Passion Without Direction

Sometimes I pause and ask myself why I'm doing too many things: from my involvement with UNICEF, our upcoming brand/movement Manila Kid, and my business together with my friends - Soya Ice. Recently, I'm only sleeping 5 hours a day just to make sure that everything gets delivered on time and with quality. Too many things happening on the same time can just sweep you off you feet and make you lose a sense of purpose. Passion without direction can be destructive after all.

I'm starting to think that I'm too ambitious. There's so much that I want to do that I don't know where to focus my efforts and I end up exhausting myself.

Sigh!

First Day of Work

I guess luck has always been there with me from the time I passed ACET up to now in finding my first job. I feel blessed and grateful to be working as a representative of UNICEF because it is something that I believe in and which work I will actually do voluntarily because of the kids.

The starting salary (which can match a finance job in an international bank) I say is an added bonus because the thing that will keep me going, aside from knowing that I'm helping improve children's lives, are the many traveling opportunities that come with my job. My trainer, which is also an Atenean, went to Malaysia on her fifth day!

The promotion in our company is extremely fast. There are basically five levels to the job program that I'm in and upon reaching the top, I can choose my own office to run (all capital and expenses paid) and can ear six digits!!! Some people have done it in a span of less than 2 years with the company at age 24! Unbelievable right?

But I have to be honest, I have to extend long hours of work - like working for 12 hours. It isn't a desk job so we'll be in a new place everyday, sometimes in provinces for a week doing information campaigns. I'll get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, which will make the job very interesting and non-monotonous.

It was my first day earlier and I surprisingly enjoyed it. I made new friends but I have to be conscious with the way I speak because Ateneans have a certain way of speaking which might turn people off. It was all information overload day so I wasn't able to do well with the evaluation at the end of the day:

Evaluator: Who is the head of UNICEF in the Philippines. Clue, artista siya.
Me: (after a long pause) KC Concepcion?
FAIL:| It's actually Gary V.

I'm planning to convert my salary to tangible and intangible assets like buying the merchandise, funding the shoots and paying for our graphic designer/s for Manila Kid. I'm also starting with my bamboo farm which I'll call Talitha Bamboos so I'll be needing a researcher to study everything I need and want to know from choosing the right specie to developing the business aspect.

Conservatively, my target is to raise 5 million worth of assets in 5 years. I think I can raise 2 million from my job with UNICEF and the rest will hopefully come from Soya Ice, Manila Kid and Talitha Bamboos. It's an ambitious project, but I knew some people in the company who are earning three digits per month on their second year in the company so hopefully, it isn't possible.

I'm still early tomorrow! Will definitely bring my fighting attitude to work!

Forever Young, Forever 21

I'm on a Peter Pan meets Dorian Grey syndrome right now. Tomorrow will be the official start of my life in the working class (que horror the word!) and I can't explain here the emotionally induced vomits I'm trying to recover from while blogging. It feels like the night before I entered college - the difference is, I knew some people back then but this time it's totally different.

I really don't know what to expect because this isn't school where you'll look forward to your new classmates, teachers, subjects and the light at the end of the tunnel - summer vacation, every year! Instead, you get to pay taxes (for most people), have a boss (of even your own life) and there's a great probability to lose ambition and idealism.

I want to be forever young, forever 21. I know this job will force out some maturity in me and I don't know why life has to be patterned in such a way - blame it on the entry of capitalism once again! I think getting a job straight out from college is not a good thing. I should have listened to my cousins and parents (for once) to take a break for a year than following the flow of my batchmates who think it's a necessity to get a job as soon as possible. I feel so unprepared.

After my first day at work, my mom will pick me up to have dinner. I'll try to write what happened tomorrow as soon as I get home.

PS: I'm back in Chictopia

Working Only with the Best

Last Tuesday, we went to Boni High Street to show our support for Alexis Bernardo because she's part of a shoot for DynaMedia Productions. She's the sister of a close friend and if you remember, she modeled for Manila Kid. 

Personally, I think there's potential in her because of the height and her interesting cheek bones. She's just 15 years old but she already landed a contract with Philippine Models Weekend. She's a bit stiff at first but with good direction and if the photographer can get the angles right, she'll go a long way.

