I wouldn't want to see Puss-in-Boots cry

(the copy chronicles 6)

We've all experienced the Newbie phase in our jobs. Yes, the awkward days of getting-to-know everyone, grasping the culture, trying to pronounce your colleague's name correctly, learning what things not to say in front of the boss, you know the drill. This Newbie phase normally tags along heaps of attitude too, I can do this and that stuff, too or I think I can do better. I was over that Newbie phase months ago and I believe I've been a good Newbie to the point that a colleague mentioned that my "efficiency had become a curse" (overflowing workload!).

What comes next is the looong Shoulder-Shrugger phase: you do what is needed, enough of pleasing the boss because you've already succeeded, do your best work possible, don't question the system. Go with the flow. Yeah, do what the client says.

After this is the Iconoclast period. Well, wait, not really. Not all people overcome the Shoulder-Shrugger phase, because at the end of the day, we are all doing things for the clients. What creative freedom? *Shoulders-shrug* Iconoclast period happens even within the Shoulder-Shrugger phase, when we get too tired of the things we normally do we want to break out of the system.

***

As my posts these days reflect, I'm undergoing the Iconoclast period. I have drowned in all that cliches and it's time to save myself and whatever is left of my writing ability. Okay, don't get me wrong. I'm not resigning, I just want to try new things. Keeping my fingers crossed is part of it as well. Not because I'm willing to try to do things differently doesn't mean other people feel the same way.

I know, it's not going to be easy. Jessica Zafra mentioned in one of her blog entries that in order to write well, one must "write 1,000 words a day, read a book a week". It's all about training and hard work; and these virtues apply to copywriting, too. These past few days, I've been digging cyberspace and utilising my Googling skills to check out the best works of copywriters across the globe, reading a lot of advertising materials online and re-reading my 100 Great Copywriting Ideas book (and I disagree with one of Maslen's points, but that's another story). ll those books and reading materials point out to this: the importance of being able to risk and accept failure when it happens.

Luke Sullivan, one of my copywriting idols, wrote: a sense of play is important, and part of play is failure; the skinned knee, the black eye. Everyone, to a person, said to push past the pain and “fail forward, fail harder, fail gloriously.” Whatever flavor of fail you get, our group said, walk it off and go for it again (Sullivan, 2010).

In one of his blog entries Sullivan also mentioned: SLOPPY WRITING MAKES KITTENS CRY. Yes, I imagined a crying Puss-in-Boots because I have watched Shrek's trailer before reading that entry. And seeing my previous works for several companies, I imagined how many kittens have cried because of them. Hahaha. Pardon my being so literal here.

I admire companies who are willing to risk and I could only wish that all our clients are like them. We cannot change our clients' mindset if we keep doing the same things. We have to prove we can do something else, give them something that will surprise them, forget the safe bets. Don't make those kittens cry.

Be the iconoclast but be ready for some bruises.

Bittersweet Residue: Kites and Copy

the copy chronicles 5)

it's amazing how a kite could give you satisfaction when it's up in the sky, flowing with the wind, with you gripping its string as if you really were the one in control. it's amazing how it could give you disappointment the moment it hits the ground, with you recovering the string, realising you were not the one in charge - it was the wind.

You're just making yourself believe you could let it fly.


***

it's amazing how a copy you've done could give you (just a little bit of) satisfaction when it's published, with you reading it as if it was really your idea.

it's amazing how it could give you disappointment the moment you realise you don't want to be associated with that project. You compromised your artistic capabilities and creative philosophies just to get that project done, the client is king after all.

You're just making youself believe you've done a good job. Wake up my dear.

Tell me what for you is creative and I'll tell you who you are (The Copy Chronicles 4)

Jonathan Sanchez blogged about Creative Conflict at Media Asia website and cited the contents of Harvard Business Review December 2009 issue. He wrote:

Contentment breeds complacency, harmony delivers humdrum. What drives change and growth and smashes old lazy habits is having the confidence to challenge some authority, fight for what you believe and energize your people.(Sanchez, 2010)

Fight for what you believe. We all know it's easier said than done. Yesterday, I did just that. I tried to convince two Account Executives in the company to use a tagline I suggested (I did three, they liked two of them and they hated the other one). They don't like one of the taglines because, for them, (a) it's not impactful enough, (b) it's not corporate enough, (c) it does not reflect the story, (d) it somehow conjures not-so-business-like images. So, I suggested a compromise: I would do a new tagline, but they have to keep that one and present it to the client as well. Both of them disagreed. I am left disheartened.

I know, you might think I'm this stubborn copywriter who does not listen to Account Executives. Truth be told, seldom do I argue with AEs regarding taglines and concepts, and when I do, I do it for a good reason. I do not fight for something I do not believe in, I will convince you to try a concept because I think it has potential. I do not want to give our clients the same old cliched taglines that have permeated the industry for soooooo long. I know this is so idealistic of me, but what will happen to the creative industry if we keep doing the same thing over and over and over again?

***

Here's what happened next: I went out of the office for lunch break, let out my bitterness over cheeseburger and fries and I thought I would come up with a new tagline. I wasn't able to. My bitterness consumed me that time, and when I tried to come up with a new copy, what went inside my mind was how to defend my tagline even more.

So I went back to the office wracking my brains for a new copy. It just didn't come.

You know the sad part after all these? The tagline one of the AEs came up with was:
(a) not impactful enough
(b) not corporate enough
(c) reflect the story just a bit
(d) somehow conjures not-so-business-like images

And what did I do? Nothing. It's crunch time, the designer needed to finish the mock-up so the AEs could attend the meeting on time. We used his tagline. Mine faded into the realm of 'taglines that tried to defy convention but was not even given the chance to do so'.


***

I am not disappointed with myself, I did my best to defend my tagline. They did not listen to me. I have no control over what people think is creative or appropriate or not.

After that incident, I found solace in Sanchez's ending words in his entry:

Clearly you have to be prepared to lose, god knows I have a few times - but the big things, the things that matter to shaping the future of a business shouldn’t be hidden in the ‘one-day’ or ‘too-much-hassle’ or ‘we don’t do it that way’ closet, they should be out in the open air and vigorously, yet fairly, debated. (Sanchez, 2010)

Jake Gyllenhaal, The Prince of Persia!

The first ever film starring Jake Gyllenhaal I have watched --- wait, seriously it's not Brokeback Mountain --- was October Sky, a true-to-life story of a NASA scientist, the origins of his interest in rocket science and how he got inspired by Sputnik 1. I really loved Jake Gyllenhaal since then, the charming look, the shy smile, the ability to connect to the audience (sorry this sounds sooo Kara Dioguardi comment from American Idol). If you haven't watched it, go dig your big brother's or sister's movie collection to see the young Gyllenhaal's inspiring portrayal of a high school science geek. The lovable kind of geek, by the way.

Well, yes, I have watched Brokeback Mountain as well. And this is, undoubtedly, Jake Gyllenhaal's Hollywood 'breakthrough' moment. The cowboy with the soft heart, the hidden love affair, Heath Ledger, I wish I knew how to quit you epic line. Enough said.

Years later, he now takes on another role, the Prince of Persia. I am excited to see the movie because of:

1. Jake Gyllenhaal, no less.
2. I grew up with Disney films and I want to watch this Disney movie
3. As the press release said, it's from the same team that brought Pirates of Carribean Trilogy. Hello Jerry Bruckheimer! So it probably is good.
4. Same director as HP Goblet of Fire. Though I like Prisoner of Azkaban better than the Goblet of Fire, I would still like to see another Mike Newell-directed film.



The storyline is: A rogue prince reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Apparently, the dagger functions like Hermione Granger's Time Turner. Allow me to put myself in the Prince's shoes:

If I have a dagger that turns back time, what event would I change?
The Asian Tsunami, December 26, 2004. I would froze the oceans after the earthquake so no lives were destroyed in Thailand, Indonesia, etc. and no tourism industries were damaged, like those of Krabi's and the rest of Southern Thailand. If the parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans were frozen, no tsunami would ever occur that time. And since I'm that powerful, I could just actually calm down the ocean, instead of freezing it.

But this is just wishful thinking of course. But yeah, that power would be just awesome. Let's just leave it to the Prince to decide what to do with the dagger, don't forget to catch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Movie starting from 27th May 2010 and join the official Facebook and Twitter page!

Kitchen Confidentials

(OFW series part 7)

When you become an OFW, you will learn the fundamentals of being independent, the most important of which: HOW TO COOK.

I have to admit, I don't know how to cook anything more complicated than adobo. I can fry anything into perfection and cook Lucky Me pancit canton, but that's about it. My sinigang is either too bland or too sour. Ask me to boil an egg and I would not know when to turn off the stove; chances are it's too hard boiled or too soft.

I know, this isn't the type of things my future mother-in-law should hear, but hey, I'm too young to think of a mother-in-law to please. Okay, maybe not. But still, I hope that by the time my future mother-in-law reads this, I have gone beyond my adobo skills. (I don't know where did these thoughts come from, but for the sake of spontaneity, I am not going to delete this part.)

Please don't get the impression that I'm the bratty kid who doesn't help in kitchen chores. I used to help my mom crush garlic and slice bell peppers at home, but I avoided onions if I can help it. I could make the perfect lumpiang shanghai, the part where you put the filling, then roll and seal the wrapper, I mean.

By the time I studied in Diliman, I stayed in a boarding house where we were not allowed to cook. We relied on the powers of the microwave oven, anything instant, UP food stalls, nearby restos and deliveries. Hence, my cooking skills were never tested. Or tried, to begin with.

During my magazine days, my life was pretty much the same. Leaving the house at 8am and coming home at 9pm (if I was lucky), I was too tired to cook.

Then here I am, living the so-called independent life. I have improved a bit. Just a bit. I learned how to do buttered prawns. Yehey. Well, that's it. I am still working on my timing on turning off the stove when boiling an egg. I still try to remember to put salt when frying an egg. And I am still working on my sinigang. Oh, and I can make the perfect salad, too! But that's just tossing, still not more complicated than adobo.

If it is indeed true that the only way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then I would be an epic failure. But wait. Adobo and siningang could be my redemption.

