ABQ’s 11 Personal Highlights in 2011 !!!

The Year 2011 was such a good one for me and I have much to thank the Lord for! Both in my career and in my personal life, I experienced many victories and unforgettable experiences. I’d just like to share with you the Top Things I’m Thankful to God For in 2011:

Ballroom dancing with Lola Nena a resident of Boystown!

1) Time for Charity Events!!! – A woman’s job is never done. And I’ve got more jobs than the average woman!  That’s why finding time to spend with people who need love and attention is SUCH a blessing from the Lord. I would not have been able to do much either without the help of my friends and some strangers (now friends) who volunteered to help or donate to my projects.

The year 2011 saw me and my team go ballroom dancing with the oldies at Hospicio de San Jose for Valentines. I was also able to organize a prison visit: little Erica, a girl with a tumor in her brain was able to spend time with her Dad who is in Muntinglupa Jail. Then we we brought a “Human Spa” to Golden Acres to massage the oldies there. In December, we decorated Boys Town, a home of orphans, and made it beautiful for Christmas!

Bailey and Me

2) My Dog Bailey Survives Distemper – the Deadly Canine Disease!  -  Never did I think I would be nursemaid to a dog, but that’s exactly what happened for a month when my askal Bailey was diagnosed with Distemper, the deadly dog disease. I shared nursing duties with my helper Joy. With the help of wonderful vets who tried an experimental cure, Bailey survived. Read the account here…  Although she suffers from seizures every now and then, she is alive and kicking and generally making a pest of herself. No matter, it makes me happy!

Jake Cuenca with moi at the Boardwalk, One Big Show

3) Modelling for Boardwalk’s “One Big Show – Wow! What a thrill to share the stage with award-winning actress Cherry Pie Picache and other beauty queens and actresses from ‘my time’ and ‘my size’…  LOLOL!  I also finally got to meet celebrities like Derek Ramsay, Jake Cuenca and Coco Martin, three of Boardwalk’s endorsers, face-to-face!

4) Visiting Manchester, England for the First Time! – Attended the UCB Conference in Manchester in September 2011 with my hubby Ron and the trip was an amazing one, personally and professionally. After listening to Aussie musician and author Jeff Crabtree speak about the “Creative Mind” I discovered that deep down inside I am really a creative person, an actress to be specific…  and that is why I do so well as a voice talent. For many years I rejected the idea that I was an actress or could be a good one, but after listening to Jeff, I finally understood that the well of emotions I hide inside me are a manifestation of my creative self and that I express it best through acting!!! REVELATION!

Joyce Burton Titular with Jeff Crabtree

5) New Career Path – Director for Dubbing – In line with the discovery of the actress with me, God gave me the chance to work under Director Mark Aranal as one of his Assistant Directors for dubbing. It was a major learning experience – the timing was the hardest thing to master but I learn it I did. Also learned how to waked up at 4am to be in the studio by 6! I can’t tell you much about the project since I signed a non-disclosure contract but it was a Mexican Telenovela that we dubbed into English.

6) ABQ REACHES IT’S 1 MILLIONTH VIEW! – After two years of hard work, at times writing til my fingers were numb, my blog reached it’s 1 millionth view on September 13, 2011, the day Shamcey Supsup won 3rd Runner-up in Miss Universe 2011. If you are a regular reader, I owe it to you…  thanks so much for following ABQ!

Bb. Pilipinas Maja 1985 Izza Gonzales, Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1985 Joyce Ann Burton and Bb. Pilipinas Young 1985 Tina Alcala

7) THE REUNION OF MY BB PILIPINAS BATCH 1985 – After 25 years of living our own lives, the winners of Bb. Pilipinas 1985 reunited for a afternoon of catching up! But one of us couldn’t make it! Click here to find out who and why.

In a dramatic moment with actress Eliza Shih-Chiusinco...

8) ABQ STARS IN THE STAGE PLAY, “FAMILY OUTINGS“ – Finally, God gave me a chance to explore the actress he put inside of me! In this dramatic comedy about a Christian family, I take on the role of Charlie Bailey, a wife and mom of two who has to deal with the fact that her husband might be having an affair with another woman. Produced by Chancel Repertory and Directed by Mark Aranal.  Click here to read more! The play will run until Sept. 2012!

9) LOSING 25 LBS! – In August 2011 I began to diet and journal my food intake by uploading on Facebook, pictures of everything I ate. I followed Dr. Mike Moreno’s book – “The 17 Day Diet” as strictly as possible and by the end of October I was down several dress sizes. As I write this article, I have lost a total of 35 lbs and am now 135lbs from an original heavy weight of 170. And as a result of my successful Facebook Food Journal, I have launched a new blog about my wieght loss journey – CLICK HERE to check it out!

Before Aug 1, 2011 - Sept 1, 2011 - October 17, 2011.

10) GLAM PHOTO SHOOT FOR LOOK MAGAZINE! – I may have lost a career as a Plus-Size Model because of my weight-loss, but I have gained the chance to become a Weight Loss Model! Look Magazine heard all about my weight-loss journey and decided to feature it in their magazine – the one coming out in Feb. 2012. Our photoshoot was on December 19 – a great date because it gave me the incentive to stick to healthy eating all through most of December!

Me with my hairdresser and make-up at the Look Magazine photoshoot!

11) A FAMILY TRIP TO BANGKOK! – This will sound weird but my family doesn’t get to travel often together. First – it’s expensive and second – it’s hard for me and my hubby to get away from work. But last December, my hubby, daughter and I got to spend 5 crazy days in Bangkok between Christmas and New Year’s. It would have been perfect if my son could have joined us but he was in Honolulu taking care of his Lola. Praying that in 2012, he’ll be able to come home to Manila for a visit!

Ron, Diandra and Me with a big Tiger Cub at Sriracha Tiger Zoo, Sriracha, Thailand

It was indeed a busy and beautiful 2011 for me. I can’t thank the Lord enough for giving me all these exciting things to do and a wonderful set of family and friends to do it with. I pray for more family holidays in 2012, better health, my abs to pop out, more Pinay beauty queens winning pageants abroad, no more tragedies like Ondoy and Sendong, no more war in the Middle East, more racket for beauties like me and that book that I was supposed to write – sana masulat ko na!