My Fear of Losing Friends

I’m here at Starbucks, waiting for my turn to edit; nothing to do and nothing to think of. I started to do one of my pastimes, eavesdropping. It’s a bad habit of mine, but it never fails to teach me valuable things in life. But this time’s different, it made me reminisce and dream about what could happen with me and my friends.

There is a small group of frequent-customers, sat by me and my friend. A bit boisterous bunch actually, but it wasn’t a nuisance, on the contrary it actually became entertaining. I assumed that they’re composed of 3couples with one kid each, and their single lady friend. They started their conversation with this guy talking about his high school days, wherein he unintentionally bumped his dad’s Porche somewhere and he had to hide that for months, until his dad just accepted it when he entered college already. All the other guys we’re laughing at him and the girls were scolding him slightly about it, telling him that he’s a delinquent teen before. He ended up defending that his dad would kill him if he said it early; the cost of the repair was more than 40thousand and he was just high school at that time. The conversation went on. The guys talked about the crappy new voice actors of Dragon Ball Z Kai in Cartoon Network, how the Cartoon Network translation is totally different from the previous translation that they watched. Then they poorly tried to remember all the names of the characters in the series; from Vegeta, Gohan, Piccollo, Yamcha, and Chozu, which sadly they poorly guessed as Chouzai. The conversation went on as the girls talked about their college years with their husbands.

Those were the last few facts I got from that very animated group of yuppies. The funny thing is they entertained me for time. Sadly I dreamt of me and my friends in the future, I really do hope that me and my friends would be like those energetic group of people we encountered in the coffee shop. We’d stay for hours just reminiscing about the 90’s and 2000, from YuYuHakusho, Bleach, How I Met Your Mother, Glee, DOTA, Left4Dead, 9gag, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, LookBook, and whatever we might remember! It would be funny to find out how age and memory have that inverse relationship in their development! Forgetting exactly the names of characters, places, or whatever! And laughing so hard while remembering how foolish we were during our youth. We wouldn’t stop until we start crying!

I’d really want that to happen… and it just intensifies my fear of losing friends. I have to admit. I have that intense fear of my friend leaving; friends who just fade away, friends who start to get awkward as they know me more, friends who start hating me for whatever reason, and friends who start to believe other people and avoid me. I tremble and resort to my old friend, alcohol, when that time comes.

-MikeMark, December 16, 2011

What's Next?

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and then the elusive 2012. It has been a while... But yeah, it’s going to be my 6th year as a student. I transformed from being a Red Chanticleer in Claret School of Quezon City(CSQC) to a Green Archer in De La Salle University – Manila(DLSU-M). I was always in the course of criticizing and assessing various things, both institutions have not eluded my discussions. Although both of these institutions leave people with a high regards to anyone they get in touch with. CSQC with their school motto embedded in their school coat of arms saying “SCIENTIA MAXIME CUM VIRTUTE”, translated it means “Knowledge is Best with Virtue”; and DLSU-M with their school motto inscribed in their school logo saying “RELIGIO MORES CULTURA”, translated it means "Religion, Morals, Culture, Christian Achievers for God and Country”.

But more over the fact that I'm a Green Archer through and through; I am also pure blood Green Media Group(GMG) Member. What is GMG anyways? It is one of those organizations within DLSU-M, not popularly known but always on the lurking around whenever there’s an event within campus grounds. GMG is a Production and Events Management Organization of the University, specializing in various events and productions requirements such as production management, technical management, coverage and documentation, hosting, stage and production design, audio-visual production, script writing, and design conceptualization. All members embracing with pride the GMG motto “We Make Things Happen”.

But beyond that GMG, is a family. We don’t just work our lungs out, tire ourselves, and toil over events; we also have fun and bond with each other. GMG has a culture different from the usual organization; it encompasses a variety of options to its members as well as a specific training for each specialization. Handed down from generations to generations of GMG, trainings and production experience has been developing and molding members and teaching them not just how to manage events but to learn beyond events and know it in-and-out.  But this is getting out of hand…

Who's next? The next few who would lead GMG. (for the benefit of the few who could read this, I will cite on who is in-line for the position and next to it is my forecast a few months back, 2011)(and for the pool heads I will indicate just my forecast)

The President. (Anthony Sy, Carlo Ureta/Britany Lim)

Of course. The Leader of the pack of GMG. The person who understands the dynamics of technical direction and stage management. An event isn’t a solid event without good interaction between the technical side and the stage-management side. Also the representative of GMG, face and talent, the one who would represent GMG and live up to its motto “We Make Things Happen” and do it beyond expectations as a Lasallian would do.

The Executive Vice President [EVP] (Penny Wong, Britany Lim/Anthony Sy)

The Wing-Man. Well not necessarily on courtship or relationships but more on work and representations. Has the same work as the President but would be the other side of the world working on another job. Essentially the counter part of the President, if ever the president is technical, the EVP should be managerial in nature. Handles the one and only event set up by GMG, Indie Un Film [IUF].

Vice President for Internals (Frank Francisco, Penny Wong/Anthony Sy)

The CAO person. The one who is easily approached my any CAO group for whatever their needs. A flexible but stable person who would be able to comprehend CAO Trainer’s needs and respond or expect their mind-set for their production; whether it may be dance, audio, vocal, or theatrical. At the same time, this is the person who could easily interact with our Lovely CAO Secretary, Ate J.

