If you're going to get stuck watching TV here in the Philippines, I think you're going be quite surprised to find out that commercials would usually be much longer than the actual TV show that you're watching. But for us, it is now an acceptable fact of our daily TV viewing pleasure here - especially when there's a Pacquiao fight. On free TV, Pacmans fight are fully loaded with commercials from hog feeds to shampoos to energy drinks to politicians who uses public funds for their commercials to build up their images.
It could be also true to say that some of the commercials are much worth watching than the TV programs where it had appeared. I guess that's why some commercials are being actually embedded into the script of some primetime telenovelas. I bet you have noticed that one too especially that popular coffee brand.
In fact, our generation today is heavily bombarded with commercials. or advertisements. The billboards along our major thoroughfares are just one of the proof that businesses and companies are doing everything just to get hold of our precious pesos.
That is why more than ever, in this highly-commercialized world, we need to be vigilant and critical of what we see and hear from them. No matter how flashy or grandiose these commercials, we should always see whether there is still some truth in their ads and if there's an underlying message that is too dangerous for young minds to capture.
That's why I feel the need to have a special once in a blue moon segment here in my blog that I'm calling as Dissecting Commercials. A special segment that would try to look deeper in today's commercials - whether print, TV, radio or the internet.
And for my first offering, we're going to dissect the latest TVC of Globe.
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The first time I saw their ad, I knew that there's something wrong about it but I just cannot comprehend on that during that time. As you can see, that guy in blue jacket (well, blue is the 'official hue' of Globe) is being chased by what seems to me as a group of gangsters. Maybe that guy had passed by the gangsters' territory so they want to lay their hands on him.
Then he decided to 'make pa-Globe' (natawa ako sa isang ito, haha.. :D) at Aling Geena's store. I'm quite surprised that after a few seconds, lo and behold (my favorite phrase), more than 200 of his friends had suddenly appeared for help and they all retaliated by now chasing the 'guys in black' who had threatened their friend.
Then as the commercial ends, their 'leader' (I supposed it was their leader) had decided to 'make pa-Globe' too.
What's wrong with that? It kinda promotes more riots on the streets.
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This commercial had depicted a grim picture of most of us youth today: most of us are involved in riots. Lately, we have seen lots of news about teenagers engaged in deadly riots because of 'masamang tingin' or they had just passed by a gang's territory. Riots had never ended because they would always revenge against the other group for what they did.
Now through this latest commercial, we have found a new way to gather all our 'barkadas' to defend us or fight in another riot. The commercial never showed any scene where there's a riot going on. But the commercial is so suggestive.Come to think of it: how would a scene like that where hundreds of teenagers are chasing another group of teenagers end up and where the now chased teenagers have called for reinforcements?
But I guess, the catchy background music played throughout the commercial have toned down and make most of the viewers of this commercial desensitized from the underlying message it had shown. It made the whole commercial look like as something fun and cool. That's why we just accept as just one of the ordinary deceptive commercials we see everyday.
Hello EVERYONE! I'm still very grateful for all of you because I've won the 3rd SPOT in the FILIPINO BLOG of the WEEK by The Composed Gentleman. I am really grateful that I have been able to force you to vote for me, haha.. :D
Muli, hindi na ako mamimilit, haha.. :D I would just like to ask you to PLEASE CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR MY BLOG: PROJECT DENNIO under the heading Vote Here which can be found at his SIDEBAR. I'm really counting on your support. Thank you very much.
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This is a continuation of a previous post. If you haven't seen it, click here.
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I tried to hang on the last thread I had for the survival of my eight blogs (including the main site) but my efforts proved to be futile. Because of this, I had finally made a 'very heartbreaking' decision to just let go of the other blogs and reboot my blogging life all over again.
If you're going to view it now, it is in complete disarray. But when I was using that site, it was my masterpiece. I had attended to every single detail that it has. I made sure that every feature, add-on and links are working. It was also on this blog that I had made my first ever header image:
And of course, it contained my posts that I had painstakingly created.
