It's the time of the year again to look back and reminisce the awesome moments and experiences I had in the past year. For me 2013 has been a great year for friends, for work and myself. I was very blessed to have many people loving me and share great times with one another. My favorite parts of the year are my travel experiences like my first Manila Wedding with my team, Trebor Z, our Davao Vaction with family and our CDO-Camiguin Trip with my college and high school friends. I really enjoyed summer weekends with my friends where we just partied all the way.

About my career, I still remained my part time jobs like teaching in Ateneo and layouting stuff. But amidst all of these time with other people, I really enjoyed most is my time for myself. I became fond in jogging and taking care of my health. Time alone is very important for me so I can discover myself more and reflect all the blessing I have. Above all, I always feel the presence of God in my daily life. Because of Him, my 2013 became a great one. Here are some highlights of my year: (Click on photo for larger view)



January - Welcomed the New Year at Paseo del Mar with Family while watching the grand fireworks show. Back in class, we had a Pop Music Cover activity and they created Music Videos for their midterms. Trebz went in class to share something about DSLR Cinematography. The Music Videos they produced were great. Watch them here.



February - Had my first Manila Wedding SDE at Alabang. After the wedding, we had fun at Enchanted Kingdom, another first. Back in Zambo, watched Ciento with friends. Became Panelist for the Seniors Portfolio presentation. Feb 4 was Wella's bday, and 21 was Ate's.



March - Had a family outing at Zambo Ecozone. Went swimming, kayaking and a lot of eating. Had weddings, photoshoot and parties with Trebor Z family. I didn't know these were the last times when the group bonded coz unfortunately some of the members went out of the group already. Aljo went home for summer break and had a fun Losers Reunion.



April - Summer classes starts (taught Nursing Informatics and Desktop Publishing). Lots of SDE, layouts and of course, night outs with friends. Wedding Fair at Centro Pastoral. Jogging always! Surprised Peypey on her birthday. We had a high school reunion at Barcode and Alejandra's where we had karaoke. So much fun!



May - Started with the Summer Peace Festival. Music+Beer=Fun! Bought Mama a cake for Mother's Day then had dinner at Palmeras. Local and Senatorial Elections. Weekend nights were time for friends. Karaoke, Beer, Good Food and lots of good time! Finally i got my driver's license!



June - Had a family vacation of Davao. Went to Samal Island, Jack's Ridge, Malls and visited our families there. Upon arriving Zamboanga, i had my first class for the first sem. I had 5 subjects! But two were just substitute. Dinner during Father's Day at BarBHaus. A lot of school time. I joined Maam Beng's Communications and Info Group as she goes into office as the new City Mayor.



July - Mac-Mac's Bday. Papa was inducted as President of Rotary Club of Zamboanga City East. Printed shirts for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of Tetuan Parish. Classes were fun specially in Sound Supervision. I learned a lot about Sound Recording. Finally, me and my high school and college friends went to Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin for a vacation. Went to Katibawasan falls, Ardent Hot Springs, White Island (the best!!!), Sto Nino Cold Springs, and went White Water Rafting in CDO. We had a blast!



August - My Birthday month! I really felt the love from my family and friends. My loves/friends, surprised me at the eve of my birthday and brought food and gifts. My Ate went home and we had dinner at Mang Paeng's (one of my new favorite restaurants). Trebor Z family also me and Carlo a birthday night out. Back in school, we created music videos for their midterms. At the City Hall, we produced a new Tourism campaign for the city, Zoom In Zamboanga.



September - Went to Manila for the Philippine Travel Mart for the launching of the new Tourism Campaign and Maam Beng's Birthday. For the first time, my layout was published in a whole page of Philippine Daily Inquirer. The launching was successful and I really felt appreciated with our work. But the tables turned quickly. A day after we arrived home the MNLF Standoff happened. A breakaway group of MNLF had a standoff with the military when they try to raise their flag at the city hall. The city became a ghost town and it was so surreal. Families were displaced and business shut down. We were prisoners in our own homes but it didn't stop us from doing something. We volunteered to help the evacuees and soldiers by cooking rice for them.

