Pinoy Potter's Chronicles

A Timely Unexpected Good News

A Timely Unexpected Good News
To be honest, the past few days have not been very easy. It is so difficult to find a job that you really want. I thought that if you have done extraordinarily well in college, you will be guaranteed with a good job. I always had to deal with competition and bureaucracy (which is usually true in the HR level). Until now, I am still waiting for a company to call and say "hey, you're hired!"

I am feeling tired, though not really depressed since I'm generally positive that I will be given the chance to be part of the world of work in the very near future.

This afternoon, around 2:30 PM, I received a Chikka text message from a certain Dred Ople.

Hi Earl, this is Dred Ople, Managing Editor of Starfish Magazine. Please check www.starfishmagazine.com for the top 20 finalists. Thanks.

I joined the essay writing competition of Starfish Magazine, the publication arm of Ayala Young Leaders, last November 2006. According to the guidelines, the top 20 finalists will be notified on February 2007. The expected month of announcement had passsed, and nothing happened. I thought I never made it to the top 20, until this afternoon.

Out of curiosity, I replied to Dred and asked if I made it to the top 20 and to the top 10. She replied:

Yes, you are one of the top 20. The top 10 and top 3 will be announced on the 27th of July, will send invites to your school so block off your sked then, including your parents, congrats!

Click the image to enlarge

At least a new blessing came in. I am just grateful that despite the difficulties, something good still happened. I will try to look for the actual copy of the article that I sent and will post it at my blog.

A Year After I Dealt

It's been exactly a year since I dealt with Kris, and in 8 more days, it will be a year since my first (and probably the last) major exposure on Philippine free TV (it was June 14, 2006). The official tagline of the program says "Isang Desisyon ang Babago sa Buhay Mo". Indeed, my decision to deal somehow changed my life. Thanks to the cumulative 30-minutes exposure on Philippine Primetime Television, I met a lot of people from different walks of life. Would you believe that until now, some nasty bystanders and kids in our barangay still shout "Deal or No Deal" everytime I pass by? Though I'm quite known to a handful of students from San Beda, I became more familiar with the Bedan community because of that exposure. Coincidentally, it's been a year since our unforgettable and unplanned Baguio escapade.

I can still remember, days after that exciting moment, that I had heated arguments with my mother as to how I should share a little portion of my winnings. Believe me, it's difficult to escape or put to an end in a monetary-inspired argument. The hardest part is on how to gracefully evade those people that are "seriously" asking for "balatos". Haha.

The prize money that I won had its purpose, as if God really made things happen. Months after my stint, a major crisis occurred in the family. Good thing that I managed to save my money, and a huge portion of it was used for my necessities, specifically for my studies. A little amount of course, was spent on shopping, and the remaining was invested in mutual funds. My mutual fund savings came in handy for the unexpected expenses. Thanks to my dealt prize, I now have an upgraded computer, DSL subscription, and I was able to stay in a dormitory near school for a short time. I became more participative on certain gigs of my friends.

Of course, who would forget my 2-hour encounter with Kris Aquino? I was inches away and conversed with the greatest newsmaker in the Philippines. I had a blast with the person that Filipinos either hate or like.

If only I could turn back time, haha. I'm just glad that I had the chance to participate in that game show. Thanks to that event, I became more blessed, tangibly and intangibly.

Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal is back on its second season. With its pilot that will start on June 11, 2007, the highest amount in the money board that could be won by the lucky contestant in a No Deal situation is P3,000,000.00. I heard that there's some sort of game for the texters, and they could win half of the prize won by the contestant for the day. Indeed, it is the richest game show in Philippine Television history.

105th Commencement Exercises

March 30, 2007 was a day of extremes. It was the saddest yet happiest moment of the year, and probably of half the decade, or of my main teenage years. It was the day of firsts, and the day of conclusions. Indeed, this day will be remembered, not only because it officially concluded the day of my daily stay at my 2nd home for the last nine years, but also because our batch made history.

Batch 2007 is the first co-ed batch, the batch with the highest number of academic honors in terms of percentage and headcount, the batch which took part of the NCAA Season 82 championships, and the batch with the most number of graduates, with three new courses including my program, BS Financial Management and Systems Development.

