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2011 was great, believe it or not

It's January 4, 12:33 in the morning and I can't sleep.

I have a lot to be thankful for.

Let's do a recap of my 2011:

For the first month of the year, I was instantly blessed with a new show, "Dwarfina." While doing the show, I met a bunch of awesome people—from the staff and crew, up to my co-actors. I was very lucky to have worked with people who are such stress relievers. My workplace became a playground for me, and, more than that, I did find new friends. It was really amazing!

I cannot forget the month of February because I spent Valentine's Day alone. Ha! Kidding! I cannot forget this month because I was given the chance to learn how to play drums by our very generous boss, Mr. Tony Tuviera, who is by the way, a drummer himself. It started when we had an all-girl band production number in "Eat Bulaga" and I had to play drums! It's not that I knew nothing but I only get to hold drumsticks when I play "Rock Band." I discovered that playing drums in real life is tough, more so on national television. I was so nervous but I was glad I was able to pull it off. And, Mr. Tuviera's generosity didn't stop there. After that number, he made me take drum lessons with THE Jun Regalado. Brilliant drummer. Brilliant experience.

March17, meanwhile, was a very memorable day. I visited my first venture in build-and-sell townhouses. On this specific day, my friend Camille and I took snapshots of modern styled townhouses. All the four units are now sold and are being maintained by the owners. It feels so good inside to succeed in something that you can call a big risk. I have to thank my Mom for being so hands on with the business whenever I am away and had to work. I guess it's God's way of saying that every success is sweeter when you have your loved ones around you.

April, ahhh. Maple syrup, freezing weather, gay bar, awesome crowd. Those are the things I could remember from our Vancouver, Canada trip. It wasn't my first time in Canada but my first in Vancouver and boy, it was freezing! I'm really not fond of super cold weather but that didn't stop me from having fun! I had my very first gay bar experience! I found it so much fun because it's like a regular bar except the crowd is mostly gay people plus there were two really hot men dancing hippo on the ledge. They were clothed, by the way. No worries! Haha. That was such a fun experience that I can't forget. A few days after that, "Eat Bulaga" had an awesome show and we had a really great time with the audience.


May. May was filled with love and fun. A good friend of mine finally tied the knot in Misibis Bay. Beautiful couple, lovely wedding, amazing place. That experience was just breathtaking.

June. Seriously, June is quite a blur. It's a bad thing that I don't remember anything grand happening during that month, not even anything horrifying. As how others say it, "Steady lang!"

JULY. The big July! Our again, very generous boss took us to… wait for it… Italy! Yes, Italy. No show, all fun and relaxation. How awesome is that? It's my first time in Europe and I can definitely say it was a blast. He brought us to Venice, Florence, Milan, and Rome. I'd have to write a separate article about that because it will eat up all the space for this one. But I had the best time ever.


August came, and I have one word to describe it, friends. This month, I spent almost all of my days and nights with my lovely friends. I do know how to keep real ones and I just love them to bits. Oh, and I also started taping for our show "Iglot." I had the rare opportunity to work with all ABS-CBN ex stars. That was one heck of a show.

Boracay month. September. Sadly, one of my best friends had to relocate to Hawaii. So I had to throw her a despedida party! And since our group never had the chance to go out of town all together, I booked tickets and we all flew to Bora. It was a bittersweet trip. Lots of laughter and a little bit of crying but it was one memorable trip.

"Eat Bulaga's" Coffee Table Book launch happened last October. I will never get tired of saying I am lucky I am a part of the longest running noontime show but definitely luckier I got to be a part of that coffee table book! The feeling was surreal, I tell you. The entire history of Eat Bulaga is written in that book. How they started and how they worked their way up and why the show is still standing and still number one. For those who haven't read the book, you may want to grab a copy so you'll know why we are still number one. But I'm going to let you in on the secret: it's because we know how to have fun and give back at the same time!

If there's Boracay month, there's birthday month! November! I do not want to elaborate about what happened on my birthday but all I can say is, it was one of the best birthdays I ever had!

Now December was a different story. December wasn't as sweet as November. There was a lot of gossip going around. Gossip? I don't usually mind them. I am not the sort to let something untrue destruct me. But for negative and wrong comments, and opinions of the people who don't even know me, those hurt. I understand that I am a public figure that is why it is so easy for people to put a finger on me, blame me for things, and judge me. But I am only human. It still gets under the skin, at times. I always find myself praying whenever these things happen, and luckily, my faith is stronger than any stone cast on me. I can definitely say that I got stronger through the years and each time I feel like breaking down, I just kneel. Because I know that with God, things are always going to be okay.

I celebrated Christmas in Hong Kong with the entire family. It was one of the best trips I had with them. We tagged along my best friend Chesca and my brother's girlfriend Uvie. I must admit that Christmas there isn't as fun as spending it in Manila but I was more than happy to be able to get away for a while and just enjoy with the people I love most.

I can't say 2011 was a big roller coaster ride because it isn't. I can actually say 2011 has been great to me! I had the chance to see new places, meet new friends, and learn a lot of life lessons. I am grateful not because of the big things I received or experienced. I am grateful because despite the surreal things that happened in this year, I still know how to appreciate the little things that can't be bought. The things that really matter: love and family.

Now that 2012 has finally started, I am expecting greater opportunities since it's my year. It's the Year of the Dragon. Also, I wish to keep the same mentality and apply my New Year's resolution: learn how to listen to the ones who really matter. Never let the negative comments bring you down. Someone up there knows the real YOU.

Happy New Year everybody! May 2012 bring us joy, peace and love!