After three weeks, the standoff finally ended and the city started to get back to normal. I started jogging again but this time at Pasonanca Park since the grandstand became an evacuation center. The newly renovated grandstand suddenly looked like a slum area and the facilities were ruined. At Pasonanca, i found hope. At Maam Beng's office, we produced a short documentary, #RebuildZambo to invite people to donate for the victims of the standoff. Before September ended, we celebrated Mama's Birthday at Palmeras.



October - This is supposedly the Fiesta Month, however, due to the standoff, all efforts were focused in the rehabilitation of the city. Ate and some friends went here to celebrate the fiesta. There were no activities but we toured them around the city and had a feast at home. We also lit candles at the Fort Pilar. Work at Trebor Z started to pick up but classes were suspended for the rest of the semester. Had a lot of jogging time and friends time still.



November - For the first time, i wasn't able to go to the cemetery for the All Soul's Day. But, had a fun reunion with high school friends when January (who became my facebook girlfriend) went home. We visited Destinee and her son, Bubuj. We had a lot of fun bonding time. Second Semester starts. #YOLANDA, stongest supertyphoon hit Visayas. Papa's Bday. Became speaker at DSPC for Photojournalism. Joed's birthday. Met Joed's #lovelife Zedher and had an overnight outing at Zambo Ecozone.



December - Started with a beautiful sunrise view at Ecozone. Had my first jog of the month there and had so much fun with friends. Ateneo Fiesta was super boring but we joined the Music Video Parody contest and had lots of fun doing it. We created "The Fox" music video with Kachoys. Fortunately, we won the contest! Of course, December is still the Wedding month. I had back to back to back weddings and it was so toxic! Worked so hard but i still had the best Christmas parties with friends and family. I guess i had too much fun when i had a minor motorcycle accident which left a wound on my left knee. I wasn't able to jog for three weeks!

We also surprised Jervin on his 24th birthday and had lots of fun! For the first time also, we didn't have a family reunion at Safety where we have our traditional New Year's eve dinner. Instead we had a dinner at home with our relatives and had great fun! We went to City Hall for our traditional new year's eve pictorial but the lights turned off and the siren rang which signaled the start of the new year. Then we headed to Tennyl's crib and continued the party. We had Empong and Wii and just partied the night away! What a way to start the year!


All i can say is that 2013 has been a great one! I'm really blessed and I praise and thank God for all of these experiences I have so far. I wont wish for a great 2014, but i'll do my best to make it a good one. Wishing everyone a great year! Check out my Year in Facebook here.

Life is such a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes you are up, sometimes you're down. We should learn how to balance the way we live. Check out this mathematical way of figuring out what life is made of.




end.

Dogs are indeed man's best friend. Here in Zamboanga, an "askal" or streetdog, named Kabang, saves 2 kids from being hit by a motorcycle. According to its owner, Kabang saw the kids at the street when a motorcycle was fast approaching. Kabang then went for the motorcycle and dodge it, thus, avoiding the accident to happen.

Sadly, its upper mouth got stuck between the sprackets ripping off its nose area, leaving it dangling with lots of blood. The owner decided to cut of Kabang's whole upper mouth as you can see in the photo. This story was broadcasted in national news and help was given to Kabang by pet owners' organizations. Recently, they discovered that Kabang is a pregnant mother. Yes, Kabang is a girl. Because of this news, Zamboanga got a better image, after having lots of terror-related news. Anyways, here is another heart-melting story of a heroic dog i got from facebook that is also worth sharing:


Pitbull saves 2 women (barangay Lapasan Philippines)



The children in the Fronteras household refer to their dog as "kuya" ("big brother"), and he certainly proved it on the day he sacrificed his life to protect the family.

On Monday, Feb. 12 at around 2 p.m., "Chief", an American Pit Bull Terrier, rescued Liberata la Victoria, 87, and her granddaughter Maria Victoria Fronteras from a deadly cobra which had entered their house through an opening in the kitchen.