Vice President for Externals (Janel Naval, PatJuat/Claire Marcelo)

The Representative. The person who actually faces clients within or outside the university. Should be able to express, interpret, and translate to a client the production/event requirements and capabilities of GMG. Has the opportunity to promote the activities of GMG, since most clients undermine and think that making an event is easy. Is responsible for approving various requests and evaluating if GMG can handle it.

Vice President for Human Resources and Logistics(Claire Marcelo, Claire Marcelo/Ayanna Tan)

The Mother. The person that should be able to comprehend any member’s stature within the organization. Comprehension and understanding must be an innate ability of this person, but at the same time detachment from the member since the welfare and culture of the organization may be in jeopardy. Also has a firm grasp of each members’ dynamics towards another member.

Vice President for Documentations and Finance(Chelsea Olaya/Claire Marcelo)

The Safe-Keep. The OC person who makes records of each and every event GMG is affiliated with; whether it be financial or documentations in nature. Responsible for the developing of the GMG Folio for future references and for financial issues, like reimbursements, expenditures, and accounting.

Coverage Pool Head (Danko Granada)

The Eye.

Production Design Pool Head (Raechel Ong/Russel Lato/Redjie Co)

The Arm.

Audio Visual Production Pool Head (Alberto Del Rosario/Miguel Guico)

The Digital Puppeteer.

Script Writing Pool Head (Via Alexa Yu)

The Scribe.

Creatives Pool Head (Denise Sales/Nicola Nievera/April Santiago)

The Playful Right Hemisphere.

Hosting Pool Head(Bianca Francisco)

The Face.

GMG Legacy…

We are Still making things happen.

Looking Like One And Being One

What do you wear? What colour you always have? Accessories or not? What are those shoes? How do I fare compared to him/her? How do you walk? Sit down? Write? What's your speaking language? Analytic or thinking language? How do you carry your stuff? Who? What books do you read? Do you even read? These are some of the things we think about when we're outside our own. Let me ask you one important thing.

Who are you?

We’d probably know much of these questions, except for the last one. You’d see much trying to get into the fad of things, rather than answer the last question I just asked.

Look around you there are people who (dare I say it?) imitate just for the sake of fad. Yes, we all had that moment of weakness, wherein we buy into those apparel, accessories, appliance, gadgets, and other objects just because we thought of it as essential to our social status. Yes it might be, but not essential. Buying stuff that we don’t really understand what it means, does, or represents.

For example, the Coffee and Tea Drink Fad or Craze or Trend or whatever you might call it, they don’t really sell coffee or tea but they “Serve” their coffee and/or tea differently. If coffee or tea was really expensive, rare, or unique then even if without their luxurious spaces they would still be charging everyone the same expensive price. How about those people who call themselves the “Gangsta” or in their slang, “Gangzterz”; I have to admit those guys made an effort, but for the love of humanity PLEASE learn how to do it! Cap on the head, not oversized cap engulfing your head; and Large shirt, not a shirt that eats you up, wherein the sleeves of your “shirt” starts on your elbow and the actual shirt ends on your knees. There are a lot of these fads that our locals attempt to imitate but drastically fail into.

There’s also one matter I must and insist on pointing out. Please stop trying to look rich, because there’s no such thing as a “rich look”. Here I put side by side the “trying-hard” to the actual elite. To wear branded clothes, combine trending colours and styles, and use their electronic gadgets; all of which both would use daily, but the actual elite would NOT flaunt theirs. Simply put that, on a normal day, the trying-hard  would consciously wear his/her best(with in mind, the questions previously stated or more) and flaunt it to the world, while the actual elite just pulled out anything from his/her closet and drawers, and went out. Still, a few could differentiate on who’s who.

I say let us all move on from that ideology and find ourselves. Try out everything and learn from them, this way you keep yourself open to better things, rather than not knowing why you’re doing or subscribing to such a fad or trend that doesn’t really suit your personality and especially your lifestyle. Don’t look for the objects, look for your style. Your style of clothes, fabric, gadget, coffee, lifestyle, way of walking or talking, accent, or anything! Find your preference! Or lose who you are and be some pathetic hybrid clone of ideologies you don’t even understand…

Last but definitely not the least; stop combining your hipster, jeje, and gangsta outfits with pathetic oversized flipflops! [Not to mention that you really don’t know what the meaning of an actual pedicure would be. I know my feet aren’t that pretty, but at least I know mine are clean.]

The Silence Before...

I'd want to believe that, whoever we are, wherever we may live, there's that silent person inside of us. For extroverts and people who delve much in PR, silence comes out of them rarely. It is a time to think, unwind, pray, contemplate, and just reflect about what matters to us most. For some they use it to practice; others use it for rest, while a few use it to ponder on things. For me it comes rarely, sometimes during holidays, travelling, commute, or just those rare days that we don't have anything to do. Just like yesterday and today with an exception, of course, to my family’s New Year celebration. Anyways, I had time to go around and think. I didn’t have much to talk to and to talk about. So I went around today, to ponder on things.

I am fond of silence, I find it therapeutic. It is my time to reflect on my actions as well as those people around me. But I rarely have time for that. Just like most extroverts, most of the time I’m around people, or at least I talk to people constantly that I wouldn’t have much unfilled time for myself. So whenever the chance presents itself, I fly for it. Come to think of it, I do much of my analysis during this time. Pondering on answers clashing with the “Whys” rather than the “How”.

This New Year 2012, my new year’s resolution would be alone. One obsession that keeps me sane and insane at the same time. People call it “Over-thinking”; as for me it is a lifestyle. Although this time, I’ll post it here.

Happy New Year Everyone! It is going to be the Year of the Dragon! My Year! Wish me luck!