I'm About To Fly!... Meh...

I have always dreamt of travelling around the world, visiting a lot of new places, eating different foods, and of course learning something new (In all seriousness). I have never really travelled before at least outside of Mindanao and it always made me jealous when people post their vacation trip pictures on facebook. But mark this date, September 28, 2014. This date will mark the most awesome day of life. The day I am going to set foot on a journey to fly! My very first plane ride!  Am I exaggerating this too much? Well, who cares? This ride is going to be awesome!

Am I excited?  Yes you can say that but to tell you the truth I am not really that hyped as oppose to the excitement I’ve written all over the first paragraph. The thing is I have never really thought much about this trip. It is always like this; I actually don’t look ahead in the future but is more concerned on what is currently happening at the moment. This is the reason why it’s hard to get me agitated over something like this. Expectations? Actually none (as they say expectations will only hurt you) but for compliance sake I will try to come up with a few.

This going to be my very first plane ride so I really don’t know what to expect. It could be nerve wracking (seeing a lot of movies with plane crash). It could be exciting, or maybe even taxing. I’m trying but it really is hard for a boring person like me with a very few knowledge about planes and totally zero experience. For this reason I tried researching about plane flights and asking my sister what she felt the first time she rode a plane and flew towards the bluest skies.

I was there to see my sister off at the airport. It actually saddened me that I can’t see her and my nephew for the years to come since they are already moving and residing in Japan. I really can’t imagine myself getting pretty excited going off aboard leaving my family, my home and enjoying my stay there for a week with the money I did not even earn. And no, I’m not the type to get home sick or something but it just doesn’t feel right so I just have to find out on the actual day of flight. Anyway when we arrived at the airport I wondered when her flight schedule was and she replied it’s 7 o’clock and we arrived there like only quarter to five and I was like what? So they explained that you should be at the airport checking in at least two hours before your scheduled flight to avoid getting late. If you missed the plane, no matter what your reason there is no way you can get a refund for the ticket you have bought. I did not really get the point or rather I did not quite get it but I’ll be sure to get there two hours before the time of flight and while on the process maybe I’ll figure things out as to why we need to.

Next up is the security. Well they were really strict not to let those who don’t have flights inside the airport. My uncle was a retired military officer so he got off the hook and escorted my sister inside. I kind of felt disappointed back then because in movies and series I have watched they have seats and waiting area inside. And hey I wonder how those security scan work where you need to take everything that is metal off including belts, cents, and even shoes. LOL it’s kind of funny thinking someone would take off all their clothes with only their underwear on just to get past the security scan. Haha But I guess it only happens in comedic movies and TV series but who knows *smirk. And ack! I forgot it could also happen to me so maybe we should just forget about it. No? Now I’m kind of getting scared… Not! :P

So now let’s go now to the actual flight. Wooo! I’m flying! My childhood made up power is coming true! – is what my mind’s thinking right now. I may not look like it but I’m pretty hardcore role player when I was still a kid be it that I have awesome and amazing powers, a power ranger (specifically the blue or the green one), and an air bender and the avatar Ang… I mean Aang (My last name is Ang if you did not get the joke). Anyway I might really get hyped but a plane is closed so we basically are just in a container flying in the sky and that alone cuts a bit of my excitement on the upcoming plane flight. I want to feel the air but sadly that’s not going to be possible. I also asked my sister how it was like riding a plane and she said it was not really that amazing. Plain, boring, yet disturbing. She said she didn’t even feel like they were flying at all but she said she at least felt something when the plane took off and the pressure building then lessening during landing. So I won’t expect anything spectacular during the actual flight but at least I’m expecting to be seated next to a window and expect a good view from above.

Well to tell you the truth, I actually have a fear of heights. I don’t know why but whenever I stand in high places it always feel like someone will push me from behind and that the ground is kind  of pulling me or maybe the best term to describe it is that it is somehow sucking me down. I don’t know if I can handle the windows of a plane but I think I’ll be fine since the plane is secure and closed and I don’t really have problems in high places with railings but still I thought it was worth mentioning. 

I'm An I.D.I.O.T... Are You?

The movie “3 Idiots” was truly an amazing film. The story, the characters, the plot, everything in there was just wonderfully crafted. I’m not really one of those movie enthusiasts and I’m no expert in film making either but this movie is just a work of art, a masterpiece I dare say. It captured not just my attention but it also captured my heart. Watching this film was like going on a roller coaster ride – exciting yet full of ups and downs. This movie was not just entertaining, it’s enlightening and inspiring. It’s forward thinking yet it didn’t fail to let us know how to always look back and recall our roots. It delivers inspiring and heartwarming messages without losing its sense of humor, a movie about friendship and love, and a movie that opens our eyes to the reality - a sad reality about our flawed education system or simply our flawed educational mindset.

This movie made me laugh, it made me cry a few times, and most of all it inspired me to be an actual “I.D.I.O.T.”. Ganbaru Aho! – my blog name. In case you did not know yet, it means Good luck Idiot! And that idiot is referring to me. Yeah I admit I really am an idiot, an idiot in a lot ways you can imagine. I never actually took studying seriously. I’m a lazy good for nothing idiot. “I.D.I.O.T” I Do It On my Terms. Yeah that’s me. I always procrastinate just like what I’m doing right now. Works doesn’t really bother me until death crosses the line – the scary deadlines that creeps up to you while you work really gives me the chills.  I’m a pessimist yet I’m pretty optimistic. How does that even work? Well, it never really occurred or came in mind that I will actually fail big time in my life yet I have always thought of the worst possible scenarios I might encounter but in the end I always say “Aja!” I can do it! It’s not about how well you study but on how well you handle your life, to never give up and pursue your dreams – that’s what I realized after I watched the movie. I envy those three idiots who did just what they wanted in the end. As much as I want to quit and dropped out of school, my mind always tells me not to, and my heart is torn between the two. To tell you the truth, I have a passion and knack for art yet I’m not really that good. I’ve always admired my father’s paintings and sculptures. I’ve always thought of pursuing a career in fine arts but due to my lack of self confidence I dropped that idea. Then when I was in fourth year high school we studied the Pascal programming language and there I found out that I have a knack in that area. Well I’m actually one of those technology savvy people and had always admired new technology innovations such as techie gadgets, new phones, and most of all games. Games, instead of me playing it, it actually played a big role on why I am here studying Information Technology. Aside from that it was also due to anime that I took this path. For now I will just continue what I have started, get a degree, and after that I will decide and do everything I want, go crazy and wild and free! (I’m actually the type who does not plan ahead of time)

Picking a character from those three is kind of hard. Every one of them has a trait I admired. The genius yet not too overwhelming character of Rancho, the hardworking and fearful Raju, and the imprisoned passion of Farhan. I really like how well their characters blend with each other. If I can pick them all, why not? But I’m afraid I have to write 1500 words for each of them totaling 4500 words if I pick all of them. So I decided to pick the center, the true idiot who started it all, Rancho.