It was also one of the proudest if not the proudest day of my life. It felt good wearing the red academic gown, which happened to be the only red academic gown in Asia, and wearing it was the best when I received my diploma and silver medal for being an academic distinction. Allow me to boast this time, I am an Academic Distinction awardee, and the highest academic distinction awardee for the BS Financial Management program. I won't be shy in saying that I really felt good and proud marching at Plaza Bedista and the school quadrangle with salutations from the cadet and the faculty. Accepting the silver medal and diploma, while shaking hands with the faculty and the administrators will probably be my most memorable seconds.

Well, the day had its worsts too, because we staged the commencement rites in the middle of the afternoon sunlight. I had sweat all over. I really thank Joyce, Tophie, and the rest of the academic distinction awardees for allowing me to have fun with them, and for laughing at my jokes, as if I was a stand-up comedian. Haha. Thanks also to Benj, my cum laude friend (he's the guy whom I'm so proud of next to myself), as well as Ronald our magna cum laude. for taking pictures of mine.

I was also glued to my seats when I listened to the speech of our commencement speaker. She's Victoria P. Garchitorena, President of Ayala Foundation USA, Ayala Foundation Inc. and the Managing Director of the Stakeholder Relations of the Ayala Corporation. Her speech was truly inspiring and almost flawless. Her words, including her delivery, were spellbinding. I will surely ponder on her words for us graduates.

My sincerest thanks to the graduates of San Beda CAS 2007. To my fellow finmans, thanks for everything. Batchmates, continue to be the best in your chosen fields. I pray that you will all find happiness and success in your future endeavors. Never embrace mediocrity. As Gandhi once said, "BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD". Always "ANSWER THE CLARION'S CALL, FOR SAN BEDA, OUR COUNTRY, AND GOD".

I also want to thank my educators and formators, for molding me and contributing to my character. Special thanks to my favorite mentors: Prof. Delilah Bernardo, Prof. Adelo Brabante, Prof. Marco Montes, Prof. Cadz Malbarosa, and Prof. Araceli Fernando.

Lastly, I wanna thank my family, especially my mom and dad, for everything. Thank you for unconditionally loving me, and for investing in a San Beda education. Thank you for your endless support as well.

Congratulations batch 2007.

View my photos at my multiply and flickr.

To my friends, I'm just one text away, please remember that.

Up to this moment, the only tune that sinks in my mind and heart is the "Pomp and Circumstance" melody, which is the universal graduation or commencement theme. I even downloaded an mp3 of it just to relive the moments that I just had a few hours ago.

To commence means to start anew, and this day, I just had a new start.

FROLICS 2007

(From my MAIN BLOG)

For the last three days, San Beda celebrated its Pista ng Sto. Niño and FROLICS 2007. During this time of the year, the entire Bedan Community gather not only to pay tribute to the Sto. Niño De Praga, but also to be one with fellow Bedans after being parted for quite a long time, like a reunion of some sort. This usually happens on the last day of the FROLICS, and for this year, today is the last day.

Present among my friends from High School Batch 2002 are classmates Victor Baguilat, Johann Mones, Lester Tantoco, Marlon Platon, and Paul Garilao who was my classmate during the first two years of our high school life. Other batchmates like CJ Ronquillo, Artie Ramirez, Dennis Barcelo, Dominic Mallari, Bryan Jose, Mark Domondon, etc. were present as well.

I, together with Johann, Victor, and Paul, initially joined the procession with our high school teachers. However, due to the threat of a light rainfall, we decided to skip the procession and have some merienda at Max's Malacañang. There, we talked about almost anything under the sun, from school and nationwide politics, to media, to the lives of our fellow batchmates and future plans.

After the merienda, we went back to San Beda hoping we could catch up with the mass, but we missed more than half of it. Nonetheless, we managed to be one with our high school professors and batchmates during this time. After the mass, there was a "new and improved" fireworks display at the football field. Though it is shorter than the usual, the display is definitely a lot better than the previous years (except probably for the fireworks display during the centennial year and the NCAA championship).

Before leaving San Beda, I made a brief "catching-up" with the rest of my high school batchmates. Then my Accountancy friends Gelo Pruna, Marlon Platon, JP Eugenio, Lloyd Apostol, and former classmate Francis Peña unexpectedly asked me to join them for dinner at Dampa at Diosdado Macapagal Highway. It was also like a crazy reunion of our college berks. Just the same, we talked about almost anything under the sun since we failed to see each other since they passed the CPA Board exam.