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This blog reflected one of the major decisions I had made that year: to become an 'activist.' The header image would speak for itself. But ironically, I had only posted a few articles that talked about my views as a so-called 'activist.' It was just like my former blogs, it simply contained everything that I want to talk about.
But when the year 2008 came in, I started to write 'lots' of posts. Why? It was during these times that my life is starting to fall off. It was this blog that helped me to ease out the burden and sufferings I had been experiencing then.
It was also last year when I did a lot of things that I almost regret doing it. Why almost? Because I had a belief that even if it is 'my will that had been done,' that Guy up there still has something to do with it which I call as His Plan B. This Plan B would be very painful for us and Him to bear but nevertheless he allowed it to happen because He wants us to learn from it. And these things that I almost regret doing had inspired me further to write nice posts that received some praises and criticisms from my visitors.
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As I have mentioned earlier, I had only posted a few articles that would let you know of my 'activist' or 'leftist' leanings.
Until one day, after I had contemplated enough to 'leave' the 'national democratic struggle' as a pseudo activist, I had posted an entirely different article that would somehow contradict my 'former' activist leanings.It was some sort of a critique on what I call as the 'red army' here in the Philippines.
I did not expect that post to receive harsh comments from them - the hard-core activists.
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That single post had erupted into different arguments between me and them. At first, it was some sort of 'healthy exchange' of ideas and opinions. That would have been nice if it had not worsen into nasty personal attacks. If you had seen my Friendster and Multiply profile then, you would see how they lambasted me and called me names.
May isa pa nga sa kanila na sobrang minamaliit ang kakayahan ko na magsulat at nararapat lamang daw na magsulat ng mga artikulo na ang paksa ay tungkol sa mga Teletubbies.
But instead of retaliating, I just shrugged them off. Instead of backing off, I wrote two more aticles on that. Their attacks had just inspired me more to write about them.
They failed to understand that the 'critique' was not against them. If they'd just be reading it carefully, they'd find out that it was my way of suggesting so that their 'struggle' would succeed. But again, 'de-kahon kasi ang utak nila. Wala na tayo magagawa don.'
By the way, despite what had happened, I'd still be resurrecting those 'controversial' posts here very soon. :D
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That blog survived for more than a year. But after that, I had again decided to give my blog a 'refreshing look.' That time, I felt the need for it despite the fact that my life is now in ruin. This new blog served as my mask to hide all the pains I had. Just like what my visitor had commented - the past blog was too dark and gloomy unlike the new one which is filled with hope, life and dreams.
But they did not know that it was meant to hide the grim events that had unfolded since the start of the year. All the flashy images and colorful graphics are meant to veer away my visitors or friends from asking questions about me. I tried very hard to make them think of other things while they are visiting my blog.
Still, no matter how hard I've tried, it still reflected what had been happening to me during that time.
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At first, I tried to create 'relevant posts' for my blog. I was able to hold on to that in the first month. But as you can see my posts, none of them are really interesting. Aakalain mo na isang bangag ang sumulat nito. Walang direksyon. Walang tema.
Then the raging storm came. But before the storm came in, just like any other storm, there was a lull. For me, it was a momentary bliss that ended just too soon. I had not yet savored what happened.
Then, I got away for a month - the longest month I've ever had. It was a painful transition period. It was a time of accepting things that is yet to come.
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Then I came back a month later - still on that blog. I came with a new lease on life but still needs to undo lots of things that I've done. But, I'm not yet ready to go back to blogging. The events that had unfolded are just too overwhelming. I need to reconnect my soul with my body. Again, I went on 'hibernation.'
As I was slowly 'recovering' from the painful transition, one event had 'forced' me to go back to blogging.
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Well, I won't spill in the details here but it was about my 'love life.' *gasp* Yes. It was a broken heart that made me write again. It was tragic but just like what everyone says, 'there always opportunity in a crisis.' Lo and behold, that single tragic event awakened the poet in me.