Apparently I should spend more time in the kitchen. Just don't ask me to cook anything with bagoong and I think I'll be fine. And yes, gaining a pound would serve me well, too.

Sparks at Ion

The previous entry was oozing with bitterness and it contradicts the very reason why I reactivated this blog. So I told myself I would write a happy post to restore the good vibes.

And a happy post comes in the form of Murakami guy at Ion Orchard.

I was headed to Tangs last night but for some strange reason, I exited at the wrong side of Orchard MRT station and found myself at Ion. I then remembered that I need to go to Kiehl's so I continued walking but the thing is, I didn't know which side of the mall I am in!

I continued walking while staring at shop signs, hoping that the cursive Kiehl's logo would appear in my view. I walked and walked while searching for the store when I almost bumped into this guy.

Almost.

Then there seemed like a second of why do you look familiar? look and then nothing.

Quoting Murakami, here's what happened:

But the glow of their memories was far too weak...Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. (Murakami, 1993)

***

Singapore is a small world, after all. But what is the probability that at that point in time, out of four million people living in this little red dot in the map, why was he the one who I bumped into in the busy basement of one of the countless shopping malls at Orchard Road?

If I turned 10 seconds later, or he did turn 10 seconds later as well, we would have bumped into each other, exchange our sorries, and ask each other 'You look familiar!?' I would then remind him that he's the guy across the street and I'm the girl at the other side always waiting for the green man to light up every morning at one of the intersections of this lonely planet.


***

Yeah, I should've said that this is a 'hopeful' post, not a happy one. In my giddy state of mind, however, 'hopeful' could translate to 'happy', too.

Cliche Quicksand (The Copy Chronicles 3)

Unloading. Don't read if you don't want to hear today's "heartbroken"tales.
If you happen to be my officemate or my colleague or my client and you read this blog, please be forewarned that I don't want to talk about this in person.


***


I am a copywriter and I would like to believe that I'm good at what I do (good, not very good, not exceptional. just okay). But this belief got totally totally shattered this morning. I was browsing through a site called Modern Copywriter and I saw those sample projects of big time copywriters from all over the world.

Then something hit me.

Have I done something at par with these?

Here I am, a copywriter for almost a year now, and I could not think of any projects that I have done that was really really exceptional. I could think of three projects that stood out, but they weren't exceptional enough.

Then, a conversation at the office even compounded this feeling of inadequacy.

We had those "can we change this tagline?" type of conversation again. One colleague suggested that we use *insert cliche tagline here*. I quickly replied, "no don't use that!" And then he replied, "why not? that's what the companies have been using blah blah blah

Okay, two things. It doesn't mean that since other companies have been using that tagline we should use it as well. And second, the mere fact that thousands of other companies have used it means that it was a tagline that any shareholder would not want to see again, if they have a choice.

I would not feel this way if not for the incident the previous week. The very same person who told me to "be more creative, don't use these kind of cliche taglines" last week was this same person who said it was okay to use *insert cliche tagline here* today. Talk about double standards.


***

You see, cliche are double-edged swords. It could very well be a cure for any company's conservative point of view. Give them cliches, those are tried-and-tested, everybody knows them. They have seen them everywhere. Yeah. Conservative companies would accept that. But what does this speak of us as professionals in the creative business? We are paid to think creatively for those companies who ask for our professional advice. Isn't it a disservice to them if we would just insert some cliche in their projects?

And of course, not all companies are conservative. One day, some companies who champion creativity would see our cliche-laden projects and would look down on us. We call ourselves Creatives but we do not live up to that label.

I know this because I have churned out cliches, too. We produced cliche-laden projects in the past. The clients were satisfied. I wasn't. 'You're bound for heartbreak', a friend told me. Indeed I was, and still am.



***

I still believe that someday, I would be able to break the mould.
Deviate from the status quo.
Risk.
Do something way way out of the box. Or eliminate the box altogether.
I just hope that some people are brave enough to do it with me.

I still believe that creativity can be learned.
I believe that we can pull ourselves out of this cliche quicksand if we choose to.
I know that there will come a time that clients would get out of their own boxes and be brave enough to risk, design-wise.



I believe that one day I would be proud of my work and I would see my name in a website that lists the best copywriters of our generation.
Then I would open this blog and laugh about my so-called hearbroken tales here.

Boto at Konsepto (The Copy Chronicles 2)

Ang paggawa ng konsepto* ay parang pagboto.

Kelangan mong pag-aralan. Pag-isipan.
Isang pakikipagsapalaran,
isang pagtaya.
Iba ang opinyon mo sa ibang tao.
Iba ang pagtingin mo sa mga isyu.

At hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon mananalo ang ibinoto mo
parang
hindi lahat ng tao magugustuhan ang konsepto mo.
Natatalo ka. Hindi mo nakukuha ang proyekto.
Pero hindi ito nangangahulugan na mas magaling ang konsepto nila sa 'yo.
Natatalo ang kandidatong ibinoto mo.
Pero hindi ito nangangahulugan na mas magaling ang nanalo
kesa sa ibinoto mo.

Ganun talaga.


*konsepto i.e. sa advertising/PR

Dear Bogs, Paano na Kaya si John?

Sinisimulan ko pa lang ang entry na to, natatawa na 'ko sa sarili ko.

Hindi talaga ako nagpunta sa sinehan ngayong linggo para panoorin ang Ironman 2 dahil baka pangit, kaya next week ko na lang papanoorin. Nanghihinayang ako sa ten dollars na gagastusin ko para manood ng isang hindi kagandahang pelikula. Pero ang ironic lang. Nasa bahay nga ako, nakatipid nga ako ng ten dollars na GV ticket at seven dollars or so para sa popcorn at drinks, pero mga hindi kagandahang pelikula din naman ang pinanood ko.

Kagabi, tinapos kong panoorin ang Dear John. Pinutol ko kasi ang panonood noong Martes kasi nabagot na ko sa walang katapusang pagpapalitan ng sulat. Hindi ako natuwa sa pelikulang ito. Sayang, na-hook pa naman ako sa trailer. Bakit naman kasi kelangang si Tim pa ang makatuluyan ni Savannah?

At kanina, pinanood ko ang Paano na Kaya sa pirated DVD. At cge na, eto na ang review ko.

Pasensya na, nahohomesick kasi ako ng onti this week kaya I need my dose of anything Pinoy.



***

Legend: Kim = Mae, Gerald = Bogs, Melissa Ricks = Anna


Pinanood ko ang pelikula na hindi nageexpect. Hindi katulad ng Miss You Like Crazy na nagexpect pa ko ng onti, na mejo magiging maganda dahil maayos naman ang huling pelikula nina John Lloyd at Bea.

Hindi ako nagexpect na maganda (please don't get the impression na maganda nga ang pelikula, dahil so-so lang ito). Ayos pala pag ganun. Mas tataas ang appreciation mo ng pelikula kapag umpisa pa lang binabaan mo na ang expectations.

Alam ko na naman kasi ang takbo ng istorya: 'best friends who fell in love with each other and they live happily ever after, but wait meron munang problems bago ang happy ending' type. Halatang halatang scripted un part na magkausap si Mae at Bogs sa may shore sa umpisa ng pelikula, parang ang plastic kasi ng dating eh. Parang pilit na pilit ang pagbigkas ni Bogs ng mga linya.

Maayos naman ang cast - Ricky Davao bilang strict at business-minded dad ni Mae, Zsa Zsa as the cougar mom ni Bogs, at winner ang group of friends ni Mae sa pelikula. At least sa gitna ng ilusyon ni Mae na maging girlfriend ni Bogs, nababalanse. Andun ang group of friends nya na nagsasabi at nagreremind sa kanya na wag magpakatanga, wag maging parang yaya ng bestfriend at nakapag-point out na baka isang rebound relationship nga lang yun.

Okay na sana ang mga linya sa movie:

Mahalaga lang siguro Bogs, pero hindi mahal.

Mahal mo ba talaga ko o sinubukan mo lang akong mahalin para hindi kita iwan?

Sinyota mo ang best friend mo!

Dyan tau sumasablay bogs eh, may 'kaya lang'. Laging may 'kaya lang'


At least, hindi nagpapakaprofound at di gumagamit ng malalalim na salitang Tagalog. Pero naman! Bakit kelangan pang sabihin ang linyang it's not you, it's me . At bakit kelangan pang mag-insert ng ilang Chinese phrases ni Ricky Davao everytime magsasalita siya sa pelikula? Unnecessary na kasi un, kasi naestablish na naman na he is of Chinese descent.

Naipakita naman ang transformation, mula sa pagiging best friend to boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Naestablish naman ang conflict nang muling nagbalik si Anna, ang paghihintay ni Mae nang masiraan cya ng kotse at ang pagkukulang ng food sa catering services bilang mitsa ng galit ng dad ni Mae sa kanya.

Maayos rin naman ang mga supporting elements. Ang vintage car na nagevolve mula sa simula hanggang sa maging super shiny red car na ito sa ending. Naipakita ang pagbabago ng relationship ni Bogs mula sa pagpipinta sa pader ng I Love You Anna hanggang sa painting nila ni Mae sa kanyang sariling talyer. Ang paggamit ng apelyido (Chua at Marasigan) para maipakita ang lebel ng relasyon nilang dalawa.

At dahil ito ay isang Star Cinema movie, oo, naresolve naman ang mga issues. Nagkasundo si Mae at ang kanyang dad, nagbukas siya ng sariling business, nagkausap si Bogs at Mommy nya.

Paborito ko ang eksena ng hiwalayan sa taas ng fire truck. Okay ang analohiya ng nasusunog na kagamitan sa relasyong Mae-Bogs. Astig. Hindi awkward na eskena sa restaurant o sa kotse o sa traffic sa gitna ng kalsada.

Siyempre, sila pa rin naman ang nagkatuluyan sa huli. And speaking of ending, bakit kelangan pareho sila naka-shades at naka-white (well, cge na nga offwhite ang suot ni Gerald Anderson)? Fail ang parteng ito.