Liberata la Victoria and Chief had been watching TV on the sofa when suddenly Chief jumped up and alerted her to the presence of a cobra less than 10 feet away. Maria Victoria rushed in and pulled her grandmother into a separate room, hoping the snake would leave.

But when Maria Victoria later emerged from the room, she was terrified to find the cobra poised about two feet away. Equally startled, the cobra expanded its hood and appeared to be spitting venom as it prepared to strike.

"The snake was in front of us, maneuvering a deadly attack," says Maria Victoria. "I screamed out loud to ask for help." 1

That's when from "out of nowhere", Chief dashed between the cobra and the two women, using himself as a shield against the cobra's attacks. Chief then seized the cobra by the neck and slammed it into the floor, killing it.

But for Chief it was a Pyrrhic victory. In the struggle, he sustained a fatal bite to the jaw, and moments later he began gasping for breath and collapsed.

The family sought the help of a veterinarian, but they were told that nothing could be done. According to the vet, the bite was too close to Chief's brain, and the venom had already spread. Maria Victoria called her husband Marlone who, stunned by the news, rushed home immediately.

Ian de la Rama, a friend of the family, says it was less than 30 minutes from the time Chief had been bitten that he "went wobbly and lost control of his organs," 2 urinating and defecating uncontrollably. Yet he still kept clinging to life.

It wasn't until Marlone arrived that Chief finally let go.

Ian de la Rama describes, "Chief gave his two deep breaths and died. He was fighting and saving his last ounces of breath to see a glimpse of his master for the last two seconds of his life." 1

Ian adds that the last thing Chief did as he gazed up at Marlone was wag his tail.

With all the work and stress we have all day do we still give a little time for our family? Here's a story i got in tumblr and hope you'll get how important time is.


A woman came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find her 5-year old son waiting for her at the door.

SON: ‘Mummy, may I ask you a question?’

MUM: ‘Yeah sure, what it is?’ replied the woman.

SON: ‘Mummy, how much do you make an hour?’

MUM: ‘That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?’ the woman said angrily.

SON: ‘I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?’

MUM: ‘If you must know, I make $20 an hour.’

SON: ‘Oh,’ the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: “Mummy, may I please borrow $5?”

The mother was furious, ‘If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.’

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door…

The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the woman had calmed down, and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $5 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.The woman went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

Are you asleep, son?’ She asked.

‘No Mummy, I’m awake,’ replied the boy.

I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier’ said the woman. ‘It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $5 you asked for.’

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. ‘Oh, thank you Mummy!’ he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The woman saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his mother.

‘Why do you want more money if you already have some?’ the mother grumbled.

‘Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,’ the little boy replied.

‘Mummy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.’

The mother was crushed. She put her arms around her little son, and she begged for his forgiveness.

It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $20 worth of your time with someone you love ♥

During our trip in Manila, i met my dad's cousin, uncle Ojing. He's really an inspiring man. He's so smart and has so many stories to tell and words of wisdom to share. He has written a grammar book together with his wife, tita Twinny. For 4 days, they accomodated us warmly and we're so happy and thankful for their generosity.

They have two boys, Rovik and Orvik who are just as impressive as their parents. They study at home with their parents as their teachers for English, Math and Science, and also go to school (Victory Int'l School in BGC) for some subjects like PE and Values Education. These kids are very smart and they speak fluently in English and Tagalog. You may think home-schooled kids are loners or geeks but these two boys are intelligent yet very energetic, active, friendly and outgoing kids. Aside from doing good in their studies, they are also athletes playing football and swimming. The photo above shows Me, Papa and Ate with Orvik and Rovik after their football training.

Uncle showed us one of Rovik's projects, a school paper, all written, designed and printed by him. My mind was just blown away with the structure, organization of thought and advanced level of writing of this kid. Orvik shared an article about his experience in one of their football tournaments and it was a lot of fun to read. Rovik posted the write-ups in his own blog, too. I got to talk with Rovick about flash animation and techie stuff. He said he wants to study Computer Science in college. They boy knows what he wants in his young age.

