ANNAlysis

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, traveling would be it. Go to a new continent and explore your own backyard. Carry the proverbial Philippine flag proudly wherever you go. Traveling will show you how much you know and how much you have yet to learn.

Germany, January 2012

Losing your job could be the best thing that could happen to you, if you choose to see it that way. The more time you spend with the wrong job means less time with the right one. Sharks can be your officemates, dive guides your mentors, and the sea your office.

Photo by Klaus Stiefel

It’s not the number of conferences you go to and funders you meet. What matters more is how you use those connections and funds to serve the people.

Make friends with people you wouldn’t normally make friends with. They might be your next best friends.

With Lynn and Pie in Davos, Switzerland, January 2012

As your network expands, keep your oldest friends closer. They loved you before the titles and awards, when your socks were too high and you hadn’t discovered eyebrow threading. They will keep your feet planted firmly on the ground.

With Mikki in Hong Kong Disneyland, February 2012

With Donna, Ma, and Abet in Skye, December 2012

There’s politics in every work environment. People will judge and people will talk. Put your earphones on and focus on doing an excellent job. Work harder than anyone you know. Submit on time. Rehearse and time your presentations. Don’t just prove them wrong, prove yourself right too.

Don’t gloat about how tired you are and how much sleep you lack like it’s a badge of honor. It’s disgusting.

Your dreams and ambitions can be overwhelming. You will get panic attacks and doubt your capabilities. Breathe. Fear reminds you that you are on to something important. But do not wait for conditions to be perfect. The only way to begin is to begin.

TEDxKatipunan: Modern Day Revolutionaries, June 2012

Evaluate the professional and personal growth that work can offer you. Do not be afraid to say no to certain opportunities. Really. It’s not going to make you look weak. Choose a few things that you can excel at, as opposed to many things you can be mediocre at.

Don’t ever let corporations and politicians turn your advocacies into commodities. Money is just money; it can be earned and raised. Reputations take years to build. Your principles should never have a price tag.

Collaborate.

Take your vitamins, drink more than 8 glasses of water a day, and engage in physical activity. Wear paraben-free sunscreen everyday.

Read.

Enjoy being single. It doesn’t equate to being lonely. Flirt, date, and tease. (And use protection, please.)

Commit only when you’ve gotten to know someone who makes you understand the term “better half.” Relationships are complicated–that’s why there’s no “in a simple relationship” option. They need work. Swallow your pride every now and then. Learn to say sorry and learn to forgive.

Maintain independence. Whatever your boyfriend/girlfriend can do for you, you must be able to do on your own. Just much better.

Fill your life with music. Make several playlists that will serve as soundtracks to your moods and phases: Chill, Good Vibes, Kill Yourself Senti, Angsty, Roadtrip, Dance On Top of the Table, and Karaoke Queen. Share these playlists. People should never be selfish with good music.

Laugh a lot, especially at your failures.

Keep banging your head on the wall. The wall will break eventually.

And trust me on the traveling.

The 2011 version
The 2010 version
The 2009 version

Original lyrics of “Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen.”

I have been a loyal user of tampons since I was in 4^th year high school. To those who have hesitations about trying tampons, don’t worry—it’s completely understandable. I first tried a brand that didn’t have an applicator, which was very uncomfortable. Then I discovered Playtex Gentle Glide tampons a few months later and committed completely (which is more than I can say for my personal relationships…) It has a plastic applicator which makes it easier to use. Discovering the advantages of using tampons was one of those “Once you go tampons, you never go back to pads” moments. I’ve always had an active lifestyle, which means that my period needs to be the least of my worries (BASTA MAY PERIOD, HA!). With Playtex Gentle Glide tampons, it was much easier to do cheering routines (yes, I was a cheerleader in high school haha) and perform in musicals because I didn’t have that gross bulky, diaper-y feeling that I had with a napkin. And because the tampon is inserted, there are fewer chances for leaks (or what we call “tagos” in Filipino). My schedule is always bursting with different activities, and before I switched to tampons, I would always forget to change my napkin. Ugh. I remember using whatever I could find to cover my behind—a large bag, a jacket, or walk in an awkward angle so that my butt faces the wall. True story!

