tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-349329132024-03-19T23:57:12.532+08:00The Midnight Oilrandom thoughts from 12 to 4russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-85558233886998045742008-10-20T17:45:00.000+08:002008-10-20T21:45:46.003+08:00To build, or not to build?<span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span>In the midst of a global recession, the current real estate turmoil and wall street breakdown in the US, we recently came face to face with a very, very tough decision. <br><br>To build, or not to build - our first home, now, at the time of crisis - that is the question.<br><br>Perhaps it will be safer to wait. We have only been here in Australia for 10 months, after all. Perhaps we're rushing things. We could stay renting for 1 or 2 more years, like most migrants who were here before us did, before we even think about buying our first home. <br><br>Perhaps. <br><br>I could end the story right here, and leave you all hanging with the same question that bugged us for days. Do we, or do we not proceed? Those of you who have known me for years probably know the answer already. <br><br>Yes we did. And though I have established a reputation among family members and friends as a risk-taker, this, as the way things are currently turning out to be, is a risk I'll probably look back a couple of years from now and say, "Boy, am I glad I took it". I'll tell you why later.<br><br><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyF4woKCtAAAGJP0DM1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyF4woKCtAAAGJP0DM1/1.jpg?et=8wImFTgwXzNaRzwY7lLBrw&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><br><br>So, on a lovely spring day some 3 weeks ago, I went to see my agent and we pushed pen on paper. It didn't made as much as an effect until 30 minutes after, when he shook my hand and said "Congratulations". That's when it hit me. Damn. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I just signed the contract of sale of my very first land. </span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><br><br><br> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Creek at Ridgewater Village</span><br> <br><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyGaQoKCtAAAHLnEps1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyGaQoKCtAAAHLnEps1/DSC-0811.JPG?et=yEibBgOhz0dDBL5SqhMUhA&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><br>The land we bought is 448 square metres (not bad for a first home), and is located in Ridgewater, <span class="insertedphoto"></span>a new village inside the same suburb we are currently in, at Caroline Springs. It sits on top of a rolling hill overlooking plush greenery and a nearby creek (years of writing ads for real estate companies sure came in handy). It's the most picturesque place in the estate (as the brochure says) and is also walking distance to the town centre, 3 schools, 2 inddor pools, 4 tennis courts, 10 basketball courts, 2 football fields, 5 cafes (including gloria jean's), a skate park, a barbecue park, a huge gym, the medical clinic, the police HQ, a massive lake, and yes, the state-of-the-art library. <br><br>The house we've chosen to build is composed of 3 bedrooms, <br>2 bathrooms and an ensuite, <span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyHRgoKCtAAABbNhoY1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyHRgoKCtAAABbNhoY1/vic-alcott22FP3.gif?et=DebXKvJf3DPV0QYMGz3dyw&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><br>a study, double garage, and an outdoor living area or alfresco. Again, not bad for a first home. Building won't start until March of next year though, since the land won't be ready until then. <br><br>But then again, you might still ask, why? Why would I look back, a couple of years from now, <br>and say, "Boy, am I glad I took that risk?" Why is it a good time to build now, considering the world's economy is falling apart?<br><br>My wife was asking me the same question. And all I can tell her was wait. Now being a banker has some advantages, and one of these is being able to read financial trends way ahead of others. True enough, a couple of weeks after we signed the contract, home loan interest rates in Australia plunged for the first time in 3 years. Economists predict rates will hit an all-time low by the first quarter of next year (same time we're already building). Not only that, the federal government has also increased the First Homeowner's Grant (money given by the government for, well, first-time home buyers) from $14,000 to $26,000! Which is enough to offset the 7% deposit we're paying for the house and land!<br><br><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyHrAoKCtAAACPOdKw1"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyHrAoKCtAAACPOdKw1/facade1.JPG?et=iPSOkaiFMRITYpai2eHI1Q&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span>Here are some photos I took of the display home. The house we're about to build will look exactly the same, except for the furniture (of course), and the oven since I've upgraded into a larger, freestanding one and a canopy range hood. The facade will also be different since we're putting some bricks on it. Pardon the excitement. But if you're 32 year old and married with kids, and spent the last 31 years of your life living with your parents or by their means, you'll know exactly why I am so thrilled.<br><br>Just click on the photos to enlarge<br><br><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyJNwoKCtAAAGUWDuU1"><img style="width: 257px;height: 169px;" class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyJNwoKCtAAAGUWDuU1/study2.jpg?et=OfHoakeeReuiklRD6zupAg&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyJdQoKCtAAAG3eVJA1"><img style="width: 263px;height: 172px;" class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyJdQoKCtAAAG3eVJA1/masters-bedroom.jpg?et=ZjZeRQUmISSuZsDpNsLVFQ&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><br><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyKsQoKCtAAAB55SVQ1"><img style="width: 257px;height: 169px;" class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyKsQoKCtAAAB55SVQ1/family2.jpg?et=7rrjUznDNH1xj30gdvBQww&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyK7goKCtAAACLSjTg1"><img style="width: 254px;height: 167px;" class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyK7goKCtAAACLSjTg1/facade-side.jpg?et=usACSKHPyycUDT5v6MP00g&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><span class="insertedphoto"></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyKXgoKCtAAABFTUYU1"><img style="width: 239px;height: 157px;" class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyKXgoKCtAAABFTUYU1/alfresco-yard.jpg?et=YWgGmewMcbza7951GdM1Xg&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyLIQoKCtAAACmW9wI1"><img style="width: 245px;height: 161px;" class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyLIQoKCtAAACmW9wI1/ensuite.jpg?et=iUGyUqWEmJ4qnQCaNpUE7Q&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><br><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyJuAoKCtAAAHlTQ5U1"><img style="width: 258px;height: 167px;" class="alignleft" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyJuAoKCtAAAHlTQ5U1/island.jpg?et=38sg7D3IpAfPW4SbnLHFOQ&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://russkal.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SPyKGQoKCtAAAAXGyBk1"><img style="width: 252px;height: 167px;" class="alignright" src="http://images.russkal.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SPyKGQoKCtAAAAXGyBk1/bath2.jpg?et=2XToYBcSo7WDrq%2Cpse39qg&nmid=0" border="0"></a></span><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-39099879882774794192008-05-24T21:23:00.000+08:002008-05-25T01:23:13.058+08:00Right, meet LeftI've traded my right brain for my left. You might think it's preposterous, unthinkable, unforgivable, even, but in an effort to adapt, survive, and settle in quickly, I've decided to utilize logic in lieu of creativity. <br><br>To those who have been asking me lately, my answer is simple. Yes and No. Yes, I already have a job. And no, I'm no longer working in advertising. You read it right, this copywriter is now a banker. More specifically, a Financial Advisor. After 7 years of writing taglines, jingles, and TV commercials, I am now calling people up and giving them sound financial advice about their personal loans, credit cards, home loans, bonds, stocks, and other investments. Words such as taglines, jingles, and brainstorms, were replaced by assets, liabilities and equity. <br><br>I know. What the f#@*.<br><br>I am currently employed at The Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the largest financial institution in the land down under. And before you start thinking that I sold my soul to the devil, I just want you to know that it wasn't what I really planned for. You see, finding a job here in Australia is like finding the perfect pair of shoes on Ebay. There's heaps of choices available on the internet but somehow, you can't find the one that you really, really want. Oftentimes, you'll find the style you like, but it doesn't fit. Or it may fit you, but it's not really what you're looking for. In the end, you bite your lips and say, "I'll just have to settle with this." Like I said, there's thousands and thousands of choices. Visit www.seek.com.au and see for yourself. In fact, Melbourne was voted as the 2nd country with the most online job-hunters in the world (I forgot who's first). You can spend the whole week just sending out resumes to companies and expect at least half of them to reply and set you up for an interview. As long as you're not picky, you'll get a job in no time at all.<br><br>But then of course, the first time I logged on, I typed the keywords "advertising", "copywriter", and "creative" on the search button. To my surprise, I found out that there weren't as many available as I thought there would be. To top it all, most advertising jobs are either for Art Directors or Account Executives. And almost 80% of the jobs available are located in Sydney. There were a handful copywriter positions, but most of them are for advertorials, merchandising and events-focused. I sent my resume anyway. <br><br>Long story short, my applications came back unsuccessful. At this point, I have already submitted my portfolio along with my letter of endorsement to McCann Melbourne, and, just to make sure, to Clemenger BBDO, Leo Burnett, Grey, and J. Walter Thompson. I was told that none of them have an opening. I had spent time going back and forth to McCann the most (I am a former McCannite anyway), in all fairness, they were also the one who accommodated me the most. The first time I went there they were moving office, so I had to callback a month after. The next time i called, the creative director (they have no ECDs) was on a holiday. The third (and last time), I met his secretary, who told me they just recently hired a copywriter and that the CD would like to keep my folio for future opportunities. I thanked her and left. I was heartbroken. I couldn't believe that all 7 years that I have spent, all the skills I have developed and talent I have unearthed would all go into a shed, thrown away and locked up for future reference. I knew getting into advertising was hard, (it is, even in the Philippines), but I never imagined it would be this hard especially since I already have experience. I was shattered. <br><br>Then, a relative told me about a friend who also used to work as a copywriter back in the Philippines. He told me that when he first came here, he did the same things I did, sending resumes to all the top agencies, then to lesser-known offices, until he finally landed a job --- as a graphic artist. He told me that one of the advertising agencies he applied for actually told him, that one reason why newly-arrived migrants like us have a hard time applying for copywriting jobs is because we don't have a clear grasp of Australian culture yet. We don't know what makes them laugh, frightened, sad, in love, and, most important of all, what makes them buy... yet. After hearing that, all I can say is "fair enough."<br><br>Long story short, I am now a financial planner. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm doing. I may not love it the way I adore writing copy and conceptualizing, but I like it for 3 reasons. Security, Time, and Privileges. Security knowing that I'm a permanent, full-time employee of one of the largest and richest corporations in Australia. Time because unlike in advertising, <br>we don't, no, never, ever, do overtime. In fact, the moment it hits 5:30, people leave the building as if it was burning. Moreover, as soon as I get home, I'm no longer thinking about work. How often can you say that in advertising? Finally, the privileges. I get to enjoy perks and frills such as no fees and discounts on my credit card (I only get charged half the interest), substantial discounts instant approvals on personal loans and home loans, golf club and spa memberships, bonuses, and travel opportunities. And the pay? Let's just say that it's Good on Australian standards, on Philippine standards however, it's f#@*ng Great! All I can say is I now earn 4 times than what I used to earn in Manila. And I have only started. <br><br>Do I miss advertising? Of course. Will I still pursue copywriting? Maybe. I don't know. Neil French has been a copywriter, an account executive, a rent collector, a waiter, a singer, a debt collector, and many other things until he finally came back to advertising and became an Ad God, so, who knows? I myself, dreams of one day becoming a chef, a film director or a novelist, so, like I said, who knows? As I told you before, you can get anything you want in Melbourne. As long as you're not picky.<br><br>So I'm parking my writer's hat in the closet for now, and putting on my crisp plaid suit. There's a lot of things I can do to keeping my creativity intact anyway. Like writing this blog, for instance. For now, I'm trading creativity for logic. <br><br>Right, meet Left.<br><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-37600140845916658422007-11-19T19:19:00.000+08:002007-11-20T00:19:09.948+08:00Citizen RussAnd you thought it'll be super. <br><br>Not having to go to work. Waking up every morning (or afternoon) without worrying about running late for today's internals. No deadlines. No overtimes. No taglines to think about nor storylines to write. <br><br>At the back of your mind, you begin to chant Elmer Fudd's infamous lines... "no more classes, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks..." you may not be in school anymore but the thought of quitting your job begins to feel like a long, overdue vacation. <br><br>You're free at last. You have unchained yourself from the bondage of your cubicle. Or, as they call it in advertising, workstation. For the first time in years, you wander through Ayala Ave. without having to walk like a madman in order to beat the rush hour. You go to malls during office hours and park your car wherever you want. <br><br>You are, after all, unemployed. A freewheler. Answerable only to yourself and accountable to noone. You are an official bum.<br><br>You are having the grandest time of your life, until one day, you get sick. You succumb to an illness, one that raises your body temperature to 40 degrees celcius, day in and day out. Your fever never ceases. Your body starts to weaken and and you can't eat anything because they all taste like shit. <br><br>On the 3rd day, you ask to be rushed to the hospital. Fearing dengue but clueless nonetheless. The doctors run some tests. Then on the 4th day, concluded that you have Typhoid Fever. The nurses, upon admitting you at the hospital, ask you one simple question. One question that made you wish you weren't jobless. <br><br>"Do you have a health card?"<br><br>You bite your lips. Then you realize. You're unemployed. A freewheler. Answerable only to yourself and accountable to noone. You are, an official bum.<br><br>You rush yourself to recovery, knowing that each day you spend in the hospital is another dime taken off from the last of your savings. You have never worried about hospital bills all your life, except now. <br><br>You begin to understand that you are no longer privileged. You are no longer enjoying health benefits from your employer. You don't have one, remember? <br><br>It sucks. One day you're tip-toeing, enjoying the privileges of being free from the bondage of employment and the next day you're wishing that you don't have to worry about paying your hospital bills. <br><br>Finally, you accept the fact. It sucks to live without benefits. It sucks to be plain old, Citizen Russ.<br><br><br> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-59797503952422145722007-09-30T04:10:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:32.245+08:00And so it can be told<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINbgNfy1OhLvoyhGdpbUX53OCE2yKHDJl9cipLVK2I1n-JP22m7ZycvuzGXJFNIVb-a1anvfvEpN4QcRzaYTLG74AuhLWoc3hAcwQ3vVFUB0yAbZV8gJR1ZiYJ6rywKfDs5hCWw/s1600-h/philoz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINbgNfy1OhLvoyhGdpbUX53OCE2yKHDJl9cipLVK2I1n-JP22m7ZycvuzGXJFNIVb-a1anvfvEpN4QcRzaYTLG74AuhLWoc3hAcwQ3vVFUB0yAbZV8gJR1ZiYJ6rywKfDs5hCWw/s400/philoz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115721927217393266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">I have managed to keep this to myself, my family and some very close friends for a long time and now I can finally let it out. I didn’t want to jinx it by telling everyone about it. Nor do I want to deal with the embarrassment just in case “it” didn’t push thru.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But “it” did.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My family (wife and kids) and I are moving to Australia. Finally. After almost 2 years of praying </span><span style="font-size:100%;">persistently</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, savings drained, and waiting in agony.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Yes, we waited. Almost impatiently and nearly losing hope. We waited as an acquaintance, who applied for immigration just a few months ahead of us was granted a Visa a full year ago. We waited as requests for documents and other requirements pile up one after the other. We waited for the medical results. We waited as our patience and resources slowly dwindled. We waited and wondered why our application was taking so long to get approved. And yet, when we received our visa grants two weeks ago, all we can say is “this soon?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Australian Immigration has given us a deadline. We have to be in Australia by end of November. Yes, this November. It took us a while to process the thought: we’re celebrating Christmas and New Year away from our parents, siblings, relatives and friends. We’re celebrating the holidays, for the first time, down under. “Be careful what you wish for”, so they say. “It might just come sooner than expected” must follow next. Now I wish it could've come later.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGW2FroO3k_uONKi3i4xX13tPssJQeyxP3Ngr-vLMnh-IupWXrnJ3ti9TKIjhQE_uN47fVIbGQ6IomKWB7URzKxIHkR4XZWR50QksR7bfzPFCr2h1eSaxwflP82P-neQR_Sg4Vw/s1600-h/grant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGW2FroO3k_uONKi3i4xX13tPssJQeyxP3Ngr-vLMnh-IupWXrnJ3ti9TKIjhQE_uN47fVIbGQ6IomKWB7URzKxIHkR4XZWR50QksR7bfzPFCr2h1eSaxwflP82P-neQR_Sg4Vw/s400/grant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115722442613468818" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I can still remember when my Aunt (who sponsored us to Australia) went home to Manila for the first time after 12 years of residing in Melbourne. It was 8 years ago. I was already 2 years married then, and a father of a bouncing baby boy. Back then, my Aunt was already trying to convince me to apply for immigration. She said she’ll sponsor us and even though I didn’t graduate from college, we can still make it because of my wife’s professional skills as a banker. I politely declined her offer. My reason was simple. I would only go to foreign countries for vacation. And would only entertain the thought of leaving my family for work in, say, the US, if I can go back home to them every now and then. I heart NY after all and I have always dreamed of making it big in the big apple or to visit other foreign destinations like Rio, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Greece, or the United Kingdom. But to live in a foreign country and raise my children there? Thanks but no thanks. That was always been my position. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So what happened? People change. That’s what happened. We change as our beliefs and motivations change. We change as we grow old and realize that the tooth fairy doesn’t exist. We change as we expand our horizons or gain new experiences. We change for various reasons. For me though, the change wasn’t sudden. In fact it took me years to realize that it’s getting harder and harder to provide a good life for your family (especially for your children) in this country. