Betwixed by fate

My prediction of what would happen to me after the entire semester would be I would be able to find some work in the PR business. It’s not like it’s the only thing Journalism student can handle, well in my opinion, Journalists are quite good in multi-tasking to say the least. After all, we have to be good researchers, encoders, proof readers, and editors. And in some cases, we could even be doing voice acting for radio, or even voice dubbing for some shows.

However, that time for me won’t come just yet, I have to get all my academics stuff all done as well as my On the Training (OJT) for NBN. It’s either fortunate or unfortunate for me to be able to have my OJT there, well, first of, NBN is more on Broadcasting rather than Journalism; second, the only person that I know there is Mr. Ramon Nunez, a professor for Broadcast Communication. Sometimes, I get the feeling that my school hates writers. Why? It’s simply because you can count just how many Journalism students are there compared to the number of Broadcast communication students.

For Gilbert, I doubt that there wouldn’t be any publishing company reserving a spot for you. Bert, has always this talent to be able to mix in whatever field he’s designated to report on. I can see it clearly now, Gilbert’s name would be on the Headlines of everynews paper. A pretty astonishing feat if I do say so myself.

Cams, music is one of her passions in writing, a melodious nocturne in her articles is what makes her special. She may have a bit of shyness in her actions, but she can be as loud as her music. A symphony of her articles will surely bring her in the lime light in the magazines. However, cross her and she’ll teach you to never ever cross this savage nymph.

Cious, her child, Francine, will surely follow in her footsteps in the field of arts. It’s hard to juggle academic life with family, now that the she has her own family to take care of, but I’m sure, with her knight, Ian, the press would be a piece of cake for her.

For Claude, the road to success has its ups and downs, but with his underlying determination, his career in Photo Journalism is within his grasp.

At odds and end, Em Timajo is what I might call The who one who stands at Crossroads, balancing his skills in the field of journalism and in the field of singing (in a karaoke bar), I’m sure that there lies an exact job that balances his abilities in journalism as well as the performing arts.

Emjhey, the voice, the face, and the talent, by looks of it, she’ll have a good career in the news industry. Who knows, we might even see her live on the television.

Girlie, gaining interest in the Japanese culture, she could be the new ambassador for the Philippines and Japan ties. In making the research for the news she needs to write about, she makes it certain that she has both sides of the story to make everything fair in the eyes of the many.

Grace, the ever graceful Grace, she will be extremely good in the ad managements. Experimenting in various layouts and she can make great promotional ads for any firm.

Heidy, a free spirited person at most, with her dainty acts and uncanny ability to make other people feel warm inside. She’ll make sure that everybody feels that they are important. With the Divine Grace given to her, she will turn this place into a kingdom of hearts.

Jeka, the pop fashion and always updated on gossip, a magazine publication would be to her success, much like the Runway Magazine in the US.

In Joevie’s case, culture and lifestyle writing is in her blood as her works are written as though it was the actual life of someone. The realism in her works are heart- touching and completely remarkable.

Kit, what we may percieve of her as a small speck of nothing can turn out to be a gigantic bag of everything. As the saying goes, great things come in small packages. Who knows, maybe she might rule the world with just a snap of  fingers.

Lydia, I congratulate you for your upcoming wedding celebration, I pray that nothing bad will ever happen to you. Now that work in the US has opened for her, there might even be work open for her in New York City, the place that never sleeps. But with her writing skills, she’s to make her work time cut in half so she could have time to rest and start anew.

Migz, the music industry is not far for him to reach. Who knows? He might even has his very own record company and score millions. With his Marge as his muse, everything will go smoothly for him.

Neil, or Lien to most people, will design for avante garde clothes for size two (2) women, using his/her own body as the model, surely to make a big hit in the fashion industry.

Nicko, he’ll go places, see new sights, taste foreign cuisines, he’ll be a superb candidate as the UN’s ambassador of Goodwill. With his journalism talent as his way to success, he will see to it that the phrase “World Peace” is not something said by the beauty queen pageant contestants just to please the people.

For Pike’s case, if the call center industry doesn’t work for him, he’s sure to have more success as a gaming journalist since he always get to play the latest games in every game console ever made.

Pitz, an emo through and true, but she knows when to place it properly and we might even see her as the global icon for the emo genre.

For the past number of years since I’ve started studying in University of the East (UE), I sit and wonder “Did I made a wrong turn?”, “Should I have studied someplace else?”, “Was there of any point in meeting people in UE?”