In the movie, I felt that everything revolved around Rancho. And that was the only part of the film I hated the most. To be honest Rancho is the kind of guy I might find irritating the most in real life. But still I can’t deny the fact he’s also the kind of guy I want as a friend the most. Confusing? Well, I’m quite confused myself. Maybe the thing about the saying “The more you hate, the more you love” is true. The reason you may hate a certain person is that you might actually admire them subconsciously. You hate the fact that he can do what you’ve always wanted to without trying too hard yet you failed to do so many times. You hate his attitude yet subconsciously you wish he was you. And yeah I get that a lot. I’ve always hated those overconfident people acting high and mighty yet I’ve always dreamt of being one. A lot of people irritates me due maybe to my lack of self confidence and if Rancho was here, he’s one of them. I hate Rancho for his awesomeness. I hate him for being genius. I hate the fact the he aced the exams without actually trying too hard. In the end the only reason I hate him is that I can’t be him. I’m no genius. Uncool and will flunk out exams without studying. But even after all that I can’t help but admire his character. “Make your passion your profession and work will become a game” is what he said. This quote really struck me. It opened my eyes to a new vision and goal. I’ll pursue my passion but it will only be after I graduate because after that I feel like I can soar above the sky, go wild and be free. He also said that we should not chase success instead pursue excellence and success will come right after. All that really inspired me and helped me think outside the box. I could write a lot more but I’m afraid I’m running low on ink… err words. I’ll try continuing this next time if I had the time but for now I’ll end it here.

Start Small, Dream Big, and Turn It Into Reality

Davao City - the center of Metro Davao and the third most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines, the land of promise, the durian capital, and probably… no, it is the safest city or area in the country of the Philippines. It is also the largest city in the country with a total land area of 2,444 square kilometers (At least that was what Wikipedia told me). Davao, a place that is already well known for its strict government or so I was told. I was born here, grew up at this juncture, and now here I am doing my best, squeezing my brain out for words I never knew I had in me and stressing myself out procrastinating to every projects and assignments given, to graduate and get a degree, go to work, get my shizz together, and live my life happily ever after. Well at least that was the plan, a story book that may or may not be published or worse, a story that may end up equally as frustrating. To be frankly honest I’m sick of school, or at least that is what my mind keeps telling me although my heart says otherwise. Anyway this is not about me, well actually it is still about me yet not (kind of confusing, yes?). It’s about my so called “future plans” or let’s just say to answer the question on “What can you do to help propel the economy of Davao City?” kind of plan. Before I start, I just have to tell you that I am no expert with regards to what I am going to discuss here in my entry. I am just going to write what I think I know, what I have learned, and what goes on inside mind that may or may not relate to the topic. Simply put, the contents of this page are simply my own understanding and are not base on actual facts. Well then, shall we begin?

