the shadow laboratory

LJBF

2007-04-17T23:01:00.000+08:00

DISCLAIMER: No generalizations are made because generalizing is generally lying. The views and opinions written here do not necessarily reflect the views of the writer and the station.

In a world full of euphemisms (especially the Philippines), people don't say what they mean, or don't mean what they say, or whatever. words fail them. words don't come when they are needed. but sometimes, we Shift + F7 to say more. unfortunately, saying more doesn't mean a lot. less is more. Occam's Razor applies: the simplest explanation is usually the best one.

There are unlimited possibilities to turn down a guy/girl... but usually girls say this to guys, because it's the guy who courts. The most common one would be "Let's Just Be Friends" or LJBF for short. Instead of saying, "I don't like you," girls say other made up phrases or lines compiled from cartoons like... uh Powerpuff girls or Spongebob Squarepants. "I don't want to hurt your feelings" they say. "I don't want to lose our friendship," she says.

Rarely is it translated to Filipino, "kaibigan na lang tayo ha?" Rather in Taglish to have a more friendly and less offensive approach, "friends na lang tayo (+pa-cute googly eyes)." if you want to mock, just say the lines of the old Selecta commercial and ask "Sinong bestfriend mo doon?" so she would answer, "Syempre ikaw lang."

Recently from a series of SMS messages, i got this one: "Can we stay platonic?"
i didn't know where it came from but it was from an anonymous girl i used to like... used to. but i have no plans of going erotic (pardon the word but it is the opposite of platonic - a relationship void of physical desire). FYI: i have a different target market now... the untapped, emerging market. ;)

But what struck me though was the wording and choice of words. as a copywriter, it's nice to hear new ways of saying things. and that question lingers in my mind not because i'm affected but because it sparked my ADHD mind (in tagalog, malikot na utak). it's not a question you hear often. i sense a better command of words... but completely uncalled for. sorry.

Infinite permutations can be derived from usual ways of rejecting. Tip for the girls, harsh is good. Bullshit is bad. Here are a few.

Basic - Let's just be friends
Classic - It's not you, it's me
Taglish - Friends na lang tayo
Paranoid - I don't want to lose our friendship
Frank - I don't like you
Impatient - Piss off!
Vulgar - Utot mo!
Spanish - No me ames
Shakespearean - Let's abide not by affection (sabay bawi ng guy, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?!?!?")
Philosophical - Can we stay platonic?
Starcrossed - Hindi pwede eh
Clueless - Ay! Naging tayo ba?
More Clueless - Uh... and what's your name again?
Conyo Haliparot - Umm... I have a new boyfriend na already eh
Insensitive Haliparot - Uy! Meet my new boyfriend.
Harsh and Sweet - Can I call you kuya?

Yan muna, tinatamad na ako. Feel free to add... :)

Christmas Wishlist 06

2006-12-21T17:14:00.000+08:00

I wish for love and peace on earth this Christmas...

and...

1. Sony PSP or Creative Zen Vision
2. Anime action figures
3. Graphic Novels
- Blankets by Craig Thompson
- Mythology Class by Arnold Arre
4. Books
- Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
- A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden
5. Computer upgrades

Ayoko na...

2006-12-01T23:58:00.000+08:00

saka na ang tunay na post... lyrics muna...

Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin
by Sugarfree

Kung ayaw mo na sa akin
di na kita pipilitin
Kung buo na ang loob mo,
bahala ka na sa buhay mo
di ako desperado
sa walang kapantay na pag-ibig mo.
sa mga halik mong walang kasing tamis

Kung hindi ka na babalik
araw-araw na akong gigimik
Kung malayo ka na ay malaya na ako
Ngunit ang kahapon ko ay bihag pa rin ng alaala mo

Kung ayaw mo na sa akin
di na kita habulin
medyo bata pa naman ako
may mabibighani pa sakin siguro
kung ayaw mo na ako
leche lalong ayoko sa yo
alam mo naman kung san ang bahay ko
baka sakaling magbago
ang isip mo please

Looking a year back...

