Sunday, December 26, 2010

Coming full circle

coming full circle
At this point of the year, a lot of people reflect on what they did for the past twelve months. No matter how SSDY (same sh*t different year) this may be for most of us, we do find it genuinely compelling to look back at what we have gone through this year.


Sure, it's easy to remember the goals reached, the dreams achieved, and the dramas we overcame. As egoistic as I may be, I wallow at my successes and triumphs for 2010 and try to play them over and over in my mind... Whether you like it or not, we do find comfort in looking at ourselves as winners. How do I know this? Because it sucks to be reminded of otherwise. It sucks to remember and look back at what we have failed to do.


2010 is a banner year for many people. Manny Pacquiao won his 8th title (in the same number of weight classes). PNoy became the 15th president of the Philippines. The LA Lakers won their 2nd straight NBA title (I was in a meeting when they won against my Boston Celtics and boy I was pissed all day and didn't even watch game 7 ever). Katy Perry won the sexiest woman of Maxims (for the record, Emmanuelle Chriqui won the top99 of AskMen.com and I am not complaining either). Venus Raj won 4th runner up in this year's major-major Ms. Universe pageant.


But for us mere mortals (and those who can't make it to the top100 hottest list of some things), we look back at this banner year with mixed emotions. Because some people lost a loved one, while some people gained some friends for keeps. Some got accepted in a world class business school, while some people turned their backs on such opportunities. Some people quit their jobs, while some people got an offer for their dream jobs. Some people got thin, but some people gained so much weight. Some people lost their touch, while some people became really inspired. While some people got everything they need, some people seem to want more than that... Some people won some things, and some people lost some things. Some people got in touch with reality, and sadly, some got stuck in the moment.


These things sound awfully familiar because yes, all these things happened to me this year. It was a banner year for me as it probably was for you. Exactly 360 days are gone just like that and I now realize there is something poetic about this number. Because at this point we come full circle (for those who don't get it: 360 degrees, haha just messing), and we're looking to start it all over again.


It doesn't matter if we have mixed feelings about our successes and failures, because as cliche as it may sound, life goes on.  We look back and reflect about the things we did, the things we should have done, the things we failed to do. The things we were successful in and proud about. But we shouldn't be stuck in the moment. Yes, it is helpful to cherish all the fun embarrassing moments and reflect all we want on the things we failed to do... but it doesn't stop there. We know it's not enough to live at the thought of our successes, or to wallow inside the lonely road of regrets. We go on and start at the dot.


What Christmas and the yearend offers is the time to reflect on what we have done all year. Be thankful for what we have, and probably whine about those we don't have. We write down resolutions, because we all want a clean slate. A better year. A better life. And any person not wanting a better life is either crazy or just in plain denial. Because it doesn't come easy. In fact, it is hard. It requires hard work. And most people are afraid of that. (sad part is we all know this)


We come full circle, 360 degrees. It's not a perfect year for me or for any of us. Far from it. But as sad as it may sound, we begin at point A again after this. One may argue that it's a vicious or virtuous cycle--well it doesn't matter anyway. What matters is we struggle to live each year--at the end of which we try to recount our blessings and curses. What matters is we do something about it.


Another 360 degrees on the way and we have a clean slate to do it as we please. I don't know with you, but my circle's going to be more awesome next year. I dare you to beat mine.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Dreamcatcher


A small dreamcatcher can cost you less than a hundred bucks. All your nightmares can go away, all your finest dreams can come true. I wish it was all that easy. A hundred bucks. But who am I fooling. It never was easy to reach your dreams or get rid of your nightmares.

For the past two weeks, people would flock into lottery ticket booths to take a shot at luck. I know I did. I mean who wouldn't? A shot at being an instant multimillionaire. ~500million pesos. Imagine all the Jack Daniels I can buy, or the cars I can drive, or the women I can seduce with those (haha). Imagine all the people I can help. Imagine all the time I can spend spending those money. Imagine not having to work everyday.

The probability of winning a lottery is, I've said this before, essentially the same whether I placed a 20-peso bet or not. But why place a bet in the first place? Well, for one 500 million is really tempting. Winning this pot would solve a lot of problems I am having right now or will be having in a not-so-distant future. Basically, I'm insuring my current and future family's future.

But I wasn't lucky enough. As well as the tens of millions of Filipinos who collectively hoped for a better future in a higher income tax bracket. Because that's what we all hope for. An easy way out. Like when we pretend to be sleeping whenever we needed to do some chores. Like when we pay an extra to the licensing officer to get our driver's license faster. Like when we fabricated a cheat sheet on our midterms because we were too lazy to memorize a theorem. Like when we quit.

The thing is, I wish everything was easy. That when I wake up tomorrow I'll feel better and detoxified. That when I wake up tomorrow I'll be rich, powerful and famous. That when I wake up tomorrow I'll be successful. That I'll have everything I want: a posh condo on the upper east side, Leighton Meester lying on my bed, a chauffer driving my bentley, a G6, a yacht, and season (court-side) tickets to the Boston Celtics. 

That's until I was served by a kick: a sudden feeling of falling that makes me wake up from all these.