Remember the time when land owners, known as ”hacienderos and hacienderas”, dominated and drove the economy of the Philippines? I can’t say I remember at all (I was not born in that era!) but one thing they had that time was that they had power (and no they don’t have magical ones if you thought so I suggest you to stop reading too much fairy tales and catch up with the boring way of life). They had the power to rule. They had all the money they want. All the servants they needed, comes to them to fetch and fulfill their wishes. Everything was within their grasp, hypothetically speaking. That was how it worked in the past and most probably until now but just in a different light. Now let’s think back to our today’s world. Notice something? Well of course you do, and the world obviously changed a lot since then but let’s get on the same page, where did that power disappeared to? Contrary to popular belief (a belief I believe I said so), the power did not disappear. It was transferred or rather, more accurately, their power (referring to the “hacienderos”) slowly deteriorated and a new power rose to existence. Unlike energy, power can be created and destroyed. It can be manipulated and controlled. So what exactly destroyed the power they had back then? To counter that, the most accurate question would be where are their lands now? Well, we actually see it every single day of our lives or rather we see what is planted within it. And no, it is not trees nor flowers but, guess what? Sirit? It’s all those tall skyscrapers, buildings, and especially those luxurious shopping malls we almost always go to buy the things we may or may not need. They created a new power, a power brought by the rise of industrialization. Henry Sy, Gaisano, Ayala, you name them. They brought, or at least inherited that power here and gained a lot through it. They rose and the so called “hacienderos and hacienderas” were never spoken of since then. This power or rather the business industry they brought is what driving our economy to propel until now or so I thought. But the greatest question is: Is it enough? To tell you what I think, it is not. For the whole 19 years of living my life here in the Philippines, specifically in Davao, nothing has changed significantly and that’s proof enough that our economy did not quite propelled since then. The shopping malls were almost the same as I remembered them when I was a kid (except for the new ones which kind of has a “nothing new” kind of vibe except for the automatic doors in Abreeza other than that it’s meh). The unfashionable and tiring sight of people lining up, squawking and squealing, waiting for their turn to order in a fast food chain is still the same as what my mind depicted during my “Happy (McDonalds) and Kiddy (Jollibee) Meal” days. The traffic is, well, still traffic or rather jammed. No flying cars, dimensional portals, human like robots, and time machines contrary to what the olden people envisioned in the past that were also depicted through awe inspiring movies. I’m not literally saying that all those should have existed by now but what I am trying to tell you is that our technology here is somewhat lagging up (Hey Davao, are you using Internet Explorer or something??). We simply lack technology. Sure we do have a lot of entrepreneurs out there for business and all but, tell you what, entrepreneurial skills alone would not help this society’s economy to reach unimaginable heights. It should be accompanied with technology and with this here comes what we would like to call technopreneurship. Technologies and entrepreneurial skills are what propelling most, if not all, economies to prosperity. Let’s be a bit more factual this time. Technology brought forth a lot of unimaginable things we thought was not possible. It somehow increased our standard way of living or simply put it made our lives a whole lot easier. Technology has boosted a lot, if not all, business industries and created more employment prospects in the country. Our needs were met with much greater ease. It was impossible to fly until planes and helicopters were created. It was impossible to cross the sea until boats and ships were invented. Technology already played a very important role in past what’s more now and in the future? Technology has already touched (“divirginized”) everything. It already touched every aspect of life be it in in the field of agriculture, medicine, entertainment, and of course in our education. Everywhere we look, we see the product of technology. Computers and the internet nowadays are found everywhere and are very much accessible even to kids. It brought change either for the better or for worse, just like the law of conservation of energy, what was lost was equally but inversely proportional to the energy gained. In simpler terms, technology took away a lot of manual stuffs but in return we get something equally the same but maybe something even better. Technology plays a great role in business. Business means money. And as they say money makes the world go round and that’s very true in the world of economics. Anything that involves transfer of money involves economics. What’s economics anyway? According to an essay on the nature and significance of economic science written by Lionell Bobbins, it is the social science that studies economic activity to gain an understanding of the processes that govern the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in an exchange economy. With that we can therefore conclude that economy means business. Simply put, business makes the money and the money makes the economy prosper. So I therefore conclude that starting your own business here in Davao will eventually propel its economy. But the question is what kind of business? From what I’ve said earlier, it obviously involves technology. And now, first let’s define what a technopreneur is and then we will go straight to the point or rather to answer the question earlier which was our real goal from the start. “A technopreneur is an entrepreneur who is technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They don't fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.” – Rajesh Shakya. What’s the connection with all of this to the question? Simply put, I just need to be a technopreneur base here in Davao to help propel the economy here. A thousand word introduction and a one line answer? Fair enough but how? What can I do as a technopreneur? First let’s get to know some of the famous and well known technopreneurs worldwide. Bill Gates, who does not know Bill Gates? Just in case, he was the one who brought the name Microsoft a household name all around the world (In our computers’ operating systems). The infamous Steve Jobs who was best known for his innovations the iPod, iPad, iPhone, and other iProducts or simply the Apple products. Then let’s look at the success of Google, a success brought by the innovative minds of Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Who doesn’t know Google by the way? If you don’t you should probably google it. Their success also brought a great amount of prosperity to their economy so now let’s ask ourselves, what did they do in common in order to achieve that kind of success? They simply innovate. We or rather I should innovate, invest, make a permanent business, influence, and hypothetically thinking, BOOM our economy here, specifically in Davao, will rise and Davao will become the Technology Capital of the Philippines or as what our facilitator said “The Silicon Gulf” of the Philippines and possibly in the whole Asia Pacific Region. Of course it is not just about me. It is not just base on my own effort but also a team effort exerted by those who also want to envision the same thing. Let’s go back to the question “What can you do to help propel the economy of Davao City?”. To answer that, I can do nothing… yet. But by thinking big and dreaming high, there are a lot of ways to help this beloved city of mine for its economy to rise in the future. Just like what I said, we simply need to innovate. But what and how? It all starts with an idea. And idea which when pursued has the capacity to be transformed into a viable technology base enterprise. Davao City is already a very good producer of promising and well equipped people but a sad fact is that most of them, if not all, work for the progression of other places instead here who raised and prepared them for their next big thing. “Tayo ang nagsaing, iba ang kumain” kind of thing. The best graduates are sought after by big companies that are based in other places such as Cebu and Manila and the average graduates remain here in Davao but find it hard to land in a high paying job. Well I’m not one of the best, that might be for sure if ever I graduate, so I’ll stick to the average. I may not be one of the best but still that doesn’t stop from doing what others think I can’t. To tell you the truth, my original plan was to go and work in Japan – a country I fell in love with. Honestly I still want to until now but if Davao ever needs someone like me here, then I will gladly help. Well for Davao’s economy to rise, for starters, we need to pursue our technology base business plans. Make it a start-up. Plan and ensure success. If you fail then don’t be discouraged, a true technopreneur don't fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy. I forgot to mention earlier that the key essence of technopreneurship is creativity. ” The key essence in such technopreneurship programmes is creativity. Creativity is breaking the conventional mental blocks and playing with imagination and possibilities, leading to new and meaningful connections and outcomes while interacting with ideas, people and the environment. However creativity alone, without technoprenuer skills and competencies, is not viable to sustain a business in a digital, knowledge-based economy. You need an integrated collaborative approach in turning an idea into a viable sustainable business in a digital economy.” – Rajesh Shakya. So be creative, make a lot of innovations, create simple yet crazy ideas, and envision a world in your creative mind where your ideas turn into reality. Soon after, venture capitalists will invest in your innovative technology products. And very soon, your start up will mature into a stable IT enterprise. If this will somehow happen to a lot of graduates including me, the IT enterprises we created will compete in the domestic and possibly the global market that will impel economic growth in Davao City. If ever this will happen in the near future, Davao City’s IT industry will flourish and more companies will take root here and more investors will come and of course invest. Davao City’s graduates will notice the blooming IT industry here and might decide to build their own careers here and will living here with their own family. The same goes for the graduates who left their mother city. They may have abandoned Davao, but just like how parents accepts their children after running away from home, Davao will always welcome them back and embrace them with a warm heat of the sun then slap them with the peelings of durian (mehehehe). And here comes the most awesome part of the plan. Just like what our facilitator envisioned together with his partner, or maybe with some other people too who were involved in this uhm scheme, Davao will become the IT hub or simply the IT capital of Mindanao and not just in Mindanao but all throughout the Philippines, BIMP – EAGA, Asia Pacific Region as “The Silicon Gulf”. Awesome! Right? Davao will become the foundation and home of many highly competent, skilled, and capable IT professionals with sensible collective and ethical values. There’s more! Davao schools will be well known not just nationally but worldwide for preparing and producing such fine graduates in the IT industry. There are still a lot of creative ideas we could think to drive the economy of Davao City but still it will only happen if we actually work for it to make it a reality. Ideas are just dreams if it’s just thought of without actual initiative or a plan to chase it. So pursue those ideas, dream big, and help Davao City propel its economy as high or much higher than the height of Mt. Apo.

Meeting 1 2 THREE!

The meeting held last time was to inform was where and how our money will be spent. Payments for interpersonal skills seminar, tokens, and blah blah blah were broken down for us to see and know why all of these will cost us at least (?) Php 20, 000. Of course if there is a refund they're going to return it. So to sum it up, we talked about the breakdown of expenses. Well, nothing is to be said much actually. 