The stock beside my bathroom sink

I appreciated Playtex Gentle Glide tampons even more when I got into swimming and scuba diving. One of the biggest reasons why I got into marine conservation and waste management was because I saw napkins 80 feet underwater during a cleanup dive. I haven’t seen a tampon (so far). Also, whenever I go to the beach with my friends and someone says she has her period, I throw her a tampon or two so they won’t have an excuse not to join us. Sobrang hassle to look for a bathroom in the middle of a beach just to change napkins! Or if you don’t get to find one, I would imagine it would feel heavy because the napkin would absorb seawater. It would also probably feel like you’re parting the Red Sea in between dives without anything down there.

It used to be very difficult to find tampons in Manila. I would ask relatives and friends from the US of A to buy Playtex tampons for me in bulk to bring home in June (start of their summer) or December (holiday season). Now they’re available in leading supermarkets and personal care stores. My go-to store is PCX in Alabang Town Center or Makati Supermarket. I drop by once a month or once every two months to stock up. My “kikay kit” always has a couple for emergencies.

I have successfully “converted” some of my friends into making the switch by giving them a pep talk. No joke. First of all, tampons CANNOT get lost in your vagina. They just can’t. They don’t disappear. If you’ve heard of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), don’t worry too much because it’s VERY rare and curable. Tampons also DO NOT “devirginize” you, no matter what your conservative tita/lola says.

Wow, I didn’t realize how passionate I was about tampons until I was invited to write about this! This may be a sponsored post, but trust me when I say everything I’ve written about Playtex tampons is true. It’s been a great 7-year relationship. I hope you have a chance to try it, because it’s bound to make your life easier whenever that time of the month rolls around :)

The World Economic Forum Global Shapers Manila Hub is set to open at least 12 libraries this year as our flagship project. We are scheduled to open our first library at the Philippine Heart Center on May 11. Our friends at the Philippine Heart Center can’t engage in strenuous activities, so the best way to keep them entertained and let them go places is through books, books, and more books! AHHHHH SO EXCITING!!!!!

We are going to have a volunteer day activity on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, so we can start sorting the books and decorating the library. Would you like to join us? If you have questions or would like to confirm your participation, email us at wefshapersmanila@gmail.com or text us at +63947-259-1802.

Since I posted the entry “Global Shapers Book Drive” on March 19, we’ve received an overwhelming amount of support from friends, family, and complete strangers. My friend Raina, occupational therapist extraordinaire, organized a book drive in the clinics she teaches in. My former professor, Jeena Rani Marquez, sent us a copy of her book entitled, “Beyond Words: Pahiwatig ng Lambing.” This work of heart, as the title suggests, discusses the many ways we Pinoys express lambing. That’s one of my favorite Filipino words, and I love that it doesn’t have a direct translation in English.

My friend Kankan Ramos, chief doodler and all-around beauty/brains/benevolence idol of mine, also volunteered to decorate one of our walls. Here is a draft of the design inspired by “Oh, the places you’ll go!” by Dr. Seuss.

I can’t wait to see the large-scale, real life version of this!

I’ll be picking up more books around the metro next week when I’m back in Manila (e.g., Moonleaf on Maginhawa). Please let us know if you can donate books, bean bag chairs, rubber mats, or your time and talent. We welcome all kinds of skillzzzzz!

Books may be dropped off at the office in Everest Academy (3846 38th Drive North, Bonifacio Global City) or we can arrange for pickup in Quezon City, Ortigas, Makati, and Alabang. Just contact us at wefshapersmanila@gmail.com or +63947-259-1802.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In other news, here are the YouTube clips of the Global Shapers interview on ANC Headstart with Karen done on March 16. This is such a girl talk-ish interview with all the giggling! Lynn, Pie, and I had a crazy 6AM call time for hair and makeup, so Lynn and I slept over at Pie’s house. What is INSEPARABLE? We’ll all be together for the IMMAP Open Mic Night tomorrow. The two lovely ladies are speaking, while I’ll be facilitating.