It's all about the money (The Copy Chronicles 1)

Sometimes, our concepts are not judged whether
it speaks of the message the client wants to deliver.
Neither are they seen as something novel or revolutionary.
Or if the execution is exceptional to the point that maybe,
just maybe,
we would be able to win design awards.
It all boils down to money matters.
What special treatment?
No, no.
No budget.
How many pages?
Okay, workable.
Oh great, we wouldn't need to buy photos?
What will you do with the cover?
Oh okay, yes, will have no problem with the printers.
It all boils down to money matters.
And everything is equated to a dollar sign.
Sigh.

Tuesday Blues, Buddhism and Booze

Tuesday and its tales:
Owee and and the blue-eyed wonder
High-pitched voice and *duma-the life* expression
Micah and the complicated disc/love stories
Spectacles and makeover plans
Nelly and the schoolgirl crush no more
poolside chikahan and poolside curfew
Heineken and that addicting Loacker
Buddhist teachings and suffering
Sadness and happiness
Spectrum and cycles
Pain and Manny Pacquiao quote
October Eighty Publications and the bad things we hate about it
The Devil Wears *whatever brand here* and magazine life kwento
2am-ish cab ride home and Keppel Road
Taxi driver and his Casino suggestion
Marina Bay Sands and good feng shui
3am-ish sleep time and alarms
8:57 log in time and early morning coffee
Beethoven Symphony #9 and cover tagline
not-so-creative concept and tracing papers
projects and more projects
fried chicken and teh ping
afternoon boredom and Oreo cookies
SS and his Subspecie-ness
the breaking news and NAIA Terminal 3
6.30pm and Channel 511
The Amazing Race and Shanghai
Organic rice and white rice
Facebook and this blog
chicken nuggets and dinner time.
early to rise and early to bed.
signing off and dozing off.

Why American Idol Will Never Be The Same Again

American Idol is part of our TV viewing habits at home(Batangas, Philippines) during these summer months. But the experience of watching it will never be the same again for me.

The first time I watched American Idol here in our flat in Singapore felt a bit surreal. Sitting alone at the couch while eating Hokkien noodles using chopsticks, I watched the show at Mediacorp Channel 5 and it felt, well, different. No, it's not the lackluster performances this season, or Ellen Degeneres sitting there as one of the judges, but the viewing experience itself is not the same as it used to be.

The intro tune accompanying the twirling AI logo at the beginning of the show brings back memories of me comfortably watching AI at home in Batangas. Hearing that tune every single time never fails to bring a little bit of homesickness in me. Back at home, I usually watch AI either at Star World or QTV. Now, I had to wait for the replays at Mediacorp 5 because I couldn't watch it on the same day due to conflicts in TV viewing schedules (the owner of the house watches TV Patrol by the time AI is shown). I also had a favorite spot at the sala while watching the show: left side of the living room at the corner of the wooden chair nearest to the TV set. Yvette, my niece, always watches with me and she usually roots for someone who happens to be not my favourite. When it was David-David season, she loved David Archuleta while I cheered for David Cook. Last season, she loved Glambert while I was rooting for Kris Allen while my dad favoured Danny Gokey. Yvette always tries to annoy me, always saying that her favourite contestant is better than mine and I would prove her wrong and a playful banter would ensue. Here in SG, I watch AI with no one to talk to and it's damn sad.

Now, I just take comfort in the fact that by the time of the NBA Conference Finals, I will be in Batangas, sitting in my favourite spot at the wooden chair nearest to the TV while cheering for my dad or my brother's favourite team like what we usually do every year.

Rundown

1. Yes, I promised that this blog will contain myOVERSEAS FILIPINO WRITE-UPS (OFW)SERIES. I think I have posted five OFWs by now, and I will continue to do so. As I've said, I will document, make fun of, be sentimental about, overanalyse, criticise and basically, share, the littlest, the corniest, the craziest things about being a Filipino outside the Philippines.

2. I think you have noticed the change in the subheading from the fine details of living in the Fine City to on being a Filipino copywriter in the Fine City (well, if not, I bet you have by now). Yes, I would like this blog to be a little bit personal. Include parts of me as a copywriter. What I do everyday, how do I churn out concepts, how I deal with demanding clients and boring briefs and mind-boggling financial statements. This series about my day job shall be called THE COPY CHRONICLES. But of course, in the name of something called confidentiality agreement, I cannot disclose company names and the nitty-gritty of the concepts I have produced.

3. Oh yes, I still haven't watched Paano na Kaya, which I sort of promised to do. Not that any of you readers would care, but since I had promised to do it, I will. If you know of any Kim-Gerald fans, please tell them to read my future review.
Or better yet, if you know of anyone who loved Miss You Like Crazy, ask him/her to read my previous entry. Bring on the flak.

The Promise of 'Next Time'

We know there will always be second chances. We do something today and hope that a 'next time' will come to do the thing we initially wanted to do. We don't address our cravings, we postpone trips, we procrastinate, we are trapped and lured by the promise of the 'next time'.

We've all been guilty of these. We all are.

Hi, I was XXXX

It's funny how memories are woven in our brains. And how memory recollection happens.

Yesterday, after being guilty of eating yang chow fried rice with fried egg for lunch (imagine all the oil I consumed), I decided to eat salad for dinner. I got all the greens and the dressing from the refrigerator. I couldn't remember when I bought that dressing, and what type of dressing was it in the first place.

It was labeled 'Coleslaw' though all this time I thought it was Caesar salad dressing or something like that. It was too pale to be Thousand Island, I'm sure.

Then I suddenly tried to recall who told me that this particular hotel has good Caesar salad. I remember it was Richard and Ian, former colleagues in Manila. Then I recalled if ever I have tasted that salad in that particular hotel and I had remembered that I did.

But when?

Oh yeah, that particular day when I was the subject of a photographer's hate blog entry.

Whew. Yeah, that's how our brain works, right? Tracing a thread of memories which was induced by simple salad dressing. Amazing.

***

I don't want to go through all the details of that hate blog. But I remember that the photographer did not put my name. He just said that XXXX from blah blah magazine sent him an SMS asking if he would be willing to "shoot for us for free" (Hernandez, 2009).

Someone even commented something like this:

I think it is better to put their names here para mahiya naman sila at hindi na umulit.

That person who put that comment was not brave enough to stand by that statement as he remains 'Anonymous'.

To Anonymous, I am Nelly and I was XXXX. Fortunately, I am no longer affiliated with that magazine. Of course, I would not be sending pathetic SMS like that anymore.





***

I think this is becoming a trend. I started off with one topic then the whole entry becomes a mishmash of what my memory recalls. Funny how my brain works.

Next time, I will commit to just one topic and I'm planning to do a review of Kimerald's Paano Na Kaya? next week (I am so LOL right now).I am following Donj's sugestion of reviewing Pinoy mainstream films. For now, Star Cinema's new releases muna.

Bakit ayaw nyo maniwala?! Seryoso, abangan nyo yan.

Random Thoughts' Ripple Effect: From Mitch Albom to The Devil Wears Prada

Yes, you have read it right. Mitch Albom as in Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom. Last February, I had this rare chance of meeting Mr. Tuesdays with Morrie in one of those meet-and-greet events at Kinokuniya. Of course, I asked for his autograph on my copy of For One More Day . I also asked him what's his advice to writers like me (though now,I'm technically a copywriter, not a writer). He told me that I should read a lot and everytime I find interesting quotes/phrases in materials that I have read, I should highlight them so when I need inspiration, I can just open the book again and re-read those lines.

Speaking of interesting quotes, earlier today, I opened my copy of Males, Nails and Sample Sales: Everything a Woman Must Know to be Smarter, Savvier, Saner Sooner , one of those books I bought from a warehouse sale. I did not want to buy the book at first, but when I saw that the author, Stephanie Pierson, is a creative director at an advertising agency in NY, I bought it. Yeah, I could be superficial like that, buying a book because the cover is nice or because the author is formerly in advertising (friends, you know I've been dying to work in a hotshot ad agency, right?). Sometimes, I don't care about the contents.

But I digress.

So yeah, I opened that book and since I marked some of those interesting lines (following Mr. Albom's advice), I would just like to share them to you. Especially you, fresh grads out there looking for your first jobs and clueless about the real world. There's a chapter in the book devoted to Careers, and in this section, Pierson mentioned this:

"Don't work for someone who is abusive. Life is too short. And no matter how junior you are, you don't have to take it"

Fresh grads, listen up. If the company which hired you don't have benefits like SSS/Philhealth/Medicare/Pag-ibig or if they don't pay taxes, beware. Take my advice: flee as soon as you can.

And here's another advice from Pierson:

"Don't get too rattled or too anxious. Don't give the people who run your company the power to decide your worth. You know when you are doing a good job. You know when it's the assignment that is the problem or when your bosses are idiots. You are not as good as your last assignment. Don't let anyone let you believe that"

I totally agree.

And another thing fresh grads. Let me tell you this: you would encounter insufferable know-it-alls in the workplace, but the worst kind are those who think they are Meryl Streep's character in that movie with Anne Hathaway. If you encounter a boss like that, better look for another job. It's not worth it. Trust me.

Uniquely Singapore, Uniquely Singlish and the absence of Grammar Police (OFW Series Part 5)

I love Singapore, I do. I could cite a lot of reasons why (primarily its low crime rates, cleanliness and super efficient transportation system)but I have a "more personal" reason.

I love Singapore because people here don't judge you because you couldn't speak proper English. People don't judge you because you have a wrong subject-verb agreement. People don't judge you if you have misspelled a word, or use a wrong verb tense in sentences or because you don't know the correct pronunciation of a certain word.

I know, it's a good thing and a bad thing. But admit it, Filipinos could be very annoying "grammar police" sometimes. I would know. I am guilty of being a grammar police, too, but I know I'm not as annoying as other people.

For someone who graduated with a Journalism degree, I noticed that people expect me to have perfect grammar all the time. While I was working in a magazine, people expect me to be articulate and have perfect grammar all the time (grammar police out there, the repetition of the last phrase is intentional, thank you very much for noticing). It's a good thing. But when people have high expectations of you, and you don't meet them, the resulting disappointment (on their part) is never easily forgotten.