When we finally wake up, we all want an easy way out. But that's because nothing was ever easy. We are made this way. Fragile. Incomplete. Miserable. Lonely. Because if we had everything, what else is there to live by? What else is there to strive for? What else is there to struggle with? Life is what it is: HARD. And I admit sometimes I don't like it.

Sometimes I just want to have a dreamcatcher. Because it promises to get my finest dreams and get rid of my worst nightmares. But let me tell you this. The only dreamcatcher we are going to have... Is an inspiration. (not inception, sorry) Inspiration. Why? because we don't need a superficial dreamcatcher to reach for our dreams or fight against our worst nightmares. 

In reality, all we need is to be inspired. Take a brighter look at life. Begin living for something. Start rooting for something real. I truly believe that it is hard to get to where we want to be. And all it will exactly take is hard work to get from now to there. What makes it easy for us is to be inspired. Look for an inspiration, like our mothers or fathers, lovers, dogs, Albert Einstein, or Brad Pitt, or whoever, whatever. Be inspired. 

blame her
Look for your own dreamcatcher. It doesn't have to cost you a hundred bucks. (although sometimes it does and more) I am sure it will make reaching for your dreams a lot easier. And it means you've always got what it takes to reach for them. You just need a little pushing from the outside to be convinced that you are what dreams are really made of. Wake up! You hold the only key to your dreams. Nothing is ever easy. But you can make it easy by being inspired. 

I've made some serious assumptions here. One is dreams are always reachable (I've always made this assumption in this blog). And two, if only Leighton Meester would show up on my doorstep already, it would be so easy for me. Now you all know who to blame if I am still not successful in the near future

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Teenage dream

my teenage dream
You're 14. What do you know about love? Okay, that's rhetoric. I'm almost twice that age and i still don't know what I know about love. Ask your parents, or grandparents. What do we know about love? Socrates may have the answer, because he said "all I know is I know nothing."

So kiddo, you're 14 and you "fell in love" with a girl in your school. She used to be your seat mate back in second grade and you once lent her your pencil. You teased her a lot--about her weight, her bad breath, her ridiculous accent, her sticky skin, her crappy hello kitty notebooks and most of all her big bulky curly hair. 

But after six years of growing pains and boyhood you realized the opposite sex is called the "opposite sex" for something. That somehow your being a tool's got to change fast. What was that feeling? Every time you see the girl you used to beat the crap out of back in grade school is growing to become a fine woman, there was an adrenaline rush... something came up (no pun intended) and it's called a teenage dream. Smitten by her long black hair, white teeth without braces, sparkling eyes, suddenly she smells great... she's now taller than you, growing in all sort of places you used to puke about.  

My oh my how she's grown to be someone you never thought you would like. And that feeling is priceless. Savor it. It's not first love. Might be puppy love. But what it really is... is your only fond memory of your innocence on attraction. Naivete. What do you know about love? Let me guess, it's the longing for someone's attention, for some connection, for something you and the other can share. The feeling that you should spend 24/7 with that person. The only one who matters. The world stops and your heart skips a beat. You've never felt this way before. And you'll die tomorrow if you can't let this all out today. You had to try and say it. Nothing is more important.

My friend, you are dead wrong. Like you were wrong about the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. Like you were wrong about wrestling and Superman. It gets complicated. Talk to me after 10 years and tell me what you think love is. Talk to me after 20, 30, 40 years and tell me something about love. You will never look at love the same way you look at that girl who caught your eye in high school like living will never be the same again. 

I just wish it is as simple as that. Back in high school you just have a crush, and for all you know she's already the one. We've all been there. I get it that Katy Perry sang about living a teenage dream. It's when life is so simple that you don't have to worry about getting married, having kids, paying the bills and amortizing your house. It's the only time you don't have to worry about not getting along, compromising, and breaking each other's neck for all you care. The only thing you care about is the two of you... the world can end.

10 years later, you're 24 (obviously I can add). At this day and age it's hard to find a teenage dreamy feeling. The world's not as simple as it was back in high school. Besides, the girl in your teenage dreams might have ended up looking like an elephant 10 years later. Kidding aside, ignorance is really sometimes better. Innocence is better. Because the world is not as great as advertised. You would want to be a 14-year old loser all your life because the world is a bigger bully than all the jocks in high school combined. 

And if you're looking for the girl of your dreams.... sure there are plenty of fishes in the sea. The perfect woman is maybe out there. But love is hard to find. It's okay to feel teeny dreamy every now and then but it shouldn't rock your world like when you were 14. Be mature. Enjoy. In the end we all know nothing about love. About relationships and how it's going to turn out. We just don't. It's a good feeling. But a teenage dream is still just a dream. You will have to wake up sooner or later.

So be sure to choose the right one. Take your time. Don't rush it like a teenage dream. Because remember... there's always a bigger fish. Make sure you won't regret eating a catfish when a caviar comes along. 

If you're 14 and having a teenage dream, enjoy. If you're my age and having the same dream, wake up. It's probably a bad one. But if you can't help it, I just hope you have a dreamcatcher. It might be worth the try. 

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Pipe dream

I will never be this guy
I always talk about dreaming big. After all, I am the Dream Economist. For me, all you need is a pair of hope, a cup of will, an ounce of determination, and a tablespoon of looking at the brightside. And there you have it, the recipe for success. For reaching that big dream. It works. Look at the Forbes Magazine-worthy life-stories of tycoons and you'll hear them say the same thing. 