My answer: I didn’t make a wrong turn, I made the right choice to study here, and it was a good thing that I did meet people in school. I don’t regret if I stayed one more semester in UE, I do regret not graduating with friends that I’ve come close to call as my family. Despite the fact that I’ve become distant to them, I still feel that I’m in a family in my school, in UE.

Make Ends Meet

With the end of the school life drawing near, one must wonder: “What job should I take after graduating?” An easy question, right? You’ve studied in the field of Journalism for about four (4) school years, and stop to wonder what job you should have.

Since writing for the press was your first motive in taking Journalism, the other, well, that’s up for you to decide. As for me, well… That’s the hard part after graduation. Seeing as most print media firms pick certain schools to be part of their company. It’s always the academic and not the work ethic of the student, and in some (or most) cases, every company prefers to choose what school they are from. A rather unpleasant thought if one should say.

So what other job is available regardless of what school you come from? Easy, Call Center agencies. The sure fire way to earn some cash. They start in the wee ours of the evening and end in broad daylight. Not something bad in the working field, but at least it pays the bills. Even though it makes you look like a vampire, for the reason that you work in the graveyard shift, it’s good pay.

And what are the basic needs in a Call Center Agency? Fluent in English speaking, knows when to rebut a statement, can stay up till dawn, and has a long (really long) line for understanding their customers, that criteria that doesn’t seem to be in me. I would’ve thrown a fit right back the client if they keep saying that the company is wrong about the agreements made on the phone.

In a nutshell, it’s still a job that can make ends meet, with it’s good salary, but the working time is a bit of a problem for those who are not really ‘night owls’, but it’s worth giving a shot to put food on the table. So it’s good stuff, right? But the downside of it is after your shift. some have a strong capability to stay up with just two (2) or four (4) hours of sleep and act as if they had a full day’s rest. If they can pull, maybe I can too. Okay, new goal after graduation: work in a Call Center Agency. And if I’m going to work in that field, then I had better prepare the materials that I need for the job. Better review my English proficiencies, get the last good night’s rest before, and making certain that I keep my temper down before I foul-mouth any caller.

Nothing’s wrong about it, right? After all, money makes the worlds go round.

Simple and Clean

“You’re giving me too many things, lately

 

You’re all I need, you smiled at me, and said…”

-Lyrics from Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru

 

Despite the fact that it is the month of hearts, why is there a need to splurge too much just to make it the best of it? You know that you will regret it because it hurts your wallet so much so why bother?

 

Something bought for someone is okay, but it doesn’t really mean what you truly feel for the person dear to you. Then how about make one y

ourself? As the quote goes: “Faint hearts never win a woman’s affection.” – said by someone I’ve long forgotten.

 

So surprise that person with something they’d never guess that you can do, like… oh I don’t know, make sea salt ice cream? Chocolates? A luck charm? Do the Caramel dance? It never hurts to try different things. Take the person to some place you call as your own secret hideout that nobody else knows. Show that person what you’ve got, Valentine’s day is the perfect chance for you to show what person really means to you. 

Here are some suggestions:

 

1. Giving chocolates to the person, it’s a classic but still effective. Now, how to make it special: create your own batch of chocolates. Giving store bought chocolates only mean that you are only friends with them (Ouch… we’ve been doing this for so long the we didn’t even know what it means.), But giving personally made chocolates shows your deep affection for them. It always tastes sweeter because you made it perfect for them.
2. How about a lucky charm to make the day brighter. Be careful in making charms, you don’t want them to carry something that brings them bad luck now, do you? It can even be a simple handcrafted key chain, a bracelet, or a talisman would seem a good idea. Say for example, give the person a small pouch of peaches, they have the ability to ward of evil spirits. Never hurts to be safe from everything, right?
3. Take them to a whole new world (no sensual implications here please, that last thing I need is a mind scarring statement from your date saying that you raped them in the middle of nowhere.), take them to a place that has been your secret for a long time. The place that you to find solace, where you can shout out what you deeply feel with no regret if anyone heard you. At the clock tower, the sea shore, the cemetery (for those who favour to have quality time with their deceased loved ones.)
4. Or if you want to knock the socks out of someone, do the
   

   Caramelldansen (Speedycake Remix) by Caramel

   caramel dance. The cutest dance ever made.