I know of someone who could speak about other people's English mistakes but fails to notice his. He always criticises people for their wrong grammar but he himself couldn't distinguish when to use "they're" and "their". That's irritating!

Singaporeans are not so kan cheong about their grammar. It may not be the best way to perfect English, but for someone who has been exposed to irritating grammar police in the Philippines, it's refreshing to be in an environment where people wouldn't bat an eyelash when you commit some really minor grammatical errors.

To my kan cheong friends or professors who think I'm losing my command of the English language, don't worry, I'm still using and practising proper English here (though British instead of American English). I may use 'lah' and 'can' 'cannot' but I know I still have a good grasp of the language. I don't know if I could say the same for my Tagalog though (particularly the "writing" part).

Kung ang 'Miss You Like Crazy' ay isang romantic comedy film (OFW series part 4)

WARNING: Taglish ito, paumanhin sa code-switching.

Kung OFW ka, chances are, TFC subscriber ka. At dahil TFC subscriber ka at namimiss mo ang Pilipinas, manonood ka na ng teleserye na hindi mo naman ginagawa noon. Alam ko ang iniisip mo, 'ang jologs, no?' Oo na, don't rub it in. Jologs na kung jologs. Pero ganon talaga. Kahit papano namimiss mo rin naman ang ABS-CBN TV programming na nakasanayan mo na simula pa noong panahon ni Princess Sarah at kaibigang Tom Sawyer.

Hindi naman ako super duper teleserye fanatic (salamat sa AI, Glee, TAR at Survivor for keeping me sane), pero nanonood din naman ako paminsan minsan. At oo na, nanonood na rin ako ng Pinoy movies ngaun. Kung dati, naiinis ako sa pamangkin ko na super fan ng CinemaOne, ngaun nanonood na rin ako ng Pinoy movies sa pirated DVD (of course, galing sa Pinas).

***
WARNING #2: Hindi ako fan ng Bea-John Lloyd love team ha.
Naisipan ko lang ireview ang pelikula.


Oo, napanood ko na ang Miss You Like Crazy ni John Lloyd at Bea. If you haven't watched it, okay lang kahit hindi mo panoorin. Well, sige na nga. Typical Star Cinema movie. Title na title pa lang, nagkulang na ng creative juices.

Kung hindi ito movie at isang episode lamang sa Dear Ate Charo (linawin na natin para sa mga Kapuso), Maalaala Mo Kaya, malamang ang title nito ay Bato or pwede ring Bato at Pentel Pen or kahit anong bagay na andun sa movie, dahil parating isang noun ang title ng isang MMK episode.

Ay oo, pwede ring Petronas Towers. Kawawa kasi ang Petronas Towers sa movie na ito. Though it served its purpose, being a Malaysian icon, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit sa conversation ni John Lloyd at Bea sa coffeshop, sinabi ni John Lloyd na hindi nya alam kung ano ang Petronas Towers. Dito pa lang, mejo fail na ang script. If you are a yuppie, Account Manager sa isang CBD, with a well-off girlfriend, don't tell me you have never heard of Petronas Towers?! Or sige na nga, pwedeng playing bimbo-ish role lang si John Lloyd sa parteng iyon ng pelikula. At sige na nga, hindi lahat ng tao ay geog buff.

Isa pa, ilan kayang bato ang dala ng character ni Bea sa bag nya araw-araw? Seriously.

At masyadong magulo ang time difference, ilang buwan o taon ba talaga ang difference mula nang iniwan ni John Lloyd si Bea sa Pilipinas? 3 months? 1 taon? 2 taon? Kasi sa iba't ibang parte ng pelikula, iba-iba ang sinabi.

At ano ba ang nangyari kung bakit hindi sinipot ni John Lloyd si Bea sa ferry station? Ano ba ang ginawa ni Bembol Roco kaya galit sa kanya si Bea?

Wah. Tama na. This is making me crazy again. At cge na nga aaminin ko, hindi kasi namin masyado inintindi ang movie dahil mas exciting pa ang Ben-Melai love team sa bahay kesa sa August-Mia.

***
Kung iibahin natin ang linya ng pelikula, at gagawin itong romantic comedy, eto dapat:


Bea: Alam mo ba yung Petronas Towers?
John Lloyd: Hindi.
Bea: Weh?

or kaya (still talking about Petronas Towers)


Bea: Minsan kasi iniimagine ko nag-uusap sila.
John Lloyd: Anong sinasabi nila?
Bea: Masaya ako pag kasama kita.
John Lloyd: 'As if you have a choice' sabi naman nung isa.
Then Bea would give John Lloyd this 'are-you-crazy-look' then they would both burst into laughter.

Murakami and The Guy Across the Street

On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning - title of one of Haruki Murakami's short stories in The Elephant Vanishes.

If I were able to blog last Tuesday, I would make my entry titled "On Seeing the 100% perfect guy one beautiful April morning". Okay, Emphasis on "seeing". Forget the rest of the story. No conversation happened, just a split-second glance and a smile. Enough said.

Summer Worker (no, this isn't part of the OFW series)

As mid-April approaches, I need to say this:

2010 is the first year/summer of my life (yes, of my entire life) that I am employed. Employed and working and no summer vacation!

Yeah, I graduated from the university two years ago, so that summer, I was still unemployed. I started working June 2008, then resigned from my first job March last year.

April - May 2009 was still a summer vacation, as I was looking for what then was my would-be second job.

Ten months later, here I am, working on a summer day for the first time in my entire life. There has to be a "first", indeed.

Skype Hype (OFW series part 2)

just an FYI,in case you read this entry before the previous one, OFW = Overseas Filipino Write-ups.

MUST-HAVE FOR EVERY OFW: A Skype Account.


***

I don't know when was the last time we had our Skype how-are-you night. I don't have an idea either when would the next one be.

As Geog Kids, we are kinda living up to this "label", as our virtual get-togethers (read:skype) are now bound by geographical limitations; being in different parts of the world.

Thedd is in QC, and he's in his I'm-soo-busy mode.Juggling two programs and a "non-living entity" plus all the spinning world hoo-ha, I don't know when he would have the free time.

Weisa's in her busy mode, too, in Laguna. And it doesn't help that she deactivated her FB account. Last time we talked was almost a month ago.

Reuben's globetrotting again (this time in the US). And with the timezone now added to the reasons-we-can't-skype-in-this-particular-day list, maybe we'll just skype when he's back in the Philippines.

Jeck's living his expat life, of course, in Brussels, and though he's almost-always-online, he's busy with work, so he's just there, active in Gtalk and FB but still could not be disturbed.

And I'm here in Singapura, waiting for the next skype session. I miss you Geog Kids, let's skype again. I want those Revenge: Marimar Style type of conversations soon.

The Stranger (OFW series Part 1)

in my attempt to make something meaningful out of this blog, i will start my OFW (Overseas Filipino Write-ups) Series. I will tell you about the mundane things about living in a highly globalised world. After all, Marshall McLuhan's adage applies to my every day existence.

I will document, make fun of, be sentimental about, overanalyse, criticise and basically, share, the littlest, the corniest, the craziest things about being a Filipino outside the Philippines. You know what I mean: what it feels like living with strangers, how to say yes and no in different languages, where to eat the best peri peri chicken, why you can proudly wear mini skirts abroad when in Manila you prolly won't; when is the best time to call home, what website to go to for the best Pinoy news; etc etc etc.


I will start by telling you the story of the "historical stranger".

One time I was running late for work and a Malaysian couple asked me where the MRT is. I can't say no to strangers asking for directions, so instead of giving them a vague you-turn-left-then-cross-the-street-kind-of-stuff,I asked them to walk with me as my office is located near the station.

The guy could speak fluent English. The girl could only speak Bahasa.So basically the guy was the only one I could converse with.He told me that he immediately guessed that I'm from the Philippines because of my accent (that's the very very first thing strangers will tell you!)Then he asked where I study here (that's the second thing strangers ask me).

He said he had stayed in the Philippines for two years. He said he lived in Legaspi Towers in Manila - the one in Makati not the one in Roxas Blvd. Yes, he clarified that there are two Legaspi Towers in Manila (wow, I didn't know that).

He asked how's the Philippines, is Arroyo still the President. When we were like 3 meters away from the MRT, he asked me if Noynoy is really running for President.

I told him yes, Noynoy is indeed running and told him that I was impressed that he's updated with what's happening in the Philippine political scene. Then I asked him if he knows Noynoy, then he said:

He was just a little boy then.

So of course, I asked if he knows Ninoy.

Then he replied:

Yes, I was at the airport when he was shot.


Then a bitter smile appeared on his face. He looked up at the street sign, we're already outside the MRT station.

Wait. He was at the airport when Ninoy was shot? What was he doing there? Was he a friend, a classmate? Or merely a stranger who happened to be at the airport during one of those historic moments? I wanted to ask him the 5Ws and 1H of that particular moment. But he remembered Noynoy as a little boy back then so he's probably a close friend, a family friend, a fellow Anti-Marcos?

I was supposed to ask all these questions. But he said his thanks, both he and his wife smiled at me, and he went to the escalator and was swallowed by the rush hour crowd. I did not had the chance to ask for his name.




He was a fragment of history, he was probably one of those men who ran towards Ninoy when he was lying dead at the airport. Wah. I did not even ask for his name. I do not question the authenticity of his story, because he seemed really really sincere when he mentioned that he was at the airport when Ninoy was killed.

And since this is part of the OFW series, he's one of those thousand fleeting strangers I encountered, but definitely the most memorable one.

MVP no more

In the Philippines, MVP stands for two things: MVP = Most Valuable Player, in basketball. the best player, the one who's at the limelight because of his sheer ability to shoot and score (this is a simplistic way of putting it).
MVP = Manny V. Pangilinan, one of the top businessmen in the country. President of PLDT, SMART Communications, owner of a TV Station, one of the who's who in Pinoy business scene.

***

MVP (as in Manny Pangilinan) was rocked by controversy last week as his speech at the commencement ceremonies at the Ateneo has certain parts lifted from speeches by J.K Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Obama, etc.

Now, who's to blame? Okay, he had speechwriters, no doubt. Should we put the blame on those writers for being so irresponsible? Should we blame MVP, because even though he has writers, he should've checked the speech himself? But given the busy man that he is, would he have the time? But clearly, it's no excuse.

