Marion.

AE extraordinaire, charm-school professor, part-time patron saint of weekday party-goers, week-end stay-in addict, little miss sunshine 2011, epitome of easy-breezy beauty, the embodiment of class, now professional jet-setter.

Oh, it will take at least a whole day to recount the wonderment that is Marion Manalo.

If you know this person well, you'd understand that he only aims for the best. He has a clear set of choices and he knows how to achieve them. He doesn't take it well if you waste his time; if he spends time and effort to attend to your needs, oh hey, you must be damn special. 

I don't know how people would react to this, but I feel a sense of entitlement because I spent my whole 2010 with Marion.


Allow me to indulge the reasons why my 2010 is the year of Marion in my life-book:
1. Marion was my charm-school professor. He dusted me off from the sidewalk of shame and heartache and transformed me into...what I am today. You should have seen me circa 2009, I was worse than Betty LaFea.
2. Marion was my nightfall. Oh, the adventures we had. Every night, after gym and work, I go to his condo and cry my heart out until he falls asleep and shoos me home. Or, sometimes, we hit spots around Makati and party till dawn. Marion was one of the reasons why I got over every effing break-up and rejection I had on 2010.
3. Marion meant Sundays.
4. Marion is comfort, in every sense.
5. Marion was Summer.
6. Marion encouraged me to always look for the better option, never settle for less, always aim high, always strive to be the best.
7. Marion is strength. Marion is grace under pressure.
8. Marion taught me the meaning of KEBS.
9. Marion is happiness in little things.
10. Marion taught me that it is indeed possible to fall in love with a city. (Makati. Or Hong Kong).
11. Marion is laughter.

For my last lesson, Marion made me understand what courage, risk, sacrifice and dreams really mean.

I learnt all these from him in a year. I carry a lot of him in me everyday, and this is precisely why I'd feel that he's just around even though he's gonna be in Hong Kong.

Ah, well, much better that he'll be in HK. What a fabulous class room it will be for me and my jiao shou (professor). Can't wait for the new things that he'll share with me. :)

But I sure think that he deems me a very good charm-school student, it's because I take after him in so many ways.

I pretty well feel damn special, in deed.