The Land of the Morning Calm...

Scenic view at Jeju Island

How time really flies!

Exactly a year ago today, I left Manila for a three week fellowship sponsored by LG Sangnam Press, a division of LG Electronics for Korea. It was in Korea that I met seven other crazy journalists (not to mention student guides and care takers) who I would form friendships and experience the ultimate adventure of a lifetime.

Korea will always have a special place in my heart. I have fallen in love with the country even before the rise of the hallyu wave and I'm looking forward to the day I will comeback and see my friends.  I am looking forward to seeing Namsan Tower and Gyeongbukung Palace and even the places where the dramas were taped and going to the other places I haven't been to like Busan.

During our graduation day.

I miss the adventures from drinking soju to writing my thank tablet in Gyeongju, Korea has open my eyes to alot of possibilities. Learning their instruments to making pottery to even going to Jeju Island and see the Teddy Bear Museum.

Tomorrow, I mark my 30 years of existence in the world. While I normally would have gone out of the country on my birthday, will do it sometime end of the year. While Korea will not be on top of my list for this year, chances are, it will be for 2013.

Very familiar bears? It was from the top drama Princess Hours :)

At Gyeonju during one of our music sessions

Happy anniversary to my group of friends who I met in Seoul -Aveek, Nickolay, Magda, Francoise, Lee Jun, Amir, Marco, Shannon, Terry, Hyelim, Seul Ki, Yena and company. Until we all see each other again.

Sarangheyo!!

 
 Alexa

Me about to learn the instrument.

Acceptance...

It's been six months since that day I said goodbye to my old office. While I now enjoy a new career in a magazine publishing firm, I won't deny that it's still hard to accept that I can't go back simply because a mistake I made caused all of it.

Photo from acceptancequotes.com

Accepting the painful truth was the hardest of all. In any bad or sad moment, it takes time before one accepts the reality. There is no time machine to go back to the past and fix it but, only the days ahead of you to pick up yourself, move on and learn from it.

In two days, I turn a year older, entering 30. My youngest brother told me that at this stage, I should know by now what I want. Back then, I always said I wanted to be a journalist and I got that when I started working in GMA 7 until I went to the Phil Star and to my current job as a senior writer for a magazine. But a day after watching Ateneo Blue Rep's production of 13 the Musical, a part of me sudden emerge wanting to perform on stage just even for the last time. I don't know if meeting Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo a few months ago also helped but her words of loving your passion struck me since theater is also my passion.

I don't know what lies next for me in the following days but I came across my old music sheets and tried to follow the notes as I sang. I'll be doing the ultimate test and see for myself if I still have it in me. I admit that I'm nervous and scared but accepting the challenge has always been part of the plan to know if it's meant to be.

Alexa

When I was 13....

What were you when you were 13?

It's contagious alright. The cast of Blue Rep's 13 the Musical. Photo courtesy of Blue Rep's facebook account.

That was the question I read via twitter as I was scanning my timeline. In the new musical 13 by Ateneo's Blue Repertory, a boy name Evan comes to term with turning to a man. As a Jewish, he has to go through the process of bar mitzvah, which is a term for circumcision or coming out of manhood. Moving to Indiana from New York, making friends, peer pressure, the musical explores how Evan copes up with the changes around him and finally realizes who really cares for him.

As a theater buff, I'm always on the look out for musical plays and straight plays to watch. Since it was the long weekend, I decided to drop by Ateneo this afternoon to catch the matinee performance (a prelude to watching Phantom and The King and I this September and a treat for myself as part of my 30th birthday next week) and I was not disappointed at all.

While I commend the lead actors, my vote goes to the ensemble cast especially the side kicks of the popular guy Brett who provided the comedy in the play. I also love the character of Lucy, the scheming best friend of Kendra because as one person quoted on twitter, "there's a Lucy in all of us."

I also give my thumbs up to Christopher "Toff" de Venecia, the director of the show. I met Toff last year while watching the preview of Rivalry (which unfortunately I wasn't able to catch in full because of  commitments then). His face was very familiar since I saw him in television as a child actor. I did not know that he decided to focus his energy on theater so it was really a revelation to me that he has been backing the industry for a long time.

The play also somehow made me yearn for the stage again. I was very active in college with the Miriam Liturgical Choir and I did some theater acting back in Grade School  which included being part of the Ateneo Children's Theater "Mga Prinsipe ng Dagat." I also did "Little Shop of Horrors," as a culminating activity for a workshop in Trumpets and I can tell you, nothing is surreal when being on stage.

Anyhow, I found the play very funny and fresh because it dwells into the minds of 13-year-olds. I wish more new plays would be stage by theater groups for the young generation to be aware of and I'm just simply glad that Ateneo's Blue Rep is doing their part. I know that Dulaang Ateneo focuses on the Filipino productions and I'm so looking forward to more productions in the future to watch. I'm definitely going to attend more productions to write about. :)

So you're probably wondering what was I when I was 13? I can tell you that at 13, I discovered my passion for writing and love of theater, books and boys and even growing up. I was 13 when I know that theater and journalism will always be a part of my life.

Alexa

The onion and thick skin around ourselves

It has often been said that there are two types of people in this world; the good and the bad. Going further , there are the onion skin and the thick skin type.

The term onion skin has been used for defining people who are emotional and easily break down in peer pressure. Thick skin on the other hand is describe by those who just shrug off the negative issue and go on with their lives despite the harsh criticism they get.

Emotional means onion skin. Photo courtesy of pbase.com

Between the two, I believe I'm in the middle of both although 55 percent would be onion skin simply because I get pissed or cry easily. But the past months have also taught me to increase the thick skin that of an alligator or crocodile to survive life. It's been a roller coaster ride as I saw myself fall down flat facing the endless possibilities of not having a job that I will love. But months after that dark moment, here I am, a senior writer for a magazine and heading a publication I have lack of knowledge.