2006-11-09T19:57:00.000+08:00

Found this picture while searching for funny pictures. It's not funny anymore if you're the guy in the middle. Reminds me of what happened a year back. It hurts to be in the middle. It hurts a lot in limbo. It hurts when you don't know where you should be. It hurts when you start to doubt. It hurts even more if you found out you were right all along. It hurts when you're close to someone, and something happens behind your back. It hurts when the perpetrator is just in the same room. A picture paints a thousand words... and million tears.

I saw this photo... Ouch!

One year na pala ang nakalipas...

Tagal ko nang hindi nagsusulat sa blog ko. tsk tsk...

Sukeban Deka: Codename Asamiya Saki

2006-09-15T15:38:00.000+08:00

*quoted from Wikipedia:

It was announced in February 2006 that a new film adaptation was underway. Titled "Sukeban Deka: Codename Asamiya Saki", it will star Aya Matsuura as the lead role, with Rika Ishikawa cast as her rival. Yuki Saitō, who played the role of Saki in the first live action TV series, will star as Saki's mother. The movie is scheduled to be released on September 30, 2006, and will have the official English title of Yo-Yo Girl Cop^[1]. It will be directed by Kenta Fukasaku, best known as the screenwriter for the film Battle Royale and director of its sequel, Battle Royale 2

waaah! tagal ko nang hindi updated kay Aya Matsuura. kelangan ko ulit ipunin. May movie pala syang lalabas this month, sana makahanap din ako ng kopya.

wooot! ang saya. Japanese overload, dami kong nabiling anime stuff esp. Naruto at One Piece, kaso nakakahinayang sulatan ung mga notebooks... agggst. ayus, kumpletong Gashapon na SD na naruto... weeeeeh. im turning japanese... i really think so.

Lovesong

2006-09-11T19:53:00.000+08:00

you know who you are... or not...
_____

The Cure - Lovesong

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again

However far away I will always love you
However long I stay I will always love you
Whatever words I say I will always love you
I will always love you

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am clean again

However far away I will always love you
However long I stay I will always love you
Whatever words I say I will always love you
I will always love you

Lines You Do Not Cross

2006-08-29T17:27:00.000+08:00

"Lead between the lines"

Everyday we're surrounded by deadlines - the lines you dare not cross. whatever happens, be sure to beat them - to death. lead between the lines. you read it right... lead. between those deadlines, you get lead times, the lesser lead time you have, the more pressure you get, and you need to do things faster - thus a higher possibility of stress. lead time is inversely proportional to stress.

Friends ask me the nature of my work, and my usual answer: we think, we brainstorm. bulk of the time spent in the office is brainstorming (including: individual brainstorm, group, getting inspiration from youtube, browsing ads, downloading, YM). we need to think, brainstorm, and beat the deadlines. and my friends ask, "paano kung wala kayo maisip?" i answer: hindi pwede, dapat may maganda kahit isa."

kapag wala kaming naisip, patay kami. deadline.

teka, mag-iisip pa ko, may deadline pa ko.

Philosophy in Life #8

2006-08-28T19:25:00.000+08:00

"The more entries you send, the more chances of winning."

Lovers in Paris

2006-08-17T12:55:00.000+08:00

Ilsa's goodbye letter to Richard:
"I cannot go with you or ever see you again.
You must not ask why. Just believe that I love you.
Go, my darling and God bless you."

I just watched Casablanca from the 1940s. A nice film regarding politics, love, memories, lies, and letting go. Sometimes, a memory is good enough... a nice memory. just think of the happy times, and then that happy moment stays forever.

Matters of Great Consequence

2006-08-10T12:13:00.000+08:00

"In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them. "*

People usually make the wrong decisions not because they choose the bad things, but because they choose the lesser things, which often turns out to be worse. We do not choose evil. We just usually set the wrong priorities. After watching the movie Click, i suddenly remembered Exupery's The Little Prince, and its topic on matters of great consequences. We often associate great consequences with matters concerning fame, power and money. I work hard, i get promoted, i get a good life. Yes, we get all these material things, and yes, they can make us happy, but nothing lasts like real people, real friends, real relationships... family. Since people dear to us are always there for us, we tend to take them for granted. And those promotions, and job offers come once in a life time, thereby giving it more value.

