Is it too hard to be kind?

You travel to work and watch drivers yelling at each other in an intersection because one didn’t give way to the other.

You work and you hear your colleague being all too rude to the customer on the other end of the phone line.

You line up in a fast-food restaurant and you see the customer in front raising his voice to the crew at the cashier.

You go home and you witness teenagers sitting comfortably while an elder can barely stand still in the moving bus.

You log on to Facebook and you read negative posts thrown towards an unknown individual, or comments bashing celebrities, politicians, or any regular individual whose post has gone viral.

Why is it difficult for some to be kind?

Kindness is what makes this world such a great place to live in.

For a second, think of how great it felt when someone ahead of you kept the door open for you? Imagine the last time you spoke to someone you don’t really know but he was smiling infectiously to you. Reminisce that one moment someone was courteous or polite to you even if they won’t really get something for doing that.

Don’t these make you smile right now?

Don’t Fall in the First Seconds (Or Why I Don’t Believe in Love at First Sight)

Late is better than never. It’s still February, so let me write about love.

I have just started in my new job last month but I have already met a lot of people there. There are my wavemates / batchmates; my classmates from the mandatory communications training; new colleagues in the production floor; and random citizens I encounter in the elevator, in the pantry, and anywhere inside and out of our building.

First time encounters won’t really give you enough time to gauge people whether they’ll be good fellows or it’d be better to just keep them in the acquaintance zone. I base my impressions on looks, body language, and their way of interactions. While I consider the general people as they are, I have many new additions to my acquaintances, friends, and — Good grief! This sounds very high school-ish — crushes since January.

I’ve been out of relationship for years now and although finding one isn’t really my primary objective in the new job, I tend to give it second thoughts often recently. I mean, there are really A LOT of fishes in this VERY VAST body of water I’m in.

Three Drivers

Have you ever realized something by merely observing other people? I have. I often realize things sitting, doing nothing but using my senses.

Every day, I take the jeep. I take three to work, two to be back home — I walk instead of taking the last. I’m going home anyways, I don’t need to care much about sweating and facing pollution.

Last week, I encountered three interesting jeepney drivers that made me smile, made me think, and made me reflect on life.

One.

He’s the last I met, actually. I saw him last Saturday.

I came from a breakfast with officemates. I took a cab with my friend Miyaka and she dropped me off somewhere in Barangay Poblacion, Makati. That’s where I boarded his jeep.

He caught my attention right away. His physique is very scrawny. His hair tells me he’s already beyond retirement age. His reflection on the rear view mirror gave me a glimpse of his wrinkled face and tired eyes. Somewhat, he reminded me of my dad. Maybe that’s why I took notice of him.

He called for passengers. I was disturbed. His voice couldn’t even reach the loudness that would escape the boundaries of his jeep.

Hello!

It’s past due, I know. But I think it’s still permissible to write these.

These are letters. Open letters. Letters of welcome.

I’m writing them to specific parts, persons, even things in my life I’d like to keep & I’d like to greet warmly as they become part of it.

Hello Blog!

Hey! It’s been a couple of months since we last saw each other!

Actually, I feel awkward talking to you now. It’s not because you’re not really human, but because I reckon you feel I neglected you.

Nike’s Take on Finding Greatness

There are those moments when you come across something for the first time and you feel that, in some way, that thing is talking to you — it speaks words that penetrates deep inside; its effect is too great, you find it difficult to define what you are feeling in particular. That is what I experienced when I saw this video for the first time.

Check it out and tell me if you felt the same.

PS. By the way, below are the caption I grabbed from YouTube and the text of the narration so you can digest the ideas you’ll get from it better.

***************

Video Caption:

This is Nathan. He is 12 years old. He’s from London, Ohio. Greatness is not beyond his reach, nor is it for any of us.

Narration:

Greatness.
It’s just something we made up.
Somehow we’ve come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for a chosen few, for prodigies, for superstars.
And the rest of us can only stand by, watching.
You can forget that.
Greatness is not some rare DNA strand.
It’s not some precious thing.
Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing.
We’re all capable of it.
All of us.

Kaufman & Success

That Yellow-Colored Vessel of Hope

Let me share with you a very inspiring organization I have read about.

Last week, while I was doing my usual morning Internet reading, I came across this very moving article about someone who decided to acknowledge a problem, act on it, and start a series of change.

The Yellow Boat Project started just as an idea in a form of a Facebook status way back November 2010 according to its co-founder, Jay Michael Jaboneta, in his Yahoo article “The Yellow Boat Success Story.” They wanted to have an impact on the lives of children in Mindanao, specifically in Zamboanga City, who needed to swim and wade in bodies of water just to get to their schools.