You might wonder why this post is titled as it is. I'll proceed to that now :). As we were finding our way to the hotel in Pampanga, uncle Ojing, who was driving the van, and Papa were talking about the death of uncle's dad. He shared how his dad was so smart and can do many things in life but chose to be with his chickens (for sabong, perhaps). Rovik even called him Lolo Chicken because of his fondness for sabong (cock-fighting). Uncle, then, shared this story about the eagle and the chickens.~

A long time ago in a remote valley, there lived a farmer. One day he got tired of the daily routine of running the farm and decided to climb the cliffs that brooded above the valley to see what lay beyond.


He climbed all day until he reached a ledge just below the top of the cliff; there, to his amazement was a nest, full of eggs.

Immediately he knew they were eagle's eggs and, even though he knew it was profoundly un-ecological and almost certainly illegal, he carefully took one and stowed it in his pack; then seeing the sun was low in the sky, he realized it was too late in the day to make the top and slowly began to make his way down the cliff to his farm.

When he got home he put the egg in with the few chickens he kept in the yard. The mother hen was the proudest chicken you ever saw, sitting atop this magnificent egg; and the cockerel couldn't have been prouder.

Sure enough, some weeks later, from the egg emerged a fine, healthy eaglet. And as is in the gentle nature of chickens, they didn't balk at the stranger in their midst and raised the majestic bird as one of their own.

So it was that the eagle grew up with its brother and sister chicks. It learned to do all the things chickens do: it clucked and cackled, scratching in the dirt for gritsand worms, flapping its wings furiously, flying just a few feet in the air before crashing down to earth in a pile of dust and feathers.

It believed resolutely and absolutely it was a chicken.

One day, late in its life, the eagle-who-thought-he-was-a-chicken happened to look up at the sky. High overhead, soaring majestically and effortlessly on the thermals with scarcely a single beat of its powerful golden wings, was an eagle!

"What's that?!", cried the old eagle in awe. "It's magnificent! So much power and grace! It's beautiful!"

"That's an eagle", replied a nearby chicken, "That's the King of the Birds. It's a bird of the air... not for the likes of us. We're only chickens, we're birds of the earth".

With that, they all cast their eyes downwards once more and continued digging in the dirt.

And so it was that the eagle lived and died a chicken... because that's all it believed itself to be.

~So there you have it. Uncle shared this story which he compares to his father who had the talent but settled with mediocrity due to the influence of the people who surrounded him. It's a simple story but this is the reality. We are all meant to be great but if we let people dictate who we are and what we will be, we won't go far in life.

We must believe in our capabilities and always do our best in everything we do to be successful in life. Let no one hinder us from making it big and achieving our dreams and aspiration. God already gave us the things we need and it's up for us on how to use them.~

This story was originally written by Dr. Eldon Taylor in NY Times Best-selling book, "Choices and Illusions." I copied the text here. Photo credits: Egg by inuks; Eaglet; Chicken by ugil. You may also watch the story here.

Just wanna write this post before 2011 will come to an end. For me 2011 is a year of oxymorons. To get what i mean here are some phrases that describes my year:

Independently Dependent

Burning Cold

Freedom in Captivity

Boringly Fun

Intelligently Dumb

Breathing without Air

Stressfully Relaxing

Emotional Robot

Silent Noise

Calm Waterfalls

Beginning of the End

2011 is a year of adventures and adversities. This year I got to live as a working person and not as a student anymore. I travelled and got to work outside the city and had lots of fun. I had my funnest moments with my family but i also got distanced from them due to some decisions i made this year. I focused a lot in my professional growth and got to learn so much things in the process. I experienced new things like being a coordinator/event stylist, having my worst meltdown, winning a national competition, witnessing a unique cultural event, back-to-back-to-back-to-back events, my first weight loss and so much more.