But the bottom line is family and friends come first, because your job, your fame, and your money can't love you back. Choose priceless.

"On matters of consequence, the little prince had ideas which were very different from those of the grown-ups."**

* Exupery's Little Prince - Chapter 1
* Exupery's Little Prince - Chapter 13

LJBF

2006-08-03T17:12:00.000+08:00

LJBF... one of the scariest acronyms in history.

LiveJournalBloggerFriendster... scary

Hard to Say Thanks

2006-07-26T22:32:00.000+08:00

a song goes "it's hard for me to say i'm sorry"... but how hard could it be to say thanks if there's really reason to give gratitude?

it's hard to say thanks if there's somebody whose guts you hate and it hurts your pride to acknowledge the help.

on our way home, my co-young-creative (baka magalit eh) and i went to this always-out-of-stock-and-frequently-slow-service fastfood chain. i love their food, but their service frequently sucks. and usually in the evening, they ask you for your order but will tell you they dont have this and that. they will give you a choice to make you feel you have the choice, even if the only choice you have is to leave their store. This happened to me and my cousin weeks back:

Crew: Sir ano po order nyo?
Ako: Isang number 5
Crew: Sir sorry wala na kaming number 5.
Ako: Sige spaghetti na lang.
Crew: Sorry sir ubos na rin...
Ako: Ano pa ba available?
Crew: Meron pong #3 at #4
Ako: Sige number 3 na lang...
Crew: Ok lang po for 10 minutes?
Ako: (Aggst) Sige...
Crew: Ano pong drinks nyo?
Ako: Mountain Dew
Crew: Sir... wala na rin po. Pepsi na lang.
Ako: May magagawa pa ba ako? Dapat magsara na kayo.

Back to me and my co-young-creative after paying for our food: After putting the food on the table, i told my friend that the girl billed us incorrectly. Our bill should be Php115 + 55 = 170. My mental math could not go wrong. She only asked us around 130 bucks. So out of honesty and since i could not accept that my mental computation did not match the bill, we asked for a recomputation. I'm no math major but it's simple arithmetic, even zebras could do that, with blindfolds, no need for Boolean, Tangent and derivatives. After the hassle of going back to the counter despite our hunger.... they asked us 25 bucks more, and they did not even say THANKS for saving their freakin a$. even a smile would be nice, but no, they just told us we were 25 short. Stupid. Even more stupid than Spongebob as a cashier. At least Spongebob smiles. Stupid. And they still miscomputed. 170 PESOS. now we're pissed and so hungry to go back to the cashier.

remember: GRATITUDE IS PRICELESS

I'm Superman

2006-07-10T00:23:00.000+08:00

"I'm always around," said Superman before he waved goodnight to Lois, and flew off. On my last entry, it's entitled "I'm no Superman." But now, I've been thinking, I may be acting like one, like the boy scout in red cape in the movie. I have weakness which starts with the letter K. I have my own Fortress of Solitude. I have writing as my day job - in a company related with mass media. I wear glasses. I fly - my ideas make me soar and others around me. I'm a member of some sort of league to fight for justice. I'm faster than the speeding bullet - in my dreams. I wish i have X-ray vision... if i didn't. :) And just like the Man of Steel, i try to save others in my own little way, trying to be there for them when they are in distress. Similar to the latest movie, even if it's hard to let someone i love go, i'll bid goodnight while assuring her that "I'm always around."

“It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history. Rather let your leadership stir others to. Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and power are needed. And always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. ” - Jor-El

I'm superman, but I'm not. I'm not even super, yet i'm trying to be one, but unlike the Man of Steel, I'm not from Krypton, and i'm here for Truth, Justice, and the Filipino Way (whatever that means), in my own little ways.

