Another year's soon coming to completion. And what more do some people anticipate when another year opens? Planners. Some friends and people I know had started collecting stickers for the 2012 Starbucks planner. While I am a planner person, I actually prefer the usual bookstore-bought journals ( I even saw stylish planners in Fully Booked-Eastwood this week).

When I dropped by The Coffee Bean in Eastwood Citywalk this morning to grab an iced Moroccan mint, I was offered this mini booklet for their 2012 giving journal. Now, I really am not planning (yet) about availing their planner especially since the price of their beverages had increased. the drink I ordered costs PhP140 now when it was only PhP135 when I was still working in a nearby office (and I only left a month ago. But compared to Starbucks, you'll just have to purchase 18 drinks from Coffee Bean (to complete the 18 stamps for the planner) and the other thing is, they don't specifically oblige you to order a particular drink so the choice of what to buy is really yours.

What further caught my interest was when the cashier, Sheryl informed me that I don't just get their planner for free, I also get to help send someone to school.

I'm still thinking about it. The price still is expensive for a planner but then, I get to participate in a worthwhile endeavor as well. I really need to think, think, think.

I know Christmas is still 46 days away. Here at home, we were given advance notice not to put up the decorations yet as one of my aunts in Canada will be coming home for the holidays with I guess a box full of Christmas stuff. But it looks like we can't really stop ourselves from inviting the Yuletide breeze in.

I used to create a wish list a week or so before my birthday. But for this year, I decided to forgo with it and just be spontaneous (but still not becoming a huge shopaholic, so nothing to worry).

And so on my big day, I practically bought the things I so wanted (but I know I need as well). The justification for the items pictured above are as follows:

The blender. I am addicted to the show Junior Master Chef lately. And being 27 and thinking about getting married eventually, I just know (and it's important) I have to hone those kitchen skills so I started investing on kitchen gadgets. Now I can make those smoothies that I used to spend much on even if I am at home, minus hurting my pocket.

A black leather bag. Since the beige leather that my aunt from Canada gave me had started showing signs of irrevocable (read: irrepairable) resignation, I decided raid SM's shelves for replacement. Originally, I was thinking of buying a leather doctor's bag just so I won't need to lug a huge one whenever I go out but I purchased this black shoulder bag instead since it's spacious and it could fit my netbook as well.

A cosmetic bag. Make- up has been a staple item in my bag for a long time now. It's among the things I invested to as well. This make-up tote bag from Kara Nina is enough to hold my beauty essentials plus it will save me time from looking for the items in my bag. Not to mention given the red, white and green prints, it looks Christmas-y too.

This month's issue of Reader's Digest and a copy of The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I am a bookworm so these items are part of my brain diet. I know in the previous post that I would like to own The Best of Me but I opted for another title the last minute. I'll probably have the other book some other time. By the way, I also got a back issue of Reader's Digest together with its new issue for PhP 160. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. What a steal indeed

I'm giddy with what I have got, seriously. How about you, what have you purchased recently? Drop me a note and let's talk about it here.

Since I turned another year older, it's time again to respond to this year's list of people who didn't forget my special day. As weird as it seemed though, and I will not be afraid to confess, I forgot to sing Happy Birthday when the clock striked 12 yesterday morning. Instead, there were tears welling from my eyes; for what reason those tears were for, still I don't know.

Dear Stranger,

As I write this down, I just turned older by another year. Never in my wildest thought that this day would come and I’ll be writing this note for you as part of my birthday ritual this year.

Forgive me if these words will come from me but I don’t feel like celebrating my birthday anymore. Call it the irony of getting older but it’s among the reasons why. You see, I’m 27 now – obviously, I’m not getting any younger. Prior to writing this, at the back of my head, I would wish that the clock would tick ever so slowly just so the day won’t change easily.

In a way, this is one of those birthdays when I’d feel empty. Honestly, I don’t know why, but it was one thing I’ve been feeling lately. It’s like walking in the cold with both hands hiding in the pockets of my sweatshirt.

I will not hide it. For two birthdays, I have been wishing that someone like you would come along. When I was younger, I had planned that when I reach this age, I will get married. But I guess, life is really what happens to you when you’re busy making plans. Just when I thought I’d get married to a stranger in my past, things fizzled and I have to be alone.

I am alone until now.

Back then it felt okay. Before, I don’t find a deal about seeing happy couples walking hand in hand, seeing that twinkling eye that is enough to explain their happiness. But these days, especially in the past months, I just had these feelings as if feeling that way has been starting to feel a bit different.

It’s like longing. It’s as if looking at those people and saying I’m just fine has been starting to feel no longer okay anymore.

I remember someone say this: “come to think of it, if you chose to stay alone for the longest time after being left by someone, imagine how many Christmases and birthdays would go by lonely.”

I guess mine was both by chance and by choice. I will not hide that while I am hoping to meet someone like you, there still are inhibitions and fears that though are haunting me, I am trying so much to fight. It’s like me having to walk on a thin wire with a fear of that dizzying view of what’s below. It’s like jumping in an ocean but doubting to swim.

But these days, I would sometimes just find myself staring at those couples then wondering about when will these hands of mine have someone else’s to hold? That feeling of bear hugs and being in someone else’s arms and indulging in late-night conversations over coffee. I guess that more than these thoughts (and others wandering in my mind), I have this feeling that I hope I’d finally meet you.

Yes, I’ve been longing for someone like you to share those things with. I’m uncertain as to how many more lonely birthdays and holidays will pass my way but as I blow that candle on my birthday cake, I’d wish for that one day. For that day to come when our paths would cross and we’d tell’ each other, “finally, I get to meet you” and that we won't be strangers no more.

Among the things that I did after the one-week house arrest was to watch the movie The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin. I have been raging to watch this film and upon feeling better, off I trooped to SM Megamall Cinema 9 with my friend Beth; my constant movie date.

The story revolves around Benjamin Santos (played by Vice Ganda), who was forced to to enlist and join the army in behalf of his ailing father and save his grandfather from the hands of the terrorists threatening to dominate the country.

All seems to be well, if not for one thing -- Benjamin is gay!

Of course, I won't tell you what happened next. And while it's prohibited (as much as possible) to asthmatics to engage in too much laughter, I had to give in and laugh to my heart's content. Nothing still beats Vice Ganda's punch lines.

As to the moral of the story, I guess I can share at least two: 1) Being gay doesn't mean you can't contribute, or even do a heroic deed (I'm just wondering what runs in the mind of people in the military if they watched this); and 2) The best way to uncover someone's well-kept secret is by having a bottle or two of beer.

I can't hardly believe that it's already November again -- and that the day is approaching real fast. Now, it really sends a very weird feeling to me whenever this month comes along. Mainly because of two reasons: it's my birth month and getting older.

I started doing a birthday ritual few years ago (I am uncertain what my age was then, but I was already in my early 20's). Apart from blowing a candle on a birthday cake, I wait for the calendar date to change once the clock strikes 12 midnight, and I softly sing Happy Birthday to myself (if you're asking me why, I'll reveal that in a separate post). I also don't sleep immediately after.

There is also an additional ritual that I do on the last night before the date changes for my birthday. However, I just want to keep it a secret. The past few days, I have been thinking what to do for this year for the ritual. And after few nights thinking, I know now what to do.

But I'll need to organize the words. For now, I have to go to bed to be able to wake up early tomorrow and meet my movie date -- my friend Beth. Finally, after a week of being at home sick, I'll be going out to watch a movie.