But what if those are not enough? Is there such a thing as hard luck? Unfortunately, there is.

Better be lucky than great. No matter how much effort or time you put into it, sometimes those are not good enough. Sometimes, luck is what separates billionaires from the poor, haves from the have-nots, and kingpins from the slaves. Luck is the kicker, the thing that not everyone has. Luck essentially catapults an individual from nothingness to awesomeness. 

I mean look at Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. I am sure there are other people who are capable of coming up with personal computers in the 70s, but these two pulled it off with a combination of right timing and opportunities presented. Maybe right timing is everything. Maybe. But what if that time doesn't come? Mr. Gates and Mr. Jobs both had the right time on their teams. 

Look at Charice Pempengco. She didn't win a local contest in the Philippines but was lucky enough to be discovered by the likes of David Foster and Oprah Winfrey. I am sure, there are thousands of talents that are much better than her without a record label or any opportunity to showcase their talents. AT ALL. (not that I am not impressed with her, but I know there are a lot of people waiting to be given a chance)

Look at Manny Pacquaio. Look at the winners of reality TV shows who are now famous for who-knows-what. Look at lottery winners who became instant millionaires.

Reality is harsh. Because not every one has the same share of the pie. Big slices are allocated for a selected few--no matter how we feel we are more deserving than those few people. While economics deal with the allocation of scarce resources, sometimes economics is a b*tch because that allocation is skewed towards the lucky few. The spread of luck is uneven. (and now the more reason to hate life?)

I am not saying lucky people aren't deserving to have luck on their sides. I am not saying they didn't work hard to be in that position (I am sure they did). But luck is a breakthrough everyone should have and not just a select few. At least that's how I feel about it. 

Oh well that's life. And most people end up by saying "I make my own luck." That's true. Create opportunities. Work around the system. Hard luck doesn't have to stop us from accomplishing that dream. What's the cliche "try and try until you succeed" is for anyway? 

For me, yes. Pipe dreams do exist. I know for sure that I won't be a billionaire by the time I am 40 (which means I am still hoping to be a billionaire when I'm fifty haha). I know for sure that I won't grow any taller than I already am (which is just sad but I've accepted that God compensated my physical limitations with something else...). I know for sure that I won't be like John Mayer or Jason Mraz (although I somehow think my music is worth listening to). I needed luck to have all of those. But LUCK didn't go so well for me in those aspirations. 

But we all have to look past those luck issues and start making up for it in other ways. I always say it could have been worse. Yeah, it could have been worse. Look at this video. In the end we are all lucky to be here. To be where we are now, no matter how much we feel deprived of the things we want and the things we need.

Luck may be what separates us from our pipe dreams, wants, and what-have-yous. We can all have the recipes for success and it may not be enough still. We may consider luck as the secret ingredient. But it shouldn't stop us from living life to the fullest. Luck may be a shortcut and your ticket to whatever. But when the dust settles, the important thing to remember is to make the best use of what we have, and not what we can/should/could have. Life ain't measured by the end result--because we all have the same ending anyways--but by the means, effort and journeys we took. We can always take a jab at dreams and successes everyday. 

And luck is just there to make things a little more interesting. 

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Perfect Woman

she's right up there
No boys, it's not Anne Curtis Smith. Although in my list she might be right up there.  It's not Ximena Navarette. Although the title she represents puts her in that position easily. It's not Miranda effin' Kerr. Although everybody envies Orlando Bloom for snagging that one (really good job Mr. Bloom). 

It's certainly not Pokwang (at least according to Mo Twister). Not even Queen Latifah, Hilary Swank or Julia Roberts. Certainly not Vice Ganda (although the category might not fit him/her in the first place). And no "although" in this paragraph.

The bottom line is, we men are superficial at first. We know a good one when we see it. We appreciate physical beauty. But that's just the surface. Because in the end, looks account for nothing if you don't bring in the substance. 

And the criteria's not the same for everyone. Some like it hot, some like it simple. Some guys like the smile, some like the dimples. Some like big bold eyes, some are into Chinitas. Some like girls with short boyish hair, some people prefer long black hair. Some guys prefer fair complexions, while others are into morenas. 

Judging physical beauty is complicated. It really is in the eye of the beholder. But what makes a difference is the way she handles herself. If she reveals her true aura. Because girls--no matter how pretty--are still insecure. But if girls could just move past those insecurities and reveal who they really are, then it's a whole new ballgame. Men (well at least I speak for my not-so-superficial self, who can be found every now and then) also like character. Not just legs, fronts and be-hinds although those would be nice. Okay that's a little hard to accept, but if you're looking for smart-straight-eligible guys, prolonged affection should be supported by character.

Sad part is, guys only find a girl's real character after several dates, several months... several years. or even more. In economics, this problem is called Asymmetric Information. A guy may know something that the girl doesn't and vice-versa (and it's easy to take advantage of the situation because of this). There's no such thing as perfect information. If there is, then the market is operating under a perfect condition. We are always correct, and we always get what we paid for. So guys (like girls) have criteria for defining a perfect woman and it may include a lot of fronts, backs, aboves and belows, but it's incomplete. Girl may be all those, but she's keeping something that will be discovered after a long period of time. Guys are like that too. 

