Saturday, July 21, 2012
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
On A Quarterlife Crisis
Because this article from MX is really good (and I can relate) I just want to share 'For what it's worth' section (August 9, 2011)
(oh yeah, I typed it coz there's nothing available to copy and paste... ugh!)
'How did I get here? It feels like everyone else has things figured out while I bump around without direction.'
The landscape of my twentysomething experience has been a rough terrain to navigate: a jagged shoreline of unmet deadlines and milestones reached but unfulfilling, mountainous heights of romantic love followed by chasms of utter heartbreak, rushing rivers of excitement and adventure interspersed with the odd sheep filled paddock of immobility, a never-ending forest of uncertainty and indecision.
If it was a country, it would look like New Zealand.
I'm 29 and single, highly educated but lacking a stable job. I'm certainly not where my 16-year-old self thought I would be. She would have panicked to see me so close to 30 and unmarried, confused as to why I hadn't yet attained a creative and well-paid executive position.
How did I get here? It feels like everyone else has things figured out while I bump around without direction.
Is this just me? To ease my mind, I turned to where the rest of my generation turns for information, socialization, solace: Facebook.
A quick questionnaire messaged to all my "friends" in their 20s returned an overwhelming and reassuring chorus of confused, ambivalent, intelligently cynical voices that were, despite everything, optimistic for the future.
The idea of a "quarter-life-crisis" was common and two themes especially repeated throughout the responses:
Firstly, no generation gas gad so many choices.
When there are an infinite number of paths laid out before you, it is hard to choose just one and so the result is to stand rooted to the spot in anxiety.
Our parents had clear and binding expectations.
We have experienced first-hand where this has led them - into unhappy marriages and rigid career paths - and they are the first to encourage us to do differently.
We're listening. But this lack of guiding influence over a life course is equal parts blessing and burden.
Secondly, we are learning more about ourselves.
Our evolving sense of self often clashes with our search for the perfect mate.
If the average age of marriage continues on its current trend, it will soon be well over 30.
Rather than a mate to simply have children and share finances with, we look for a partner who will support and encourage us personally, stand by us unwaveringly, someone who shares our lifestyle and some beliefs, all the while maintaining a positive outlook, being reasonably attractive and making us laugh.
Since we're both choosier than in the past, it's naturally taking us a little longer to settle.
We Gen-Yers are a product of our times.
A my 20s steal away with each passing day, I look forward my 30s as optimistically as the rest of my generation.
Hopefully, it will be a more even-keeled setting.
Maybe the precarious negotiated neutrality of marriage, the alpine wonders of motherhood, a linguistic and cultural blend of many friendships, yes, a scenery more reminiscent of, say, Switzerland.
Search Engine Optimization Vacation
It's the first time that I took a very long vacation from SEO*... I
know, I know! It's highly unlikely of me to do this because ever since I
started doing it, I felt like it's something that I want to do for the
rest of my life. Keeping a safe distance from SEO is not that bad but I
can also say that there are a few disadvantages.
The first disadvantage is that I'm now a little bit outdated. I don't know what's going on with the current 'SEO planet'. I called it that way because I've always thought that it has a world of its own... and only a few are interested in it. It's like something that people would pay less attention to because they've got more important things to do. (and you might not even read this blog coz you don't care about SEO)
But anyway highway, just to keep up with the SEO trend, I'm planning to create a blog about it. To share what I know - all that I learned for the past two years. The pleasant memories that SEO gave me are still stuck in my head and of course, it's one thing that kept me glued on the computer for a long time and it had been my bread and butter as well so it's not that easy to let it go. So even if I haven't had the SEO fever in 6 months, it's never too late to go back to where I left off... So to those who want to know more about this, please sit back, relax and I will be posting more updates in the future.