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Philippines and I will always do but let’s face the facts. We are a third world country (we have always been and if things don’t turn around soon, we will always be). Our population is more than 90 million (it matters when you’re just a tiny speck on the world map). Our government officials are among the most corrupt in the world. We are a country known worldwide for red tape, graft and corruption, mail-order brides, poverty, impeachment trials, political scams, terrible traffic, grave pollution, and electing doofuses into public office. I have lived in this country for 31 years and for 31 years I have endured. But the time has come to think hard, really hard and consider plans for my children’s future. The fact that I live in Malabon, a place below sea level where it floods every time it rains hard (rising up to more than 6 feet! But that’s for another post), the fact that I travel almost 2 hours on the way to work and on the way home every single day due to traffic and pothole-ridden roads, and that poverty increases continually year after year, makes the change of heart even easier. After all, my wife and I are not getting any younger. Our kids are getting bigger and bigger and our place is sinking deeper and deeper. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It’s time. The prospect of migrating to a country offering bigger and better opportunities was more than just promising. The decision was a no-brainer. I’m not doing it for myself anymore. I’m doing it for my kids. We’re moving to Oz. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXsqLK_ApZTZlc18HzUdKv_r9DAM-DTWg-u8yvWT8r6RIExu5_H5IOcOnTbIyckSNJKpTTBAE1o6jqxJcQSTl8g0Z0xW1DJDVYK3EVrpAXgFfN7xrgfAzsON5a735dh3hFmdYGg/s1600-h/russ+visa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXsqLK_ApZTZlc18HzUdKv_r9DAM-DTWg-u8yvWT8r6RIExu5_H5IOcOnTbIyckSNJKpTTBAE1o6jqxJcQSTl8g0Z0xW1DJDVYK3EVrpAXgFfN7xrgfAzsON5a735dh3hFmdYGg/s400/russ+visa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115722919354838690" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Philippines. My residence for 31 years. My country. My home. I am still proud to be a Filipino. For despite all the cons I have listed above, there are still many pros. In fact too many to mention. We are still a beautiful country. For despite the massive pollution and maddening traffic in metropolitan areas, we are still home to the world’s most beautiful beaches, the most exotic animals and the most exhilarating tourist attractions. Despite crooked government officials, red tape and graft and corruption, in general, we are still good-natured people, full of good values, honest, and with good moral character. We are, after all, Asia’s bastion of Christianity, housing the most number of Catholics than any other country aside from Rome. <span style=""> </span>Despite the prevalence of poverty and the decline of the quality of education, we are still the most hardworking and talented. We are the most fluent in English (the universal language) in Asia, proven by the current boom of the call center industry. You may not know it but chances are, when you’re calling the toll free number to report a lost credit card or request service for your gadget in the US, you are talking to a Filipino operator. Despite all the negatives, we still have Olympians, legendary athletes, talented artists and other prominent figures making waves around the world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Philippines. I may be leaving but my heart stays with you. <span style=""> </span>I may soon be hopping with kangaroos and playing with koalas but I still think the Philippine eagle, our national animal rules. I am still proud to be a Filipino. I was then and I will always be.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In a few days from now, I will be landing in the land they call down under. I will be walking with the bushwalkers, bringing out the barbie for a Sunday grill or calling my friends “mates”. I will be migrating to Australia with my family in search for a new and brighter future. I will be starting life all over again. Writing new goals and wiping the slate clean. And with a heavy heart, I will be leaving you all, my friends, my family, my country.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it can be told.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I still have almost 2 months left, I know. But right now, allow me to tell you that I will miss you all.</span></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-14305086152807862262007-08-25T12:46:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:33.332+08:00Blades Of "Gory"<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_MTPL9BLac22LboZjguIvG6Sf_2XCP5li9vE0ePmNM9lxMLRhHtbUYrTDXUJFKjVyhrSFylbxnQnwrAwEeAGfJUy1GmTRLUxomhD9VY2egtjcTxG8iz92IhCwy2m9xO6zPrWpw/s1600-h/ice+skates.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_MTPL9BLac22LboZjguIvG6Sf_2XCP5li9vE0ePmNM9lxMLRhHtbUYrTDXUJFKjVyhrSFylbxnQnwrAwEeAGfJUy1GmTRLUxomhD9VY2egtjcTxG8iz92IhCwy2m9xO6zPrWpw/s320/ice+skates.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102499915865167618" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">No, this is not a typo of the title of Will Ferrell’s latest movie. Similar setting, but this one’s for real.<br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This is about a lesson I learned last Sunday. And like any other lessons in life, I learned it the hard and painful way. That is, to never, ever, imitate what you see in the movies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ok, I’m exaggerating. I never actually got to perform a half axle while ice skating with my family. But the damn movie’s the reason why I even thought of trying to ice skate in the first place. It was my first, and definitely the last.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To cut the long story short, I took my family to Mall of Asia (the biggest shopping mall in Asia) last Sunday (to my kids’ delight), a day after we saw “Blades of Glory” on DVD and decided to give ice skating a shot. How hard could it be? I have rollerbladed before, so I figured, it’s just a walk in the park.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAGRIJoBCNUFt-p_8EmeeUaXCqCdZUqd6ra2l37j8MPzXNmKEkI6ffZrptwKbNFNVmI6Iyp9DC6y0w5Lq-QVkGIQaWUV2v5PMBL3Q-rP7YORBoXG2wVX-MBkH8ISEDnZWe1nKUA/s1600-h/moa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAGRIJoBCNUFt-p_8EmeeUaXCqCdZUqd6ra2l37j8MPzXNmKEkI6ffZrptwKbNFNVmI6Iyp9DC6y0w5Lq-QVkGIQaWUV2v5PMBL3Q-rP7YORBoXG2wVX-MBkH8ISEDnZWe1nKUA/s400/moa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102503467803121490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A park in hell, that is! Darn skates just won’t keep steady! I found myself clinging on the tiny wall protrusion surrounding the rink, hanging on for dear life for the first 30 minutes! And when I finally mustered enough courage to let go and start actually “skating”, it happened. I slipped. On the way down, I heard, and felt my knees snapping like a broken twig. It happened so fast that I couldn’t even remember whether I twisted my leg, or hyper-extended it. All I can remember is that I fell hard on my lower back, my big, fat ass sitting on my right leg. And then, pain. Unimaginable, excruciating, mind-numbing pain. I let out a loud groan. Loud enough to catch everybody’s attention including a grandma wearing a hearing aid shopping for new lingerie on the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor of the mall. Skaters started to rush toward me. Among them, a pair of the mall's ice skating crew. I swear I could’ve known what the guys were thinking when they saw my condition - lying on ice, my right leg buried under my bum, contorted in a ghastly manner - I swear the words “Oh shit” were written all over their faces. Or maybe, "dude, you’re so screwed.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To cut the long story shorter, rescue came and helped me get back on my feet, sans the skates of course. I realized that I have managed to get on the farthest corner of the rink by clinging on the wall for 30 minutes, which makes it even more difficult to walk back to dry land walking on ice with only my socks on. I couldn’t stand the cold for 5 minutes. I was afraid that my feet would get frostbite (I remember the butler in “Mr. Deed’s” quite vividly). And so I sat on ice again, murmuring the words “frostbite, frostbite” to the medic who rescued me. Soon they handed me a pair of slippers. On the way out, I felt my knee snap for the 3<sup>rd</sup> time. So I screamed again. What irked me was that the crew actually told me that I should just try to walk out of the rink because “it won’t look good” if they put me on a stretcher. If not for the unthinkable pain I was dealing with, I swear I could’ve told them, “I don’t care if I look like a fucking moron, or if my accident causes a commotion, just get me out of here fast! It’s fucking freezing cold, you asshole!” (pardon my French) but I didn’t. A few minutes after, I found myself on a wheelchair, sitting (while still grimacing in pain) in front of a guy wearing a white coat. Finally, a doctor! I was taken to Borough Medical Clinic on the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor, where I had my leg X-rayed. Unfortunately, I was told that the radiologist just went home, so the doctor (who is by the way not an Orthopedist) read my x-ray results. Then he told me that it “seems” I was fortunate enough not to have broken or fractured any bone, and that the swelling “might” be caused by torn ligaments and muscles. He then bandaged my knee and told me to put ice on it, go home and rest.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JkD9QrHrM0JraUiLStQadoS4wKI2NZiQ2RWVOtpC1j6py_8Fas5IqyBs4SihuWPH9R0AgHEMAug25OvO6JazTWKNgzOJZiyQ4jc58gA8qdJ4virc6Zmk2gsrUgCQ6KTrW9aD1A/s1600-h/wheelchair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JkD9QrHrM0JraUiLStQadoS4wKI2NZiQ2RWVOtpC1j6py_8Fas5IqyBs4SihuWPH9R0AgHEMAug25OvO6JazTWKNgzOJZiyQ4jc58gA8qdJ4virc6Zmk2gsrUgCQ6KTrW9aD1A/s320/wheelchair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102501350384244498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To cut the long story even shorter, the day after I got the accident, I woke up with excruciating (I’m beginning to lose words describing how painful it was – by the way, it still is) pain and even more swelling on my right leg. Then I remembered the doctor (who is not an Orthopedist) telling me to have it checked by an Ortho. He also said that an MRI would help determine what ligaments were torn and what to do next. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">That same day, I called up Medicard (my health card provider) and asked a referral for an Ortho near my place. They then told me that since the injury is still fresh, I can go straight to the ER and have urgent treatment. So I went to St. Luke’s Hospital where 3 certified Orthopedists (finally!) assessed my condition. They took numerous (7) x-rays of my injured leg in various positions. Afterwhich, one of them showed me one of the x-rays and explained what really happened to my knee. Now, I may not be a doctor but it doesn’t take one to conclude that my right knee is a mess based on the x-ray he showed me. He said I have patellar subluxation – a condition where my patella or knee cap is dislocated from its groove and because the ligaments supporting it are torn, hence the painful snapping sensation everytime I try to move. Damn you, Dr. Not An Orthopedist! Just when I thought it’s just a torn ligament, now a busted knee cap playing merry go round on my leg? No fair! To prove his point, he asked me to lie down and straighten my injured leg. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel anything. Then he asked me to bend it slowly. I did. And then it snapped again. At this point, I have learned to control the volume of my groan depending on where I am and who I’m with at the moment. And since I’m in a room full of sick patients, macho doctors and cute nurses, I tried hard to muffle my scream. In my mind though, I was cursing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nSpNYv47t8VokqBPSYBbMxhpO-dGpgVlx2YzfHDyVudR9HTW2DcvG_wEI1128ilALt9Yga3Vht2ib_b2Mi0U0xVuHKNe7As9wxue-bCtLrVOvPOwGRLsbLX-0_uyOZgbbTPRAQ/s1600-h/patella+sublux.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nSpNYv47t8VokqBPSYBbMxhpO-dGpgVlx2YzfHDyVudR9HTW2DcvG_wEI1128ilALt9Yga3Vht2ib_b2Mi0U0xVuHKNe7As9wxue-bCtLrVOvPOwGRLsbLX-0_uyOZgbbTPRAQ/s320/patella+sublux.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102501719751431970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“That’s it”, the Ortho said. It’s definitely dislocated. Bloody hell, doc. isn’t it what the x-rays are for? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And so, it happened. My Blades of Glory moment has turned into a “Gory” event. Right now, I’m wearing an immobilizer, a leg splint-type of device made of neoprene, Velcro straps and heavy metal sheets. The purpose of which, is to keep my leg straight at all times, since the Ortho described my dislocated patella as “very unstable”. He also told me that I have to wear it, and rest my leg for at least a month. The moment I got home, however, I took it off because it was very uncomfortable (imagine walking, sitting, lying on bed, riding on the car, and taking a tricycle ride with your right leg fully extended). But I was wrong. The moment I finally unfastened the last Velcro, my knee snapped again. By then I was already in the living room so I turned the groan on full volume. Doc was right. Always on it is.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDnUg7jY-1YShtb1JrlHnMEbcLqSREs04HZaSIwcR_UuJS8mP5DrZgAqAvBzWc30QOGtoehmajf7Xsk_o_LfTEY5EcKYbp9rmtG5MoKlihotzjgkF1YD8Si-dvXbE0JdqdjmpCw/s1600-h/immobilizer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDnUg7jY-1YShtb1JrlHnMEbcLqSREs04HZaSIwcR_UuJS8mP5DrZgAqAvBzWc30QOGtoehmajf7Xsk_o_LfTEY5EcKYbp9rmtG5MoKlihotzjgkF1YD8Si-dvXbE0JdqdjmpCw/s400/immobilizer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102502256622343986" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"> Beware, the Immobilizer!<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Today, six days after my accident happened, my knees are still swollen. It doesn't always hurt anymore, but it does get bitchy every morning. I am scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday and I still can’t make a schedule with my Physical Therapist because of the swelling. My new Ortho said that after the MRI results are revealed, we will then be able to know if my knee needs surgery. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFyI6Hx8JpRSQMfzPnw6bwk6qUasYmT2bjUq79zgDbZ7GKt8-jz4QaCBAOGiLsfpwfaoJ08t84xgXBqVhpjFi6PSGQI9__TtxnLzOOVpwDhNj6wnZ3RxmXCXZUTO9Gnar4jEBdQ/s1600-h/HouseMD.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFyI6Hx8JpRSQMfzPnw6bwk6qUasYmT2bjUq79zgDbZ7GKt8-jz4QaCBAOGiLsfpwfaoJ08t84xgXBqVhpjFi6PSGQI9__TtxnLzOOVpwDhNj6wnZ3RxmXCXZUTO9Gnar4jEBdQ/s400/HouseMD.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102502595924760386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I hope not. But then again, every time I look at the heavy, itchy, uncomfortable immobilizer tightly fastened on my knee, I’m thinking I’d rather go under the knife than spend one month with this monstrous device wrapped around my walker. Not to mention that I have to walk around using a cane. Come to think of it, it’s quite cool playing Dr. House. You can get grumpy and stubborn and people will give way. You are after all, disabled.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Whoever said the famous lines “stick and stones may break my bones” obviously forgot to include the word “ice”. At the end of the day, I can only blame one person for my ordeal.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Damn you, Will Ferrell! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-52788248443545402292007-08-23T23:46:00.000+08:002007-08-24T03:51:49.625+08:00The Return<div style="text-align: justify;">No deed humbles a man better than falling down on his knees.<br /><br />I recently found wisdom in this. And truth.<br /><br />I have always blamed work for being too busy to update my blog. I always complained about not having enough time to do the things I want to do, like playing with my kids, taking photography classes, or writing a new post. I have juggled work and personal life and dropped the ball so many times that I thought I should call it quits with Bloggerville.<br /><br />Until it happened. I fell. Hard. On my knees. Literally.<br /><br />I had an accident where I dislocated my knee cap (I will write the details on my next post). The doctors said I need at least a month of bed rest. Lying down. Doing nothing but rest my injured leg for it to heal completely.<br /><br />Now I have all the time in the world to write.<br /><br />I am humbled.<br /><br />I hope the blogging community welcomes me back with open arms.</div>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-9886084189873820872007-05-14T01:45:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:34.901+08:00Bangkoked!<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, after almost two weeks of sorting through 700+ digital images, I can now post my <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> photos. I really have no time to write a long post though, so I’m going to make this short and sweet.</span><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style="font-family:arial;">Been to </span><st1:city style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:arial;"> for our 10</span><sup style="font-family: arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family:arial;"> year wedding anniversary. Stayed at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest hotel in </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:arial;"> (88 stories). Got upgraded from deluxe room to junior suite = fantastic view. Toured most of </span><st1:city style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:arial;">’s temples. Saw many Buddhas in various shapes and forms. Took a lovely night cruise in the Chao Praya river. Even more fantastic view! Food was unforgettable. Rummaged for cheap bargains at countless day bazaars and night markets. Watched a live “show!”</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Visited the snake farm where I almost got jumped on by a copperhead. Took a day trip on boat to see more temples. Went to the </span><st1:place style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family:arial;"> where our trip was cut short due to the Princess’ arrival. Picture of the King plastered everywhere from huge streamers to coins. Rode a “tuktuk”, </span><st1:city style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:arial;">’s version of a tricycle. Dinner at the Suan Lum night bazaar, got a complete, mouth-watering meal for just 50 baht (About one dollar)! Went barhopping and enjoyed </span><st1:city style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:arial;">’s nightlife. Went to a spa, had a relaxing Thai massage. Did a city tour, saw the big-ass reclining Buddha (about 50 meters long and 15 meters high!) Spent our last night looking at </span><st1:city style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:arial;">’s skyline on the hotel’s revolving 78</span><sup style="font-family: arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family:arial;"> floor. Drank cocktails at the bar on the 75</span><sup style="font-family: arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family:arial;"> floor. Again, fantastic view! Had our last buffet breakfast. Checked out. Headed to the newly-constructed Suvarnabhumi (pronounced as Sawana-boom) airport. Took the plane ride home.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Here are some of the photos. Click on the images if you want a larger view:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjif5IQGDf-CWZjbX93ikILDEOeRuH2PgbOKsxj8hhrfp9KGlPaky_4vTZNPNQb_kaL-2p7vO9GoP3Zh90tHUrawDbKk-wtCGmnowyigllqLksn-IWN4_6fA2ea85aCnMmZeINQ/s1600-h/DSC_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjif5IQGDf-CWZjbX93ikILDEOeRuH2PgbOKsxj8hhrfp9KGlPaky_4vTZNPNQb_kaL-2p7vO9GoP3Zh90tHUrawDbKk-wtCGmnowyigllqLksn-IWN4_6fA2ea85aCnMmZeINQ/s320/DSC_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064111481013399154" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghfUS7SgNM0sC4_c68zftgGiiSGHxug4RIFzAqCW1cBqidV4aSamXo3SgRV9S4_dpEd6nlOcswb4lEMw4W0ifWn2lp-nLJz8YADg_V6V005oQLR6-r7pTYlor3T7RzieBUgEe3A/s1600-h/DSC_0082.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghfUS7SgNM0sC4_c68zftgGiiSGHxug4RIFzAqCW1cBqidV4aSamXo3SgRV9S4_dpEd6nlOcswb4lEMw4W0ifWn2lp-nLJz8YADg_V6V005oQLR6-r7pTYlor3T7RzieBUgEe3A/s320/DSC_0082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064103350640307730" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYinopUCRjnLKD5Cq9NGvCatjqoEHNQMQstJ131Q5369sS0RJV5vQChxurzEwkgXPnSOYmnbDS_tOYLVl6SDGRB6vc7DSC-j1JV_zAWgalKGazDthzK5Qv9CgfOmVdZyXUSEY4w/s1600-h/DSC_1140crvs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYinopUCRjnLKD5Cq9NGvCatjqoEHNQMQstJ131Q5369sS0RJV5vQChxurzEwkgXPnSOYmnbDS_tOYLVl6SDGRB6vc7DSC-j1JV_zAWgalKGazDthzK5Qv9CgfOmVdZyXUSEY4w/s320/DSC_1140crvs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064104609065725474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhbW_WIJhG6bHhORyVw9DhM-DnONggRTBEL-c2i2LZ7HuhFUpdZ1cZmApFmDwYagXBkmrEN0UFQlPQEPVt-OtB8wPhrp0uCa5LOV1RGZfUpPkj-wJrmZyMnICA0dNkA1_Z5Q6jQ/s1600-h/DSC_1181.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhbW_WIJhG6bHhORyVw9DhM-DnONggRTBEL-c2i2LZ7HuhFUpdZ1cZmApFmDwYagXBkmrEN0UFQlPQEPVt-OtB8wPhrp0uCa5LOV1RGZfUpPkj-wJrmZyMnICA0dNkA1_Z5Q6jQ/s320/DSC_1181.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064109844630859314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaeVCxPITDnxLmeryoKc-s1aamKkyfM3-VyrJy9JDODQoZLyJV1ozwia9TyoNzsyWU7KUZ5nijgMF3yrgTPaOgo0xy1Oj4JQ0tM8bDMrr0547OwHIFsTF1qGsK-3zjLOGNCnXgQ/s1600-h/DSC_0712.