It's hard to be someone you are not. Something you do which you are not supposed to. And more difficult still, is being yourself, amidst the corrupt and decadent times - in aspects of society, relationships and many others. I try to be Batman and lurk in the dark executing some poetic justice, but my inner Clark Kent manifests and do the Superman thing. The struggle to be good and not exact revenge is hard. For what it's worth... it's the right thing to do.

Which is harder? Trying to love who you do not love? Or trying not to love who you do love? I think it's the latter. Superman needs a savior too.

I'm no Superman...

2006-07-03T00:35:00.000+08:00

I've watched Superman Returns twice this week, and the film or rather the character was great - not just Superman, but more on his disguise as Clark Kent, trying to find his place in an alien world named Earth. Superman would always be one of my fave heroes (next to Flash), since he is not just a comic character but an embodiment of virtues and ideals. Reading comicbooks like Superman: Birthright and Batman: Hush, i get to know Superman more. The opposite of the dark Batman, Superman is the boyscout, not only to swoop down to save people, but also to check and try to console and ask them if they're alright. Being super, he tries to control his power not to hurt people. He could kill the enemies if he needs to, but he doesn't. In the movie, there is no moment that he tried to punch or kicked a bad guy.

Back in highschool, i really liked Superman's character, and what he represented. Kal-el, Clark Kent, Superman... I wish i was one. But somehow, while meeting people, i became one without being one...

"Super heroes are fictional characters with a purpose of providing fresh hope for the youngsters. And I believe that super heroes are real. I am proud to say that I know one. He is simple (of course, he has to hide his identity); fairly quiet and seemingly detached from the world. He gets upset with the slightest hint of injustice. A true gentleman, he remains diplomatic at all times. One tends to overlook this guy and he doesn’t have anything against this. He would rather stay true to himself knowing that he has great power within than change and be at the center of attention. He helps people who are in need and never hesitates to tell them (often bluntly) what their mishaps are so that they can learn from them. This guy has never left me even if I have always acted as a damsel who doesn’t need help when in reality I am awfully distressed. But… unfortunately I can’t tell you his “true identity”. It’s a secret worth keeping."

The quote above is not from Lois Lane writing "Why the World Needs a Superman," nor from a comic book writer, nor from a fiction author. It's a testimonial from one of my best gal pals, Karla. Somehow, i've become a member of my own Justice League... near the Superman i want to be, but not quite... i'm still a mortal after all... even someone super can take a fall, what more of a normal being like me... having tasted my own dose of Kryptonite... Kryptonite... Krypton... Kryp... Kr... K...

As Dave Matthews mentioned in his song "Where Are You Going"...

I am no superman I have no reasons for you I am no hero; oh that's for sure But I do know one thing Is where you are, is where I belong I do know where you go is where I wannna be

current music: John Williams - Superman Theme
currently reading: Maus by Art Spiegelman, and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

First and Last

2006-06-29T01:37:00.000+08:00

"It is only the last love of a woman that can satisfy the first love of a man."

- Balzac

... i love ____la

... what's with girl's names ending in "la"? im not malay. i dont like elmo's world... la la la la... elmo's world. or maybe.. la la means i love you.

I Shall Return

2006-06-23T17:49:00.000+08:00

Nobela Join The Club

ngumiti kahit na napipilitan
kahit pa sinasadya
mo akong masaktan paminsan-minsan
bawat sandali na lang
tulad mo ba akong nahihirapan
lalo't naiisip ka
di ko na kaya pa na kalimutan
bawat sandali na lang

at aalis, magbabalik
at uuliting sabihin
mamahalin ka't sambitin
kahit muling masaktan
sa pag-alis
ako'y magbabalik
sana naman

sa isang marikit na alaala
pangitahing kay ganda
sana nga'y pagbigyan
na ng tadhana
bawat sandali na lang
sumabay sa biglang pagkabahala
lumabis sa pagtataka
tunay na pagsintang di alintana
bawat sandali na lang

at aalis, magbabalik
at uuliting sabihin
mamahalin ka't sambitin
kahit muling masaktan
sa pag-alis
ako'y magbabalik
sana naman

Minsan Pa...

