Emancipation

For the past months, I have not veered away from the topic of thesis in most of my blog entries. I'm more thankful that you stuck around for this long than I am sorry that this is getting sickening for you. After all, I don't have a particular theme for my blog, but me. Haha, pardon the narcissism if that's how you see it because not once have I intended for this to be in such way; just my online memory box. Anyway, back to the issue.

I hope and pray that THIS shall be the last of my thesis-related blogging saga, because today, my thesismates and I are finally emancipated from all requirements of our degree program's curriculum.

In behalf of Meryl and David of Working Lunch Productions, *insert magical chimes SFX* behold, all 55 pages of nine laborious yet fulfilling months of thesis goodness, hard-bound for the University Archives!

Sure, graduation is a month and a half away but I can't dwindle into idleness, right? Thus, September 1 marks the onset of an uncertain future.

Today's Specialty: Grilled Steak

We carnivores have our own preferences when it comes to how we want our steaks to be grilled: rare, medium rare, medium, or well done. Before that, though, we make sure we have the cut that is just right: filet, ribeye, strip, T-bone/porterhouse, or sirloin.

Today, 16 different cuts of steak (me included) were grilled. No matter how hard each steak cut wished to be grilled rare, the cooks wanted them all medium to well done. It's not exactly a bad thing for all of the steak cuts; how we were grilled actually helped to get the flavor out, almost to the point of charring. The bottom line is that each steak is cooked enough, ready for the October celebration!

Below: (1) Steaks aka thesis groups (2) condiments, garnish, flavoring aka thesis project (3) party time! [Wow, incoherent images in one collage. Tsk. I need more than my REM sleep tonight.]

Pardon the metaphor, it's a metaphor of the hungry! Haha.

My group's defense wasn't exactly exemplar or stellar but we couldn't be more satisfied about how everything fell into place, even if some needed a bit of adjusting. October graduation, here I come! :)

Four Generations

Four generations of Green Media Group VP-Externals. Taken at GMG's GA for T1, AY 2011-2012, Y405, by Frank Francisco.

From Ayis to Cee to Memzie to Arlene... Lahat may side bangs swept to the right. Lahat dumaan sa braces. Above all, lahat maganda. :)) Number one yun sa job description and contract. Haha!

Like what Arlene said, I'm so glad to have been a part of this lineage of responsibility, commitment, and dedication. :)

One Hundred

I have a hundred ideas stuck in my head and I can't bring myself to start writing them down. I've been hibernating from blogging for the past week (or weeks?) for reasons not obvious but I'll say it anyway... God, I'm tired. I'm always tired when I get home after a long day of video editing. Last week was extra tiresome, especially last Thursday.

As in every university, students have involuntarily created a jargon that creates an identity unique to, for instance, La Sallians. One, among so many is Happy Thursday, a notion where each Lasallian's weekend starts on a Thursday night. At least that was the case for three-four years until this school year started wherein students were expected to have six-day class weeks instead of the four-day ones for which I'm very well used to. Haha. So anyway, I haven't had a Happy Thursday in a really long time but June 16, 2011 broke the uneventful Thursday streak!

DLSU Centennial Celebration: 100 Years of Lasallian Presence in the Philippines

DISCLAIMER: Given that this post is way late for a recap or at least to recount the day's events, please do not expect this entry to have such contents. As this blog has been a journal for a good number of years (yes long before this revamped version), this entry will contain no more than my insights and what not. Haha. Besides, there are too many news articles, personal blogs, and photos and videos by now, all documented that day fully. Simply, you cannot get them here, haha.

Anyway. Better a late post than to never post at all. Hah! So when I said that last week was extra tiresome, I wasn't even *this close* to exaggerating. I was up and about from dawn until a little after midnight the next day; oh, and not much sleep the day before that as well, if that's any clear visual of the situation, haha. So anyway, I was a part of the centennial celebration production team so last week was pretty much pandemonium in my eyes.

This is me, spotted by a good friend Camille Go, while at the stage, doing what I love to do. This photo is priceless! Hahaha.

I don't look very happy there, yes? Hah! Can you blame me? It's part of the happiness: all the confusion, stress, and pressure... It all boils down to getting through it all and feel happy after everything, realizing that once more, I made things happen. Well, it's not just me, duh, but simply being part of a big success, knowing how my contributions, huge or tiny, helped in managing the audience's experiences.

Like what our group's adviser said in our pre-production meeting: "This is not a simple production or show we're doing on Thursday. It's more of a big production where we manage the experience of our audience." (Well, that's not verbatim because he talked too fast, but that's the gist. Haha.)

This was the grandest production that ever happened in my life, YET... And probably my last with the Green Media Group. :') *sniff* I have shared a spectrum of emotions with the group I considered my family in the university for four years, the group with which I built my world around. Let this entry be my medium to express how thankful I am for what GMG and CAO has given to me; trust, knowledge, and experience.

Thank you to everyone who believed I can do things. Thank you also to everyone who doubted that I could, because I think I just got better and stronger. :> Haha! No, really, I can't imagine what has become of me now if not for GMG; not that I'm a big somebody now, but I know that I can break boundaries and still know my limits.