If I were to be bold enough to give an advice: "Be indispensable." That works even for photographers and other creative minds. You can't be 100% indispensable but getting close to that means you have an edge against the ones out there. Give them a reason to hire you.

Here in Manila Kid, we don't just work with pretty or handsome faces. We only get the best to work with because the blogging world is watching and if the quality of our work is not at par with people's expectations, it might ruin us. Haha! We always strive that the quality is at its finest.

Right now we are trying to get one of the top five hottest upcoming models (according to Philippine Star) but she's busy with fittings and all since Philippine Fashion Week is just around the corner. As soon as May 15 is over, we'll shoot her for a Manila Kid promo!:) Stay tuned!

(the gowns were designed by Michelle Lim for Okasyon)

Habang May Abisyon Pa

I was having dinner with my cousins last night when one of them was telling us about the time when she wanted to be the mayor of this small town in order to rehabilitate this worn out bridge in a far flung province. "May ambisyon pa noon." That really hit me hard because after 10 years, what will become of the ambition that I have now?


But actually, most of my batchmates' ambition as I see it is slowly being eaten by the necessity to find a job. Hey, it's more practical right? After graduation, you get a job for a multinational company that pays you with car loans and tax. Great. It's just the way of life - to lose the passion and idealism molded by the educational system (or by our professors) because capitalism clawed its way into society.


I'm constantly bothered by the wasted or undirected passions of the newly graduates that will just feed big institutions which result to greater marginalization in our country. A meditation teacher (who used to be a marketing agent for Proctor and Gamble) warned me about these things. "It will destroy your soul."


The challenge is always to have that passion to keep us going and reaching for our goals. Getting a job might get us one step closer to these dreams but let us not lose sight of the bigger picture on the way. No one could have said it better: "If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." - Steve Jobs

Right now, I have a lot of projects on the way like Manila Kid and the bamboo farm I'll be putting up in Lopez, Quezon province. I'll be going there next week with the rest of the family to do some study and see the potential of the project. 


I challenge everyone to aspire for something bigger than themselves and risk. There's more life in it that than sitting in a desk job taking orders from your boss who tells you to do otherwise that what you really think is right.

Boracay By Day

On my last day in Boracay, I waited for the sunrise over White Beach. The last time I saw the sunrise over the sea was during my senior year in high school back in Lian Batangas. I was with my closest friends at that time and it was a freezing morning. 

This time I was alone, trying to preserve in my memory the first moments of my 21st year in Earth.

This is one of the rare sites of D'Mall - it looks like a ghost town without the busy people.

In the middle of the morning, there were loads of locals and tourists trying to "spoil" the place. I'm really not a fan of large crowds so I wasn't that comfortable seeing so many people interacting.

I didn't get to actually swim in the beach for some reason. We went to the hotel of our friend instead to swim because I guess it's more private and there are less chances of being eaten by sharks and being stung by jellyfishes.

I love observing people playing in the beach. I'm not built for sports so I'd rather stay out of Frisbee and Volleyball games. I was just there fanning with my 21inch fan while my friends try to sweat the remaining baby fats or just plainly show their bora bodies - mostly applicable to girls because the guys are fat.

Boracay looks amazing at sunset but it's the friends that you're with that makes it truly special. It's the experience more than the stunning landscape. Can't wait to go back here in 2 months time (hopefully!)

Boracay By Night

Everyone in school was in Boracay. It was flooded with Ateneans, from high school to college to the alumni and their families that it is impossible to not spot anyone when walking or eating. It was like the school cafeteria one more time.

During the first night, we stayed in Inna's place because she's hosting a party where they invited some fire dancers. Hot and totally dangerous! I wasn't able to take pictures (most of my stay) because my camera was too bulky and the lens is a bit defective.

That was the start of our grueling night where we visited six bars in one night! I'm not complaining though - what a way to burn those calories.

Aside from drinking, we just danced the night away even though some of the movements were limited because the places were jam packed - skin to skin. The eclectic vibes were infectious, there's so much energy going on. But beware because few bars have good DJs.

