Nix at 35...
If you really want something, all you need to do is to think of it, and start being thankful as if that it is already yours. Send it to the universe, meaning pray for it, and believe that it will surely come true.
Yes, the following passages were sent to the universe ten years ago, the same time when my college professor gave us a task to write a visionary article, something that would predict the future. And here I am reading all the articles my classmates wrote a decade ago. All I can say is that, “When you greatly believe in something, the universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it.”
I borrowed the thought from the book I read like twelve years ago. Rain, a good friend I have known for 20 years now, just handed me a book and after reading it, my whole perspective in life changed, or became broader. Check out the book, it’s called The Secret.
After graduating from Sydney Film Academy, I realized that I have more authority to critique Filipino-made movies. I don’t wonder anymore why Philippine Cinema remains backward with almost everything. Movie producers are so afraid to adapt new changes. Yes, I do a lot of reviews.
Sir Isah, my mentor and Manila Standard Today’s Entertainment editor, retired five years ago and now we are collaborating on a book he’s been planning to write. We could have finished it earlier, had I turned down the project in Cambodia that earned me a Nobel Peace Prize, not really it’s the Magsaysay.
d'you like my wheels?
A lot of people think that affluent journalists are corrupt. Well, my case is different. I’m driving a BMW and living in GA Sky Suites because I worked hard and writing is not my only source of income. I mentioned about my car. Last year, BMW launched this green car. They call it green car because it runs entirely using solar energy. President Chiz , billionaire Victor Tan, and yours truly, are three of the few people in Asia who had the privilege to test drive the eco-friendly machine. What I like about the car is that it has everything I need. I could write my column by just talking to a computer attached on the rearview mirror. I can even do facebook with it.
Facebook is still a prominent online community, and Sir Alex’s status says,
“C’est la vie.” Yes, he’s in France again, for good. We happened to see each other while I was covering an event in Paris. I was dinning with my wife when a familiar face appeared beside our table. It was Sir Alex, and we had a little trip down memory lane.
He asked for some updates, I told him that Gilbert is busy with his teaching stint at La Salle corrupting the minds of his students. He manages a small business, a flower shop, at the same time. I also told him about Neil, Brother Neil that is. Miraculously, Neil professed his great belief in Jesus Christ and now an avid disciple of Brother Mike. And Sir Alex was right, I’m just kidding. Neil actually landed in a job in Japan where she is known as Miyaki Kakusaki. Yes, she works in a Public Relations Agency, which clienteles include high ace personalities in fashion in the Land of the Rising Sun.
While having a long chat, Sir Alex dished out some interesting facts about his stay in France. He’s running a small publication for the Filipino expatriates based in the European Union. Did he get married again? I didn’t ask.
Speaking of marriage, I received an e-card from the ever jolly Pike. He’s based in Maryland and working as a jolly stockbroker. His e-card was actually a picture with his wife and two beautiful kids. Since he couldn’t find a Filipina girlfriend after his failed affair with PR woman Girlie Daliva, he migrated to the States where he finally found his better half Mildred.
I see Girlie occasionally for we work on the same field. She actually gives me special slots when foreign artists visit the country, The PR agency she’s working for gives me exclusive interview opportunities that somehow made other scribes die with envy. Well, that’s business, I mean connection.
It’s Girlie who told me that Kit is in Mindanao right now. She’s still single and busy doing selfless work. We were both Magsaysay awardees last year. She came up with a book entitled Quagmires in the Pearl of the Orient. The book chronicles her visit in the still turbulent areas of Mindanao, and because of her deep involvement with our Muslim friends, she was adopted as the one of the daughters of Sulu.
Most of my classmates didn’t pursue a career in journalism. JM went to South Africa and started introducing Japanese animation. For some funny reasons, it actually clicked. As JM makes wave in South Africa, Jeka and Heidy are already making big names in Southeast Asia. The two successful women embarked on a journey that created awareness among Southeast Asian women. After the death of Jeka’s mother, she had a talk with Heidy on how to create awarness on Lung Cancer. The advocacy reached Europe where Marinel and her husband Claude are now based. The couple started conducting small talks and conferences among Filipino communities in the continent.
The project that Jeka and Heidy started even created landmark successes in North and South America with the help of Lydia, the working homemaker. Lydia manages a blog that spreads awareness on Lung Cancer. Because of the blog’s popularity, other support groups have shown interest to the advocacy. Just last week, I received an email from Lydia saying that even the World Health Organization is willing to help collaborate with the program.
wired wired web
Since the world has become so wired than ever before, using my penclick (a new gadget that replaced apple’s revolutionary tribook), I was able to send the message to Precious who is running a nursery school with her best friend Grace. I believe, these two mothers are active in educating young minds, and they are good instruments in spreading the word about Lung Cancer.
I would really like to thank these good people who have been supportive to the project. Last year, my doctor said that I’m lucky that I had quit smoking ten years ago. If I didn’t stop puffing cigar butts, I could be one of the victims of the killer disease that claims millions of lives every month. I’m just sad hearing that Joevie almost got sick because of cigarette smoke. Her environment exposes her to smokers. Yes, she works in a global information center (this one replaced call centers). As a supervisor of a leading company in the Bay City (formerly known as the Manila Bay Reclamation Area), she occasionaly minges with her employee who are apparently chain smokers. She was able to detect the early signs of the disease with the help of another supervisor, Emelyn. Joevie was sent to New York for proper medication. Yesterday, she arrived at the Macapagal International Airport in Subic and Fitz, who heads the immigration department, was there to welcome Joevie home.
old school innocence?
Alright, since I already said that writing is not my bread and butter,I’m going to meet Migz at Vitas (it’s the coolest place in the metro now). He has a business proposal; I’ll let you know what he is up to.
Oh wait, did I say Cams is writing for the Inquirer? The lady is just impressive. I subscribe to PDI Star just because of Cams’ column.
While riding the bus home, certain memories just suddenly flashed and made me smile. I thought about the first time I met my classmates in college. Well, I went to college twice. In 2003, I had to stop because of financial problem. I went to United Arab Emirates and had worked there as a dining attendant for three years. It was a swell job but as I always stayed at my accommodation’s balcony on the 14th floor, I kept on thinking what my life would be had I finished my degree in Communication Arts.
While doing some reading about unemployment, I stumbled upon a news saying that malunggay (ben oil tree) is a possible answer to arrest the perennial problem on job loss. I laughed my head off and yet started thinking about it. It really makes sense because it suggests employment found in our own backyard, literally.
Speaking of finding a job, there are suggestions of engaging in an underground economy. Well the term sounds so pompous but it is just a simple jargon used by business people to pertain to a business or a part of the economy that goes largely undetected by taxing authorities. Example of this is a tutorial job, unless you want to engage into illegal activities which are also not covered by taxes, and individual businesses that do not require a number of manpower except your self like doing the laundry or selling tinapa (smoked fish) perhaps. Okay, enough of these baloneys and let me ask you straight: After graduation, what kind of life do you expect the world will give you? Or are you going to be like Ninoy [Aquino] (and I believed it was him who said this even if it was really John F. Kennedy) who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”
If the media profession would be professionalized and mass communication graduates would be required to take an examination, will there ever be a guarantee that they would find a space in the universe of broadcast and print communication? Is securing a license through licensure examination, would be an assurance that a graduate can finally practice all the things he has learned from the very start he entered the academe?