I have been given the rarest of opportunities to serve and lead. I may not yet be the person I want to be but it's all in the works. You have trusted me a hundred percent, expect that I give back to you a hundred times more.

Indie Un-Film 2011

Are you ready for a new perspective?
March 19, 2011
SM Mall of Asia, Cinema 1
Public screening at 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Awarding ceremony at 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Ticket price: P200

Here are the finalists for the Indie Un-Film 2011!

Learn more about Indie Un-Film!

Website | Facebook | Twitter

See you there!

From The Heart to The World, BIDA: Be The Change!

Last weekend was the deadliest, most tiring, and equally fun weekend of my life so far. I was recommended by the Cultural Arts Office Director to be a facilitator at the CEAP Bidahan youth camp, with two other officers from the same office. I was iffy at first, thinking that it would be such a hassle, with thesis and the term nearing its end. But I met new people who are now good friends of mine; that alone takes away all the worries and doubts. I also gained so much experience in facilitating a large group of people with a vast set of unique personalities, as well as in dealing with different kinds of situations. I still have so much to say! But I'm still tired from those two days, so here I am, reporting that I am still alive after all the mental, physical, and emotional chaos I went through last week.

Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP)

BIDA: Be the Change (Bidahan) 2010 Youth Camp

November 27-28, 2010 | Assumption Antipolo

From the heart to the world, BIDA: Be The Change!

Earth keepers, ethical leaders! Ate Misyel Avelino pep talks all facilitators at the Faci HQ, aka Bat Cave!

Facilitators from DLSU (CAO, SLIFE, DO, LSPO) with Sir Lysander and Sir Jupiter!

The fusion of crazy facilitators that is DLSU and CSB! The oldies couldn't handle us. Hehehe.

More photos!

Butterfly Twin Popsies with my newly-found cousin, Margie!

Ever so kulit duo from LSPO, Nino and Chase!

Co-facilitator Aya and I with the brains of Bidahan, Mr. Rene Salvador San Andres!

Thanks to Geom (in blue) for bringing us to untouched girls' room with a shower head!

Okay, so on my way to the wash room to brush my teeth... Let's just say there were so many interruptions that led me to this... The most dyahe fan photo that Paolo Santos will ever have. Haha. He was cool about it anyway!

On to the next day...

I have to admit. I like sleeping on the floor but I hate waking up to find that I was on the floor all night. My back, hips, and joints won't stop screaming at me. But at least I was wearing the panda socks that Joh gave me. Hihi.

The trio just can't stop bonding. Haha.

Forcing a smile despite the extreme exhaustion.

Time to go home!

21 Days of Unplanned Hiatus

It has three full weeks since I last wrote an entry. I have so much to tell; the words are in my head, coursing through my veins, itching to be released through the power of my fingertips pounding on my laptop keyboard. I have the words, alright. But do I have the time? No.

Part of me feels bad that I haven't been writing for a long time. I actually learned to manage my time more when I plan to post an entry. Aside from that, it's a way to make incremental improvements with my writing skill and style. Or at least I'd like to think so. On the other hand, the latter part of me feels great that I haven't been spending so much time on the internet for the past few days. I actually accomplished things I don't normally even think about doing.

Time has been my toughest opponent; academics and school organization responsibilities, its mighty underlings. Add to that, internet connection deprivation has been the sole factor for the past seven days.

Now that I'm once again alive in the cyberspace, I plan to keep limiting my "stay" over the internet. New habit: time management. Ha! Gotta love it. Haha.

On the brighter side of things, I say hello to the weekend! It doesn't end there. Since I technically don't have any final exam this finals week, I say hello to you, too, TERM BREAK. Oh, how much you have been anticipated. Fourteen weeks, ay caramba. Around this time, seven days from now, I'll be on Davao soil and breathing (fresh) Davao air!

On the greener side of the fence: UAAP Season 73 FEU-DLSU Round 2 game was awesome! The FEU Tamaraws aren't very unbeatable after all! ;) Thanks to Meryl for the photo!

Bond With Brothers

The Green Media Groups holds its team-building activity every first term break of the academic year, which usually falls on the first week of September. As an integral part of the organization, I am expected to spearhead the activity. So I went to Batangas for an ocular with our office's secretary, Ate J, GMG's second in command, AJ, and our brothers from the same father, Miguel and Dave from De La Salle Innersoul. For security purposes, I will not reveal the names of the places we visited. Besides, I might say offensive things, not that I mean it. :)

LTTS Venue #1: If our goal was to get away from city life and just unwind, then V#1 would be perfect with its hotel rooms, kiddie wave pool, and adult ample-sized pool. The function rooms and open grounds weren't convincing at all.

LTTS Venue#2: One word to describe V#2 is PERFECT. Everything about it was perfect but the size! It was too small for three CAO groups to share. It's still not enough even for GMG.

This is the nearest swimming pool shot I could get cos there were people swimming. Weird naman if I suddenly take a photo. Haha, they might think I'm a paparazzi. :))

Today's quest wasn't very lucky for us. :(

With my brothers! :)

Not So Rusty

Running has been one of my passions since the past year. I think I'm officially celebrating my anniversary with the activity this month. In the same light, July seems the most apt month for the said celebration because: July 2009 was when I really got into running when I ended my two-month honeymoon period; July 2010, today, specifically, I broke my record again!