The ABCs

Field Trip and Seminars… “Field Trip and…” let’s be honest, whenever we talk or think about it, we somehow disregard or ignore the word Seminars or we simply disregard the essence or the purpose as to why we need to go on a field trip. “Field trip field trip man? Kamahal ba ana?   Asa man ta mangita ug kwarta para anang field trip field trip ninyo? Mangawat?”. Yeah, that was the first thing he blurted out (referring to my father) when he read the letter regarding our upcoming field trip with the reply slip in which we need to choose our preferred FTS model.

Model A = 1 Major Fieldtrip (outside Mindanao) + 1 minor fieldtrip (Mindanao) + 1 seminar (national) + 2 hrs. Interpersonal skills;

Model B = 1 Major Fieldtrip (outside Mindanao) + 2 minor fieldtrip (Mindanao) + 2 seminars (8hrs) (Mindanao) + 2 hrs. Interpersonal skills and

Model C = 3 Minor fieldtrips (Mindanao) + 4 seminars (16hrs) (Mindanao) + 2hrs. Interpersonal skills.

Obviously, Model C is the cheapest of the three. He could have at least chosen C if money is the problem but “Ayaw nag uban ana.” is what he said. I kind of felt down not because I can’t go but because of how unsupportive he was of me. I did not even complain when he sent me here to USeP as oppose to my two older sisters who both had gone to private schools (well, not that I regret going here, on the contrary I am quite thankful). I even explained to him that it’s in our curriculum and that I can’t graduate if don’t take it. And he just sat there with a grumpy look on his face. Well, it’s not like I expected much from him anyway. So I let my mother read it and asked her to choose and fill out the form for me. You know what? After a day or two, she actually asked me what my preferred model would be. Of course, there is no doubt, I will choose Model A. She agreed and filled it up and, yes, my smile widened up to my ears. I did not know but she contacted my sister, who is currently residing in Japan, asked her if she could sponsor me and everything and my sister actually said yes! She’s going to sponsor and shoulder all of the expenses. Thank you my dear evil.. ahem.. good oneesan (older sister in Japanese). I got pretty excited I mean who didn’t? I’m sure everyone got excited about this and is also looking forward to this or am I mistaken? The expenses might get frowned upon but I know it is going to be worth it.

To be perfectly honest I chose A partly because of my own selfish reasons. First I want to ride a plane. Second, Enchanted Kingdom :P. And lastly, I want to travel outside of Mindanao! I’ve never really traveled outside of Mindanao ever in my life and what’s more accurate, and worse, is that I’ve never really been outside of Davao region, ever. Sure, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental, I’ve been there, but it’s still Davao for crying out loud! Unreasonable, right? Still, there are more reasons as to why I’ve chosen A. I did not decide without even thinking.  I tried comparing and came up that A’s benefits weighed heavier than the other two. Let us talk about Model C first. Field Trip will only be here in Mindanao. If Mindanao would be a country, what place would be its capital? It’s Davao. And we all know that Davao, specifically Davao City, is where most IT companies are rooted here in Mindanao. So basically we are going on a trip to places where we can always visit to if we have the time. Hello? We (or at least I am) are living here since we were born and we could practically learn everything there is to know in Davao anytime we want to. To make it clear, we have all the opportunities to visit companies we might get to visit if we had chosen Model C. It’s not every day we can visit Manila but in Davao, it is. And technically speaking, in terms of technology, Manila has the upper hand compared to Davao (at least for now *smirk). Let’s move on to Model B. Well, I didn’t really know what’s the difference between Model A and B at first, other than A costs a bit higher, but then again another look at it and you will find the answer. Yes, we get to travel outside of Mindanao but are there more? I think not. We get to visit companies (I think) but our seminar/s will be held here locally and the seminar/s is probably the most important part of this subject. In a seminar, we can learn something new and something different. It could be amazing or just meh (depends on the speaker). And for me, in Manila, they could offer more learning and knowledge to us in the field of Information Technology. No offense to those who are here offering seminars and all, we could also learn a lot from you but not as much as in a place where technology is much more progressive (maybe).

I’ve stated a lot points (?) above that made me choose Model A but what was really the, somewhat huge, reason why I chose Model A? Well it’s actually because of the Youth Congress of Information Technology or Y4IT for short. It’s the biggest gathering of Information Technology professionals and students alike in the Philippines. Other schools with IT courses also join the event every year. I just know we could learn a lot there. Even if it’s just a day I have the feeling that this event could motivate me and help me understand more on what IT graduates or specialists does in the industry. I know because last time I joined a gathering/event, which was Graphicon held at Gaisano Mall just last year, the speakers there really moved and motivated me. After the event, I just have the itch to draw something. These kind of events really inspires me and shows or rather gives me a goal that somehow I want to accomplish. 

Mind Bleed!

I think I’m going to go crazy with this 5000 word reflection (I’m going to cry T-T). So let’s start of on the very first thing I did when I came to class. Okay so I said in my last reflection that “I am never going to be late again” but I somehow ate the words right out from my mouth. I was late again for I think 5 fudging minutes or so. I won’t reason out because everything that happened that can be considered justifications that morning are all dumb excuses. No way out, sing and you are in! So I sang yet another song. This time it was Paramore’s “That’s What You Get”. I sang it all the way up to the chorus before our facilitator decided I’m being noisy and let me take my seat. Then later I realized that the song started with “No SIR! Well I don’t want to be the blame not anymore. It’s your turn…” and the SIR may somehow pertain to our facilitator the first time he heard it and I was like (*O*). I got a bit uneasy lol anyway it’s just a song… is what I keep telling myself. Still I was wondering what did our facilitator thought the moment I sang the first line of the song. Curiosity killed the cat so never mind that. Anyway I’m quite surprised we had a discussion since he already said we would learn nothing from him but surprisingly and unexpectedly, I learned a lot. Not technical skills but life lessons that would surely leave a mark on me and will forever be implanted in my brain as well as my heart. I know we were asked to reflect and discuss on what we liked and least liked during the discussion but I’ll go straight and reflect from the lessons I learned and how it may or may not affected me and my ambitions. And to be perfectly honest, halfway through the discussion I got a bit bored and doodled my way out of boredom in a sheet of paper where we did the activity “9 dots” (you can refer to my previous reflection as to what this is). I still listened bit by bit though hehe. Here goes nothing… take a deep breath and dive in! Your adventure awaits!