I started to put up poems in my blog. If you're going to look at one here, you'll see that most of my poems that time are very dark and gloomy - like my past blog. Ang aking mga tula ay naging boses ng isang taong sobrang sawi at bigo sa pag-ibig. It was also my desperate attempt to win her back. Kumbaga, parang nagpapaawa ako sa kanya.
I know then that she's not reading my blog but that time I made sure she'd see it even through her Friendster profile. She did read it. She even texted me saying: 'parang puro tungkol naman sa akin lahat iyun eh..' Yes, I told her, it was all about you. I won't be adding more details to my tragic love story because I'd be putting that one up later.
After the dramatic turn of events, again, I stopped blogging.
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This time, I got busy with freelance writing again. I tried to clear my thoughts from her and decided to focus my energy into something productive. I tried to study hard again and do my job well. Going back to blogging was not one of my priorities.
But I guess, my 'calling' for this vocation cannot be ignored. But I cannot continue with that blog. It's just full of painful memories and I cannot go on carrying them all with me. I made my last post this year and decided to come up with a new one to help me pick up again my broken self.
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Thus, PROJECT DENNIO was born last May 1, 2009. My blogging life is still on after three years. And because my Photoshop went down yesterday, I cannot create a nice greeting for myself to proclaim my blogging anniversary.. :D Pagtitiisan ko muna ito. :)
J.D. LIM is now THREE YEARS OLD in the BLOGOSPHERE.
Muli, hindi na ako mamimilit, haha.. :D I would just like to ask you to PLEASE CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR MY BLOG: PROJECT DENNIO under the heading Vote Here which can be found at his SIDEBAR. I'm really counting on your support. Thank you very much.
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When I started blogging three years ago, my only purpose was to just spill out my thoughts and share my newfound love for writing. It served as my platform for what I wanted to tell everybody but didn't have the chance to. It instantly tagged along with my passion for writing. That would eventually set the stage for my adventures on the internet.
But before that, I started to know the existence of blogging during the summer of 2006 - just before I entered college. But because we don't have an internet connection during that time, I spilled out my thoughts by sending 3-part text messages to my classmates in elementary and high school.That's why I'm 'celebrating' my blogging anniversary on the 29th of May every year - the day I started to send 'spam messages' to their cellphones.
Siyempre, madami ang medyo naasar sa kakulitan ko sa text. May iba rin naman na natuwa (o napilitan lang matuwa. :D) Hanggang sa pumasok na ako sa college, ganun pa din ang gingawa ko. Until one day, a high school friend posted a bulletin in Friendster with a link to his blog. That single click, changed my life forever.
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After browsing through his nicely made blogsite, I finally decided to get started with this blog. It is a very simple blog filled with images grabbed from different websites. and of course filled with 'relevant content.' If you would see it, its looks cannot deny the fact that the one who created it is a noob in this field. Back then, I don't care much about the layout or the flashy add-ons that it needs to have. I was focused on creating nice 'posts' or 'articles. The topics I had are just anything under the sun - but most of them are about politics.
I have read recently my very first blog post and I found it very much 'idealistic'.It was filled with so much youthful idealism that is to be expected of a teenager who hadn't yet experience the so-called 'realities of life.' I was aware of that. But I decided not to give in to the 'realities of life' - until I experience it first hand years later.
A part of my purpose was not just about posting any article. It has to be something different and my visitors have something to get from it. Too idealistic eh? Maybe. But it is also a part of something that have been roused within me during the last few months of my stay in high school: the passion for truth.
But did that 'youthful idealism' I had have disappeared? Have I quenched that passion for truth? I can somehow proudly say that despite all of the 'misfortunes' that happened, and are still happening, it is still within me and would be completely evident in this blog.
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But after three months of blogging, I had a sudden realization - I need to have a better blog. Instead of editing my first ever blog, I decided to create a new one. Not really a new one but it was to give my blog a refreshing look. It was also during this time that I've finally learned a lot about blogging. All that editing templates, add-ons and all other stuff that would make my site look classy and sophisticated. I also tried to monetize my site using AdBrite (I haven't heard of AdSense then until last year.)
