Doodles in Words

Bossing and Mentoring

2011-07-13T12:44:00.000+08:00

A few months ago, I was able to help develop a study regarding job satisfaction. As it turns out, job satisfaction is highly complex, as it involves a mix and balance of several factors, such as pay, work environment, non-financial benefits, and work load, to name a few. However, as I look into my own work experience, a high percentage of job satisfaction, especially in corporate scenarios, is the direct superior. She/He can either make a job a living nightmare or a the best thing you've ever done in your life. In most of the exit interviews, many would not cite their boss as a reason because they would not want to offend them (this is very evident in Asian settings). But, to be honest, I believe that most of the reasons, directly or indirectly, why employees resign is their direct superior. And as I continue to analyze my situation, I have come to differentiate a good superior from a bad one. In this case, I would like to label them, naming one as a "mentor" and the other as a "boss."

By definition, a boss is "one who makes decisions or exercises authority; a professional politician who controls a party or a political machine." A mentor, however, is defined as "a wise and trusted counselor or teacher." By definition alone, you could tell the difference. And to expound on this, I have come up with a list that can tell the two apart:

You work FOR a boss. You work WITH a mentor.
A boss issues instructions. A mentor issues wisdom.
A boss gives commands. A mentor gives advice.
A boss leaves you in the dark. A mentor helps you find the light.
The only thing a boss cares about is that you meet the objective. A mentor not only needs you to meet your objective, but also expects you to learn something from the experience.
Success is a boss' best teacher. Failure is a mentor's best teacher.
A boss passes on responsibilities. A mentor passes on knowledge.
A boss's job is to make you produce output. A mentor's job is to make sure you succeed.
When you look at a boss, you get reminded of stress. When you see a mentor, you get reminded of life.
A boss demotivates. A mentor inspires.
When you work for a boss, all you think about is the pay. When you work for a mentor, you actually think about doing the work.
A boss is goal oriented. A mentor is career oriented.
A boss can only see one year down the line. A mentor can see five.
A boss views employees as expenses. A mentor views employees as assets.
A boss receives credit. A mentor passes on the credit to where it is due.
A boss is indifferent. A mentor is sympathetic.
You always get this feeling that you are smarter than your boss. You never get that feeling with a mentor.
For a boss, the goal is the priority. For the mentor, the employee is the priority.
In a job interview, a boss sees an applicant. A mentor, however, sees potential.
A boss can never be your friend. A mentor is a friend for life.

I know this list could go on and on. But, for the sake of priority, I would just highlight these 20 items. Any additional item and soon you should be paying me my consulting fees.

In these times where it is difficult and more costly to keep on finding the right person for the right job, it is more feasible to maintain the right employees. The traditional bosses should stop being that and start being mentors. This not only increases job satisfaction, but also promotes efficiency in the workplace, and even increases your friends.

In my career, I have yet to find the person I can call my mentor.

A Tale of Two Celebrations

2011-04-19T18:37:00.003+08:00

It was the middle of a lazy Saturday afternoon, and the same was emitting a soft glow, signalling that the day was almost done. As the rest of the world got ready to party the night away, there I was, standing in the taxi stand in my expensive Jusi Barong, eagerly waiting for a taxi to come by. There was something about weddings in Manila that fascinated me: they were very elaborate, obviously expensive, and extravagant. The actual ceremony wasn’t really much; it would be attended by a significant few, with the church usually half, if not fewer, full. But the receptions were another story: everyone goes to that event, and it usually serves as a status symbol of one’s achievement in his career or the capacity of the families involved. Anyhow, I was there, getting ready to enjoy another feast in celebration of another union.

After a few minutes, I was able to get on a taxi. The driver seemed decent, yet I can see in his eyes that he was already weary of the road and the traffic. After telling him my destination and his agreement of it, we started with our journey. And as usual, a discussion began between the both us.

Driver: Are you off to an event sir?

Joh: Yes, actually I am going to a wedding reception.

Driver: Where would you like me to pass sir? The main road would probably be full at this time. Would you like me to pass by the alternative route?

Joh: That would be alright... as long as you can take me there. By the way, why would it be congested with traffic at this time?

Driver: Ah sir, there are many graduations happening right now. Some of the malls are also hosting them, and we might pass a few of them.

Joh: Oh, okay. (Good to know)

Driver: Even my daughter is graduating from high school today.

My heart sank. Why would he even have to be on the road a few hours before his daughter’s graduation? Wasn’t he supposed to be preparing for some sort of celebration?

Joh: Oh, so you must be very proud. But why are you still driving? Aren’t you supposed to be celebrating?

Driver: Yes, I am very proud of her. At the same time, I feel relieved that she has finally graduated. However, I still need to work so I have enough money to pay for the celebration. I want it to be special for her, even if I have to work extra hours to do so.

I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. There I was, ready to enjoy a night of good food and friends, and there he was still toiling hours away from a celebration he rightfully deserves to enjoy. We usually associate celebrations with extravagance and splendor that we forget the reasons why we are celebrating. Commercialization has exacerbated the essence of our celebrations that they have to be better, bigger, and more magnificent than the other in order for us to say that it was a great celebration, even if we were just celebrating the same thing.

This Lent, we should start looking at the true essence of our celebrations. We should ask ourselves why we are celebrating, and not only on how we are going to celebrate. Are the excesses necessary, or are we a victim of the forces that govern the way we think in society? What do we really need to celebrate something?

As we drove through bustling streets in that lazy Saturday afternoon, I couldn’t help but smile. In the end, we will both be celebrating something special tonight.

A Crash Course on Power

2011-04-18T14:03:00.004+08:00

The concept of Power, or the possession of control, authority, or influence over others, whether directly or indirectly, has rarely been looked in to, as even the word has been unofficially made “taboo” in discussions and in daily life. However, without us knowing, power is an important factor in survival. Back in my MBA days, there was a course I took named “Sources and Uses of Power,” which basically introduces its students on the idea of power in business and life. Before taking the course, power has been a loosely used term for me (I think it was only associated with superheroes and other fantasy-driven story lines), and it has never registered to me as a very significant part in our lives. As I progressed through the course, however, I began to realize that power is as vital in any situation, and when one knows where the source of the power lies, he or she can dictate the situation itself to his or her favor.

There are many sources of power in a situation, but many of them are not that obvious to identify. Because of our lapse in judgement, we tend to lose sight on who really is in an advantage. We dwell too much on the noticeable that we fail to notice the other essential factors in the situation, such as the mental models and behaviors which are imperative to the situation. For example, in marketing a tween shampoo, despite the parents having the money and ultimately the last say on what to shampoo to buy for their kids, advertisements still entice the kid because it is the kid that dictates to their parents what shampoo is supposedly the "best" for them.

An enlightenment I obtained from this class is also what power is not: it is not more resources, better technology, superior military strength, high-level intellect, higher positions, or grand motives. It is this insight of many that may put the students of the course in an advantage from those that have not in various situations. In organizations, the structure would be so rigid that we tend to associate power with formal authority. But, as it turns out, this may not always be true. Power can come from the simplest of sources and even from the lowest of job positions, if one knows how to weld it. To my knowledge, the structure of the organization may not actually be the basis of power. It may be there to promote order in processes, but in the end, it will depend on who “delivers the goods.” And the organization's structure does not always dictate this. Think of it this way: in a rowboat, is it not the rowers that drive the boat forward and not the one banging the drums for the beat, despite him being the "leader" of the situation?

Power is gained when one establishes their own rules in the situation. This just proves that power in the situation is dynamic and not solely held by a single party all the time. This dynamic view of power tells us that power can always be obtained in a situation, regardless who is in the advantage; it will all depend on how one can maneuver himself in order to get that power. And there are also times when people know that they have the power; they just do not know how to use it to their own advantage. More so, because power is dynamic, one must be very conscious of the situation and his or her role in it to better understand how he or she can “play” along or differently with the common tune. Just like in relationships, at any point in time, either the guy or the girl has the power, depending on who makes the decisions for a certain dilemma.

One very powerful insight I got in the class is the way value judgement influences the way we view things. When I look back at the many discussions we had in this class, it has always been value judgement that made it hard to analyze a certain situation. Even in everyday engagements, we fail to see the bigger picture because of the many preconceived notions on the matter at hand, which has either have been built and nurtured by the thoughts of society and by our own personal morality and opinions. When analyzing power in any situation, an open mind is definitely needed to see the real story and to better understand it. In any decision we make, this is a common theme: remove biases and look with an open mind. It is only this way that the truth will be revealed and true insights gained. Just as those written in the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers and the Art of War by Sun Tzu, insights are not lessons on rocket science; rather, they are simple and practical things we think we know but often overlook because we judge first before thinking (on the side, I highly recommend that you read these links; they are wonderful and very practical pieces).

We all know that power is very important in any situation, but we never got the time to think deeper into this statement. As we discussed different cases in different subjects in the course, I realized that many businesses that survive and become successful all knew how important power is and used it to their own advantage. These companies “changed the rules of the game.” And because they did so, they practically “owned the game,” with competitors forced to play along with them, and these companies became successful doing it.

In the end, what really matters is what we do with power. Because power is highly dynamic, it can be sourced so easily and maintained. The use of power instils in it the ability to change people and nations and make normal people heroes or enemies of the state. That is what this course made me realize: It matters not on what we know, but on how we act on what we know. Sourcing power is only part of the exercise; controlling the use of power is harder to learn and apply in the real world. And this needs a lot of wisdom and insight gained from practice and experience.

In life, knowing is winning half of the battle. This is what the class has offered me: knowing power, how to find it, how to obtain it, and eventually how to use it to my advantage. Now, I just have to apply this learning. And no, no superhuman strength, laser eyes, and flight on this one.

You'd be surprised on the many things you could find when looking at your old folders. This piece was originally written as a reaction paper for the course mentioned above. To make it timely, however, I had to make some revisions. I should start posting other interesting write-ups from my past.

The Bright Red Paint

2011-04-15T15:05:00.007+08:00

I spent my whole college life far away from my hometown in a rented space. For the initial part of it, I stayed in a half-century-old dormitory that had its many horror stories associated with it. To make it even more exciting, the room I was assigned in on my first year there was the one that was allegedly haunted. Well, not that I was scared (it seemed that every room had its story anyway, so I didn't really bother). When I first saw the room, it was horrible. I didn't need to even hear the scary stuff; I was already horrified by the look of the place. So, the first thing I did was to get the whole place painted. I spent my own money (well, theoretically, it was my parents' money) in getting the place repainted to make it decently liveable.

Now, technically, the walls were mine, because it was my paint covering them. Aligned with the beliefs of college life that you are now more individualistic and in charge of your life, I thought of doing a little redecorating. Besides, I was supposedly a different person from the one that graduated from our high school. I had a new life here, in a land where nobody knew me, where I did not have to be someone people expected me to be. So, to the walls, I bought myself my own paint (yes, now with my own money, the color I chose was red) and wrote on the walls. Yes, I wrote on the walls what I wanted to be labelled in my next 3 years of college life. "Silliman's Sweetest," the wall beside my bed said (just so you know, the name of my school was Silliman University). What made it even interesting was that when people from outside looked up (my room was on the third floor), they could see the text in bright red on a dull yellow wall.

Now, as I look back at it, the memory did seem special. Not because it was the first time I vandalized a wall (under normal conditions, I do not do these kinds of things), nor because it was the first taste of being independent. It was because I left my mark. I added something that made it worth remembering.

In our everyday experiences, I guess we should leave our mark on them. It doesn't have to be a vandalized wall (I am not promoting the action, so please don't vandalize anything!), but it could be an action that makes you own that moment. A kiss, a hug, a smile, anything that can make you treasure that moment forever.

When I had to leave that room, my heart sank. I was going to miss the memories of freedom in that room, and all the ghosts and goblins that I grew to love in it. I couldn't help but ask myself,

"Shucks, now who is going to pay for the paint?"

A Serendifficulty

2011-04-14T10:22:00.002+08:00

I was in a heavy discussion once with a friend on the issue on serendipity. You see, in my view, I argued that serendipity does not change lives. In fact, mere serendipity does nothing at all in creating an impact in one's life. As a moment, it will pass by once or, if you are lucky, twice, but it will not change whatever fate you have set for yourself.

For those that do not have a firm grasp of serendipity, it is an event where an unexpected fortunate outcome occurred simultaneously with an expected one. You can say it's like throwing a stone and hitting a bird that was your target and another that just so happened to be on the path of the stone (okay fine, two birds with one stone; just that the other was not intended to be a target). This word is best associated with a movie with the same title. Because of this, and for the benefit of this post, we will associate this concept with relationships and meeting people in general.

Now, with my argument. I believe that you will meet a lot of people along the way in a series of serendipitous events, even in the fashion of some romantic flick. You could have shared a table in a conference. Or probably squeezed in together in the tightest public transport ride of your life. Or even be in an some grand event where you are the audience and she is the performer. Or be in the same mall for different reasons yet end up meeting each other along your way. This series will continuously occur in your life, and the truth is it will be a wonderful experience. But that won't change your life. No, it is not the events; it is the choices you make during these events, the way you react to these events. If you live in the moment but leave it to just that, it may have given you the best day of your life, but I tell you, you will somehow forget it as time goes by (considering that more serendipitous events will occur in your life). If you do not put any effort in bringing that event to another level, it is not going to change you. You give meaning to the moment and increase its value with the next steps you take. You are in charge of transforming the moment into a life-changing experience. The events are merely there for you to take the leap forward.

As the old text quote goes, if you want to be a part of someone's life, you should make an effort to be in it. And as I would say, if you randomly meet her once, that is chance. If you meet her twice, that is serendipity. If you meet her again for the third time, that is destiny. And I tell you, without any intervention, divine or otherwise, you should be pretty lucky to experience a third event.

Before reaching the end of the argument, our order finally arrived, and serendipitously we forgot what we were talking about and enjoyed the good food in front of us.

A Sudden Dose of Adrenaline

2011-03-31T16:25:00.005+08:00

Inspiration is like a spike of adrenaline in your system. It makes you feel alive, like the wind on your face on a motorcycle ride or the bass line of some Hiphop song in the club. It makes you move, it makes you breathe. It makes you thankful you are here, in the moment.

Inspiration is a powerful drug. It can make people do great things, and yet feel like they've been doing it all their life. It keeps the victors humble, yet motivates them to fight for the cause they aim to achieve.

However, inspiration is not easy to find. Nor is it easy to obtain. It is a result of some random object whose essence runs through you, that touches you, that gives you enough hope to keep on going. It may be anything: a cause, a relative, an event that hurts you yet makes you smile; A face. A smile. Yes, it may be her. For some reason, it may be her.

Yet, inspirations may not last forever. We are human, and we were never blessed with the gift of contentment. We will move on, looking for the next best thing to inspire us. It takes so long for us to die that we need constant reminder that we are alive. We need that steady fuel that runs through us, to keep our minds settled. Then you remember that face, that smile. Adrenaline pumps in.

You are inspired once more. It is truly great to be alive.

Being Great: The Fighting Spirit of OLLH

2011-03-28T13:52:00.007+08:00

Usually, the greatest lessons can be learned from the most unlikely places.

Just this weekend, I was given the opportunity to witness the 2nd MVP Olympics, a gathering of 17 sister companies sharing their talents and skills in sports and games. Just like any sporting event, you have the giants, those expected to win almost any game because of sheer size of their selection of talents, and you have the dwarves, small companies that are just there for participation's sake. In this smorgasbord of an event, I was happy to join a small company among the 17, the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (OLLH). Now, I know what you'd be thinking, these guys wouldn't have a chance against the heavyweights like PLDT, Meralco, Smart, and the likes. Sure, these giants had great uniforms and skillful players. They had the financial capacity to make sure their players were prepared. They deserve every right to win the events.

However, I had fun being with OLLH. I was impressed that with such a small company, it had the fighting spirit to rival any of the giants. They didn't need flashy uniforms, large drums, colorful props, loads of funding, and lengthy preparation time to develop that spirit. Somehow, it has been embedded in them. Despite their chances winning against the stronger teams being slim, they still stuck it out, never backing down from the challenge. This spirit was well observed by the competitors that they too cheered them on in their events, even if their teams were competing. "It doesn't matter if we lose, as long as we had fun playing the game."

They taught me that it wasn't winning the game that was important; it was playing it. You wouldn't really understand the feeling of victory if you haven't played the game. You technically did not have to be better than the competition, you just had to be great being who you are. If you understand that early on, no problem can hinder you to become who you want to be. And most of all, nothing can replace the power of a fighting spirit: it picks up a wounded man after every fall, it gives strength to a mother to deliver her child, it inspires the weary traveler to continue on the journey.

As the events ended, I couldn't help but smile. The results were now irrelevant. For me, I knew who the real champions were, and I didn't need to see the medals to convince me otherwise.

Advice to the Human Asset

2011-03-25T14:07:00.005+08:00

It has been almost a year since I have been working after getting my MBA degree, and despite the very short period, I have experienced a good deal of how the real world can treat an ignorant employee. In other words, I have gained a few insights worth sharing to those who are willing to hear them.

I recently was in a discussion with a friend in the office. She was a fresh graduate, and after 8 months in her first job, she was already feeling the tension of the real life of work, and was already ready to transfer to another company. I learned, in my further discussions with her, that she always did not see eye to eye with her boss, and she always seemed to fall short from the boss' expectations. To make the long story short, she was unhappy. She knew she was better than how she was treated, and she could maximize her skills somewhere else.

I have heard many stories like this in my one year of managerial work. And it seems that it's the employee's fault all the time. She or he is, after all, the perfect fall person. And I have been in a similar position, both on the manager's side and on the employee's. Because my experiences are still rather fresh, I could remember each perfectly. With that, I shared to her some of' the things I learned from these experiences, especially those I got while doing work in Human Resources:

It is not always the employee's fault. The direct supervisor is just as much to blame. These squabbles usually arise because expectations were not set for each of the parties involved. Whenever you get a new job, in the interview or the first day of work, make sure you ask what is expected of you and how the supervisor can assist you in reaching that expectation.
When you get a job, always choose one with a training program before actually working. I like to look at every talent that comes into a company as a diamond in the rough; the employer should invest to smooth out the rough edges. This small investment may turn out to bring out the true value of an individual. After all, it is still a diamond.
If the employer cannot train you, ask to be mentored. Mentoring has been practiced ever since the dawn of man: fathers teaching their sons to hunt; masters teaching their students to become the greatest fighter; artists passing on their skills to the younger generation. In short, mentoring is a tool that has been poorly utilized yet is cheap and effective. Experience is useless if not shared.
It is always better to inspire people than to insult and degrade them. I have seen an inspired workforce perform a whole lot better than one that has been put under the whip. Anyone with a workforce below them should understand that inspiration generates performance and ideas with better quality. Also, an inspired workforce tends to take initiative because you give them that leeway to decide and learn from any consequence that comes from it. I know a lot of managers are afraid to do this because it also ruins her/his performance, but I assure you that it gets a whole lot more work done.
Your employer needs you more than you need them. I know you'd wonder why there is a lot of unemployment if employers need their employees. The unemployment in the country usually arises from the fact that there is a mismatch of the demand of skills and the supply of the workforce. In other words, many are not qualified for the jobs in the market. Which makes it even harder for employers to lose any of their workforce: it is hard to find people. More so, it is expensive to retrain and reinvest on new hires. As an employer, taking care of your people is key in long-term success.

With the current trends in human resource management, many are becoming to realize the true value of the human asset. The company that can fully understand this will be very successful, for sure.

As we ended our discussion, I could see she was satisfied. She was now ready to move.

[Picture was taken somewhere from AIM... can't actually remember; edited by me ]

Moving Up

2011-03-24T12:07:00.006+08:00

Graduations. This has been synonymous with long hours of waiting in usually a humid room with your formals on waiting for a few minutes to witness one person go up the stage. Yes, despite all its negative tradeoffs, everyone with a special someone going up on that stage will attend it. And I was no exception. I was recently on leave a few days to attend my sister's graduation. As I sat there, with my long-sleeved shirt sweating in a warm auditorium with the rest of the parents and extended families of her whole batch, I couldn't help but remember how it used to feel being up there on stage. Besides, I was in a similar situation for five times already in my life.