Girls are famous for their usually high standards for guys, e.g. tall dark and handsome (which is I consider poetic since I don't have any of those... haha). Then they have the smart, independent and rich criteria. But in the end they end up with bad boys with tattoos and a killer instinct. But this is another story. Girls are famous for their standards, and guys have their own. But really, what are standards for? 

I'd gladly have a girl who's 5'7" tall, fair-skinned, with long black hair and killer smile, eyes worth a million bucks and a pair of legs to die for. But that doesn't stop there. The list goes on and on. And the irony of it all is you throw it all away just for anyone. For someone you met at the bar, or for some childhood friend in your teenage dreams. Standards are just there to confuse us guys from defining what we want from what we need. Substance should make or break a budding relationship. Substance prolongs attraction. Substance REPLACES attraction. 

The perfect woman may be someone who will take care of us like our mothers. Someone who will accept us for who we effin' are and not just who we can be. Someone who will give us independence and room to grow. (alright I turned out to be a girl after all). In the end it can be anyone's guess. I'm no expert and your guess is as good as mine. 

But seriously, the perfect woman exists... in our dreams. And looking for her is like betting in the lottery--where the probability of winning is essentially the same whether you placed a bet or not. The problem is we still look for them because someone actually wins. Someone's lucky enough to rake it big time. 

The perfect woman may be perfect. But the real thing may even be better. So Anne Curtis you, if you are out there, don't be shy to give me a holler. A chance at reality is all we can ever get. In the end I don't want the perfect woman, I just want the right one. 

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Chasing Amy

Caught the movie Chasing Amy in HBO yesterday and I instantly remembered the cheesy lines. Ben Affleck delivered one of the most profound i-am-in-love-with-you-speech in silverscreen history. For what it's worth, I memorized these lines back in highschool. I know, it's gay. Totally. But hey, we've all been there. And it's one heck of a speech. (ok, enough excuses) 


Just sharing:


"I love you. And not, not in a friendly way, although I think we're great friends. And not in a misplaced affection, puppy-dog way, although I'm sure that's what you'll call it. I love you. Very, very simple, very truly. You are the-the epitome of everything I have ever looked for in another human being. And I know that you think of me as just a friend, and crossing that line is-is-is the furthest thing from an option you would ever consider. But I had to say it. I just, I can't take this anymore. I can't stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can't-I can't look into your eyes without feeling that-that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can't talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are. And I know this will probably queer our friendship - no pun intended - but I had to say it, 'cause I've never felt this way before, and I-I don't care. I like who I am because of it. And if bringing this to light means we can't hang out anymore, then that hurts me. But God, I just, I couldn't allow another day to go by without just getting it out there, regardless of the outcome, which by the look on your face is to be the inevitable shoot-down. And, you know, I'll accept that. But I know, I know that some part of you is hesitating for a moment, and if there's a moment of hesitation, then that means you feel something too. And all I ask, please, is that you just - you just not dismiss that, and try to dwell in it for just ten seconds. Alyssa, there isn't another soul on this fucking planet who has ever made me half the person I am when I'm with you, and I would risk this friendship for the chance to take it to the next plateau. Because it is there between you and me. You can't deny that. Even if, you know, even if we never talk again after tonight, please know that I am forever changed because of who you are and what you've meant to me, which - while I do appreciate it - I'd never need a painting of birds bought at a diner to remind me of." 


Awesome speech. Great movie. Under appreciated. One of those 10 things I hate about you stuff. But if you're not Ben Affleck, don't deliver this yourself or else it won't work. 


It's Tuesday, and I am off to work now. enough of this.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Mr. Brightside

you're amazing just the way you are
One of the things I always remember in evaluating my life, planning the next move and diagnosing the future is everything is self-fulfilling. If you think you're going to screw it up, then you are screwed. But if you think tomorrow is going to be a bright day, then make sure to pack your sunglasses because sunshine is exactly what you are going to get. 

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, this is the usual mantra. Hope that everything will be alright. But it's not that easy to be optimistic when inefficiencies and hangups surround us. It's so easy to be insecure. 

Exhibit A: girl weaves through dozens of wardrobes to look for the perfect (for the lack of better word) get-up, takes a few hours, looks in the mirror and puts on different shades of make-ups, can't decide what to use, takes another hour. And then she becomes upset that her closet isn't big enough, the mirror's making her look fat, and every dress she wears reminds her of her asshole ex boyfriend. Don't even get me started with shoes and bags...

What is this phenomenon? It's called "analysis-paralysis." We analyze too much. We all do, not just girls. 

Exhibit B: Guy's in his car, parked in front of his date's house, waiting nervously for the girl (introduced by his colleagues), thinking about appropriate things to say, trying to smell like a million bucks, cleaning up his trunk and leather seats, playing the third song from his custom-made playlist. With the i-never-been-on-a-date-for-a-year attitude painted on his forehead, he rehearses his "you look amazing" speech, thinking he's in big trouble. 

Yes you are. You are in big trouble because of your insecurities and analysis paralysis. We are all guilty of this in one way or another. But you know what, it doesn't help and we know it. We're so paralyzed by our own thinking that we can't move forward. In the end, you will get what you don't want to get and exactly the opposite of what you ordered. 