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaeVCxPITDnxLmeryoKc-s1aamKkyfM3-VyrJy9JDODQoZLyJV1ozwia9TyoNzsyWU7KUZ5nijgMF3yrgTPaOgo0xy1Oj4JQ0tM8bDMrr0547OwHIFsTF1qGsK-3zjLOGNCnXgQ/s320/DSC_0712.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064110274127588930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-dCp-eBWhSrdkrU39jP-F0Cl5pQ67hupOVk_45l5qkucZU28NJtYs8a_fqS9hr29mX1JbDKxjzPO6zpKJMtmGXSj3x5cenAszqbqsh5s0LnHLfos_QlUPDieEoeNDwp86ABfAA/s1600-h/DSC_0733.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-dCp-eBWhSrdkrU39jP-F0Cl5pQ67hupOVk_45l5qkucZU28NJtYs8a_fqS9hr29mX1JbDKxjzPO6zpKJMtmGXSj3x5cenAszqbqsh5s0LnHLfos_QlUPDieEoeNDwp86ABfAA/s320/DSC_0733.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064110613430005330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJPKwrJxS9Wz-P34-bDJ9wW8r4fGXQqjaR_XXP3kHtxS6BgdNVe2QNTwwD5lb8tp_efrAayIa26yk225rl7OAvUG6P7jY-U_bSRjt4EtFN6cJtWaewNUykbQwiP-N2EBU7LXm2A/s1600-h/DSC_1015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJPKwrJxS9Wz-P34-bDJ9wW8r4fGXQqjaR_XXP3kHtxS6BgdNVe2QNTwwD5lb8tp_efrAayIa26yk225rl7OAvUG6P7jY-U_bSRjt4EtFN6cJtWaewNUykbQwiP-N2EBU7LXm2A/s320/DSC_1015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064111158890851938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KwVr1oqsDV1BEq3ttonZrHiDI7hvUok1rnT0sfiOFrep78Arb_g9SxyO4CoT2qPsGi2xek_2-yw5mrX4VyrlRRf7_EV3PnxmHR-BoyGsTyawCtYDonshqUbPQjsrHuWko4ctWw/s1600-h/CSC_0153.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KwVr1oqsDV1BEq3ttonZrHiDI7hvUok1rnT0sfiOFrep78Arb_g9SxyO4CoT2qPsGi2xek_2-yw5mrX4VyrlRRf7_EV3PnxmHR-BoyGsTyawCtYDonshqUbPQjsrHuWko4ctWw/s320/CSC_0153.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064112215452806786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjW-YpD-VZp8hmt8p4MG_89RsLGR83dqJtr07ZJkq4PbuWsTPB6pU_EohVlNQXNhRydsa94JfcXDLxDsZ434IYpVJr-huzdbJiQ7eCOieWKJMVhGaqV7cnzAX8fDM1HpTxPxgIA/s1600-h/DSC_1082bw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjW-YpD-VZp8hmt8p4MG_89RsLGR83dqJtr07ZJkq4PbuWsTPB6pU_EohVlNQXNhRydsa94JfcXDLxDsZ434IYpVJr-huzdbJiQ7eCOieWKJMVhGaqV7cnzAX8fDM1HpTxPxgIA/s320/DSC_1082bw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064112799568359058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_vlkUVhkWUoHhHX0yHh5AilADFRuuK8ic92zXfW08sML5vhzC1GMzV3dKGMgZieQY7T22x92JTmbms9KeTT9ouGQiKYbepx4E9spuNpZnIO_McOp-EecNApKekjGi4Q5hpbv8g/s1600-h/DSC_0118bwfx.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_vlkUVhkWUoHhHX0yHh5AilADFRuuK8ic92zXfW08sML5vhzC1GMzV3dKGMgZieQY7T22x92JTmbms9KeTT9ouGQiKYbepx4E9spuNpZnIO_McOp-EecNApKekjGi4Q5hpbv8g/s320/DSC_0118bwfx.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064113100216069794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLlek1_i2BWwQDlxz5E8XHkRLPB1sssuOR7IY3t5W1kOTvQ4gzNpvfGcdKH7OpamCS2znynxRPWjtCgfDmHNnCj0LJ0FSaiO4zI3bk91FfnQlbLSAKw3Nv3oOPS_karZ2uV8S-A/s1600-h/DSC_0128bw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLlek1_i2BWwQDlxz5E8XHkRLPB1sssuOR7IY3t5W1kOTvQ4gzNpvfGcdKH7OpamCS2znynxRPWjtCgfDmHNnCj0LJ0FSaiO4zI3bk91FfnQlbLSAKw3Nv3oOPS_karZ2uV8S-A/s320/DSC_0128bw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064113349324172978" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">From exotic food, cheap clothes and fake watches, to enormous Buddhas and beautiful temples, <st1:city st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>, the so-called “<st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Land</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Smiles</st1:placename></st1:place>”, did not disappoint. In fact, there’s just too many to do, so many sites to visit and so many items to shop for that’s enough to disconnect you from the real world and make you feel like a King for a day. Or, like in our case, for 3 nights and 4 days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p>As the song goes, “One night in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> and the world’s your oyster”. Yup, this one-hit wonder of a jet-setter has been, to coin a phrase, Bangkoked. And I won’t mind doing it again.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-31733318176961639522007-04-12T10:21:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:35.097+08:00Sir Russkal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TAU87LPF_LZBLIue5D_K3VpRiNd6thizzKN4v3qqZKMg0pbsRgRsfBBB3H7ogKHc3MzEoEL-ucacaEIrx9qj22vWzltNpSMP8O7n-C93vXOnQjyQBO6lhvcRVGGUALwsyKjq7g/s1600-h/ut47.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TAU87LPF_LZBLIue5D_K3VpRiNd6thizzKN4v3qqZKMg0pbsRgRsfBBB3H7ogKHc3MzEoEL-ucacaEIrx9qj22vWzltNpSMP8O7n-C93vXOnQjyQBO6lhvcRVGGUALwsyKjq7g/s400/ut47.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052361579170816578" border="0" /></a><br />Don't ask why, but I have recently subscribed to Astrology.com for a free daily tarot reading delivered to my email.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's been a week and I admit I haven't really taken the time to read my readings since my automatic response to spam mail is to delete it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have seen today's reading though, and it was curiously pretty accurate of the situation I am currently in. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is my tarot reading:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" > The </span><b style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Knight of Swords</b><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" > card suggests that my power today lies in </span><b style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">change</b><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:arial;">. I am quick, sharp, and ready for assertive, revolutionary or affirmative action. I overcome obstacles or resolve conflict by getting right to the point, cutting to the chase or confronting challenges head on -- even if this means going against the grain. My communication, style or expectation is on the cutting edge and relies on reason, design, the latest craze or facts. It is my honor to protect and defend my perception of truth. I measure twice and cut once. I am empowered by expectation or duty and my virtue is commitment to the greater good. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Yeah baby, I'm your knight in shining armor.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-63406703194859284052007-04-07T04:21:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:35.258+08:00Thumbs Up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUJ1Sa_rYyoRPJj8cXJcXXDgCaf7lKa4PNUk8QMLSPHEPqmSg7GhY1mLYePFbF3-zXnyuHc0lBqJhwrhN2pj50YZxHpQ44um2ET2Drf2hr-SCseo3ap7sZIeAVvfkPxz9Anp2Qg/s1600-h/thumbs+up+col.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUJ1Sa_rYyoRPJj8cXJcXXDgCaf7lKa4PNUk8QMLSPHEPqmSg7GhY1mLYePFbF3-zXnyuHc0lBqJhwrhN2pj50YZxHpQ44um2ET2Drf2hr-SCseo3ap7sZIeAVvfkPxz9Anp2Qg/s320/thumbs+up+col.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050412941163349010" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">My heartfelt thanks to </span> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://critiquemyblog.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Critique My Blog</a> for the wonderful review of The Midnight Oil.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It gives me great pride that a lot of people are enjoying my posts, especially the ones about my country, the Philippines, considering that we're just a tiny speck in the world map.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Click </span><span style=";font-family:";" ><a href="http://critiquemyblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/midnight-oil.html" target="”blank”">here</a> if you want to know what Critique My Blog has to say about this blog.<br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-61707449522041326062007-04-03T01:26:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.265+08:00Don't blame the camera<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMiRmujOgovezS5r-fdjd3O5teFbJ88DEMElJ3kPbVkP0g1gJhIjpXUQSyZyHNy3UVMyW4HGB_56fNqTcTKemVEfnT70lfSx5FI6o04EPf5FUkNLEAlcpPovtUsWehxt8EDw1cQ/s1600-h/25420_360.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMiRmujOgovezS5r-fdjd3O5teFbJ88DEMElJ3kPbVkP0g1gJhIjpXUQSyZyHNy3UVMyW4HGB_56fNqTcTKemVEfnT70lfSx5FI6o04EPf5FUkNLEAlcpPovtUsWehxt8EDw1cQ/s320/25420_360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048883525229126722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">"Where's the video record button?"</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My wife asked, desperately, as she tried to make sense of the buttons beside the huge LCD.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Wait, I'll read the manual" was my quick reply. Quick, and stupid.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">How would I know that a digital SLR doesn't capture video? How would I know its difference from point-and-shoot digicams? It was my first SLR, let alone a digital one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The camera in question is my new Nikon D-40. A gift I bought for myself for my 31st birthday. As soon as we accepted the fact that it doesn't do video, we took it for a test shoot. The result? Marvelous.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">This may not be the most sophisticated machine in its class, but for a guy who started with Polaroids and good-as-disposable instamatics, it's a breakthrough.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here are some samples I took on our recent trip to the beach. Remember, me no professional. Me just likey to shoot. If you think the photos are crap, don't blame the camera. Blame the frustrated photographer:</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwETTuv54jEiKXqEZVO60hGELnY2gKB838nYDncLsnJO7YFUB5TdB7bhTnfIx78tVDw6_cY8qBCBM6VDcDizDthY4Uhd4LLCYJq-Gf9zhE70cGjkWrDTLbVPm6N0bXVInj1lqqag/s1600-h/banca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwETTuv54jEiKXqEZVO60hGELnY2gKB838nYDncLsnJO7YFUB5TdB7bhTnfIx78tVDw6_cY8qBCBM6VDcDizDthY4Uhd4LLCYJq-Gf9zhE70cGjkWrDTLbVPm6N0bXVInj1lqqag/s400/banca.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048888537455961186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72ODHgprM5YsWv8mPse8q6oDJ6acu30vb_HGwwHYEofUAhV92QHfMcsFx-uZmyaS2Ox1-D6PViOCP9qtIqnc1NdRE4CLujWcsB5JhHcoM4A7UMe7kz-Kf6XHoueWJeWBaeRq7Lg/s1600-h/rocks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72ODHgprM5YsWv8mPse8q6oDJ6acu30vb_HGwwHYEofUAhV92QHfMcsFx-uZmyaS2Ox1-D6PViOCP9qtIqnc1NdRE4CLujWcsB5JhHcoM4A7UMe7kz-Kf6XHoueWJeWBaeRq7Lg/s400/rocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048890594745295986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFKhd6EMtJOVINLutJAnKDFuuUL_A0m9fheDCcJuzPe2WcnC3bLN97OvRb2IEfIwJDDSGJcM0odqRipIXU5EmEKtftb4LoSpKvSdN985RBVvA-zxthtg1vTAEj1k1_ImGGqkAqw/s1600-h/rj.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFKhd6EMtJOVINLutJAnKDFuuUL_A0m9fheDCcJuzPe2WcnC3bLN97OvRb2IEfIwJDDSGJcM0odqRipIXU5EmEKtftb4LoSpKvSdN985RBVvA-zxthtg1vTAEj1k1_ImGGqkAqw/s400/rj.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048891217515553938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzXVwJOn_nR3GC991ATtK-c_LSN5Fuxukl-Op9AeVJdzRXEIbDu4kWMcuABGHPTSaAo_55whYHUtFVVW6fyrhOd3BXaOKc970JZnANbckuOex76Gj0cUfIfdF3H6IBq9v148Avg/s1600-h/joy1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzXVwJOn_nR3GC991ATtK-c_LSN5Fuxukl-Op9AeVJdzRXEIbDu4kWMcuABGHPTSaAo_55whYHUtFVVW6fyrhOd3BXaOKc970JZnANbckuOex76Gj0cUfIfdF3H6IBq9v148Avg/s400/joy1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048896302756832546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggX_ENLVBgXBM1AxGVCxMr7sKAdBgED5zl4T0fejUbVTKHFEFFORvwjG5rvadPE4xPCWOlqZYUiDccCFmM4T1lAt-URAHH1oz8JbVF9-rJdSfqfx6OEYEq4OAw3k5uEH0cwhuKuQ/s1600-h/silhouette2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggX_ENLVBgXBM1AxGVCxMr7sKAdBgED5zl4T0fejUbVTKHFEFFORvwjG5rvadPE4xPCWOlqZYUiDccCFmM4T1lAt-URAHH1oz8JbVF9-rJdSfqfx6OEYEq4OAw3k5uEH0cwhuKuQ/s400/silhouette2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048891488098493602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRQtb132dbmXD6g3PO_TPkaddxpZvdzwp_6g4nG4XxcMFYE6iX2GoYmwCvk1JHYOqn8w3-xuSBr73crkQjd__LikGPOnQi9RR09KhJ0NV1wblOGXoG4PWj14P1eHC470VjNzE_g/s1600-h/sunset.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRQtb132dbmXD6g3PO_TPkaddxpZvdzwp_6g4nG4XxcMFYE6iX2GoYmwCvk1JHYOqn8w3-xuSBr73crkQjd__LikGPOnQi9RR09KhJ0NV1wblOGXoG4PWj14P1eHC470VjNzE_g/s400/sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048893459488482578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Splendid. On my standards, at least.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I still haven't read the manual. I still don't know how aperture, light metering or ISO works and how to configure the settings manually. I'm taking my time. Right now, I'm loving my new toy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yet another reason to blog more frequently.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yet another reason to view the world differently.</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-53199557601992695852007-03-26T00:49:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.401+08:00This time, it's personal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp3RwplqeIkTk1eMCHSW64jP4P0fDi35G7XV6CFK1w21jhZwPuu_zjrX8FyYsz2g55nOLYgFYNlO4vGj5Fw0rmUzmKBMd3x25fuQHGGarZqkCK9UEABmNDLQkRWoXNRKTjQI7og/s1600-h/silhouette.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXp3RwplqeIkTk1eMCHSW64jP4P0fDi35G7XV6CFK1w21jhZwPuu_zjrX8FyYsz2g55nOLYgFYNlO4vGj5Fw0rmUzmKBMd3x25fuQHGGarZqkCK9UEABmNDLQkRWoXNRKTjQI7og/s400/silhouette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045905375941709890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:";" >Enough excuses about work. Frankly, it’s getting old. <o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">Every year, my wife and I anticipate the coming of March with both excitement and trepidation. Excitement, since we both celebrate our birthdays this month (15 and 16 – yes, our birthdays are just one day apart, yes, we were born on the same year, and yes, you missed it) and apprehension because of the same reason – we’re turning a year old, not to mention the cost of treating two sets of friends and relatives on the same day can be overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">It has its ups and downs, having (almost) the same birthday as your spouse. It was cute when you start dating, learning about it for the first time, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe our birthdays are just one day apart! We must be soul mates!” For which she replies, “Oh my gosh!” and then you realize that when you’re married, your “soul mate” will always steal your thunder the morning after. And all the gifts, cakes, and party leftovers are not yours to hold and treasure anymore. I’m guessing you already know who was born when.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">Speaking of birthdays, 2 weeks ago, my wife and I found ourselves willingly participating in an unforgettable and life-altering endeavor. We helped a couple as they go through their IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) procedure. Having tried to conceive for almost 5 years now, the couple is considering this their last shot. Procedures like this can be very costly, mentally and physically taxing, after all. I would not divulge any more details because it’s a sensitive topic. And I don’t want to offend anyone by posting it in this blog, my wife, included. Let’s just say we found ourselves helping an acquaintance in need, and found new friends in return. The couple, who flew in from abroad were sweet and kind souls. They were giving, generous and very thoughtful, despite the fact that the husband, an American, is a stranger in Philippine soil. Unexpectedly, he was warm, soft-spoken and very friendly. And my wife and I tried our best to show them the world-renowned Filipino hospitality. We exchanged views over French cuisine, chatted till the wee hours of the morning about advertising, culture, religion, almost about everything including George W. Bush. And up to now, it still amazes me, how two perfect strangers, of two completely unidentical races can connect on a spiritual, emotional and intellectual level. It’s baffling, really, when you think about it, how everyone and everything in the world is connected. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">Unfortunately, the procedure didn’t go as everyone expected. Sadly, the couple went home, bereft of success. Our newfound friends are heartbroken and my wife and I can’t do anything about it. Except pray that they don’t lose hope, and pray that somehow soon, they get what they always wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">Like I said, enough excuses about work. Work is such a petty thing compared to all the things that we, people, are often neglecting. There are birthdays, for instance. Triumphs and failures. Friends and relatives. A glass of Pinot Noir and medium-well Fillet Mignon. Conversations over ice-cold beer and a pack of smokes. Gifts to open, cakes to eat and friends to treat. Places to go to and food to eat. Sickness and health. Weddings and anniversaries. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="">And this is where I end this post. Speaking of anniversaries, I have to search for a travel agency. My wife and I are celebrating our 10<sup>th</sup> year wedding anniversary on April 19, in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style="font-family: arial;">My first trip out of the country.</span><o:p></o:p></span>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-12500705662530564782007-02-25T03:39:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.547+08:00Too Fast, Too Fearful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HTWqGvYHP0FotyJJhOwK8huz9Sf9B4ky9fn19bMhTpuyld6HKwbEgNB13G-XfWTssnLDSvel7Ybu9naVhcItYWpLWjiFRntTQrVf0kWEeT2KL-mA6lLO_T4CnchMN-y3JoARdw/s1600-h/RoadRunner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HTWqGvYHP0FotyJJhOwK8huz9Sf9B4ky9fn19bMhTpuyld6HKwbEgNB13G-XfWTssnLDSvel7Ybu9naVhcItYWpLWjiFRntTQrVf0kWEeT2KL-mA6lLO_T4CnchMN-y3JoARdw/s400/RoadRunner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035188358299624338" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Have you ever thought, one day in your life that you are, or things are, moving too fast? Beating deadlines, chasing promotion, climbing the corporate ladder, marrying or just plain moving in with someone. Chances are, all of us have been, once, twice, or countless times in our lives, guilty of hurrying. It’s an endless race, like Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >I am. And while I did remind myself and everyone who reads this blog to stop and smell the roses and <a href="http://russkal.blogspot.com/2007/01/enjoy-silence.html" target="”blank”">enjoy the silence </a><o:p></o:p>some time ago, I have never truly steered away from the race track. How could I? I eat deadlines for breakfast. I have too. Otherwise, I won’t be able to serve anything for breakfast at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >And that is why, when my PC crashed almost a month ago, I was devastated. It felt like a part of me crashed too, and like a writer without a pen and paper on his hand, I felt disabled. I had many fears. True, we will probably never run out of pens and papers but in this day and age, who needs them when you have computers? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >My biggest fear was losing important data. Years of moments captured on photos and videos from my trusty digital camera, 4,000+ songs diligently ripped, labeled and categorized, business files, sidelines, personal files – all important files – gone. Vanished. Kaput.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >And while I was unscrewing the last screw in my CPU trying to find out what went wrong, it hits me. I may not be able to do many things for a long time. And that includes playing video games, downloading torrents, doing sidelines, surfing the net and updating my blog – my midnight routine. You may say that I can do those things in the office, but I don’t. I am a night owl (obviously) and my PC is what keeps me company when everyone else is in deep slumbers. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >But that was over. My PC has been up and running 3 weeks ago. I’ve lost some files*, but was able to retrieve some from my spare hard drive, DVD backups and iPod. Nonetheless, I spent almost a week trying to restore it all. <u>The question now is what took me so long to write a new post?</u> I don’t exactly know the answer, but I believe it has something to do with this post’s title. I got too fast, too fearful. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >I was moving too fast that when my PC broke down, all of a sudden, I have nothing to do during midnights. Everything came to a complete halt. At first, I dug out my old PS2 games and started playing again. I got bored sooner than I expected. I watched DVDs that I already saw. I read magazines, books, scribbled down poems, and struggled to write a script for a short film, all just to keep my brain and hands from being idle. But then, just like before, silence prevailed. Once again, I was captured by the serenity of my own thoughts, and it’s telling me not to rush. It’s telling me to enjoy the lull. However, it is also the same reason why I became fearful.