Based on a life cycle analysis in the Filipino context, education is a major event and expense in a life in our society. This is why graduations are a special thing for us in our society. That very few minutes of exposure on stage is a summation of all the hard work (and the fun) put in for several years. Plus, the experience culminates the addition of all the people one meets along the way. That's why graduations are teary eyed with the notion that many will not see these people for some time.

In the tradition of graduations, let me give my graduation speech as if I was the one invited to talk to the graduates. As my sister and her friends move up from being a kid to an adolescent and enter the dangerous yet exciting time of their lives (a.k.a. high school), let me partake my penny worth of wisdom to them and to all those that are moving on to one stage or another in their lives:

Never forget the past. A person is who he is because of the past he has been through. Don't forget the lessons learned about life and love and everything in between. Never forget the people who helped you get to where you are now. When you get older, you will look for these people again, because the need to be remembered becomes stronger as you age.

Treasure the present. They don't call it the "present" for nothing. Live for the moment. Be thankful that you are where you are right now and that you are still here. Enjoy the time with the people you love, because they won't be there forever. Take the challenges as they come, and leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow. Life cannot be exempt from the problems you will encounter, but do not let that stop you from enjoying it.

Look forward to the future. Do not be afraid of it. Let everything you do today be a step to whatever you want to be later. Gain the needed experience and learn the lessons that will make you a better person for tomorrow. Let every action you do today be decided firmly upon based on the vision of yourself when you grow older.

Remember, as quoted from the movie "Wallstreet" (the new one): Money is not the most important asset in life. It's time.

Congratulations to all the graduates of 2011!

Removing the Block

2011-03-18T13:52:00.009+08:00

Somehow, I couldn't find anything (interesting) to write about. I remember promising myself that I would write at least one post every week for this year. It seems resolutions aren't really followed after all.

On the subject of writing, the hardest part of it is actually finding out what to write about. I remember someone asked me once while in a jeepney ride how was it that I was able to write something with ease. I told her that you don't have to write anything significant. The way I did it was that I would take a single moment, may it be mine or from someone else, and try to describe it. I took the example of the couple on the other side of the jeepney holding hands and looking out of the window as the jeepney cruised down the road. What do you think they're thinking about? What do you think happened to them before they rode the jeepney? What do you think will happen when they get down? I told her that every moment has its own story. It just needs a storyteller.

With the strong influence of social networks that promote microblogging (which I do not and will never classify as a writeup), I wouldn't be surprised that people stopped writing these days. It has appeared that people could sum up everything they're feeling and saying in a sentence, more so a phrase! Not that I have anything against it (I remember a comment by a friend saying, "Who needs tabloids when we've got Facebook?"); it's just that we are slowly running out of storytellers that are worth listening to. Or, probably we think we are running out of that moment that is worth writing about.

I remember the last thing I said to her in the jeepney was to not write with the thought that someone is going to read it. Write for yourself, something that you could laugh and cry with. That way, you could write freely, with no strains on what the reader thinks. Besides, you could always "delete" their comments here (not that I do; just the spams). Write as if you were going to have Alzheimer's and you need something to help you remember. Probably that would ease out the tension. And for sure, you wouldn't be getting Alzheimer's with your mind constantly working.

There, I guess I got rid of the writing block. Who knew I had so many moments stuck in my mind to write about?

Murphy's Doll

2011-01-13T10:44:00.009+08:00

The little girl drops her token in the slot. Slowly, the robotic arm starts to move, jolting at every shake of her wrist as she grasps the joystick. She moves it to a direction, carefully eying the prize she sought.

Murphy's Law. I remember citing this in a previous writeup on the things I learned the previous year. And it very well deserves to be in that list. Personally, though, I don't have the slightest idea who this Murphy guy is and how his name went down in history for a theory that just became a law out of the coincidences of people's experiences. And somehow, I don't really care who he is.

According to him, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." In other words, in any plan, there is the probability that it will not go as planned. There will always be something or someone that will screw it up one way or another. Well, the universe and fate has a funny way of playing with people. And I guess they told Murphy all about it.

We all know how it feels when a plan goes off track. It sucks, especially when we gave so much effort in the planning, keeping in mind that nothing can go wrong. It sucks even more when we forget to make a back-up plan. Canceled vacations, jobless intervals, and unaccomplished surprises are a result of my experiences with this law. That's what Murphy left out: how one feels after being tested with his law.

As the robotic arm returns to its initial position, it drops a stuffed toy down its chute. The little girl claims her prize, walking away with a victorious smile on her face.

Well, if the plan of the arcade company was to make sure no one could get a doll from that machine, then someone benefited from Murphy and his law.

2010's 30 Lessons

2011-01-03T16:02:00.009+08:00

As every year passes, we tend to come up with promises to ourselves on what we should and should not do as the new year comes in. I do not disagree with the idea, but I would prefer that instead of worrying about tomorrow, let us look back at the past and learn from it. That way, we become wiser for the coming year, as we learn (and re-learn) many things about ourselves and about life as we know it.

For 2010, the many things I (re)learned about life are more or less summarized in these 30 items:

It is better to be disliked by someone but have an opinion than to be liked by everyone but have no opinion at all.
When someone doesn't want to talk to you, it should be pretty obvious.
Text quotes are now considered old school.
Watch your back; don't expect someone else to do it.
A man can't live on bread alone. It should be a complete breakfast.
Highschool friends make you feel old. College friends make you feel your age. Post-graduate friends make you feel like a kid again.
When looking for a job, it's not all about the money. It's about the benefits.
Be kind to waitresses and salesladies. They may be the only ones willing to talk to you when no one else will.
When someone says you're fat, most often than not, they're not lying.
Always take time to get a massage.
The weakness of every geek and nerd is getting noticed by a woman.
Take the leap of faith if you are sure there's a pillow waiting for you on the ground.
Murphy's Law. Period.
No matter how high your educational attainment is, you will always fall for good marketing.
As you get older, your parties end earlier (and eventually start earlier).
Nothing can prepare you more for the future than a large savings account.
Family and friends make memories. Your brain just stores them. Apparently, they hold the passwords for them as well.
DO NOT WORK for small family corporations. Ignore this if you like kissing ass.
When you are an object attached to another through an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis, you are screwed.
A bird on the hand is better than two on the roof. But that's why they invented bird cages: so you could get more birds.
Succubi do exist.
Rank and File is not a status. It's an ideology. A very cheap ideology.
When you're young, you think you could do anything you want when you get older. That idea gets reversed when you get older.
Everyone deserves respect, no matter what their job, status, educational attainment, history, race, and sex are.
Bullsh*t is not edible. However, its products are.
Don't look back in anger. In fact, just don't look back.
Always read the instructions. You can avoid so many problems in the future if you do.
There is no such thing as too many shoes. The same can be said about games.
If you smell something fishy, expect to find some fish lying about.
In today's fashion, the more girly a guy looks, the more manly he is (seriously, skin-tight jeans and skimpy shirts on a guy?!)

And there you have it. As another year comes in, who knows what experiences I will be going through. However, if there is one practice that we humans can do over and over again, it is to wish that the coming year would be better than the last.

Happy New Year to the Doodle Readers!

[Picture taken from Photobucket]

P.S. Want to share your learning for the past year? I'd like to hear them too!

Antonymic Confusion

2010-12-21T10:45:00.010+08:00

43. To work is the opposite of:

(a) to study
(b) to play
(c) to sleep
(d) to rest

I hate IQ tests. No, I really do. It is a necessary hassle one gets into when they run through the exercise of employment searching. They are tests designed to make to make you feel miserable and dumber after taking it. With its barrage of random academic questions and time pressure that all together creates a formula of a heart attack, I consider it a very dangerous use of time. This test, however, was a bit different.

I never realized that such a question would ever be asked in an IQ test. As I was staring at the question, I was taking more time to answer it than required. Who knew what grand philosophy came from such a basic question? It makes me think on the effort the test designer had to put in to further confuse its takers. Was I taking an IQ test or an HR interview? Either way, I would be disengaged for a few minutes to gather my thoughts on this (by the way, what if this was really asked in an interview? This would really screw the interviewee ).

But, seriously, what is the opposite of work? This question has haunted generations and generations of philosophers and normal folk alike. For each individual, the concept of work is different. Depending on the setting and situation one is in and one's views towards work, he or she would answer differently. With it, the mentality of a person becomes evident, and you could already get an idea of how he is as a worker.

Let's dig deeper into some examples. For an individual that considers play and work as the same thing, the opposite would probably be resting, as one does get tired of playing all day. for those that hate their work would probably say the obvious, and refer play as its opposite. For someone who has no other aspect in his life but work, sleep would probably be his answer, being the only thing he or she would be doing aside from working. For individuals that consider "work" and "career" as the same thing, studying would be something else one would do if they weren't working, the basic answer being, "Oh, I'm not working. I am studying again." My point is, whatever one's answer may be, there is no correct answer to this question. And here I am, trying my best to find out what my answer is.

Try asking yourself what your antonym for the infinitive "to work" is. You might just surprise yourself.

And so I shaded the circle of my answer, and moved on to the next question.

Excess Baggage

2010-09-19T14:27:00.005+08:00

It's strange: when you start packing, you notice that everything you brought to certain place just never seem to fit again on the same bag when you leave. Sure, there are things you get along the way: new clothes, shoes, bed sheets, pillows. But even if you take these things out of the equation, it just still never fits. So much for the laws of Physics.

I guess it will always be like that. There is this invisible extra weight you carry when you leave a place. In a discussion I had with a colleague, he mentioned that Science was able to weigh a spirit by measuring a body before and exactly someone dies. Although the difference was just a few micrograms (you needed special equipment, I was told), they proved it was there (personally, though, I believe it was just air leaving the body). Maybe it's something like that. When you leave, you become heavier than when you came in. You become heavier with a mix of things: memories of times both terrible and great, emotions like happiness, anger, and probably even love, heartaches, joys, experiences gained, praises earned, mistakes made, lessons learned, probably an ounce of pain, and maybe lose a few weight from the tears you've used up along the way.

But the heaviest thing you will ever take away with you when you leave is the most important thing of them all: friends. Yes, and only the true ones, though. Those that take eons to forget you and for you to forget them. And that is something you can never leave; it will always find a way to tag along with you. This is because true friendship knows no distance, no boundary, no time. And, hell, it does make things even heavier when you leave.

As I finished packing my things up, doing a final check on all my baggage, I can't help but sigh. You wish sometimes you could stay a little longer, just a little more time with the people you have crossed path with and enjoyed however brief a time you had with them. But life does throw many unexpected things, and all you can ever do is just adapt. However, if destiny permits, then somewhere in this grand adventure called life, I am certain our paths will cross again, whether I like it or not. So, let there be no goodbyes, only see you again soon.

Next time, I should bring a bigger bag. One that expands too.

Extra Soft and Fluffy

2010-08-10T13:59:00.012+08:00

If I try to remember all the silly things I did in my life, I would always remember this particular event in my childhood. The year was around 1996, and it was roughly on this month. It was an event the school I went to organized for the Linggo ng Lahi (Week of Culture) celebrations. You'd be surprised. It was an Official Pillow Fight Competition.

I bet you are wondering now, "What does that have to do with with the celebration of our culture?" Well, now that I think of it, I share the same predicament. But back then, I didn't really care. Our class needed players, and no one was brave (or dumb, take your pick) enough to enlist. Being a Go-getter and having a "Go-Fight-Win" attitude back then, I joined in (for pride and honor of the class ). And I dragged someone with me (Adrian, I don't think you remember this anymore).

Now, this isn't your regular pillow fight where you get into your pajamas and whack at each other like there's no tomorrow. Oh no, this fight had rules. It was all about survival. Round robin style, two players get up on a long, thin strip of bench and whack at each other with standard-size pillows. First to fall loses, and the survivor moves on to the next round. Each class had to have two brave souls to join in, so all in all, there were 10 players. And I was one of them.

When I came to the quadrangle and took a good look at the players, I was shocked. First of all, I was definitely the smallest, in terms of height and muscle mass. The batch's bullies and tough guys and athletes all came in to join the contest. Looks like I wasn't the only one foolish enough to join. Second, there were so many other students watching, even the cute girls from the lower batch. I was definitely going to make a fool of myself. Goodbye to all potential relationships . Third, as I looked at the schedule, I was the first to fight. What?

As I stood on the bench, grasping my fluffed weapon and looking at the eyes of one of the batch's toughest bullies, I could not help but pray that his pillow was extra fluffy and soft. The whistle was blown, and the match started. Seconds later, I was surprisingly the only one standing on the bench, while my opponent was slowly getting his balance right on the ground. I won. I won? Then you ask, "how did he win?"

To add to the suspense, I won all the way to second place, and my partner (the one I dragged with me) took the first spot.

What did I do? Knowing that all my opponents were bigger and stronger than me, I had no chance to go head to head with them. So, I let my head down. Literally. In other words, I ducked. All the time. They always threw strong hits that they outbalanced themselves off the bench. I didn't even get to use my pillow. They fell off on their own accord. And I couldn't help but laugh at what I was doing. The girls, however, just found it silly.

As I remembered this, it reminded me that maybe life is just the same. There will always be tough people that will confront you and challenge you. Some would be bigger and stronger than what you can handle. They will stare at you and intimidate you and make you feel that it's best to just give up and walk away. Probably, the best way to defeat them is duck. Throw your head down. Let them throw their strongest at you, and let them fall on their own. Let their actions be the catalyst to their own demise. If you get hit, don't worry, they may be carrying extra soft and fluffy pillows after all. And if you fall off the bench, who cares? Just get up and prepare for the next round.

If Pillow Fights become an international sport, where do I sign up?

[Picture taken from Sevana]

Of Friendships and Absence

2010-08-09T10:19:00.007+08:00

Familiarity breeds contempt.

A common statement, yet very few really know it. Although it is included in my list of mental quotes for everyday discussion, I have not heard it or variations of it being said (nor have I said it) so often in such a short span of time. And what's even more surprising, I am finding out that it is indeed true. Familiarity does indeed breed contempt. Rubbing elbows with the same people everyday may indeed cause a strain.

Now, let us back up a little here. For those not so familiar with the saying, let me help you understand it. When people have been so close to each other for quite some time, despite any relationship they have with each other (regardless if they're relatives, friends, lovers, and others), there will come a point in that relationship, most especially if the things they do are routine in nature, that they will eventually run out of things to say and do with each other. When this happens, they just seem to grow tired of each other, and all the "emo" stuff just starts to happen. You fill in the details.

I bet you're thinking right now, "All this is Bull$&*+! that won't happen if they care for each other." True, so, let me clarify. As I mentioned earlier, "especially if the things they do are routine in nature." Id est, their relationship has just become boring. And let me clarify, relationships include but are not limited to couples, friends, and relatives. With that said, the lesson here is to make your relationships as unpredictable and as spontaneous as you can. Offer yourselves some "me" time, so everyone has something new to say to each other. That way, you become "unfamiliar" once again and contemptuous no more. And you have more stories to share to each other.

Why am I writing this? No, I have no intentions of becoming a relationship guru, and I don't have plans to change my blog to that effect. And no, I currently have no problems with Butet. In fact, we are doing quite fine, thank you very much. It's because I realized in my life that the friendships (and relationships) that lasted are those that have passed the test of time and absence. This is as truthful as true relationships can ever go. These are the relationships that will surely be around in the next 10 to 30 years of my life. And these are the relationships I'd like to keep: unpretentious and unassuming. And always, spontaneous.

To that, let me rewrite the saying posted earlier to a lighter yet more meaningful version of it,

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Let Her Know

2010-07-28T10:10:00.005+08:00

I miss letters. And no, these aren’t just the consonants and vowels in the alphabet. And definitely no, these aren’t the formal pieces of writing you expect your boss or your customer or your prospective supplier to be reading. And no, these aren’t emails.

Letters. The type that you take a pen, a piece (or more) of paper, and write. Write how you feel. Write to remind others that you are still there caring for them. Yes, personal letters. The type that takes forever to write. Scented paper, matching envelopes, colored pens; the whole shebang.

If I look back, I was a seldom recipient of these things. Well, being a guy during those times demerits you from ever receiving a letter from a girl. In fact, during the times when cellphones were only in the imagination of its inventors, young boys were obliged to write letters. Of course, that was the easiest way (and probably the sweetest gesture) to get your feelings across. It wasn’t as easy as sending a text message (no “luv u” and “mwah” during those times). You had to break your head in making these things because one wrong sentence could spell the end all hopes of a happy future you may be expecting with that someone. And besides, girls, as I was told, are suckers for letters (now that I think of it, I have to retest that statement due to my oh-so single status during my high school days ).

In this new age, however, people seem to write less often, and letters may be a dying art. If you look around, you may have noticed that they don’t sell stationeries like they used to (I even remember keeping a stash of them just in case an “emergency” occurs). Technology has made everything too accessible that we just become too lazy to make others feel good. Feelings now have been restricted more than ever, and people live their lives without actually knowing that others care for them more than they will ever know. Now, that’s a waste.

So, I propose that we try this: get a nice piece of paper, and start writing to someone. Someone you have always loved but never really gotten the chance to fully express. I guess we will live in a better world where people know that they are cared for, where people know they are loved. And of course, we will have shoeboxes under our beds filled with letters we can read over and over again.

P.S. What’s with me and letters today? While I was rummaging through my "shoebox" of posts, I stumbled upon this. Sigh, I miss writing letters.

What Wakes You Up

2010-07-07T21:55:00.007+08:00

Damn, it didn't ring again.

It's been almost a week and my alarm just missed almost every deadline it was supposed to ring. It's either something is keeping me from going to work on time (or is it divine intervention? ) or my phone just hates me. I am hoping it's the former reason. I am not in the mood to hate inanimate objects as of the moment. Waking up almost 20 minutes off mark, I rushed to the shower, hoping to make up for lost time (or is it time well spent in sleeping?).

Something strikes me with the settings of my alarm. And I guess everyone sets it the same way I do (or probably similar). Since it is part of the functions of all cellular phones, you can name each alarm you set (well, in the phone model I have, you can). As I browsed through the list, I only had two alarms: one labeled "Work" and the other "Church". Now, this may not seem strange to some, but what bothers me is the simplicity of it. I ask myself, "Are these the only reasons why I have to wake up in the morning?" No wonder I feel like crap.

Now don't get me wrong. Both are equally important to live a sustainable life. Sustainable, not necessarily enjoyable. You see, both are obligations we have for others: for our boss, for our office mates, for God. What's missing in the list? Yup, for ourselves, and for everyone that makes us who we are. We tend to overlook the time we give to these things. We become too busy in fulfilling our responsibilities to others that the only award we give to ourselves is longer sleep time. That's some award. That is why we all feel like crap.

Therefore, let me propose a new list of alarms: Work will be there, and Church as well. But now, let us add an alarm for Friends, because we need them to remind us we are still alive; Family, because they may be the only ones that really understand us; for that Special Someone, because she reminds you that you are lovable for just being you; and some Me Time, for those moments that you just want to keep quiet and stare at the world as it passes you by. These are the alarms we need to keep us sane and to remind us that life isn't as crappy as we may think it is.

It's time to wake up to better mornings.

Table for One

2010-07-06T21:59:00.005+08:00

I think I burned my tongue.

I never thought that eggplant could store that much heat after being pan-fried and drenched in some soy-based sauce. And to think I have to pretend that everything's alright in such a fine restaurant despite me feeling like all my taste buds are about to experience third-degree burns. I think the little girl in the next table noticed (I could tell by her giggles) and is currently telling her mother. It sucks being alone for dinner.

As I was washing off the pain with a warm cup of Japanese tea, she then walked in. Who is she, you ask. Beats me. But she was someone you would look at and wonder why you never got the chance to meet her in life. A pretty Chinita, in a simple dark blue dress, with an aura to the effect of "I don't have to prove anything to anybody." Shy type, no make-up, and just the right height. In short, my type. Still sipping from my half-empty tea cup, I noticed her stop by the entrance, as a waiter approached to greet her.