I joined the One Run, One Family, One La Salle 2 (OROFOLS2) Run today. When twice in the past week, I didn't think I could perform better today. The sore left and right legs were still sore, the right ankle still hurt, and my right arch still cramped. Despite all, I gained a new personal best for 5K at 41 minutes! How this happened, I couldn't think of any more reason but this: I just ran. Haha!

It's only sad that I wasn't able to fulfill my goal of running 10K this month. Maybe in September, who knows it could be earlier! :) Ora et labora! I'm attracting the 10K mark, I can do this!

OROFOLS2 was poorly organized, in my opinion. Aside from the problem with their sponsors (as explained here) and the Basyang disturbance that led to the great delay of distribution of race packets, my dissatisfaction didn't end there. After all, those were unforeseen and inevitable situations. I can also point out some disappointments during the race. The water stations were at inconvenient locations; the first one was already too far, good thing I brought a tiny bottle of water because I was sweating and was literally running dry! The second water station ran out of cups. Even worse, runners who already had cups had to pour for themselves! Self service at its finest, yeah? In the end, like finish-line-kind-of-end, there were terrible, almost non-moving queues when one crosses the finish line. And for what, goodie bags. I'm not being ungrateful about the giveaway. I am, really am, but it's not worth the 20-minute wait when you're tired and thirsty.

I had a good run, nonetheless. So that's one thumb up for you, OROFOLS2.

On the lighter side of things... Congratulations, Dani and Nicole for finishing your first 10K run! I'm so proud of you! Even if I had the guts to take on that challenge, I still wouldn't perform and deliver like you! So cheers and kudos to your latest feat!

Hope to run 10K with you soon, run buddies! :)

More photos, if you don't mind?

The irony is that this is the starting line.

My boys! Run buddies for the race, where we never really ran together, so scratch the buddies part. I missed Mommy! My forever run buddy!
Around this part of the race, I thanked Mr. Sun because this is where he normally shines to excruciatingly radiant that my eyes squint and my skin stings.

By this point, less than a kilometer to go before the big finish, my vision was almost as hazy as this. Only it's really hazy when I think about it now. Haha!

Not a flattering picture at all. I just wanted to have a photo like this. I always have, and now that I do, eckh. Bad idea. Haha.

General assembly? No, finish line.

Oh, lookie! It's the Lasallian Youth Orchestra! Hi, Machuchang, Ria, Korina, Ella! And everybody else! :) CAO REPRIZINT!

And look, another CAO REPRIZINT! La Salle Dance Company - Street! RJ Ledesma kept saying "La Salle Dance Street" :| Almost there, sir, but not quite! Anyway, I didn't know most of them! Newbies! :)

Uh, we were supposed to be showing off the new Reebok ZigTech shoes that we were wearing, and to be dissing my trusty New Balance set. Thanks, Mr. Camera Guy, mission accomplished. NOT. :( But the shoes were awesome. I waaant ZigTech! :)

Until then, I must post scarcely now. Chores, chores, chores. I wish Mommy would come home soon. Like, now.

Great Start

The UAAP Season 73 opening ceremony was led by this season's host, De La Salle University. The first game for the season was of the Green Archers and the UP Maroons. Thankfully, La Salle is out there to show that heroes really are made inside and outside of the court. With a final score of 80-62, the Green Archers, especially team captain Simon Atkins, were definitely on fire!

Let's keep winning, Archers!

001 to 100: DLSU Centennial Countdown Celebration

SKIP THIS PART. Not important. Proceed to photos. Thanks. Haha.

I had a humongous role and an extremely easy task. What could have gone wrong? Unfortunate circumstances, that's what. The effect of that mishap wasn't a major disaster, I think. But of course, having done productions for quite a time now, I knew that it wasn't excusable. Once the production/show/event has started, there never can be room for mistakes. Enough vagueness, it isn't helping.

Overall, the program was a success. It wasn't an ordinary program; it marked the day that De La Salle University counts down to the University's 100th year. I'm very drained. This entry is ugly; it falsifies my knowledge and competence in the field of writing. I don't normally write this way. La la la.

After the countdown, I was literally a walking zombie. So here are photos:

A photo from last night during the one and only technical run that the entire production had.
*HINT* My simple task with an enormous role: Babysit and guide our La Salle Greenhills representatives, Kevin and Roniel. Photo taken from inside the sacristi of the Most Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
While the show had been running smoothly since the flash mob dance, Stage Manager, Sir Brad, takes a breather and sits with the Lasallian Youth Orchestra. Congrats, Sir!
Countdown done! Time to party! (Look at all that confetti. I've never seen so much in my entire life!)

© Meryl Algenio 2010

WE ARE ROCK SOLID. I love you, EB loves. ♥ All drained but all smiles, still. (I just noticed how forced my smile is. Eckh. Haha.)

© Andrew Pamorada 2010

We are the Green Media Group. We make things happen.