sure. wait. what?

I am writing this on the last day of the year, and I have no grand plans for when midnight strikes. I might make a mimosa, or I might paint too, pretend like I’m a brooding artist — but we’ll see where the night takes me.

At the beginning of December, I had so many ideas for this blog. Clearly I did not write anything, but at least I get to write my December log before the year ends. Come to think of it, this will be the first year I completed a log for each month. Yay me.

This December, I took my parents to Hawaii. We basked in the sun-drenched beaches and saw many sites that reminded us of the Philippines, specifically the Philippines that I remember from over a decade ago.

Many parts of the island felt dated. Driving from the airport to our hotel in Waikiki, we passed a coastal road framed by swaying palm trees and old buildings, which reminded me of Roxas Boulevard. The public bathrooms by the beaches could also use some upkeep, emitting a unique scent of saltwater and ammonia, with faucets that required a manual twist. The sidewalks were cracked, and the one hospital I went to had low ceilings and aging equipment. If I hadn’t needed to speak in English to ask for directions, I might’ve thought I’d stepped into a time warp straight to PGH.

My parents enjoyed the beach a lot, but unfortunately my dad got sick. He wasn’t able to go to the luau that I already paid for, and we ended up not going to some of the sites that I wanted to visit because my mom didn’t want to leave my dad alone. I ended up getting sick too, which was a bummer.

Just before Christmas, I decided to chop my hair short. Now I’m rocking a Lord Farquaad haircut that teeters between “Shrek villain” and “Clover-from-Totally-Spies chic,” depending on how much effort I’m willing to muster. Spoiler alert: it’s usually not much.

Our family celebrated Christmas at my parents’ house. My mom made her iconic turkey, and even my brothers’ partners helped with making the gravy and mashed potatoes. I did put the parsley on the turkey though, plus I washed the dishes, so I wasn’t completely useless.

I didn’t buy anything on Boxing Day (yay!). L and I just went to another dinner at an upscale steak restaurant downtown. It was so fancy I was half-expecting the butter to come with a résumé. After dinner, we went to L’s brother’s house to play some board games. I enjoyed Scout the most, and Fit to Print was fun too. I borrowed Wingspan and took it home, but I haven’t touched it since.

The gifts that I got were all practical: three sets of pajamas, a carry-on backpack for traveling, and a set of luggage organizers. L received some Chop Value coasters, which I have been using. Who knew my morning dim sum leftovers could one day hold my coffee cup?

Anywaaay, December was a good month like all the other months in 2024, all things considered. If you’re reading this, I wish a you a happy and peaceful year ahead.

Happy new year!