"Table for how many, ma'am?" He asked.

Probably waiting for somebody. I thought.

She raised her pretty hand and gestured the answer, together with her soft voice. "One."

She was alone? I thought. Someone as pretty as her, alone for dinner? I could not bear the thought. It was as if women like her did not deserve to eat alone on such a fine evening. I asked myself, why is she alone? Wait a minute, I'm alone as well. Why am I alone?

Easy. There comes a point in our everyday lives when we wish to seek solitude from the bustle of it. I wanted to step back and re-examine my life so far, and see if everything I did or did not do was all worth it. It's like pressing "pause" on the remote control of life and viewing the screen to see if all's well. She may have also reached that point in her life, where she felt the urge to go away from it all and just have a quiet evening alone.

Probably, if everyone in the world took time for a quiet evening alone to ponder on their lives, we would live in a better world, with less conflict, less misunderstandings, and less heartaches. We would be better people, and we would then learn to appreciate and be contented with the many blessing that come our way. Then again, she should have shared a table with me. I could have loved the company.

As she was seated at the far end of the room, I slowly sipped the last drops of my tea, and called the bill.

Tonight, there will be two people alone, one with a sore tongue, pondering on life as they know it.

Welcome, the Long-lost Prince!

2010-07-06T21:39:00.004+08:00

This is just a post welcoming my good friend, a long-lost prince of a province far, far away, to the world of blogging!

Mr. Khairy Alonto's blog shares to us his thoughts on just about anything in life, with a touch of AIM zing, in 300 words or less. Why just 300 words? Ask him. Cow dung? you decide.

Get a slice of his life with his interesting satirical style of writing in his blog, My CP... in 300 words or less.
Pre, keep on writing, so I can keep on reading!

The Scent Makes a Woman

2010-07-05T10:46:00.012+08:00

"Sir, your number?"

As if in a trance, I was reawakened by her voice.

"Sir, can you write your number here?"

There I was, leaning on a Promo booth of one of the big telecom companies here in the Philippines, staring at the eyes of the Promo girl. What was her name, again? Ah, right, Sandra. If I remembered correctly, she was asking me to write my number on the form I was required to fill up. What just happened?

And it soon came to me. Her scent. She smelled soooo good. And it was her scent that left me thoughtless for a few seconds. Talk about mental incapacitation. She could have picked my pockets without me realizing at that moment.

This made me remember a lesson I learned when I still practiced Biology: the olfactory nerve (common name: sense of smell) has a great link with memory. That is why there are moments in your life that you remember after smelling something familiar. This is exceptionally true with the scent of people. The scent of people. For me, the scent of women, to be exact. At that moment, while I stood beside Sandra, all the scents of the women in my life started coming back to me (okay, there aren't a lot of them, and Butet will surely get the best of me if I listed all of them here ).

I remembered my long-time grade school crush, when she first sat down beside me, and that sweet lemony scent she carried. I never really pursued anything with her, but we became good friends in high school. And she still smelled good then. I bet she's still smelling good for her husband. I remembered the scent of the sporty girl I used to court back at high school, with her tangy yet flowery scent, mixed with her sweat, an explosion of scent I usually get when I fetch her after training. Even when we parted ways, I could still (yet vaguely) remember how she smelled that day. And in college, there were many others, some smelling sweet, some too strong for my nose to handle, and some with no definite smell at all.

But my favorite scent of all, and one that will always stay in the largest space of my memory, is this: my dear Butet, the scent of her, as she lay beside me, still in her deep slumber. Her natural scent, as raw as human nature. Whenever I wake up before she does, I make it a point to smell her, and this is what makes my memories of her even better. No artificial scent can replace her natural sweetness.

After filling in the last few items in the form and taking in the last few inhalations of Sandra's sweet scent, I bid my farewell, and smiled. I bet she wondered why.

Well, she just got etched in my memory.

P.S. Keep on smelling good, Sandra, where ever you are right now.

How Old Are You?

2010-07-04T22:29:00.010+08:00

As I was downing my second cup of coffee while having my routine Sunday breakfast at McDonald's, I noticed this fellow, browsing through a newspaper (which I was not able to get for free because they ran out of stock). This man, in his late 40's or 50's, scanned through the pages, and finally stopped at one. I guess this meant he found what he was looking for. As I continued to observe him (being jealous that he was able to get a free newspaper), I became curious on what he was rigorously searching for. When I caught sight of it, I soon found out... it was the comics. Unusual for a man his age, I thought.

This soon made me wonder... Am I already getting old? For my age, many would say I am still too young to ponder on such trivial matters. But what's in an age? If in gift giving, it's the thought that counts, so does in age. It's how one thinks that determines how old he or she really is. And so, I made a mental list on the top 10 reasons (in no particular order) why I think I'm aging:

In browsing through the newspaper, I either read the front page or jump straight to the business page. No more glancing at the comics.
I am actually reading the newspaper!
I'd rather be sipping coffee and reading a book than playing computer games all day.
I am actually drinking a lot of coffee!
In discussions with friends, I talk about what I used to do and who I used to be when I was younger and more lively, as if it was eons ago. Wait a minute, I'm still young, right?
My laptop is stuffed with documents and worksheets and presentations instead of installed computer games. Since when did this happen?
I stopped drawing. So sad.
I don't play the guitar and bass anymore. In fact, I haven't held one for some time now.
I now think of buying houses, furniture, and cars, when I used to dream of buying my ultimate gaming laptop, gaming consoles, and toys.
I stopped watching cartoons and other childish movies. In fact, I stopped watching. Period.

I can't seem to shake the feeling that I am growing too fast too soon. Isn't the real fountain of youth just a function of the mind, wherein we dictate how old we want to be? Besides, the age we know is just a number, a device society created to keep things in order. The fact is, I am aging, mentally, and too damn fast. And I hate it.

Note to self: Go out and be a kid again. And finish your coffee.

A Silent Saturday

2010-04-24T20:24:00.003+08:00

It's odd sometimes... You sit there, you wait, until someone remembers you, until your phone rings, until a chat pops out, until a glimpse of a memory of you shines on the screen.

But then, it makes you wonder: what if everyone else was doing the same thing, waiting for someone to remember them? Then we would have everyone waiting on the screen, waiting for that phone to ring, waiting for a glimpse of a memory of themselves. It would leave us all waiting for that someone to remember them.

And soon everyone reaches the conclusion that everyone else is too busy to remember them, that no one wants to remember them, that they are alone, without them knowing that we all are actually waiting for each other. Waiting, just waiting.

I want to stop waiting.

The Sea Visited Me

2010-04-15T21:25:00.009+08:00

It has been a while since I visited the sea. How long has it been, since I felt the waves touch my feet, the sand between my toes, the smooth breeze whispering its symphony on my face? I was afraid she could not remember me anymore. But I realized that it was I who did not remember her.

And then I remembered something else about the her. I remembered the power she had on people. I almost forgot that there were many things the sea could tell you, if you listened hard enough. She tells you your secrets, your memories, your desires, your deep emotions. She makes you look at your life, makes you realize your desires, makes you remember your blunders, makes you wish you could do everything all over again.

The sea visited me again, and I sighed.

Thoughts in Wonderland

2010-04-12T23:15:00.006+08:00

I'm beginning to think that the proper definition of “Man” is “an animal that writes letters.”

- Lewis Carroll

Great words from someone who wrote of talking rabbits, mad hatters, and cards with weapons.

Is It Time to Party? Thoughts on Partylists

2010-04-10T12:29:00.012+08:00

While everyone is so tied up with the presidentiables and vice-presidentiables in the incoming elections, voters tend to overlook the many other positions. However, a bulk of the difference in leadership remains on these neglected positions, and most of the time, it is in these positions that corruption begins.

I had the chance to be engaged in a discussion with an AIM classmate and good friend of mine, Daciano Palami, who is currently running in one of these “neglected” positions this coming May elections. He is currently running as the 2^nd representative of the Bagong Henerasyon Partylist (no. 127 BH in the ballot). We had a lengthy discussion on partylists in general, and it surprised me greatly that for there are many things we do not know about partylists.

Partylists follow a “proportional representation” scheme, which means that a certain percentage of votes gained by a party can gain it a seat in Congress. In the coming elections, as it has always been, a voter can only vote for ONE partylist. If more than one is placed in the ballot, it is considered null and void, thus wasting your right to vote. I was surprised at what this meant, as I looked back at the two times I voted. Without me knowing, I voted for several partylists, thus rendering my ballot useless. We surely don’t want that happening this time around, where votes are more precious than ever.

Now, partylists aren’t just nobodies in our political system. The representatives they send are actually part of Congress, which makes them at the level of a congressman. They basically hold the same responsibilities as a congressman does, which is the creation of laws. This is certainly not nobody’s job. The future of our country will also greatly depend on the decision these people make.

Because the rules of partylists are quite complicated, they are usually abused. As I was told by Cian, Many traditional politicians form a “paper” partylists just to give them an extra chance to represent in Congress. And, as the case may be, their plan usually fools voters. In addition, many organizations use the partylist as a way to enforce their own personal agenda. Some of the partylists are just militants commonly found rallying in the streets which only delay our country's progress. In other words, it is very important that every potential voter knows who exactly they are voting for to avoid things such as these. When I asked Cian what to look for in a partylist, being rather ignorant myself, he told me to look for what we should look for in any candidate for any position:

What is the main platform of the partylist? Does this partylist have any track record?
Who is the representative(s) of this partylist? Is he/she adept in leading the organization?
Does the partylist have a plan for the country’s development if they get represented in Congress? What is this?

This is exactly what the Bagong Henerasyon Partylist’s campaign was all about: voter’s education. Cian and his companions believe that although public advertisements, banners, and posters may be effective, it is going down to the barangay level and discussing with the people that really matters. This is the best way to get the message across and make it stick to the voters. In their case, it is evident that they care more for the voters than winning the election. Isn’t this the kind of leadership we need in our country today?

In the end, it all boils down to the voters. It is up to you to judge who you want to vote and why. However, as mentioned earlier, scrutinize and analyze all the people/parties for all positions before the elections. Everything depends on what you place on that ballot on May 10. Let’s make sure we do it right this time.

Bagong Henerasyon Foundation, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit, non-government organization that has been around since August 2001 with the platform HELPS: Health, Education, Livelihood, People Empowerment, and Sports Development. To learn more on the partylist, visit their site at http://bagonghenerasyon.org/bhfi/content.asp or join their group in Facebook with ID Bagong Henerasyon. They are no. 124 in the May 10 Official Ballot, with name BH.

P.S. This is not a paid advertisement. ;)

Update: Just recently, my good friend Cian sent me a message stating that he stepped down as the third nominee for the party, making way for his brother, who he thinks is more capable. Despite that, he still makes the commitment to serve to the best of his abilities. This is the kind of leader our country needs: someone humble enough to give way to others if he knows it is for the majority. Kudos, Cian!

As Eyes Make Me Write Again

2009-10-28T23:03:00.007+08:00

It was empty. As empty as the dark sky, yet beautifully adorned with the brightest stars and the luminous glow of the moon. I longed to look through it, and understand the substance in all that emptiness. Yet all I can ever do is stare into this emptiness, just amazed at how it shrinks my once large vision of myself. I cannot survive it.

And soon I felt fear. As I gazed constantly at the blank space, I soon saw myself. I saw me stare back at me. That made me afraid. I soon realized that it was not the emptiness that moved me; it was the fact that it reminded me of myself. It made me feel human once again: fragile, soft, embarrassed.

And soon I felt weak. I breathed heavily, wishing the feeling would go away. It couldn't, because the emptiness soon surrounded me. It drowned me with the image of this darkness consuming me, until there was nothing left. I could not move, I could not even say a word. I remained silent standing there, as if wanting this emptiness to take me whole.

She then walks by. I breathed again.

Damn, writing is becoming harder than it once was...

Sing Your Heart Out

2009-10-24T23:55:00.007+08:00

We're through the middle of the fourth term, and I am finding lesser things to do. These days, most of my time is being consumed by downloaded television series (if not song playlists of the most emotionally challenged bands - that includes you, Paramore) and to tell you the truth, it is an amusing past time...

So what's on the screen of my laptop recently? Well, Big Bang Theory, with Sheldon, Lenard, Rajesh, Howard, and Penny, made my nights full of laughter, until I hit the end of Season 2 (can't wait for the next season!). But that isn't really what I wanted to share to you. Just recently, Paolo Carlos (a guest doodler) gave me eight clips of a fast-rising series still going on that is unlike the rest... Glee.

For all those who haven't heard of this television series (what?!), it talks about the resurrection of a Glee Club in a high school, which attaches intrigue and drama, with a lot of dance and song. It's like a High School Musical turned PG-13. Anyway, after seeing 6 episodes of this yet incomplete set of clips, it made me wonder... what if life allowed us to break into song, with the added instant dance moves (not to mention the unsolicited unpracticed backups) and music from the heavens? That would be something cool to think about...

Seriously though, if there is one thing a world like that would bring, it would be emotional comfort. Imagine you able to express yourself without actually having to say what bothered you (instead, just sing it!). I bet there is a song made for almost all emotions, and there will always be one that is close to the heart for everyone. And wouldn't it be great if people just sang what was in there hearts than live with the burden of keeping things secret? It could save a lot of broken hearts and minds (not to mention the benefits it brings to the respiratory system).

Put it this way... We live in a society which paints itself black and white. Let's put a little color into it: if we can't expect everyone to burst into song with you, at least we should never stop singing, if not out loud, then in our hearts and minds. For sure, I won't. Beats being emo all the time due to self-esteem issues. And honestly, I'd certainly want to do a Glee thing on our Graduation (now that is pure, cut-through Blue Ocean - that will make us different from all the other batches!).

Ok, now for Episode 7, Shhh...

Know the “Knows”

2009-09-22T20:31:00.004+08:00

After going through the course entitled "Work Life Harmony" which I took in the third term here in AIM, I realized that in order to reach any goal we strive for, we have to do three things: Knowing, Doing, and Believing. As the thought of graduating from AIM draws closer and closer, I soon realized that in this stage of my career, I should start with knowing. From this very insightful elective, I created a “laundry list” of 5 important things I must discover before I set foot into the world. Probably, this could be somewhat my advice (or at least a part of it) that I would like to share with the incoming batches (or should I say, cohorts). These are the “Knows” we should know, in other words:

Know yourself. As stressed in several activities in the course, there is no way that one can succeed in life until he discovers who he or she is. Aside from knowing yourself, however, it is also important to accept whoever you are and be contented to who you have become. We must discover our “authentic self” by asking ourselves over and over again, “Who am I, really?” This discovery can be done through reflection or, as a song goes, with a little help from our friends.

Know the destination. This is defined by your True North. Even before setting foot into the real world, we must know first where we are planning to go. We should have our pre-defined goals set in our minds, so that we know exactly which path to take. A lot of lives, as I have heard, have been wasted mainly because people did not know where they wanted to go. After realizing our goals, we should then ask ourselves, “Why do we want to go there?” The answer to this should be in line with the values and talents we have, either as an individual or as a leader. The story of Michael Jackson clearly shows us how someone, who had the talent, the fame, and the riches, seemed to fail to ask himself early in his life what exactly he wanted. He later found this out in life, but then was misunderstood by the public. This tells us that it is best to discover what we want in life early on, to prevent regret.

Know how to get there. By leveraging on our talents, we have to define the steps on how we can reach this destination. However, I would like to suggest that it is not only the destination that is important, but it is getting there that also matters. It is in this process that we make mistakes, we learn, and we move on. It is here that we discover more of the world, and how we fit into it. As I would say, this is when we begin to challenge the challenger and get up whenever we are hit down. Valuable lessons in life will definitely be learned in this process, and it is important that we ready ourselves for it.

Know who will help you get there. This is where the Social/Relationship Capital in our Leadership Capital Inventory becomes important. As we all have heard time and time again, no man is an island, and humans are social animals, as Aristotle would put it. The point is, no one can get to his or her destination alone, without any help. It is best that we have a guide, someone who has been there already, a supporter, someone who will encourage us to get there, and a companion, someone who is willing to travel with us. With these people, the travel will definitely be less cumbersome, and we will soon find that the adventure would seem easier to take. We should find these people in our lives, and keep them close to us, as these are the people that will matter in our lives.

Know when to be contented. One very important trait that I have always practiced is that of contentment. We should know what makes us happy, and stay contented with that. Greed usually happens when people stop being happy with what they have and start yearning for more, even if they actually do not need it. My point is this: This world can only offer us so much, and our wants and needs will always change as life goes on. If we ask too much from this life, its either we will be stealing the lives of others or we will be greatly disappointed about life. We should therefore just be thankful for everything, even the simple things that keeps us alive every day. It is in these simple things that greatness is discovered.

The Decisions We Make

2009-08-27T23:43:00.007+08:00

As the day I made the decision to stay here in AIM against going in exchange to Bocconi University in Italy becomes more and more distant, I look back and wonder if the decision made was the right one... Or if there was really a right one at all.

Let's backtrack a bit. Sometime around May, on the day of my birthday, I was told that I am eligible to participate in the International Student Exchange Program, one of the highlights of being a student in AIM. Of course, I was ecstatic... That was indeed an opportunity to meet new people, build my resume, and do what I enjoy doing: travel. When I was given the selection of partner schools to choose from, I made the choice, not based on whether the school's MBA program ranked well globally, but based on this simple question: If I was a tourist, where would I go in this list? The answer was simple: Italy. And this was the start of string of decisions which would haunt me for a time.

So a month followed: problems of financials and emotional stability rocked my view towards the thought of going to Italy. I kept asking myself, is it worth it? What exactly is it I want from this program?

To make the long story short, this is what I realized a month back when I made my decision to stay. Aside from the obvious costs that were horrendously overwhelming with the same quality of service being provided here and abroad, there was something more. I soon asked myself a more important question... What do I value the most? The answer surprised me. And I want to share this to you.

In the four months I would have spent in Italy, I would have made a lot of new connections and networks that would supplement my career in the future. But as I thought about it, that was just basically it: all for business. What I really wanted were relationships. And these cannot be built is such a short span of time. So what do I value the most, then?

It became clear that it was rather simple, really: those silly jokes we share each day, in and out of class, those lunches and dinners where we can't really seem to realize the value of what we ate, the songs we list as we horde microphones in videoke nights, the drinks we mix just to discuss more useless matters, the surprise birthdays we hold just to make the celebrant emote, the basketball games we play every week, those promiscuous stories we share to each other... it was the people - the relationships I have forged in the past year with my peers here in Boot Camp that seemed to matter. Being with them seemed to outweigh the benefits of leaving for a better career. I figured that I wanted to be there with my friends as we near the end of this phase in our lives together. Every second counts in building that memory we can share in the future. We came in as strangers, but that is certainly not how we will exit these halls.

Was it the right decision? I wouldn't really know. As far as I am concerned, I am happy with it, and I guess that is what really matters.

Silence in Surprises

2009-08-11T23:02:00.007+08:00

Speechless. He looked at the faces surrounding him, creating an invisible spotlight that seems to glow even brighter as their eyes focused on him even more. What was he to say? He never really knew how to react.

He woke up that morning, thinking it was yet another ordinary day, with the ordinary chores, ordinary work. He believes that each day like this one was indeed a special one, one that marks another year closer to his death. He imagines that all guys feel that way: that they would want to spend it alone. But somehow, he wanted it differently, although he did not know why. Something urged him to crave for more from the day, to demand the gods of a reward for living his several years here on this earth. Sigh, he thinks, no one really remembers.

But all those thoughts are gone now, as he stood there, in awe of the crowd waiting for him to say something. They put so much effort in changing the outcome of his day. They caught him by surprise, and he usually did not like surprises. Or did he?

These people, he thought, I only got to know them not so long ago, and yet, here they are, making this ordinary day special. Why?