But the other way around works. Works like magic. Make a call, like saying "this night is going to be awesome" and don't pretend. You know you are awesome. You should be. And no one's going to steal your thunder tonight. Then walla, we hear music and magic. 

Why is it hard to be optimistic? Because society teaches us to be cynics. Bad experiences. Inexperience. Personal incapacity. Social class. Money. But if we just move past those, if we could just expand our horizons, we'll be a lot better. 

I am Mr. Brightside. I know (we all do) the future is uncertain and there will always be bumps and stopovers along the way.  We know it's not perfect, but it doesn't help if we raise our eyebrows every time we are uncertain about what's going to happen. The bright side is it could have been worse, everything is going to be fine. 

You want an example that's not relationship-based? Look at the stock market. It's full of self-fulfilling prophecies based on calculated risks and analysis-backed valuation. But in the end you have to make a call yourself. And if you believe in it enough that everyone also believes in you, you might just be right. Right now the market is optimistic, bullish, because of PNoy and the economy. Everyone joined the bandwagon. And walla, all-time highs almost everyday for the stock market index (PSEi). 

So choose your pill: Red or blue. Positive or negative. Because there's no turning back. You yourself predict your future, and it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Forget your weight, forget your smell, forget all the number-crunching statistics. In the end, we make our own fate. And if you believe in it with all your heart, you might just get lucky. 


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Money never sleeps

I am at the point of my life where I want to work hard, not because I have to but I really want to. I feel like I am in a position where I can say, "I was born to do this." I think know that working hard your arse out is the price to pay to have a decent living. It doesn't have to be perfect. But just enough.

About three weeks ago, I was visiting my 75-year old lola (Inay Feling) and telling her about how I wake up early and work everyday for about 10-12 hours from 7am. That at first I was really adjusting to how to work really hard and dedicate myself to that goal of success. I was telling her that I was happy about it and I enjoy working in those hours. When I talked to her, it may have sounded that I was bragging (and complaining at the same time) about how I work hard everyday because she blurted out and said, "ako nga, binubuksan ko na yung tindahan ala-sais (6am) pa lang hanggang 6pm na rin." And then I really felt humbled.

Inay works really hard and you have to be amazed how she lives her life while making a decent living selling tricycle parts, hardware and other merchandise near our local town public market (she's probably the Ace Hardware of our small palengke). She will never be a big time entrepreneur (although I honestly think she can if she wanted to) but she does have a knock for hard work. I mean, who works 12hours a day without an aircon, dealing with tricycle and jeepney drivers, carpenters and electricians, and what-have-yous at 75 years of age? It's ridiculous. And that's probably why she's happy, contented, and having the time of her life every second.

Money never sleeps. "Bawal ang tutulog tulog sa pansitan." That's probably why my mom also works until 2am almost everyday while waking up at 6am to work work work. I admire my lola and my mom for having that kind of skill and dedication that I have yet to learn and master. I want to. I will. Because in the end, success is not just around the corner. Not an easy turn or a straight line.

To be successful, you have to work hard. And it means hitting that curveball. It's insanely difficult. Unless you practice and anticipate. Unless you walk the walk. Unless you step up and be someone you read about in Forbes Magazine. Unless you stick your balls out and just do it with all your will and all your heart.

We all say and remember that it's not easy to become a CEO of a big company or a dynamic entrepreneur. But what we all forget is that we all have what it takes. We all forget that we are what dreams are really made of. It's just up to us to do the clockwork.

At this time and age, bawal talaga ang tutulog tulog sa pansitan. You don't have to be the next Henry Sy (or any other self-made billionaires whose names are probably mentioned in the definition of hardwork in the dictionary). But you don't have to be the ordinary Juan de la Cruz also. The problem with many of us is we dream...but we stop there and do nothing about it.

There is no such thing as free lunch, so pay the price.

I want to work hard. Do my best in everything. Do all things well. We all do (I hope). No one should stop you, not even yourself!!! We have no time to waste. Money never sleeps, so why would I right? And at times when I feel like ranting, complaining, and just wanted to blow myself up... I'll just look up and say, what would inay do?

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My MBA life in Barcelona...



Barcelona, with Torre Agbar
...would have been great. But like I said earlier, I opted for Plan B. A new career instead. It's hard to regret not having an MBA degree from one of the best business schools in the world in a great city like Barcelona if my plan after the MBA is to get to where I am now. So touche.

But before deciding the ultimate fate of my career back in June, I wallowed at the fact that I've been offered a slot in this year's class in IESE Business School. I've met great people (Tim, Cesca, and Aimee) who are now enjoying their first taste of the Barcelona life as 1st yr IESE MBA students. I've talked to a lot of people about my options, but it all boiled down to what I really need and what I can really afford. But I enjoyed looking at details about the school, the program (and don't worry, I knew most of the details about the program even before I was offered a slot as I should), Barcelona and everything it was advertised to be. 

IESE Business School, Barcelona
The IESE MBA is a bilingual MBA (English-Spanish) program. The school specializes on strategy, business economics, and entrepreneurship. Pretty much like any Ivy-league school in Eastern US right? But what makes IESE MBA different is its graduates are on average allegedly not paid as much as its US counterparts (like Harvard or Wharton). (well, this is partly true although this is not really the differential I would like to point out) Kidding aside, what makes IESE different is its corporate culture that emphasizes on business ethics and the social responsibility of business. Students are taught to focus on what they can do for society, while making reasonable profit, and not on obtaining the highest salaries and bonuses possible. This is, for me, the hook. Because seldom do business schools look outside the window and actually point out social responsibility as a core value of their curriculum and overall business school experience. Also 80% of the students are non-Spanish (talk about being international). Not to mention, Barcelona is a great city.

