December 29, 2011

Top 11 for 2011

Just as I had done in the past two years, I am making a year-ender blog post for this year. This time, however, I am doing something different. Instead of listing (almost) everything, I have decided to write down my top eleven.

  1. One of my wishes in life finally came true.
  2. I have developed my first (published) Android app, the GTUG Philippines Android App. GTUGers can use the Android app to get updates in the blog and mailing list. It also contains links to the various GTUGPH accounts and sites.
  3. I have created my first Chrome extension, the GTUG Philippines Chrome Extension. Using this extension, users can view the latest posts in the group blog, the calendar of group events, Twitter feeds and links to the group's web presence.
  4. I had finally experienced giving a talk to an audience. Last July 20, in the GTUG Philippines' HTML5 and Google Chrome Extensions meetup, I presented and gave a talk entitled "Introduction to Google Chrome Extensions Development." The slides and video are available here.
  5. I bought my first Android smartphone. Last June, I bought a Google Nexus S smartphone. I wanted an Android phone because I've been becoming to be more serious in Android development. Also, my old Nokia phone is starting to give up on me.
  6. I had purchased the tigcal.com domain name. I bought tigcal.com from GoDaddy in June and setup Google apps on it. I had also made subdomains, like the one for this blog.
  7. I had already applied and received my passport. Last August, I went at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs to apply for my passport. The month after, it was delivered at the O&B office.
  8. I have subscribed to a Globe postpaid plan. Before buying an Android phone, I decided to apply for a postpaid plan from Globe. It was a pretty fast process and I already got my SIM card and free phone on the day of the application itself. I gave the phone to my sister because I planned to buy a smartphone for myself.
  9. I have finished my first 3k, 5k, 10k and 16k runs. From February to July, I have been consistent in running at least once a week. I have missed running from August to September but I started running/jogging again on October. I have joined four running events this year and the summary of my runs is here. I am looking forward to my next runs on the coming days.
  10. This year, I had attended and joined a lot of non-work-related activities. This includes the following:
    • had an outing with officemates in Puerto Galera (March 26-28)
    • went to the Air Supply concert (May 12)
    • participated in our company outing at Kabayan Resort, Laiya, Batangas (May 14-15)
    • toured Fort Santiago (May 27)
    • watched Azkals vs. Sri Lanka Game (July 3)
    • watched Romeo and Juliet Play (July 8)
    • toured Manila Zoo (August 7)
    • watched The Little Shop of Horrors play (August 27)
  11. I have made some improvements in my daily routine. For a healthier lifestyle, I had stopped drinking softdrinks since March (except when it's mixed with alcoholic beverages) and tried my best to eat breakfast daily. I have started reading bible verses (almost) daily and attending mass at least once a month.

December 17, 2011

Back to Blogging

As I browse this blog, I have noticed and realized that my last post was made on September 17. It has been three months since I last updated this blog. I have been too busy at work and some personal projects. And now, I wanted to be more active again in blogging. For now, I have updated the social buttons, projects links, and my two pages. I will continue to post in the coming days.