He already released an official statement containing his apologies. It is the right thing to do, there's nothing so noble about it because when you come to think of it, it is his responsibility to own up to that mistake.

As for Manny's speechwriters, I don't know if it is still necessary to name them. Some people who had commented in the blogs I've read today said that we should name those writers. Like MVP, they should say their sorries and own up to their mistake. If it would make them feel better, then come out, but expect a lot (as in tremendous amount) of flak. They wouldn't be jailed for plagiarism, there's no such law. But their reputation as writers, as well as Manny's reputation, will forever be scarred.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense (insert author here, I know somebody said it). Maybe we feel strongly against it because during our stay in Peyups, all our professors have instilled on us the value of originality, of honoring intellectual rights, of knowing how to cite sources. Maybe those writers don't have the privilege of being guided the way we were. Maybe they weren't as aware and as knowledgeable as we are. But still, they committed plagiarism, and even if they like it or not, the consequences will haunt them.

As for MVP, he would still be regarded as one of the best businessmen in the country. If we talk about this in basketball parlance, he's an MVP no more.

Now, he's a has-been who had been at the top, and is now being dragged down because of something called plagiarism.

I could only wish the best for him. As for his speechwriters, I hope that they do not lose their passion for writing, and after what happened, should they decide to continue their writing career, I guess they should learn about the do's and don't's first.

GINATAAN, WHERE ART THOU?

It's Peak Period, my working world's counterpart of the college semester's Hell/Finals Week. Suffering in Lent = perfect timing, right?

I remember last year I was in Olongapo for the Holy Week. Resort. Helping out with the chores. Sunset at the beach (which is the exact thing I need to see after the five-hour traffic at NLEX). This time, I'm here at the office, working yet again. Black Saturday is supposed to be 'Batangas-homebuddy-eating-ginataan-under-the-chico-tree' day. But circumstances changed, and life dragged me in a not-so-Catholic world where Black Saturday is just an ordinary working day.

I had promised to ditch Facebook on Good Friday (which I did) and Black Saturday (oops, not) but I feel the need to be connected to people. When you work for hours on end in a foreign land and you can't call your friends (I mean long-time friends)for dinner, you just have to at least feel that,in a way, you know what's happening to them, even though what I would know would just be a superficial or trivial(read: facebook status)aspect of what's really happening in their lives.

I had promised not to eat pork, chicken and beef for these two days, too. This I had done successfully so far. But my officemate said that eating fish/prawn/seafood is still similar to eating chicken/pork/beef because it is still meat. But, forgive me, I have to eat something that has protein (please don't argue with me anymore!). I think I need to gain the two kilos I lost (wah, that's 4 pounds?!?!) in the last three months.


Now, I'm craving for ginataan. Well, at least it has no meat.

HEAR YOU ME

the usual Singapore afternoon rain is splattering outside my office window again, and I don't know why, but rainy days make me want to write. so here it goes.

I got emails today from two of my closest friends from college. One telling me about her day (more like He's Not Just That Into You type of email), as I willingly become her "human diary". The other email is from another friend who told me that I "inspired" him to write again.

The former email speaks of trust, as she describes her day in full detail not knowing that maybe, just maybe, that the email will got lost in cyberspace or merely be buried deeply in tens, if not hundreds, of email I got everyday. It speaks of trust because she knows, I will be patient enough to read her messages, no matter how frivolous they are at times; and whatever that email contains would just be between me and her.

The latter is about a vote of confidence, a respect for talent that I myself still doubt that I have. That if there would be somebody in the whole wide world that reminds him of the ability and passion or urgency to write, that somebody is me. And while I doubt that I could write well, there's someone out there who knows and believes that I do.

Amidst all the clutter in my mailbox, thank goodness for these two messages.


***
and since rainy days also remind me of 'please find me' blog, let me end this in 'I Wrote This For You' fashion:

if you find it difficult to believe in yourself, or trust in your talents, there are some people out there who believe that you could do more even if you doubt that you can. So before you sulk over how bad or uninteresting your life is, remember those people. You can never let them down. You shouldn't.

AFTER TWO YEARS

Here I am blogging again. Thesis happened, then graduation, then my Devil Wears Prada hellluva of a first job. But I'm back.

So much have changed. My views on things have changed, some things I've written here seemed like it came from a distant life. I read those entries and laugh about how geeky I was while still in the university. Not that I am a completely new person now, but I'm a bit different. Maybe more mature, but still childish at times.

I'm now in the Fine City, living my dreams, and continuing to dream. From hereon, I'll blog again. See you in the next posts.

the temperament test!

I am 73% choleric- 27% sanguine. Based on an online test.

Took the test twice, for validity-reliability's sake. Choleric daw talaga ko.

Explanation:

The Choleric / Sanguine

The choleric-sanguine is a blending of the two extroverted temperaments and will be somewhat less extraverted than the sanguine-choleric, because the choleric’s extraversion often takes a back-seat to his goal-oriented behavior. Nonetheless, this temperament combination is second only to the sanguine-choleric in terms of being outgoing and people-oriented. This temperament mix tends to give rise to an enthusiastic, motivational, and highly driven leader (choleric) whose social skills and interest in other people (sanguine nature) make him less dictatorial and capable of some flexibility.

He will value relationships more than a pure choleric, and will show greater compassion in dealing with people, will be less controlling than the pure choleric, and will be more willing to take time out to relax and enjoy himself.

If you are a choleric-sanguine, you will find that you have a great amount of energy and inspiration for initiating projects and can be highly focused on task completion as well. Although you tend to be very objective, pragmatic, and logical -- and may sometimes find yourself stepping on toes in the process of accomplishing the task at hand -- you will also have the interpersonal skills needed to resolve conflict and to help people work together and get along with one another. The creativity and sensitivity of your sanguine nature will enable you to be flexible when the situation calls for it, and less demanding and harsh than a pure choleric would tend to be. You are likely an energetic leader or manager, with superb debating skills: firmly convinced that you are right, you also have the “people-skills” necessary to convince others as well!

Without strong formation and a deep spiritual life, however, your temperament’s weaknesses will be intensified. Without attention to self-formation you may find yourself quickly aroused to anger, yet also unforgiving. You can be impatient with others and overly opinionated. You may speak frankly or impulsively without regard for others’ feelings. You should take care that you become neither a workaholic nor driven by your passions. You may insist on having your own way, and become angered, blame others, or make excuses when corrected. But, once you become aware of the weaknesses of your nature, and make a commitment to self-improvement, you will be able to be equally determined in pursuing self-formation.

Whew.
Pero true, Choleric +sanguine. I didn't expect to be melancholic naman.

some famous cholerics: Margaret Thatcher, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates

Strengths and natural virtues:
active, assertive, bold, brave, capable, compelling, confident, competitive, determined, decisive, driving, dynamic, effective, energetic, enterprising, focused, forceful, goal-oriented, independent, opinionated, passionate, persevering, positive, pragmatic, productive, purposeful, quick, resolute, self-motivated, sharp, strong-willed, vigorous, zealous

Weaknesses and natural vices:
aggressive, ambitious, angry, antagonistic, argumentative, bossy, combative, defiant, dismissive, domineering, harsh, impatient, intolerant, oppositional, prideful, pushy (negative term for competitive?haha), relentless, shrewd, stubborn, unempathic, unsympathetic

of PI 100 and perky groupmates

So my PI 100 is over.

Enjoyed the subject, really. I know Sir Ramos is a bit weird, and his comments are not-so-decent sometimes, but he knows a lot about Rizal. Buti na lang I got really patient groupmates who tolerate my late-ness (you know, the meeting is 9am and I arrive at 10:30 or our meeting is 5.30 and I will be in the meeting place at 6pm.haha.) And they are really perky, too. As in.

There's Jaja, the super sipag researcher of our group, the Sige-libre-ko-kayo AA girl who loves to smile (who had a burnt turquoise nail polish by the way)who is always being annoyed by our other groupmate Mario (aka SE-SC chair). Mario always surf the net about MTV or Britney-related news and observed a lot of things, from Jaja's so-called love interest to Orland's circuit-related ability. Not to mention, he's 100% perky. Laughs a lot, even to the corniest of jokes. But only one person can shut him up, and that's Orland, our techie groupmate who knows a lot about java-programming-discrete-mathematics-computer-related stuff and according to Marci, a very ma-prinsipyo guy. He's perky also, so Mario found a competition. And they always had clashing opinions (sample conversation: orland: Guys, sorry walang aircon ngaun eh... Mario: Okay lang.... Mario: wow orland, lamig sa labas ah). Lastly, there's Marci, the cum-laude-standing-Engg person, the El-Fili genius of our group.Unlike Mario and Orland, he's not-so-perky, I mean he's perky, but not all the time.haha.

(in the picture: Jaja, the camera-shy and Mario, in one of our meetings in Econcaf)

Enjoyed PI 100 because of them.

I love Sagada!!!

I had my much-needed break. In the middle of the sem, when midterm exams are in full bloom and stress come in any and in many forms, I escaped QC and found myself in Sagada...haha. saya!

Loved the sites, and food at Yoghurt House and the waterfalls and the cave and the weather. Cold, without snow. Haha. I wanna go back there.

If you want to see more of our Sagada pics, see http://competitive.multiply.com/.

sleep at 1am, wake up at 6...zzzzzzzz...

I've been sleeping at around 1 am for two consecutive days. I got no choice. I need to perfect the art of cramming. I finished my feature article about Woody Co last sunday night. Last Monday night, I studied for my Cultural Geog first comprehensive exam (the term long exam is not apt).

***

Our thesis topic was not approved. Too bad. After the RRL, and statement of the problem and the specific and gen objectives, our topic was rejected. So we're back at square one. But it's all right. We had a new topic now, thanks to Prof. Arao.

***
The Special Projects Committee of Green Minds was called SPies (pronounced es-pis, although I call them spies.) So my committee needs a name as well. We call ourselves the MnMs (melt in your mouth, not in your hands.haha), the Multimedia Committee Projects Committee. Or pwede rin MnM Peanuts. haha. Yuck. Corny. pero cute pa rin.