*Search Engine Optimization - it is used for marketing and website promotion
The first disadvantage is that I'm now a little bit outdated. I don't know what's going on with the current 'SEO planet'. I called it that way because I've always thought that it has a world of its own... and only a few are interested in it. It's like something that people would pay less attention to because they've got more important things to do. (and you might not even read this blog coz you don't care about SEO)
But anyway highway, just to keep up with the SEO trend, I'm planning to create a blog about it. To share what I know - all that I learned for the past two years. The pleasant memories that SEO gave me are still stuck in my head and of course, it's one thing that kept me glued on the computer for a long time and it had been my bread and butter as well so it's not that easy to let it go. So even if I haven't had the SEO fever in 6 months, it's never too late to go back to where I left off... So to those who want to know more about this, please sit back, relax and I will be posting more updates in the future.
*Search Engine Optimization - it is used for marketing and website promotion
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Updates, updates and more updates
WOW! I felt that I haven't written something in ages! I've been terribly busy lately... I've been busy before when I was in the Philippines but I was busier today! It was like the life I used to have when I was in Manila - I need to wake up early to go to school or work, I need to use public transportation (bus and train), I get to talk to a lot of people and worst of all, I get to talk in English all the time... ugh! I'm not really good in English especially when it comes to verbally expressing it :(
Anyway, the first few months was like a whirlwind of mixed events - both happy and sad. Happy because I am now reunited with old friends and even distant relatives, I met new friends and the best thing that we should celebrate about is that I am reunited with the Lord and now I could definitely say that I feel His presence all the time because of all the blessings that He has given me. I also thank Him for the trials because without them, I couldn't have developed the patience and resilience that I have right now.
I'm sad because of the same reason why Filipinos are feeling sad when they are far away from home... Once again, I've detached from my comfort zone, and this time I'm supporting myself (rent, food, transportation, recreation) and to tell you the truth, living in Sydney is not a joke. You have to work your ass off in order to live a decent life. To be able to do that, a person should be earning at least $300 a week. In the Philippines, an average person could settle for $200 a month and he will live (that's probably the standard rate that is given in Nueva Ecija, but I have to check again just to make sure). Everything here is expensive and you have to take good care of yourself so you won't get sick or else, a trip to the doctor might cost you thousands of $$$. There are a lot of things that I want to talk about but I think I would have to discuss that on another post.
I have to get going now, I have some websites to build/code... I have to update my portfolio... whew! See you later!
Anyway, the first few months was like a whirlwind of mixed events - both happy and sad. Happy because I am now reunited with old friends and even distant relatives, I met new friends and the best thing that we should celebrate about is that I am reunited with the Lord and now I could definitely say that I feel His presence all the time because of all the blessings that He has given me. I also thank Him for the trials because without them, I couldn't have developed the patience and resilience that I have right now.
I'm sad because of the same reason why Filipinos are feeling sad when they are far away from home... Once again, I've detached from my comfort zone, and this time I'm supporting myself (rent, food, transportation, recreation) and to tell you the truth, living in Sydney is not a joke. You have to work your ass off in order to live a decent life. To be able to do that, a person should be earning at least $300 a week. In the Philippines, an average person could settle for $200 a month and he will live (that's probably the standard rate that is given in Nueva Ecija, but I have to check again just to make sure). Everything here is expensive and you have to take good care of yourself so you won't get sick or else, a trip to the doctor might cost you thousands of $$$. There are a lot of things that I want to talk about but I think I would have to discuss that on another post.
I have to get going now, I have some websites to build/code... I have to update my portfolio... whew! See you later!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
My overdue post about Pilipinas kay Ganda
As an artist I think I should make a review about the infamous Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo. To be honest, the first time we saw it, my brother and I were surprised. I really don't give nasty comments especially when it comes to design or artwork because it's how I respect my fellow artists, and also considering the fact that art is subjective - everybody has their own perspective when it comes to art and I can never say what's good and what's not. It's just probably my own way of thinking that there is no point of comparison no matter how different or similar the designs might be but when I heard the story behind the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo, I almost changed my mind.'The designer has to make sure that the concept is not owned by any other company or institution so they will not say that it is copied' ~Diamat Designs
First of all, there are several things to be considered in designing a logo. I have discussed it before on our website and it's called: Two Important Factors in Logo Designing. If you go to that post, you will notice that on the first paragraph, I have emphasized that 'The designer has to make sure that the concept is not owned by any other company or institution so they will not say that it is copied'. As a logo designer this is also one thing that I am very concerned about. I make sure that I do not get into trouble by doing the other way.