It appears that each year, my high school classmates and batchmates are becoming busier and could not find time to attend to this annual event (the same goes to my college pals who are now working). Johann and I were even joking that next year, it might just be the two of us who will attend the FROLICS. However, I realized that my friends and classmates have gone a long way and have done a tremendous amount of effort in reaching what they have become. Though some of them have not exactly reached their ideal career, at least they are getting there, and they are well-equipped for their personal battles. But I'm no longer surprised, since they have almost impeccably conquered their college struggles. I am proud of what they have accomplished and I expect to hear more good news about their pursuits. If ever any of them need a helping hand, I'll be there and do my best to help them. I shall also do my best in becoming successful and in reaching my goal. I wish them well and definitely am happy for them.

My 2007 Goals (not Resolutions)

I thought of changing my blogspot banner (blogspot website here) to signify my desire to make an effort to get to know myself this year and to be a better me. 2007 will be my year of re-assessment and personal retooling. My goal for this year is to start finding answers to the questions 1) who am I as an individual, as a son, as a friend, and as a citizen? 2) what do I really want for my roller-coaster life? 3) what I want to be after waving bye-bye to my teenage years? and 4) who are the people that I should really value? I feel that it's about time for me to know who are the people that considers me as an important character in their own chronicles and for me to have a more permanent list of people that I should include in my prayers. At least with this personal goal, I have a way of inhibiting myself from burning bridges, and a means of finding genuine happiness. At least I'll also know who are the people that are really worth living and dying for in this materialistic world.

7 days after saying goodbye to 2006, I realized that I am like a half or one-fourth filled matter, with several spaces of nothingness and unanswered questions. Sometimes, I find myself being cornered by several people, including characters that are strangers, acquaitances, and those that I hold dear. But even with the inclusion of those that I hold dear, I still consider myself a nuisance in the world that I belong to, even in my own environment. Sometimes, I do not know why I'm surrounded with such people and why I'm in such place.

For question number 3, I believe that there's a strong urgency inside me for me to accomplish something worthy of acclamation. For the last 4 years, I believe that I have invested in a wrong place, in an area that is not worth my capacity. I'm hungry for something that I deserve.

And for my first two primary questions, I have this strange feeling that I am not really one with my real self. I have given inconveniences to my real self, that is why my real self is a stranger to me. I shall use this year as the opportunity to get to know my real self, and for me to be one with my real self.

Until I have finally found the answers to these questions, I think it will take a long time before I can really say "I have lived my life to the fullest". While it may be true that most of this world's complications and problems are beyond my control, at least I should do something to those that I can in order to find the real me and to attain genuine happiness.

As for the more specific goals, I will really do my best not to burn bridges this time, and for the rest of my life as well. I will minimize (if not totally eradicate) being full of myself.

I prefer to use the word "goals" and not "resolutions" because as Cito Beltran mentioned in his new year's column, goals are more definite and have timetables, unlike resolutions which are no different to wish lists that usually remain as a list.

A Blessed Oh-Seven!

Thank you for being a part of my roller-coaster '06. May '07 open up for us more opportunities to love and be loved. May all of us scale greater heights and our hearts find happiness and contentment.

To my closest friends, thank you for being a major cast of my '06 story. I hope you guys will never leave the cast so my '07 chapter will be a hit.

I wish all of you a blessed 2007. Happy New Year!

Christmas Thoughts and Happenings

I noticed that the festivities of this occasion are starting to decline, diminish, minimize (I can't think of a correct term!). In general, it is becoming less festive each passing year. I noticed that the houses and the streets have lesser Christmas lights. You can hardly find buildings at Ayala with huge Christmas tree and nativity replicas. There are less Carolers (yup! at least for the case of our neighborhood). The malls along Makati are not that crowded, while Station 168 of Divisoria is literally thick with shoppers as early as 6AM. The only last testimony that I know that Christmas is really something to enjoy and be thankful for is text messaging (thank you for the text greeters!).

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Darn, I have no gifts from other people this year, like my godparents, uncles and aunts, except for some few close friends courtesy of exchange gifts. Their reason: Marami ka namang napanalunan. Haha. But that's ok, I guess I can't askfor so much. I can't be too greedy.

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While there are lesser festivities, the Christmas-mode of people sure is still alive and kicking. A lot of parties on the streets still happen, in the tune of Willie's Boom-Tarat2x (yeah! I can't believe Willie's song is a craze now). There are still Christmas parties on various places, though some chose to donate their funds to the victims of typhoon Reming (which is better).