***
Sagada field trip over the long weekend. Masaya to.

***

PI report two weeks from now. Go for uno!

***
UP is now 0-8. Cellar-dweller huh. Hope Martin Reyes and Woody Co were right. They said they'll win 4 games. So a 4-10 slate will be expected. Anyway, okay lang din kahit hindi. We're just bragging that we're 'matatapang, matatalino' not 'magagaling sa basketball' after all.

Of misaligned broadband and winless Maroons

I dunno if that's the correct term. Misaligned. Our Broadband connection is misaligned. You know those customer service reps? They keep on arguing with me that there is nothing wrong with our broadband connection. It's unusual though. We cannot have signals in the morning or at noon, but we can watch videos from Youtube or funnyordie at night. I asked why is that so. And they said that I need to turn my Firewall off. turn it off? what will happen? will viruses attack my laptop any moment?I didn't do what they told me. Sorry. I don't want to risk having too many virus swarming inside my laptop without me knowing it.

***

Finished HP7. Ganda. Corny lang un chapter na may conversation si Harry and Dumbledore. But JK Rowling got no choice but to do it that way. Too bad Fred Weasley and Tonks and Lupin and Dobby died.

And I felt sad because the series ended already. But there are still 2 movies coming up. Hope Harry will have a not-so-hideous haircut in the next movie.

***

Need to interview a sports personality for Journ196 class. Article due on Monday.
And I was assigned to interview Woody Co. Sana magpa-interview cya. I don't know his number and it's gonna be weird if I ask him if I can interview him if I see him in AS. plus, I don't know their practice time in HK gym. Got 6 days to figure that out.

***

the Fighting Maroons got a 0-7 slate after the first round. But hey, they're called Fighting Maroons, not winning Maroons anyway. And here's the silver lining: Next year, they'll be more experienced and those rookies will be rookies no more. Maybe we'll clinch the UAAP Men's title by then. Kaya yan nina Mike Gamboa, Martin Reyes, VJ Serios and Woody Co. Go Maroons!

***

Sana pumayag ang journ dept sa thesis topic namin.

(fingers crossed)

a senior's life (too many concerns, too little time.)

My most dreaded subject has come – J199. Thesis.It’s crucial. Really crucial. Plus the fact that it’s the most difficult among our J series. Initially, I wanted to do a thesis on the CRS. But given the fact that I don’t know so many CRS members and having no background in investigative journ, I can’t do it. Luckily, Sir Arao approved a new topic. Weisa and I will do a study on the coverage of Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin of the Batangas Gubernatorial Race. I need all the patience, strength, wisdom and luck I can muster.

Acads. I’ve got five other subjects aside from my thesis. And they’re not really easy. At grabe pa ang mga readings.

AdCore. I’m part of Team RnR and HR. So I badly need to be active there. It’s my last year in UP so I need to do something for the org. Mejo malayo pa naman ang BA building from MassComm.

Green Minds. Things happen in an instant. Then here I am, elected as the multimedia projs committee head. So many things to accomplish – Verdant, Verdant Online and all the publicity materials. Kaya yan.

GradComm FinExt. Grabe muntik ko na malimutan to ah.

Klub Tala. It’s my last year in UP and I want to be active here as well.

The question is how. The answer is time management. I hope I can do these all.

Can I borrow your powers Hiro? Eww. This is soooo Heroes again.

***

But despite all of these I still got a life anyway. We had this ‘tribo ni Chi’ photo shoot in our boarding house last Wednesday morning. Hahaha. Wala lang. I need some pictures for my PR assignment. So Angge and I had this shoot in our room. Dumating si Chi, brought all of her earrings, and by all I mean, ALL –from dangling earrings, pearl and really big hoop earrings (and some type of earrings you’ll be too ashamed to wear.haha). At cyempre sumama pa si April and Ate Cham. Parang naging photo studio ang room ko. As in. super kalat.complete with the wardrobe we choose from and the props. Grabe talaga un. Super saya rin.haha. At nakaspag strap top ako sa picture. Kaya nga hindi ko pinakita sa mga classmates ko un magazine layout ko haha. Kahit na super pinipilit ako nina Ja and Dave na ipakita ko sa kanila un assignment ko, di ko talaga pinakita. Sohoree.Ayoko talaga.

Then, last Thursday, Con, Kat and I watched Pan’s Labyrinth in the Film Center. Cool. Parang Chronicles of Narnia + Harry Potter 4 + Happy Tree Friends = Pan’s Labyrinth. Haha. Nakita ko pa si Patrick and he asked me if I was required to watch the film.

Patrick: Required ka ba?
Ako: Hindi.
Patrick: Bakit ka manonood? Wala lang?
Ako: Wala lang. Fun fun lang.
Patrick : Grabe, parang wala kang thesis ah !

Haha. This is senior’s life. Kaya ko to.

Ended up in EK.

Enchanted Kingdom last Sunday.
Saya.
rode the Wheel of Fate.
and
Rio Grande (haha. three times. got really soaked.)

*the easiest way to experience peace when in a scary ride is to close your eyes. trust me.*

Elections last Monday.
I didn't vote. I'm not a registered voter.
Some of my friends are telling me I should've exercised my right.
I don't want to.
It's a right. It's not a law.
It's not mandatory.
Besides, there will be cases like the "semi-unknown mechanism of the candidates" (aka. dayaan) at "unexpected generosity" (aka. vote buying in kind) and my vote will not be counted realistically speaking.

*I did not vote. I have my own reasons.

save an iPod nano, save the world

all right. I know, the title is sooooo Heroes.

Kuya lost his iPod nano last week. The question isn't why, that's too obvious, there are thieves out there. But the question is how? According to Kuya's story, he just bent to pick some coins dropped by the girl next to her in the jeepney. And in that 3 seconds or so, his iPod was gone. But the earphones and the rubber case was left. Given the difficulty of removing the iPod from the rubber case, I wonder how the thief did that? Maybe, he has the power to bend the space and time continuum, just like Masi Oka's Hiro Nakamura character in Heroes. okay...that's the weirdest thing I've said in this blog.

But enough of Heroes, specially now that I figured out why they say "save the cheerleader, save the world". hahaha

***

My PBA internship is cool. Now we need to do some special projects and organize volunteer programs. Wanna be a PBA volunteer? text nyo lang ako.

***

Summer in the boardinghouse is cool as well, not literally, of course. We always had ice cream and some impromptu video shoots, now entitled, "April, I know what you did last summer"...

***
I'm playing this funny game called Crazy Taxi now. Peeves installed that game in my PC last week, and really, it was Crazy Taxi.

***
Politics in Batangas is getting serious. Vilma Santos is running for governor. The incumbent Armand Sanchez, who happens to be an alumni of my high school, is also running. Then here comes the former police officer Nestor Senares. I dunno who's gonna win. But if Vilma wins, it would inspire more showbiz personalities to enter the political arena, which isn't really healthy for the country. I think it's gonna be between Sanchez and Vilma, Senares will be the last in the list. Sanchez wife is running for mayor in our town. Ralph Recto is of course in the Senatorial race and Ricky Recto wanted to be a Congressman. Hay. Batangas version political dynasty.

***

June is fast approaching. Ayoko pa mag-thesis. I wanna bend the space and time continuum now.

the spirits of the staircase

so many things happened in the past month.

1. Got interviewed for McCann internship. failed. But it's all right. No portfolio eh.

2.PBA girl. Yeah. Intern there. So cool.

3.Got interviewed by a prof because of a late requirement. Too bad. I could've done better. Got a fat dos. huhu.

4.Only a few of us in my boarding house. So cool.

5.Watch Heroes. save the cheerleader, save world.

6.Became a member of AdCore. haha. Great job!

I want a great summer. And it seems the universe is giving me exactly that.

so much for our sheltered lives (and other second sem one-liners)

Tapos na ang election sa Batangan and 5 out of 8 EC positions nakuha ng batchmates ko...buti na lang nanalo sila kahit na mukhang may sun burn sila sa mga campaign posters na ginawa ko...Pero it's not my fault, blame the printer...hahah

at ang mga one-liners:

for Pipay:Kay Pipay, makulay ang buhay...

for Bryan:EdRes? Go for Baes!

for Hazel:Hazel Joyce is the right choice!

for Emman:My man, your man, Emman!

for Kuya Arvie:katulong, kasangga, kaparty...Arvie!

for MAvic:kasabik-sabik...Mavic!

for Eden:EbotoEdenEVC
f
or Mark Melon:akala mo lang wala..pero Melon...Melon...Melon...

***

Mababawasan na kami sa boardinghouse...huhu..so sad...Aalis na si Donna, Grace and Hazel. Wala na ko kausap about One Tree Hill stuff kasi aalis na si Grace.Wala na ko kasama magbrainstorm ng kung anu anong creative stuff kasi aalis na si Donna.Wala na ko kasama mag-swing at magstargazing kahit may exam the next day kasi aalis na si Hazel...

***

Lalabas na ang exemption list ng Math2 on Monday, which happens to be 1 hour before the final exam... Ewan ko ba kung magpafinals ako...Mejo natakot naman ako sa sinabi ni Sir na "play safe", meaning...wag na ko magfinals... at nagtext pa si James na departmental daw, so di na siya magtetake...at nahawa naman ako sa pagka-kabado niya...

Buti na lang tapos na ang pamatay naming plates sa Journ123...ang galing talaga...mejo marami pa pla creative juices sa utak ko kahit na ilang days na kong puyat...okay kasi nung naproduce ko na layout...considering na mejo crammed un...pero more than layouting, mas okay un experience na humabol habol sa photojournalist ng Inquirer na si Ms. Joan at pumunta sa Office ng AP sa Diamond Hotel...Nakapunta pa ko Camp Crame at Sandiganbayan at nakita si Atong Ang in person...

pero walang tatalo sa shock na na-feel namin ni Rocel sa mga gory pictures sa labas ng PNP Crime Laboratory... it's so much for our sheltered lives...kidding...hahaha

At tapos na rin ang Advertising class... sentimental pa si Mam Agulto... pero seriously, ma-mimiss ko talaga ang Advertising class and classmates... lalo na ang mga dakila kong seatmates at ang mga groupmates ko na nakikisakay sa OCness ko...