Some were even unfortunate enough to "meet" some foreigners on the way. I just realized that these foreigners think so little of our Filipina women. At some nights, you'll have the opportunity to peek at couples having sex on the beach - and i'm not just talking about the drink. It was hysterical! Haha!

For some reason, life in Bora starts to pick up at night. Or maybe because I'm young so there's more life when the sun starts to set. There will be some events during the day but nothing beats Boracay parties!

During my last night, I asked my friends if they can stay up with me to watch the sunrise. They got so sleepy so I went alone. Good thing that I did because the moment seemed more special seeing the sunrise on my birthday.

Manila Kid - May 2011

So here are the results of what we did for Manila Kid's first shoot. I am very much pleased with the result if we would consider it for its aesthetics. I'm not sure if we were able to Manila though.

Behind the Scenes of Manila Kid Shoot

We did some shoot for the teasers of Manila Kid yesterday in Intramuros. You won't see any of the merchandise here because we want to capture the brand since Manila Kid is more than the merchandise. It is a movement that supports the rebranding of Manila into something youthful, something which the next generation can be proud of.

Something about the models:

Alexis just signed up with a modeling agency and she'll be walking on her first fashion week this season at 15 years old. She's taller than me and those cheeckbones are to die for. She's also the sister of one of one of our long time friends, Joma.

Speaking of Joma, here he is demoralizing Charles. Kidding! I got to know him through a friend and he posed for a clothing brand before. His teeth reminds me of Francisco Lachowski while his overall feature looks similar with Jacob Black. Haha! I got him because he has those strong features combined with the right skin tone making him the official face of Manila Kid. 

Kevin looks very androgynous in person, and that combined with a hint of vulnerability can make him a perfect model for Topman, as soon as his features become more mature. He's also our neighbor so it was very convenient for us to tag him along. Haha!

We had a bit of a hard time because it was very cloudy during the day so we can't do the effects that we want. Our official stylist wasn't there as well so we had to improvise with what we have.

By the way, we had five photographers! Special thanks to Mark Perez who slid into the mud just to take some gorgeous photos.

And yes, everyone wanted to be a model. Actually, Joma had walked the runway dressed in a lion-esque inspired outfit.

The girl in the middle is Jane, our make up artist. She was also busy during the shoot because she's a wedding planner so she had to be on the phone all the time. She's also helping us plan the launch party of Manila Kid happening this May just before fashion week.

We had the most amazing crew of nine people who all volunteered to make this shoot a success! 

We'll release the teaser promos by tomorrow evening. If you have a facebook account, search us by typing Manila Kid and press like!:D Thank you!

PS: Don't kill us. This isn't a fashion editorial. We tried to tone it down so that more people can relate. Haha!

Deal Dozen Launch

We attended the launching of the new lifestyle website, Deal Dozen at Member's Only last night. The hosts of the party were very cordial at the atmosphere was chill. They gave away prizes like a trip to Boracay for four people during the raffle! 

"At Deal Dozen, we bring our members exclusive deals from partner travel, dining, retail and lifestyle establishments. Each deal only has a limited number of slots alloted so be sure to grab one as soon possible!"

http://dealdozen.com/

To describe how amazing Deal Dozen is, you can save up to 350,000 pesos when you buy a new Mistubishi Eclipse. It's that incredible!

I was feeling tired that night so I just drank and let my brother and Joma do all the talking/promoting of Manila Kid. I was impressed because they were able to deliver a "substantial" conversation regarding the brand, although there's more to improve on. And the pink blazer served as a perfect conversation piece. Haha!

And of course, we gave away business cards to our potential clients/contributors/customers, like fashion blogger Nicole Santos. It makes it more professional and they'll remember you more.

Below is Joanna, she's the Lifestyle editor of Deal Dozen and a Chictopia friend. We all love her!

The two below are beauty queens that we met. I told Camille, on the left, that I want her to model for Manila Kid because she has amazing features that will go well with Charles.

The night ended with most of the people tipsy so everyone was just saying I Love You to anyone. Haha! We've made new friends as well!