So what happened to the Pilipinas Kay Ganda logo? I saw it on TV several times before and I just know they spent 4.8 Billion on promoting it (the money came from the pockets of the Filipino people by the way). They said it's not final yet, but why do they have to spend that much? Our mini-company which is dedicated to giving the best graphic arts in print and web sometimes make awesome designs for FREE... and sometimes when we charge, the payment is always given late (for about 3-6 months). We've had sleepless nights, skipped meals and even sacrificed our own pleasure to get things done but sometimes we never get anything in return. But this 4.8 million logo which highlights mediocrity in every detail does not deserve to be used as something that would represent our country. What a shame!
I heard someone mentioned in a TV interview that an artist is allowed to copy ideas from another existing artwork - YES, I agree with that. We do get inspiration from a lot of logos before we make one, but we see to it that it doesn't look exactly the same as the inspiration. We just get the 'look and feel' of other designs and make something different based on our own ideas. For a project as big as the 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' promotion, we expect that this should be taken seriously and the designers of the logo should be well educated and prepared but what they did is just very disappointing. So what should be their damage control? I suggest that they hire us. Heck, we'd even offer our services for free just to create a nice looking logo for the Philippines! (pangarap mode) LOL... ok, back to work...
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
I kinda like it being single... :)
I've been single for almost a year now and it's pure BLISS! I didn't know that I'd find my inner peace this way and as a young woman at my age - it really made me complete... Yeah, you've probably heard me before whining about my misfortunes in life. Despite of my tendencies of being a paranoid and a whiner, I can still say that I bravely found my way out through all the mishaps that happened in my life.
Because I'm happier now, I think it's safe to confess to you how my life was so messed up and what I did to make it better...
My ex and I were about to get married last March 2008. We broke up last year and right now, he is so OVER and done with. It's not that I'm bitter... In fact, there are still times that I remember him and all the fun memories that we shared when we were still together. But oh well, there's no point crying over spilled milk now. If we were talking face to face, you'd probably see me talking with my eyes occasionally moving upward rather than downward (a seminar speaker in Singapore explained once that when you talk and your eyes move downward, you are talking about a past that greatly affected your emotions). That could probably mean that I have purged all the bitterness in my chest or God finally made me realize that moping around will not help me at all.
I remember talking to a friend about a month ago and I shared to him what happened to me then he suddenly attested that nothing could be worse than what happened to him. As if he is contesting me - I have no intention of finding out who's more pitiable between the two of us. He told me that he got married because his girlfriend got pregnant and when the baby went out, his wife left him... All of a sudden, my wretched life was nothing compared to his. It made my chronicles of misfortune an old household rag. Then it got me thinking, I shouldn't be like that anymore! To completly move on in my life I must be able to run in a straight line just like what Forrest Gump did. I don't need to make nasty remarks anymore, I don't need to let people know how f*cked up my life used to be. I don't need to go back in time and remember how stupid I was before. I already learned my lesson and just like the classic saying goes: PAST is PAST. There's really nothing I can do about that dark chapter in my life so I might as well go on and make the best out of what I have right now.
So back to being single... When I was younger I thought I wanted to have someone to depend on because I am weak. In other words, I needed a knight in shining armor. It's probably because I've read too much fairy tales that time so I can't distinguish fantasy from reality anymore. The sad part is, I always end up with a jerk and a half. So in the end, I feel like a complete idiot for falling for the wrong guy over and over again. When my ex and I planned to get married, I thought I already got things figured out. My fantasy of having my own family will finally come true and I'm going to have my own kids and live a happy life with the man of my dreams - WRONG! It was an EPIC FAILURE.
