LIFE (Fill in the blank) at 40

Last year, I wrote about the 40 things I want to do before I turn 40....yes, that was one year already...and today is the day...of reckoning!..

So what have I done/accomplished in that one year, let's see...

1.Take the car for dent repairs and a full-body repainting job..and soon!

FAILED..That was my top priority and I failed on this one..I failed big time...like its the most difficult thing to do..how could that be? to make things worst, a few days before the year ends, my car engine broke down, a major one...maybe this is what I get for taking my car maintenance for granted...

2. Finish paying for my car..

DONE! as of July 2011..

3.Go up Kuwait’s Liberation Tower.

FAILED...but wait, I am not even sure if anyone's ever been there anyway!

4. Cross a sea, or even just a river, by boat or ship..

FAILED...

5.Drive a car in the Philippines……with Manual Transmission.
FAILED!

6.Renew my Philippine driving license...
FAILED! That was the least of my concern when I went on vacation...tsk tsk.

7.Visit a country other than the usual stop-overs to and from Kuwait.
FAILED...We'll have our chance, Mommy.

8.Visit at least one tourist destination in the Philippines…outside Luzon
FAILED...Maybe this year..or the next..(cue in: Choose Philippines campaign jingle)

9.Go home to my birthplace, my hometown- Infanta, Quezon…
DONE...it was both a sad and a happy homecoming last Nov.2,2011...sad because I went there primarily to attend the funeral of my mother's aunt..happy because even if it was a short visit, I still got the chance to stay in our old house, and to see my friends and relatives I haven't seen in a long time.

10.Try at least one water activity…Jet Ski perhaps!
FAILED...Thanks for the offer though, Kyle..too bad I never got the chance.

11.Try one extreme outdoor activity—Rock or wall climbing? Bungee jumping? Whatever..
FAILED...I almost got to try the zipline during our Subic trip but it was mid-day already and my children and companions were tired and hungry..so I had to skip the chance.

12.Try one extreme ride at the amusement park—Tornado? Cyclone?..let’s do it.
FAILED...

13.Eat an exotic food..something so exotic that I can’t even think of one right now.
FAILED...or did I ate something I wasn't aware of? :))

14.Get a tattoo…even a small one.
DID NOT...Though I really wanted to..I almost did, I just had reservations because I learned one (unverified) info that anyone with tats can't be a blood donor?

15.Hold a kitten for 5 minutes!
FAILED..Maybe not in this lifetime.

16.Dye my hair..
DID NOT..WAIT, I still have time...Mommmyyy!!!

17.Finish building our dream house.
Maybe I did..i wrote here "finish building"..and the building (construction) is actually finished :)..But finishing wise, it is still a work In progress..

18.Finish repairs on my parents’ house.
Repairs were done..I think.

19.Have a house blessing.
DID NOT...

20.Paid off all of my debts…or at least more than half of it :D
More than half, yes.

21.Donate for a charity of my choice..
If donating for the Fund raising campaign project of our alumni association to repair/restore our church bells can be considered...then I did..also, just this December, I gave a small donation to  the Philippine Red Cross for the victims of typhoon Sendong.

22.Meet someone famous.
DONE...Rocky Gathercole, Chocoleit?

23.Have a General Medical check-up.
FAILED.

24.Hit the gym…or at least do some physical activities..jogging, brisk-walking..go go!..
SLIGHTLY DONE?...I tried jogging and brisk-walking last summer for a few weeks...I had to stop when the weather became hotter..instead, we bought a stationary bike so we can do some physical activity at home........it remained stationary up to this day.

25. Be 10 kgs. lighter than my current weight...
I was 87 kgs. when I wrote this...I am 84 as of this writing..tsk tsk..FAILED!

26.Buy something expensive for my wife….ssshh!
Hmmm...I got her a Washer/Dryer on her birthday..was it that expensive?

27. Pay for my children’s education for one year.
I paid last December so I guess I am done for the year..this year is another story.

28.Hire someone to finally do that extra wardrobe/storage we badly need in our bedroom.
Consider it done last July 2011..We have a spare room we used as storage space instead, now our bedroom is more organized...