By European standards, living in Barcelona is relatively cheap. You can rent a really nice and decent 1Br flat by yourself at around 400-700EUR. Plus utilities and adsl (which are all I need), you'll probably have to cash in 800-1KEUR all in all. In Paris, London or Geneva, you'll probably pay at least double the amount for the same flat. So Barcelona was I guess okay. But that's around 60K pesos every month. Definitely way above my pay grade in Manila, but considering other European cities are even more expensive, Barcelona seems to be a great option for economically-challenged-developing-country-dwellers like Filipinos aspiring for first-world business education. 

ordinary night in Barca
So besides nice "cheap" flats, what else is interesting about Barcelona? It's filled with culture. And by culture I mean not just Gaudi and his La Sagrada de Familia church and Park Guel, not just the remnants of the 1992 Olympics, not just the beach (dubbed the best beach city by the National Geographic), not just architecture. Not just form, but more importantly the substance. I heard the parties and events are just sick. Music festivals, sports!!,! street dancing, parties!!!. I also want to learn how to play the Spanish guitar. 

I was excited to get around the city while driving a "moto," riding a bike, or taking the bus (like in most European cities, the moto is the best way to travel around the city with style). I imagine VickyCristinaBarcelona every time I day dream about how I wanted to explore the city during the first few months of my stay in Barcelona. Of course, I wouldn't mind having Scarlett Johansson show me around. I want to stroll down those brick-laden streets and eat some tapas en vino. Bocadillo y pollo. I heard the climate is not that harsh. And Spanish girls are also something. In parties.

Learning Spanish for my MBA should be easy since we Filipinos are exposed to many Spanish words everyday. And I earned a total of 12 units of Spanish language courses back in college, so I felt confident that I can adjust pretty well with the challenges of the tongue. That's until I found out that Barcelona speaks Catalan, which is more French than Spanish-sounding. Great. I bet it's going to be a struggle during the first few months. 

IESE Business School was ran and developed by guys from Harvard themselves. Top notch professors, case-studies that are hard to crack, personalized and mentorship approach to education, a very global mindset---these recipes are music to my ears. And IESE was by far my first choice for an MBA education. (other choices are INSEAD, HKUST, USC, UCLA, Chicago Booth). The city should be exactly what it was advertised to be. Admittedly in hindsight, my MBA in Barcelona would really have been great. In fact, I bet it would be awesome. The best business education in one of the best European cities, booze, culture, a mash of different people. What more can I ask for?

Barcelona would have been awesome. But staying and working here ain't bad either. No sighs. No regrets. What can I say, I still think Makati is the best city and the Philippines is the best country in the world. Because my whole life is here. And I wouldn't have it anywhere else.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Of buses, beauty queens, and 21 grams

At any given time, we always count how much we've won and how much we've lost (especially if you're a self-confessed economist). It's easy to count earnings and winnings if you're talking about money or practically everything. But why is it so hard to count the losses? Because at the end of the day, we can't quantify it. We just wish we never lost anything. 


So many events happened in the last 168 hours. Worked for 60. Slept for 40. And what happened in between I try to measure to recount if I gained or lost something. And one look in the mirror says that I've gained a lot in the past few weeks. Weight, that is. Losing this is probably something I'd be happy about. But we all know we gained and lost much more valuable things in the last week than flab and fats. 


For the optimists, the good news is the economy grew by 7.9% in the second quarter of this year, above all consensus and economists estimates. And contrary to what PNoy argued ranted about in his first SONA last month, GMA did need to front-load all the spending needs of the government during the first few months of this year to boost the economy. Even the prophet of boom conveyed that "it would be a sin if GMA didn't do that in the first place." And we all have to thank GMA for a job well done, but "spending millions and millions in a single district in Pampanga" is another story. The market rejoiced at the robust GDP showing, a pleasant surprise for us. And it's up to PNoy and his minions to sustain this kind of momentum. 


I don't know whether to consider Venus Raj's anti-climactic ending to the Ms. Universe campaign as a "major-major" victory for us or a "major-major" shortcoming. The entire thing was filled with drama like a telenovela when Ms.Philippines was called last in the top15-10-5. The gorgeous (but a little exotic for my taste) Venus stole the show up until one of the Baldwin brothers was tasked to ask the ill-fated question that caught our bet off-guard. It was obvious by the classic deflection maneuver--thanking Mr. Baldwin for the question and addressing the crowd. (for the record, I am all for Ximena Navarrete as Ms. Universe. just wow.) But at the end of the day, it was a warm feeling that Venus ended up in the Top5--the highest since 1999 when Miriam Quiambao fell on stage and actually bagged the first runner-up title. For the record, many people feel Ms. Quiambao also faltered in the Q&A portion which begs the question: are Filipinas cut out for impromptu Q&As and speeches? (maybe this is why it's sometimes so hard to get straight answers from girls generally when asked about.... oops never mind)