The first activity we did was to follow all his instructions, ACCURATELY. So he told us to bring a whole sheet of yellow paper. And just my luck, I had none. So I was already thinking of asking from my nearest classmates who had an extra sheet but plot twist, he stopped us and threatened those who will give a paper to write a 5000 thousand word reflection (and now we still did get to write even without that). More plot twists! Those who doesn’t have a paper can buy from someone with an extra but, plot twist again, it should cost Php 50.00 per sheet and I was like (*o*) again. What a really lucky day right? Then he told us to use only black pens and to my relief I had one in my bag! Those that didn’t have a pen or simply a black inked one, again, have to buy it from the one who has an extra but this time it is worth Php 100.00 (*o*). So it was settled and just as we thought we could get back our money after the class. He then announces that he’s going to get a certain percentage off of the people who collected the money since he was the mastermind and then again I was like (*o*). Of course all of it was just a bluff and he wasn’t being serious. It was just a simple activity to help us or rather show us how business actually works. It’s amazing how a simple activity like that could help you learn more. Well it actually makes sense since experience is the best way of learning, also learning the hard way.

The second activity we did was called “9 dots”. I will not go through specific detail with this one since I’ve already written a reflection about this on my previous entry. So the idea is to connect all 3 x 3 dots without lifting your pen on the paper or the board. I actually know the solution to the puzzle that I found this quite easy but I never thought it would scream a lot of learning in my head. To think outside the box. Go beyond what you usually see. See the world in different light. Everything could come down to just one word: INNOVATE.

The discussion proper…

The usual mindset: “Go to school, get good grades, and land in a high paying job”.  This is the exact phrase that our facilitator told us. Is it the truth? For most of us, yes including me, it is. In actuality this is already considered a fact. Still, I’m a bit thankful for this kind of mindset. If it weren’t for this I think I’d actually be an out of school youth by now or a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) or even a shut in with no social life. Why? My parents sent me to school with this in mind and just like what our facilitator guessed, I still carry this kind of mindset until now and to confirm it, it is very true (Although not getting good grades but just passing the subject is enough for me now). With this in mind I still continue to go to school, go wrestle with the professors, and waste my time when I can do more outside of this tiresome school. I know I’m being frank but that is what I think and yes I may look responsible and all but deep inside I’m screaming “That’s just too troublesome!!!”. Back in elementary or even way back preschool, I’m already tired of schooling. The annoying sound of alarms, my mother’s sharp voice waking me up from my deep slumber and my father’s rambling whenever I decide not to go to school. He even punched the wall and there was a time he dragged me out of bed. I was forced to go to school but still I was thankful. Although they never told me to get good grades I just somehow get them on my own :P. Usually parents tries to tell their children what to become when they grow up, that they should become here and whatnot, that they should be good at school study really hard to get good grades and graduate with flying colors in order for them to land or work in a big company that pays very high without any difficulties and problems during employment. I’m lucky my parents is not that strict and gave me the freedom choose but somehow, I don’t know why, but for some reason I’ve been carrying that principle or what we call mindset since the very beginning. It’s maybe because of one of those information theories wherein when a lot or majority of people know the answer to a very tricky question, information about it gets disseminated mysteriously and then a lot more people will know the answer even if it’s the first time they encountered it. That theory really gave me Goosebumps when I read about it. They actually conducted an experiment about it. First, they conducted a survey in an enclosed area or was it a country with “ancient” civilization so that information about what they were would not get out or get dessiminated through radios or tvs, show them an obscure and vague picture and let them guessed what it is. The percentage of those who knew the answer was very low. For the record, it’s the picture of a dog. Then they conducted it again in another area with the same number of people and the percentage of those who guessed it right significantly increased. Not yet convinced, they conducted it again in yet again another area and the rest you can figure, the percentage of those who knew increased again. This theory (because it’s still too trivial to call it fact now) just made me realize that maybe just maybe this how our standard way of life came to light. Standards that dictates us on how to live our lives. Standards that clouded our mind from what’s beyond we usually see, and standards that blinded us from seeing life in a different way of living. This might also be the reason how that certain mindset was implanted to us. My parents never talked to me about it but I unconsciously knew that it was what I was set to do. Yet if it weren’t for that I’d have rather shut myself in my room doing nothing pratical and counter productive. I know that we all need to be educated and laziness is not an excuse not to. Yes, I’m lazy. I’m an introvert who thinks high and mighty. In the end though, I’m still just a stupid kid who cries whenever he falls down. That’s the story behind why I’m still here today striving to survive this hell of a school, writing my most awesome reflection yet, and the reason why you still see me every now and then at the University. This mindset somehow saved me. This mindset somehow gave me the reason to go to school, to study, and most especially it gave me a goal that I still need to accomplish, a goal that may never come true. I once stumble upon a saying that says “Set your goal too high and it might not be a goal at all, just a dream, and a mere illusion”. Setting your goal too high might also demotivate you. Set something within your grasp first and make it a stepping a stone towards your real goal in life. Speaking of which, my actual goal is to live and work in Japan. My obsession to anime and manga (Japanese Comics) is what drives me to achieve this goal. Then our facilitator somehow crushed that idea (Although not totally). “Tayo and nagsaing, iba ang kumain”. Many of the best graduates in the University help in the development of other places – not from where they came from. They are sought after by big companies, lured and bribed with special and attractive offers. This happens every single year. As what our facilitator would like to call it “The Brain Drain Cycle”. This made me rethink of what to do first after I graduate (Assuming I can work in Japan). Even if I could not become one of the best graduates in the University I still think it would be great if I could somehow repay this city, who adopted me, with my skills and to the best of my abilities. Still, my motivation to go and work in Japan still is strong. It was my dream since when? I think high school or so I remember. I really really want to go to Japan. The technology, the lifestyle, their culture, their food, I just fell in love with all of it. My sister is currently residing now in Japan with her husband (who’s half Filipino and half Japanese, a descendant for short) and her cute little child. Here I am getting really jealous waiting for the day I can finally set foot in Japan. Maybe I can visit then go back or even better: collaborate with some Japanese IT companies to help on the development of Davao… is what I thought. Dreaming is free but dreaming high is a head ache. That may not be entirely impossible but I really can’t imagine myself doing that awesome thing. I can imagine myself more sleeping the whole day doing nothing in particular. I can’t even bring myself to speak what I’m thinking in front of some acquaintances. Well, we’ll never know. A miracle may occur somehow, someday, somewhere and would happen unexpectedly. I just need to be prepared, to be a Boy Scout “laging handa!” to every circumstance that may occur throughout my boring but awesome (?) way of life. Anyway after I graduate I was actually planning on maybe taking up Fine Arts for a year or so and pursuing an art career, go to Japan and become an unknown mangaka (comic artist). That’s what I thought. Now, why can’t I become a mangaka here in Davao? Promote it and sometime soon maybe a lot of artist will start publishing their own works. If this happens, we can actually start a project in making animations or “anime” adaptations base from the famous manga. We could start an animation company here in Davao (calling all Donut Cross members *wink *wink)! Wow that sure is big. If only I had the money why not? Well it was actually or should I say originally part of my plan to become an animator that’s why I decided to study Information Technology. I never expected it to be this uh, how should I say this, hard or something like asdasdfasd (nga nga if you know what I mean). I wanted to be an animator but I lack the resources to be one. I’ve never even tried it out yet (making a GIF is a different story). I still have the opportunity to make one though. I’m going to try it out on our project in Multimedia which still needs an approve proposal from our client which is in this case our professor in this subject. Ironic isn’t it? Well we’ll just have to try our best and when I say best it means climbing up the fifth floor then jumps and tries my best not to die. Seems impossible? No. I just need wings to fly :P.