29.Upgrade my home computer..
Consider it done..I got myself a new HP Laptop.instead.

30. Buy a Wii….or PS3 with all accessories? …Which one’s better, I am still debating..
Done!

31.Learn to play at least one musical instrument.
FAILED..

32. Read a book..and actually finish it.
FAILED..I can't even finish a chapter without falling asleep!

33.Spend one weekend for a Harry Potter movie marathon.
FAILED..

34.Attempt another year-long photography project, maybe a 52 (a photo a week) and complete it.
I DID IT..I ACTUALLY FINISHED MY 52 WEEK PROJECT.

35.Have my first real photo shoot.
Done!

36.Attend a photography workshop.
Done! I attended the Strobist Workshop at the FPPF Intramuros last Nov. 18-19,2011. It was a rewarding experience.

37.Take some Advance Computer Lessons- PC Assembly, Troubleshooting, Networking…for future business plans.
FAILED.

38.Spend my 40th birthday in the Philippines..in a nice beach resort…with the family…for 3 days and 2 nights..
Its my 40th Birthday and I am in Kuwait right now..so I guess I FAILED..but its okay..I still have a lifetime to do this.

39.Learn to accept the fact that I am 40 years old already.
CHECK!...Reality check..I am 40 years old. I accept it. But it will take another 40 years for me to live a full life :)

40. STILL OPEN.

So there they are, my 40 things to do..to accomplish..to achieve..How did I fare?

I failed to do things 22 out of 40..(in red)
I was able to half-accomplish 4 others. (in yellow)
I was able to do 13, with one slot still open for anything...still not bad huh?

40...22..hmmm....

22. Meet someone famous

Last January, on my 39th birthday, I wrote a list of the 40 things I want to do or accomplish before I turn 40. This is number 22 from that list.


Last weekend, the Light Benders Photography Group (LB/PG) organized a 2-day photo shoot featuring the avant-garde creations of the one and only Rocky Gathercole, a world-class Filipino designer based in Dubai.

Fresh from his successful stint in the recently concluded Miami Fashion Week 2011, Rocky stopped by Kuwait for the weekend event. (You can find photos of Rocky's creations including his interview for the Metro Velvet  here.)

We- photographers, make-up artists and models alike- were overwhelmed and inspired not only by the presence of Rocky but also by his amazing designs and concepts..Suffice to say it's a tall order to give justice to his genius through our photographs.

Some of the photos from the event:







(More photos will be posted soon)

At the end, it was such a rewarding experience to be able to have this kind of opportunity- to have meet someone as famous and yet so humble and down-to-earth as Rocky.. We can't thank him enough for his time off his busy schedule and I look forward again for the next big event with him..hopefully soon!

35. Have my first real photoshoot

Last January, on my 39th birthday, I wrote a list of the 40 things I want to do or accomplish before I turn 40. This is number 35 from that list.

By real I mean with someone else other than my immediate family members posing in front of my camera, fully made-up, dressed up, set on location..the works!

They say the first 10,000 photos off your camera are your worst and it actually holds true for me. After almost a year with my DSLR, I felt that I am not making any significant progress with my skills as a photographer. I used to live a solitary life as a photographer, depending solely on online tutorials and the like, but I realized that is not enough.

So this year, I made a resolve that I will try to develop/ enhance my photography..first step is to come out of my shell and mingle with other camera enthusiasts..

The opportunity came when I was invited to attend a photo shoot last Feb. 25 with the newly formed Light Benders Photography Group in Kuwait.. The event was the Vol dela Fantaisie ( Flight of Fantasy) featuring the creations of Kuwait-based Filipino designer Kenneth Harion..I was both excited and hesitant to join at first but at the end, it turned out to be an eye-opener of sort.

Light Benders Photography Group in Kuwait at theVol dela Fantaisie Photo shoot Event
Radisson SAS Hotel, February 25, 2011

I learned a lot in that one day, my first real photo shoot.. and since then I saw myself getting more motivated and interested each day.