But what really shocked me during the past seven days was the sudden and tragic demise of another beauty queen, Melody Gersbach. I was never close to Mel but I am around many people who were practically sisters with Mel, and I know many people value her friendship so much. We are in the same DWTL community and for what it's worth we really just lost gained an angel. This is what I am talking about. We really can't quantify how much we've lost especially if it's (or in this case, she's) something(/one) dear to our hearts. The WWJD family offered mass for Mel, and I was--as well as a lot of people-- holding back tears as we sing One Bread and Kaibigan for Mel one last time. Also almost cried when the eulogies were read. I can never understand why something like this happens, but I know as much as you do that everything happens for a reason. God has plans for us and those left to drift the earth for years more must move on and make the best of it. I'm sure Mel had the time of her life, and she lived the 4th day to the fullest. "I never said it would be easy, I just said it would be worth it." Basta ikaw, Mel.


I have nothing but hatred for bus drivers who think they can rule the road, take your lanes, and care about nothing but themselves. So many tragedies involving buses that I am starting to think that driving alongside buses might be as fatal as having a heart attack or an aneurism. 41 died in a bus crash about 10 days ago, who knows how many more died in five-or-so bus accidents I read about earlier this week. Someone please teach those reckless drivers a lesson! Mel did nothing wrong. And most accidents happen because no one but the bus driver made a reckless (and should be avoidable) mistake. geez.


Speaking of buses, 8 people died in a highly-televised 14-hr hostage taking by an ex-cop of a tourist bus. I can't even begin to describe how awful the whole situation was. It's too painful to watch, and we not just lost tourists, but potential tourists, a good and working relationship with HK and China, image, jobs for OFWs, and a lot more. The only winner in this fiasco was the so-called "free" media, who by all means catapulted us into CNN and CNBC fame while giving us an exhibit of "responsible" journalism. And where are all the celebrities and politicians who could have been there to salvage the situation and offer some "star-striking" power to the shutter-island-bound ex-cop? I bet if this hostage-taking happened before the May10 elections, it could have donned another ending. Oh well, lesson learned (I hope). And sorry, no tears or Q&As or hearings can bring those things we lost to justice. 


So how much really have we gained? How much have we lost? In 168 hours, we gained some. We lost some. That's the deal right? We can never explain how much really. One of my favorite movies of all time, 21Grams sums it all up. And I quote Sean Penn as Paul Rivers:


How many lives do we live? How many times do we die? They say we all lose 21 grams... at the exact moment of our death. Everyone. And how much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost? When do we lose 21 grams? How much goes with them? How much is gained? How much is gained? Twenty-one grams. The weight of a stack of five nickels. The weight of a hummingbird. A chocolate bar. How much did 21 grams weigh?  


Really, life may be worth 21 grams. To friends and families of Mel, and all the victims of bus accidents, and the hostages of that ill-fated bus, 21 grams cannot be measured. I wish it is easy to quantify but in the end some things are just priceless. Some things we really can't afford to lose. 


For me, screw the flab and fats. I'd gladly gain 100x 21grams anytime if it means bringing back those lives. If it means recouping all those losses.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

TV shows galore

What's your favorite past-time? With the workweek over (it went by so fast that I can't even recount/remember what happened chronologically in between) and me having this inkling that I should have a well-deserved rest--or better yet, vacation--to practically recharge myself and have fresh thoughts for  my work, I resort to watching TV and playing campaign missions on the worldwide phenom strategy game StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. Caveat: might be pathetic for some, but I do enjoy how strategy games make me think, and probably lead me to out-of-box solutions. But that's just me.


So on to the not so childish good stuff.


It's saturday again and I can't help but enjoy the time to catch up on movies, books, and TV shows. Out of sheer curiosity (or boredom, depending on how you look at it) I thought of listing down all the TV shows I loved for the past decade and write down why I loved them. It's just amazing because they reflect how I think and what tickles my imagination (no pun intended). So here are the TOP10 TV shows I love. For the record, and (insert sarcasm here:) without any bias, you should try seeing them too.


10. Grey's Anatomy - okay, a lame way to start the countdown since this one is all-drama. Some funny instances but not all that good as a whole if you're not looking for heavy-saturday night tear "jerk time" (again, no pun intended but if you think there is I don't really care and good for you). Meredith Grey is full of quotable quotes about love, life, career, future and every serious and probably boring guys would love to hear. This TV show is for the clingy types, the bookworms and the full-metal jacket emotional people who just love to indulge in self-reflection and dreamy life thinking. Sadly, I am was like that.


9. Heroes (season 1) - ordinary people discovering that they have extraordinary abilities like controlling metals, x-ray visions, regeneration, flight, god-like strength, and my personal favorite: controlling the space-time-continuum? SIGN ME UP. Heroes was very promising at the start, and I really like feeling like Spiderman/Peter Parker (who btw sports a new actor) every time I see those bunch of guys coming in together to survive the world that grows to hate them everyday. Unfortunately though, after a strong first season (season 2 was highly mediocre, and season 3 was just plain crap) this franchise never really delivered within expectations. But I do love the concept because it stirs us into believing we can be special in a way--and this would likely be a plus for us if we reach for our dreams.


