Tuesday, December 18, 2007

My 500th post

I started blogging in April of 2006 (wait, I already used that opening line...)... ahem, here we go again...

Every year, I do a "Year in Review" kind of exercise where I toast to the New Year (in this case, 2008), and speak with my loved ones about what I have learned throughout the past year: about myself, about themselves and about life in general. My 2007 has been a rocky one, yet I don't regret a single thing. I just wish it hadn't gone by so fast. And faster than I thought, my 500th post arrived. Therefore, this post is both a celebration of 500 post, as well as as a preliminary "Raul's Year In Review".

I had given a lot of thought to how I would celebrate my 500th post, so I asked Meg, Rebecca and Tanya to loan me a bit of the concepts they have popularized in their own blogs: the Friday Love List, the Mid-week Socializing Game and the Miss604 Poll. It was complicated to try and merge such unique styles and fuse them with my own, but I came up with an idea: Your own year in review, side by side with me. So you will not be alone, I'll be there with you!

Here's the deal: You can do one, two or the three elements that are involved in this post. The key is to have fun. However, everything in each one of the elements you do, should be related to YOUR own year in review.

The poll:
I have chosen four of what I think are the best essays I wrote in 2007. If you want, you can read them and vote for the essay that has rung closer to you (or that you have felt most associated with, or the one you like best). The poll will be located on the right hand side of my blog, just before the archives (I have to go out and can't create the code right now). Thanks to Rebecca for letting me borrow her idea!

Links to what I think are my four best essays here:
The love list:
Below you can see a list of the things I loved this year. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to re-shape my list with your own. You might have loved some of the things I did, or just have loved your own. Post your love list in the comments section. Thanks to Meg for letting me use this unique concept!

My love list for 2007 (in no particular order). This year, I have loved...:
  • UBC cinnamon buns.
  • Dhiwali at BS's house.
  • Friday night dinners with CG, BX, LB and JN.
  • Gin and tonics at JH's.
  • Chocolate fondue in Montreal with SF.
  • Brunch with LF, KG and RT (any location will do).
  • Crepes at La Bretagne Creperie with AF.
  • Ethiopian food at Red Sea Cafe.
  • Impromptu brunches with LMT
  • Sunday nights with JT.
  • Volleyball (Saturdays and Sundays).
  • Discovering new African places with SK.
  • Salsa dancing with AF.
  • Bumping into NE at the Black Door and having her over for orange juice the other night.
  • American Thanksgiving dinner with HZ, CS, M and K
  • Coffee with KP at Delaney's.
  • My iPod, courtesy of HZ, and my iPod case, courtesy of LF
  • Coffee at Continental with ML.
  • Spending time with my friends, both in Canada and in Mexico.
  • Re-creating my memories of Victoria and Vancouver Island.
  • Curry with basmati rice
  • Canadian Thanksgiving hosted by HZ and CS
  • Summer with Mom and my brothers
  • Rhizome, The Cascade Room, Sodas Diner
  • Friday night cocktails with DMcN
  • Wednesday movie nights with BS, HZ, JN and BB.
  • My birthday celebration at La Bodega
  • .... and many more things
The socializing game:
I will pose the starter question (which is directly related to the year in review) and you will answer it in the comments section, and then pose a new question. I may answer in the middle of the game, but most likely, I will do so only if I don't see a lot of action happening. Thanks to Tanya for allowing me to spin her game in my own way!

So the starter question is: "Q. - Describe one challenge that you have overcome in 2007?"
I am sure that those of you who have followed my blog know that I'm rather popular for my restaurant reviews (I think I've got more than 43 restaurant reviews at Urban Spoon). However, with time I've gained more readership when I blog about other things, such as life in Vancouver, the music I listen to, thoughts about environmental issues. And I think that Tanya summarized it very clearly in her latest comment on my blog (LB had also mentioned that recently): I value my friends and family dearly. I am very appreciative of the great friendships I have formed, both in real life and in the blogosphere. Thanks to you all for reading my blog and for helping me achieve this milestone!

4 comments:

Miss 604 said...

Q. - Describe one challenge that you have overcome in 2007

A. - Being laid off while waiting for my husband's immigration to come through, talk about stressful

Next Question....

What is the song you had on repeat the most in 2007?

Raul said...

A.- Bye, Bye Brasil by Bossacucanova. I can't get it out of my head. By the way, congrats on the immigration thingy. Your husband and you rule!

Next Question ...

Q.- Let's say you had one trait that you wanted to change during 2007 - what would it be?

NetChick said...

A. - (good one, Raul) Can you believe that I overcame shyness this past year? ...I know, you can't believe it. It's true. When I realized why I felt the way I did in social (non-work related) public settings - that it wasn't social anxiety, or a lack of confidence, but simply an inability to really start meaningful conversations. I therefore, previously anyhow, felt I didn't connect, and the shyness would set in.

This year, over the course of the entire year, I might add, I've completely overcome this, and now look forward to putting myself into settings I would avoid before.

Question:

Looking back on 2007 (the theme), what would you say was a defining moment for you? (perhaps it didn't seem like it at the time, but looking back now, it was pivotal?)

Raul said...

I think that there were many defining moments in 2007, but November 25th, 2007 was the day when I realized that my old self, good old Raul was back.

I also think that this summer, particularly Pride Day (in August 2007) was a very defining moment, as it allowed me to spend a very meaningful day with people who love me very, very, very much. Three of my closest friends (and three new-found ones) spent that WHOLE day with me. It was all about me, and they made sure I had a wonderful time. The evening ended up with a walk along the beach with the most beautiful blue eyes on the planet. Enough said :)

Next question .-

What is the movie you really enjoyed in 2007 and why?