At present, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation is responsible for the making of 150 yellow boats in three communities, building of a school in Masbate and a daycare center in Zamboanga.

Their continuous effort have already garnered them $30,000 according to the article. That’s more than a million pesos already. A million pesos from a Facebook status!

When Life Tries To Make You Bipolar

(Note: This may sound like a rant. So beware. Hehe.)

To hear the great news out of the blue that my mom won in a noontime TV show made my day yesterday. I was literally smiling and laughing inside and out. It’s just unbelievable.

I couldn’t contain the happiness. I tried calling my sisters a couple of times to share the news. But, they weren’t picking up their phones. One was in class. The other left her phone at home.

So I could let it all out, I shared the story to my colleagues. They were happy as well.

Photo from: likeafrog.wordpress.com

I couldn’t wait until it is 7PM. I initially have a plan of going to the gym after work. I’m thrilled to get that over with and head home to chat with my family about the experience. My family’s very talkative especially in happy occasions like this. I wanted to hear the story from the beginning.

Half an hour before my shift ends, one of our customers texted me, complaining about the service he received from us. I can sense his frustration with the words he used and the cussing.

To My Papa and To All The Fathers In The World

The earliest memory I had of my father was when he brought me to ‘Boom na Boom.’ I think I was 2 or 3 by then. I don’t really remember all the things we did in that amusement park. What remains as a remnant of that memory is those few seconds after I woke up from my slumber. It was late at night. I was sitting on his shoulders and my face leaning against his curly, frizzy hair. As I open my eyes, I can see the lights from the Ferris Wheel and some rides around us. I think it was a perfect picture of a dad and son having a great time together.

I can say that he is NOT the best dad in the entire world, that he is not perfect. I believe he is aware of that. I sometimes fight with him because of his deficiencies as a father. But I love him. And I’m thankful to God for him. He is such a great person.

More than his hardships, his scanty but hard-earned provisions, his rare but felt presence, I admire him for teaching me the way of life. He taught me how to live with principles. He taught me that you should fight – fight hard – for what you believe in even if that kills you. He taught me that knowledge helps you survive school but being streetwise helps you survive life. He taught me how to take care of our family. That family comes above self. He taught me that friends and neighbors are also important in life. 

Too Young, Too Old

Einstein’s Way is Simple

The Art of Making Guitars

The original title of this short documentary from Vimeo is “The Art of Making: Alma Flamenca.” I reckon Alma Flamenca is one of the main instruments in making Flamenco music as suggested by the scoring. But generally, it’s a guitar. Thus, the title.

Regardless, I ‘d like to share this awesome find as it shows how intricate guitar-making is. The amount of time and work makers need to render is out of this world. Exaggeration, yeah, but I can’t find any other adjective for that. Hahaha. Not just that… I said it’s intricate… the entire process is complex… time + work + extreme focus + precision + many other elements you can find in the video… Guys like Mr. Vassilis Lazarides, the featured guitar-maker, deserves much more appreciation than this. Why don’t we all buy guitars, shall we? Haha.

Kidding aside, let’s all witness how guitars, specifically Alma Flamenca, is made.

This video was created by a group of people who call themselves “DeepGreenSea.” For more of their amazing works, you can check out their Vimeo channel here.

First Day Funk Memories (Straight from My “Journal”)

My room was semi-cleaned last Monday. Semi-cleaned because I only tidied up one part. It was not fully uncluttered because I spent majority of the time reminiscing high school and college while I was ridding my cabinets with old school stuff.

(However, for the record, my room’s neat now. For me, at least.)

That was the latest instance I saw my notebooks, papers with notes, answer sheets, some forms, some projects, some designs I did back then, and organizers, notepads and calendars which I got from a cheapskate’s an environmentalist’s source of these things—Papemelroti.

I felt nostalgic but happy. Being reminded of how I performed as a student, why shouldn’t I feel glad? I was a good student. Hehe.

I recall I was so grade-conscious during my fourth year in high school and early years in college. I wanted to prove to myself that I’m gifted. Haha.

I was also super-duper-hyper active in extra-curricular, joining any organization I can. I refrained from joining quiz bees in college. I left that to the lesser creative, more intellectual. Haha. In high school, though, my name’s a frequent entry in contests for English Month.

I was so bookish. I memorized, learned some, forgot some now.

I loved Math especially College Algebra and Trigonometry. I wasn’t the best in class but I’m above average.