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Not being able to update for almost a month now, I feared that I cannot write an interesting post anymore. I feared that no one will give a damn to visit and check if I have finally updated. Most importantly, <u>I feared that I was beginning to like not being able to post</u>. It’s new to me, the feeling of suddenly spending midnights without thinking of the next topic that I should write about. Not worrying who to visit next and whose comment I should reply to. Not spending hours just to write, search and download photos to make my latest post interesting for visitors. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >We are taught that the human brain is designed to handle new experiences with either anticipation or apprehension. Oddly, I began to feel both. I was excited that finally, I don’t have to depend on my PC when my insomnia kicks in, but I was also fearful that this is not what I want to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >For almost a month, I was in limbo. But not anymore. I know the answer now. Like I said, it’s been more than 3 weeks since my PC was restored. I could’ve written a new post during those days but I didn’t. I could’ve visited your blog, or simply post a comment. But I didn’t. Instead, I used those days, actually midnights, to ask myself, “Do I really want to do this?” And if the answer is yes, I have to make sure that this time around, I’ll know when to stop. What I learned in this experience is that <u>there is nothing wrong in moving too fast. You just have to know when to stop</u>. That way, you won’t have to fear if you come face to face with a wall. Don’t be the Coyote. Be the Road Runner. Run as fast as hell but stop when you need to. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >So will I set foot on the race track again? I think the answer is pretty obvious.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >I am back. Hopefully now, I’m neither too fast, nor too fearful.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br /><span style=";font-size:100%;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">* I also lost the bookmarks in my Internet browser, so if I haven’t been to your blog, that means I can’t find a way to reach you. Please leave a comment so I can visit you again. Thanks.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-79158888771917743052007-01-28T03:04:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.659+08:00The (M)Adman Diaries Part III: Crazy Creatives<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfO8qPzfTjDUcV9p38dpVZvY7tP1ekjNm1PfsornYTpZcjA4KBwwiffd3pkv2jcDxWKssehIkFGPAtt7L4KXy_PNyW0XYgebP1lIsWq_M2nLKyjVZDU9WLuQ9v7NhdvMntTW5Hw/s1600-h/cheech_chong_001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfO8qPzfTjDUcV9p38dpVZvY7tP1ekjNm1PfsornYTpZcjA4KBwwiffd3pkv2jcDxWKssehIkFGPAtt7L4KXy_PNyW0XYgebP1lIsWq_M2nLKyjVZDU9WLuQ9v7NhdvMntTW5Hw/s400/cheech_chong_001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024788404355337522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The following story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously… Ok, this is already the third of the installment. You know how it goes. </span><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Dear Diary,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So it’s been 10 days, huh? I’m guessing this is probably the longest time I’ve lagged on my posts (I’m too lazy to check). Anyway, the migraine’s back. Yes it is. And it’s a lot more awful than MC Hammer’s comeback restyling himself as a gangsta rapper. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So where are we? Oh yes, we’re on a witch hunt, trying to figure out who among the people I work with has triggered my migraine the most. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of possible reasons for this, like my chronic insomnia (if there is such a thing), or my balding neighbor’s miserable attempts at aping Garth Brooks on karaoke. (Don’t break my head, my achy-breaky head. I just don’t think you understand… Who-wee!) But if you think about it, I’ve been an insomniac all my life and yet I never had migraine until I entered the world of advertising. So go figure.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I just think it makes perfect sense. These are the people I spend the whole day (and night) working with. And for those who are unfamiliar with the experience, think of it as going to work with the cast of Seinfeld. A typical client would be like George. Mean, neurotic and slow-witted. Elaine, however, would make a great Account Executive. She has, after all, an IQ of 151, and is often referred to by Jerry as “The queen of confrontation”.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And so it goes. I’m already done with clients and AEs. And now, I am down to one department. It has to be done. In the interest of being fair (and due to my colleagues’ constant nagging), I have to do Creatives. No stone should be left unturned in this witch hunt. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Who are we in Seinfeld, you ask?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Most people (including the clients and AEs) would agree that the creative department is surrounded by witty, eccentric and crazy people. Think Kramer and multiply that by 30. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But that’s too stereotypical, hence the reason why I’d like to think of myself as Jerry. The 'only sane man' in the stage. The figure who is "able to observe the chaos around him but not always be a part of it.” Yeah, yeah. I’m being safe. But this is my blog so bite me.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">On with the show, err, post. Below are some unforgettable verbatims I have collected in my 6 years of experience working as an advertising creative.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A conversation between a Creative Director and an Art Director regarding a client revision request:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CD:<span style=""> </span>"You need to add a line on the cover of the invite that says how to open it" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span> "Huh? But it’s a tri-fold.... How do they not know how to open it?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CD:<span style=""> </span>"The client can’t figure out how to open it. Just add ‘open here, moron’"</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Same project. AD asks the Copywriter to revise the copy based on the client’s inputs:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">AD: "Client wants it to be simple. One word. But it has to convey everything in the brief."</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">Copywriter:<span style=""> </span>"Oh, they must want those secret magic words that mean four things at once. Tell me man, do I look like J.K. Rowling?”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Creative Director briefing a Production Designer regarding a sample of the casts’ costumes:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CD:<span style=""> </span>"I don't like the colors, violet and black don't work together"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">Designer:<span style=""> </span>(Scans the CD from head to toe) "But you're wearing them!”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The same Creative Director, calling his Copywriter in the middle of a presentation after going on vacation leave for 2 weeks:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“I call you because I’m watching the ads with the client and I’ve just realized I don’t understand them either.”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><br /></span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></span></i></b><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><em><b style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></b></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Here’s more:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"I need awards! get me awards! If you don't get me awards, otherwise I will make sure you get fired before I do."<br /></span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">- an incompetent CD yelling at his team after being told by the management that he hasn’t won a single award in 5 years during his evaluation..</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Why not fold this up until it has sharp corners and shove it up your stupid college bum."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">- the same CD criticizing the work of a nervous intern. The intern turned out to be an award-winning Art Director in a multi-national agency 4 years after.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Listen to me people! I don't want any of you in here working on All Saints Day."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- </span><span style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">An Executive Creative Director, thinking he's being generous.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Guys, I’ve been told that some of you are avoiding work. I’m really disappointed. Please be reminded that in order for us to get our bonuses, we have to make an effort this quarter.”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- Same ECD, sent via text message while he was on vacation at a beach</span></em><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yet again, the same ECD doesn't show up for a client presentation, leaving his CD and a junior writer to present a major campaign:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CLIENT:<span style=""> </span>"Where’s your ECD? Shouldn’t he be here?" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CD:<span style=""> </span>"He can’t make it, he's out on an unbreakable out of agency commitment." <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CLIENT:<span style=""> </span>"Huh?" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">Junior Copywriter:<span style=""> </span>(Butts in) "Don't tell anyone, he's playing golf with his brother."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Talk about juniors:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"You don’t get it! It’s not what I have in mind!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Hey, I just followed your script!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;font-family:arial;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Oh yeah? Then why did you make it a cartoon?"</span></i></b><span style=""><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >A junior Copywriter after an Art Director shows him his storyboard.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Two designers on a phone conversation discussing a client's logo in Photoshop. Guess which one is the junior:</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"This logo isn’t the right size." <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.5in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Well, I have the file open in Photoshop and the dimensions are correct." <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.5in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"That can’t be right. I’m measuring it and it’s about 1/8. Too small."<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"How are you measuring it?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"I’m holding my ruler up to the monitor."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em></em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><em></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A junior artist, after spending 6 hours on one storyboard, was confronted by the Art Director:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Hey man, what’s taking you so long?”</span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“This is hard. I want to make the thought bubbles as realistic as possible.”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The same junior artist, asking a senior designer about a logo:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"Uhmm… sorry to disturb you man, I’m quite new here. This being my first job and all… So… uhm… tell me… what does the Red Cross logo look like?"</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style="">A junior copywriter, sitting in for his first radio ad recording, tells the sound engineer:<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Can you tweak the sound effects further? I want it to sound like a brick hitting a parachute."</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The same copywriter, asking his art director about the copy he wrote in the layout:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Whoa! Dude, I didn’t know you write Spanish!”</span></i></b><br /><em><span style="">- The layout is a draft with Lorem Ipsum placeholder text</span></em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style="">How about the oldies:<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Yeah, just make something fresh and new. Something like the Beach Boys."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><i style="">- </i><em><span style="">Creative Director briefing a sound designer for a jingle.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"I need you to find a blonde model…. Hmm…someone like that Carmen Diaz."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- <em><span style="">Same Creative Director to a Talent Caster</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"We are zigging when the rest of the market is zagging..."</span></i></b><br /><em><span style="">- </span></em><em><span style="">An Associate </span></em></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Creative<em><span style=""> Director in the middle of his speech for a client presentation.</span></em></span> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Well Lisa, after all this time you know how we work." <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Jim, my name is Susan."</span></i></b><br /><em><span style="">- <span style=""> </span>Creative Director to long time client</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"I like it. It makes me want to come. I mean, to the event! It makes me want to come to the event!"</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- A late fifty-something Executive Creative Director to a twenty-something AE, reviewing an invite to an event a day after flyers of the “anti-sexual harassment law” was passed in the office.<em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"She’s a great writer but she needs to figure out which is more important to her: this account or her sister’s wedding."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- Executive Creative Director / Agency Owner discussing the evaluation of one of his writers</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"What project? I didn’t hear about that project. Two weeks ago? Oh, it was in my email? Kaya naman pala (That’s why).<span style=""> </span>I don’t read my emails eh.”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- Art Director to Account Executive</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>"Make it look like Prada... lots of young, bright, pastel colors!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">Designer:<span style=""> </span>(Thinking about it for a moment) “Uhm… Don’t you mean Benetton?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">CD:<span style=""> </span>“No, Prada! Don’t you watch Queer Eye?</span></i></b><br /><em><span style="">- The AD has often denied rumors that he is gay.</span></em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"></p><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />Copywriter: "The voice-overs for the videos in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian are all good, but the voices are all different! Can't we have all them done by the same guy?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Producer: "And who do you want to do them? C-3PO?"</span><br /><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style="">And other hilarious boo-boos:<br /><o:p></o:p></span></em></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"What we give you is what you get."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- Print Producer to a disgruntled Client</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Can’t you make that dog smile? Don’t you have a smile filter on this expensive machine?”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- Ex-creative <em><span style="">Agency President and Owner</span></em><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“And now… the ice cake!”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- Same o<em><span style="">wner during a pitch, meaning ´icing on the cake’<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"We need something that has never been done before. Find out how everybody else did it - and do that."</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- <em><span style="">Creative Director who wanted a promotion<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"Can you make the design 17% better?"</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- <em><span style="">Creative Director giving comments to his Art Director</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">"So you have two breaks on your bike! Whats the other one for?"<br />- </span></i></b><em><span style="">Receptionist, flirting with a hunky Copywriter.</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Can you ask the announcer to produce a whispering scream?”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />- <em><span style="">Creative Director, during the recording of a radio spot</span></em><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“I just thought of an original idea I saw in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>.”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- <span style=""> </span><a name="OLE_LINK3"></a><a name="OLE_LINK4"></a><span style="">Executive Creative Director</span></span></em> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Brief? Why should I read the brief? Creativity comes from here!”</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><em><span style="">- Creative Director, pointing at his intestines<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><b style=""><span style="">“It’s actually a dog… (snickers)… and he’s got this funny bark… (snickers)… no, actually it’s a bitch… you know, like a female dog… (snickers)… and she goes… (snickers) Woof! Woof! (Bursts into uncontrollable laughter)<o:p></o:p></span></b></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em style="font-family:arial;"><span style="">- An Art Director explaining a storyboard to a client during a late night presentation. Turns out, he just came from a party and he’s smoked 3 joints. Yup, he’s stoned.</span></em></span><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-51885959309717509812007-01-18T03:26:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.827+08:00The (M)Adman Diaries Part II: Overzealous AEs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAbgxuKkppc8Uz3cpuF6IpWT-CIxQugcb_AxeB0xGKhy0ELxGr9Luis7NDbehcmebA5UhbjjwMKhAMtJHV249CQaH4CU0wL36U46SRiH3xJLZCjGzVqD6efTkAey3r_YarO6Iuw/s1600-h/99workingwoman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAbgxuKkppc8Uz3cpuF6IpWT-CIxQugcb_AxeB0xGKhy0ELxGr9Luis7NDbehcmebA5UhbjjwMKhAMtJHV249CQaH4CU0wL36U46SRiH3xJLZCjGzVqD6efTkAey3r_YarO6Iuw/s400/99workingwoman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021083525129913506" border="0" /></a> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">The following story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, yada-yada-yakity-yak…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">… the verbatims are all REAL, though.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Dear Diary,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m sorry it took me this long to follow up on my last entry. My migraine is gone. Thanks to my friend, and her wonderful, wonderful drug called “Exedrin”. I just took one pill and it hit me like an anvil. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was going to take </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://wizenedwizard.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Wizard's</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> advice and buy Imatrex but I forgot the name when I went to our pharmacist...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Miss, do you have Ime--- Imi --- Imu --- (running out of vowels) Imo --- <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Imodium?” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">She blurted out, loud enough so everybody in the room would know that I have diarrhea. I was gone faster than she can say LBM. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I hate it when they do that. I remember when I was still in college and I’d go to the drugstore to buy me some “protection”. I’d sneak into an empty void from a sea of sweaty customers, patiently waiting for a pharmacist to notice me and take my order. I never waved my hand to call their attention. I just waited. (Hey, I was only a student then, and I happen to be in a very conservative country, where talking about premature sex in public always raise an eyebrow or two. Ironically so since single parenthood statistics are going through the roof.) And when finally one of them pharmacist approaches, I make sure I whisper clearly, yet very discreetly, what I want to purchase. Almost always, the pharmacist would yell back to make sure they heard me right.