He was troubled with the thought. But maybe that was just it: he thought to much. Maybe it is time to let logic take a break and feel the freedom of the moment, letting loose bound emotions that he hid deep in the recesses of his mind. friendship needs no explanation, no logic. It is a fact of life that just happens, like the gentle rain that falls on a hot summer day, or a warm kiss on a cold stormy night. This is something I can never explain...

And somehow, I am happy I couldn't.

Silence still. He afforded a soft smile, but a smile, nonetheless, which speaks more words than he could ever muster. He folds his hands, and solemnly bows his head to all those around him.

"Thank you... all."

Guest Doodle: Blues, Blessings, and Birthdays

2009-08-10T12:45:00.008+08:00

Yehey! Another guest doodler (and I was beginning to think that this was a bad idea ).

Anyway, the only time of the year where a majority of people get hit with the blues is on their birthdays. And the guest doodler is no exception. However, with the power of friendship, any dark moments can be surpassed. Another classmate of mine, Carmelyn Pacheco, a.k.a. "Boss Carmie", reminisces her experiences after growing a year older last week. She looks back at her surprise party last Tuesday, celebrated by a majority of the Filipino community of students in the batch with a few foreign guests. She glimpses at these snippets of memories and reflects on how this is to change her life forever.

Ladies and gentlemen, Carmie Pacheco, without the birthday blues.

August 5, 2009 - while the rest of the nation is mourning with the ex-president’s funeral, I’m celebrating because God showed His love on my special day. What more could I ask for? It was just a week when I prayed for a blessing on my birthday, I didn’t even know what I really wanted but I know that it was not something material.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for the past month. I was too anxious of a “special wish” that I’ve been praying since May. Two weeks ago, that wish was denied because I got a big NO-NO. I needed someone to talk to that night but God really knows when to test me, He wanted me to be strong and talk to Him instead through prayers. I ended up crying all night, still wondering where I am heading and just accepting the fact the He has other plans for me.

This year is a little bit different because I’m not really looking forward to my birthday. Maybe the incident that happened weeks ago made me hopeless. Midterm presentations on Marketing made us busy as well for the past week. My AIM friends were not even asking what my plans are and finally I’m turning another year older. I just accepted the fact that there was really nothing to celebrate about.

Little did I know that there was something going on behind my back. I even told Paolo last Sunday that I was sort of “nagtatampo” because I think they forgot my birthday. Clarence finally asked me last Monday what my plans were & invited me for Tuesday dinner, the night before my birthday.

Bits & Pieces
August 1: My mom accidentally told me that my friends are inviting them for lunch – that was my first clue that there might be something to look forward to but I did not bother to ask which set of friends, and I had doubts that it would happen on my birthday because GSB scheduled a make-up class in Sales Force Mgmt at lunch.

August 3 - Dorm Lobby: I saw AJ (my CAN-mate) approached Pat while we were doing our FBI presentation. I had a hunch but then I dismissed the thought.

August 4 - Before ASPM (Advertising, Sales & Promo Mgnt), Benpress Caseroom: I saw Pat carried a lot of money, I asked her what was that for, she said that she decided to enter microfinance & started lending (concepts from our elective, Banking With the Poor). Obviously, it was a BS answer and maybe it was the top of mind response that Pat can think of because she did not expect the question from me.

From time to time, someone would call our room looking for Pat. I even heard Abhishek (my other CAN-mate) looking for Pat – seemed like that there was really something going on.

August 4 - Dinner at Max’s: I had a great dinner with Cla, KT & Ms. Lot. Clarence was able to pull a surprise – she asked the waiters to sing the birthday song. It was the first candle that I blew this year & officially started my birthday .

August 4, 10pm - Weird Roomies: Pat acted really weird! We just came from dinner then she started craving for ice cream at McDonalds. KT entered the room and started speaking to Clarence in Fookien. The phone rang, KT answered “10minutes” then speaking again in Fookien. Maam, who just came Yoga class also craving for ice cream & apple pie (isn’t ironic, yoga then dessert? ). Clarence was the best actress – still in “dedma” mode and decided to leave the room to meet her friend Mitch around 10:20pm.

When we were crossing the street to McDonalds, I saw Clarence from afar wearing a birthday hat & I saw that there were a lot of people in the room. I could not recognize them though because all I see were heads with party hats.

Surprise Surprise!!! August 4, 1030pm - McDonalds GB1
When I entered McDonalds, I immediately noticed my AIM friends in the party place. I was pulling myself out but KT was dragging me inside the party area. They were yelling and singing the birthday song. I was really surprised because I did not expect that I will have a kiddie party (at McDonalds?!) with a bunch of MBA students (so MBA huh ). I saw my roommates & friends all together. It seemed like a recollection of all my AIM memories – all in one place!

Johan & Ken were the witty hosts of the night. Johan cracked the crowd with his “knock-knock” antics. I was impressed the way they lit up the crowd. While everybody was having fun, I was crying most of the time. I was really overwhelmed & blown away with that surprise.

Friendster’s Testimonials: August 4, 11pm till August 5, 12:30am - McDonalds GB1
As far as I could remember, it was Friendster, which started the new genre of documenting testimonials. While Friendster had these testimonials online, I had it live! The best part is, even if I’m offline or could not connect to the slow AIM network, I could remember it vividly because all were written in my heart .

KT mentioned about my bad habits . I admit that I’m really sensitive or “matampuhin”. It was just my childlike or should I say childish way to express myself. Clarence always says that she’ll twist my neck if I continue my baby habits like frowning and pouting.

It was also quiet surprising that some friends are afraid of me . They say that a have this strong aura that is sort of intimidating. I remember Pavaan said while we were in Trend Micro that I’m a snob. I’m not defending myself but I find it hard to reach out sometimes. Maybe because I barely know the person so I don’t know what to say or how to carry the conversation. I might leave an impression that I’m a snob or intimidating but no matter how hard my shell is, my close friends know that deep inside I’m a softie & a crybaby.

I blew my 2nd candle of the night on top my fave cake, thanks to Paolo.

My Speech
As expected, it took me some time before I can pull myself together and start my thank you speech. I was still crying and my voice was shaking as I thanked my friends who made my day extra special. I was so touched and I felt that my heart was being squeezed. I’m the type of person who is very sentimental when it comes to friends because I believe that they are gifts, for keeps. I was also getting emo since May because things are happening so fast at AIM & graduation is fast approaching. Months from now, we’ll take different paths and this is the part which I’m afraid to face, the moment that I need to let go .

I received my first gift, my very first photo mosaic, which I really love, thanks to Clarence .

Mushy Thoughts
As I look back at what happened at McDonalds, I’m still overwhelmed with the fact that a lot of friends came & greeted. I told Clarence that I feel I did not deserve that kind of treatment. I was just amazed to see that everybody had fun and celebrated my birthday in a non-MBAish way . I love to be on the other side, throwing surprises, making friends cry on special occasions but once I’m on the receiving end, it’s always an astounding experience. Last year, when I decided to study at AIM, I had no idea what challenges I would face, what type of people or friends I would meet – I left everything in God’s hands. I was just in “Que Sera Sera” mode and hoping that everything would be all right. I celebrated last year’s birthday quietly with family & close friends. This year, I celebrated it with a bang! When I came back at 306 after my family dinner, I remember Shirleen telling me that I looked really happy and I’m very certain that the happiness came from within.

Clarence pulled another surprise. She did not just start my birthday but ended it as well. She’s really sweet, I had my first birthday card & another gift .

My day ended with a prayer, I thanked Him for a wonderful day. One week before my birthday, I prayed for a blessing but He made me realize that I don’t have to ask for more. I already have everything – a loving family and great friends. I won’t forget my birthday this year. Definitely, it’s one of the most memorable events of my life.

Carmie Pacheco is currently finishing her MBA in the Asian Institute of Management. Although intimidating in looks, she is very kind, soft, and friendly (all you have to do is talk to her). She is currently single and ready to mingle, and believes that friendship is essential if one is to survive life.

Amateur Advertiser

2009-08-03T22:36:00.007+08:00

Here I go again. If there is one thing I enjoy doing in AIM, its making original advertisements from scratch. There is no greater fun that making my classmates into stars, either highlighting their strengths or just plain making fun of them (or myself; I wouldn't mind). My brand equity of being a "funny guy" here in AIM was probably strengthened by the way I made my ads. My point is: they just have to laugh. That is basically why here I am again.

The ads I made this time were for the subject, Principles in Social Marketing, facilitated by Prof. Roger Chua, a marketing and Business Intelligence extraordinaire. Just to give you guys a little background on what the subject is all about, allow me to get technical. Social marketing is marketing a behavioral change for a social cause undertaken by non-profits, using commercial marketing techniques with outcomes that are measurable. Whew. That was a mouthful. Basically, it is telling your target audience to change the old habits for the better good of society. Some of the common ones are the No Smoking, Wash Your Hands, and Check Your Breasts campaigns (I had to include the last one ). For all those who are planning to get an MBA in AIM or who is currently in the first few terms in here, this is a must-take subject, which I highly recommend. Aside from the topics being very close to heart and easily digestable, the subject promotes managers to never forget about society.

Okay, now for the current project. After several hours of brainstorming, Carmie, Cian, Karen, Alvin, and I came up with developing a Smile Campaign targeted to rank and files in the BPO industry. Now, this was basically "close to heart", as Alvin and I came from this industry (remember the pit in my previous posts?). Labeled "Service with a Smile" Program, our slogan would be "Ngiti o Kiliti?" (Smile or [Get] Tickle[d]?), highlighting a sort of "threat," suggesting that if one does not smile, he gets the tickle treatment. Basically, the program aims to promote smiling in an industry filled with stress. We try to highlight the health, performance, image, and economical benefits the individual gains if he frequently smiles. The real goal would be to develop the industry and make it more productive and efficient with customer-friendly individuals. We believed that if this was a real campaign, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) would initiate it; I hope there's nothing wrong with using their logos here. Remember, guys, that this is hypothetical; if anyone wants to react to it, be my guest.

Okay, enough with the BS. Enjoy the ads!

Text: It's expensive to get sick. You should have just smiled instead.

Text: No more loneliness on Mondays!

Text: Mega-smile: is there such a thing?!

Text: You seem to be glowing today. Is it because of the job?

Text: Now Hiring: (tickle)-Team Leader

Text:No smile, no entry.

Text: Smile or monkey?

Questions that Haunt Us

2009-07-16T23:27:00.006+08:00

Here is an e-mail sent by my father just a while ago. Somehow, after reading them, I kind of felt a little dumber (there's a word of caution for you!). However, it is an interesting read, and it is worth giving a few seconds of your time to reflect on (or is it?). Enjoy being dumbfounded!

If you have intercourse with a prostitute against her will, is it considered rape or shoplifting?

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

an a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME stuff, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your BUTT?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Why are you even reading this in the first place?

I need some answers, man. Anyone?

Guest Doodle: Michael Jackson, 1958-2009: A Dash Between the Years

2009-07-13T22:18:00.004+08:00

One new idea I plan for my blog is that I invite guest doodlers (usually those that don't have the time to maintain their own blog) to have a whack at blogging. I surely hope this becomes a regular thing, since new thoughts are greatly welcomed in the realm of information.

In this post, Paolo Carlos, fellow MBA student, sheds light on the life of Micheal Jackson and the insights he collected as he reflected.

What does the dash between 1958 and 2009 mean? Some mentioned the journey of an icon, the roller coaster ride, or the oxymoronic life. Behind the obvious, his story conveys a deeper message, and although it has been exhausted at times, it remains hindsight for most.

dash v. a burst of energy released through running; a sprint or thrust

Michael ran for most of his life. He exhausted his physical self to ensure that everyone gets engaged to the message of his music. How many performers can sustain the same endurance he did during concerts? Everyone who saw him perform surely was awed not only because of his dance moves but also because of his stamina and ability to sustain his energy over consecutive songs. Even if the system did not love him back, he never stopped loving it. His career might have paused, but he went back to practice and died making sure that his last breath carried with it the same level of energy. The same level of talent may no longer be present, but the energy and passion was there. He used his body as a tool, and he physically exhausted himself until everyone was engaged. His audience of different races and demographics were left in tears. He walked to the moon just to show us that dreams will always be out there for our taking.

If you badly want something, run for it. Don't hesitate. Never stop believing. Never stop running for your dreams. In the end, only you will know if you kept something behind or you gave away everything to reach for something.

dash n. a short symbol used to connect two points; usually used to denote distance between years; an elevated blank space

“Gone Too Soon” was the perfect song for his life. Even at his stature, he was not even entitled to a longer dash (1958---2009). He was only given one. A short one. But despite that, he made it meaningful. He carried with him messages that transcends color, race, culture, and geography. He was not there just to entertain; he was there to represent. He deviated from the typical 9-to-5 life; he walked to the moon and back. For every moonwalk, he ended it with his infamous tiptoe. He remained grounded. He wasn't manna from heaven; he was one of us. He sang our realities; we sang his songs.

Life is short. No one gets to live that long to deliver everything one thought of as his purpose. Only a small window has been provided to make one's life meaningful. Life is about making the most of that short one.

Let us all remember that life resembles a canvass, it will always be empty unless you put color on it. Michael made sure that his canvass would be remembered. He basically knew how to live.

Paolo Carlos is currently finishing his MBA degree at the Asian Institute of Management. He is very sentimental and reflective, making sure he learns something at the end of each day. His likes include basketball, shoes, chocolate chip cookies, and, of course, women. He is currently in a relationship, but still takes time to enjoy the single life.

[Picture taken from Team Sugar]

A Peaceful Sleep

2009-07-12T20:30:00.008+08:00

How would it feel?

The night before, you lay in bed, trying to get some sleep. Pain is all around, and yet you have to get some rest. You can't seem to close your eyes: you are waiting. Waiting for something. For someone. For the world to stop a single moment for you to take a glance at it. Tomorrow is another day, you say, but wonder if tomorrow has arrived already... or if ever it will arrive at all.

How does it feel?

Alone in the dark, thinking of yesterdays and days away... Do you feel happy of them? Will you regret the minutes that has passed of every hour of every day of your years? Your past may haunt you, or it can keep you calm. You are not sure; what matters for you is that you have lived it, in sorrow, fear, happiness, joy. Has the basic question of your life been answered: Am I where I want to be?

How did it feel?

The sun rises; its rays warm your cheeks. You breath deeper, as you near the threshold of pain. You wish to get up but you can't. You soon realize you don't have too: everyone you have been waiting for has arrived. People you have loved are there around you, side by side, making you realize that you have made a difference in the world, in them.

Now, it is time to rest.

Condolence, my dear.

R&R (Reflections and Revelations)

2009-07-09T23:49:00.007+08:00

His hands were sweating now, as he silently slid them under the blankets to shield away the cold. Despite the chill, however, he felt as if the place where he sat on the bed grew hotter. And there was a reason to this: a dozen pairs of eyes, all gazing at him, waiting for him to utter the very words that will drive the discussion.

Yes, he was there, on the hot seat. People were interested to know him more, to know how he loved, who he loved, and why. He even wondered why he got under the spotlight. Although he consciously did not want to be there, something inside of him desired to be there, to tell the world of an intense feeling, something amassing inside of him ready to break free. His right mind said he didn't want this, but his gut wanted to explode with joy: that joy of letting the people you love know; that release of happiness knowing that people loved him too. Maybe that is what he wanted. He wanted to know if the people he loved loved him back. Was it too much to ask? Is the assurance all he needed, or was there something more? He was there in the spotlight, and he unconsciously wanted every minute of it.

"How is your heart?"

A voice from the intimate audience muttered, breaking the unnerving silence. He knew questions like this would come his way, but he never got around to even try answering them. How was heart, he too wanted to know. Sometimes he would wish he had more than one. Why was society made in such a way where loving two was taboo? Aren't we supposed to give our love constantly? All he could do was smile shyly. The audience waited in anticipation, as a drop of sweat was forming on his brow. He didn't know what to answer; he was scared of the aftermath of whatever he would say.

Amidst the glaring eyes of excitement, he saw the face. Her face. He saw her smile to him. Time then seemed to freeze, as he absorbed the sweetness of the moment. He soon realized that this is all he needed to survive the evening. Right then and there, he knew that everything would be alright.

"My heart has never been better."

What happens in Baguio stays in Baguio.
Dedicated to friends who live each day secretly loving others. PCCPaccl

Another Laugh at Globalization

2009-07-08T23:33:00.004+08:00

Tonight's Dinner: Indonesian instant noodles with Bhutanese chili served in an American casserole with a Japanese fork on a table in the Philippines.

I think that's a bit too much of GMSP (Global Marketing Strategies and Policy) for me.

The Human Marketer

2009-07-01T16:40:00.006+08:00

I have been quite busy the past month, and that may have been evident by the lack of updated posts here in this blog. However, I am back, and I have so much to share of the many adventures I had as I worked. Here is a would-be article I wrote (although I don't exactly know where it would be published or used) which describes the key learnings in my experiences working as a "social marketer." This will also mark my return to the blogging scene after several months of hiatus (unless, of course, there are objections). I hope this can touch your lives as well.

“Sir, this is what we have been doing ever since. Our parents have been doing it, their parents have been doing it, and probably our ancestors have been doing it. This is the only job we know,” Mang Berto said, while wearing a shallow smile on his face. “That’s why we work, to send our children to school... so that they won’t end up like us, as farmers.”

I could not help but pity him, as he spoke these lines. I looked at the rest of my participants in the focus group discussion, who were just simple farmers, as they nodded their heads and agreed instantly to the statements just released by their fellow farmer in the discussion. I was speechless for a moment, trying my best to absorb what was just said. In fact, there were many instances in the many discussions I had wherein I stopped for a moment and pondered, is this a fact of life, or is this a problem that needs to be solved?
This moment of reflection began amidst the swelling heat of the summer, when I and a group of seven other young managers from the Asian Institute of Management were assigned to different provinces in the Philippines to conduct focus group discussions with farmers. A focus group discussion, or FGD as it is commonly known, is a marketing tool used to gather unique qualitative information from specific groups of participants regarding certain topics. A focus group usually consists of 8 to 12 participants of either a unique demographic or a mix of different types. Our discussions were specifically aimed to obtain information on usage, attitudes, and perceptions on rice, farming, and diet and nutrition, to assist in developing a marketing strategy for a new variety of rice.

This little adventure took several months of planning, practice, and reviewing before we actually went out on the field. And because of this, we were armed to the teeth: trained, geared, and licensed to do what we had to in our assigned provinces. The job we were tasked to do sounded easier and easier as the time of actual performance came near. We, however, were not anticipating the surprises that lay ahead and the impact these will have on our lives. The job demanded much from us, more than we actually assumed: we had to meet new people every day; we practically had to talk more than we usually would; we had to find ways to adjust to many problems we faced during the actual FGD period. Although we were paid to do the job, they literally made sure that the money they paid was worth it. And equally, we made sure that we were worth every centavo they spent for us.
In the course of the discussions, we soon realized that we were not simply talking with these people; we were being with them, sympathizing with them, sharing with them. The discussions we prepared for became avenues of idea sharing, a heart-warming talk of things to come, both good and bad. If there was one thing that I discovered in these discussions, it was that these people simply needed someone to talk to: someone to share their aspirations, dreams, problems, joys, and hardship. I did not need much effort to ensure that everyone shared, because everyone did have their own story to tell. And I enjoyed these sharing, for all they were worth.

If there were things our employer wanted us to gather from the discussions, they were insights. After the 12 fruitful discussions I had with different groups of farming people, I did not only have insights for them and their marketing plan, I also developed insights for myself. These, I believe, are more important, because being a learning opportunity it would not have been worthwhile if I gained nothing from it. Conversing with these people was indeed an interesting way to work, and at the same time it made me think.

There is a theory in Economics that states that everybody in the economic system has a role to play: from the beggar in the street to the CEO in the top floor of a building downtown. All of us are crucial in maintaining balance in the economy. However, I have come to realize that although each of us plays a role, there are many that do the hardest of jobs. And I realized this as I started my work in the province. Farmers are definitely the simplest people I know of; they toil all day under the heat of the sun just to have food on their tables, literally. Simply put, if their harvest is unsuccessful, then that would be three months without food. It is a life that probably none of us have been and wish to be in. Although many of us may have looked down on these people, these are the very people that make sure we have food on our table as well, and these are the kind of people that an economy badly needs but usually neglects.