I read from a friend's comment on facebook today when she heard that another friend is getting married (but she only knew the guy for 5 months) ~~ You know what, you are so brave to think about marriage when you only know the guy for a short period of time. There are still things that you need to consider like compatibility, attitude, matury and financial stability. She is so right. Marriage is a serious step and a person should be ready for it, otherwise, his/her marriage will be totally screwed up just like what happened to my friend.
I remember another friend of mine who was also complaining about what happened to her love life and how she is now 'recovering' from a bad break-up. She seems to be so happy that she has found another man (who can be a potential bf - it's pretty obvious that she likes him so much)... Uhmm, well, it's not that I'm against it but if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't condsider to dive into another relationship while I'm still in the process of healing. It's not that I'm envious that she already has another man - believe it or not, there are guys who attempted to woo me right after my first break up with my ex fiance. There are also even men in my past who tried to contact me - but I was simply not in the mood to entertain any of them. They can tell me that I'm not sweet and they could hate me for being a snob, I don't care because I'm not really excited to jump into another relationship yet. There are also guys who attempted to woo me after my second breakup with my ex fiance but same thing happened - I'm still not interested. What's wrong with me??? They seem to be nice and good looking guys... Hmm... It's probably because I already realized that I don't really need to have a man in my life just for the sake of having one. I don't really need to date when I'm not ready yet. I just have to stay put and believe that everything will happen on the right time and when I am in the right disposition.
Piece of advise to all of my friends who are still single right now, It's not really that bad to be single. Don't think that you are running out of time or you are getting too old or whatever. Just ENJOY the present and do all the stuff that will make you happy. To all that are interested to ask me out on a date or want to get to know me better (as if meron ^___^ ) Sorry, but I'm not ready yet. Hope you understand. No hard feelings ok? I have to stay focused for now. Love can wait...
Because I'm happier now, I think it's safe to confess to you how my life was so messed up and what I did to make it better...
My ex and I were about to get married last March 2008. We broke up last year and right now, he is so OVER and done with. It's not that I'm bitter... In fact, there are still times that I remember him and all the fun memories that we shared when we were still together. But oh well, there's no point crying over spilled milk now. If we were talking face to face, you'd probably see me talking with my eyes occasionally moving upward rather than downward (a seminar speaker in Singapore explained once that when you talk and your eyes move downward, you are talking about a past that greatly affected your emotions). That could probably mean that I have purged all the bitterness in my chest or God finally made me realize that moping around will not help me at all.
I remember talking to a friend about a month ago and I shared to him what happened to me then he suddenly attested that nothing could be worse than what happened to him. As if he is contesting me - I have no intention of finding out who's more pitiable between the two of us. He told me that he got married because his girlfriend got pregnant and when the baby went out, his wife left him... All of a sudden, my wretched life was nothing compared to his. It made my chronicles of misfortune an old household rag. Then it got me thinking, I shouldn't be like that anymore! To completly move on in my life I must be able to run in a straight line just like what Forrest Gump did. I don't need to make nasty remarks anymore, I don't need to let people know how f*cked up my life used to be. I don't need to go back in time and remember how stupid I was before. I already learned my lesson and just like the classic saying goes: PAST is PAST. There's really nothing I can do about that dark chapter in my life so I might as well go on and make the best out of what I have right now.
So back to being single... When I was younger I thought I wanted to have someone to depend on because I am weak. In other words, I needed a knight in shining armor. It's probably because I've read too much fairy tales that time so I can't distinguish fantasy from reality anymore. The sad part is, I always end up with a jerk and a half. So in the end, I feel like a complete idiot for falling for the wrong guy over and over again. When my ex and I planned to get married, I thought I already got things figured out. My fantasy of having my own family will finally come true and I'm going to have my own kids and live a happy life with the man of my dreams - WRONG! It was an EPIC FAILURE.