2006-06-23T15:19:00.000+08:00

(an old painting of mine... minsan pa...)

Minsan Pa by Join the Club

Hindi ko mawasto,
ang kilos ko
ang paghakbang hindi magaan
at madalas,
mahilang aking isipan,
tila hibang

Ngayong lumulubha bigla-bigla …
sumagi sa isipan
bukas …makalawa…
wala ka na… lungkot ba’y maiibsan?!

huwag mong pilitin,
na limutin
ang damdaming minsan pa…
huwag sabihin
na hindi kayang lampasan…
huwag mong sabihin sa sarili
kung hindi na tunay pa …
panalangin, sana lang may minsan pa

Hindi ko matanto ang pag-ibig mo!
pang-agam ay di madaan
sa ‘di pangkaraniwan na
na pag-ibig na tulad nito .

Malilipasan ng panahon
ang pag-ibig nating nakahon
kahit akma satin ang isa’t-isa
pahintulutan mo ba ako?
na mawala sa iyo ng lubos?
ibabalik ba ang libong halik na hatid?

‘Wag mong pilitin na limutin
ang damdaming minsan pa
‘wag sabihin na di kayang lampasan
‘wag mong sabihin sa sarili
kung hindi na tunay pa
panalanging sana lang ma’y
minsan pa…

YLSC Openhouse 2006

2006-06-19T00:33:00.000+08:00

it's been a while since i last made some artsy ek-ek design. just plugging our church's Youth Life Student Center Openhouse. our church is a student center during weekdays, catering to students especially in the U-belt area. they can play games (like table tennis, chess, badminton, pictionary, uno, monopoly, and other board games), study, meet and chat with friends, or just hang out. plus, it's FREE. go and have a visit, it's just in Morayta, beside McDonald's (w/c is under renovation), near FEU. :)

Sandwich Day

2006-06-16T14:29:00.000+08:00

i declare June 14 as my Sandwich Day. it was a sandwich-filled day literally speaking. had lunch with my co-creatives Pat and Joni at Hotshots. reliving the pearl drive days, i treated myself with one Crispy Burger Melt. back to work, brainstorm here and there. with chef jeff bringing the merienda, i tried the Ham and Egg sandwich for a change. we stayed late in the office until 12AM, and my dinner was McDo's cheeseburger. arriving home, my mom bought double-longanisa burger. all sandwiches were good, and was a good variety. but it was a heavy wheat-filled day.

plus, since i havent updated my blog lately, hmm... some updates... wala naman. watched Benchwarmers and Cars. both were good enough for my movie tickets which were given free.
i might as well plug Toycon in Megatrade Hall tomorrow, June 17-18. great! half of my month's salary going to toys... finally a treat. weeeee

The Power of Silence

2006-06-07T00:49:00.000+08:00

Question and Answer Portion

2006-05-30T23:13:00.001+08:00

ive been inspired by some podcasts and websites, so i would try answering some questions from the citizens of the world. it may range in any topic under the sun. from normal looking ones to scientific to weird fantasy stuff that bothers you everynight while brushing your teeth before you go to bed to have a good night sleep to help you in your big day tomorrow which will be... aggst! dangling modifiers!!! of course, i opt to answer your question or not. and my answers should be taken with a grain of salt. i would mix some trippings, personal ideas, fiction and facts in the answers. all for good clean intellectual(or not) fun!!!

sample:

QUESTION:
Dear Yomz,

Bakit hindi ka nagpapakita ng mukha sa friendster or dito sa blog mo? Pangit ka ba?

sincerely yours,
Timoy, Ph

ANSWER:
Dear Timoy,

Hindi ako nagpapakita ng mukha dahil sa privacy. (Note: Fact) According to some research, the most dangerous information you could give out in the internet is your picture. Yeah, they can get your address and phone number, but they won't know your face. In a more practical side, they can stalk you. Or your picture can be used to degrade your character on the web, selling your picture around and making fun of it. Remember the forwarded email entitled "The Perils of Friendster?" Ikaw kaya ang pagtripan? Matutuwa ka ba? Ayun... so for your 2nd question, my answer is NO. hindi ako pangit. alam ko guwapo ka, kasi ikaw ako. hahaha. im really the humble type who dont want to brag what i have. pero to get to the point, i look gooooood :) syet, ang yabang ko na.

