50 things to do in Year of the Rabbit

Now that we have bidden The Year of the Tiger goodbye and happily ushered in The Year of the Rabbit…

1. Send a “Happy New Year” text message to people you love.

2. Watch any or all of the eight Metro Filmfest entries.

3. Don’t buy pirated DVDs.

4. Don’t forget to drink at least eight glasses of water per day.

5. Get eight hours of sleep per night.

6. Consult your doctor before taking any supplements.

7. Let Dr. Vicki Belo straighten those wrinkles on your face.

8. Any problem with your blood sugar? Consult diabetologist Dr. Wilson Lim (Metropolitan Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center).

9. Give food, not money, to street beggars.

10. Fix that leaking roof before the rainy season sets in.

11. Unload emotional baggage.

12. To unwind, try spending a weekend at the Panglao Island Nature Resort (PINR) in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

13. Try the new dishes at any of the three Little Asia outlets (Tomas Morato, Quezon City; Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan City; and McKinley, Fort Bonifacio).

14. You only have three more days (playdate extended to Jan. 3) to watch the spectacular Splendide: The Grand China National Acrobatics Troupe at the Araneta Coliseum (for tickets, call 911-5555).

15. Don’t talk to strangers especially at malls. Otherwise, you might fall victim (like Perla Bautista) to the budol-budol gang.

16. Don’t be fooled by fake Twitter or Facebook account, like those under my name and those of Ronald Constantino, Cristy Fermin and Jobert Sucaldito.

17. Give some of your excess clothes and shoes to the needy.

18. Pray with the Pink Sisters at the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City.

19. Start reading those books gathering dust on the shelf.

20. Start watching those DVDs (not pirated) of old movies in your collection.

21. Stop believing all the rumors about your favorite stars (baka publicity lang ang mga ‘yon).

22. Don’t drive through a red light or a one-way street.

23. Pull out plugs (for iron, electric fan, aircon, etc.) before leaving home.

24. Torture anybody who envies you by saying “Hi!” or smiling to him (inggit ka lang!) everytime you cross paths.

25. Have a fill of Lumpiang Sariwa at Ha Yuan (on Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City).

26. Take home for your family siopao bola-bola special at Ma Mon Luk after burping over your bowl of chicken mami.

27. Drive safely; the life you save may be your own.

28. Don’t text or use your celfone while walking anywhere; the guy behind you may be a snatcher.

29. Subscribe to Vanity Fair, the complete magazine (as far as I’m concerned).

30. Interact with Mike Enriquez and Arnold “Igan” Clavio during the “blind item” portion of their morning program on dzBB.

31. If you have two radio sets, tune in at the same time to dzMM, same time, for Ted Failon’s incisive commentaries (Waray-Waray gud iton!).

32. For the latest (as in “fresh from the oven”) showbiz items, watch Startalk every Saturday (on GMA after Eat, Bulaga!).

33. Check out Bench outlets (there’s one in every mall nationwide) for the latest line-up of casual wear.

34. Save a few pesos for any of the Valentine shows in February.

35. Use, ehem, rubber.

36. Broken-hearted? Don’t try anything drastic. Life is precious. There are many “others” out there.

37. Any suggestion for improvement of your community? Write to your congressman (who, hopefully, can listen to you when he’s not busy counting his pork barrel).

39. Stop smoking (if you haven’t up to now). Again, the life you save may be your own.

39. Don’t just sit there or lie there while watching TV; march or jog in place…goodbye, excess poundage!

40. Leave Kris Aquino and James Yap to settle their marital problem. After all, they won’t give you any balato once they (amicably?) divide the millions between them.

41. So what if P-Noy is courting this and that girl. He’s a 50-year-old bachelor and entitled to, uhm, “play the field.”

42. Dreaming to be an instant millionaire? Eh, di tumaya ka sa lotto!

43. Or why not try your luck in Willie Revillame’s Willing Willie?

44. Blend the five “greens” — green apple, green pepper, ampalaya, celery and cucumber — and drink a big glassful before breakfast. Very healthy.

45. Watch out when you’re withdrawing money from the ATM. The guy behind you may be a “holdupper.”

46. Learn deep-breathing. It can relieve stress.

47. Sing while taking a shower. It’s good (daw!) for your vocal cords.

48. Re-arrange the furniture and appliances at home. It’s a good exercise.

49. Cliché: Don’t kill yourself on the job. Smell the flowers.

50. Continue to read The STAR, the paper that covers everything, “from cover to cover.”

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