The alternative mindset: “Go to school, get good grades, and create and own a company”. Who doesn’t want to be a boss? Well surely, it’s me. It’s kind of ironic how I don’t like getting bossed around at the same time does not like the feeling of ordering anyone around. I’m pretty submissive and to tell the truth, I’m a no go in becoming a leader. In fact I’d rather let someone decide for me rather than me deciding on my own (I’m a bit of a masochist). Yeah you could say I’m pretty bad at decision making just like how I decided to study Information Technology in this University with a blank face not knowing what I’m up to. I could have pursued an art career but seeing my father (a Fine Arts graduate) penniless, it made rethink of what to do in my life. I did have regrets, yes, but that’s what also kept me going because if and only if I become successful in the near future (roughly 2 years from now) those regrets would turn into gratitude.  What now? I don’t want to become a boss nor do I want to be bossed around. Would it be possible to do it alone? Or maybe with a partner? Or my group? Hey! Why not? An independent worker is not that bad. I’ve seen so many great indie games that are created by only one or two developers. All we need are collaborations. I also dreamed way back on becoming a game developer myself. I may not look like it but I’m actually pretty hard on video games. Still I don’t think games would be a good start. I want to start up with a more creative, useful, wowing kind of innovation that could go “BOOM!” in everyone’s mind. Contributing in the technological development here in Davao is what our facilitator told us after we graduate. Fair enough since this is the city where we grew and learned everything we had until now. This is the alternative mindset our facilitator proposed on us. I don’t think I could grasp the idea fully yet but for safety assurance I’ll always keep this in mind and always make it a part of my decisions whenever I need it.

So what is technopreneurship and what is a technopreneur? According to blogger, Rajesh Sakya, a Yahoo! contributor, that I happen to stumble upon while searching what technopreneurship really is, he stated that “Technopreneurship is not a product but a process of synthesis in engineering the future of a person, an organization, a nation and the world. In a digital, knowledge based society, strategic directions or decision-making processes will be demanding and complex. This requires tertiary level and professional development programs and training to produce strategic thinkers who will have the skills to succeed in a dynamically changing global environment. Traditional educational programs, however, lack the methodology to transform today's students into creative, innovative, visionary global leaders who understand the importance of technopreneurship.” That last sentence is I think what sir RSG is trying to overcome. And if I am not mistaken he is trying to “transform today's students into creative, innovative, visionary global leaders who understand the importance of technopreneurship.” at least here in Davao or in some other places too. I can’t promise anything but I will try my best to meet his expectations. Lol what? Technopreneurship, according to what our professor told us, it is an entrepreneurship in the field of high technology. It is the healthy interplay of viable technology ideas, technology skills and the entrepreneurial mindset. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, the makers of Google and Youtube, persons behind every technological innovation, name them all they are all what we call technopreneurs. Yet again another quote from Rajesh Sakya “A technopreneur is an entrepreneur who is technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They don't fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.”. Wow that was kind of deep but hey he just explained the very definition of what a technopreneur really is. That is what sir RSG want us to be. To be creative. To be innovative. Dynamic and original. And most of all to think outside the box, dares to be unique and explores the unexplored path and pursue our idea and be very passionate about it. It sure is a tough road up ahead but let’s try and look up to those people who started small and now one of the big names in today’s IT or Technopreneurship industry. “Technology and entrepreneurial skills are driving many economies to prosperity. The most famous of them all is, Bill Gates, who makes Microsoft a household name all over the world. Steve Jobs - well known for his innovations. iPod - most carried gadget by young population. Look at the success of Google - brain child of Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Who don't know Google?” –Rajesh Sakya. See? This is what driving out economy to prosperity. As what our very own sir RSG discussed during the class discussion and sharing, power was different before. It is those who has lands and mansions that controls the power of the economy, it’s those people that drives the economy to prosperity before but what happened to them now? They got powerless. Their lands were transformed into Malls, Plazas, building offices, five star hotels, and etc. Persons like Henry Sy, Gaisano, and more became powerful. It was the era of industrial civilization here and it’s still is until now. But it the technology and entrepreneurship that drives our economy to prosper and bloom. Technologies that makes our life a lot easier. But we should not go to the point where we all live in a world similar to what Pixar and Disney visualized and showed us in the infamous movie “Wall-E”. It’s maybe just a fantasy but we’ll never what our future awaits us so it’s best to be prepared. Anyway because it’s different now than it was before, we need to innovate, visualize something new pursue it and somehow strive to make it a reality. Take the path of a technopreneur. Do not be afraid of failing. Take it as a stepping stone and as a lesson at the same time to achieve success waiting atop. Grasped the idea yet? Well let’s just say it all starts with an IDEA! Ideas which when pursued, has the capacity to be transformed into a viable technology based enterprise. At least that was what our facilitator told us. He also discussed a lot of possible implications in technopreneurship. It all starts with an idea right? What if we pursue this idea and somehow someone is willing to support you making that technological idea to reality? We accept and start our own startup company using the idea we had. Invest and pretty much win win if successful. Starting your company is bit scary. You may end up bankrupted but that’s the challenge we need to face! We need to start from the bottom and if we successfully climbed up the top, our IT industry will might as well blossom but still it is a steep road up ahead full of high level monsters so be warned and bring and wear your best weapons of war and excellent grade armors. But still there are a lot of factors that hinders this way of thinking. Just like what was said earlier in my reflection, a lot of big companies sought the best graduates in town and offers a lot of big special packages and compensations that you or even I can’t say no to. Work outside the country is also one the big factor that affects this mindset. As we all know money makes the world go round and of course we tend to choose works with higher salary and we know works outside the country gives you double, triple, or even five times the salary of normal employee here in the Philippines in particular. Let me give you an example. I have two sisters; one is a college graduate, a nurse, and one who stopped and now, just like what I said earlier, residing and working in Japan as a factory worker. My sister here who currently works at Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) as reliever roughly receives 10 thousand per month and my other sister who is a normal factory worker in Japan receives at least 20 thousand per month depending on her work hours. See the difference? The pay was doubled and to think my sister studied four years just to get a degree in nursing as oppose to my sister who stopped and became a factory worker in Japan. Work wise it is my sister, who is a nurse, gets the easier way of working but that’s not the point is it? Also there are a lot of job openings in other countries as oppose to here that pays you more than you can imagine. They are going for the sure win win rather than gamble everything and start up their own company. Going back to the possible implications, if the IT industry blossoms here in Davao, a lot of graduates would probably stay, work, and build up their own IT careers and families here in Davao. And maybe, just maybe, those graduates who left Davao would decide and start going back to take root here. Then Davao becomes the starting place and quarters of most highly competent IT professionals with sound social and ethical standards. Schools here in Davao pertaining to IT becomes renowned not just locally and nationwide but worldwide! Wouldn’t that be amazing? Just one key and it will open up a bountiful of opportunities not just for you but also to Davao. But of course these are all just implications but still we’ll never know. But still though, we can’t change the fact that IT businesses here in Davao are quite low and we can’t deny the fact that, and blame, the graduates that supposed to be the key of changing Davao’s IT industry that is one of the reasons and factors why they are seeking a place with a lot resources to pursue their IT careers and leave Davao for their own purpose in life. Everything that you have read here is actually for the sole purpose for the development of Davao and the ambition and maybe a dream of our very own facilitator that Davao will become the IT hub and capital of Mindanao - and possibly the Philippines, BIMP-EAGA, Asia Pacific Region. They even already thought of a name for it which is “The Silicon Gulf” of the Philippines or rather in the Asia Pacific Region. “Technopreneurship programs should be added as an integral part of the education offering an entrepreneurial culture by planting the seeds for new ventures, preparing entrepreneurs through technopreneurship education, and providing the infrastructure to perpetuate and support new start-ups and ventures. The program should integrate value chain of enterprise creation; one that encourages start-ups, tolerates failure and rewards well” –Rajesh Sakya. This is just what our facilitator did and it amazes how Rajesh Sakya accurately defines in that paragraph the intention of our facilitator. If you did not know yet, it was our very own facilitator, sir Randy S. Gamboa aka RSG together with his partner, who brought technopreneurship here in Davao City. They were invited to a seminar, or something similar, about Technopreneurship in Australia but they decided to decline the offer. What did they do? Instead of going to Australia they reversed the order and made those people who are big in technopreneurship to come here in the Philippines, specifically in Davao, instead. They gathered enough interested people on hearing all about technopreneurship ad later made a group just for the sole reason of promoting technopreneurship here in Davao, in the Philippines. I was quite amazed by sir RSG at that moment. He was already thinking outside box even way before. He’s the man! And he also did share to us how Technopreneurship became part of CHED’s memo and he was mainly part of it. Listening to his stories just made realize how awesome and exceptional sir RSG was (and still is until now). Sir RSG never ceases to amaze me.