Tapos na rin ang Journ122 at Journ192...mamimiss ko ang guessing game namin sa 192 kung ano oras dadating si Mam Lambino

Pero may Commres pa rin... experiment, survey, data analysis, revision...wish me luck...

at after all these, Internship pa. Grabe talaga, di ako kasali sa recommended sa GMA 7, haha, 9 lang kasi un nasa list, then I learned na pareho pala kami ng GWA nung 9th person sa list...hay...at hindi pa ulit tumatawag ang ABS-CBN for updates...at ang McCann Wordlgroup, onti lang kukunin nila... Summit wala pa rin balita hanggang ngaun...

At pinag-uusapan na rin kung sino sino ang magkakatabi sa graduation next year...syempre ktabi ko si Mark...aka Mae...pareho kasi kami ng surname...

After internship, thesis, graduation, diploma, then hello world!

but for now...I need to face the polynomials ang overcome the RRL to pass my two remaining subjects...

As I always say:If you can't factor a polynomial, don't be sad...Math doesn't make the world go round...

What

Tinakasan ko si Ma’am Congjuico kanina. Kasi , cyempre mejo boring na naman ang 122, layout nito, layout ng mga publications na parang ganun din naman ang ginawa ko sa Fuse magazine last sem, un nga lang mas exciting un Fuse (haha, ako kasi magbibigay ng specs, ako magdedecide ng color)…
Grabe, I left BNR a second after Ma’am left. Cyempre tumakbo papuntang AS, (kasalanan ko bang walang Toki)… Miting de Avance kasi kelangan magshoot for Sir Nartea’s photoessay…

At Lemony Snicket na naman ang drama ng buhay ko, pagdating ko doon, mejo tapos na, I run to the 2nd floor, took a top view shot, para may dating ( yeah, mejo architecture-oriented kasi ako, top view, hindi aerial shot…)
pero hello naman ang daming tao sa AS… so nakisiksik na lang ako…pagbaba ko ayon, kumakanta na ng UP Naming Mahal… at nakita na naman ako nung classmate ko sa Photojourn na ang tawag sa kin ay Nessa (got a new name ha, Nessa…)…tsk tsk…

Math 2 report ko na naman. Grabe 2nd report na namin to. Kasi naman Sir Abueg got mad at our class kasi may three girls na tumawa sa unahan in the middle of the discussion of factoring polynomials and that sort of stuff, kaya magrereport na lang ang buong class at hindi na magdidiscuss si Sir ever this sem. The thing is, bakit kasi kaming lahat dapat magsuffer nung nagalit cya sa 3 girls na un…

Paul: Kasi wala tayong magagawa, kasi Prof cya, estudyante lang tayo.

Yeah right.

Ako: Eh absent pa naman ako nun.

Likas: Absent din ako nun, baka kaya nagalit si Sir kasi absent ako.

April : (tumatawa na lang)

At kung anu-ano na naiisip nila…

Paul: Taniman na lang natin ng bomba roon ni Sir…haha
Likas: Oo nga, alam ko pa naman room niya.

Anlabo talaga ng mga classmates ko.

Exam ko na rin sa Saturday. Haha. Kelangan ko ata magfinals.

At last, tapos na un Drysdale ad presentation naming last week sa advertising. Cyempre competitive si Jerick, di nagpatalo. Well, I’m kinda expecting Ma’am Agulto’s reaction.

Sometimes, it’s better to be talked about than not to be talked about at all.

Yeah right ma’am.
Pero kasi controversial un ad namin, I mean, the song is This Guy’s in Love with you Pare, and our product is Drysdale, so mejo Off Strat daw kami. Pero I’m after being memorable kasi and attracting audience attention kaya ganun. Un tipong ayokong maging ‘just any other normal commercial’. Ayokong magsayang ng airtime. Ayon. We created an intriguing ad. Ayoko kasi ng corny eh.

Pero, kung corny ads rin lang din naman ang mga on-strat, sayang naman creative juices ng mga di ba? wahhhhhhhhhh.

in behalf or on behalf?

This is Chi's sneaker.

a.k.a.

the first scene in my TV ad about values advertising...

with the tagline:

Marriage is like a sneaker's shoelace...

Blogger is in this Beta-mode lately, kaya tinatamad akong magblog. I forgot my Google password...but I'm blogging again...

Chi is here.hahaha. We're downloading HP6, at di ko pa cya nababasa, parang ang tagal na na-release nito ah. Looking for Screwtape Letters e-book, asa pa.

Okay, last week was bliss.

My birthday was last Tuesday, I celebrated at home.

Last Valentine's Day, we have a post-birthday celebration aka surprise party at my boardinghouse. Thanks Cy for the cake and the rest of the girls for the ice cream and the hanging letters. haha.

(Okay…the guy from Save the Last Dance 2 was right… Dreams change.

I always wanted to be an architect. Now, I wanted to be an advertiser. One heck of a good advertiser for that matter. I wanted to be the next Third Domingo…(okay, I’m gonna be… Fourth…Hernandez…sounds like Fort Bonifacio…whatever…haha)

Nagpunta kaming Letran para sa Adspeak last Friday, isang convention ng Values Advertising…gumawa ng ad a week before the convention…aka the source of our midterm grade…aka…nakasalalay sa grade namin sa competition ang certain percentage ng grades namin…aka…’we can’t just screw it up’…or else…

So there are almost 150 print entries, 60 radio ads, and 13 TV Public Service Announcements. I did one for TV. Got one out of a thirteen chance of winning, that is, considering only one will be declared as winner. But, they announced the last minute that there will be three winners, so 3 out of a thirteen chance, meaning 22%, assuming that my calculations are correct…(this is very Math2…)

So the radio winners are already announced, and they are great…especially the Sana Maulit Muli piracy ad…

And there’s only one team who for the print entries, the team that we really admire when we’re checking out the gallery…

To make the story short, Jessica won 2nd place for TV, and I got the first place. Ivy, Jerick, Weisa and Kiko knew it all along. Morning pa lang, inaasar na ko nina Kiko and Weisa. Ivy is so convinced that I’m gonna win. Pero walang tatalo kay Jerick. Morning pa lang, pina-practice na niya ang acceptance speech ko.

Jerick: Ano bang tama, in behalf or on behalf?In behalf or on behalf of my advertising class under Ma’am Agulto…I would like to thank…
Ako: Jeck, stop it…

Haha. Sometimes, it pays to listen to what Jerick is saying, as long as it’s not about songs…
(Nelly, dapat Just Like a Pill, or Everybody Hurts or White Flag ni Dido…huh..)

And I was so thankful of the one operating the DVD or the projector that time. Jessica was still upstage and thanking Adspeak. The person operating the DVD/projector thought that Jessica was already finished and the first scene of my ad (see the picture above) was shown for about 2 seconds, and Anelle saw it and said (or should I say shouted) Oh my god! Nelly, di ba ad mo yun?
Yeah.

When Jessica went down the stage, they played my ad, with that prominent Wouldn’t It Be Nice Beach Boys song in the background,…and all of us…I mean, all of us in the J151 class, and some of the J152 class members who knew, was smiling and shouting and cheering and when the host asked, anong school?

UP!!!

I remember Ma’am Agulto last month, when she was talking about Adspeak…

She said…

Class, __________ is joining, quote unquote, WE NEED TO WIN.

Ma’am we won.

OMG.
I need to produce a storyboard for Drysdale as our assignment.
And it better be good. Sort of the ‘Marriage is like a sneaker’s shoelace’ ad level.

*pressure.pressure*

haggard

math 2 exam last week, not so difficult, but, 80 items in 2 hours... not to mention, that's during my lunchbreak... between advertising and photojourn classes...

journ 122 exam and dummies next week

journ192 report ( oakwook mutiny...)

commres report...(experiment experiment experiment)

ADS!
and I mean, ADSSSS

3 radio scripts
1 print ad
1 TV ad

all due Wednesday, Feb7, 6 days before my birthday

contact print for Photojourn mideterm plate... at wala pa kong nasho-shoot...

math 2 report, with all that cutesy slam dunk ( I know it's very 2002...) animations...

and Comres 101 RRL-ing...








but for tonight, I'll just sleep...

2006 was made up of…

(warning: corny stuff...)

Rolls and brazo de mercedes ice cream,
One Tree Hill marathon and Jimmy Eat World song,
Kamayan reunion and a mind-boggling horror movie,
Field Trip to Bataan and vacation at Pililla, Rizal,
21 units and always-in-the-brink of crying over too many acad matters to finish,
Fuse magazine and responsibility issues,
Tarp design and Wednesdays at Daniw,
Marketing materials final presentation and a streak of bad luck,
A website and a stroll at La Mesa Ecopark,
Psych 101 and flunking an EnviSci exam,
Silent movies, classic films and Eat Drink Man Woman and Shrek2,
Sleepover and peak oil theory powerpoint,
Certiori and ethics and law,
Attending a rally and forums and weekly Socio papers,
Milenyo and movie marathon at the boardinghouse,
Maong -joke and get-together,
Birthday surprises and sentimental letters,
Meditation and noon masses,
That ORS Guy draft and the struggle to finish it,
Readings and 10pm sleeping time,
Boy Bawang and endless chats at the long study table,
Series of academic jokes and unlimited texting,
LCD malfunctioning and Photoshop moments,
YM meetings and logo-sharing,
Shang coffee and the clandestine mall video-taking,
The rare STA picture and acrobat photo,
Red dice pillow and 6 am wake-up time,
Lutong Kapitbahay dine-in and McDo sundae deliveries,
Amazing Vacation Homes and passport to Europe with Samantha Brown,
Pseudo-ping pong game and Diner Dash,
Manual registration and CRS luck,
Never-ending Digicam ‘smile’ moments and full memory cards,
Trips to Filipiniana section, Main Library and returning late books,
From-Cine-Adarna-to-Grill-Queen night…

And…

Knowing myself
Even more…

what a Wednesday!

cool.
that's the word.