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“AH… CONDOM!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“ANONG FLAVOR?” (What Flavor?)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I shriveled in embarrassment and slowly retracted my footsteps. Could you imagine my grandma buying vaginal wash from the same pharmacist? Or my grandpa buying a box of Viagra?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyway, like I was saying, I finally got rid of that pesky menace called migraine. However, I have yet to find out the source. Who triggered my migraine and what did he or she do, better yet say that made me dizzy and nauseous? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was done listing some unforgettable conversations with clients. I, however, felt that I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. What about our own? The same people who inhabit the place I work? Why not? I spend more time with them than I do with my clients. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Hmm… the witch hunt continues.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="">Could be it be our Account Executives? <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Don’t get me wrong, Diary, AEs are such wonderful colleagues. They are, most of the time, very efficient, hardworking and resourceful. (I really have to say this because </span><span style=""><a href="http://www2.blogger.com/%20http://theblairmitchchronicles.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Blair Mitch</a>, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Gorgeous Noelle, and Celine - God forbid, she's a futsal player - might kick me in the balls). No, seriously, they're great AEs. And I have worked with a lot of good ones too. Some of them even carry a powerful, yet rare weapon in their arsenal – Beauty & Brains. However, in advertising as well as in life, there are some bad apples.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Take this AE, for instance:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“I can’t see the website from my laptop, all I see is numbers.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD (Art Director):<span style=""> </span>“What kind of numbers?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“I think it’s one of those HTML codes.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“Have you tried connecting to the Internet?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>(Defensive) “You think I'm stupid? You think I don’t know that I need to connect to the internet before I can access the website??”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“So, you’re connected. Can you read the message from the browser?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“What browser?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“Internet Explorer. Or Mozilla Firefox. The one you use to open a webpage!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“I’m using Microsoft Word…”</span></i></b></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">How ‘bout these guys:</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Wow, your web banner design looks great! Let’s print a copy to present to the client. Make sure it’s animated!”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Woohoo! Guys! Good news! The client has agreed to shoot on a bigger budget! We have HIV!”<br /></span></i><span style=""> - <em><span style="">Account Director, announcing that a TV spot would be filmed in HD (High Definition) Video.</span></em></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style=""><em></em></span><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“What a coincidence! I have the same sticker in my computer at home!”<br /><em><span style="">(Account Executive to a copywriter, pointing at the newly-installed CPU in his desk. The sticker reads: Intel Inside)</span></em></span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><em></em><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“Please, I need the design for a circular sticker. Measures: 20 x 40 centimeters.”<br /><em><span style="">(Agency, Account Executive)</span></em></span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><em><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">“We need your help. According to what I understood from the client, we have to put subtitles on the radio spots. Is that doable?”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What about the AEs who have Arithmophobia (fear of numbers)?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“Can you print the logo and send it to me?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“Sure thing. What size?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“As big as you can so we can use it for other assignments.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“8 X 10?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“Hmm… how about… 70 meters?”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Another incident:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“If we do the poster 40 centimeters wide and the height in proportion, will it look awful?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">Media:<span style=""> </span>“No, it would still be in proportion.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“OK. What if do it in 20 centimeters wide and the height in proportion?”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And yet another:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“How do I layout the copy?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“Hmmm... just make it centered... to the left.”</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">These two however, deserve special honors:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u><span style="">AD #1:<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“We can’t use this painting for the print ad.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>“Why not? We have money. We can buy the rights!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>“Wha—you don’t understand! This painting is…”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AE:<span style=""> </span>(Feeling smug) “Nonsense! I will contact the artist now! What’s his name?" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>(Nonchalant) "Vincent Van Gogh"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Silence. The AD waits for the Ae’s reaction. Instead, she picks up a notepad and writes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="">AD:<span style=""> </span>"Ok, I will call him now and get his approval."</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><u><span style="">AD #2 (during a pre-production for a print ad):<o:p></o:p></span></u><b style=""><i style=""><span style=""><br /><br />AD:<span style=""> </span>“Ok. About this photo. Are we going to buy a royalty-free image from the web, or are we going to use a talent and shoot?” </span></i></b></span><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >-<span style=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family:arial;">The photo in question is that of a Dinosaur.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >(Next post: The (M)Adman Diaries Part III: Crazy Creatives)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-51808924401538671032007-01-12T01:23:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:38.846+08:00The (M)Adman Diaries Part I: Evul Clients<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O5e56OkOUJwgSzOEvhy0eQU_fUZCBLk-7uqMPl63kRuUO1NRkdCXsJ9P7OWsP4K6FbvcQZcBluJSpfTQRahivrvNEEoWh1q4X12Z1rdOvo8MPQhzwCiTgA9upxr9bd0PY5M4rQ/s1600-h/diary+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O5e56OkOUJwgSzOEvhy0eQU_fUZCBLk-7uqMPl63kRuUO1NRkdCXsJ9P7OWsP4K6FbvcQZcBluJSpfTQRahivrvNEEoWh1q4X12Z1rdOvo8MPQhzwCiTgA9upxr9bd0PY5M4rQ/s400/diary+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018829311544607890" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. <o:p></o:p></span> <p style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">However, the verbatims are all REAL.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Dear Diary,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was on leave today. Migraine – had it for the longest time. They say it’s a common disease for admen - people working in advertising - especially creatives. We deal with a lot of stress, that’s why.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I spent half the day catching some long-lost sleep. The other half, thinking what triggered my migraine besides the lack of it. Pardon my rambling; I’ve had four Advils already.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What could’ve caused it? Better yet, who? As I ponder and recall previous discussions with the people I deal with every single day at work, I began to wonder…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Could it be my clients?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Could it be the high-maintenance client who makes demands as if he owns our souls even though he only contributes to 1/1,116 of our billings?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">“It’s just a minor revision. We’re just changing the copy and layout of the whole print ad. And, oh, the concept doesn’t fit so we might want to change that as well.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Asked what <u>exactly</u> he wants and when he needs it, the humble client replied:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">"It’s simple really: I want you to come up with something that’s never been done before; something that touches hearts and minds all around the world. Oh, and I need it by 11 tomorrow morning."</span><span style=""><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Could it also be the client who knows what he wants, so much that he wants <u>everything</u> present in his ads?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">"We love option 1. It is by far the </span><u style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">cleanest</u><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"> layout. We'd just like to add </span><u style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">a little</u><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"> contact information. Just the call to action, website and </span><u style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">8 of our partners’ logos</u><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">. You guys are the artists. Just do your thing to make sure it’s not </span><u style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">too cluttered.</u><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"> I mean, hey, you really can’t read all that information in a billboard, can you?”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What about the client who can't make up his mind?<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Account Exec:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">(yelling sarcastically) "Finally! The client has given us FINAL approval! He just asked if we could change one small thing. Woohoo!"</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.5in;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">(From a client’s email):<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Please be reminded that we are selling a superior product. It is the best in the market. However, we can’t put this in print because we can’t prove it, and we don’t want the people to know that it’s not. So can you just say it’s superior </span><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">without really saying superior?”</span><o:p></o:p></u></span></i></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Could it be the unprofessional ones?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Client:<span style=""> </span> (Raging) “You always send me the layouts too late. I will not approve them like this!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Creative:<span style=""> </span>“But we sent them at 2 pm…” <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Client:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Yes, but I just got to the office at 6pm!”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Or worse, those that are just plain stupid?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Dumbfounded) "You guys are giving me a hard time here. How on earth do you expect me to put the link on my desktop when you know I only have a laptop?"</span><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">(A telephone conversation:)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Client:<span style=""> </span>“There’s a little spot on the HTML.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Artist:<span style=""> </span> “Where?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Client:<span style=""> </span>“Between the pictures and the description. I move around the little arrow and the spot stays there. Is it a mistake in the HTML code?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Artist:<span style=""> </span> “I don’t know about a spot, it’s very strange. Maybe your monitor is dirty?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><i style=""><span style="">Client:<span style=""> </span> (Pauses for a while, then shouted) “Oh, yes! Yes! You’re a genius!”</span></i></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>(During a client brief):<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Ok, here’s what the problem is. Our bank is losing many clients, especially the retired senior citizens. The main reason for this is their death. Our objective is simple: </span><u style="font-weight: bold;">get those clients back</u><span style="font-weight: bold;">.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Worse, stupid clients who act smart or those who won’t admit they have any idea how advertising works:<i style=""><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">“I asked for the photo in high resolution! I can’t work like this! A photo is in high resolution when I can’t see it in my computer!”<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">Client: “Can you change the word ‘exquisite’ on the ad? I personally think that any words including the letter X are way too complicated for our market to comprehend.”</span></i></span></p><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Copywriter: (Sarcastically) "You mean like, axe... and sex?"</span><br /><p style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal" face="arial"></p><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Silence</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Client: "Just change the damn word!" (and leaves the room)<br /><br /></span><p style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">"This flyer is <u>urgent!</u> I don't know how you do it but just do it so it fits an envelope. Just like the one I'm holding now".</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">(Client to creative... on a phone conversation)</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">You see, dear diary, I’m at a lost as to what or who caused my migraine. To make it worse, clients are not the only <u>smart</u> people in the world of advertising. Sometimes, skull-cracking comments like the ones above are caused by the same people we work with. That’s right. People from advertising. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But I'll just save that for my next entry. It’s getting late and it’s time for my 5<sup>th</sup> pill. I better hit the sack early as I still have to figure out what to do with those darn flyers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Good night.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(Next post: The (M)Adman Diaries Part II: Account Executives)</span><span style=""></span></p><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-5934624102638534692007-01-08T23:32:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:39.620+08:00Timeout for Thank Yous<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaA8JtwY4kI_jSNUSthwz_ckPU87SNzGL8pjm1Pt38f5eQ5UUxAjZV_hlBGPX6y1zdd_BfWnKohP6LGzKmyFK3bMxhB9GmhI1xnW3fu73N_d5dseqYLlVU-7oN2FmDjr7nAwPJw/s1600-h/cake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaA8JtwY4kI_jSNUSthwz_ckPU87SNzGL8pjm1Pt38f5eQ5UUxAjZV_hlBGPX6y1zdd_BfWnKohP6LGzKmyFK3bMxhB9GmhI1xnW3fu73N_d5dseqYLlVU-7oN2FmDjr7nAwPJw/s400/cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017691106608789266" border="0" /></a><span style="">Greetings from the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Midlandia</st1:placename></st1:place>.<o:p><br /></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">I, in behalf of her Majesty the Queen, Crowned Prince Carlos and Princess Bianca wish to extend our most deepest gratitude to the good citizens of Bloggerville who have sent their most heartfelt felicitations on her Royal Highness Supreme’s 8<sup>th</sup> birthday.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">Ever the humble royal, the Princess took off her crown and majestic gown for one day and observed this momentous occasion with her family in the most intimate of gatherings. Hence, we celebrated this special day according to her desire.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p>This involved visiting a neighboring resort for an early morning dip in the pool, where the Princess exchanged a few laps with her brother, Prince Carlos, whom she always beat fair and square despite the fact that he’s a year and a half older. Queen Joy, ever the loving mother and wife, prepared a picnic of scrumptious sandwiches and lemon ice tea.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WZlbL3xoi0LmVRNlXafwtp22Kb7MsRRNq-0cGv5rySvBV4m7KlGkIwg9MEutzgR1gfa96SJKFGCLWgGhgem3vGWOu9vZiMCzmDP80WqMPgWns5q8bNJSX-NmlhzjFRmzoXA07w/s1600-h/swim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WZlbL3xoi0LmVRNlXafwtp22Kb7MsRRNq-0cGv5rySvBV4m7KlGkIwg9MEutzgR1gfa96SJKFGCLWgGhgem3vGWOu9vZiMCzmDP80WqMPgWns5q8bNJSX-NmlhzjFRmzoXA07w/s400/swim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017694345014130498" border="0" /></a><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">Come lunch time, it was my turn to delight the Princess with an exquisite dish. And so I toiled in the kitchen for more than 2 hours preparing her favorite Kaldereta recipe – a Filipino version of Beef Stew – and salad.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">Not long after, the royal chamber became busy when the <u>real</u> celebration began to take place. Aunt Countess Chech arrived directly from a flight from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> just to be with her niece on this special occasion. Aunt Princess Julie, though still sick from a slipped disk she suffered from playing Polo, grabbed her cane and joined the soiree. The royal grandsfolk were also present – The Old and Wise King Bert and of course, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Then there are the children – a select few of the Princess’ loyal friends coming in from various kingdoms. Those who didn’t make it, like her grandmother Empress Rose, her aunt Dutchess Rozelle and uncle Duke Edzel of Georgia, USA sent their gifts and cheerful greetings.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">Dinner was intimate yet special, as we had our feast of the regal barbecue, colonial fried chicken, majestic mango cake,<span style=""> </span>ice cream supreme, and of course, the inevitable royal spaghetti.<o:p></o:p> After dinner, the Princess opened her gifts. But the most wonderful surprise came when I ushered her in front of the imperial computer. Before opening the internet browser, I told her a story.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">I told her that a true Princess is loved by many. That a real Princess touches the lives of not only the people around her, but also those who are living far, far away from her kingdom. I told her that a real Princess radiates beauty that spreads throughout continents. It breaks the barriers of time, distance, age, gender, and race.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">And just when I thought I saw her forehead starting to wrinkle in confusion, we opened her last gift. There it laid, right before her eyes, a picture of a Princess with a lovely poem just below it. She began to read. I told her to scroll down and she did, until she stumbled upon something very familiar. Her photo! A Happy Birthday greeting with <u>her name on it!</u> I tried to read her expression. It was a mixture of shock and awe. And then, almost inevitably, she blurted, “That’s me!” I nodded. “I’m on the internet!” she added, calling on her brother. I told her to click on the comments below. Being older and having a louder voice, I asked Carlos to read the messages. What followed was a series of queries and surprises. First, she asked who these people are, why they know her name and why they know it’s her birthday. Then, after explaining to her how a real Princess is known to have many friends from around the world, she blurted, “I want to meet them!”<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">She inquired about </span><span style=""><a href="http://wizenedwizard.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">The Wizard</a></span><span style="">. Asking if she really is what she says she is, and I showed her the photos of her enchanting forest. She asked me about </span><span style=""><a href="http://jestersrap.