The first physical feature that will strike you about Donna Shaw is her height–or, er, lack thereof. She stands a little below 5 feet (but 11PM onwards in Republiq or Skype, mga 5’3″). Next is her face. Meztisa, feminine, welcoming. Donns has modeled for several shops and shows.

We’ve known each other since rainbow-colored poodle clips kept her hair in place (i.e., 1996), but it wasn’t until college that we become inseparable. The term “best friend” doesn’t seem to stretch wide enough to describe the kind of relationship we have. “i carry your heart with me” by e.e. cummings is the recurring theme of our friendship, because Donna is compassion and empathy in human form. She radiates love. Sometimes I wonder how all those emotions can fit inside her.

Sharing news with her is like multiplying happiness and dividing pain. Tell Donns about your scholarship in London and she will scream and jump as if she got the scholarship too. Joke that your back pain is actually cancer and she will burst into tears. Inform her that you’re going on a First Date and she will tell you what to wear, down to, “And only put eyeliner on your TOP LIDS and lip gloss.” Introduce her to the guy you’re dating and she will threaten to either break his arm or castrate him if he hurts you, even if she’s about 13 inches smaller than he is (this is popularly known as The Great Wall of China move). Point out the girl your ex cheated on you with and she will turn livid and unleash her alter ego from the hood.

And as proven by our many trips and DVD nights together, she is a cuddler. Major cuddler.

She doesn’t see the need for special occasions to buy or make gifts for people who matter to her. I won’t be surprised if I find this board tacked on her wall someday:

Donna remembers little details you mention in passing, like your dream to have your own website. In a few months, she’ll text you to say she has been canvassing for a web developer and found the best one, just so you have no excuse to sit and wait.

I call her the Charlotte to my Carrie, because she turns cynics into hopers (e.g., ME) and Negatrons to Optimist Primes. As we fondly tell her each other, “How do I live if living is without you? …I don’t.”

Happy birthday, Bushka my Bushka :)

Shakespeare was on to something when he said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

On Thursday, the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) will stage the IMMAP Open Mic Night at Craft, the Fort Strip at 7PM where we speakers have 20 slides and a time limit of 20 seconds per slide. This means that our talk has to be signed, sealed, delivered in a short and sweet but powerful 6-minute and 40-second package. The keywords we were given to work with were Awesome, Viral, Success, Bits-and-Pieces, Rocks and Bulbs.

Just thinking about Thursday makes me feel like my heartbeat’s running away, beating like a drum and it’s coming your way (UY I LOVE THAT SONG TALAGA!). Why? Because the other speakers are:

Recent NYSE-lister, Groupon Philippines CEO and yoyo master Pat Cuartero,
Blogger, SMART Communications consultant, AIM lecturer, UNO magazine tech writer and editor Jayvee Fernandez
Globe Telecom social media manager, blogger and genius Coy Caballes
Musician, producer, educator, writer, television personality, workshop facilitator, and activist Jim Paredes
Blogger, philanthropist, new media advocate and online community organizer Jay Jaboneta
TV5 head of digital Carlo Ople
Founder, CEO and chief creative director of ad agency ideasXmachina Third Tres Domingo
Managing director, Chimes Digital Marketing Solutions and business director of Wunderman Chay Mondejar-Saputil
Google Inc. Philippines Country consultant Aileen Apolo-de Jesus
Founder and CEO of digital storytelling company Ripple 100 Andre Yap
Photographer, creative director of The Lighthouse Fashion Studio and AIDS/HIV awareness activist Niccolo Cosme
Managing director ABS-CBN Publishing Inc. Ernie Lopez
Celeste Prize Europe award-winning contemporary artist Nasser Lubay
Nestle’s top digital executive Ricky Baizas

And then there’s me. I’ll be the youngest speaker there, which is probably the capsule description of me in the site is “Yoda of the Youth and Environmental Empress,” which I liked because of the alliteration and assonance. Hehe.

Hosting IMMAP Open Mic Night is blogger, radio jock and host of TekTok TV, Vince Golangco

Free admission on Thursday, so I hope to see you there while I vomit my heart while speaking!