Going deeper to the key topic of our class conversation that day, this is really it! This is the part I liked the most, the part where I learned and realized a lot things. This part talked about the reality, a life lesson, a reality that involves business and technology right here in Mindanao. The perspective of technopreneurship or rather it’s components in a school based ecosystem. These components include the usual mindset (which I’ve already discussed above), its alternative mindset (which I’ve also already discussed above), the macro and micro strategy, and the infrastructure of technopreneurship and most of all the SEED curriculum or model if that’s what you like to call it. So now let’s talk about the SEED model. S – stands for “Self-Mastery”. First E – stands for “Environment Mastery”. The second E – stands for “Enterprise Master”. And last but not the least, D – which stands for “Development”.  Based on what sir RSG discussed, Self-Mastery is a passion that comes from knowing yourself. Discover your weaknesses and strengthen your most valuable skills and capabilities. Knowing yourself better before anything else is very important. This is like mastering your skills and talents and taking it to the next level and the same time strengthening your weaknesses to decrease you vulnerability when a problem comes. Knowing yourself much better can help you, as an individual, determine your skills and how far your creativity takes you in innovating something new, something original with a purpose. As I said before, I did have regrets choosing this line of course. I could have been an artist, a detective, a technician because I know I have the passion for arts, and even though being a detective is not a game I think it’s fun, and most of all I have the knack of tinkering through broken things and fix it. And now I’m thinking why not ring those passion and talents to the IT industry? It’s all about how you handle yourself in different situations with the best of your abilities. This is a very big help for me and for us to discover what will be our possible future in this area of Information Technology. In order to be a good technopreneur, you should master and know yourself better. The first letter E in SEED means Environmental Mastery. It usually involves generating business ideas, plans, and seeking for opportunities out from our environment through different style like serendipity walks, crisis, trends and anything under the sun. Just like what we did in our previous activity, we visited business establishments, observe these places, look for flaws or rather any inconveniences, and think of something we can innovate to simply business operation and make the customer’s life easy and comfy. These wild and creative ideas are just examples of what could do to contribute in today’s technological era if we ever manage to pursue it and if, of course, our idea is actually pretty decent, original and full of purpose. Every one of us has experienced crisis and hardships. From that, we could make it a motivation to create and innovate ideas pertaining those hardships we encountered in our life. We need not to be afraid of failures. Instead use those failures as fuels to light up your burning desire to succeed. Take it as lesson learned, never make it happen again. Move forward and dream high. Our own hobbies could also help us think of a playful, unique but also an idea with a lot of purpose. Just open your imaginative mind to create something new which could progress the quality of life. The second letter E stands for Enterprise Mastery. The word itself describes an idea on how to run business operations such as companies and marketing, and other business establishments. Lastly the D stands for development which refers to the development of the business itself. Planning the business starts here where you need to brainstorm with your team mates, write your ideas, present and defend it. This could also refer to the actual development of a project. 

1k Reflection :P

Last Tuesday, June 16, 2014, was our second meeting in Technopreneurship. Remember the last time I said I’m never going to be late again? Well, well, I still am late and there I was in front singing to my heart’s content lol. Anyway after the opening remarks of the class we began a series of activities. One of it was called “9 dots”. Surprisingly, that activity actually left a huge impact or rather an impression to me.

