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The bright day became the perfect backdrop on what was once the citadel built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel Lopez de Legaspi – now known as Fort Santiago. The sun beamed upon the bright red cobblestones and stone walls, painting the picture of yesterday in full technicolor, back when the Spanish ruled Manila. Because of the bright daylight, the stark contrast between the lush green grass and the old brown walls created a balance that made the architecture stand out even more. The bright afternoon sun created shadows among the trees and the windows, creating just the right amount of depth to highlight the trees and the structure.

During the first part of our photo expedition, Sir Ardie recounted that Fort Santiago was once the fortress that stood against the rebels and the seat of power in Manila. It is where Jose Rizal was imprisoned and eventually put to death. It is also the place where a lot of Filipino rebels laid their lives. The very place we were standing on is a mass grave of those rebels back in the 19th century. I decided to take a photo of my friend’s caramel brown sneakers against the backdrop of the green grass, noticing how the two earth tones complemented each other. While taking this photo, I thought of how this very ground we were standing on is the place where many of our fellow Filipinos died protecting our independence during the dark times of our history. Their feet must have endured the pain of the harsh daylight and the rough cobblestones covering the path considering their footwear was not exactly durable back then, but because of their sacrifice, we experience comfort in every step.

As we took more steps towards the edge of Fort Santiago, we came across the glistening Pasig River littered with barges going back and forth. This was during one of my attempts to capture the blue sky against the calm river, with the sunlight slowly going down on the side of the bridge. Although it was during the afternoon close to the Golden Hour, through adjusting the settings of my phone camera, I softened the hues of the afternoon sky to match that of the water, creating a serene and still mood that feels like the first stroke of sunrise in the early morning.

The conclusion to our photo exploration ends with taking photos of the newly-cleaned Manila Bay during the Golden Hour. I was luckily able to capture the stillness of the water with the yachts sitting near the dock with a pinkish lavender hue that reminds of the sunset scene in the Oscar-nominated movie “La la land.” The scenery created a sense of camaraderie among my friends and nostalgia for the times my family and I would visit Manila Bay back then. Through the efforts of the Manila Bay cleanup, it is now restored to its former glory – tranquil, placid, and laid-back, a perfect end for such a tiring day. As the sun finally bid goodbye, my best friend and I decided to take another round of photos when night had struck to get a better view of the nightlife around Manila Bay as compared to the day. We were struck by the the contrast between the softness of the bay during sunset and the brightly lit buildings creating mirror reflections against the water, before finally leaving and saying goodbye.

In a talk held last October 4, 2019, our esteemed guest speaker Mr. Jaykee Evangelista discussed the importance of graphic design, namely that it creates a tangible identity once delivered clearly. Being a good graphic designer requires that you are always learning and looking for inspiration around you which you can use to create out-of-the-box ideas. On the other hand, our brilliant second guest speaker, Ms. Inka Magnaye discussed her experience as a professional voice-over talent. She stressed the importance of “having your own voice” with respect to the challenge of having to portray different personas for each client that requires a definite idea in mind. With these in mind, although both fields necessitate the skill of being able to adapt well to client’s needs, most importantly, they need to be infused with your own personality and character to give a distinct style that people will remember.

Around the beginning of his talk, Mr. Jaykee displayed a logo for an automobile company that he and his team created. It was simple but original, because there was a significance to the design behind the logo. He admitted that he also loved cars, which I believe helped him and his team come up with a unique design. When I asked him how long it takes for him to come up with an idea, he relates that it depends, but it does not usually take long. He admits that it is challenging to immediately come up with an idea, but it is usually overcome through finding inspiration everywhere around you: from your family, friends, your surroundings, your passions, even in the most mundane things, as long as there is significance in what you observe. That is why it is important for us to experience everything in life as much as possible; to better illustrate this point, allow me to liken it to a machine.

A machine has its parts that make up the whole; our experiences act as these parts which we need to create innovative ideas. But before coming up with an idea, you have to know how your parts fit together. It takes skill to find connections between seemingly disparate ideas, but once you are able to connect these links, an original idea comes not long afterwards. Graphic design has made it easier for people to translate their ideas into art; anyone can be a graphic designer especially in this digital age where the tools are readily available. But a graphic designer can only become an artist if he puts his heart into his work – his life, his experiences, his passions, his loved ones – and illustrate it in a way where its significance and purpose will be relevant and inspiring to people.

On the other hand, Ms. Inka related to us that she is the voice behind some of the most memorable radio ads that we usually hear. Although she had a very distinct voice, she was able to flawlessly portray different characters that were clearly distinguishable from each other each. She explains that different clients have different needs, and some clients have a vague idea of what they need; but as a professional voice-over talent, you must know precisely what the client needs for you to be able to construct your voice into what works best. But even with the different characters she was portraying, she was able to maintain herself all throughout; hence, the importance of “finding your voice.” You must be versatile enough to express yourself in different ways, but for every character that you play, your style – your X-factor – must be consistent. She shares how there are a lot of voice-over talents she encountered but what distinguishes the good ones from the great ones are how the latter are able to “own” their performances in a way that no one else can.

Everybody wants to leave a legacy. It is the reason why we do our best in every project given to us, why we spend as much time as possible with our loved ones, why we all want to be heard one way or another. Ms. Inka and Mr. Jaykee were able to distinguish themselves in their respective fields not just with pure skill, but with their charming personality. Someday, I hope to do the same.