I was so talkative in my essays, reaction papers. Beating around the bush, eh?

Whew! That was me.

“Love On Top” – Leroy’s Version

The first time I heard this song, I know it would be a hit. I randomly do #AlbumAppreciation and I’ve done it to Beyonce’s 4 one day. This single gave me a feeling I cannot forget. (Talk about exaggeration, eh? Haha.) I fell in love with its beat, the lyrics, the vocals. Everything.

It challenged Beyonce. I would bet on that. And it challenges anybody who tries to do a cover. I mean, the song’s high and it gets higher and higher as the song ends.

It took time, but let’s admit, it went viral. I am certain I loved it first before all the others. Haha. It was my good-mood song every morning. The first track I play on my phone on my way to work.

Few weeks after I developed my liking on it, the song’s playing everywhere. It’s being sang on TV, covered on YouTube. It was phenomenal. More, after B released the video for it.

In my previous job, it was our opes’ national anthem. There was a week that this song was played in the beginning of work, during lunch break, and anytime in the afternoon. Oh, make that weeks. And while it’s playing, my fellas and I are a choir.

Just recently, I missed hearing it. I lost it from my phone when I re-synced. So I searched covers of the song on YouTube and I saw this one that got more than a million hits. I got curious to know what caused its tipping point. I assumed that it’s because it’s a guy’s cover and guys will find it difficult to sing unless they are JRome. I realized I’m wrong.

Doing a cover of this viral song, with vocals like his, and, of course, his cute looks, it would definitely tip. I got hooked myself. Haha.

So here it is. Find out why Leroy’s version of Love On Top got more than a million views. More than 10 of it by me. Haha.

“The Sartorialist” in Intel Visual Life

ASoG x KN – Youth Leaders’ Summit 2012 Poster

#100for2012: Portraits of Strangers

If a total stranger would appear in front of me, out of nowhere, asking me a favor, I would feel very uneasy. Of course, it’s not a normal life occurrence. And I am, at times, anti-social. Haha.

But, how does it feel to be that total stranger? How does it feel to approach people you don’t know to ask a certain favor? How does it feel to be rejected by them?

I want to get an answer to that. And so I put that in my #100for2012 list.

As I said in my Thank You post for Rey, I miss taking photos pretty much because I’ve never gone out for another photowalk in almost a year. I called Rey one Saturday and asked him to accompany me in my adventure, approaching anyone and taking photos anywhere. He agreed right away. And the rest is history.

My #100for2012 Project

In the previous year, I can say that my life was at its pretty normal status. I go to work, go home and sleep, go out if there’s time (which happens seldom), and it has been a cycle. There were few thrilling happenings but I can hardly recall all of them. Perhaps due to the fact that they weren’t MY plans. They were either plans of my team (in my previous work), plans of my relatives, basically plans of somebody else that I just hitched on. Thus, they didn’t have that distinct value for me.

So I thought of creating a bucket-list-like list where I enumerate things, big or small, major or minor, that I’d like to accomplish within this year. I thought, I may need this so I could have control of my life, what I want to happen with it, shaping it, preparing it for the future. Most of the items in my list has got to do with making myself better, holistically.

I know it sounds like a new year’s resolution, but it’s a little late to call it that. So we’ll just hashtag it as #100for2012.

I do encourage you to create your own. This can be a remarkable year for anybody.

Here are the simple rules in creating THE list:

Jot down areas in your life that you value, those that are important, those that has direct impact to you as a person. Mine includes personal development, family, spirituality, health, creativity, social skills, finance, travel, and conquering fears.

Talking with the “King of Talk”

Never have I imagined myself doing interviews (and capturing it through video) with prominent people like the one and only King of Talk, Boy Abunda. But, I think, nothing is really impossible. And dreams are bound to become real.

Last Tuesday, February 21, was one of my most hectic days. We were to interview three exceptional people for our project under Ateneo School of Government called Pinoy Changemakers.

Mixie, Myra and I met at the office in the morning and drove to Cavite (thanks to Kuya Wils) to speak with 2009 CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida. We had a very nice talk but I will create another post for that. We needed to go back before lunch because we will be interviewing Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca in the afternoon. We cancelled the appointment as she was not feeling well that day. She cannot speak in front of the camera because she lost her voice.

We stayed at the office later than the usual 5:30PM to 6:30PM end of day. Our vacant time was filled with Mixie’s kilig moments. High five to Gelo! 🙂

At 9PM, we took a cab to ABS-CBN.

AWESOME WEB FIND: The Choices We Make