we can't predict the future for the cool and crazy people of JO8A.

What lies ahead of us?

Jose Andronico Wangag will put up a small publication but finds it too difficult in his situation, a situation wherein he is a tutor and a writer in other publication. This made him confront Gilbert Monge to be one of his business partners for the success of this publication. Years after this certain publication was done, Gilbert Monge will become a known columnist in this newspaper. With the creative mind and closeness with Gilbert, he will offer one of his friends to become as one of the editors in this publication, and she is Emelyn Castalla. While Joevie Guerrero will go back to her career as a call center agent and again quit because this time she will pursue her dreams and that is to become a PR agent.

Luisa H. del pilar will get married and have 3 wonderful kids. Her kids will also be like her, a bookworm. Because of this, Luisa will put up her own book store for her children with the help of her friends, Kit and Girlie. After reading a hundred fictional and love story books in Luisa’s bookstore, as a result, Christine Perez will be able to publish one love story (yes, love story) book. Here in the Philippines, her book will not create a good sales in the market but instead, will become the number 1 book selling in USA. While Girlie Daliva will be a call center agent but won’t become successful in that field because she finds her passion and that is as a teacher in a university. Girlie will have a problem making decision whether she will marry her boyfriend, because her boyfriend didn’t want her to teach anymore in that university and wants to settle down and live happily ever after with her.

Heidy Landrito will continue to serve GOD. She will visit different places here in our country and spread the good news of our Lord, Jesus Christ. While Neil Darius Javier will be with Heidy in this mission and soon realize and change his sexuality, to become a straight guy for good and start a new life as a “guy”.

Precious Francisco and Grace Palpalatoc will become a business partners. They will create a big name in that industry as entrepreneurs (it could be in food or bag collection).

Julian Miguel Javier still continues to join cost-play in different schools and will become a judge/consultant in every cost-play in the country. Like where’s the best shop to avail a certain kind of costume that would cost less or cheaper and etc.

Because of frustrations in becoming a journalist, Regina Camille Makayan will instead put up her own company, the DMT watches collection together with Jessica and Fitz. This is where Jessica Sandra Dela Rosa will excel with her unique sociability by marketing the company’s product that become one of the reason why she don’t have her own personal life, “lovelife”. While Cathlene Fitz Teretit will continue her career in photography and will plan to go abroad for a better future.

chill..

Jan Claude Bonares will become the successor of their coffee shop and soon he will turn it into a restaurant bar. In here, Marinel Joy Lacson will be one of the singers. And in Claude’s new coffee shop turned-to-resto-bar, Marinel will find her new dream boy who also performs in the same bar (the Biksa Resto bar) that made her to leave her long time partner alone. While Henry Revita will quit his job as a call center agent and find his passion in the line of singing. This resto bar will become the JOURNs get-together party venue every month.

Because of love depression, Miguel Velasco will be out of the country in years. He will compose lots of sad love songs (emotional songs) especially dedicated to his old lover. And soon Miguel, together with his band, will be given a one year recording contract by a top recording company in the country.

Emmanuel Timajo will become as the country’s greates volleyball player. He will have the chance to play international with the one of the world’s greatest man volleyball player. Yes a man, just like Neil, he will realize that being a man is all that he wanted to be after all his heartaches in his college life.

This is what I can see in the future for our batch. It can be difficult to reach some of these visions, but I believe that this batch can make a difference because for us, nothing is impossible if we’re together. It is the tight friendship of one another that makes life easier to deal with.

- 30 -

The big question for a graduating student like us is “Where would I be working after 2 months?” First thought that comes into mind is Call centres. Now that there is a financial crisis, worldwide – it is not that easy to get into call centres.

Why call centres is first on the list of newly graduates? It is maybe because of practicality. In the world of Journalist, I admit that the salary of a writer (especially neophyte) is not enough to support our basic needs. This is the reason why Journalism graduates never (maybe some of them) chose to be a writer in a daily newspaper in the first place.

But before thinking about the salaries and the write ups… think first in applying for a job (a writer) in different publications, magazines or broadsheets. Publications choose their applicants based on what school they graduated and not on how well an applicant express his/her ideas in writing. It’s bias… unfair. We just want to try what it is like in the real world of writing/publishing.

Being discarded by this publication, newly graduate chooses the second best work for them. There are advertising agencies, the public relations agencies and also the corporate communication. Other jobs may not be related in being a Journalism graduate.

Some Journalism graduates didn’t even see themselves being a writer 3 or 5 years from now. I ask some of my classmates where would they be working after the journey of being a student… and most of them really answer “Call centres.” Experience and for practicality are their reasons.

Our world would change if we start earning money for ourselves. There would be less socialization (unlike when we’re students). Task should be done seriously because it is for the things we need in our lives.

For now.. I’m still thinking of where I would be after my journey here in the university. I want to enter the world of photography and learn more about it. I’ll also want to be a freelancer, or a story writer in a comic book, (I’m not that good in writing novels, short stories will do) this time I have the chance of making my dream come true. There’s too much to think of what kind of job I want but I’m not 100% sure if I am able to make this one into reality.

     What I want is a different kind of date… a date in which I will get to know the person more that day. Not just only in his likes, but I want to see his bad or even dark side of him, the real person behind that sweet smile.

     I met a friend 5 months ago and we started out as a textfriend. (No, its not textmate) We’ll start texting at around 6pm until midnight. Sometimes, we didn’t notice the time that it is already 5:30 in the morning. With him, there are lots of things to talk about.

     Watching the sun set while sitting beside him would feel good. I want to know more about him. A date for me is like “getting to know the person first.”

with him.. in my dream.

