60 things to do in 2007

Last Saturday, Funfare came out with the list of the first 30 of the "60 to-do ideas" for the New Year which starts today. Here’s the last 30 on the list:

31. If you haven’t yet, try to watch the entries in the 32nd Metro Filmfest (until Jan. 7).

32. Besides the Belo Medical Clinic, you can also visit the clinics of Dr. Nellie Yu (whose complexion is so flawless that she’s the walking advertisement for her clinics), also one of the country’s top dermatologists. There’s one on Carvajal St. in Binondo, Manila (telephone 241-1071) and another one in Makati (813-2429).

33. Fix (and oil) those rusty hinges on that door which you’ve been ignoring all these years.

34. Lock your doors before leaving the house. Check and recheck if electric plugs (especially that of the flat iron) have been pulled off.

35. Treat your family and friends to mouth-watering and tummy-filling pizzas and pastas (an array of them, take your pick!) at Napoli (with an outlet in Fairview, Quezon City, and another one at the ground floor of the Imperial Palace Suites on Timog-Morato Rotunda, also in Quezon City).

36. Write that long-delayed letter to a friend in the US whom you haven’t seen for ages.

37. Take a day off from work and stroll around SM Mall of Asia which is oh-so-huge that it will take you one whole day to cover the whole place. (Reminder: Wear rubber shoes.)

38. Try the toppings (Asian, American, Japanese – there’s one for every palate!) at Happy Ongpauco’s World Topps (with an outlet on Timog Ave., Quezon City, near the rotunda).

39. Don’t buy pirated tapes. Watching movies is more fun if you do so on a wide screen.

40. Be kind to your pets. Always bear in mind that dogs are sometimes more loyal than humans. They bark, all right, but they don’t bite your back – not all the time, anyway.

41. Having sleep disorder? Consult Dr. Roland dela Eva at his clinic at St. Luke’s Medical Center (Quezon City).

42. Stay tuned to Charo Santos-Concio’s long-running and award-winning drama show Maalaala Mo Kaya on ABS-CBN Friday nights.

43. For updates and the latest in world news, and for those incisive interviews with Larry King, stay glued to CNN.

44. For those old movies (and if you are a platinum SkyCable subscriber), there’s nothing like the TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on Channel 39 which airs ‘em non-stop. Say "Hello!" again to the likes of Greta Garbo, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Rock Hudson, Joan Crawford and other Hollywood greats.

45. Try going vegetarian.

46. Start saving for the forthcoming concerts of, among other foreign acts, Il Divo, The Lettermen and Cliff Richard.

47. Stop being a couch potato. Don’t just lie there when watching TV. Walk in place or jump onto a stationary bike.

48. Forgive the friend you’ve been having a "cold war" with. It’s not healthy to be carrying an emotional load.

49. After a morning jog, have breakfast at any Jollibee outlet and enjoy your sinangag with fried egg and longganisa (downed by hot chocolate) while reading The STAR (the only paper available at Jollibee, for free!).

50. Be heard. If you disagree with an issue or you have a complaint against public officials, SCREAM! Write a letter to the editor or ask Korina Sanchez or Ted Failon for air space on their DZMM radio program. Hoy, gising!

51. Check out the new line of clothes, accessories and other items at any Bench outlet.

52. Enjoy a gameshow with Kris Aquino (Pilipinas, Game KNB? and Deal or No Deal) and Willie Revillame (Wowowee, but of course!).

53. Take home a stray cat or any "homeless" animal you see on the street.

54. Give peace a chance. Stop being a war freak. If you can win people by smiling, why frown at all?

55. Next time you are at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, drop by at Novecento and go over the racks of colorful shirts.

56. Drive carefully. The life you save may be your own. (That’s a reminder I see at the back of buses.)

57. Have your fill of the famous halo-halo (featured recently in Time’s Best of Asia special issue) at the Peninsula lobby, served in all sizes including "family " (good for a dozen people).

58. Plant a tree, even just in your backyard.

59. Always remember that honesty is the best policy. Don’t cheat...especially in an election.

60. Pray. It works!

Prayer for the New Year

Meanwhile, here’s a prayer for the New Year contributed by my Cebu-based friend and loyal Funfare reader Dr. Henry L. Yu:

Lord, with a grateful heart, we come to You today to thank You for all the things that You have brought into our lives the past 365 days of the past year. We bow down and kneel before You, O Lord, and praise You as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, a forgiving and merciful Father that You are. Grant us the grace of a deeply repentant heart. Forgive us for all the times that we have been so selfish and proud, for the things that we have said and done which may have hurt others, for doing the things which were not in accordance with Your teachings. Pardon us, Lord, for all our sins and shortcomings.

Lord, thank you for the good life – good health, good food, good friends, good tidings, good cheers. Thank you for all the times that You have been there for us through our family and friends who stood by us in good times or in bad.

Lord, we ask for Your graces and blessings as we start another year, and as we continue and go on with life's many journeys. We offer to You our children: Guide them in their daily activities, never allow them to be separated from You. We offer to You our family: Grant us good health and guide us in our directions and decisions in life. Let there always be love, peace, and harmony in our home. Help us to treat everyone fairly and justly regardless of who they are. Remind us always to have good thoughts, to say good words, and to do good deeds. But most of all, to be humble all the days of our lives as we are all but passing visitors on this earth. In all these, Lord, always remind us of Your love, and from that love, help us to build and live life with You in our hearts and minds. For always. At all times.

Lord, help us to start the New Year right, with You as the center of our lives today, tomorrow, and the coming days of the year 2007. All these we ask in the mighty name of Jesus and God's Holy Spirit. Amen.

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