It is a year of extremes where i started the year with betrayal, learning to confess, accept responsibilies, facing consequences and ended up with regaining trust. It is a year of extreme world events such as the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Haiti and New Zealand Earthquakes, Extreme Supermooon, Typhoon Sendong, World Revolutions (Egypt, Libya, etc), and more. It's as if the world is turning back against us.

It is a year where I have to make decisions on my own and be who I wanted to be. I have freedom and so many choices yet I have to go where my heart tells me where to go. I want to improve my skills and share it to people. I have felt such a range of emotions that only exprience and real life can give me. I felt more human but at the same time i still have that sense of wonder of what more can life give me. However, there are tons of factors to consider in every decision. I can't answer my own questions but only time can tell. It has been a crazily sane year and im looking forward to a great and better 2012. Cheers!

Freedom by Berk Ozturk
"You have to release your edges, after that you can feel free in deep..."

Just wanna share this story from Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner Up, Miss Shamcey Supsup.

My mother grew up in Basilan; she was among the poorest of the poor. They were 11 in the family and she told me na pangarap niya noon ay makakain ng buong itlog because before they would divide one egg among the family. So she strived to get an education. She was a scholar and to earn extra money, she would volunteer to do homework of her classmates in exchange for a share of their baon. I saw my mom’s perseverance. Now that she’s successful, she wants to send my cousins and other relatives to school. Education can really change your life.

How was your year? Well, here is a video which shows how the world went according to Google. It is called "Zeitgeist 2011: Year in Review," a video which compiles data from global queries from the world's biggest search engine. Zeitgeist, also known as "spirit of times", is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era (src: wiki). 2011 is a year of adversity, crossroads, remembrance, possibility, and inspiration. Check out the highlights of 2011 and ponder how your year went...

An awesome starter for the day. When we feel lost, always turn to God and let Him be your guide. His Words are always righteous and He has already given us our destination. We should only give our trust in Him and go on with our lives though His guidance. Thank God for making me a Christian! He is a loveable God and He will never leave me alone. No matter what life throws against us, we shall push forward and God is always there to back us up. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

Sorry for the foul language. This is a new series of posts that I'm sharing. Unlike my other series which is filled with positive and heart-warming stories, TANGINA THIS! is let's me see the uglier side of reality. Here are my rants, frustrations, and dismay on the things that just make me unhappy. I got the title from a series of Youtube videos.

This video left me struck, teary and speechless. I feel sad for the kids in the short-scale mining industry. They are exposing themselves in danger and they are risking their health in doing strenous things like this. Instead of playing and studying, they are laboring just to have money to sustain their living. What made me more sad is the old woman who is dedicated to do the hard work just to earn...

This is one of the most liked and top post of the day, a drawing of an artist with a signboard expressing his/her sentiments as a struggling artist. It is really a sad fact that we people in the creative business find hard to make profit out of our talents. Young artists always find themselves hungry at the end of the day cause their works are always "underpaid". People think that it's an easy job for us and they even give a low the value for our work. However, we don't have anyone to blame but ourselves.

Artists are not business people and they can't even give a justifiable price for their works especially when they are just new in the business. They get excited when they get a job. They always think of the final output and forget about the whole amount of effort, time and skill required in the production. Once the final output is delivered, that's the time they give the price. Sometimes, they even make the client decide on how much they will pay. Soon, it becomes a routine and when they become tired and uninspired, they realize that they have done so much and still they don't have that much money.

I, myself, is a struggling artist. I value art so much that i can't give a price to my work. What I value is the client's satisfaction, amazement, happiness, trust and respect. Merging business in the creative industry let me realize how to balance money and work. This is the part where I consider myself as a DESIGNER. For me making art is a personal thing and no one can influence me on what issue to tackle, what colors to choose or how my artwork will look. A true work of art is one that I created by expressing myself as an artist. But unlike artists, designers always consider a lot of factors in creating a work: the budget, time frame, the ideas of the client, your own ideas, the target audience, resources, and a lot more. A designer has a good balance of artistry and business, may it be a graphic designer, fashion designer, interior designer, etc. It's not always easy to learn the business side but when you are committed, you learn how to live without the regrets of wasting your effort and time.