9 dots, an activity to test, maybe, your analytical thinking or simply on how you think through things. Simple yet complicated, yes, but it was us or rather how our minds think that made things a bit more complicated. The idea of this activity is simple: connect all 3 x 3 dots with just four strokes without lifting your pen. In simpler terms, connect all the dots continuously in four stokes of a pen.  It sounds simple alright and if you ask me yes I found this activity surprisingly easy because guess what? I somehow manage to grasp or get a hold of a bit of my memory somewhere where I was doing something similar. I don’t quite remember when and how, it may be an activity from when I was still in high school or something like an article from a science magazine (It was one of my hobby reading those before) or it may just be a picture posted in Facebook that I happen to stumble upon, but as what my memory served you need to draw the line excessively (go beyond the box where the dots would connect). Anyway the activity did go on for about 20 minutes or so and I actually got a bit high and mighty (at the same time bored) since I already know the answer to the puzzle and our facilitator said we can use the whole sheet paper to solve the problem and it only took at least ¼ of the paper size. I sat there staring at my classmates puzzled faces, no offense, and wondered if I would be like that too if I had not known the answer. Maybe but then again maybe not because I am the type of person who loves solving trivial questions and tricky puzzles. I even dreamed or aspired to become a DETECTIVE somewhere in the phase of my life but nah I scrap that idea and here I am now taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and writing a 1000 word reflection. Did I regret anything? Nope but to be really perfectly honest I really TOTALLY hate writing these kind of things. Back in high school there were times when I skipped answering the essay parts in tests even though I know the answer because I thought it was kind of a hassle but later I realized I’m doing the teacher a favor since they don’t have to read and check anything anymore so I decided to write a very long and complicated one after that. Okay back to the puzzle part. I don’t know why but these kinds of things really interest me and it really forces my mind to think of a solution, well except for Math. I am not good with numbers to be perfectly honest and I got my first bloody grade in the subject College Algebra. Programming was a bit (1-5%) easier since, more or less, ninety nine percent of the codes were made up of English words and that alone made it a bit easier for me (You just need comprehension!). Well for someone with an average brain like me I somehow manage to pass lol it was a miracle… not!

So as the clock tick and tock everyone seemed really focus on solving the puzzle. I can’t blame them because it’s actually pretty tricky since there is no absolute instruction except for what mentioned above and I gotta hand it down to them for being very practical, or should I say clever, on using curved lines just to connect the dots. It was still wrong though because it defeats the purpose of the activity which is to think outside the box.

The keywords here are “outside the box”. At first it was just a simple activity that I thought just tests your analytical thinking and nothing more but that was not the case. There is more to it than meets the eye. Remember how I stated that the keywords were “outside the box”? I wasn’t kidding. We need to think outside the box. All those who attempted and tried connecting the dots and failed were like a prisoner. Their mind was imprisoned in a jail that never existed. They were not restricted yet they failed to see or think what’s beyond and focused more on connecting it inside that clouded the path to solving the problem. I keep saying “they”, “their”, etc. but there would also be a 50% chance that it would have been the same for me if I had not known the solution before the activity has started. The idea of thinking outside the box is quite simple, to look past or beyond what we usually see. The world would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the people who actually thought of new possibilities and ideas beyond every impossibility that were forced and ingested in our minds. We just need to think wider, higher, and break through the barrier that hinders us from thinking of making an impossible to reality. It was impossible to fly until airplanes and helicopters were made. It was impossible for a metal to float on water until ships and submarines were invented. We just need to open our eyes to new possibilities. Imagine, think, and fantasize creative ideas with a purpose in mind. With all of these realizations, it will still come down to one very simple thought which to INNOVATE. Create something new, create something beyond the usual, create a fantasy and turn it to reality.

FTS++

I'm late. Reason: +. Okay so I'll go straight to the point, although it might be an unreasonable excuse, I'm on the process of adding a subject and it was the last day to do so. Welp it was actually worth it, even though the process was kind of confusing, we, together with my classmates, added it on the last minute. Enough of that off-topic discussion. So I was late and they've already discussed a lot of trivial things (not really). Well we discussed (to those who have Technopreneurship) to submit a concept paper for the Y4IT. We also discussed the two options/methods of purchasing tickets, it's either bulk payment or by batch. Well for me, I'd rather choose the "by batch" option since I think it would be a lot cheaper and more practical. To wrap this up, we signed the "Conditions outside the campus" agreement and then adjourned (not after paying Php 1.00 :P)

Better Late Than Never... NOT!

Our first meeting in Technopreneurship and just my luck... I was late. Well that's not a first, I am one of those outstanding students who regularly comes to class on time... not :P. When I step in and enter the room, I already know what's in it for me. Well well presenting Sir RSG's house/class rule no.___, late comers will present their special "hidden" talent in front of the class! Zzzz just standing in front of everyone drains a whole lot of my energy but hey it was quite an achievement since I didn't actually feel any embarassment lol and if you might not know yet I'm a shy person *blush. I'm never going to be late again.

Anyway our facilitator asked us to visit and observe fast food chains, malls, and hotels or schools (three of each) and think of an innovation that would make things a lot easier, make the customer/people's life much simpler. My mind got little bit playful and thought of a lot of silly things but I'm not gonna tell. That's only between me and I :3. Well good luck to us!

Gabaru!

Feels Trip or....?

To be honest, while the meeting was going on, I was actually thinking of ditching this year's FTS (Field Trip & Seminars) for next year's. Yeah it's expensive and all but that's not the actual problem in my case (and I'm no richie either iykwim). It's just that my sister is going to shoulder all the expenses but, plot twist, she made me choose between the said trip and for a fudging laptop (I really need a laptop ToT). I know, i know she's really evil lol *hides. Well maybe the laptop could wait a little... just a bit later :/.

Anyways I've already told her the schedule for the payments and all (from our meeting last Monday, June 09, 2014) and she says ok. I guess I just have keep her word for that. Bye-bye laptop, hello FTS.

Goodluck, Idiot!

School is back! I'm back and a workload of stuff strikes again! Meh, I honestly hate it lol but whatever I'll work at my own pace efficiently :P. Oh well, sleepless nights, my body is ready. Too many stuff to do with so little time. Too many anime to watch, no time either :(. Welp I'll try my uh best I guess? :3

Osu, osu, osu, osu, osu, osu! Ganbaruzo!