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I was able to complete 9 mornings of Misa De Gallo. With the sincerest hopes that my deepest desires with be granted, I never regret having to wake up early for 9 days to be with the Creator. Though there are times that my thoughts are not with the mass 100%, I shall always remember the lessons of these 9 mornings. I can still clearly remember the theme: Love Builds Up, Character, Capacity and Community. In our Church, during offertory, people are encouraged to bring pieces of twigs for Christ's feedbox, symbolizing the sharing of burden and love for Christ.

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Even in our family, I felt that there's less commotion. Nonetheless, the spirit remains. We enjoyed our simple Noche Buena, but the cakes and Krispy Kreme doughnut that I bought seem to be the most sellable among those who joined our Birthday dinner for Christ. I also made a fruit salad for everyone.

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My friend Ace Romero spoke to me over the phone. He told me that the politicians at Congress give envelopes of cash and various goods like groceries and wine to reporters, most specifically Prospero Pichay who gave around P500-P1000 per reporter. Aside from these personal giveaways of Congressmen, they also had this Christmas raffle for Press people. Ace won a Promac TV. Haha. I guess politicians take advantage of this occasion. What's worse is that the legend is true. If a small time reporter like my friend Ace Romero of Business World receives cash envelopes, what more are the TV reporters and anchors.

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It was really a struggle texting from Globe to Globe. The free text of Globe caused this year to be the busiest for Globe ever, unlike with Smart where texting is a breeze.

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As the song goes: "Ngunit kahit na anong mangyari, ang pag-ibig sana ang maghari. Sapat nang si Hesus ang kasama mo, tuloy na tuloy pa rin ang Pasko!"

Christmas must go on, for it is the greatest miracle and proof of God's love. Let us not allow our problems and issues to hinder us from greeting Christ a Happy Birthday, even if we are pennyless and giftless (hu hu hu!).

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On a more personal note, I can't thank Jesus enough for the early yet greatest gifts that he gave me this year. Thank you for letting others appreciate my achievements, and for letting me win a significantly huge amount of money. Thank you also for not letting us go during the troubling times, most especially the times when my Dad was in trouble.

Jesus, thank you for the gift of loving Family, loyal friends and appreciative aquaintances, Thank you for the give of health, and for the gift of opportunities. Thank you for the gift of knowledge, that allowed me to achieve quite a lot of things. Thank you for the gift of tangible things, and more thanks for the gift of intangible things. Thank you for the gift of Life, a life with nothing but the best 21 years, and a life that gave me the chance to grow by thriving to problems. Last but definitely not the least, thank you for the gift of unconditional Love, the Love that I never deserved but you gave without hesitation.

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I wish you nothing but more blessings. I also hope that in this occasion, you will be a blessing to others who need it most. May you be able to recover and make up for past hurts, and lastly, let us include in our Christmas and New Year prayers our less fortunate brothers, most especially the victims of typhoon Reming and other awful tragedies. Let us pray that these less fortunate brothers of ours will still appreciate the essence of Christmas despite the hard times.

A Blessed Christmas to you and your family.

Merry Christmas!

The New Two Million Peso Winner

One of the 26K just texted me a few minutes ago that somebody already won the PHP2,000,000. To my excitement, I confirmed the info from the staff.

Based on what I have gathered, the winner is a certain Terry Cua, a Banker from Metrobank. The taping of Cua's game ended just a few minutes ago. ABS-CBN is probably saving Terry's game to a strategic schedule, that is why they have not announced the airing of his game.

Congratulations Terry. Whoever you are, you don't have any idea how lucky you are. That's probably the coolest Christmas gift you will ever have.

Yahoo! Time Capsule

Have you heard about this project from Yahoo!? Yahoo! Time Capsule allows you to create some sort of remembrance for this year and for the previous years of your life. Yahoo! will gather photos, videos, and articles and they will archive it until 2020.

By the year 2020, just in time for the 25th anniversary of Yahoo!, they will open these archives for the future generations and also for us to see, on the condition that the Yahoo! email accounts of those who sent photos, videos, etc. will be maintained.

What do you think? I already sent some. Try to upload some memorable photos or videos too.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

P.S. You can find a photo of mine in each of the screenshots that I posted. Haha.