Aside from that, because of the overflowing rants and raves I had in my mind, I also decided to put up several blogs. But I think you'd be quite surprised to find out that I had put up seven different blogs - of course with different niche.
The first one was some sort of a 'shocking' blog; it was meant to shock my audience with something different.The second one was something about giving a different brand of education.The third one tried to serve as my online journal - and a great place where some of my 'enemies' have gathered information about me. The fourth one was intended to become my 'launching pad' in my bid to become the next president of the Philippines. (Hahaha.. :D And up to is STILL one of my ambtions. :D) The fifth one was some sort of an encouragement for us Filipinos to stay and help our nation. The sixth one was all about the environment - saving and preserving it.
Finally and definitely not the least, one of the remaining original blogs and the last of the several blogs that I had created and offered as gift to Mama Mary. This is a very special blog to me and its creation had been inspired by reading the Catholic magazine 'Know the Truth.' This blog would surely be 'resurrecting' in a few months time. This is the seventh one which is all about 'defending the Catholic faith'.
Back then, many had raised their eyebrows and asked me: why seven? Well, my purpose is that I collect the same articles with the same theme under one roof so that they could always expect the same articles or post from that blog. If you really want to know the story behind it, you might as well want to see it here.
But sadly, I wasn't able to manage the blogs well because our internet connection would just be installed on April 2009 - three years later.
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Despite what happened, it is on this 'renewal' that I had a received a very heartwarming email from someone whom I did not know that had inspired me to continue what I'm doing. But it was not the only email I got. I've got several of them whom had continually encouraged me to go on. These emails really touched me to the point that it almost made me cry.
Sadly, I had forgotten the password for my email account where they had sent their emails. I had no more way of thanking them but through this blog, hoping that they're still around and they would know how much grateful I am because after those three turbulent years of my life - I'm still here because of them.
Muli, hindi na ako mamimilit, haha.. :D I would just like to ask you to PLEASE VOTE FOR MY BLOG: PROJECT DENNIO under the heading Vote Here which can be found at his SIDEBAR. Thanks. :D
I'm just hoping that you'd still support me all the way even though I will not force you to, haha.. :)
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Here is the continuation of my week in review. :) (May 17-23, 2009)
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The second dream was quite nightmarish in type and the 'characters' in my dream involves me and my sister. We were fighting a devilish creature outside our window. The creature with very big, red eyes and two large horns at its head. The scene had happened inside our room (we share the same room). It was quite very short because all that I could remember was that it was trying to get inside our room and we are trying to ward it off using our pillows.
Then after some time, I decided to get the Bible I had on our bedside table (or it is not really a table because it contains all our toys, you know the freebies from the kiddie meals, haha.. :D). Then I let the 'monster' see it and it seemed to be scared but still is very persistent in trying to break in.
Then out of nowhere, my sister suddenly slapped the 'devilish creature' hard on its face and then suddenly disappeared.
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After I had those dreams, I was really sweating profusely. It also kinda bothered me and made me wonder why I had such dreams.
The first 'interpretation' that came into my mind for the first dream is it seems that I would be leading my family (or my parents) to danger. Hindi siguro panganib, baka sa sobrang kahihiyan.
Maybe it was one way of telling me that I still have that feeling that I brought my entire family into shame because I had been 'evicted' or 'expelled' from THE University of the Philippines. It was like I was running away from the war and instead of saving my family from the advancing enemy. I brought them in the enemy HQ.
Still, it could have other interpretations and I would like to know what do you think about it.
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On the second dream.I believe it is one way of saying that my sister can really do something extraordinary that she can literally save us from 'devilish creatures.' I believe she had been 'undervalued' by many people in the past. But being her 'kuya', I had so much belief in her that she got so much potential but she is just too shy or timid to show and use it.
Then something came into my mind. The two dreams were connected.
I unexpectedly brought in my family to shame. My sister would retrieve us from it in the most unexpected way.
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My company had almost 'crashed' this week. It almost went into 'bankruptcy.' I really need to learn a lot in 'running a company' and last week taught me lots of lessons. One, exert a little authority over your 'employees.' Two, read the instructions carefully. Last, be prepared for the worst.