I grew up with my Dad as an OFW. At most, his vacations last 4 months and at the very least, his stay abroad can last 6 months. When I was younger, it was difficult for me to understand why he had to leave. But as I grew older, I got accustomed to my Dad not being here. But little did I know that his absence would lead to implications I had yet to discover. As the eldest among our siblings, I was used to bossing them, telling them what to do; but little did I realize that I had to stand in my father’s shadow while he was away. My Mom did everything she could in order to be both a mother and father figure to us, but I knew that she couldn’t do it alone. And so I did what I could in order to be another parent figure to my younger siblings: someone they can lean on to, someone they could depend on, and someone to discipline them as well. As a sibling, it is important to make them feel like you’re at their level, but as the eldest, they must also learn to respect you.

In our Filipino culture, we value our family the most. However, circumstances lead to situations in a less ideal setting, where one or both parents are away, or when children live independently from their parents. In the case of the former, it is important to realize how family dynamics are affected when one parent leaves; who will then uphold the responsibility of the absentee parent? How will it affect the relationship of the children with each other? With their parents? In this way, it tests the fraternal and parental bond and compensates for whatever is lacking. Based on experience, it creates a stronger bond between the family members despite the distance between them. That’s why I believe that distance should not be a hindrance in continuing to create a harmonious relationship in the family. No matter what the circumstance, families must always find opportunities to spend time with each other whether online but more importantly, in person. Distance creates obstacles but does not necessarily impede in the development of a close family relationship.

I’ll admit that it almost cannot be helped that some family members will feel “incomplete” when their parents or siblings are away, but being a “complete” family does not mainly comprise of a family being all together in close proximity; more than that, it is founded on unconditional love for each other, and constant understanding of each other, recognizing that each member has his own share of difficulties and problems that they are all prepared to face together.

“As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence. That alone is success.”

Tamara Taylor

A potato, an egg, and coffee beans. Each were placed in a pot of boiling water to sit for the next 20 minutes. After the allotted time, each reacted differently to the boiling water: the potato became soft and weak after coming as initially as hard and unrelenting; the fragile egg eventually became a hard-boiled egg after sitting in the water; but the coffee beans transformed the boiling water into delicious coffee with a rich aroma. I learned that the boiling water represented adversity while the potato, egg, and coffee beans represented different types of people. Their outcomes are how different people react to adversity; some become weaker, others develop hardened hearts, and still others transform their adversity into victory. As a child, I was a potato. As a teenager, I was an egg. But today, I want to be a coffee bean.

As a child, I was very shy. It could partly be blamed on the fact that I lived in a neighborhood where kids were always just stuck at home, or on the fact that I am an introvert. Either way, I had a hard time expressing myself confidently. I wasn’t one of those people who easily made friends and who was usually loud in the classroom. It always made me nervous to present in front of the class. The simple challenges that I was facing back then didn’t help me grow. But I always aspired that someday, I’ll eventually get out of my comfort zone and become more confident about myself. However, my self-esteem would eventually take a dip during one of the darkest moments of my life.

Cancer. One week after another, I was either at home, or lying in bed in the sickly, white hospital room. It almost felt like yesterday that I was enthusiastically talking to my friends about what prom will be like and how will our next 3 years in high school be. In a flash, all my hopes and aspirations came crumbling down. I have never felt so weak and helpless in my life. There came a point where everyday, I would constantly compare myself to teenagers like me either online or when my family and I would visit the mall. It’s hard not to feel insecure when you’re bald, thin, and feeble. These instances eventually led to depression. Every morning I would wake up and feel so heavy inside. Negative thoughts would always intrude my mind, and I felt so helpless because I can’t control it. I felt numb, almost ready to give up on life. That is, until a ray of hope entered my life.

Friends. Because I always had my family by my side, I never thought that having friends mattered. But entering into a new school for the first time since I got sick. I was terrified – terrified of what others may think of me, of how I look, of making friends. On the first day of our class, we were asked to introduce ourselves. The thought scared me, but I wanted to create a good impression, and so I tried to appear as confident as possible to my classmates. It was through that one simple introduction that I slowly felt my fears disappear where I eventually met new people and even gained some friends. It was through my friends that I realized, somehow, that I mattered despite of my lack of social skills or how I looked like. Despite this considerable development in my life, I still had a lot to learn.

College. A place where independence is required, intelligence and diligence is an asset, and confidence is key. I managed to get by in high school because I was in a home study program, but this time, I am starting out anew in a regular school. It was almost exactly like how I was back in high school, except it seemed more terrifying now. I didn’t know where to go, who to approach, or what to say. It was difficult making friends the first time, but eventually, I learned to adjust to my environment, pick up important lessons in my subjects, and even find true friends along the way. I could never have imagined that my college life would be as memorable as it is now.

Looking back, I can say that I’ve come a long way from where I was back when I was a child. Before, I was terrified of presenting in front of class before; now, I present with as much confidence as I can muster in every class. Back then, I was afraid of how people thought of me or how good I can be in making friends; now, I always try to greet everyone I meet with kindness and respect no matter what they think of me. And finally, now, I have learned to believe in myself no matter what – no matter how many failures or mistakes I make – for a rainbow always comes after the rain.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.