5. Or just serve dessert, make a salty-sweet ice cream. A salt brings out the sweetness

   of the icy delight.

6. Or, if you feel adventurous, hop aboard your Fenrir motorcycle and drive

   all across the city, the wonders of the world when you drive at night.

7. And lastly, my personal favorite, give each other a matching pair of rings. Now, folklores about wearing rings: when wearing matching rings on the right ring finger, it means friendship; a ring on the middle finger means single; and to wear matching rings on the left ring finger means a couple. Isn’t that a simple yet sweet idea?

There are always a lot simple ways to make a date special and not just to roam around from place to place, that’s what I like to do anyways, just make the effort yourself, not the effort of your money. This is for you and your special someone, not the profit of the sellers.

 

Chain of Memories

As we step forward to realize new possibilities in our lives, let’s think back to the things that happened in the past. Regardless if they are good things or the bad things that occured, a memory is a memory that shall forever be kept inside our hearts.

As I look back to what has happened in the past year, I realize how stupid I’ve become. I know I’m supposed to look at things in a brighter perspective, see things in a clearer aspect, but what have I done? Ignored the warnings that mean my death. Leading me to become a nobody. I should’ve been more keen on such things, supposed to be more attentive to my surroundings, and be less narcissistic.

They say it’s okay to think about yourself more than others, but should never have done that. Because of what I’ve done, I’ve neglected everything. Now, the pain that I’ve caused comes back ten-fold. The I-should’ve-never-done-that statements mean nothing now as they all happened in the past, but they could help me become better in the future.

The stupid thing that I’ve first done is to let my emotions get in the way. I know that it’s alright to let your feelings flow and not let keep them inside forever. I kept all my bitterness against my aunt just as my parents have requested of me. And when they finally left, I let out all my anger through a different vent, playing comp. games and cosplaying. Changing all the anger and bitterness inside with happy and cheerful memories.

Then summer vacation came, it was supposed to be the time when we should be enrolling for our On the Job Trainings (OJT), I didn’t know that we had to enroll them until I went to school on the month of May. I could’ve sworn my jaw dropped to the floor as the enrollment period was over. Dr. Zafra said that I could still do my OJT this summer and on the start of the school semester I just need to enroll it. And so I did, I took my OJT in A Company of Three Strands (ACTS) Event Management, and worked under Ms. Ellaine Cruz, a friend co-dancer of my older sister, Julienne.

It was fun working with them, even having to do three different things all the same time, but it was all worth it. I had my laughs and slip ups, but all the while it’s good. I even got the chance to meet the whole cast of the Philippine All-Stars. It was a lot of fun being with them. I did of about 137 hours working with them, I was suppose to only do about 120 hours, but as they say, time flies when you’re having fun. And I did have a lot of fun working with them.

Summer vacation is over, and the start of the new semester has begun. The moment of truth has arrived, as the Thesis was placed in our subject. It my worries about them if we were doing them on our own, but fortunately for others it was a group thesis. We all sighed with relief for that. I know that this is going to be a big thing, a VERY big thing, like it’s almost this is the main purpose for our graduation. The group I’m in decided that the Manila Standard Today (MST) was the topic for the thesis, since they all had their OJTs there. At first it was music, but we needed something related to our Journalism course.

I helped out during the start of it, but something I should’ve never done happened. I didn’t help during the midterms. I knew that I didn’t help at all, but I can’t put my finger exactly as to why I started to slack off like that. This is our THESIS for goodness sake then suddenly I slacked off? How stupid could I get? I could guess that one of the reasons of my actions was because I didn’t like the topic. I know that I didn’t like the topic, but I shouldn’t have stopped on helping complete the thesis.

It is my fault for failing, and it is also my responsibility to set things right. So I got back by doing what I can in the finals, even if I get the lowest grade, it doesn’t matter, at least I did something right that time.

Sem break has begun, I finally had the time to think about what and where I should do my second half of the OJT, my parents bugged me about where I should do my OJT and when I should start with it. We all came to a conclusion that I would do it during the summer of 2009.

At the start of the second semester, my mind was still sleeping. Now the real thesis begins. Neil left the group and joined another for a serious reason, I can’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was something serious.

The month of November was something special to me, not only because it was the day of the dead, of which I like to visit my grand parents graves and chat with them some time, but also an event at UP Bahay ng Alumni called AME 8th Avenue. The theme wear for the event was Harajuku, mix and match of clothes, and wear whatever you like. It was the happiest event for me because I get to walk on the ramp for the very first time.