Some say designers are not artists and i think it's their opinion. For me, as a designer I am also an artist because I have the talent and skill in creating a beautiful image. It doesn't matter what technique or medium you use or how expensive your materials are. What matters most is that you are capable of delivering your client's vision without being hungry at the end of the day : ) Just sayin'


Credits: I Dont do ART for Free by 'PearlEden

Here's a post about my dream a while ago. I wanna go straight to the epic part. So i was swimming in a calm lake with few unknown people around me. Out of nowhere there was a weird loud sound of a monster that echoed throughout the lake. From the other side of the lake there were also people swimming and they also heard the sound. Everyone was amazed and we even cheered and clapped.

As i was looking around, a whale breached out of the lake, dived on its back, and plunged back down to the waters. I can clearly remember the figure of the whale. It was dark grey in color, have bumps on the surface and it was not that big. It was a baby humpback whale. I remember that i was in shallow waters as we heard the loud sound, and when the whale jumped, i saw in deep waters and the creature swam underneath me. It kinda freaked me out, who wouldn't? I saw the whale glide underneath me and felt its bumps with my feet for a moment. The feeling was a mixture of calm, amazement, anxiety and fear. Then it went back towards me and eventually engulfed me. I can't remember how it happened but there was a story spreading around the place that day about the boy who was engulfed by the lake whale and survived by ripping through its stomach..haha. epic!


I've search about my dream and here are the results. There are also guide questions so i can delve deeper into the meaning of my dream.

Lake - To see a lake in your dream, signifies your emotional state of mind. You feel restricted and that you can't express your emotions freely. Alternatively, the lake may provide you with solace, security, and peace of mind. If the lake is clear and calm, then it symbolizes your inner peace. If the lake is disturbed, then you may be going through some emotional turmoil. Keywords: Doubts, Intuitions.

QUESTIONS to help you make associations(pick the one that makes most sense to you)

* What emotional issues have you been thinking about? Well, we have so much projects to work on. So many videos to edit. And im anxious about my first event coordination this weekend. And for the past weeks I did also have an emotional doubt about someone i deeply care...

Whale - To see a whale in your dream represents your intuition and awareness. You are in tuned with your sense of spirituality. Alternatively, a whale symbolizes a relationship or business project that may be too big to handle. You are feeling overwhelmed. The dream may also be a pun on "wailing" and a desire to cry out about something. KEYWORDS: Calm, Tranquil, Spiritual, Connection.

Killer Whale - To see a killer whale in your dream indicates that you need to be more social or more vocal about something. Step up and speak up. Alternatively, the dream symbolizes spiritual guidance. You are ready to explore your emotions, but you need to make the connection between the conscious and unconscious aspects of yourself.

QUESTIONS to help you make associations(pick the one that makes most sense to you)

* Where did you feel an overwhelming sense of calm yesterday? Possibly following a really difficult situation? Last night we went to a spa and have a massage. For an hour i felt relaxed and pampered. Then, we have to go back to the office and go back to work. I have so many things that has to be done and Im worried about the party that i will be handling this weekend.

* Is there anyone you have a real spiritual connection with(or wish to have with)? Yup. I do have someone with a spiritual connection with. Or maybe im in doubt and it's bothering me...

Lily a 6 year old great dane lost his eyesight
due to a rare disease.

He became disheartened
until he met Madison.

They have been together for 5 years
and Madison guides Lily by the leash
and touches him to make sure
he doesn't stumble over anything.

The picture reveals how dependent
and loving they are to each other

I learned in college that 99% of what we worry do not happen. Do you believe that? Well, here's a fortune cookie for you. A simple flow chart on what to do in your daily life :D

Life is a roller coaster. You can either scream every time you hit a bump, or you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride.