WARNING : This can be depressing. 
I grew up spending Media Noche or New Year’s Eve dinner with my entire family. Whatever is on the spread, there’s always a basket of 13 round fruits to symbolize high hopes for prosperity for each month of the New Year and beyond. This year, we had grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, grapes, chico, kiat-kiat, pomelo, golden honeydew (which I haven’t tasted yet!), cantaloupe, red apple, orange, guava, and a pear. Do you also practice the same Pinoy tradition? What did you share with your families and/or friends on your feast? How was your own New Year’s Eve celebration ? Did you have fireworks and firecrackers ?
In as much as I’d like to be 100% happy, optimistic and all, I had mixed emotions welcoming 2010. It was so different and incomparable from two Christmases and New Year’s Eves I spent on duty in a public hospital years ago. This was the very first holiday that my mom is abroad for work and there are so many issues we have to resolved. It was also the first New Year that my wife, Tina with our son, Gabby and I had spent New Year’s Eve with my dad-in-law; the big deal with it was the reason of his unexpected and unplanned sudden vacation here from California – it was to attend his brother’s wake and funeral. Tina’s uncle died four days before Christmas because of the big C which was lately diagnosed last October 2008. I remember him when he went to our place to ask for a narcotic prescription for his severe headache. I never submitted to his request and adviced him to have a thorough physical exam with lab work ups and true enough, the cause of his complaint wasn’t the usual hypertension or stress but a malignant mass in his nasopharyngeal area with rare presentation. On the last week of October, he underwent biopsies more than once that led to anemia and few blood transfusion due to hemorrhage incurred post-procedures; CAT-SCANs and other diagnostics several times; had been requested to undergo radiation therapy but was already late when he developed pneumonia. When he was discharged with nasogastric tube (a feeding tube where drugs can also be administered; inserted in the nose all the way down to stomach), I and Tina had helped his sons in re-inserting the tube and tried to assist them in little way we can.
And because they’ve waited for two of Tina’s cousins who came home from US and so her stepdad (my in-law), they have to schedule the interment 2 days before the whole world welcomes 2010. How can you enjoy it cheerfully while celebrating someone else’s life ?
The entire grieving family attended a mass in Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina after a sumptuous catered buffet where we had molo soup, chicken cordon bleu, fried fish fillet with honey mustard dip, beef in mushroom gravy, buttered veggies and those delicious cupcakes, eclair, and cream puff for dessert. Free flowing brewed coffee kept us awake during the wake. There were also juices in tetra packs and Milo for Gabby and other kids.
The homily of the priest (he called himself member of PNP –pari nagmimisa sa patay) was so remarkable that it lightened our spirits and emotions that evening. He shared his own experiences when he lost his parents. He remembered what his father told them — that he wasn’t dying but was ready to ’go abroad’. If that’s the case, then cemeteries are our ’pre-departure areas’ and all of us, with no exception (unless you’re immortal or one of the X-Men) will be traveling soon to our Lord’s Kingdom one after the other.
Last year was tragic for most Pinoy families particularly those who experienced the wrath of typhoons. But TODAY’s a new day. Everyone should move on. Like you, I have no choice but to keep positivity in my pocket and simply look forward and continue to dream BIG today and so on and so forth… 
A Happy New Year to all.Feliz Año Nuevo a todos.
Feliç Any Nou a tots.
新年快乐所有。
모두 새해 복 많이 받으세요.
すべてに新年あけましておめでとうございます。
Bonne année à tous.
Um Feliz Ano Novo para todos.
С Новым годом для всех.
Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti.
Frohes Neues Jahr an alle.
سنة جديدة سعيدة للجميع
Godt nytår til alle.
Καλή Χρονιά σε όλους.
मुबारक हो सभी को नया साल.
hi doc. i kinda got nostalgic with my new year too because of the passing of loved ones. but i guess, life’s really like that. and we just do our best to move on especially during the holiday season. hope you still had a merry season.
happy new year!
2009 was really a roller coaster for each and everyone of us. But as they say, life goes on and move forward for a new begginning. I too is keeping my hopes up for a new and brighter 2010. Been reading this book my cousin gave me on visualization by Jaime Licauco. Seems interesting to read hehehe.
Happy New Year
Hi Doc! Although sad I think we always have to remember that everything happens for a reason.
May you and your family have a great 2010! Cheers! 
we all have our ups and downs lasy year. But as they say, life must go on and be positive.
Happy New Year
Just stopping by to wish you and your family a happy new year.
Doc, Things have been difficult with 2009, the worst of which is the wrath of nature which made the whole Pinas suffer especially there in Luzon. We have the same ups and downs as well, 2009 has been one huge roller coaster ride, but 2009, I realized gave me and my family a lot of things to be thankful for, a second-hand car we have been driving since March, we finally moved to our own house, and we bought several stuffs to complete the insides of the house. That’s a lot of things actually, but in 2009, before we moved to the house, we were robbed. But that’s nothing compared to God’s overflowing blessings right? Hurray for 2010. Keep positive.
Out with the past and in with the new – have a great 2010!!
My condolences to you and to Tina’s family. I have a friend who also died of this type of cancer, so medyo naka-relate ako. Yung nasopharyngeal term ay di ko tuloy malimutan.
Anyway I wish all of us a very Happy New Year!
My sincere sympathy of your family’s loss, Doc. It’s probably a comfort knowing that he was loved, free of pain and now “abroad” with his Maker.
on a lighter note, funny, I posted round and some ‘green’ fruits too in my blog…a belief that you should have round fruits for good luck and green (the color of money) around the house before the new year strikes! :0 … true? … who knows, but it’s fun to do it just the same.
PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!
Happy New Year!
Life so mysterious indeed. We cannot tell what will happen tomorrow. Buit one thing is for sure, God is always there to give his guidance and mighty blessings.
Have a great 2010
@ everyone : thanks for the comments and happy new year!
@ jeanny : welcome to my blog! thanks for swinging here. visit again soon. happy new year too!