Nevertheless, I took on the challenge and decided to focus and redeem myself of what I lost. While I can never go back, the work I now have is opening lots of doors for me to learn the world of medicine and health. It just gave me the chance to finally join the publishing industry full-time unlike before when I was just contributing.

In this world you have to develop thick like that of an alligator. Photo courtesy of animalprintwalls.com

So whenever you feel like an onion skin, just think on the positive side. From there you build the onion until it becomes thick without you knowing it.    

Approaching 30...

How time flies.

It just dawn on me that in a week's time, I'll be a year older, 30 to be exact.

I won't lie that I still have much growing up to do. I was always the baby among my siblings. I have a younger brother but I guess his experience in a Science High School taught him to be mature beyond his years.

The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride. Left a company, gain a job left again until I found a company which I believe can help me grow further. As much as I love the publishing industry, working behind the scenes was daunting task but I took on the challenge and foremost that of being a headwriter of a niche magazine regarding diabetes. Despite the fear, I accepted it even if I was hesitant. But fear has always been my enemy and the only way to conquer was to accept. After all, there are the possibilities I would regret if I did not do it.

The saying when a door closes, another one opens can probably be applicable to the situation I have. I am now doing one of the things I love which is magazine writing. I am fortunate that my experience in the newspaper was a big help and I am applying what I can to the magazines I'm working with. But in any company, there will always be the ups and downs and challenging the status quo.

Now that I'm turning 30, the situation presents itself. I must challenge the status quo. I must get out of my comfort zones and risk it. While it may work in both ways, I should not regret it. For all the happiness and tears one thing is for sure right now; I'm ready to bounce back.

I saw a link from Project Runway's Nina Garcia about the 10 essential habits of positive people and reposting the tips here:

Going with the flow. photo from flickr.com

1. Positive people don’t confuse quitting with letting go.
Instead of hanging on to ideas, beliefs, and even people that are no longer healthy for them, they trust their judgement to let go of negative forces in their lives.  Especially in terms of relationships, they subscribe to The Relationship Prayer which goes:

 I will grant myself the ability to trust the healthy people in my life … 

To set limits with, or let go of, the negative ones … 

And to have the wisdom to know the DIFFERENCE!

 2.  Positive people don’t just have a good day – they make a good day.

Waiting, hoping and wishing seldom have a place in the vocabulary of positive individuals. Rather, they use strong words that are pro-active and not reactive. Passivity leads to a lack of involvement, while positive people get very involved in constructing their lives. They work to make changes to feel better in tough times rather than wish their feelings away.

3. For the positive person, the past stays in the past.

Good and bad memories alike stay where they belong – in the past where they happened. They don’t spend much time pining for the good ol’ days because they are too busy making new memories now. The negative pulls from the past are used not for self-flagellation or unproductive regret, but rather productive regret where they use lessons learned as stepping stones towards a better future.

4. Show me a positive person and I can show you a grateful person.

The most positive people are the most grateful people.  They do not focus on the potholes of their lives.  They focus on the pot of gold that awaits them every day, with new smells, sights, feelings and experiences.  They see life as a treasure chest full of wonder.

5. Rather than being stuck in their limitations, positive people are energized by their possibilities.

Optimistic people focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.  They are not fooled to think that there is a perfect solution to every problem, and are confident that there are many solutions and possibilities.  They are not afraid to attempt new solutions to old problems, rather than spin their wheels expecting things to be different this time.  They refuse to be like Charlie Brown expecting that this time Lucy will not pull the football from him!

6. Positive people do not let their fears interfere with their lives!

Positive people have observed that those who are defined and pulled back by their fears never really truly live a full life. While proceeding with appropriate caution, they do not let fear keep them from trying new things. They realize that even failures are necessary steps for a successful life. They have confidence that they can get back up when they are knocked down by life events or their own mistakes, due to a strong belief in their personal resilience.

7. Positive people smile a lot!

When you feel positive on the inside it is like you are smiling from within, and these smiles are contagious. Furthermore, the more others are with positive people, the more they tend to smile too! They see the lightness in life, and have a sense of humor even when it is about themselves. Positive people have a high degree of self-respect, but refuse to take themselves too seriously!

8. People who are positive are great communicators.

They realize that assertive, confident communication is the only way to connect with others in everyday life.  They avoid judgmental, angry interchanges, and do not let someone else’s blow up give them a reason to react in kind. Rather, they express themselves with tact and finesse.  They also refuse to be non-assertive and let people push them around. They refuse to own problems that belong to someone else.

9. Positive people realize that if you live long enough, there are times for great pain and sadness.

One of the most common misperceptions about positive people is that to be positive, you must always be happy. This can not be further from the truth. Anyone who has any depth at all is certainly not happy all the time.  Being sad, angry, disappointed are all essential emotions in life. How else would you ever develop empathy for others if you lived a life of denial and shallow emotions? Positive people do not run from the gamut of emotions, and accept that part of the healing process is to allow themselves to experience all types of feelings, not only the happy ones. A positive person always holds the hope that there is light at the end of the darkness.  

10. Positive person are empowered people – they refuse to blame others and are not victims in life.

Positive people seek the help and support of others who are supportive and safe.They limit interactions with those who are toxic in any manner, even if it comes to legal action and physical estrangement such as in the case of abuse. They have identified their own basic human rights, and they respect themselves too much to play the part of a victim. There is no place for holding grudges with a positive mindset. Forgiveness helps positive people become better, not bitter.

(http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/the-10-essential-habits-of-positive-people.html)