Which brings me to an initial insight: we dream of riches and wealth: what we plan to do, what we are going to buy, and how we much are planning to make in the near future. But we fail to realize that it is the simple people that do most of the hard work; it is the simple people that keep businesses running. And these are the people we should take care of, because without them, we would not have these dreams in the first place.Another point to take into consideration is the fact that they live a simple life. Money, or the desire to obtain such, does complicate our lives. It is like a drug that, when first tasted, we crave for more of it. Do we really need the things we spend on, or is it the feeling of gratification we get when we obtain the things we so desire that we seek? Being in a farming community for more than a month, it made me reflect on the actual need of a person. Maslow made it very clear on what a person needs in life: the basic physiological needs, the need for safety, the need to be loved and belonged, the need to be respected, and the need to realize one's own maximum potential and possibilities. I soon wondered where money was in the picture. Sure, it is a medium in which we obtain certain needs, but do we actually need it? I do not have the answer to such a question, as I too am a sinner when it comes to the hunger for material wealth. But then again, I look at these farmers, and it struck me that the needs are simple: to live each day and to be contended for doing so.

In several of the FGDs I have conducted with the farmers, they would air out all their transgressions and problems. They would try to share their sentiments with us, in hopes that we could do something about it. As a facilitator, I could not share my opinion; all I could do is listen to what they have to say. I was then confused: what exactly was my role here? I could not help but think that these people trusted in me and believed anything I was going to say. They had the feeling of assurance if I affirmed it, and they were quite attached to the things I said. It made me feel powerful at first, but I soon wondered if this is really what I should be doing. They would tend to believe in anything the first person tells them. This high level of trust is a wonderful gift that they can give, but it can also be exploited if misused. With an insight such as this, I started to wonder, what exactly would a manager do with it?

This brings us back to the age-old discussion of humanity. According to Aristotle, man is the only rational animal that has the gift of choice and morality. According to the Bible, man is the only being created “in the image of God”; capable of sin, aware of death, and knowledgeable of how sacred life is. One idea made clear in these two beliefs is that man has the ability to uplift his brethren to a better state of living. As managers-to-be, we tend to forget the very reason why we become managers. Because we are clouded by the promise of material wealth, we fail to see the real role of a manager. To be a manager means to remind ourselves that we are human and that everyone that work for us are human as well. We are managers because we have the ability to uplift the lives of these people, and we have the skills to tackle the problems of their everyday living. We are given the trust of those below us, and we should use this trust for the benefit of everyone involved. This is the human manager, and this is exactly the kind I want to be.
After a long moment of silence, my partner tapped my shoulder. We were going over the time allotted for the question, and the discussion was slowly carried off-course into other gossips on the happenings in the local neighborhood. As I awoke from my reflective mood, I soon realized this. “Where were we?” I asked. I could not help but smile now, realizing that this experience is going to make a mark for me to always look back to. I once promised myself that if I ever get a job, it should be fun to work in, not that stressful, and at the same time socially uplifting; thanks to the opportunity given by the Institute, I was able to get a taste of what that kind of job is. It was a job beyond the walls of the office, beyond the bureaucracies of the corporation, beyond the politics of executives. It was a job that touched the lives of all the people involved in it. It was a job that reminded me and my colleagues that we were human. And I will surely do it again.

Start Anew

2009-06-01T19:18:00.003+08:00

As he picks up the diary from the drawer at the back of the room, the writer gazes at the faded color of its cover. He slowly blows, sending waves of century-old dust hurling to the air. He brushes it with his fingers, reminiscing all the wonderful things he experienced in life, and how he used to write it all on the pages of this book. He scans through the pages, and with it, memories come back, some good, some bad, but all worth remembering. He ponders on why he abandoned such a wonderful practice of recording his thoughts. There is no time to waste.

"Now," he whispers, "it is time to start anew."

[Picture taken from Holy Cats!]

In Response to Feyoh

2009-03-30T17:46:00.003+08:00

I hope life doesn't go as fast as this!

Meet my new buddies (Disregard the dates on the Photos)

2009-03-22T17:40:00.005+08:00

Take a good look at this picture...

And then take a look at this...

And now, I'm in the shot...

Oopppsss... Here's another one...

You will never know how it felt to be with the potentially next Nobel Prize Winners, the inventors of Golden Rice. As I told Peter (yup, we're now in a first-name basis), "You are the McJager of the Science world." I will blog about the event soon; just let me recover from the excitement and shock of meeting with these great people. Ah, the life of a scientist.

The Lighter side in AIM

2009-03-19T17:16:00.001+08:00

Absence does make the heart grow fonder. It has been a month or so, and finally I'm back. Somehow, the busy schedules have eroded my blogging time. No matter, though; this does seem to be my "core competency," which just means I won't be leaving this habit just yet.

One would ask, "what's with the busy schedule, when, in fact, in the second term, there isn't much pressure as in the first?" Aha, on the contrary. The second term is indeed more hectic, and for a simple reason: Passion. Yes, it is in this term that the technical stuff have been swept aside, and everyone is encouraged to do what they have always dreamed of doing.

People will always give it their all if it is something they love doing. And this is exactly what is happening right now. with a term filled with walkabouts and entrepreneurial direction, forefronted by subjects like Human Behavior in Organization II and Developmental Enterprise I, people have suddenly become "blue ocean" aficionados and searched for anything they enjoy doing and, at the same time, make money. And this is exactly what they should be teaching you in business school: how to realize and follow your passion. There has been so much focus on working for somebody else that the entrepreneurial spirit is washed aside. At least, with activities like this, we have a chance to rekindle that spirit. And I would definitely give my 100% to it, unlike many other subjects I have taken here.

So far, I have enjoyed the projects of several of my batch mates, from theater for managers to Toastmasters meetings to the simple joy of shooting each other in Airsoft (which I still consider the most fulfilling of all). These activities not only makes you express your heart's desire, but also gives you the ability to share them with others.

Next week, I will be racing my heart out on a go kart against some of my batch mates. Now, that is something exciting to look forward to. What does it teach me? That life is too short to be working my butt off all the time. Time to win me a race.

Friday the 13th

2009-02-13T23:36:00.010+08:00

What a way to spend Friday the 13th. And it was something I thought I'd never do. After completing 1,000 words for my written analysis of case (WAC) exam, I thought of making my Valentine's Eve special. As I passed by Powerbooks in Greenbelt, I soon felt the urge to join the poetry reading event. "Hell, at least I'll be spending my night differently," I thought. And so, apparently, I did. And it turned out to be an interesting event. Because I enjoyed it so much, I am willing to share to you some of mmy pictures on the artists that performed and the works of art they presented. For the pictures, give me a break. All I had was a camera phone with me.

Stand-up Comedian Vivien Mangalingdan gives the final remarks of the evening

Tricia David: "Alter Eden" and a poem with no title

Our host for the evening, Toby

Teo Antonio: "Ang Mangingisda at Serena", "Ang Kwentas"

Joodah and Syke, with a rap single dedicated to Joodah's fiancee

Syke: "Nano Imo Gipahilak"

Ronald Datun, with a poem while the band was setting up

Ronald Baytan: "Threshold", "Distance (for Rodney)", "Starcrossed"

Rom Factolerin: "Ang Listahan Sa Akin Gagawin Ngayon Wala Ka Na"

Guest of honor, Ricky Lee, giving the welcoming remarks

Raul Roco, Jr.: "Stolen Kiss", "You Are My Traffic"

Patrick Orquia: "Let's Die Somewhere Else", "One"

Soprano Nenen Espina, starting the night with good music

Monique Obligacion: "Murder in the Bedroom", "Nymph", "Latak"

Laki sa Laway Collective: "Flirt Panther", "Lawa ng Bahaghari", "Tanga", "Eba si Ako"

Kooky Tuason: "Transit", "The Flesh"

Katrina Pallon: "Carnival of Venus", "Words from Muse"

Karen Vunawicz: "Can You Be?"

Jimsmar Paulino: "James Balao: Ikaw na Nawawala", "Ang Gumamela"

J. Luna (far right), performing some jibberish

Ginny Mata: "Adumbrate", and some other poem (I didn't catch the title)

Charms Tiazon: A self-made sonnet, and a poem reminiscing her first kiss (she didn't give the titles)

Bea Ladra: "Pseudo-city Girl", "Always Waiting"

Aimee Marcos: "Obsession", and another poem without a title

Agnes Dimaculangan: "I Love You Because I Love You", "Drunk as Drunk"

As I left the store at around 10 in the evening, I now had developed a passion for poetry. After seeing these guys perform, you can see how much love (and obsession!) they placed on each and every line they uttered. Sigh. A talent like that can melt any girl's heart any day. It was a great evening of love and obsession. (And lust as well!)

Happy Friday the 13th! (Valentine's Eve!)

The Things I Do (When I'm Bored)

2009-02-11T22:20:00.004+08:00

Let's just say I'm not that fond of long readings... So I ended up wasting my time on this. It was worth it, though... very fulfilling.

The Magic without the Logic... Advertising at its best.

[P.S. I hope I don't get into trouble!]

Wisdom and Money

2009-02-11T14:48:00.004+08:00

Following up on my Wisdom Series of posts (I honestly don't know how I ended up writing several articles about it), I'd like to share to you a story that I came across. It's very timely because it takes into consideration the financial crisis we are in (no sh*t!). Enjoy the anecdote.

The Wise Old Man

A retired man moves near a junior high school. He spends the first few weeks of retirement in peace and quiet. However, when a new school year begins, three young boys beat on every trash can they encounter every day on their way home from school.

Finally, the man decides to take action and walks out to meet the boys. He says, "You kids are a lot of fun. I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing." The kids continue to do a bang-up job on the trashcans.

After a few days, the man tells the kids, "This recession's really putting a big dent in my income. From now on, I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans." The noisemakers are displeased, but they accept his offer.

A few days later, the retiree approaches them again. "Look," he says, "I haven't received my Social Security check yet, so I'm not going to be able to pay more than 25 cents. Will that be OK?"

"A freakin' quarter?" the drum leader exclaims. "If you think we're going to waste our time beating these cans around for a quarter, you're nuts. We quit."

Sigh. The things we do (and don't do) for money. Just shows that money has its uses... Keep smiling!

[Story from Comedy Central]

I Can't Let This Slip By

2009-02-09T20:44:00.008+08:00

This quote is just perfect. I couldn't help but post it for others to see. If you are curious where I got this (and if you are a sucker for good quotes to make you look wiser), just scroll down the Doodles for your daily dose of quotable quotes.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

-Mark Twain

Now, who's ready for a ride on my yacht to distant shores of uncharted territory?

Wisdom of the Ages

2009-02-09T17:26:00.006+08:00

The Serenity Prayer

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference."

After a very interesting class of the subject Asian Business Systems, my roommate, Sangye, and I had a quick chat in the room regarding some of our teachers in AIM. "You know, Joh," he said, "I kind'a like the older professors here. They are more into developing people, rather than concentrating in just marks. They are more spiritual, in a sense." And, after giving it much thought, I guess he is right. If there is one thing these older professors teach us, it is the value of wisdom.

I believe that one competitive advantage AIM has is the wisdom they teach here. In the DIKUW model (Prof. Gallegos' Data-Information-Knowledge-Understanding-Wisdom), wisdom is the end goal of any learning experience, and it is the hardest to obtain and master. You can get data anywhere, you can translate these data to information, you can get knowledge from the books and sources you read, and understanding can be done with the help of others. But wisdom, unlike the rest, can only be come from you. No one can give you this, but only guide you to it. This measures the very core of your own beliefs and values, which root your personality to the ground.

This is something which I am proud AIM has, but somehow, it is becoming a rarity as most are forgeting this method of learning. I just hope this ideology doesn't disappear in AIM, as younger professors and teachers from a more recent decade come in. "I know, it's a shame there are only a few teachers that do so," I answered Sangye, as I sipped the instant coffee, now turning cold.

Heart Songs

2009-02-03T19:39:00.005+08:00

It has been a while since I dedicated, or even posted, a song and it's lyrics. Lately, as I was wondering through this vast sea of information, I stumbled upon a very good song from one of my favorites, Paramore. Apparently, this song is part of a previous album, "All We Know is Falling." I definitely love all the shouting in the end; it adds to the drama.

I dedicate this to my dearest, who secretly reads all my posts (and texts me if she finds a grammatical error ) For you, dear, my heart is yours.

My Heart

by Paramore

I am finding out, that maybe I was wrong
That I've fallen down and I can't do this alone

Stay with me, this is what I need, please?

Sing us a song and we'll sing it back to you
We could sing our own
but what would it be without you?

I am nothing now and it's been so long
Since I've heard the sound, the sound of my only hope

This time I will be listening.

Sing us a song and we'll sing it back to you
We could sing our own
but what would it be without you?

This heart, it beats, beats for only you
This heart, it beats, beats for only you

This heart, it beats, beats for only you
My heart is yours

This heart, it beats, beats for only you
My heart is yours
(My heart, it beats for you)

This heart, it beats, beats for only you
(It beats, beats for only you. My heart is your's)
My heart, is your's
This heart, it beats, beats for only you
(Please don't go now, Please don't fade away)
My heart, my heart is yours
(Please don't go now, Please don't fade away)
My heart is yours
My heart is yours
(Please don't go now, Please don't fade away)
My heart is yours
My heart is...

A Break from the Downside

2009-02-01T23:15:00.006+08:00

Here is an e-mail I received from my father a few minutes ago...

The Theory of Intelligence

"Well you see, Norm, it's like this . . . A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.

Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

Somehow, I can't find a rebuttal to that one, learning Biology for four years of my life... It does have some sense in it. Is this the philosophy behind AIM's frequent beer and alcohol escapades? Is this the wisdom they wish to pass on to every batch that passes through its walls? These are the things we will never know. (wink)

[Picture from Savage Chickens by Doug Savage]

The Games I Play

2009-02-01T12:51:00.010+08:00

If there is one thing I gained in the second term of HBO, it is the skill of being self-reflective. Because of this, I came up with this very interesting think piece, which I believe no one has ever realized.

I am known to be a hardcore computer gamer, and I usually spend de-stressing sessions playing games on my computer. One day, as I was whacking away most of my enemies and building my character, the idea struck me: for this term in HBO, we have talking about self-mastery and leadership, that I soon realized that as I was building my character, there was this set of attributes that, I believe, constituted a leader. All along, gamers all over the world overlooked the real essence of playing games like these (role-playing games, to be precise). It was listed there, on the screen, without me realizing it: the attributes that make up a leader. Therefore, for my think piece, I will relay to you the wisdom I have gained from my addiction, Dungeons and Dragons.

When building a character, there are only six attributes that matter, and these are strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. For me, I believe these are the attributes that make a true leader. However, let me iterate that it is not the mastery of all six that is important; it is the balance of these attributes. In the following passages, I will explain and connect the importance of them one by one.

Strength, as the game puts it, measures the muscle and physical power of your character. It helps them prevail in combat, and helps them carry more items as they travel. A leader definitely needs this attribute: he should have the physical strength to carry the weight of his team, wherever they may go, whatever they may do.

Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance. As a leader, one must know the balance of things, and be ready to adapt to the changes in everyday living. He must be alert at all times, since challenges will always come his way.

Constitution represents the health and stamina of your character. High constitution increases the number of hit points a character has, affecting how much damage they can take. As a leader, one must have the endurance to keep on fighting, no matter how hard the challenges may be. If one learns to accept defeat but stand up every time to fight again, he has the stamina to be a true leader.

Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons and represents the ability to analyze information. It is important for any character who wants to have a strong assortment of skills. A leader must also have this, if he wants to keep on innovating and upgrading himself. If he needs the skills, he has to never stop learning, from the environment and from the people around him.

Wisdom describes a character's willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. The wise character is capable of intuitively understanding others, occasionally having insights into their motivations. For an effective leader, he must not only know what he is doing, but he should also realize the essence, the lesson, the purpose of doing it. It involves understanding his teammates and everyone he interacts with. Without wisdom, a leader’s mind and heart are as good as empty.

Charisma measures a character's force of personality, persuasiveness, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. It represents actual personal strength, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. As a leader, one should also be persuasive: it is not enough to know and understand the world; one should be ready to relay these knowledge and understanding to those around. Without charisma, a leader will always be just one man, with no one to lead.

There you have it: the six attributes that make an effective leader. Now, as I said earlier, one does not need perfection in all of these attributes. One should only know the balance of each, for himself. This is a fact of life, and this just proves that we also need people to complement these weaknesses. For, it is good to realize one’s strengths, but it is better to accept one’s weaknesses.

So, who's up for a round of Dungeons and Dragons?

The HBO Blockbuster (A Reflection)

2009-01-27T18:28:00.007+08:00

When I first heard of the subject of Human Behavior in Organizations (HBO), nothing really came into my mind. This was basically so because I did not have any preliminary idea what HBO was about. The first day we had class, I came in thinking what it was going to be about, leaning toward the thought that it was going to be a Psychology class in the business setting. Coupled with a wise teacher, the whole course did surprise me. HBO is not just a subject, it is a spark. It is a spark that will fire up a whole new process of learning. As stated many times before, life is a never-ending process of learning, and what HBO did for me is that it further enhanced this process, bring it to a whole new level of self-actualization and self-realization.

As the first week passed by, I was beginning to understand what it was really about. The way I saw it, the first few sessions were focused on self-reflection. They were targeted in a sense that they let me look within, as an instrument of change. This is a fact I realized in this course: everything should start within oneself. If we want change to occur around us, we should let the change begin within. One key learning I got from this part is that nothing is impossible, as long as we think it is possible. Many doubted that certain things will work in the real world because they did not see it as an opportunity that they can change in.

The second half seemed to be targeting interpersonal relationships, with those around us. In this case, we focused on how to act and react when interacting with other people, mostly of different personal backgrounds. In this part, we were now tasked to look at things outwardly, taking into consideration those around us. This is also as important as self-improvement, because it is a fact that we cannot do everything alone. If we do not have good interpersonal skills, we will most likely not be able to succeed as fast as if we had good relations with those around us.

As a totality, this course was directed toward helping me gain skills in self-knowledge, interpersonal effectiveness, and the capacity to manage cross-cultural interactions. Another thing this course has done is that it strengthened the bonding of my learning team and the class as a whole (one big dysfunctional team). Even in our own little way, we are actually applying what we learned in our everyday dealings with our classmates and teammates. That is what is good about the subject: it is practical, yet ethical as well.

In the end, I consider HBO as one of the most important subjects in the whole MBA course. What I find more important in life is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the actualization of wisdom. And this is not something that can occur overnight. This comes with every experience we go through in life, and how we extracted learning from these experiences. HBO acts like a tool in which we can use to extract these learning from our experiences. Without it, it would be harder to obtain the wisdom we seek in life.

[Picture from Photoshop Talent by Hyperorbit]

A Portrait of a Student as an MBA

2009-01-17T22:52:00.009+08:00

It was yet another cold night in the City of Promise, and, tired from the events that transpired this afternoon, I soon felt the urge to find an avenue for relaxation. I soon remembered an ad I read in an in-flight magazine which featured a play that would be on-stage this month. I finally got around to actually watching that play. And this was no ordinary play, mind you.

There was a time in my (college) life when I was required to read and react on a play written by one of the most famous literary artists born in Philippine soil, Nick Joaquin. I said to myself, after reading loads of pages of lines and scenes, that one day, if ever this play shows up, I will watch it. And, fate behold, it actually did show up. I guess it was destiny to see it be materialized from a script I spent sleepless nights on.