8. CSI - Las Vegas is admittedly the best CSI but I've grown to love Miami and NY as well. The story lines were always perfect, and Grissom (LV) was always entertaining (I haven't got time to watch Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Langston but something tells me no one should replace Grissom). His character is really something. But so is H (Miami) played by David Caruso. His demeanor has sarcasm written all over, and I love it. Mac (NY) played by veteran Gary Sinise is also good. But what struck me the most is the unique theme/lighting/hue for each CSI spinoffs. LV is predominantly green, Miami is orangy-red, and NY is blue. You can see the difference watching all three. That is character. Well, with Jerry Bruckheimer at your back, everything should be great.


7. Friends - some people might actually feel offended with me placing Friends so low into this countdown. I won't argue. Many people think Friends is "the" comedy series of our generation (or in this case, more the generation before me). It is. 10 seasons of nonstop fun and crazy-ness. The fab sitcom is your laid-back show that doesn't make you think too much but is just down-to-earth funny. It makes you watch episodes all over and you won't get bored. It's something worth 10hours of marathon watching on a lazy weekend (I know I did that). I give credit to the scriptwriters, this TV show never, even for a heartbeat, lost its wind.




6. Entourage - Vincent Chase and the A-list life on Hollywood. Thank you Mark Wahlberg for this. Your typical boyhood dreams all in one show. What else would you ask for? The Entourage is every bachelor's nirvana--money, cars, fame, and girls, girls, girls (and not relationships?). But of the entourage, I see myself in E the most. I'm the serious guy, the all business, the marrying type; not to mention he's got taste on women (hehe). Entourage is for the boys and rightfully so. They're funny, screwed up, and just plain pathetic. And that's hilarious.


5. Lie to me - I must admit, I'm for the idea that being sarcastic, smart, reckless, and downright straightforward (I just described three directions here) is raunchy. Cal Lightman played by the great Tim Roth is that guy and unfortunately I am not even close to being like him. Most people don't know what this series is--at least I haven't met anyone recently who is even remotely informed of this series--what this is about. But I am currently addicted to this. The bread and butter of this series is exactly what the title says--LIE TO ME. It's about deception experts trying to make a living helping the government, institutions, billionaires and businessmen, and even ordinary people about the truth. They see it in your eyes, your smile, your body language, your tweaks, your jerks, your nonchalant attitude, involuntary responses...practically everything. Isn't that awesome?


4. Big shots - a wildcard here and basically the story is about 4 "big shot" mid-30s executives (CEOs in fact) screwing up their lives in every move they make. This is prolly the older version of Entourage except this is about CEOs really on the top of their games--not some bunch of parasites. If you haven't heard of this series I don't blame you, the network only aired 10 episodes before calling it quits in the middle of the writers' crisis in 2008. This was one of the casualties. There's not much to expect on the story line since it's also straightforward... just having fun while contemplating on the thought that someday I'll be a CEO too.


3. How I met your mother - this is a no brainer. The dudes in HIMYM are all awesome. The script was good and the cast were hilarious. Barney Stinson is THE bro. Marshall is your Napoleon Dynamite, only better, bigger, and wiser. Robin is hot and crazy (I don't know if this is a good combination or not). Lily is your big sister in the group, and she's crazy too. Ted is just pathetic. Some people would think that HIMYM can never replace Friends (well, I concede, both have the same plot and sometimes punchlines but hey, it's not the 90s anymore). For me, HIMYM cannot be compared to Friends even if the similarities are striking. For me, this series brings it. In fact, currently looking forward to next season.


2. Lost - one roller coaster ride. It ended this year with a bang. All the anomalies, the questions, the hype---all of those ended abruptly with most puzzles left unsolved. That's the point really. The concept is scary but this series makes us think a lot about everything, every single detail. This series has the "hook" and every fan knows that it gets frustrating and gratifying at the same time. The beauty of this series lies on the fact that most plots, subplots, and repercussions are open for interpretation. Some people even joke that "this series LOST me at hello." "I got LOST in space." "LOST and never found." (ok, the last one is just me) The point is, the series isn't for everybody. But if you like stirring those brain juices every now and then, better take a second look at probably one of the best-mind-boggling (literally) series of all time.


1. House, MD - when asked about the best series I've watched (and I know I haven't watched that much), I have a straight answer. It's Gregory House, MD. For me the plot----read: misery+brilliance----is very compelling. House is not an idiot, he's just sometimes deranged, sarcastic, nosy, arrogant, and most of the time a pain in the butt, and he's the only one who can fix you. He's surrounded by caring friends who are in it not because they don't have a choice, they just cared so much about House. Superb script, great mix of cast. I do have a soft heart for amazingly arrogant but brilliant bastards who are not loved by others looking from afar but really admired by those who actually know them. House is that guy, and he saves lives in the process of constantly screwing up his own. Genius.


Possible runner-ups: Gossip Girl, Criminal minds, The OC, One tree hill (I know, I'm pathetic and young that time), Prison break (season 1)


Possible but haven't watched: 24, Glee, Dexter, Arrested Development, Chuck, Big Bang Theory


That's it for now, and I am psyched up to watch the new Lie to Me episode I just downloaded earlier. Please don't shoot me if you somehow disagree with this list. Create your own blog if you feel strongly about it. Take it easy now. :) Stinson out!