      Things might be different with him, and a ‘date’ might be one. In the past dates that I’ve been too, I want it to be different… I just want to sit along side of the beach and watch the sun sets. It’s not tiring but that is what a dream date for me.

     Our conversation through text and phones were different when we’re together. He’s the guy that has all the different kinds of vices a man would do. Smoking, drinking beer almost everyday and yes, he also does drugs. And why does he always say he feels so incomplete and wants to die without any reason. (He’s too emotional and I love it.)

     It’s always “to be continued…” when he’s telling me a story about him.

     I just wonder how he takes all of it into his body. When did he start taking drugs in the past? Maybe he’ll open up to me and say all the things that I want to know in our simple date at the beach. We could talk there until midnight and who knows, a very long talk ‘til sunrise.

     We can spend the time together, physically, for the whole evening not just in text or landlines.

     He’s like a book that every pages of his life would give me curiosity that forces me to read more pages until I reach the last page of his book in which I’d love to read in a nice and quiet place.

      This dream date is too simple. I’ll even say that watching sunset on the beach is better than playing arcades in malls and from walking. Maybe a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland is great but it is also too exhausting with all the screams you’d do in every rides and the never ending walk there can make our feet swell up.

  A simple and yet a breathe-taking view will make that day a ‘day to be remember’ for me.

~~~

I’ve been dreaming of being on a band ever since I was in high school. Male vocalist of every band like Chicosci, Dashboard Confessional, Anthem of our dying days – all foreign rock bands, was a dream guy for me.

Two years ago, I’ve never thought that a stranger in a mall would be the guy that I‘ve love almost a year back then.

at Betty Go Belmonte.

March 2008, simple and yet I consider it as the best event happen to me that year. Joseph Chavez is my special friend, my love… my boyfriend. He is a drummer in their band, “Iskargu”. As a celebration for our first year anniversary, he invited me to watch their band’s first ever gig at Dayo Bar in Cubao. Aside from watching their band performing, especially him, I am also excited for the fact that another great band like Zelle and Giniling Festival will perform that night.

Time flies so fast that night. It is 11 o’clock in the evening when they perform. Luckily, they got a chance performing twice in one night, 3 songs per round.

the drummer boy.

As they perform, I watch him hit the drums and sing along with their vocalist. “My Hero” by Foo Fighters is one of the songs they perform.
“There goes my hero, he’s ordinary…”
(from the song My Hero by Foo Fighters)

Maybe in the eyes of someone he is ordinary but for me he is not. He’s always been there for me. He sings for me when I’m down, he never fails to cheer me up with the way he screams like a metal rock star.

Year 2008 is a tough year for both of us. There are lots of misunderstanding in our relationship that in the end we decided to cool it off. Like the way it is expected, we broke up.

Though we’re apart, yet he is still there… not just a friend, but a special friend for me again. Loosing Joseph as a partner in life in 2008 was worse, but letting me feel so loved by him is the best thing that ever happen to me in 2008.

As I was staring at our Christmas tree, with lots of gifts beneath it, I wonder… what’s the worst gift that I gave this Christmas? But then I realize that I’ve never given someone any gift. It’s always my mom who bought the gifts for my friends, nephews and nieces.

Let’s just simply say that giving gifts is not “my cup of tea.”

Not giving gifts every Christmas even once is I think a weird attitude. Because there’ll be this negative thoughts that comes in my mind.

The saying “It’s better to give than receive” doesn’t work for me. But it doesn’t mean that I prefer receiving gifts every holiday season.

Nowadays, giving money on Christmas holiday is common for some people. As for teenagers, they would most probably want cash rather than gifts, dress, shoes or anything useful.

Its been 8 years since I start receiving money for Christmas. I know money is can not be consider as gift, it can be just an act of generosity. Maybe because you don’t have time in thinking what kind of gifts you’d give for that person, you give money instead.

As for me, maybe it is the worst gift I ever receive for Christmas since then. But still it is not that bad for me because I can use it in buying the things that I want and it can also be a big help in some way.

When I was far from them, the place is getting dark and blurry. Then I realize… it was just a dream.

It was 11:34 in the morning, almost lunchtime. Having that dream made me think and recall all the things that I’ve done to them, my family. When I was in elementary, I always say bad things to my father. I hate him; I even curse him in my mind. It is because he never showed me what it feels like to have a father. My father is always arguing with my mom that time. Since then, I told myself never to idolize him or to be my role model.

I know that it is there problem not mine, problem as a couple. From then on, I only talk and go to some places with my mom. I can say that I’ve become a “Mama’s Girl” that time.

When I was in high school, I still hated him for his attitude. I know it’s not nice to hate or curse him. I didn’t give a damn on my father’s sacrifices because all that stuck in my mind are all his bad sides. All of our memorable moments were replaced of anger.

I am always writing all the bad things that happened to me and to my family especially my dad.

That moment, I have the tendency to judge other people even if I don’t know them well. I started thinking bad things to them, even those people around me whom I call “friends.”

I envy my friends who have a happy family. I can’t help but ask God, why this is happening to me.

Now that I am a bit older, I just try to forget all the things that weren’t supposed to be remembered. It’s just all a memory. Thinking all those things only makes me angry and jealous. Jealous because I don’t have the perfect and wonderful family that other has.

I treat my brother as if he is younger than me. Whenever I get angry I tend to fist-fight with my brother. I disobey my elder sister and even my mom. When I get home from school, it’s like nobody’s home. I just go up to my room and do my stuff.

I know the word “perfect” is a difficult thing to do in a family. Maybe it is just happy to live alone, spend your time on your own without thinking of someone that could ruin your day or even your whole life.