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Dirk</a></span><span style="">, a bit frightened of his photo at first, until I told him that he is a very gentle, kind man who’s expecting the birth of his own Prince. She asked me about </span><span style=""><a href="http://ihadtoputsomething.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">DNR</a> </span><span style="">and why he’s wearing a skeleton mask when Halloween is already over. She asked me about all these fascinating people, and every time I come up with an answer, I smiled. Looking at my Princess and how obviously surprised she is with this little gift, I smiled. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p>Later at night, before she retired, she remembered. She asked me to print a copy for her to show in school. Lastly, she asked me to tell all these people, these wonderful, wonderful people <u>thank you</u>. Just then, knowing how 8 year-olds almost always prefer to receive than to give and forget to say thank you when the presence of a gift steals their attention, I felt glad. Knowing that somehow, I did something right. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">And so, in behalf of her Majesty Queen Joy, Crowned Prince Carlos and Royal Highness Supreme Princess Bianca, I, humble King Russkal of Midlandia wish to say THANK YOU to the great, loving and caring citizens of Bloggerville for your support and participation in this noble endeavor.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk8_dP638qw97C9pmqYUZCQ2GeJOsYm-tUWnkf4sASshfsWOspaQ9xaAdyaFofNvpUDFVvJxl_hyphenhyphenqwZQXFaRSo94wfFqBN3v6PatLC4q12BYPHk85UITCjzkoZrLkT9lzE3VoKA/s1600-h/ty2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk8_dP638qw97C9pmqYUZCQ2GeJOsYm-tUWnkf4sASshfsWOspaQ9xaAdyaFofNvpUDFVvJxl_hyphenhyphenqwZQXFaRSo94wfFqBN3v6PatLC4q12BYPHk85UITCjzkoZrLkT9lzE3VoKA/s400/ty2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017693619164657458" border="0" /></a><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="">Believe me when I say, we can’t thank you enough. <o:p></o:p></span></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-79824378691111977052007-01-07T03:12:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:39.948+08:00Timeout for A Princess<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_cZnhCDuFh3X72tMWm4c2E-_hz68SED1Henbo57YCZeBWPaEbJUVbooCyy-rugAMgoDgqK2qDFfcTPG75eXXEgZpw4YcesrTSFao7xDrIlQ2eXoBupDBA1zzwfVkzddgxcKN9w/s1600-h/princess.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_cZnhCDuFh3X72tMWm4c2E-_hz68SED1Henbo57YCZeBWPaEbJUVbooCyy-rugAMgoDgqK2qDFfcTPG75eXXEgZpw4YcesrTSFao7xDrIlQ2eXoBupDBA1zzwfVkzddgxcKN9w/s400/princess.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017001175947261682" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I’m taking a time out with my Princess.<br /><br />For 8 years ago today, she was born. Her name is Bianca, a sweet, noodle-haired bundle of joy. And this is her day. This is her time. This is her poem.<br /></span><o:p></o:p></span><pre style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p>Life is fleeting, years rush past....<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and little girls grow up so fast.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me take time out to be<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">glad that mine's still here with me.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And though I'm busy through the day,<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">let me take time out to play...<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me take time out to smile,<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">to linger with her for a while...<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">To invite her under the table for tea<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and dress up silly as can be.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me take time out to sing<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and dance and skip<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and twirl and swing...<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">To splash in puddles when it rains<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">and make her fancy daisy chains.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me take time out to hear<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">about the things that she holds dear.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let me tuck her in at night,<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">hear her prayers, turn off the light.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And for one more moment let me pray<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >and thank God that we shared this day.</span><o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ1xKuvYBQCOCMOL-ZOXVSVVgRlmOzldtqUIE00Cos0QcTkEcGQapHoQM2BcZesNypMbarUc5bDG18BS0k32A7cOLTz5ffICsZdHuK1PPGmo-eFyqO6MFH-CSH66Wahe4m9nyHA/s1600-h/CIMG4493.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQ1xKuvYBQCOCMOL-ZOXVSVVgRlmOzldtqUIE00Cos0QcTkEcGQapHoQM2BcZesNypMbarUc5bDG18BS0k32A7cOLTz5ffICsZdHuK1PPGmo-eFyqO6MFH-CSH66Wahe4m9nyHA/s400/CIMG4493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017001313386215170" border="0" /></a></pre><pre style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy, happy birthday my sweet, sweet Princess!<br /><br /></span></span></span></pre><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Every little girl dreams of becoming a princess. My little Bianca is no exception. And today, with your help, I want to make her dream a reality.<br /><br />Imagine the look in her eyes when she opens the comment box and reads all your majestic greetings! So, if you would, please send your wishes to Princess Bianca below.<br /></span></div><pre style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Many thanks from the </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Midlandia</st1:placename></st1:place></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></pre><br /></div>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-48550578061660876742007-01-05T00:54:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:40.233+08:00Enjoy the silence<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZ1P1_mxqWfuB5AiExXQoGAJm09bx4pqcGlLcxf_AhbmPJdhFZWRWOSYo5PC2x4uSlQ19oM6XgP9OrpWJx34h3hu4pvdlUFxqJEf9G5KSaHzHKpxKI3nt6L0tbrYdWniiO9TdwQ/s1600-h/silence.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZ1P1_mxqWfuB5AiExXQoGAJm09bx4pqcGlLcxf_AhbmPJdhFZWRWOSYo5PC2x4uSlQ19oM6XgP9OrpWJx34h3hu4pvdlUFxqJEf9G5KSaHzHKpxKI3nt6L0tbrYdWniiO9TdwQ/s400/silence.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016219971374755138" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">Hush.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Don’t be scared. Sit still. Can you hear your heart beat?<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Since the beginning of 2007, I have always felt this tingling sensation in my stomach. No, it’s not the kind of emotion caused by fluttering butterflies, nor the ones caused by nervousness and anticipation. Nor panic.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s the kind that hits you like a battering ram and leave you unconscious. Without caution. Without pain. Without any physical manifestation. None, other than…<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Silence.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s unbearable, this feeling of lightness. To not utter a single word. To suddenly hear nothing but your heartbeat. And yet you allow it to happen. You don’t even consider to speak. You don’t even think. As Milan Kundera said, “When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.”<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Suddenly, everything’s clearer. <span style=""> </span>Everything that I have ignored, wittingly or otherwise, are slowly revealing. Everything that have been right there in front of my eyes that I have failed to notice.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Breathe.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My sister has slipped disc. She acquired it 3 days before Christmas and she has spent the Holidays lying in the couch. Immobile from her waist down, she chose the couch than the bed because she doesn’t want to feel locked up in her room. My parents keep her company during bedtime by sleeping in a mattress in the living room. They have postponed countless party invitations, the annual reunion and spending Christmas Eve with my relatives because my sister couldn’t join. They spent New Year’s Eve locked up inside the house. She has been receiving therapy on a daily basis.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My dad has kidney stones. I personally rushed him to the ER twice in 2006 and the doctors gave him some kind of medication to cure his ailment. The problem with my dad is, like me, he’s not a big fan of medicines. He always say, he’ll get better, that the medicines are too expensive, or, if he runs out of excuses, he just tells us that he simply forgets. Right now, he’s taking up herbal medicines – a tea that’s suppose to melt the stones and rid him of whatever it is that’s bothering him. Up to know, we constantly remind him to drink it.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My mother has hypertension and all these problems aren’t helping her to relax and stay calm at all.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My wife had her share of health misfortune with a visit to the hospital’s emergency room during the first week of December. Thank God she’s ok now.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Amidst all these - health problems with my family, I managed to retain my cool. I am a busy man. A very busy man that have always shown support to his family during their times of need, at least whenever he can. Time is of the essence. I hate wasting time therefore I always make sure I do whatever I want, when I want. I got used to this pace that I have started living life like a race, leaving all the worries and troubles behind, in a blur, as I dashed into life like a mad man.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Inhale.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now, in the calming presence of silence, I realized that I have buried my head into the sand. Like a coward, I have hidden what I truly feel, or felt about what my family is going through, and the support I have given them is not enough. I’ve always hidden behind my excuses that I have started to become indifferent. I have chosen not to notice these problems and carried on with my daily routines. I have chosen to live a carefree life. No worries. Everything’s going to be fine. I concentrated too much on pushing forward that I left so many things behind. In the process, I kept a safe distance. Away from all the trouble and pain. Away from harm.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Exhale.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The moment of silence has given me what I didn’t have, living a fast-paced, driven lifestyle. Clarity.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thank God, it couldn’t have arrived at a better timing.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s the New Year. 2007. I have now survived 3 decades, and in 2 and a half months time, I will be enjoying the last year my age will be in the calendar. What better time to regain my focus. To stop and finally, smell the flowers. What better time to pause, take a breather and enjoy the silence.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s 2007. It’s going to be a great year. I know, as long as I take my time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-33937783825271013702006-12-31T14:56:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:40.419+08:00The Countdown Begins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-fdkzxAw_D3ocIyE40nFBQLB1rb_iJ-TiEZsIA53wzLN7Kl2XGx1ExWCjG1c8PZ03Eul8PHF3YlsVFjJPFrEuaJVNYX37vLoBMmvDQQn76h5hxDtQJu3ar0gGYYldpRxR_MVDQ/s1600-h/fireworks2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-fdkzxAw_D3ocIyE40nFBQLB1rb_iJ-TiEZsIA53wzLN7Kl2XGx1ExWCjG1c8PZ03Eul8PHF3YlsVFjJPFrEuaJVNYX37vLoBMmvDQQn76h5hxDtQJu3ar0gGYYldpRxR_MVDQ/s400/fireworks2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014581488505265906" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Tic-toc-tic-toc.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">You have 9 hours.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">It’s now Sunday, December 31, 2006 here in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manila</st1:place></st1:city>. New Year’s Eve. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Kids are already throwing firecrackers in the street, dads are calculating how much they’re going to spend in fireworks, and moms are busy shopping for polka-dot clothes and ANY round fruit they can find.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">No worries. It’s all good. Never mind that firecrackers are unsafe and a handful of people (mostly children) are rushed to the emergency room with mangled hands every year. Never mind that people are wasting a sizeable portion of their year’s earnings for fireworks that will only light up for a few seconds. Never mind the stress, the hassle, of scouring for 12 assorted round fruits in a crowded wet market. Never mind that you look like a clown on a polka-dot blouse. Nevrmind all the touble (except for the mangled hands. I always imply a no firecracker rule in my family). It’s New Year’s Day. It only happens once a year anyway.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Largely influenced by Chinese Feng Shui, Filipinos have a template for celebrating New Year. We light up firecrackers, honk our car horns, bang metal drums, pots and pans and make all kinds of noise (when all things above aren’t available, you can just scream at the top of your lungs) when the clock hits 12 to drive away evil spirits. We wear polka-dotted clothes and adorn our homes with anything round, hang grapes on our window sills, and create a centerpiece out of 12 assorted round fruits on the table (because “round” symbolizes coins or money) for prosperity. Some vertically-challenged people jump, hoping they’ll gain a few inches to their height in the coming year. Yes, even adults. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">We do all this things, and a lot of other quirky practices, because even if we’re not Chinese, we are faithful. We are believers, not to be mistaken as gullible. Besides, like we always say, “Wala namang mawawala eh” (“There’s no harm in trying anyway”).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">No harm indeed, except for the mangled limbs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Ooops, 8 hours. Time to dig into the vault and look for my red polka-dot boxers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Happy New Year, everyone! May 2007 bring you and your family PEACE, LOVE & PROSPERITY!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Here’s my </p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.maylin.net/Fireworks.html" target="”blank”">GIFT</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">to you. (Make sure your speakers are on)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Cheers!</p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-8483121322224641612006-12-28T09:59:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:40.640+08:00My First Meme<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_zx8Y9y0VPt-40GEodgkTQ8YVk1mibYHSYUMgTnBMDAkmyCnBCfA4C7Cmy0xKqs5C_hN0mnUfRBxG7_KHSKOZKj_25v-E09HpQnmQdOmyCBtLx3oBUj1LtZWCBBlTK_XARoA9A/s1600-h/dummies+meme.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_zx8Y9y0VPt-40GEodgkTQ8YVk1mibYHSYUMgTnBMDAkmyCnBCfA4C7Cmy0xKqs5C_hN0mnUfRBxG7_KHSKOZKj_25v-E09HpQnmQdOmyCBtLx3oBUj1LtZWCBBlTK_XARoA9A/s400/dummies+meme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013400333844160226" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Rookie alert!<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ok. I don’t know how memes work. Hell, I even thought at first that it’s pronounced as me-me or mey-mey). Anyway, I saw this one from </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://asleepinthedeep.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Pepper</a> and it caught my interest. Needless to say, I asked her permission to copy it as a personal reference, and she said yes, and that I can post it so she can see what I have written in bold. So I’m posting it below. I don’t know if she has tagged me (what’s a tag anyway? How do you know if you’ve been tagged?), but it’s been fun to do. So here it is. Thanks, </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://asleepinthedeep.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Pepper</a></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">. Don't worry, </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm no <a href="http://jesterstrap.blogspot.com/" target="blank">elf-killer</a> </span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Rules – copy the list and bold face the items you’ve done. Wait for some comments then answer the questions.</span><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><br />01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink<br />02. Swam with wild dolphins<br /><b style="">03. Climbed a mountain</b><br /><strong>04. Driven anything over 100 MPH</strong><br /><span style="">05. Been inside the Great Pyramid</span><br /><span style="">06. Held a tarantula</span><br /><strong>07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone</strong><span style=""><br /><strong>08. Said “I love you” and meant it</strong><br /><strong>09. Hugged a tree</strong><br /></span>10. Bungee jumped<br />11. Visited <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city><br />12. Watched a lightning storm at sea<br /><strong>13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise</strong><b> (I had a near death experience before when I got hospitalized for Hypokalemia. My whole body was paralyzed and I couldn’t breathe because of pneumonia, so I didn’t sleep, fearing that I won’t be able to wake up.)<br /></b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">14. Seen the Northern Lights</span></strong><b><br /><strong>15. Gone to a huge sports game</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span>16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Tower</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Pisa</st1:placename></st1:place><br /><strong>17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (school project)</strong><br />18. Touched an iceberg<br /><strong>19. Slept under the stars</strong><span style=""><br /><strong>20. Changed a baby’s diaper</strong><br /></span>21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon<br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">22. Watched a meteor shower</span></strong><span style=""><br /><b>23. Gotten drunk on champagne</b></span> <b style="">(I have amazingly low threshold on alcoholic drinks)</b><br /><span style="">24. Given more than you can afford to charity</span><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope</span></strong><b><br /><strong>26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment</strong></b><span style=""><br /><b>27. Had a food fight</b></span><br />28. Bet on a winning horse<br /><b style="">29. Asked out a stranger</b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">30. Had a snowball fight</span></strong><b><br /><strong>31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span>32. Held a lamb<br /><strong>33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon.</strong><b><br /><strong>34. Ridden a roller coaster</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span><b style="">35. Hit a home run</b> <b style="">(school practice)</b><br /><b>36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking</b><br />37. Adopted an accent for an entire day<br /><strong>38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment</strong><span style=""><br /><strong>39. Had two hard drives for your computer</strong> <b>(still do)</b><br /></span>40. Visited all 50 states<br /><strong>41. Taken care of someone who was drunk</strong><span style=""><br /><strong>42. Had amazing friends</strong><br />43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country</span><br />44. Watched wild whales<br /><b>45. Stolen a sign</b><br />46. Backpacked in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place><br /><strong>47. Taken a road-trip</strong><b><br /></b><strong>48. Gone rock climbing</strong><b> (It ain’t that steep but hey, it sure is rocky).