Midyear update

How time flies. Last time I posted was January 1. So what have happened since then? Here is a quick recap...

January

• Spent precious moments with Miggy and Tim.
  
• Helped Ody and Ria stage their house. It was fun! I was doing something I like and I was learning at the same time.
• Saw the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
  
• Enjoying the hospitality of cousins, nephews and nieces in Winnipeg.
  

February

• Family reunion in Winnipeg. Al and Rela flew over for a week. They went back to Austin the day I left for Manila via San Francisco.
• I bought Sibelius 5.0 from Long & McQuade in Winnipeg.
• Arrived in Manila on Valentine's day and Harry was there to meet me. We had lunch at ATC before we proceeded to Greenwoods.
• Wedding of Ezer (bass, Caltex Chorale) and Celine in Tagaytay.
• Got my Globe broadband up and running on the 27th.
  

March

• Auditioned hundreds of kids for the new M.I.L.K. Choir.
• Juno got bumped in the butt. Major damage.
  
• My first "decent" choral arrangements - "Heal Our Land" and several hymns to St. Peter - premiered by the Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral Choir.
• Lenten recollection with Bishop Chito Tagle on Holy Wednesday in Imus.
  
• Chrysm mass on Maundy Thursday in Imus.
  
• Good Friday procession in San Marcelino, Zambales.
  
• Black Saturday in Naga City to attend the golden wedding anniversary of Uncle Ceto and Auntie Chayong.
• Easter Sunday in Tala to rehearse the new M.I.L.K. Choir, straight from the airport. Went to Imus to rehearse the Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral Choir.
• My first choral arrangement with a string quartet accompaniment - "Seasons of Love" - premiered by the Caltex Chorale.
  

April

• Renewed registration of Juno and Greenwoods house.
  
• Grand time with cousins Gigi, Gemma, Gladys and Bong (with wife Eylin): buffet dinner at Fish & Co., Shangri-La Plaza and a memorable trek up and down Taal Volcano.
• Cousin Ralph enrolled as civil engineering freshman at De La Salle University in Dasmarinas, Cavite as my scholar.
  
• Performances with One AChord as guest tenor.
  
• Visited Becky Alivio (soprano, Caltex Chorale) in Batangas with Sylvia (alto, Caltex Chorale) and her brother Victor, sister-in-law Mariz and niece Aleck. Becky took us to Montemaria.
  

May

• My four choirs at the 2008 Madz Et Al Festival Series (Voyages: A Wonderful World of Music) - M.I.L.K. Choir (Wednesday, May 7), Pfizer Chorale (Friday, May 9), Caltex Chorale (May 10) and Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral Choir (Sunday, May 11)
• Mother's day lunch with Mama Severina and family.
  
• Received free Sibelius version upgrade disk from 5.0 to 5.2 via post.
  
• My student driver license expired again... for the nth time!
  
• Renewed Juno's registration.
• Represented cousin Ken in the annual stockholders' meeting of The Columns.
  
• Tim came back to Manila to watch Gary V and Lea, again. He is coming back in August for Cinderella.
  

June

• Juno enters "rehab".
• Mr. C and RCS in the Lion City... in time for The Great Singapore Sale! Made new friends: Noel, Ernie, Cathy. Met up some not-so-new friends: Babes Conde (New Minstrels), Maricel De Guzman (alto, UP Singing Ambassadors), Kiko Dimalanta (baritone, UP Singing Ambassadors), Angie Choo (The A Cappella Society, Singapore), June Baisa, Ben Sherman, Zara, Marks & Spencer...
• My teeth were happy to see Dr. Cel Francisco again.
  
• Mama Severina's surprise birthday lunch.
  
• Started a recording project with Mr. C.
  

Thank you to my Excel calendar! Hopefully, I will be able to post the details of the entries above. I will also let you know if I missed out on anything.

That's half a year in my life... Am I too busy?