Succulence here, there, and everywhere.

I remember hearing her songs on the radio and watched her on MTV when I was still a kid. Of course, like other children, I didn’t know much about her and just knew she was a popular celebrity in the US. Growing up, I heard her pepper the airwaves with songs whose titles I don’t even know by heart. But I knew they were great songs performed with so much passion, fervor, and elegance. Her voice flowed through the airwaves just as how every great performer would (and should) do.

While most people grew up with Michael Jackson and maybe the Beatles in the background, I grew up with Whitney’s music. The occasional top charters, the strong association with the Bodyguard, and her jarring and very well talked about battle with relationships and drugs make her one of my top of mind names of artists to even leave an impression so lasting that even though her songs are left without titles in my mind I feel sadness for what the world lost but I keep dearly in my childhood memories.

It’s like losing an aspect of your past that while they linger there, you realise they’re no longer somewhere out there and that you will no longer see nor hear them. Not now, not anymore, not ever again.

So long, Whitney. Thank you for leaving me one of my most favourite songs of all time.

R.I.P. Whitney Houston 1963-2012.

Dear Lord, 

 
Thank you for this wonderful year. 
 
You make all greatest things possible, and I thank you for giving me a fraction of it. Thankful forever for all the blessings you have given me and my family, my friends, and colleagues.
 
Thank you for giving us challenges that make us better people.
 
Thank you for the life you have given me and to all those around me and those whom I do not know yet.
 
Thank you for a life that only you make so succulent through others, through the world, through my everyday living.
 
Thank you for giving the world brilliant, creative, very sharp people. 
 
Thank you for giving me a chance to be good and live life succulently.
 
Thank you for loving parents, a loving life-partner, caring family, wonderful friends and teammates.
 
Thank you for giving us the ability to engineer, design, create.
 
Thank you for giving us life.
 
I dedicate my 2011 and 2012 to you. 
 
I love you. Every new year is a year dedicated to you.
 
Humbly,
 
Pao

I have been very busy these past few weeks, unbelievably busiest than ever before. On top of the full official work schedule and many things to do are ‘other’ things that require the same level of attention to detail and actual manual labour, ie. the massively successful first-ever IMMAP Open Mic Night and the recently concluded fun, alcoholic and insightful Ad Congress 22 in CamSur. Both these events would have called for individual blog posts but, as they say, that moment has passed.

But that is not an excuse to stop typing my thoughts; in fact, I missed it, but time and energy just didn’t permit words to come to this blog. At least if only for a time.My thing with thanksgiving since I am Filipino is that the spirit of giving thanks for me is livelier and much more climactic on Christmas and New Year’s Day simply because it is a great feeling to end and start a new year with. So every year-end I write or do something to give thanks to everyone who made that year possible through the difficulties and joys of being. Actually, not just ‘made possible’ but also for those who made it an awesome year.

This year, however, I find myself wanting to write a string of thanks even on Thanksgiving Day (in my case, +1 day after) simply because this year presented me a lot of changes, challenges, and great milestones both in my personal and professional lives. 

That said, I have so much to be thankful for this early on, way ahead of my scheduled year-end post.

Let me start by thanking destiny, fate and the One for allowing my destiny to take place in my career. It was a difficult decision I had to make. I loved and still love Globe, but I gave in to the call of change in direction. That decision to leave Globe and join an ad agency (Leo Burnett) wasn’t easy at all given the circumstances: I built a team of highly competent digital marketing experts from the ground up, people from which have become my real friends beyond work… people I care so much about. Turning my back at them to say that I am moving forward was difficult to do. But at the same time it gave me a good feeling about how much more they could grow then that they were already on their own poised to do great stuff without – though temporarily – a leader.

For this I thank my Globe team for allowing me to move on and learn things only change could give. It was hard to leave them behind, but I know it would help everyone to grow bigger, fiercer, better through new opportunities, windows of perspectives.

In the same manner, I thank my new team at Leo Burnett where I face new challenges, new perspectives to take and learn from, new horizons to seize. It was not immediately easy doing digital marketing that is fundamentally the same as what I did back in Globe but different now in terms on which side of the desk I was on. But time allowed me to grow into it together with my team whom I’ve quickly learnt to understand, nurture, and appreciate. They cannot be compared to how my team was before — different personalities, different stories, different talents, different potentials. After downing how many Maker’s Marks, Malibus and Big Ass beers… we’ve bonded beyond the scope of the typical JOs and briefs we receive. Through all the difficulties, this team was able to rise above and are well destined to be the ones to change the face of digital in Leo Burnett. Together with them, I learn a lot about this new craft I have yet to master; but through it all, I see winners on our side of the fence.

This year also marks so many milestones I only fancied about before… this I think I have to thank people who left their identities anonymous except for a few who got me engaged on what I secretly really wanted to work on.

Late last year, I became a first time director at IMMAP… I fancied being on its board, secretly so but the opportunity came with a nomination to be a director. Voting happened and I got in. I loved it because I felt that I could contribute more to this industry where my mouth is, to do things in big ways that could help shape other people’s view of the digital practice. For this, I thank the people who nominated and got me into the board this year. Through that trust (I dare not dabble with politics because I only love doing things for their own good sake not for politics’ sake), I was able to help shape which by far is the biggest and most positive digital Summit and the massively successful IMMAP Open Mic Night. It’s hard juggling office work and industry work together and even saying those two in the same sentence without gasping for more air, but because the people I work with outside work are fun, insightful, big time experts much could be learned from, it was possible. I don’t really give a damn about what people have to say, but I love what I do and I thank those who have become instrumental to actually making things happen and generate positive results. (I cannot be dragged by sheer politicking based on unfounded, pedestrian rumour-mongery.)

If there’s one thing I absolutely love about this year is my realisation that nothing could go wrong if you are truly passionate and persevering about doing that things you love. That’s what moves generations, shapes the face of the earth, and changes mindsets for the good.

Above all these, I thank my family who though I don’t get to be with everyday I know loves me and wishes me well. Our silence in the family, particularly on just one side of the equation, is deafening but that is no reason for me to go astray or to hate or to feel numb about. I know there is love in each of us, we just have to find it back and live it.

I thank my sister, Ellaine, for constantly making us feel your love through your thoughtfulness and sweetness. Your children are your most visible achievements and for that and all that you are, know how proud I am of you and what you have done to your life, love and family.

The two most important people in my life deserve the most premier of spots, the finale:

Thank you Mum for being there for me and Rhex (and Bobby!) every day never failing to show your love through everything you do. You are indeed my truest, my most superlative (double!) of best friends. Thank you for the warmth of your embrace and kiss before I go to work and when I get home tired from it all. Always, I promise to take care of you and I will keep that promise.

Thank you, Moitie, for yet another fantastic year with you! Never a dull day even when one of us is not feeling well, or when we’re both tired… this love has made us grow together in very fun and yet profound ways never making our relationship taxing or a chore. Thank you for all your understanding, patience, and affection that never fail to soften even my hardest of mood swings. You make it light because you’re one funny partner only others could wish for. Thank you for love, sweetness and understanding that makes everyday and every moment happy. Thank you, Moitie! 365.26 ad infinitum.

It has been a great year so far and I look forward to the next…. thanks to the brilliant, loving, soulful, passionate people in my life. Thank you, thank you.