<br /><strong>49. Midnight walk on the beach</strong></b><br />50. Gone sky diving<br />51. Visited <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region></st1:place><br /><b style="">52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love<br /><strong>53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span>54. Visited <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place><br /><b>55. Milked a cow and a goat too</b><br /><b style="">56. Alphabetized your CDs<br />57. Pretended to be a superhero<br />58. Sung karaoke</b><br /><strong>59. Lounged around in bed all day</strong><b><br /></b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">60. Played touch football</span></strong><span style=""><br /></span>61. Gone scuba diving<br /><strong>62. Kissed in the rain</strong><span style=""><br /><strong>63. Played in the mud</strong><br /><strong>64. Played in the rain</strong><br /><strong>65. Gone to a drive-in theater</strong><br /></span>66. Visited the <st1:place st="on">Great Wall of China</st1:place><br /><strong>67. Started a business</strong><br />68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken<br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">69. Toured ancient sites</span></strong><span style=""><br /></span><b style="">70. Taken a martial arts class</b> <b style="">(Arnis in college)</b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight</span></strong><b><br /><strong>72. Gotten married</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span><b style="">73. Been in a movie</b> <b style="">(a short documentary)</b><br /><b style="">74. Crashed a party</b><br /><span style="">75. Gotten divorced</span><br /><b style="">76. Gone without food for 5 days (Hospital food doesn’t count as food, ok?)</b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">77. Made cookies from scratch</span></strong><br /><b>78. Won first prize in a costume contest</b><br />79. Ridden a gondola in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Venice</st1:city></st1:place><br /><b style="">80. Gotten a tattoo</b><br />81. Rafted the <st1:place st="on">Snake River</st1:place><br />82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”<br /><b>83. Got flowers for no reason</b><b style=""><br /><span style="">84. Performed on stage</span></b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">85. Been to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city></st1:place></span></strong><br /><b style="">86. Recorded music</b> <b style="">(a demo for our rock band)</b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">87. Eaten shark</span></strong><b><br /><strong>88. Kissed on the first date</strong></b><span style=""><br /></span>89. Gone to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region></st1:place><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">90. Bought a house</span></strong><br />91. Been in a combat zone<br /><span style="">92. Buried one/both of your parents</span><br />93. Been on a cruise ship<br /><b style="">94. Spoken more than one language fluently</b><br />95. Performed in Rocky Horror<br /><strong>96. Raised children</strong> <b style="">(still raising)</b><br />97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour<br />99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country<br />100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over<br />101. Walked the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Golden Gate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></st1:place><br /><strong>102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (always)</strong><br />103. Had plastic surgery<br /><b style="">104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived</b><br /><b style="">105. Wrote articles for a large publication</b> <b style="">(Manila Bulletin)</b><br />106. Lost over 100 pounds<br /><b style="">107. Held someone while they were having a flashback</b><br />108. Piloted an airplane<br />109. Touched a stingray<br /><strong>110. Broken someone’s heart</strong><span style=""><br /></span><b style="">111. Helped an animal give birth<br />112. Won money on a T.V. game show</b> <b style="">(consolation prize for The Quiz Bee, I was only 10 then)</b><br /><b style="">113. Broken a bone</b><br />114. Gone on an African photo safari<br />115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears<br /><strong>116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol</strong><br /><span style="">117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild</span><br /><strong>118. Ridden a horse</strong><br /><span style="">119. Had major surgery </span><br /><span style="">120. Had a snake as a pet</span><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">121. Hiked to the bottom of the <st1:place st="on">Grand Canyon</st1:place></span></strong><b><br /><strong>122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours </strong></b><b style="">(again, hospital)</b><br />123. Visited more foreign countries than <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> states<br />124. Visited all 7 continents<br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days</span></strong><span style=""><br /></span>126. Eaten kangaroo meat<br /><b style="">127. Eaten sushi<br /></b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">128. Had your picture in the newspaper</span></strong><span style=""><br /></span><b style="">129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about</b><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">130. Gone back to school</span></strong><span style=""><br /></span>131. Parasailed<br /><strong>132. Touched a cockroach</strong><b><br /></b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">133. Eaten fried green tomatoes</span></strong><br /><b style="">134. Read The Iliad</b><br />135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read<br /><strong>136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating</strong><b> (fish)<br /></b><strong>137. Skipped all your school reunions</strong><span style=""> <b>(never been to any)</b><br /><b>138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language</b></span><br /><b style="">139. Been elected to public office</b> <b style="">(does school council count?)</b><br /><b style="">140. Written your own computer language</b> <b style="">(basic HTML)</b><br /><b>141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream</b><b style=""><br /></b><span style="">142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care</span><br /><b style="">143. Built your own PC from parts<br /></b>144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you<br /><span style="">145. Had a booth at a street fair </span><br /><b>146. Dyed your hair</b><br />147. Been a DJ<br /><b style="">148. Shaved your head<br /><strong>149. Caused a car accident</strong><br /></b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">150. Saved someone’s life</span></strong></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-38589377624407813742006-12-26T00:35:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:40.744+08:00It's over.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOK3kmCBrt4ba9YSifdwv0cDTxMVp6xLXX3vGyO7MoIPP4yOnoNZLLsxvCxYB6Qxdcl5vd6t8Jmt0HCyL0xjut54uO1OaCWLvtN9GhEc2Ge9RwdJb0lfompmPr48G06KsGIcBmA/s1600-h/santa_sleigh.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOK3kmCBrt4ba9YSifdwv0cDTxMVp6xLXX3vGyO7MoIPP4yOnoNZLLsxvCxYB6Qxdcl5vd6t8Jmt0HCyL0xjut54uO1OaCWLvtN9GhEc2Ge9RwdJb0lfompmPr48G06KsGIcBmA/s400/santa_sleigh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012521033779584690" border="0" /></a>It’s now 37 minutes past midnight here in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manila</st1:place></st1:city>. December 26, 2006.<o:p><br /></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s official. Christmas is finally over. Gone. Kaput. The end. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The in-laws have left. And so did the pesky carolers. The rib eye steak, the waldorf salad and pasta carbonara are now a thing of the past along with the Fiesta ham and ube halaya (purple yam). By the time I’m writing this, all that’s left in the fridge are a half-empty bottle of Chiraz, some chocolate-chip cookies and <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> red apples. Thank God there’s no fruitcake.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so it goes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another countdown begins. 364 days to go ‘till Christmas 2007. Time to shed off the extra calories gained and write the mandatory annual New Year’s resolutions. It’s also during this time that people begin pondering, “I wonder what’s waiting for me next year?” “Will I finally meet Mr. Right?” “Will I finally get my break?” “Can we survive?” “What to do with this damn fruitcake?” Questions that are often kept inside and are somehow, almost always, answered by well-wisher’s clichés. One friend even had the answer for everything with a single text message. It reads, “Merry Christmas! May you have a lot of food to eat, a prosperous career, a blooming love life, and a successful new year”. Well, almost everything except the fruitcake. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What lies ahead maybe uncertain, but it is with this uncertainty that life becomes a year-long challenge. Christmas may now be over, gone, along with the text barrage of well-wishers, friends and relatives spreading good tidings, Christmas trees, mistletoes and tinsels back into storage, but the prospect of waiting for 364 days before it’s here once again is proof that people have faith. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The faith that even if we don’t get what we want in the year 2007, even if Mr. Right doesn’t come along and job promotions doesn’t happen, even if we barely survived, there’s always 364 more days to look forward to. It’s human nature. We climb and fall. We leap. We hope. We wait. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For 364 days.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so, to my friends and family and fellow bloggers, I hope you get what you want this Christmas and the coming New Year. In case you don’t, here’s a message from the bottom of my heart:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Merry Christmas! May you have a lot of food to eat, a prosperous career, a blooming love life, and a successful new year!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I still don’t have an answer to that fruitcake though.</p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-4957404576669934772006-12-23T02:50:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:41.300+08:00Wow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeEw4PhqJOiDffpQN7Q5313Zn3zRa5bQCaaPx46-GqYv-AUoX9M3c3uF-uG8ddVFmsJfWCG3To2FlJAHyIuwQ4X3BDuWjkgOjjLAidEVNoxttZaZjsZpZdeluqQSIPti5CbCmkQ/s1600-h/mascots-16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeEw4PhqJOiDffpQN7Q5313Zn3zRa5bQCaaPx46-GqYv-AUoX9M3c3uF-uG8ddVFmsJfWCG3To2FlJAHyIuwQ4X3BDuWjkgOjjLAidEVNoxttZaZjsZpZdeluqQSIPti5CbCmkQ/s400/mascots-16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5011433251707494002" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s all I can say. Wow. </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">It’s now officially less than 24 hours away before Christmas. That time of year. Where everyone’s jolly and merry and spreading good cheer. It never really hit me until now. Have I been working <u>that</u> hard?</p><div style="text-align: justify;">Wow. It's been a week of rants and raves. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I rant. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I have been working like a sheep dog this past few days, been pulling overtime, chasing never-ending deadlines and trying to balance family life with daily brainstorming sessions and client presentations. The fact that it’s almost the holidays makes it even worse. Nonetheless, I have no choice. And so, I toiled, leaving behind two rascals with the Playstation during their holiday vacation, a spouse clamoring for a shopping chauffeur, and two toy poodles begging for a yuletide groom. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I have squeezed my brain of all its juice and worked my ass off. I have endured 3 hour sleeps and 3 hour travels. I have hustled, bustled and dazzled clients in looong presentations. All in the 2<sup>rd</sup> week of December. I have undergone corporate apocalypse while most people fight their way to the last pair of jeans on a midnight sale. I have, lamentably and disappointingly, left the Midnight Oil flickering, burning slowly on its last flame. I never knew what to expect when I return. I, for sure, thought that it’s the end. <span style=""> </span>But…</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Wow.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I have worked hard and now I am reaping my rewards. And what wonderful rewards awaited me. What astounding accolades. What pride. What gratitude. What joy.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I rave.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">A couple of days ago, one of the most prestigious award-giving bodies in the Philippine advertising industry proclaimed the winners of the <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://www.2006arawvaluesawards.com.ph/index.html" target="”blank”"></a></span></span></span><a href="http://www.2006arawvaluesawards.com.ph/index.html" target="”blank”">2006 Araw Values Award<span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ></span></span></span></a>, awarding chosen local advertisements in print, radio and TV based on creativity, and the following cornerstone values:<strong><br /></strong></p><ol><li><strong>Love of God and respect for religious beliefs</strong><span class="style17">.</span><strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Commitment to truth, honesty and justice</strong><span class="style17">.</span><strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Love of country and respect for national customs and traditions</strong>.<strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Reverence for family unity and the inviolability of marriage</strong>.<strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Respect and care for human life and dignity and the rights of all</strong>.<strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Respect for law and authority and the promotion of self-discipline</strong><span class="style17">.</span><strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Concern for and preservation of environment</strong>.</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">The criteria? <span style=""> </span>45% values message. 45% creative excellence, and 10% credibility.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I had 4 entries from my previous ad agency. All of which won.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMA-zg41fQshSAJySQIIohFQdGcU3gBH-hALHe_qhm2HA-n-sSd2X4kgThoVygHRhPai8VBRo6ekszBWgT_XlKB2KU8dhRTPCj1swFZH6Uccqf_RTM-aN1FGgdrjUHgvUfYbQpQ/s1600-h/ava+trophies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMA-zg41fQshSAJySQIIohFQdGcU3gBH-hALHe_qhm2HA-n-sSd2X4kgThoVygHRhPai8VBRo6ekszBWgT_XlKB2KU8dhRTPCj1swFZH6Uccqf_RTM-aN1FGgdrjUHgvUfYbQpQ/s400/ava+trophies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5011433500815597186" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Wow.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Winning a creative award is special. Bagging a Clio, Ney York Ad fest, One Show pencil or a Cannes Lions prove that you are up there, in the higher echelon of creative geniuses. Sure. But winning a Values award means that you are not only creative with your work, but you are also sending out a message of hope, truth, unity, respect and aim to uplift human morals and principles. You be the judge. Which one takes harder work?</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">My entries were mostly TV and radio ads. The client, Manila North Luzon Tollways Corporation, is a private developer of public highways and infrastructures. The project is the newly renovated North Luzon Expressway. I could tell you more about the project and bore you to death with the details but let’s just say that the ads promote road safety and responsbile driving, and show how a highway’s makeover can change the lives of the motorists, and give the country's economy a much needed lift.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">And then, there’s another.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Fearing that my newly-found blogging friends got turned off by seeing the same post over and over every time they visit my blog, I recently visited my site with less expectation and more apprehension. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Alas, to my surprise, there are two things that are waiting for me. An invitation for an interview with Mirriam College students for their thesis – “Blogging in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region>”, and an award. You read it right, there’s another award. A recognition coming from the international blogging community. As I feared the worst, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Therein lay my reward, a shining trophy cast in gold – my first Eddie. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Mga kababayan (My fellow countrymen), this brown man has made his mark in the world blogging scene. You are now visiting, and reading the post of the recipient of this year’s Eddie Awards’ Rookie of the Year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp0DPv0eD5wEdNRi2i8Cq2htntgZRPLU0Qk1KbXSK_RyV8UTLHpNkiG00Bl4S-yLsvzmKzZwSOSVbuqhQ7qqJb6c1gZRyYyANij1ZDlbSkW3OQFMreBwsqEz9zkQfWEl6TIxvUQ/s1600-h/Eddie_Award.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp0DPv0eD5wEdNRi2i8Cq2htntgZRPLU0Qk1KbXSK_RyV8UTLHpNkiG00Bl4S-yLsvzmKzZwSOSVbuqhQ7qqJb6c1gZRyYyANij1ZDlbSkW3OQFMreBwsqEz9zkQfWEl6TIxvUQ/s400/Eddie_Award.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5011433672614289042" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Wow.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I owe it to a lot of people. First, to my countrymen (if this the first time you're reading this blog, please refer to previous posts and comments about the Philippines. You'd understand why I'm not being sarcastic and cheesy), for making me who I am. And the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region> - a beautiful, colorful country. If not for her, I could’ve been a bland, shallow-minded person. Everything I learned I owe to experience. Everything I write I get from observations. Everything I proclaim are mere facts, the truth. All I do is ad words.<br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I also owe it to my friends in the blogosphere. Both local and abroad. To my brother in law, the <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://aquariandog.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Aquariandog</a></span></span></span> for inspiring me to create a blog of my own without the need of persuasion. For <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://theblairmitchchronicles.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Blair Mitch</a></span></span></span>, a jolly good colleague whose posts about food inspires me to eat well, drink well, and well, be merry. And to all my newfound brothers and sisters – I could never stress it enough – for believing in me, reading my sometimes senseless posts, and accepting me as part of their blogging family. That’s <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://jestersrap.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Dirk</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://sweetmeander.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Meander</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://skeetsclutteredlife.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Skeet</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://crazynightinga.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Kat</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://someoneelseshoroscope.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Kate</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://thefoamingmoan.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Schaumi</a></span></span></span>, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://cualicumrn.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Smalltown rn</a></span></span></span>, and many more. To my fellow awardees, <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Whim</a> </span></span></span>and <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://wizenedwizard.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">The Wizard</a></span></span></span>. Thank you also to <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://who-really-cares-anyway.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">The Nameless One</a></span></span></span>, eventhough he never returned my comment on one of his posts. To <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://stevenovak.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Mr. Novak</a></span></span></span>, a very funny writer. To <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://ericaputis.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Erica</a></span></span></span> and <span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;"><span class="765442616-12122006"><span style=";font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;" ><a href="http://oopseilostmyshoe.blogspot.com/" target="”blank”">Cinderella</a></span></span></span>, whose posts are as beautiful as they are. And to all those I forgot to mention, just holla (did I just say holla?) so I can revise.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">This award is for all of you. Once again, thank you for keeping The Midnight Oil burning.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I couldn’t wish for a better Christmas. Now, if I could only hang this trophy on my Christmas tree…</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">By the way, did I say WOW?