Now that event’s over, it’s time to get back to work, Thesis paper… something that I dread but must strive for. Even though I know that going to graduate as an Octoberian, I have to finish this for the group. But what did I do, my participation was… NULL! I didn’t do anything on the thesis.

Now, as the start of the new year, I guess I had it coming, right? I was dropped from the group (I don’t know if it’s official or not yet), I can’t blame anyone for that but myself. So what else am I supposed to do? I have three choices: 1.) Try to cooperate with the group even if they hate me; 2.) Move to another group, if this happens, I’d better read the whole thesis paper from the very beginning: and lastly, 3.) Make a Thesis Proposal on my own… if I know how to make one in a few weeks, that’s going to be a tough challenge. So which is it going to be? My professor said that it’s too late to try and do the third choice, if I’ll go for the second choice, it’s going to be hard if anyone would still accept me because almost every group is halfway done with theirs. So I have the remaining choice of going back to the original group. This means, even if they dislike me, I have to work with them, regardless of all the past disputes with them.

All in all, I know I did nothing but cause problems to everyone, and I know I can’t do anything to change what is already done; however, if given the chance, please let me make things right. I’ve given a lot of people a bad taste about me and I could never change that, but if you want me to go away, let me at least try to give something to pay my dues and I shall never do any harm to you anymore.

This is me, the one that shaped my own memories, the one that made choices, the one that must handle the responsibility. And as for the future, it might as well be left to wonder as we never know what the future holds.

Yuletide Flops

Christmas time once again. The families are together, greeting each other happy holidays. Finally, when it’s time for the gift giving, you tremble with terror as to what you would get from your entire family. You are handed down a box wrapped in paper designed with christmas trees and tied with a shiny red ribbon with a bow on top. Your hands fidget under tension as you open your present, revealing a cardboard box underneath the wrappers. You lift off the box top, and what was in it made your eyes twitch with irritation. Inside is a cheap shirt with a strange pattern that makes you look dumbfounded, not in awe but in regret, thinking that after so long that you have been together with them they still give you presents that would make a two year old happy. And thus your Christmas was officially over.

The best way to ruin a Christmas holiday is by giving a present that looked liked it was only a last minute bought gift. When you give presents to people, you want them to cherish it, and not just let it go to the trash bin once it’s broken.

Celebrating Christmas with the family is one of the days I dread the most, aside the from the other days that meant family reunions. To save ourselves from embarrassment, we have stopped giving each other presents and decided that just being together was enough, although, the idea of giving each other presents was not really part of the agreement, we literally just stopped giving presents and saying that being together as a family was better.

To put it quite frankly, giving presents doesn’t really symbolize Christmas, it refers to the family being together, having a few good laughs, and just be merry for the day that Christ is born. Well, that’s how we celebrate Christmas, just by being together with family is all that matters to us. And maybe in some cases, to other families as well.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

The Other Side of the Coin

People often see what others are in on one side because that’s how people see them. Everyone sees you are a good person on one side, but they haven’t yet seen your other half. What you show to them is your half, and the other one, that you swore to yourself that you would never reveal until you’re pushing up daisies.

For my side of things, revealing one’s true nature leaves people asking to one question, what are you really? For me, I am deceitful, as this is my beloved darker half. The one who protects my vulnerable being. The cheery disposition with a happy-go-lucky face, hides behind the poker faced twin inside of me, shielding me from the most hurtful words that I could possibly hear. They don’t mean any harm to what they say, but the words they speak has a different effect to me. They do not speak real to me, I do not speak real to them. I talk only the way the would like to understand, trying to separate myself from the tortures of the world, at least he can take a number, unlike myself, one hit, and I”m done for.

Being with my other self is a blessing and an ode to joy. Whenever I’m in trouble, he’s the one gets me out of the pinch. Whenever I feel sad, he’s the coulder I cry on. He’s my most beloved person, strong, courageous, and firm with what he says, unlike me, so I’ve decided, I want to be like him. That way, I won’t need someone to shield me from harm, I won’t need someone to pick me up when I’m down. And someday, I won’t need my other self.

But for now, I can’t have a single-sided coin, I need him and he needs me, and that’s all that matter to me. Being happy with my other self, my other side of the coin.

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