Went to Daniw earlier. and when Ate Sally opened the front door, the first thing that I saw was the tarp. The Daniw tarp. The tarp I created last week and the one I revised while Reming was in the air. It looks good on the screen, but it's better when printed. I remember Angel telling me, "Nelly, I am not allowing that"... I put a picture of her with her hand up holding a green flag and she was open-mouthed, so I revised it and put a more favorable picture, beside the caption, hip and happy... The cork board design was cute and I'm so glad the pictures didn't pixelate.

And then when I entered the Oratory for Meditation, Fr. Ted Santiago wasn't there, but a new priest. I dunno who he was, and it was the first time I saw him in Daniw. He seemed so serious. But when the meditation started, we can't help but laugh...

For the record, he was the only person I know who commented on the picture of Our Lady inside the Oratory. But he commented not badly, in fact, he said, "Our Lady is the most beautiful of all ladies. But (then he glanced at the painting) she doesn't really look like this, because she looked so surprised here". and we all laughed.

He told us that Jesus means God saves.
So those slogans out there "Jesus saves" is really "God saves saves" Redundant. huh.
and his facial expression alone made us laugh.

And then, he said that some people asked God, "Lord, why is my life like this...why am I suffering"...followed by the other sentiments...
then God will answer: Wala lang.
(*laugh*)

But, of course, God wouldn't do that.

I know.
For everything serves a purpose. (it's so cliche, but it's true...)

me and my pencil dreams

Second semester is officially on. It goes without saying that I’m gonna say hello to semi-sleepless nights again and byebye Batangas bed for the next five months. Yeah, I go home every weekend, but it feels better to know that I can stay on my bed for 10 straight hours without my readings reminding me ‘You got to read me Nelly, otherwise…’

But enough of my complaints… I got great sleep, not to mention, great TV moments for the past two weeks (my shortest sembreak ever!). And as always, my architecture frustration, my so-called pencil dreams, gets in me again.

I remember what my Journalism professor told me a year ago, “Ms. Hernandez, don’t be afraid of being stuck”. She’s a former editor of a national daily (uh-oh, I’m not so sure…). She said that she decided to teach in UP because she doesn’t know what’s happening to UP Journalism graduates. She asked the members of our J101 class to introduce ourselves, and why or why not we wanted to be a journalist, or what do we really wanted to do with our lives. I told her, yes, I wanted to be a journalist, but I wanted more to be an architect than to be a writer. I know it’s not a good thing to hear, especially when she dedicated her time teaching us – future Filipino journalists. I said that an architect’s life is a bit stagnant, unlike a journalist’s life full of actions, risks, adventures, the sort of helloworldwhatdoyouhaveforme environment, and that if I decided to become an architect, I will stay in the university for the next three years (I’m supposed to graduate next year) because shifting to Arki from MassComm is like jumping from Pluto to Mercury. I will be stuck in the university and after college, I might be stuck in my drafting room with my drafting board and my pencils.

But looking at my life right now, I am not afraid to be stuck, really. I realized I wanted to be an architect, but I can be a journalist at the same time. I remember my PE classmate who asked me during a campout,

“Ano college mo?”
MassComm.
“Ahh…Anong course mo?”
Journalism.
“Wow! Astig ka pala!”
He said that full of enthusiasm and sincerity. And I just smiled.

Astig?
Astig.
I think Astig isn’t appropriate to be used for a journalist. I only used the words to describe rockstars or or the architects of those Amazing Vacation Homes in Discovery Channel. But my classmate equated Journalism with being Astig.

Cguro nga, Astig ang Journ. Astig ang MassComm.

Maybe I’m too focused on how to get an Architecture degree and be a Palafox associate that I forgot I have a journalism life to face, to live. I didn’t list Journalism as my first choice for no reason. Maybe when I was in high school, I still see the being Astig of this profession, the way my professor or my PE classmate do.

I’m not saying goodbye to my so-called pencil dreams, because when I come to think of it, Journalism is a pencil-utilizing profession as well, just like architecture. The only differences are that I’m writing in a pad of ruled-paper, not in a drafting or tracing paper or in blueprint, and I’m not drawing buildings and constructing floor plans, I’m building words, and constructing stories. I may not deal with T-squares and lots of esquisse along the way, I deal with people, people who have life, people who have stories, and people who will tell me that a journalist’s life is really astig.

(I’m still at the College of Magical Creatures (CMC) and I still don’t have the courage and motivation to jump from Pluto to Mercury. )

of manual enlistment and math class

at last.



got a math2 class this semester.





so happy!


hahahaha.



what more can I say?!

fusing FUSE. these artsy-fartsy days

In two weeks time, the sem will be over.
But,I need to find my way out of the semi-sleepless nights again.

We watched Stanley Kubrick's 2001: Space Odyssey as the finale of our Film Genre class. Liked it. But here's the thing, I did not understand the plot, all I know was there's a HAL 9000 computer saying that it has a perfect operational record. And the whole 10 minutes before the film's ending, I need to watch an iTunes-vizualisations-like sequence, which made my head ache.

I became our J121 magazine's Design and Layout Artist, meaning, I need to finish the layout before Oct. 11, which is cool actually, because it's the only thing I am willing to do right now.

We need to come up wth a website for our J117 class. That would mean dealing with tables with scroll bars and artsy-fartsy background again, like what we did last time.

I need to trace the evolution of the youth-oriented films in the country for my final Film paper. I dunno what made me proposed that topic to Sir Campos, but he approved it anyway.

I need to get a high score in my final C120 exam, because my midterms was in the 'curly grade' zone.

I need to reflect on shopping malls as metaphor of postmodernity for my C141 paper.

Good thing the TS online marketing days are over.

For now, sleep is a luxury. Or will I let it be that way? of course not.

Real Life

Sometimes, bad luck slap us when we least expect it.

And I was slapped, during the most inconvenient time.

Last Wednesday morning was our Final presentation for the TS Online marketing materials. We were supposed to pass the AVP and the brochure at the ComRes Department at 11:30 am. If we submit at 11:31, it means a 5 for 20% of the grade, and maybe a 2 or a 3 for the final grade. And for a self-confessed GC like me, I can't afford a 3 as a final grade...

I finished my AVP at around 1 am last Tuesday. My eyes need rest and I just turned off my computer and slept. I just saved my AVP as a Movie Maker file and I haven't printed my brochure yet.

Fast forward to Wednesday 6 am. I opened my PC and started saving my AVP as a movie file. Unortunately, the computer keep on telling me that the source file cannot be located and I can't save my file. I have a class at 9 am and I do not want to miss it.

It's already 10 am. And I haven't saved the file. Haven't printed my brochure. Haven't attended my Newsroom lab class.

It was 10 am and I was crying.

I can't afford to submit my project late. That would mean a 5. During that time, I was thinking... "If I'll have a 5 in my final presentation, that would mean a 2 or a 3 as final grade. Or what if a 4? People don't fail in CommRes 125. I'm not supposed to fail."

I don't have a choice but to use my other AVP. The first AVP I created, by firs, I mean the CRAPPY AVP that I honestly think is dragging and boring and not creative. I just edited it a bit...changed the music and saved it as my final presentation AVP.

It was 10:30 already and then I ran to Philcoa to print my brochure. Another streak of bad luck: I haven't saved the font I used in my brochure! I returned at the boarding house, saved Neverwinter and printed the brochure. Good thing April and Donna already had my AVP saved in two CDs.

It was 10: 45, the clock is ticking, as if I'm Cinderella not hoping for 11:30 am to come.

Tick.tick.tick.

It was 11:10, I folded my brochure. I had left my USB and instructed the girl in the shop to print me five more copies and that I'll be back at 12nn to get them. That moment I didn't mind how many or how terrible the viruses my USB might get from their computer. What I wanted was to get to ComRes dept as soon as possible.

It was 11:15. I paid for the brochure and hurried off.

The jeep going to UP had just five passengers in it, and it would take 10 more minutes to fill it, considering it's Wednesday, not many students have classes. It would take 10 minutes to fill it, and another 3 minutes for me to walk from Quezon Hall to MassComm.

I decided to take a cab.

I told the driver "Sa UP po. MassComm building."
And he said Okay.

I haven't seen where we have gone, because I was too busy labeling the envelope where I put my brochure and the CD containing my AVP.

The driver asked me, "Mag-u-U Turn ba tayo?"

U turn?

OMG.

He didn't take the University Avenue. He drove along Commonwealth Avenue and it would take another 5 minutes if I ask him to return to the University Avenue.

"Cge Manong, diretso lang po." I pretended to be calm. I pretended not to be angry. But the truth is I wanted to cry. I wanted to shout.I do not expect that a Quezon City taxi driver does not know the way to enter UP Diliman from Philcoa. I wanted to get out of the cab and that moment I wish I know how to apparate.

"Sa tapat ng New Era na lang po tayo dumaan." And while I was saying that I was praying that the entrance was open. I was hoping it was open, but the truth is, it was rarely open. Last summer, I always pass by that gate, and it was usually closed for entering vehicles.

Of course, my bad luck continued.

The entrance near Central is closed. I do not have a choice. I paid the driver and run to MassComm building.
Run Nelly Run! I continuously told myself. But I am asthmatic and any moment I might have an asthma attack.

I passed by the Vanguard building, run towards MassComm and I didn’t even see that an Ikot and a Toki jeep were coming. I ignored them both and I crossed the street. Good thing I wasn’t hit. If I were hit by those jeeps , it would be so pathetic. The headline the next day in Kule would probably be, “Journ student hit by Ikot/Toki jeep”. That would be too embarrassing on my part, not to mention too bothering for SP because I was hit when I was running for her project submission. Good thing it never happened.

Then, I reached CommRes department at last. It was 11:25 says my watch. But it was just 11:15 at the department. Good thing, I wasn’t late.

Yeah, welcome to real life.

When everything seems out of my reach when I need them
When time is always my enemy
When Daniel Powter’s song is the soundtrack of my existence
When a taxi driver doesn’t know his route
When I’m always in the brink of having a 3

And when nothing is as inevitable as failure.

Yeah
bad luck slapped us when we least expect it.
But there's a thing as an advanced clock setting anyway...