"A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino," as the Repertory Philippines portrayed it, is a story of two spinster sisters, Candida and Paula Lorenzo, facing the challenges of a fading culture of a passing "Old Manila," from which their father, a famous painter, is so proudly a part of. It is centered on a portrait that their father gives them, and the many different forces which want it from them. It was set in Intramuros, in October 1941, just before the war. The play was designed as a metaphor featuring family conflicts, wherein old cultural values are reconciled with modern ones and mixed with Western values on the Filipino identity.

After watching the play, believe it or not, I felt bad. Not that the play was dissatisfying: it was well-played and I applaud the performance of all the actors; there was just something heavy that left me thinking. If there is one thing I learned in MBA, it is the phrase, "What is the key takeaway?" And with this, I applied what they taught me.

I learned that standing for one's belief is easier said than done. These two sisters, faced with the temptations of the world, were tested, and there was a time where they almost failed. I thought to myself, "Could I stand that temptation? Could I sell of everything I have ever loved, known, and believed in, for a certain value?" God, I knew what the answer was.

If there is one line (or a few) I could remember, it would go something like: "Courage, honor, faith... all they taught me were lies... the only truth in this world is fear... from from having no money in your pocket, fear of coming late to work, fear of having no food on the table... the only truth is having no shoes on your feet, no clothes on your back..." (or something like that). And I honestly begin to think that's true. Good, you believe in something, good you wanted to be a writer, a poet, a painter, a chef, and all of that... But are you willing to be poor just to follow your passions? There's all this talk in HBO class of following your passion, live your dream, stand up for what you believe in... But are you ready to face the consequences of that decision? If not, than all that talk is just bull dung.

This world is so fascinated of associating money with happiness. People deny it, but it is true. Why are people getting an MBA? There's all that crap of being a better person, learning, and whatnot, but this I am sure of: everyone is here to increase his/her value as a worker in society. And I won't deny that either. But how many of us actually like being where we are right now? Are we going to make a difference and stand up for what we believe in, just like the Lorenzo sisters, or be like everyone else, washed away by the cruelty and reality of this world? For sure, as of now, I am being washed away.

Okay, I didn't plan on making a litany, but it so seems that way. I am no authority in this, and I will never claim that I am. And so, I would like to end in that note. For those who haven't seen or read the play, I advise you to do so, and reflect on your personal goals in life. And as this cold night in this City of Promise soon ages, I continue my search for my Quantum of Solace (Prof. Sonny Coloma, that one's for you. ;)).

A New Year for Letters

2009-01-14T22:30:00.006+08:00

It seems that I keep on making apologies in this blog. And, apparently, I have to make another. Sorry for the long absence. I was practically living in a "cave" for the past month, enjoying my break away from the bustle of the city. And here I am to start my year.

And I know I started it right. What did I do to kick-start the new year that kept me preoccupied for a major part of my vacation? Believe it or not, I did some CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Yup, I was invited to speak to high school students regarding the Subprime crisis and how it is affecting the world today. Pretty cool, huh? Well, I thought it was pretty cool.

Anyway, that is not exactly why I am making this post. While waiting in the faculty room of La Salle Bacolod High School (obviously, that's where I gave my speech to all the classes of grade 10 for 3 full days, mind you), I came across this wonderful letter hung up on a wall in the waiting area. I was so inspired by it that I am willing to share it to all of you. It shares the truths of this world, and gives importance of wisdom in knowing where to go in life. Although there is still dispute as to who really wrote the letter, it does teach valuable lessons for us to take away. The things written here, I believe, are very helpful tips in surviving life in AIM and in maximizing the learning experience. This is my advice for the New Year (a year that will, hopefully, end gloriously). And this is how it goes:

Lincoln’s Letter to his Son’s Teacher

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,

Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.

Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad…
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he’s right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do…
He is such a fine little fellow,
my son!

In the Flow

2008-12-13T23:36:00.005+08:00

"Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity."

And this is according to the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. In one of our sessions in our Human Behavior in Organizations class, with a wise professor by the name of Sonny Coloma, we tackled on this theory of how people get motivated in doing things. The Flow Theory, as he puts it, speaks of a the feeling of complete and energized focus in an activity, coupled with a high level of enjoyment and fulfillment. As he puts it, what makes an activity a Flow-producing one are that:

We are up to the activity.
We are able to concentrate on the activity.
The activity has clear goals.
The activity has direct feedback.
We feel that we control the activity.
Our worries and concerns disappear.
Our subjective experience of time is altered.

Basically said, Flow is a sense of fun. And when I say "fun," there are many characteristic things that can be associated with it: the sense of timelessness, of being at one (with mind and mountain), of exhilaration, focus, immediacy. And all of these are characteristic of what we, regardless of activity, call "fun."

Now, why am mentioning this? Well, in the AIM Christmas party, at that moment when I was on stage, with bass on hand, after 6 long years of solitude from one, I felt it. I felt the flow. And that was a wonderful experience I will not forget. Achieving this flow is easy as it sounds after all. This "flow," I realized, is already inside each and everyone of us. All we have to do is release it. We should find (or re-find) this passion that keeps (and has kept) us going. That is the true flow.

And it looks like I'll be going back to the passion of the bass.

[Thanks to Regnard for the pictures. :)]

AIM's Quotables, Part 1

2008-12-09T21:34:00.012+08:00

Yup, and I believe there is going to be a part two. One thing great about this place is the people who both "teach" and "torment" you (and I mean that in a good way ;)). I know AIM takes pride for the great minds it has in charge of shaping up ragtag jockeys into world-class MBAs. Here are some of the quotes I know will help anyone who has plans to come in the MBA Program of AIM.

"In MBA, it is not important to answer the question, but to ask the right question."

- Dr. Frederico Macaranas, Macroeconomics

"Managers are at the horns of a dilemma."

- Prof. Sonny Coloma, Human Behavior in Organizations

"There is no single right answer for a case, so stop looking for one... It is the thought process that matters."

- Dr. Nani Roxas, Operations Management

"People tend to say faster than what they think... When you're learning technical stuff, be patient... If you want instant solutions, your ideas will be jumbled up."

- Dr. Frederico Macaranas, Macroeconomics

"Don't be grade-conscious."

-Prof. Larry Tan, Language of Business and Program Director

"I prefer you to be my opponent than my adversary."

- Prof. Sonny Coloma, Human Behavior in Organizations

"Don't try to dazzle me with what you know; try to communicate to your classmates."

- Dr. Frederico Macaranas, Macroeconomics

"I am your mentor, and your tormentor."

- Prof. Larry Tan, Language of Business and Program Director

"People still look for entertainment."

- Prof. Gary Olivar, Financial Management 1

"In unity, there is strength."

- Dr. Frederico Macaranas, Macroeconomics

And one of my personal favorites:

"Why are you staring at me like that? Is it my face?"

- Prof. Mau Bolante, Managing Costs and Profits

I am very sure there will be more of this. Nothing beats a good dose of wisdom for everyday living. :)

International Disturbed People's Day

2008-12-03T16:38:00.018+08:00

These are some nasty (albeit creatively done, no doubt about that!) food items...

Here is the quote that came with these disturbing pictures:

"I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus or occasionally pee on yourself... You hang in there sunshine, you're friggin' special

Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance."

Am I that disturbed to receive this message? Bah, Who cares? Life will soon be better...

To all my friends in AIM, we can do this!

Lord, Keep Me Sane

2008-11-26T19:42:00.007+08:00

God, there has not been any happy post for several months now. Everything just seems gloomy despite the Christmas Season around the corner. Sometimes, I even forget that there is Christmas. I guess people find little reason to smile these days. And why should you smile, in a place where the only news you get is bad? I can't even find the heart to write good stories anymore. As I told my roommates yesterday: the last few weeks is going to be like running through a field of tall thorn bushes. Just keep running through, regardless of the pain and wounds you will be getting. God, help my introversion. I have to let this out. My cup has overflowed already.

A while ago, a friend of mine broke down. She couldn't take the pressure anymore. Hell, I will not deny that I too feel just like her, and I know many of us do. If I was a girl, I'd cry my heart out as well (it sucks being a guy sometimes). When we were talking in the room, my roommate, albeit jokingly, said that when he goes home this Christmas break, he won't be coming back. Sarcastic, yes, but this is just a reflection of what we really feel. Although we deny it, the human body can only take so much stress. And we are at that point where nooses, blades, and bullets come to mind.

I seem to feel that being an MBA is not cut out as it used to be. Ask anyone around, and they will share to you their endearing thoughts of giving up. I try not to join in their sentiments, but as the days go by, it just seems more evident. Put it this way: for several months, lives has been made difficult for us... For what? For us to enter a world where there aren't anymore jobs for us, or jobs that aren't worth the education we get? Why are we being tortured in subjects that will be of no use anymore amidst this crisis? Then, what's the point of even being stressed this way? Sometimes I feel better that we were "drowned" all the way. I can't find the drive to come up to breathe anyway. A friend commented, "Eh, ano magawa natin. Daanan na lang sa tawa." Well, even the laughs are empty.

And what makes me even more sad is the fact that I have become indifferent. I neither feel love or hate anymore. I stopped caring if I pass or fail. And there are several of us like that already. We have come to a point that we just stopped caring at all of anything. God, what have I become here? Is this what it feels like being someone in the business world? That cares about nothing but profit? That wakes up in the morning, does his/her business, and goes back to bed at the evening? Hell, that's everything I avoided to be. And here I am becoming someone I dread the most. Nothing drives us anymore. There are no good reasons left.

Ask anybody: we are all tired. And now I even doubt if it is worth it. In the three weeks of break, I will be contemplating hard on whether it's really worth it, to preserve the dignity and sanity I have left. Lord, pull me out of this mess. [remind me to delete this post. I hate writing like this.]

You Can Quote Me on This

2008-11-26T18:56:00.004+08:00

"The MBA Program in AIM is like being kicked in the balls...

You just have to walk it off."

Good Nights

2008-11-22T12:51:00.007+08:00

To those who forget to live in the day, lost in the dark of this cruel, unfair life, this is for (me and) you. ;)

We Only Come Out at Night
by the Smashing Pumpkins

We only come out at night
We only come out at night
the days are much too bright
We only come out at night

And once again, you'll pretend to know me well, my friends
And once again, I'll pretend to know the way
Through the empty space
Through the secret places of the heart

We only come out at night
We only come out at night
the days are much too bright
We only come out at night

I walk alone, I walk alone to find the way home
I'm on my own, I'm on my own to see the ways
That I cant help the days, you will make it home okay
I know you can, and you can

We only come out at night
We only come out at night
the days are much too bright
We only come out at night

And once again, you'll pretend to know that
There's an end, that there's an end to this begin
It will help you sleep at night
It will make it seem that right is always right
Alright?

We only come out at night
We only come out at night
the days are much too bright
We only come out at night

Four weeks to go guys; got to keep the chin up. :)

A Discovery

2008-11-14T18:27:00.006+08:00

"Money is a needful and precious thing — and, when well used, a noble thing — but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for."

— Louisa May Alcott, American author, 1832-1888

And I think she's right. People tend to forget this these days (I won't claim that I don't). Let's take this Institute. When first coming here, students will think that their getting into AIM to "increase their future salaries." That's true, and I will not deny that. But have you ever heard anyone say, "I'm getting into AIM to learn"? For sure, I haven't... Not even from me.

I guess this is time again to reflect. Is it the money we're really after? Or the learning experience? I am now baffled even by my own answers. Honestly, if I wasn't going to school for free, I wouldn't be here in the first place. I would have been somewhere out there studying my dream courses like Genetics or Culinary Arts (I know, what odd choices). Seriously, though, I am beginning to understand in the time I have been through this course that it's not (totally) about the money (don't forget the financial crisis we're getting into in a year or so). It's if we really enjoy what we are doing. It's loving the job that counts, and the money comes after.

I know many will attest to these statements. Well, take it from me. I worked in a place where I was paid a good sum for my province. But why did I fill like sh*t there? Evidently, it was the environment I couldn't deal with. I literally hated my job, to the point I was indifferent about it already. I finally learned, with two years of working and just three months into the MBA program, that money isn't everything (I know, I still have a hard time accepting it).

What else am I going to learn in the coming months? It's still for me to discover...

[Pictures from the Free Dictionary and College Scholarships.org]

A Look at the Stars

2008-11-12T19:42:00.007+08:00

Phew! It's great to be back... I thought I'd never find time again to write. I soon realized, thanks to Regnard, that I haven't posted anything for the past two weeks. Now, that's a long time away from my Internet home (or is it my apartment?). Week after week and exam after exam, it is hard to find time to blog these days. I still haven't posted my Human Behavior in Organizations (HBO) reflections yet because of my highly "unreflective" mood due to the stress incurred here. I will soon, promise. Now, it's time to blow away the cobwebs in this re-entered space. It's my turn to set you all in a "reflective" mood, HBO style.

A good friend just sent me a wonderful quote, and I was so inspired that I wanted to show it to all of you. It goes something like this:

"There are only two kinds of persons in this world. These are the astronomers and the astronauts.

Astronomers are those who are contented just seeing the things that could make them happy.

Astronauts, however, want to truly feel what it is like to be with the things that could make them happy."

I guess this has sense in it. Have you ever stopped to wonder which you are among the two: the one with high contentment, or the one with high passion? I don't even know where I fall among the two... Or can we fall in between, and be the classical "sitting-on-the-fence, it-depends" type where we never really decide who we are? As a wise professor once said in one of our classes, why live in the answers, when we can live in the questions? (or did I say that wrong? Anyway, it was something like that.)

It looks like the skies are clear tonight. Who's up for a trip to the stars?

[Painting entitled "Starry Night" by the famous Vincent Van Gogh]

Back at the Pit

2008-11-02T23:30:00.004+08:00

And I thought I would never come back. It seems the pit still holds me one way or another. Anyway, to clear things out: yes, I was in Dumaguete a few days back, and yes I did go to the pit, twice even. The sad thing is that the second time I went there, the guards did not let me in. I had to be "cleared" or something like that. Now, that was pretty weird. I just lost my appetite to visit.

Anyway, the surprising thing was this: when I used to be employed in the pit, I hesitated in providing any support on any of the pit's projects for "maximizing" employee involvement, masking its real intentions (let's not get deeper to this). And now, there I was, at around 8 in the evening of Sunday, helping out with the Halloween decorations for my former group! Now, that really made me laugh. Well, it feels different being free from the bonds of the Swine Princess, and nothing she does will ever intimidate me again. The better part of the story is, the guard at the moment we went to the pit (I think that was almost 10 in the evening) let me in with no questions! Sigh. The pit does have its weird rules. Anyway, here are the pictures!

P.S. Did you guys win?

kapoy na, Daph?

Feng shui is the new horror

Work, work, work!

Is the work done?

Makati Nights

2008-11-02T23:02:00.005+08:00

Yup, just came back from a week away from the hell house. Somehow, I still feel like I don't want to come back, anticipating all the stress I'm getting myself into whenever I'm here. Well, the fact is I'm back, and I trying my best to enjoy it.

Under these dark skies
Pages bound, word after word
Drowsing from a day's punishments
I will always wish to be away

Alas, to this, my Eve, I remember
The night you made me smile
Under these fake stars of night
You illuminate my path

I walk beneath this gentle light
Through the darkness
Through a night of bliss
In this city God may have forgotten

These are the nights I will remember
Amidst the many nights I will forget
Now I am under you again
As you play with my pains and joys

You are the judge of my emotions
You are the hate in a good night's kiss
You are who you are
And this will be my night.

Reflection: Do we love LOB?

2008-10-19T17:13:00.004+08:00

The course Language of Business (LOB, a.k.a. Financial Accounting) has been a very unique experience for me. Coming from a Science background, I was abruptly introduced to the world of business by its basic foundation: accounting. It was literally like learning a new language: what in blue blazes is debit and credit? Payable and receivable? Revenue and expense? I came in knowing a fingernail’s tip of business. Upon my entrance, I was showered by shock and disbelief.

I will admit that it was tough at first. Starting with the pre-MBA, accounting became a “Goliath” placed in front of me to challenge, with just a “sling and stone” of knowledge. At the beginning, I was disheartened by the speed and difficulty of the topics. Would you imagine, we finished a 690-page, 14-chapter Accounting book in just 10 sessions of pre-MBA? I instantly became a semi-accountant in just two weeks. I even joked to my friends and family, “my new course designation is B.S. Biology, major in Accounting.” And why is that? The topics covered were vast: from the basic accounting cycle to the analysis of financial ratios. Now that was a challenge.

It became even tougher in the MBA proper, as there were minimal lectures and mostly cases. This meant self-study for the non-accounting-proficient, and that sadly includes me. I was forced by circumstances to get the book and start reading it for all its worth. A friend told me, “What? You’re studying now? In college, you hardly picked up a book.” Well, I am highly disadvantaged. That was the only logical thing to do. The quizzes we had week after week were taking the best of me, and I had to cope with all the stress, which did not only include LOB. And it was in this part that I learned that accounting was not just all debits and credits. Bonds, Leases, Inventories (and the infamous FIFO, LIFO, and cost of goods sold), Depreciation, and currently Cash Flows and Financial Ratios were shot at us like sniper bullets aimed at our foreheads. I was just happy that I did not lose my mind with all these topics. I would jokingly say when asked how I am, “Well, I’m still alive, so I must be okay.” And that is the truth.

For the better part of this reflection, I have to say (with no bias involved) that our professor, Mr. Larry Tan, gave it his best to help us understand this foreign language. In his part, I know it must also have been a challenge in making 128 brains appreciate (or at least comprehend) this language. For that, Kudos to you, sir! I learned a lot from the class, even if I am not from a business background. So, if there is anyone who wants to take an MBA but has no business background, you are welcomed here in AIM.

One thing I learned in all this is to take one day at a time, a case at a time. I learned that we should control our emotions and stop worrying about the future. This will only make it harder. So, the best thing to do is relax when you can, keep your cool, and do not over-study. If you think it is enough, then it is enough. Although, you should be very sure of this, or this idea might backfire. In addition to this, I learned that anyone can do accounting; all you need is practice.

I have to admit, though, that LOB was an exciting experience, despite all the ramblings I end up saying after every quiz. It made me experience some of my life’s greatest highs and lows, and in just two months. And it even made me addicted to chocolate, for that matter. I think LOB gave us a “slice of the cake” we were all going to experience throughout the MBA proper. The only thing I could do is sigh and accept (open-handedly?) all the challenges that will come my way. “Bring it on!” is all I could muster. For the two months of LOB in this term, I was slowly transforming to a better person I never knew I could be. I hope I learn to use this experience with my other subjects in the MBA.

Good luck on the last quiz and the finals, guys!

FYI: To be submitted with edits as a reflection paper. Don't anyone dare copy this!

The Road Ahead

2008-10-18T16:41:00.004+08:00

The weary knight rides on, heading home after a long, grueling campaign. Nothing more drives this worn-out warrior than the sight of home: the people he loves, the places he has grown up in, the feeling of being safe again. But all is not easy for this soldier: his destination may be nearing, but the road is tough ahead. More steep mountains, more dark swamps, more evils hidden behind the shadows of the night await this child of war. However, he is not afraid. He may be tired inside his rusting suit of armor, but within him lies the heart of a true warrior. No task is too difficult for him, as long as his heart remains pure and brave.

It matters not how many times he was defeated, but how many times he picked up his sword again and fought back. This is the final stretch of his first battle, as he accepts it with open arms, knowing that home is only a few days away.

[Picture from Catholic Discussion]

Metaphors

2008-10-16T15:00:00.002+08:00

Hard Times

2008-10-12T11:04:00.015+08:00

Stress... Keep the smile on, and let's just let that roll. :)

Let it Roll
by Secondhand Serenade

The night smells like December
And we're deep under covers
Staking out what could
Be better than all the money in the world

And I'm watching you and I'm waiting
For the perfect time to start
Participating, and you signal me to stay
But I open my mouth anyway

But It's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

Your hazel eyes paralyze my senses
Cut me down to size defenseless
I'm defenseless
And I know it's late but I'm waiting
For the moment that I've been anticipating
And I signal you to go, where it will take us, I don't know

But it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

Just don't waste your night before it started
Make sure I'm worth every single second, yeah!

