[I know I announced of that I’d release this last week, but I’ve just been too darn busy that’s all]
Another year has passed, even more so a brand new decade. Inescapable as it is inevitable we’ve faced another year filled with problems, grief, depression, challenges, trials balanced with happiness, joy, laughter.
2009 was also a year I took to withdraw myself further away from the mainstream limelight as well as periphery. My motivation for it is mainly due to personal problems as well as time invested to work on my novels.
I don’t need to emphasize much on what has happened during the previous year so let’s cut to the point of why you’re reading this and it’s to know who won the not-much-anticipated Angelo’s Most Awesome Person of the Year Award for 2009! The award I acknowledge to anyone I know whom I find to have been beyond-all-means AWESOME during the year that passed.
This time around I decided to have more categories for I felt like some people didn’t get the proper kudos that they deserved. While the AMAPYA winner is still an award a person can win only once, the other subcategories will be subject of availability… each year will be subjected to changes based on what occurs and what I notice are outstanding; so there either will be the same subcategories and/or new ones for the next AMAPYA’s (with the possibility of a previous subcategory winner winning it again for a consecutive year... or not).
I will go ahead and mention those other winners for I wanted to give the proper kudos to some who I thought really deserved it based on my personal interests and who I’ve observed excelled in those fields during the previous year. But before that… here’s a teasing glimpse of the winner of the AMAPYA ’09!
So on to business, the first acknowledgement is Gamer.
This person is, like me, passionate about games… especially NHL (ice hockey). Note that we are 6-8 guys with an impressively (but yet super-geeky) customized tournament which takes place once a month…. these testosterone-pumped tournaments are painstakingly long but yet still fun and pretty much covers up one fourth of a day when we’re at it.
Most importantly, this person won for he has more or less swept the entire year of our NHL-tournaments. Geeky as it may seem, that is actually an achievement worth acknowledging.
So, with no further presentations, the winner of the AMAPYA: Gamer of 2009 is…
ALLAN PATRICK DE LA CRUZ NUÑEZ!
We continue with acknowledgement for Visitor(s)
At first this was pretty much an attempt to promote Stockholm as a place to visit since we rarely get them but then figured out that I have more than one place I call home (the Philippines and London).
Since I didn’t go home to the Philippines in 2009, there were still possibilities for people to visit me in Stockholm and London.
This goes out to the visitors that brightened my time at each respective cities, no matter the short length of time some had on them to meet up. I also take this time to apologize to the ones who went to visit the places I was in but missed out on!
The first of the visitors I acknowledge were when I was in London. They came and brought infectious laughter and fun with them (like they always do), although they came for the Russell Peters-show I was part of the package deal. The second pair of visitors came by boat to Stockholm, one of them I got to know that day through the other person who’s a friend I hadn’t seen for ages. They went by boat and only had a handful of hours to kill before they must return the way they came so I was called up along with Nochel to spend time with them, but it was without a doubt time well spent.
The people acknowledged for AMAPYA: Visitor(s) of 2009 are…
KATRINA DE ORO & DEXTER OLIVEROS! ...and...
JALEH ZARGHAMIAN & SIDNEY LYLE TE HO!
I want to thank you all for visiting and hope to see you again soon! I hope to see others come and visit as well! (Especially Stockholm, 'cos it's just simply boring over here...)
A round of heartfelt apologies to the “frequent visitors” (you know who you are :P) but this acknowledgement goes to visitors that come here and in most particular are not here for YFC-business).
Next is the acknowledgement for Soulful Voice.
I haven’t been much on events last year where I got to hear singing, and when I did I found it alright but not much noteworthy. But there was one voice I heard last year that managed to move my soul (something nobody I knew had accomplished since I’ve heard the soulful voices of Tania, Rowena, Ron of Oslo, Len of Copenhagen, Ashley of Paris, and the entire De La Salle Chorale.
This person is also gifted with further musical talents as she can play other instruments such as the guitar and the violin. This person has great potentials, potentials which shouldn’t be wasted at the Idol/X-Factor-esque shows if the idea ever pops up (but if you do, I’ll show my support nevertheless :P) .
Anyways, I’m proud to acknowledge the AMAPYA: Soulful Voice of 2009 is…
SAMUELLE VALLES!
The next acknowledgement is Honorable Stalemater.
As much as I like intellectual talks I must acknowledge strong defenders of opinions as well, given the knowledge the opposing side knows what they’re talking about.
2009 was a decisive starting point for me as I took on the role as fierce defender of reason and logic, after a long time of keeping it to myself ever since I mysteriously left the YFC and the church I decided I couldn’t just sit shut. Knowing of that people knew that I’ve had a deep religious background, I tried my best not to start up a quagmire of a commotion due to my respect of others’ beliefs and opinions but all along I wanted to prove to them that the act of sincerity also works both ways (I still don’t know if that was noticed, though).
Those who followed my 5-chapter piece on RELIGION, and some of the other works that came after them which were attempts to imply logic and reason to readers and believers alike, might’ve felt discomfort of my surprising change to agnosticism and the possible audacity that came with it (which I have heard from various rumors to have been the reason of advices spread to other members of YFC Europe to try to avoid me and my writings when it comes to the topic of religion… as much as I feel distressed of these rumors, I hope all the same that they are false and that whoever’s responsible for spreading the rumors to be ashamed of themselves!).
