Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Thank you, Art!


Our society, especially in the development industry, often worries sustainability. To ArtCo, sustaining things is less their concern. The Ateneo Davao-based art club stood effortlessly for 10 years now without us, the pioneers, leading.

Queer but don't good leadership and management sustain things? Not always. A simple friendship and a contagious passion (on art) would do, literally, everything even without the good founding leaders and managers. Look at the 2 world's dominant religion. Islam and Christianity lived through time even without Prophet Mohammed and Jesus. Ultimate frisbee also underwent similar experience.

Sustaining, thereby, needs no good governance and corporate management.

Congratulations, ArtCo!


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Jumper


Pounding my fist, i repeatedly begged to Greta, "i wanted to be a jumper! i wanted to be a jumper! i wanted to be a jumper!"

I wanted to be a jumper. This is finally what i wanted to be. Nothing else, not even Greta. I wanted to freely travel. Jumped from one place to another without jetlags and bus stops. I wanted to travel to Eastern Europe, Norway, Pacific islands, Rome and all unimaginable tos. I wanted to live beyond boundaries and see all the arts, music and beauty of the world.

I wanted to be a jumper and i really yearned it. But id still live an ordinary life. Id still work, walk and live in a small house. I wont rob. Id first find work anywhere until im flatly impoverished, then id steal. When id rob, id lavishly rob for the poor.

Id take Greta around though. Id surprise her everyday before we both report to work. Id daily collect her things from all countries. Id share, literally, all the good things that the world could offer.

Believe me, you too would incredibly ask to be a jumper when you watch this movie. You too would foolishly say, "i found my superhero and i wanted to be a jumper and not anything else."

Friday, February 15, 2008

I Dated Spice Girls on V-Day

I often have spontaneous reflections of who i am either at a start or end of the day. For 3 years, i had confusing becoming, a self who is truly not me. It was another stage of identity crisis, however, a surprisingly comfortable one.

I became sensitive (not more), less careless, constructively impatient and angry, aggressive, thrifty, more expressive and family-oriented.

It is indeed never me. It is Greta. And it is only this time I "truly" understand how love, not sex, binds 2 people together. Spice Girls' 2 Becomes 1 instantly tunes in. It is indeed mystical but you can actually understand and explain it. Love is not rocket science. It is as easy as writing our grade school friend's scrapbook :)

Love you, Grets

Thursday, February 07, 2008

b-side leadership

i always believed i am a natural leader by genes and intuition. that i can lead to achieve change. that i can inspire people. i did! i created, along with friends, the first art club in Ateneo de Davao. ArtCo, in 10 years now, is my sole proof that i can lead.

between ArtCo and now, i found i am less a leader. it didn't frustrate me though. so, i strived learning leadership and re-tried leading. i failed. i realized i do not have the striking charisma, enforcive attitude, superb communication and extensive network. i only have the competency to work things, as instructed, and great new ideas that kept me dreaming of leading.

so, i stayed low. i took the role of a follower, as inspired by the divine teaching of a great leader Jesus-be a servant to lead. following is humbling and gratifying when you make someone's ideas happen. but leading still charms me, especially when you make your ideas happen.

leading is just too inspiring. i even dreamed of running Barangay Captain and managing my own development organization and business in my town.
but i'm left saving my ideas and following momentarily because charisma and resources are likely hard to earn fast. stepping up when no one's leading is the most i could do. second-rate leadership doesn't push full initiatives and somehow is disheartening until reading Harvard Business' article about B-players.

i am proud again! i am now a more proud follower-a b player who is considered to be a corporate backbone. without us, ideas and initiatives just don't happen even with good leadership. being a b player is itself leadership-only but off from the limelight. Jesus now made more sense and my ideas aren't in vague dreamland after all. and soon, i will be managing my own club change.


Saturday, February 02, 2008

TANGINA!It is Saturday


(TANGINA!) I really really REALLY thought today is Friday! I do! Not even a dint of notice. In fact, i am still unshaken of my time warp even at blog-time because i clearly remembered wearing 5 clothes this week. And today is my fifth.

So, i hurried to work without my office keys. Eventually, i ended up sitting in our office hallway because my officemates were not "yet" in the office. It did not worry me though until pass 9. I started rationalizing the days without checking my mobile calendar (i was repititively editing my review blog on Children of Men with my phone). After a brief reflection, i was still convinced it is Friday! But something is shaking me it is not. So, i exited my blog and checked the real date.

TANGINA! I exclaimed with great restrain of a loud disgust. It is Saturday, not Friday! All the cuss words then rushed in with anxious haste.

@*#€?>¥±×≠℉♀ㄆ

It is Saturday! Not Friday! The thought was a paranoia. I could not believe i was time-warped. Then, like any movies with twists, recollections of clues randomly flashed in to shake my hysteria. Kaya pala wala masyadong tao.kaya pala wala masyadong pasahero. Kaya pala konti lang nagtatrabaho. Kaya pala hindi pumasok si Greta. Kaya pala wala ang mga officemates k. Kaya pala!!

So, i walked out from the hallway and worked on things i scheduled for completion on Friday, which is today but in real time not today. It is Saturday, right? :-D