30. Buy a Wii..or PS3 with all accessories?..Which one is better I am still debating.

Last January, on my 39th birthday, I wrote a list of the 40 things I want to do or accomplish before I turn 40. This is number 30 from that list.

Well, the choice was obvious..I bought a Wii as a gift to my daughter Cianna on her 6th birthday..actually I already promised it to her long time before that if she do well in her class, she will get her birthday wish. And she actually did so I have to fulfill my end of the bargain.

I chose to buy the Wii even though the competition in the market  is becoming even tougher, what with the launching of PS Move for Playstation 3 and the Xbox's Kinect..I chose Wii because of its family entertainment value and for ease of use...it's primarily meant to be for my daughters' use anyway-- not for a graphics-hungry, hard core gamer like I wanted to be....LOL!

40 Things To Do Before I Turn 40

Today I am celebrating my 39 years of earthly existence..and though I am contented with what I have reached so far , I know there’s still a lot more to this life…and  so, as I continue my journey towards my 4^th decade, I am writing down the list of the things I’d like to do or accomplish in a year’s time before I reach that magical number.

Some of these are realistic..some are a bit on the extreme side while others will be really difficult..but that’s the whole idea about this list, right?..

Before I turn 40, I will:

1. Take the car for dent repairs and a full-body repainting job..and soon!
2. Finish paying for my car. (Done! as of July 2011)
3. Go up Kuwait’s Liberation Tower.
4.  Cross a sea, or even just a river, by boat or ship.
5. Drive a car in the Philippines……with Manual Transmission.
6. Renew my Philippine driving license.
7. Visit a country other than the usual stop-overs to and from Kuwait.
8. Visit at least one tourist destination in the Philippines…outside Luzon.
9. Go home to my birthplace, my hometown- Infanta, Quezon…(Done! Nov.2,2011)
10. Try at least one water activity…Jet Ski perhaps!
11. Try one extreme outdoor activity—Rock or wall climbing? Bungee jumping? Whatever..
12. Try one extreme ride at the amusement park—Tornado? Cyclone?..let’s do it.
13. Eat an exotic food..something so exotic that I can’t even think of one right now.
14. Get a tattoo…even a small one.
15. Hold a kitten for 5 minutes!
16.  Dye my hair
17.  Finish building our dream house. (In progress)
18. Finish repairs on my parents’ house.
19. Have a house blessing
20. Paid off all of my debts…or at least more than half of it :D
21. Donate for a charity of my choice..(If donating for the Fund raising campaign project of our alumni association to repair/restore our church bells can be considered...then it's done!)
22. Meet someone famous. (Done!)
23.  Have a General Medical check-up.
24. Hit the gym…or at least do some physical activities..jogging, brisk-walking..go go!..(In progress)
25.  Be 10 kgs. lighter than my current weight...(In progress)
26. Buy something expensive for my wife….ssshh!
27.  Pay for my children’s education for one year.(Done!)
28. Hire someone to finally do that extra wardrobe/storage we badly need in our bedroom.(Consider it done..We have a spare room we used as storage space instead, now our bedroom is more organized...as of July 2011)
29. Upgrade my home computer..(Consider it done..I got myself a new HP Laptop)
30.  Buy a Wii….or PS3 with all accessories? …Which one’s better, I am still debating.. (Done!)
31. Learn to play at least one musical instrument.
32.  Read a book..and actually finish it.
33. Spend one weekend for a Harry Potter movie marathon.
34. Attempt another year-long photography project, maybe a 52 (a photo a week) and complete it. (In progress)
35. Have my first real photo shoot. (Done!)
36. Attend a photography workshop. (Done! Nov. 18-19,2011)
37. Take some Advance Computer Lessons- PC Assembly, Troubleshooting, Networking…for future business plans J
38. Spend my 40^th birthday in the Philippines..in a nice beach resort…with the family…for 3 days and 2 nights J
39. Learn to accept the fact that I am 40 years old already.
40. .......................

I am leaving the 40^th space open so I’ll have an unplanned accomplishment within the year, now that’ll make this list more exciting…

I’d be blogging about it every time I achieve one task..so let’s see how much I’d get before I blow my 40 candles..Wish me luck!