And now, it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

And now, it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

Contentment

2008-10-09T13:42:00.006+08:00

This is probably the first doodle of something else aside from my life in AIM. If you have noticed in my previous posts, I mostly write stories. Now, I'm trying to relive that exercise. Although, somehow, I think I'm a bit rough on the edges again.

The little boy hugged his teddy bear, as he walked beside his mother, passing store after store in the town's mall. It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and despite his unwillingness to go, this boy was forced to come by his mother, who wanted his son to for once to go out of the house, as normal boys do. "Why don't you leave that teddy bear of yours behind? We'll be back soon anyway," his mother said, commenting on the child's dependence on his favorite stuffed toy. "I can't go anywhere without my Teddy," he answered, and with no other option, the mother accepted the condition.

The mother has noticed his son's attachment to this toy, as if it provided him security. Everyday, it would always be with him: as he plays, as he eats, as he sleeps. His son's dependence on his toy soon made his mother worried, and because of this, she tries her best to expose his son to the outside world. Somehow, she knew today was a different day.

As she walked toward the grocery section, she realized that her son was not walking beside her anymore. Noticing this, she turned around, in fear that she had lost her son. What she saw surprised her.

There, by the glass window of one of the many stores in the mall, her son was, staring at something in the display. As she approached him, she soon found out what he was looking at. A young puppy, all alive and jumpy, stared at him from the inside. She soon noticed his son's eyes, all filled with excitement, as he gazed on the living entity.

"Mom," he asked, "Could I get one of those?"

The mother smiled. Incidentally, she saw teddy lying on the mall's floor.

[Image from Flickr]

I Think I am Addicted

2008-10-06T14:02:00.005+08:00

Sorry for the delay... it has been a long week. :)

Yup, I really do. Knowing the amount of stress one gets within these walls, we students need to find something to cushion the blow of a hard week. And the cheapest (and the safest?) way to do that? Munch down those calorie-loaded chocolate bars. Despite the China milk scare, I seem to be taking in more chocolates than I usually do. (in fact, I was not so much of a fan of chocolates before!) A good friend asked me lately, "Why do you always eat chocolates after an exam?" I replied, "For biological reasons." And with that, she just smirked.

But it's not all just the sugar and flavor that helps ward off depression and stress. Believe it or not, it's all about chemistry (biochemistry, to be specific ;)). I bet a lot of people know these facts already, but for the sake of those who don't, let me share to you a few insights I learned back in college.

Now, let's make this simple. Chocolate is a psychoactive food (a.k.a., drug). There are several chemicals in these bars that may affect different physiological activities of our bodies. One of which is tryptophan. This essential amino acid dictates the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter, serotonin. What's so good about serotonin? This stuff keeps you calm in times of stress. In other words, chocolate keeps your anxiety levels low, and a whole lot better than alcohol, too.

Another chemical in these delectable bars is an alkaloid called theobromine. Now, this stuff is partly responsible for chocolate's mood-elevating effect, mainly because it decreases blood pressure and relaxes the muscles. Aside form that, like most sweet foods, chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body's own painkillers. This decreases our sensitivity to pain. It is this chemical that they claim probably contribute to the "warm inner glow" experienced by chocoholics. So, the next time your head starts aching, go to the nearest store a buy yourself a bar of chocolate. Trust me, it's better than popping a pill. ;)

And now, here comes the fun stuff. The best chemical in chocolate, and I know no one will disagree, is phenylethylamine, a.k.a., the "love chemical." Although in small amounts, phenylethylamine is naturally found in the brain. This chemical literally "dopes" you: phenylethylamine releases dopamine to the brain, which usually peaks during orgasm. It helps mediate feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension, and euphoria. Dopamine, then, promotes the production of oxytocin, another exciting hormone. Oxytocin has wonderful functions in the human body: it contributes to sexual arousal, promotes the feeling of increasing trust and reducing fear and bonding, and behaviorally increases empathy during perspective taking. That's why some say eating chocolate is better than having "intercourse."

Now, that's a whole dose of good information for you to live by with. Chocolate in itself is probably one of the greatest inventions of mankind (with that being a biased conclusion ;)). I hope by now you look at chocolate differently. So, the next time you're feeling down and out, probably after an exam or whatnot, don't fret: there's always a chocolate bar to soothe your nerves. But, don't substitute it with "intercourse," you're just fooling yourself :p

Our Bucket List

2008-09-28T17:07:00.016+08:00

First off, I'd like to thank the proprietor of the Broken Coffee Cafe, Feyoh, for the very interesting take on my life before I left the pit. Wonderful storytelling. I owe you one. ;)

After seeing the schedule for next week, I started to feel that I might not be able to make it next weekend, because of the amount of stress the school is planning to rain down on me and my colleagues.

It soon became a running joke in the UN, and soon we started discussing about a "bucket list." A bucket list, if you must know, was coined from a movie with the same title. Simply put, it's a list one makes of the things he plans to do before he "kicks the bucket," a.k.a., ahem, rests in peace. I started asking the members of the UN and other citizens of "member nations" in AIM what they would put in their "bucket" if they knew they won't be able to survive until next weekend. I got some very good, if not funny, answers:

Vaidas:

"I'd go get drunk and get a girl to make love with. After that, I'll go plant a tree, as my contribution to the world."

Charles:

"Go to church and ask for forgiveness, to make sure I am not going to hell."

Cian:

"Travel. (where?) Anywhere, all over the world."

Pema:

"Use up all my money to eat and drink and be merry."

Karen:

"I'll spend the rest of the week watching fake DVDs of all the TV series that I love! Marathon! Oh yeah, I better study, 'coz when St. Peter asks me what I learned in MBA, I might have nothing to say!"

Warren:

"Bungee jumping and skydiving."

EJ:

"Ako, go to New Zealand and experience nature at its best."

Jez:

"Go to space! hehe"

Tenzin:

"I can't do anything! Time is too short. Maybe I'll do anything just to forget about AIM."

Sangye:

"There's only one thing I want to fill my bucket with... Tanduay."

Now, that was rather entertaining, wasn't it? ;)

As for me, I'd go home to the provinces I spent the happiest days of my life, in Bacolod and Dumaguete, and spend my last days with the people I love (touching, isn't it?). I'd also tell all my crushes (present and past) how I felt for them and thank them for being such great inspirations in my life (nacks!). Maybe I should kiss them all too. Nothing to lose! hahaha :D

Seriously, though, I know we all will survive this "attack." We just have to stay focused and reduce the "paranoia aura" radiating in most of us (very infectious).

For my fellow doodlers, if you knew you wouldn't be able to survive the week to follow, what would you put in your bucket? I'd like to hear your thoughts. Happy studying! (yeah right)

[Picture from Instructables]

A Literary Exercise

2008-09-22T18:32:00.003+08:00

I am drowning...

I have been drifting away, slowly, across this vast ocean of loneliness, slowly floating away from everything I have known and loved.

I am drowning...

I move away from safety, alone in this emptiness, where the water is my master; he gives and takes away whatever hie wishes of me.

I am drowning...

Is there no one out there to save me? Is this the end of my existence?

I am drowning...

My lungs are slowly filling up, taking me closer to a dream in solace, to a place where worries are blown away by the wind. I will soon be in peace.

I am drowning...

Silence.

What Doesn't Kill You

2008-09-15T23:08:00.003+08:00

They just seem to be stacked there: an intimidating picture of a future of stress. Will this make me stronger?

A Sanitation of Ideas

2008-09-15T22:31:00.008+08:00

bull·sh*t (blsht) Vulgar Slang
n.
1. Foolish, deceitful, or boastful language.
2. Something worthless, deceptive, or insincere.
3. Insolent talk or behavior

I did not believe that they now have a meaning of the word. I just looked it up and *poof*, a definition from the Free Dictionary came up. Why, you ask, did I even bother to look for the word? Simple, in getting a MBA degree in Asian Institute of Management, this is the last thing you need to bring with you to class.

This is one of the things our Professor in Language of Business, the great Larry Tan (ayon, sir, starring ka na!), emphasizes in his class. "If you keep on talking [Bullsh*t, further abbreviated to BS]," he says, "there will come a time that no one will believe you even if you do make sense, like the boy who cried wolf" (or something like that; my brain just synthesized the lines). Most of the teachers prefer substance in the answers than just full of "unhealthy" words. Since there are about 60+ per class, talking BS will only eat up the airtime for class participation. Technically, if you are consistent in throwing sh*t all around, the teachers will stop calling you. Bottomline: if you throw BS around, it will just be thrown back to you. ;)

This reminds me of a story told to me by a friend:

There was once a little bird that was flying in winter. Due to the harsh weather, the bird froze and fell to the ground. Suddenly, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. Now full of dung, the bird realized how warm it was and, because of his such luck, began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and dug him out, eating him after.

The morals of the story are:

Not everyone who drops sh*t on you is your enemy
Not everyone who gets you out of sh*t is your friend
When you are in deep sh*t, keep your mouth shut
When you are full of sh*t, saying something will definitely turn you into sh*t.

Hahahaha... I hope that story inspired some of you. Let's minimize on the BS now and keep our answers clean, shall we?

Are You Feeling WELL Today?

2008-09-11T22:14:00.008+08:00

As the teacher opens the case in class and everyone conjures up hidden thoughts stuck in the corners of their brains, a rather conspicuous sound echoes throughout, breaking everyone's concentration.

Cough, cough...

Yup, let truth be told, a lot of people are getting sick nowadays. This was evident in our Management Communications Class, as 3 of the 11 speakers of the day were not able to deliver their speeches. Why? Hell, there must be something coming down on us. It kind of brings me back to my college days, particularly in our Microbiology class, where we discussed on a concept that scientists use when analyzing spreads of diseases. This is called the "Epidemiologic Triangle," and here is how it looks like:

Because it is a "triangle" (duh), it has three corners (also called vertices) labeled in such a way: the Agent, or microbe that causes the disease (the “what” of the Triangle); Host, or organism harboring the disease (the “who” of the Triangle); and the Environment, or those external factors that cause or allow disease transmission (the “where” of the Triangle). This is how our infamous triangle looks like at the moment:

When an outbreak or an epidemic occurs, there are more cases of a particular disease than expected in a given area (I think that's AIM) or among a specific group of people (that's us students) over a particular period of time (probably a little passed the first week of MBA proper), which is very evident in the dormitory right now. What are we to do? We are supposed to break at least one side of the Triangle, disrupting the connection between any of the factors involved and putting a halt on the disease. With this in line, I'd like to give some good brands (that aren't too expensive) and a few tips that could help in handling certain situations for non-locals:

If you are beginning to develop soar throat and start a cough, better take some lozenges, such as Strepsils or Streptus, to ease the discomfort.
If you are just coughing, try purchasing mucolytics; I would recommend probably the brands Solmux and Robitussin (better if they are in capsule form). Two times a day for about a week could do the trick.
If you are feeling feverish, paracetamol or phenylpropaloamine would probably help you. Some good brands in the Philippines are Biogesic, Bioflu, Decolgen, and Sinutab.
If you have intense headaches, try buying Ibuprofens, such as Medicol, Dolfenal, and Alaxan.
If you start to feel weak, consult a doctor quick. Several types of typhoid fevers are pretty common in our lands, and the sooner you are diagnosed with it, the quicker will the response for medical attention be.
Always take your vitamins. For cheap multivitamins, you could get Clusivol (usually on promo if you buy them by sevens), Enervon, or Centrum (although a bit expensive). If you want to dose up on vitamin C, Poten-cee and Fern-C are good (and cheap) choices.
Always get enough amount of rest. Your health is more important than any other grade in the course. If you are tired, hell, get to bed; tomorrow is another day.
Avoid getting wet in the rain. If ever you do get wet out of "uncontrollable" situations, get to the shower and take a quick bath. Believe me, it does help.
Drink a lot of water. The more you do, the more you excrete wastes from your body, flushing out the toxins as well.

I hope that helped. For the record, these companies aren't paying me anything for doing this (maybe they should hehehe :p). To be honest, I am getting the coughs too. I hope I don't lose my voice tomorrow; I don't want to deliver my speech with a voice of some shrieking rockstar after an all-out concert. To all those who are bedridden as of now, you better rest well, because a hell of a rollercoaster is coming our way. Stay disease-free guys and gals!

Welcome to the UN!

2008-09-07T15:06:00.006+08:00

Room 302 captures the true essence of the word "Diversity." Tagged as the "United Nations Room," this room has a total of four nationalities, a room which is probably with the highest diversity index (as we would call it in Biology) in the whole dormitory. With this, I'd like to extend my warm welcome to Vaidas, the Lithuanian who will "represent" Europe in the United Nations Room, together with his 6-liter family pack jug of water, as he joins the members of the UN (two Filipinos, two Bhutanese, and an Indonesian, to be exact) in tackling basic problems of student life (which would include, among many topics, the UN's most talked about subject: GIRLS).

Europeans and all Westerners should become interested in learning about Asian culture in the business world, as they say that the future superpowers will all be Asian countries. Where's the best place to learn about Asian culture? No where else but in the Asian Institute of Management! (that was an advertisement plug)

Once again, Vaidas, Welcome!

Emo Mode Off

2008-09-06T10:46:00.001+08:00

Please disregard the previous post. Nine hours of sleep does do wonders in AIM. Damn, I should get more sleep often. Enjoy the weekend guys!

Lost in the Feeling

2008-09-06T00:02:00.007+08:00

Warning: The text ahead is so emo! DO NOT proceed if you are feeling great right now.

It's a wonderful Friday night, and I'm stuck in the corners of my room, as usual. With the joys of the weekend looming ahead, most (or I think all?) of the members of the Filipino community here in the Institute left for their respective homes somewhere in the large city (except me, of course; woe to me). Although the feeling of serenity and rest does seem to put promise for the weekend ahead, I sort of feel alone again. I seem to lack the presence of someone just being there, even if no conversation is to take place. I miss the feeling of someone being there for me, even for just a moment, with the sole concern of just being with me. Damn, I'm just missing people nowadays. Do you know how it feels when you are down and you just want to tell someone you trust but find no one?

Probably one of the hardest things I have to overcome is the fact that I have been "thrown in deep water" again and have been struggling to keep afloat. Loneliness does seem to take a toll on my emotional stability, even if, as they say, I am as rigid as a rock. I am not a man of many discussions; I'd rather sit with a person I am comfortable with and just be there with nothing said. I guess that is one thing a student has to handle in AIM: aside from the fact that pressures are coming from all over academically and socially, you have to face the truth that you are alone personally and that you have to find a real friend all over again to cling on to. Sigh. I am not that type that can do such a thing instantly. Well, being an introvert does have its downsides; I don't meet new people that easily, I don't trust that easily, and I don't live the life of a party. I wouldn't want to say that I made (another) wrong decision in life for being here. Nah, I'm staying, no matter what it takes.

I miss the conversations I used to have in the Pit (I can't believe I said that again). I miss the guys working hard in my little struggling store in Dumsville. I miss speaking Bisaya. I miss the companionship of my beloved (and all the shopping!). I miss being with my family... Hell, I miss just being myself for a moment with others.

I guess many students feel the same way: they feel empty, they pretend to be someone they aren't, they release a smile even if they are struggling inside. For those aspiring to be a student of this school, prepare for an emotional attack. Depression can kill you if you can't handle it.

Maybe it's because stress has caught up with me. Maybe its the serenades of Paramore and Urbandub playing in the background that influenced my mood. Or, it may be because we didn't get the "money" on time. It may even be because of the Written Analysis of Case (WAC) exam we had a while ago. Hell, maybe it's just me. Well, at least I have the Bhutanese buddies to keep me company for the weekend. I might as well enjoy it, as I suspect these moments will become very rare as the "real deal" continues.

Wake up Joh! Another war is about to happen; put yourself together and prepare for the worst.

I Can't Stop Thinking of It...

2008-09-04T20:50:00.006+08:00

Tomorrow, we will all WACke up in the morning, pWACk our things, and get ready to be WACked really hard.

Oh my... Do I feel the tension?

[Picture from Cartoon Stock]

You Live, You Die...

2008-09-04T16:36:00.005+08:00

...with your Can Group (or so they say). For the next 8 months (yup, that long), this is the group I will be with, running down cases of different sizes and proportions. So, we technically will be together for very long time. Despite having a good number of Filipinos in class, in my group, I am the only one confronted with two Indonesians (Yusuf and Shirleen) and three Indians (Subu, Rajesh, and Shalabh, who didn't hold his name plate). These are great people, and after the past few nights of discussing (and arguing, usually between 8 to 12 in the evening; however, we still find to reach a compromise), we are soon getting a hang of being together. I just hope we maintain this comradery for the succeeding months.

The one thing that makes the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) unique is the use of the Case Analysis Method, a teaching process patterned after that of Harvard Business School. With this style of teaching, we, the students, are the ones in charge of "teaching" ourselves, with the teachers merely as guides in the classroom. A Can Group is the smallest unit of learning in AIM, whose main objective is to simulate real-life situations where we are faced with different problems which we have to tackle with different personalities. They say that the term "Can Group" came about a long time ago. When students of Harvard were tackling a case, they usually did not have enough time to do so and would end up continuing their discussion while taking a visit to the "can" (a toilet bowl, i.e., while pooping). Imagine releasing both an idea and feces at the time (not cool!). Honestly, time is a constraint here in AIM.

I wish all the best to my group, to the guys (and gal!) of Learning Team 6 of Section A of AIM MBA Batch 3!

The Chess Game

2008-08-29T23:47:00.003+08:00

"It's your turn, Joh!"

Amy tapped his opponent in the shoulder, as if waking him up from a trance. It was a peaceful afternoon, as the two friends were so engrossed with the pieces on the board. Amy just made her move, carrying her piece of choice across the checkered blocks. "You better make your move soon."

Joh, the classical introvert, keeps silent, as he eyes his army. He looks at all the pieces, at all angles, as one massive unit, and analyzes all possibilities with the minimum amount of casualties. Seeing that Amy was getting restless, he loses his concentration, and soon stares at Amy with curiosity.

"I couldn't imagine you could make a move like that without checking the consequences," he spoke, keeping eye contact with Amy.

"Do you have to plan everything?" Amy replied.

"Not really... Okay, maybe. But don't you have to? A decision like that could spell defeat..." A confused Joh muttered.

"Well, I guess that's the way things are... You can't really predict the future a hundred percent, so I guess making moves like that are really part of it."

"Well, at least I have the chance of beating you," Joh said, releasing a subtle smirk.

Amy noticed his interest on her defeat and asked him as he was finalizing his move, "Can you see the outcome of the game just with my move?"

Joh, obviously finalizing his succeeding move in his mind, answered while looking at the pieces, "Well, after your move, I see three different possibilities, and each would take as little as two moves. You have a very little chance of winning the game now."

Amy seemed to have gotten excited by the comment. "Okay, let me have it."

With Amy's challenge, Joh picks his piece of choice and slowly drags it the way he has planned for the last ten minutes. As he drops the piece on the block of choice, he gives out a sigh. In his eyes, Amy noticed his certainty of the situation, seeing how pleased he was with his decision. Amy released a simple smile, amused with how much effort Joh placed in making that move. "You seem so determined in beating me."

"Well, this is a contest. Someone has to win." Joh's logic was soon put to the works.

"Haven't you also realized that this is also a game? You put so much effort in winning that you are forgetting that we are playing this to enjoy it. We are here to have fun, and it is not just for the winning. Yes, there will be a winner and a loser... But in the end, it's whoever enjoyed the game and learned the most that wins."

Joh was shocked with the reply. It soon dawned on him that he was so focused on the goals that he failed to see the bigger picture: that at the end of the day, it's who made the most out of it that matters.

"Let's ditch this board and go out for coffee. My treat." Joh said as he stood up, reaching out his hand to Amy.

"Always a pleasure, Joh."

