A look ahead to 2012

A look ahead to 2012

As a new year was recently welcomed, I cannot avoid the impulse. Forecast, predict, persist in current path, or intuit, however we arrive at developing a “roadmap” for a new year,we do. Inescapably it seems to be a habit hardwired to my person.

A friend Cindy said "it is much better to sow seeds for the future rather than review the past of what did or didn't happen. Don't get me wrong. I believe there is lots to be learned about the past if we are open..."

There was little by way of significant time-off last year, it seemed 2010 took it out of me. 2011 was the year for nose to the grindstone. The sole highlight was a 4th of July trip for ESSENCE festival in New Orleans.

For 2012, I made a commitment to be in Germany in June to attend my niece’s wedding, and likely to add a leg to Scandinavia or Iceland (?).

In August, I will be back to the Continent for a planned trip to Berlin. A close friend will be wedded the week after we celebrate his last days as a bachelor.

Lastly, my cousin whom I traveled to Turkey with, she and I began a dialogue about Central America in March. I believe international travel is in my future.

On the work front, the two projects I manage are moving along at a good pace. The last grant which ended in 2010 (5 year award) already generated 2 peer reviewed articles and are in-review. One was accepted for publication with the Journal of Ethnicity and Substance Abuse, where I was the lead author. The writing team will submit 4 articles total by mid-year. It is safe to say, 2012 will be the year for publications --contributing to my professional portfolio.

If there could be two wishes granted this year, it would be to have a National Institute of Health (NIH) research grant application reviewed and funded for a feasibility study on Alcohol use among Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese adults.

The second is to complete, submit and be selected for a Bellagio Fellowship, where I would take a month sabbatical to Italy. My fingers are crossed.

Transitions were the major theme of 2011: being solo again at middle age and the relocation of my mother. The latter hit me harder than I imagined. She, along with my step father subsequently moved back to the Philippines last fall. The challenge was to grasp the signal of her entering a new phase in her life. I do not know Mom not working, much less not being nearby.

Practically, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and my Birthday passed without any immediate family present. It harkened to days when a generation of men were the predominant group of immigrants. Though, objectively, today is probably less harsh than those earlier eras. Obliquely, the sense of being without a family entered my
consciousness, prompted introspection and acceptance of my own anxieties related to it.

I do know that my close friends are part of the family I have created here. Please visit their sites often and contribute when able (links are highlighted). Many thanks to Johnny for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at their home, Arnell and John for Crab and Champagne on Christmas Eve, NYE eve at Steve and Carol's was front row seat to SF's firework display, and to the many friends Siwaraya, Evelyn, Lou, Faye, Howard and Betty who celebrated my birthday through out the month.

The year ahead holds promise. I look forward to continuing friendships started years back and building a solid foundation for the newer ones. Travel will center on family tradition and friendship. With the off chance of a sabbatical, if awarded allows me a month of quietude and to revive my creative impulses for writing. Travel to visit with friends who were previously Bay Area residents for example Utica, Seattle, Mason IA and Portland are not inconceivable.

For some reason, I took many pictures of Dahlias this year. They captured my interest. It is said they are “queen of the autumn garden,” it denotes elegance and dignity, and the Dahlia became SF’s official flower in 1926.


LINKS:
Johnny Davis Photography http://johnnydavis-photography.com/home.html
Arnell Hinkle CANFIT http://canfit.org/about/staff/
Steve Villano, SOCIAL VISION http://socialvisionproductions.com/background/