XOXO
yomz

so... fire away! Just leave the question to any entry. and i'll get to it.

My Humor Style

2006-05-28T21:40:00.000+08:00

the Ham

(23% dark, 46% spontaneous, 36% vulgar) your humor style:
CLEAN | SPONTANEOUS | LIGHT
Your style's goofy, innocent and feel-good. Perfect for parties and for the dads who chaperone them. You can actually get away with corny jokes, and I bet your sense of humor is a guilty pleasure for your friends. People of your type are often the most approachable and popular people in their circle. Your simple & silly good-naturedness is immediately recognizable, and it sets you apart in this sarcastic world.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Will Ferrell - Will Smith

The 3-Variable Funny Test!

Must I Write?

2006-05-23T21:56:00.000+08:00

my classmate/colleague pat shared this classic book: "Letters to Young Poet" by Rainier Rilke. I have several reasons why I blog. I blog to express. I blog to practice. I blog because I want. And quite recently, I blog because I should. Why to do I write? Why must I write? Several questions bug me. How should I write? Who should I ask? What books to I need to read? What resources do I need? What style should I take? Why am I asking too many questions? Some questions are better left unanswered as some answers come in time. A quote from Rainier Rilke exemplifies this point:

"You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

Must I write? as the title of this entry goes. It's been my dream to work in creatives. Some dreams are fulfilled, and some dreams fulfill you; some dreams we pursue; some dreams pursue us. I'm always an artist at heart. Everything I do should be elevated as an art form. I want to discover and rediscover myself and everything around me. I want to push, and raise my bar higher. Before I reach some standards outside, I want to reach my standards first, and know my limits, and what I can do - and then outperform my standards, break my limits, do more. dont just think. act. potentialities are only half of the story. we need to actualize, do, create, perform, recreate. am i reaching my potential? i do not know. some of it... maybe. most of it... i dont think so. similar to my work, i should have as many ideas or potentialities as possible. discard most of them. keep a few. and defend what i have best. Again, must I write? For a number of reasons (e.g. i like to write, some ideas are better expressed before they rot in your brain, it's good to share things to others, writing is bread and butter), yes. How do I improve myself? Well... may Rainir Rilke's words enlighten you.

"There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your while life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse. Then come close to Nature. Then, as if no one had ever tried before, try to say what you see and feel and love and lose. Don't write love poems; avoid those forms that are too facile and ordinary: they are the hardest to work with, and it takes great, fully ripened power to create something individual where good, even glorious, traditions exist in abundance. So rescue yourself from these general themes and write about what your everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty - describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember. If your everyday life seems poor, don't blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is not poverty and no poor, indifferent place."

- Rainier Rilke (Letters to Young Poet; Letter One)

Firsts

2006-05-15T22:14:00.000+08:00

(first billboard that i made:
can be seen in the Galleria wall facing Ortigas, and Market2x wall)

I saw an ad before with a tagline "when was the last time you did something for the first time?"

2005 and 2006 gave me a lot of firsts... but i'd rather focus on my firsts this 2006 - my 21st year on earth... my year. this year i had my first job/first company - as a junior copywriter in BBDO. about 3 weeks before i got employed... i made my first billboard (seen above), since Mojo asked me to add my magic on their billboard. and i just saw it yesterday, agggst, i was overwhelmed, happy to see my baby on hanging on the walls in Ortigas. then last week, our company went in the Creative Guild Ad of the Year Awards. that was the first Ad Awards i attended, saw the big men in the advertising industry. i met my UA&P creative mentors (Sir Third, Lawin and Nathan), and congratulated them for their gold. (we took home many awards too) and after that, we had a party in Greenbelt 3. first BBDO party i attended, it was fun. Thank God for the opportunities and the blessings!!! asteeeg!!!