</p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-26584756588483256012006-12-14T04:04:00.001+08:002008-12-09T20:49:42.933+08:00There's no place like home (revised)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDJHDvc8pEmZES3EGuV5VN0XrBzIDiXCjEoQIvYhitjDiMBi9kogaCXmTwCVpe0CnHHRDANIAyRBzbUnP_Pfv2dUAzRAPuOGPk_tZX4UKM6DQgMTodXinfKc8w9LwgHuDJ3szpw/s1600-h/rubysl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDJHDvc8pEmZES3EGuV5VN0XrBzIDiXCjEoQIvYhitjDiMBi9kogaCXmTwCVpe0CnHHRDANIAyRBzbUnP_Pfv2dUAzRAPuOGPk_tZX4UKM6DQgMTodXinfKc8w9LwgHuDJ3szpw/s400/rubysl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008813873466536514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g62-LEL26mE/RYBdJBoFcYI/AAAAAAAAAAs/BQI6w5THPQ8/s1600-h/rubysl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g62-LEL26mE/RYBdJBoFcYI/AAAAAAAAAAs/BQI6w5THPQ8/s400/rubysl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008105195272761730" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">(Note: This post has been revised and updated. Changes and additions are written in italics.)<o:p></o:p></i></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"Ok, Dorothy, just click those ruby slippers, follow your heart and say..."<br /><br />Two days ago, I wrote about my fascination for snow and how I wished we have it here in our country so I could ski and make snow angels this Christmas. The post attracted a number of comments, most of which expressed appreciation for its candor and vivid descriptions of how we Filipinos celebrate the holiday season. Surprisingly, all of these comments were from people residing in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In my 2 and a half months of blogging, I never thought nor imagined that my blog would be received by such a wide audience. And that a nurturing, open-minded host of diverse nationalities would adopt me as part of their blogging family.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For this, I am equally amused and flattered. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Let there be no mistake, I may be yearning for snow but I love being a Filipino. I am proud of the color of my skin and like Dorothy, I can say that there’s no place like home. There’s no place like the Philippine soil. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so, it goes. I feel I have to do this. It is my responsibility – as a Filipino and as an adopted son to my blogging family, the only brown boy amidst white men and women - to tell you more about my beloved country.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If you really don’t care much about it, then stop reading. This post is not for you. But, if you are like me and a handful of people who would like to enrich their knowledge about different cultures, then by all means, carry on.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMZpUymvbr8NmqCYxS_gS8HIt3nU-yzKU0UJDCBV8Vl6-a1aL69pi2C_veX4-BrehXHP8PS1WNBfhwgP0bFrYL5SKMZ1WksZ4bclraeacxEmqFXg-hKpe9BW3pGH5QG-J7_6vNw/s1600-h/no+plcae+like+home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMZpUymvbr8NmqCYxS_gS8HIt3nU-yzKU0UJDCBV8Vl6-a1aL69pi2C_veX4-BrehXHP8PS1WNBfhwgP0bFrYL5SKMZ1WksZ4bclraeacxEmqFXg-hKpe9BW3pGH5QG-J7_6vNw/s400/no+plcae+like+home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008420089390002722" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>The </b><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Philippines</b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b> is home to 7,1007 islands and some of nature’s greatest wonders. </b>There’s the Rice Terraces, for instance, whom some tourists say, is the 8<sup>th</sup> wonder of the world. <i style="">Carved by the Ifugaos using only their bare hands hundreds of years ago, the terraces from the rocky <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">mountain</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Banaue</st1:placename></st1:place> is about 4,000 feet above the sea level. The total outline of this architectural wonder, otherwise known as the "stairways to the sky" is about 13,500 miles long, or about half the globe's circumference and ten times the length of the <st1:place st="on">Great Wall of China</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">We are also home to the world’s smallest volcano - Taal Volcano, a 406-meter-high crater, described as "a crater within an island within a lake" because it stands as an island at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Taal</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">And, the world’s largest eagle -, the Philippine eagle. Not to mention some of the world’s finest beaches like Boracay, <st1:place st="on">Palawan</st1:place>, and Siargao, and a host of other species you can only find in the country.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Filipinos are generally, happy people. </b>We smile, even when we have problems. We laugh, even at times of crisis. We crack jokes about our own trials and tribulations. Where else can you find a TV coverage of a flashflood where children riding in make-shift bancas wave at the camera in delight, grabbing their 15 minutes of fame, while their house is sinking underwater? We make jokes about “Erap”, (deposed President Joseph Estrada) even if he is listed as the 10<sup>th</sup> most corrupt leader in the world.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUX4HP47Q4FIkZe7bZEq5iWDhoIqAzoxvRpWDR6wvuz8ZKoa7l3Sleb33ljjHegxQa577tiQr5ZlN2AgvzF_YXpsgcVu9EIQzjyntcK_WbgOPL4BgAdAcbdEJWazH1qkCCXiLuw/s1600-h/pinoy+celebs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUX4HP47Q4FIkZe7bZEq5iWDhoIqAzoxvRpWDR6wvuz8ZKoa7l3Sleb33ljjHegxQa577tiQr5ZlN2AgvzF_YXpsgcVu9EIQzjyntcK_WbgOPL4BgAdAcbdEJWazH1qkCCXiLuw/s400/pinoy+celebs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008415656983753186" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>The <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region> is home to internationally-acclaimed talents.</b> Here’s a list of famous celebrities who have Filipino blood running on their veins:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Theater: Lea Salonga, a Tony and Laurence Olivier awardee for her performance in Miss Saigon in Broadway. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Film: Dean Devlin (director/producer of Independence Day, Godzilla and The Patriot), Tia Carrere, Lou Diamond Philips, Phoebe Cates and Rob Schneider.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Music: <span style="">Nicole</span> Scherzinger (lead singer of Pussycat Dolls), Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Jasmine Trias (American Idol 3<sup>rd</sup> placer), Mutya Buena of Sugababes and Jocelyn Enriquez, Julio Iglesias Jr. and Enrique Iglesias.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Here’s another music trivia – did you know that <span style="color:black;">Latina-American pop star Christina Aguilera lost to Filipina vocalist Josephine Roberto aka Banig during the International Star Search years ago? In a mid-1999 MTV chat, she said that competing against someone of Banig's age was "not fair." Banig was a few years younger then than Christina. Hmmm…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Sports: Manny Pacquiao (who has beaten almost all of Mexico’s toughest warriors on the boxing ring including Erik “El Terible” Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera), Efren “The magician” ‘Bata’ Reyes (who has conquered the World 9 ball billiards championship so many times, he has become a living legend), bowling olympian Paeng Nepomuceno, and Eugene Torre, t<span style="color:black;">he first ever international Grandmaster from Asia who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Speaking of movies, did you know that a lot of your favorite Hollywood films were shot in the </b><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Philippines</st1:country-region></st1:place>? Among them are: Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Missing In Action, The year of living dangerously, Thirteen Days, Born on the 4<sup>th</sup> of July, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Brokedown</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>, An officer and a gentleman, and Hamburger Hill, among others.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Filipinos are a freedom-loving bunch.</b> We were conquered, not once, not twice, but thrice! But our ancestors have always shown them that we Filipinos can really fight when our freedom is threatened.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">First attempt was made by the Spaniards, led by no less than Ferdinand Magellan. It is also the reason why our country is called as such, as Magellan christened it after King Philip II of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Unfortunately, it was also the last time he set foot on land, as brave Lapu-Lapu (a Filipino sultan or warrior) ended his life, also ending his circumnavigation of the globe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">The second was the Japanese, coinciding with World War 2. And the third, well, you guessed it right, the Americans. Though among the three, <span style="color:black;">The <st1:country-region st="on">Philippines</st1:country-region> lost on The Filipino-American <st1:city st="on">Independence</st1:city> War from 1898 to 1902, and was colonized until 1946, when we regained our <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:city>.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASSNl0iHWltSv8Zcn042lAYxv1vD0GUBsUAqfDlvp6rW78bJQtXo0fuJhBjlhsRqJc3fy4SQR-Jtb8KVMAFo-8BWEqVYj2V8PI8FC5Zs_o2FMTMp7C5TnX-RsMgsglJyUUiys7Q/s1600-h/edsa2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASSNl0iHWltSv8Zcn042lAYxv1vD0GUBsUAqfDlvp6rW78bJQtXo0fuJhBjlhsRqJc3fy4SQR-Jtb8KVMAFo-8BWEqVYj2V8PI8FC5Zs_o2FMTMp7C5TnX-RsMgsglJyUUiys7Q/s400/edsa2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008418199604392434" border="0" /></a><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>It is in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Philippines</st1:country-region></st1:place> where the first peaceful revolution began. </b>The 1986 Edsa revolution is known worldwide as the first ever peaceful revolution. People fought soldiers, and blocked tanks using human barricades, holding hand in hand using only rosaries, flowers, and the power of prayer to oust the Marcos regime.<br /><br /><b>We are the first in <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place>, to elect a female ruler.</b> That's President Corazon Aquino, presiding the then fleeting Ferdinand Marcos. Right now, we have another female president in the presence of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who rose to power because of Edsa 2. That's right, folks, there was a sequel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style="">We invented some of the world’s greatest inventions.</i></b><i style=""> A Filipino, by the name of Eduardo <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">San Juan</st1:place></st1:city>, invented the moon buggy. That’s right, the one that Neil Armstrong and his crew used to land in the moon. We also <span style="color:black;">invented the fluorescent lamp. Thomas Edison discovered the electric light bulb and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores, a Filipino scientist. And of course, how can we forget </span>Roberto Del Rosario? He, after all, <span style=""> </span>is the inventor of the Karaoke Sing Along System. (See “Sing it like you mean it” post below).</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXw6W_YlD4TUL4dIlWyWbiNtRBz5vfk6d2PeJrV_Q1Q0cJmKwxDYtpYv9rsa5JRsqOfZiGF108Tzpu1JedzNkE722crviQPGPFexL2aK4yZM1dGOuWWXvhWM1B-JR1E6QQkX8Hw/s1600-h/philip41.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXw6W_YlD4TUL4dIlWyWbiNtRBz5vfk6d2PeJrV_Q1Q0cJmKwxDYtpYv9rsa5JRsqOfZiGF108Tzpu1JedzNkE722crviQPGPFexL2aK4yZM1dGOuWWXvhWM1B-JR1E6QQkX8Hw/s320/philip41.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008418848144454162" border="0" /></a><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style="">Filipinos love food, period. </i></b><i style="">We are, naturally hearty eaters. Aside from three square meals a day, we’ve snacks in between – meriendas at 9 am and 3 pm. And if we stay up late, we have midnight snacks as well. We cannot drink beer without “pulutan” or any food served. We are also fond of using condiments whenever we eat – there’s vinegar, “patis” or fish sauce, soy sauce, “bagoong” or shrimp paste, “Mang Tomas sarsa” or lechon gravy, and the likes. I myself cannot eat without patis, suka, toyo (soy sauce), seasoning and catsup near the dining table.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Philippines is the third largest english-speaking nation, next to the US (of course) and the UK.</span><br /><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">There you have it. Just a string of facts about us Filipinos and our beloved country. I’m sure there are a lot more out there that I am unaware of – side stories, heritage passed from one generation to the next, that I, nor the internet are fully unaware of. For now, however, this collection of info would do, so you could get to know us better.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">“The world is a small place, and we are but tiny creatures roaming around, bumping along each other. Why then, don’t we introduce ourselves to one another?”<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style=""><span style=""> </span>I hope you find this post even the slightest bit informative and entertaining. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Thank you all for reading. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-78666643690047797612006-12-12T01:51:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:43.225+08:00Let It Snow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQn6GxOyVIXTIKXrlPRwWjtmFIfWwu4MxMkZ-lAiEF3Z8rEpaBTLphApuwdfOSApJkpH5FcARMoJR6LPVDRkqrhHvMl-XEZ2gdxG8FH1g3WlCKIzL1hIO9F1se25ovVwxnONj6A/s1600-h/instant-snow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQn6GxOyVIXTIKXrlPRwWjtmFIfWwu4MxMkZ-lAiEF3Z8rEpaBTLphApuwdfOSApJkpH5FcARMoJR6LPVDRkqrhHvMl-XEZ2gdxG8FH1g3WlCKIzL1hIO9F1se25ovVwxnONj6A/s400/instant-snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007328571370352434" border="0" /></a>I’m dreaming of a White Christmas, among other things. And my friends in the blogosphere aren’t helping at all. <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Our country being a tropical one, we’ll probably think of Armageddon when even the tiniest flake of snow falls into our backyards. The closest thing I got to experiencing snow was when a local politician in the South rented a snow machine some years ago and turned an enclosed park into a snow field while charging a hundred bucks per head for entrance. I was only 12 then.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Needless to say, not having the chance to experience snow “for real” left me feeling deprived, thanks to Hollywood movies and pictures from friends and relatives in <st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> and <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And then there were the <A href="http://wizenedwizard.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Wizard</A>, with her lovely abode somewhere in the woods, whose early morning wanderings involve catching a reindeer on photograph on a ground covered in ice, <A href="http://sweetmeander.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Meander</A> pondering about going ice-skating and <A href="http://jestersrap.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Dirk</A> getting sick in the cold. Heck, the only place here where we can go ice-skating is in the malls.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, living in a tropical island is not that dismal. We do get lovely tans during summer and most Americans who visit our country profess their love and envy with our tropical weather. I guess the grass will always be greener on the other side of the fence after all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Also, we don’t get a lot of extreme natural calamities like tsunamis and twisters. There is, however, the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Mt.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Pinatubo</st1:placename></st1:place> volcanic eruption, homes and lives being wiped out because of super typhoons (we had one just last week, and unfortunately and untimely as it is, there were casualties. I know, it’s a very sad way to celebrate the Holidays) and the occasional flood. Ok, that’s an understatement. We do get flooded frequently, our place specifically since Google Earth describes our town as more than 30 feet below sea level.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So what’s a brown boy got to do to celebrate Christmas? We pray and give thanks. The <st1:country-region st="on">Philippines</st1:country-region> being the purported bastion of Christianity in <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place>, is comprised of a huge population of church-going people. We have what we call “simbang gabi” or Misa de Gallo (a term given by the Spanish conquistadors), where daily mass are held every daybreak (about 4 am) from the 16<sup>th</sup> of December till Christmas eve. We also have the traditional “karolings” where every kid in town collects empty milk cans and flattened soda crowns to make instant drums and maracas, singing Christmas carols to every household in the neighborhood. And of course we have the yearly Noche Buena, the mandatory Christmas eve dinner where all families gather together in one place, reunite with long lost relatives, exchange gifts and have a feast while giving thanks, sans the fireplace of course. It may not be unique, but the spirit of Aguinaldo or hooking up with your ninongs and ninangs (godfathers and godmothers) to ask for blessings (by putting their hands in your forehead) in exchange of gifts, cash or kind, makes it very Pinoy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Let there be no mistake, Christmas in the Philippines is very festive. It is one event that everybody prepares for and anticipate for 364 days, starting from December 26. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Then again, I want snow. Real snow. Not the ones you get out of a giant snow machine or cute snow globes. I want to make snow angels and create a snowman in my backyard. I want to wear mittens and bonnets and see the cold vapor coming out of my mouth every time I puff a smoke. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Is it too much a favor to ask for a little snow ball?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34932913.post-68450802946842089032006-12-11T02:55:00.000+08:002008-12-09T20:49:43.359+08:00The blue pill, or the red pill?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuG5FTervsiWbQsq0YdAvnJSxK17PMF0GNx2ClGMfGc4FYMJVXYZKoHa469EWyFE2fL-KjdYi-6kDTJgEzQ8hfaviclXA-8fXB75FvkA6CGYE104pR67qTXp05HhUIh_z0_k2yw/s1600-h/blue-pill-red-pill-kumatrix.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuG5FTervsiWbQsq0YdAvnJSxK17PMF0GNx2ClGMfGc4FYMJVXYZKoHa469EWyFE2fL-KjdYi-6kDTJgEzQ8hfaviclXA-8fXB75FvkA6CGYE104pR67qTXp05HhUIh_z0_k2yw/s400/blue-pill-red-pill-kumatrix.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5006973953100590882" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Where was I?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p>Oh right, back to fantasy. Suddenly, the blue pill’s potency has waned as I drag myself back into cyberspace. One minute I was partying in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Zion</st1:place></st1:city> (aka blogosphere) and the next thing I know, I was dragged into the mad frenzy called “reality”. Now why the hell did I follow that white rabbit?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p>Sorry for being MIA for the past few days. For the past week, I was stuck in a world full of Agent Smiths – evul clients clad in power clothes, demanding near-impossible deadlines and never-ending revisions. They hypontized me with their convoluted Power Point presentation. <span style=""></span>Never mind the sleepless nights, I rarely sleep anyway, but when you work 18 hour shifts, brainstorm while you take a bath and even while you sleep, you know the so-called “real world” is swallowing you whole. Thank heavens I was able to get out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And for that, I would like to thank my good friends from Zion (also known as the “blogosphere”) – <A href="http://jestersrap.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Morpheus</A> and his army of gnomes, angels and fairies, the <A href="http://wizenedwizard.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Oracle</A> and his mink for chasing down the white rabbit, and <A href="http://sweetmeander.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Trinity</A> for reminding me that I am being missed. Without all of you, I could’ve been stuck in the rabbit hole for good. Thanks guys, you were real troopers. See, I’m checking on all of you even if the evul agents kept me locked in a 5 X 5 cubicle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sigh. If I only have a choice, I wouldn’t take that damn red pill. Like they say, ignorance is bliss.</p><br />By the way, it's <A href="http://sweetmeander.blogspot.com/"=target=”blank”>Trinity's</A> birthday today. Be an angel and drop her a line, will you?russkalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16530307677338339908noreply@blogger.com5