this time. Even though Baguio is "Manila in the mountains" nowadays, it still has hidden gems worth seeking out.

Car racing and trackdays. I had to take 10 months' hiatus off racing due to other priorities, but it was always great. I hit my personal best lap record in Subic International Raceway (58.93 sec), learned my way around Batangas Racing Circuit (2:20.8), and sampled the tire-destroying long track of the Clark International Speedway (no lap time).

Health and exercise. I was able to stick to a gym schedule for six months. I also participated in a new hobby: running. Tentative efforts around February and March began to stick around October until the present, where I started competing in my first 3K and 5K races - both with respectable first-attempt times. In 2011 I'll aim for a couple of 10K events. I may not have lost much weight, but I'm proud to say I'm in a better state of fitness than in the past few years.

Filipino movies. Mav's efforts to steer me toward Filipino movies have paid off. I've learned to appreciate them for what they are, even discovering some legitimate gems along the way. I enjoyed "Cinco" and "My Amnesia Girl." I'm just hoping we move on from the rom-coms.

Formula 1. And here I was thinking 2009 was a brilliant season celebrating the underdog. 2010 was genuinely dramatic, with five men in a position to win the driver's championship up until the penultimate race of the season. I don't like Red Bull Racing's raceday impotence, I don't like Sebastian Vettel's prattish attitude, but they both deservedly won their championships in style.

2010 was a bad year for...

Car clubs and forums. Not worth my time these days. I've done a respectable run over almost 7 years. When the headaches and gossip over blown egos outstrips the pleasure and advantages of participation, I think it's time to throttle back or let go altogether.

Work. Most of the people I started working with have left and I think I've realized why. My environment no longer supports my professional development. It's one of the only things that's kept me anchored, and even that's disappeared altogether. I'm not sure I can wait until September. The time to act is probably now.

Personal websites. See how badly I've neglected my own blog? Enough said.

Personal real estate. It's been frustrating looking at condominiums and houses for sale. At my current salary and the rate I'm going (see Work above), I'll never be able to pay off a house or condominium of my own - not now. Right now all I can do is concentrate on investing more and more into my current savings bond.
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