2012: The Year in Photos, Part 1 of 3 →
2012 was an eventful year, from big events like the London Summer Olympics and the U.S. presidential race, to regional conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, to smaller issues closer to home. Reverberations from last year’s transformative Arab Spring still heavily affect Syria and Egypt; and the slow recovery from the recent global economic crisis brought bitter austerity measures to parts of Europe, leading to widespread protests. Collected here is Part 1 of a three-part photo summary of the last year, covering its first four months. Be sure to see Part 2 and Part 3. The series totals 135 images in all.
BEIJING 2012
I came back from Beijing a week ago but if anything, this trip has only intensified my longing to travel around the world more than it satiated my tourist dreams. Now I want so badly to jet off to all parts of the world, see every wonder this planet has to offer, experience every culture, and be told the history of different countries!
But for now, I guess I just have to wait and save and be patient until I am financially ready to fulfill my life-long dream. *Sigh*
And while I’m on the process of waiting, let me share with you my experience in Beijing through these pictures.
First, the hotel that was largely responsible for our very comfortable week’s stay in Beijing - Pentahotel, located somewhere in Chongwenmen Wai Street, Dongcheng District.
The front desk
The cafe tables
Where we eat breakfast
The bar
The elevator lobby
The noodle bar
I super love the interior design of the lobby. It feels so cozy and posh. Plus, our tour package was inclusive of a daily breakfast buffet which was awesome because their buffet breakfast included a heavenly galore of bacon and eggs and a satisfyingly healthy assortment of fresh fruits!
Here we are waiting to depart from the Philippines and go off to China. Our flight was delayed for an hour and a half, by the way. I killed the time reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
Now some shots from the museum we visited.
The great view outside
The puffer jacket that kept my upper body warm and safe from the harsh winter. Our coldest was 13 degrees below zero, hottest was 3 degrees below 0. Which gave me a very ugly case of windburned hands despite wearing gloves.
Now some of my favorite jump shots:
With my older sister.
And this is just a really nice photo. I look all puffy here but the background is stunning.
And you know what’s so great about China aside from their breathtaking views and rich history? Their babies. I swear Chinese babies are the cutest, what with their puffy shaolin cheeks reddened by the winter wind. Like this puffy kid at the zoo who was trying to scoop up the ball with his little hands.
Adorable!
HUWAYLD FOX!
THE MAGNIFICENT WILDS. My favorite part of the zoo tour.
This reminded me of Scar.
The white tiger
It’s ready to attack.
What a beauty.
Squinting at the sun with my sister.
Winter wear!
Standing on a frozen lake!
Bed light
Accessories from H&M
The room
New shoes!
Okay, my China blog post ends here. Hope you guys enjoyed looking through the photos! This trip was a really great experience for me and an unforgettable one as well. I really learned a lot about the history and culture of this strong and still rising country. Now, I say goodbye with the anticipation for more out of the country trips in the near future. :)
One of my promises this year is to aim for productivity, and part of that attempt to be productive is to cook a special dish every month for the family. To be honest, it almost didn’t happen for January. My laziness just took over me during the early weeks so a lot of postponing happened. Until the 29th of January, when I was feeling a little down and I figured that maybe spending time in the kitchen would improve my mood. Well, it wasn’t as therapeutic as I thought it would be but still, I felt glad that I kept my end of this deal with myself. So announcing the special dish I cooked for the month of January, Spanish-style Noodles with Chicken and Sausage.
The page from the cookbook that served as my guide. The photo looks nothing like my finished product (pictured above) but I tried my best!
The chicken and sausage, seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano, after being heated in olive oil for about 10 minutes
Pasta (broken into 3-inch pieces) added with the onion mixture (onion, garlic, bay leaves and tomato puree)
The chicken and sausage added to the pot.
The final product with Parmesan cheese on top.
All done and ready! Looks yummy? I can say that the first dish of this year’s once-a-month cooking project was a success, regardless of a few constructive criticisms from two sisters that were suddenly fastidious eaters that night. One said it had too much pepper. Well, in my defense, it’s supposed to be pepper-y because it’s ‘Spanish-style.’ The other said the pasta was too soft. I completely disagree with that, as do the rest of my family members. It was as al dente as I hoped it would be.
Anyway, we’re on the second month of the year and I shall cook something extra-special this month of love. Expect me to post as soon as I accomplish my February dish.
2012 Goals/Resolutions/Hopes & Dreams
It’s just the first week of January, so it’s not too late to make this list. Here goes my hopes and dreams this year:
1. Less spending, MORE SAVING. Especially if you want to get these things:
- MacBook Pro 15”inch 2.4 GHz
- Canon 5D Mark II (or if there’s an upgrade of that to be released this year, save up for that one instead.)
- Own car
- Travel to a country I’ve never been before
2. Quit current job. Find a job you like and that pays well.
3. Sleep early everyday. Break up with Tardy and hook up with Punctual.
4. Conceptualize a business idea, then make necessary planning. At least, accomplish something significant regarding this.
5. Get driver’s license. Learn how to drive on the real roads.
6. Read 22 books this year because you’re already 22.
7. Meet new people/friends. Socialize! Mingle! Converse!
8. Attend a spiritual/church camp, maybe? (To help #7 be achieved.)
9. Quit vices for real.
10. Diligence, diligence. Stop being so lazy, please.
11. Be kinder to mom and dad. You know how old people are. They eat your patience, but still, be patient with them.
12. Be involved in a good cause/charity. (Actively involved, okay?)
13. Listen to more great music and watch more good movies.
14. Start going to Church every Sunday.
15. TITHE! For the love of God, tithe! 10% of your salary.
16. Stop using God’s name in vain. Seriously, stop cursing.
17. Cook something special once a month. YUM!
18. Try to exercise at least once/twice a week. Try to eat healthy.
19. Be more enthusiastic about life and all the wonderful possibilities lurking everywhere. Be brave. Stop being shy.
20. Pray before bedtime and do not fall asleep during prayer, especially right after uttering ‘Dear God,….’.
21. Pray to God about all these things.
I think this should be included in everybody’s resolutions for the new year (and the next years to come). It’s a small, simple resolution, but it can make the biggest difference.
#reminder
(Source: lylaandblu)
(henryyyy)
Last post for 2011. Here’s to hoping my neighbors have awesome fireworks. Haha. See you in 2012 tumblr!
(Source: themilkbottle)
2012; John Cusack, Amanda Peet
This shows tomorrow and tomorrow’s Friday the 13th! I want to watch it and scare myself with end-of-the-world shizzz. Haha.