Back to the acknowledgement. A “stalemate” is a term used in one of my absolute favorite games: Chess. It is a position of dead-lock for the opposing sides, where neither side wins nor loses. Why I inserted “Honorable” is because of this person’s willing to make her stand other than being passive and unmoving. Another thing I admire about this person is that no matter how serious and colliding our discussions can get, we still can be comfortable with each other, see each other eye-to-eye and joke as the usual friends that we are (a characteristic which is hard to find among people who have colliding arguments about reason and religion). This person, although the toughest of nuts to crack, was more or less also my only willing opposition on the religion-discussions last year and I wouldn’t have thought of having this acknowledgement to begin with if it weren’t for this person’s well-put arguments to defend her side, something this person’s side should honor and acknowledge this person for as well; Christians, take note and learn from this person if you have nothing but faith to enter the deep intellectual discussions with.
With no further ado, I acknowledge the AMAPYA: Honorable Stalemater of 2009 is…
CARMELLE VALLES!
[I look forward to a new year with further intellectual discussions and sharing of enlightening ideas with you and hopefully others too, although I can already lay down that this year will be an even substantial fiercer campaign from my side and that last year was just the prelude (so be prepared, ye people of faith… and preferably prepared with more than just faith alone)]
The next winner deservedly swept home both the Philosopher and Writer acknowledgements. Although I have had an overwhelming amount of philosophical discussions and interesting points of views during the previous year with an equal overwhelming amount of people, this down-to-earth nominee was the outstanding clear winner. This person has such a deep insight and understanding about life as if she had read it as a book and had it as her favorite book. You’ll be extremely lucky to be friends with this person; time will simply take a long pause when you’re with her.
With my own passion for writing, the “Writer” acknowledgement is for the person I found to have had the most outstanding ability and talent to capture the reader with words and passion only a true artist possesses. Like a painter who puts heart and soul into his painting, so does the Writer of ‘09 with her writing; someone who likes to write, knows what to write, knows what other people want to read and knows how to change the course of their lives with what some people just think are “mere words”.
This person excelled in both fields, mainly because it was through the fusion of these two fields that made the acknowledgement inevitable.
I am extremely proud of this person and am longing to get the luxury of learning and reading more from her throughout my entire lifetime! If you’re a fan of hers already, you know what I’m talking about. If not, you should be and catch up ASAP! (links will follow)
To not drag this any further; with overwhelming honor, the person I acknowledge as AMAPYA: Philosopher and Writer of 2009 is…
NICOLE BATACLAN!
Drop by her page and get mesmerized!: http://www.nicole-bataclan.com/
Now for the penultimate acknowledgement, and one of the toughest categories to compete in for the list of nominees on this one is substantially longer than a half year-long grocery list: The Friend(s).
I don’t think I need to explain much about this for this is pretty much self-explanatory. This became a split award between two people for they had equal shares of most sincerity all throughout 2009 when I was pretty much “off the grid”.
The ones I acknowledge for this subcategory are both tremendously great friends of mine and last year they were really helpful to me whenever I needed other viewpoints, advices, help or just simply someone who could talk with me for hours straight (or listen to me for hours straight :P). I want to thank you and all other friends of mine who are there for me; you all make my life oh so much worth living!
With no further ado, the winners of the AMAPYA: The Friend(s) of 2009 are…
EDNA MANALANSAN! and...
LING JIANG!
So, we’ve finally come to the main category, the AMAPYA.
From what I’ve monitored of this person all throughout of last year, I found in her a lot of what I used to be; an energetic and an always up-for-it person who’s willing to help others and always finds time for others while handling the personal life pretty well too. I was simply in awe of this person for she had me wondering if she had a twin copy who undertook half of the responsibilities for a person has only got a limited energy to be distributed between the daily activities as well as with the eventual miscellaneous ones.
This person truly is awesome as a person and a friend as well as she’s one of a kind; with the greatest of hearts, sweetest of minds, infectious with fun and radiant with energy… with a constant busy schedule, only a sliver moment of her time is already considered precious treasure.
She’s the kind of person you could have a list of superlatives jotted down and it still wouldn’t be enough to properly introduce her to anyone who hasn’t encountered her yet.
Before I announce the winner I would like to give a word of sincere advice to her: Please be careful with balancing of both time and energy; you mustn’t forget about yourself from time to time and that sometimes a little personal moment of serenity or zen would be at least what the doctor would prescribe! If you don’t carefully balance it you’ll lose control and burn badly (speaking from personal experience)! With that said,it brings me nothing but joy and pride to announce
Angelo's Most Awesome Person of the Year Award 2009 goes to…
****************
MELANIE RAZONABLE!!!
CONGRATULATIONS to all winners and I will try to work on the proper giveaway awards for the subcategories.
And to everyone else, have a successful 2010 and I’ll be sure to keep my eyes and ears open to any outstanding people for the next one! Most importantly, just be yourself… you’re fine that way! :)
As a side-note to the guys: I'm also hoping to have more male acknowledgements... come on now guys, work harder! :P
Until next time... STAY AWESOME!!!
Naawww tack :)