I read from a friend's comment on facebook today when she heard that another friend is getting married (but she only knew the guy for 5 months) ~~ You know what, you are so brave to think about marriage when you only know the guy for a short period of time. There are still things that you need to consider like compatibility, attitude, matury and financial stability. She is so right. Marriage is a serious step and a person should be ready for it, otherwise, his/her marriage will be totally screwed up just like what happened to my friend.
I remember another friend of mine who was also complaining about what happened to her love life and how she is now 'recovering' from a bad break-up. She seems to be so happy that she has found another man (who can be a potential bf - it's pretty obvious that she likes him so much)... Uhmm, well, it's not that I'm against it but if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't condsider to dive into another relationship while I'm still in the process of healing. It's not that I'm envious that she already has another man - believe it or not, there are guys who attempted to woo me right after my first break up with my ex fiance. There are also even men in my past who tried to contact me - but I was simply not in the mood to entertain any of them. They can tell me that I'm not sweet and they could hate me for being a snob, I don't care because I'm not really excited to jump into another relationship yet. There are also guys who attempted to woo me after my second breakup with my ex fiance but same thing happened - I'm still not interested. What's wrong with me??? They seem to be nice and good looking guys... Hmm... It's probably because I already realized that I don't really need to have a man in my life just for the sake of having one. I don't really need to date when I'm not ready yet. I just have to stay put and believe that everything will happen on the right time and when I am in the right disposition.
Piece of advise to all of my friends who are still single right now, It's not really that bad to be single. Don't think that you are running out of time or you are getting too old or whatever. Just ENJOY the present and do all the stuff that will make you happy. To all that are interested to ask me out on a date or want to get to know me better (as if meron ^___^ ) Sorry, but I'm not ready yet. Hope you understand. No hard feelings ok? I have to stay focused for now. Love can wait...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
What's up with me???
All I can say is WOW! I'm on a roll! I don't do this before even if I have all the time in the world. I kept on posting on my blog like a mad woman. I think the only way for me to stop is when I run out of topics to discuss. That would be the only time that I'd quit it... So for now, I think I'll have to say hi to all of you who would be reading this blog post and hope you don't mind me ranting about the stuff in my head.
I have a lot of plans before the year ends and I will feel bad if I don't get to do all of them. First of all, I wanna learn how to drive. But because time is what I don't have, I'm not really sure if driving lessons would really be possible in the near future. I also want to get in touch with old friends so I keep on attending reunions and friendly get together parties. Somehow, staying connected is something that makes me feel alive.
And one thing that causes my frustration is getting hooked on facebook again. That is just so bad, really. And now that there is a movie about it, I think that I need to see it. I've been using facebook since 2008, back then everybody was still addicted to friendster. I just want to be different so I deleted my friendster account. When I shifted to that social networking site, I was playing 'OWNED'. I gained a few friends there too but some of them have disappeared (literally). But facebook never lost its appeal to me. It's like a drug that everybody keeps on using every minute of everyday.
I think there's really no sense in posting this but just to prove how crazy I am, I'm going to do it... Sorry, maybe next time I could think of a more sensible topic to talk about. Let's wait and see...
I have a lot of plans before the year ends and I will feel bad if I don't get to do all of them. First of all, I wanna learn how to drive. But because time is what I don't have, I'm not really sure if driving lessons would really be possible in the near future. I also want to get in touch with old friends so I keep on attending reunions and friendly get together parties. Somehow, staying connected is something that makes me feel alive.
And one thing that causes my frustration is getting hooked on facebook again. That is just so bad, really. And now that there is a movie about it, I think that I need to see it. I've been using facebook since 2008, back then everybody was still addicted to friendster. I just want to be different so I deleted my friendster account. When I shifted to that social networking site, I was playing 'OWNED'. I gained a few friends there too but some of them have disappeared (literally). But facebook never lost its appeal to me. It's like a drug that everybody keeps on using every minute of everyday.
I think there's really no sense in posting this but just to prove how crazy I am, I'm going to do it... Sorry, maybe next time I could think of a more sensible topic to talk about. Let's wait and see...
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