here are some random firsts:

1st award you received: ~ marami nung nursery
1st hero: ~ shaider
1st time you were sent to the principal for disciplinary actions: ~ 3rd year MaSci, for arriving late in class 18 times (kaasar naman kasi ung pila sa labas eh)
1st goal you accomplished: ~
1st crush: ~ juvy ann
1st person whom you gave flowers: ~ karla
1st friend: ~ hmm... can't remember, "sinong bestfriend mo doon???"
1st record you bought: ~ OST of the Mask of Zorro
1st musical instrument you learned to play:~ guitar
1st local concert you watched: ~ Rockestra
1st celebrity you saw in person? ~ that guy i saw in the mirror (malapit na)
1st TV show you really like? ~ Takeshi's Castle
1st book you bought and read: ~ yung Abakada na kulay dilaw
1st sport you played: ~ basketball
1st sleepover: ~ hmm... highschool barkada
1st terrible fight: ~ wala naman
1st bestfriend: ~ Ephraim
1st person who greeted you on your lastbday: ~ karla
1st cellphone: ~ 5110
1st collection: ~ NBA Cards (Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett at Tim Duncan)
1st time you saw a ghost? ~ may kumaway na kamay sa bintana ng 2nd floor ng bahay namin dati mga 3AM
1st love ~ tricky question... syempre si God. pero pag tao, parents. pero pag hindi parents... si ___la
1st girlfriend ~ sana si ___la
1st salary ~ kanina

and the list goes on... first major heartbreak/headache, first honor, first base, first hand held, first na niligawan, first girl na sinabihan ng malupheet na "i love you", first poem written, first script written, first toy bought, etc etc...

The Scholar

2006-05-07T22:10:00.000+08:00

i just watched the first episode of The Scholar... finally, a new reality TV show with sense, nudging the kids in the right direction not only for personal development but also for society as a whole. quoting what the show is about:

"For the chance at a full ride to the college of their choice, ten qualified high school seniors from economically disadvantaged backgrounds -- who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend one of America's top universities -- will compete for a full scholarship, a prize that could be worth as much as $240,000. They will have to demonstrate excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, creativity and community service, while facing sudden-death oral exams defending themselves to an Ivy League scholarship committee."

hmmm... this sounds too familiar. well, i just came out of it just a month ago, and the graduation rites would be in a month's time. the past 15 or 16 years of my school life have been a blessing. imagine saving more than half a million bucks for tuition fees? and the show "The Scholar" is like that, how i wish both local networks adopt a show like that, i wouldnt mind them being copycats, since the important thing is that more deserving Filipino students who are blocked by their economic situation to get some kick@ss education that would be their ticket to a better life. molding the minds, their spirits, and bodies of the youth, to be better citizens is not a bad idea.

education is a big thing... i'd say a very big thing. i would not necessarily be your license for a luxurious life, but it would certainly lead to a more meaningful if not fulfilled life. i would not be a license but can be a ticket for a better life. unfortunately, many people do not have access to education, most often because of the lack of funds. yes, education is an investment, but not all can invest especially in schools. education becomes a luxury instead of a necessity. how i wish we could just sit at home and read a lot of books, watch life, observe the world, gain experience and get a job and enjoy. but a college degree is still necessary, diplomas still matter. though there's a tendency for schools to be diploma mills, and companies to have qualification inflation. a whole array of education topics to be discussed including the issue of brain drain, but the point is, education is important, at home, from preschool to the graduate level, each level with certain contribution to our whole being, from our childhood to our maturity. while having small talks at work, it was mentioned that as Creatives, "our time, ideas and outputs are very valuable, but more importantly, it is our childhood that is paid." yeah, my stay in IMC equipped me with practical knowledge in the industry, but creativity has no formula - it requires constant care, observation, exposure and intuition to develop an eye and the taste of what's good and not. in Creatives, it pays to have a great childhood, plus your memories, experiences and observations in the world around you.