[Got the picture from Easton Area High School]

Relaxation in Pictures

2008-08-27T23:30:00.008+08:00

How long has it been? Let's see... time seems to fly so fast (especially if you use most of it for studying :p). This city has been my new-found home for almost two weeks now, and the pre-MBA is reaching its maturation date. As we get closer to the real stuff, our anxieties are "geometrically" increasing. After barely surviving almost two weeks in the program, I am beginning to feel my body failing on me. And they say it's going to get harder. Sigh. I think I need to vomit.

Anyway, to relieve the stress of the everyday "academic punishment," Mr. Sangye Dorji* took a few artistic (and a few not so) shots of the campus and how a typical day for an pre-MBA student would look like.

The AIM Facade (Boot Camp)

Another Pic of Boot Camp

A stolen shot in the case room

An islet of greens in front of boot camp (there's Greenbelt 1!)

Another stolen shot (at least now I'm part of the picture)

Excel Spreadsheet Review (three hours of it!)

Benches by the poolside (no one follows that sign)

The famous AIM Zen Garden

Benches by the poolside (with Sangye's cigarettes; I told you no one follows the sign)

Our dorm room's chalk board (here it's still clean; now it's filled with scribbles)

The Bhutanese buddies (L to R): Pema, Tenzin, and Sangye

It's 1 am. And no, we were not studying here...

Exclusive! The occupants of room 302 in their pajamas (minus Sangye on the camera)

*Due to his utmost request, we, Mr. Sangye's marketing officers, congratulate his success in increasing the "tangible assets" in one of his "business investments" in the Philippines (which is a Maxx eucalyptus wrapper; don't ask why, it will only confuse you. :))

Jokes in 302

2008-08-22T16:48:00.005+08:00

Yehey! It's Friday... I haven't felt this relaxed in a week! Well, being used to a six-day work week, I finally know how valuable a Saturday is (disregarding the fact that the class will be having its first exam on Monday). After a week of semi-sleepless nights (well, they say 6 hours a night is more than it will ever be; some go without sleep in the program itself), I finally get a breather. Phew.

Yesterday, after studying in the library until 9:30 pm (we had to read 3 chapters of Financial Accounting and 3 chapters of Economics), I chose to go back to the dorm room to rest and finish my studies there. When I entered my room, all my room mates were together, also reading the books. After a few moments of trying to read the books, we soon got tired of learning (a concrete example of the 'law of diminishing returns') and ended up talking about very useless things. Hell, the things we talked about were 100% useless... but I have never had that much fun conversing in all my experiences here in AIM. It started out with Sangye (a Bhutanese who asked that, from now on, he should be called "Terrorist double-o-9") telling us a marketing joke he learned from an AIM alumnus friend:

When you approach a girl and say, 'I am very rich, and I want to marry you'... That is Marketing.
When you approach a friend and say, 'I am very rich, and I want to marry that girl'... That is Advertising.
When you send a text to a girl writing, 'I am rich, and I want to marry you'... That is Tele-marketing.
However, when you do all these things and the girl slaps you in the face... That is Customer Feedback.

Hehehe... talk about integration of lessons... To Sangye, as one of your 'marketing' managers, I advise you: better find a girl soon before you lose your mind here. :p

Passing the Time...

2008-08-21T16:38:00.008+08:00

I'm blogging in class... hehehehe... The temptation of trying took the better of me. Economics does seem to be a burden, but I am glad that my fear of the teacher has just changed. Well, it is true that first impressions don't necessarily last... However, I'll talk of that later... Now, I just have to listen... :p

P.S. please add me in your YMs! → johan_n_d

Three Days of AIM

2008-08-20T21:42:00.005+08:00

Man, am I tired. It has been the first 3 days in school and I already suffer from the lack of sleep and relaxation. I even get to hardly get out of the school (the last time I did was on Sunday, when I accompanied my Bhutanese friends to search for a place to have dinner). And to top that all of, the business subjects are skinning me to the bone. For someone from the sciences, I am not used to hearing business terms as if they were just common knowledge. An of example of which was when I, among the 130+ students in the room, commented on a certain problem, saying, "Sir, if I had the 1 million pesos right now, I'd take the car rather than waste my time computing which credit plan is better," and the professor said, "so, you are the type that, when receiving a bill from Meralco, would pay it out without looking at it." Yeah, well, I'm from Biology. What would you expect. :p

But it's not all wear and tear here. Besides from the 10 hours a day of constant reading/studying with quick breaks for meals in between, I was able to meet a lot of people here. And I really like the feeling that I am not alone in this hard Knox life. I have met people from all around, chancing upon finding an Ilongga accountant (but sadly, no Visayans yet). I've met a lot of Filipinos, like an Economist from Cagayan Valley (okay, I'm not sure if she is an economist; but she's a great meal buddy), a young politician (a 23-year-old councilor of Las Pinas, with an actress for a sister!), two other study buddies just from around the corner (well, somewhere in Manila), a whacky Philippine Air Force officer, an elegant Chinese-Filipina who happens to join me in the sciences (with her being a graduate of BS Psychology, we share one thing in common: we are both 'liabilities' in the business world hehehe), and many more. From those of other nations, I have met a trio of Bhutanese jolly fellows ('hey, I have chilies in my bag, would you like some?'), a bunch of fun-loving, Filipino-looking Indonesians (and they honestly do look like Filipinos), and probably a handful of Indians (they are great people and very aggressive in class too; plus, they dominate the class). The people here are wonderful, and if it wasn't for the difficulty of the subjects, I would have been enjoying every moment.

Well, it would be nice to blog it all now (free WiFi all around!), but I have tons to study (to sum it up, 3 chapters of Economics and a chapter each of Financial Accounting and Quantitative Analysis). Imagine, all I get is 6 hours a sleep a day! And that's just the maximum. Life truly is hard but fun in AIM.

P.S. The picture was taken by Regnard when he was invited to teach in the class. Can you find me? hehehe

A New Battle in a New City

2008-08-15T18:55:00.008+08:00

Hehehe... Sorry for taking so long. Adjusting one's life for the big city alone is a bit tasking, you know... Anyway, to put it simply, I am now in the Asian Institute of Management! Surprise, surprise... I haven't been doing much yet, except for the intense walking from one mall to another and the long hours of heavy PC gaming just to pass the time (I just finished the Age of Empires III: Warchiefs campaign!).

Probably the only time I did anything was when Virginia (it's her birthday today, by the way) and I walked around the string of malls looking for gifts for people back home (while she was 'escaping from work' and gone for more than two hours; on the side note, Junjie works just across AIM, and hence the only one I kept annoying since I knew no one else in this place). We walked around SM while it was raining like hell outside. She was honest enough to tell me that she hated her work here and her pay isn't that great for Manila standards (so all those back at home, I guess you have to be thankful!). She wasn't able to have dinner with me since her boss was 'patiently' waiting for her to get back to work (I wonder if that went well?). So, I had dinner alone, after mistakenly ordering the toughest sizzling squid I have ever eaten (it was a giant squid on a sizzling plate, and they didn't chop it for me!). Well, I'm not ordering that again for sure. And so, I ended the day sleeping alone in my very cold room (a silent but deadly aircon system they have here).

The great thing that happened now was that one of my roommates just arrived! Yup, now I'm not alone! He's an Indonesian named Charles, a 32-year-old Engineer from Jakarta. He just arrived today, and he is also a scholar! I was then soon told that this is the only room that will have mixed nationalities due to the scholarships (I think there will be contingents from the Philippines [that's me!], Indonesia, India, and Bhutan), hence this room is now declared an "All English" Room (I have to polish both my Tagalog and English now). Sigh. Gone are the days of speaking Bisaya. The good thing though is I get to meet different people from different walks of life and cultures. He and another Indonesian fellow (Batch 1 guy; we're Batch 3, by the way) invited me to go around the malls and have a bite to eat (finally, something new!). The Batch 1 guy (his name is Berto) paid for our meals (jokingly saying, 'you better pay me when you get your allowances!'), and as we reached the dorms, he was able to give us the password for the WiFi connection in our room! And this day just keeps getting better. Now, as I blog, I await a text message from Junjie as to where she will be celebrating her birthday. Yipee! More freebies.

Here are some pics I got using my 'ancient' phone (note to self: get a new one).

my bed for the next 16 months (looks like a bed on a boat!)

Our study area in the room (that's my desk over there!)

My roomie: Charles from Indonesia

Dorm rules and regulations behind our main door

I'll get more shots soon. I just need my allowance first so I could get a new phone. (the meal prices are killing me!) :p

[P.S. For gmail users, I now have an account! Message me if you want to know ;) ]

An Uprising in Severy

2008-08-09T20:47:00.004+08:00

A messenger arrives at the campsite at the cover of a pitch-black night, steering his horse away from the men sitting around the fire. As the dust the hooves of his horse makes settles, he gets off his steed, gasping because of the length and pace of his journey. A man stands up and draws his saber, pointing his weapon at the worn-out rider. "Who has sent you and what is your business here?" the armed brute asks the intruder.

"I was sent here to speak to the one they call 'Jhad,'" he mutters, as he breathes heavily.

"Argh! Then you have wasted you're time, fool! The Jhad you speak of is already go-..."

"Stand down, Matthia..." Another voice echoes through the darkness, coming from one of the men sitting around the fire. This man soon stands up and walks toward Matthia, pushing his sword down and motioning a moment of truce. This man was more refined than Matthia, suited with an elegant armor, with the prominent seal of a rooster on his chest. On his side, the hilt of his grand broad sword shimmers in the night. The awesome yet tranquil sight eases the rider's tensions.

"Matthia is one of my strongest generals. He does make sure I am well protected. Loyal warriors are hard to find these days..." this man continues.

"Are you Jhad, the rebel warlord of the South?" the weary rider asks.

"Yes, I am the one they call Jhad. But I am neither a rebel nor a warlord. I am just a fighter of truth and freedom," the man answers.

"Then if you are, I have a message for you from your allies of the North, the Severians. Inspired by your triumphs of the many battles here in the City of Spring of the South, we have started our uprising against the Swine Princess and her hordes of minions. But, we are not as successful as your campaign here in the South, and most of our strategic points have been lost due to the great number of our enemy. One of the Severians, Rebel General Daphodile, has begun her assault against the Swine Princess with her White Letter army, but we fear she might not be able to survive the onslaught."

"Then, what do you need of me?"

"If you allow it, we need your assistance in anything you may offer: weapons, men, strategies... All for the success of the campaign to free Severy from the Princess' cruel grip."

After hearing this, Jhad soon falls silent, in deep thought.

"The Severians are close friends of mine, as most of them did come from the City of Spring. But I know them to be soft-hearted and peaceful people, not wanting a fight if there is no need of it. The City of Spring will lend you our strongest warriors, those who are familiar with the terrains of Severy. However, I cannot grant you all, as we too have to defend the city from any attack the Swine Princess sends us. As for advice, relay these to your superiors.

First, never forget what you are fighting for. War is an ugly thing, and it is best if it is over with as quick as possible. The longer wars are, the greater the chances of its generals forgetting what they were fighting for in the first place. Never lose track of your goals; if it is truth and justice you fight for, never lose sight of this.

Second, if you want to start a war, make everybody a part of it. Do not fight in different battlefields; concentrate all your strength in one at a time. To defeat a great army, one should learn to be an army: one single unit of power.

Third, know your true enemy. armies may be marching throughout your lands, but there is always somebody else telling them to do so. That is where you should strike: at the head. An army without a leader will fall quicker.

Fourth, know the limits of your strength. Do not be ashamed to admit defeat and retreat. As long as there are battles to be fought, there is no victor. If you believe your forces can win a battle, then do all you can to achieve that.

Lastly, if there is a chance to end the war in peace, then take that opportunity. In war, everyone losses. If there is a chance to talk it out instead of fighting it, then do so. Only then are the true champions realized."

The messenger was struck with awe. "Are you willing to join this war, sir?" He mutters, as he breaks the silence.

"Jhad's missions in these lands are done," Matthia answers him. "Well, now that the City of Spring and the Swine Princess are still at armistice. He has been summoned by the Great King of Aimeran to join his forces further on north, in the Land of Gold."

"Very well," the messenger says, as he mounts his horse. "I will deliver your reply. Once again, we, Severians, are grateful for your help. We will fight this war, to the death, until truth prevails. Down to the Swine Princess and her tyranny! Long live Severy and the City of Spring!"

"Long live us all, my friend," Jhad answers. "Ride safely, and Godspeed."

And with this, the messenger salutes Jhad and rides out into the darkness of the night, toward Severy, where war will soon break out.

Hehehe. I was inspired to write this (probably last) piece of propaganda material, especially after reading Mical's take on the present situation. Well, this is my take. :D

[Got the picture from Medieval II Total War Heaven (yup, the game.;))]

A Looking Glass into the Future

2008-08-08T20:21:00.003+08:00

While I was scanning around the internet for other things aside from work (and yes, I do that regularly; so, sue me), I was able to stumble upon this. Honestly, I was trying to find out how the dorm looked like there, and this is where I landed instead. The blog is hosted by Regnard Raquedan, who is currently studying there. The funny thing is, if all went well last year, we would have been classmates (but alas, since when does life go so well? ;)). With his blog, I was able to see what my life will be in the coming months (or days?). Somehow, I feel thrilled after reading through some posts in his blog, but, on the other hand, shivers run down my spine. Well, I could read through the lines that next week isn't going to be a walk in the park (if it is, it's sure going to be one HELL of a park). My excitement seems to have been preempted by anxiety. I find it hard to imagine how I, a biologist by academic standings and copyeditor by profession, could keep up with the program. Tsk. tsk. But then again, I don't back down on challenges, and more so on this one. I promise myself that it will be a fight to the finish (oh no, more battles? Looks like the rooster isn’t going on a vacation after all ;)) At least I’m glad there’s someone else in the Institute doing some time on the net. teehee.

Anyway, I seem to be side-tripping a bit. Regnard's blog depicts the lights and sounds a student in the Institute would experience in his short stay there (16 months!). As I see it, it seems quite a ride (I could only imagine for the moment). And, to top it all off, he is a good writer, which makes reading his posts interesting. If any of you want to know how life is for him and the other students there (and is going to be for me), you can check out his blog. It seems very far-fetched for someone like me who'd prefer wearing shorts and slippers than a coat and tie. ;) Then again, we should never hesitate to upgrade (though I’d rather wear a barong).

Counting Days

2008-08-07T20:52:00.002+08:00

Somehow, I couldn’t find the will to write anything. Probably because I was so used to writing things with so much angst against something that now all my anger is gone (I’m leaving this city very soon!), I don’t know what else to write about. I guess the propaganda on my part has ended already, since all I have is four days until all ‘battles’ end and the ‘war’ won (as according to my iGoogle Counter). Hell, I couldn’t think of anything else to write about. Although I’m still in the pit, my mind is drifting away slowly, as I try not to stress myself (my whopping editing speed of 24+ pages per hour is now just a measly 15, and please, I am not bragging).

I know that as I move on from this place, everything would be different again. It kind of reminds me when I left my home city for Dumaguete more than six years ago. I knew nobody, I knew very little of the place, and I practically arrived with nothing, just willpower. And in a few days, I will be doing that again, but this time, to a bigger city. Anxiety does take its hold on me this time. Moving to a new city does have its quirks, and one of them is leaving people. Hey, as if that’s something new for me. I did that six years ago already (hence, my very short list of friends). I honestly believe that I'm not really a friendly guy, and keeping friends isn’t really my forte (although I try, really). I guess these are the things people think of when they know their lives are going to change very soon. Sigh. I guess I’ll go back counting the days…

A Silent Universe

2008-08-02T20:35:00.002+08:00

Just something I noticed: It has been awfully quiet in the blog universe (that which I am familiar with, anyway) lately... Everyone seemed to have stopped writing and started working... tsk tsk... The silence is killing me...

A Fortnight and the War will be Over (or will it?)

2008-07-30T21:19:00.002+08:00

Yes, 14 days. Contrary to the August 15 exit, I guess I'll be making it earlier with an August 13 one, as the pit will not grant to unlock my chains until the last second of my declaration of freedom. But, notwithstanding my beliefs, they're not letting me go that easily. But hey, I'm not complaining. :)

And no, this is not because the Swine Princess is planning (or is it forcing?) to let my team of motley gladiators help another team despite our lack of expertise on their project (another one of the Princess' drastic measures, which I have strong doubts might not work; let's not go into details), but because the Swine Princess is granting me an opportunity. Yes, she just can't let me go that easily. But this time, it's an offer I can't refuse. In spite of me hating her so much, she doesn't seem to want to see talent go to waste (ahem, they do think my skills are great even if I don't; note to self: I should think highly of myself more). What is this I am ranting about? Let's say it's something I could use to pay off the little expenses when I am studying again (to those who don't know yet, yes, I am resigning very soon, and yes, I am leaving Dumaguete). I kind of like the idea a lot; it looks like the Swine Princess is shuffling her playing cards right. I hope this time I don't complain as much as I do now.

As they say, life is a gamble (or do they have a lot of metaphors about life?), and I guess I am willing to take the chance, once again, for the beloved Swine Princess. I guess you can't hate someone (or something) forever. Maybe the war will end on a negotiating table, signing treaties. That's okay with me; I didn't fight the many battles for victory, I fought them for a belief of freedom and justice. Maybe all this fighting will soon end in peace. ;)

P.S. Today, July 30, 2008, my family's pet German Shepherd, Rafraf, died, at 5:50 p.m., in our home in Bacolod. He was 8 years old, and he meant so much to me and my family. He was a great pet, and we could depend on him so much. He was loyal and kind, and yet fierce to all adversaries. He grew old being loved, and as he passed away a while ago, he was sent off with the love of my family and me. All dogs go to heaven, and I am sure he's up there already, guarding us, as always. To Rafraf Diaz, the greatest pet I ever had.

Twisting the Screw

2008-07-30T16:48:00.005+08:00

Hahahaha... I found another sick joke. Check this out:

It's the spring of 1957 and Bobby goes to pick up his date, Peggy Sue. Bobby's a pretty hip guy with his own car and a ducktail hairdo. At the front door Peggy Sue's father answers and invites him in.

'Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?' he says.

'That's cool.' says Bobby.

Peggy Sue's father asks Bobby what they are planning to do. Bobby replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive-in movie.

Peggy Sue's father responds, 'Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all of the kids are doing it.'

Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Bobby and he says, 'Whaaaat?'

'Yeah,' says Peggy Sue's father, 'Peggy Sue really likes to screw; she'll screw all night if we let her!'

Bobby's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear as he mentally revises the night's plans. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Bobby escorts his date out the front door while Dad is saying, 'Have a good evening, kids!'

About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her father:

'Dammit, Daddy! The twist! It's called the twist!!'

Sigh. And you thought it's all too good to be true... :p Anyway, talk about misunderstandings and the costs of which...

[Joke taken from Comedy Central]

Life's No Joke... But this is :D

2008-07-25T21:35:00.005+08:00

Okay, just to ease things a bit... Let's get rid of the serious stuff for a while and laugh at a joke, shall we?

A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise and yelled over to the boy, "Hey Willis, forget your troubles. Come in and visit with us. I'll help you get the wagon up later."

"That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to."

"Aw come on boy," the farmer insisted.

"Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "but Pa won't like it."

After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset."

"Don't be foolish!" the neighbor said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?"

"Under the wagon."

Har har har... Innocence at its best.

[joke was from Comedy Central]

Life's No Joke

2008-07-25T21:17:00.001+08:00

I know, I know. Another thing about life. I guess the doodle is going sentimental, with all its life-inspiring posts. But seriously, it's just a coincidence. And besides, these things are really nice to read. They keep you thinking and hoping...

Anyway, here's an inspiring text I received just recently. It was quoted from a comedian of the 1970s and 1980s, when his wife passed away in 1997. George Carlin, a stand-up comedian and actor known for his political satires and black humor, dedicated this piece to his wife, adding the statement, "What a difference a sad event in someone's life makes." As you read on, you will soon see that most of his insights are undoubtedly true (just a note, I did a little editing on the splitting of the text; it wasn't readable when it was compacted into one paragraph ;)).

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin died just this year, on June 22. The world has just lost one of its brightest inhabitants.

[image from Wikipedia]