As of now, I had been able to recover quite a bit from what happened. I just hope that everything would go well for the next few months. :)
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That's all for the 'week in review.' Haha.. Gulo ko. :D
At muli po sa ikalawang pagkakataon, ako po ay nominado para sa ika-162 week ng pa-contest na ito. I am AGAIN asking you to PLEASE VOTE FOR MY BLOG: PROJECT DENNIO which can be found at his SIDEBAR. Muli kong taos-pusong tatanggapin ang inyong suporta. Maraming salamat po. :D
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What a week I had. So many had happened. Yet so little creative juices are coming out of my mind that I can't share them to you. So I hope through this randomization of thoughts, I made my fair share.
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Sex scandals.What a nasty way to get famous. But I guess no one in his or her right mind, would use it or to be even just involved in one. Unless, they are so desperate that they'll do anything to make them shine.
Still on the recent controversial issue, I guess both parties would definitely not want such 'horrible acts' to be put on public display. One of which is a doctor whom I think would not be easy for him to give up almost a decade to become one and an actress who is getting known for her brilliant performance as an artist on TV and movies.
Signs of the times? Decadence? It could be. But this was not the first time that we saw a 'sex video scandal'. It's been around ever since the use of Internet exploded exponentially here in the Philippines.Ano pa nga ba ang bago rito?
It had just become a national issue because a certain 'vice-presidentiable wannabe' made a privileged speech on this matter and the people involved are celebrities.
I guess it won't happen if a certain 'Kalye Onse Sex Scandal' would pop up in the internet that involves a girl who been made drunked by a group of gangsters and was gang raped on a street called as Kalye Onse. I doubt if that wannabe would make such a stand in defense of this 'unknown' girl.
Tsk. We are now seeing desperate moves by our 'honorable' politicians to make themselves known to the public.
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Last Thursday, my parents celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. I'm really happy that despite all that they've been through, their bond is stronger than ever. I'm still lucky to have wonderful parents like them.
I'm still lucky that despite of the so-called 'practicality' of giving up the marraige by filing for annulment or legal separation because of so-called 'irreconcilable differences', they chose to 'reconcile' those differences and show how much they really love each other.
I just hope that many parents would act this way. Lalo na iyung mga ngayon pa lang nagpapakasal na naghihiwalay agad dahil lang sa hindi nila 'ma-take' ung paraan ng pag-nguya ng asawa nila ng pagkain. Grow up, hindi na kayo bata.
June is coming up. I'm sure a lot would be tying-up thier knots next months Just please remember before you go walk down the aisle, once you marry that person you REALLY love, you take everything about him or her. You cannot choose what qualities of that person that you would like him or her to bring inside your marraige. It is always a package deal.
To my Mama and Papa (Mr. Denny Lim and Mrs. Milagros P. Lim), sana po mas maging masaya at matibay pa ang pagsasama nating pamilya. At kahit ano pa ang mangyari, hindi tayo bibitaw sa Kanya.
More on the 'family' and 'love' thing next month. :D
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Dreams. Most people say they are windows to our soul. It shows our hidden desires, our frustrated ambitions or our real self. Some would even say that it could foretell the future. It could be a good one or nigtmarish. Some would even say that they fulfill our hopes that could never happen in reality.
In the past 19 years of my life, I've had several vivid dreams that I could still remember today. One of which is that 'alien invasion dream' wherein I and my sister are the only remaining people on earth that had not been infected by some sort of alien control and we tried to fought them discreetly. Sadly, I had not finished my dream and did not know if we had been able to save mankind.
Anyway, my dreams last Wednesday (May 20) were very peculiar. First, I had never had two different dreams in a day. (Although some experts would say that we actaully have ten dreams while we are sleeping but could only remember one or two.) Second, I had never had dreamt while taking an afternoon nap. It was the first time it happened to me. Third, the person that was missing in my first dream appeared on my second dream.
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The first dream I had was about an imminent war. Together with my relatives and family, we had evacuated to a market place. On the top floor of the market to be exact. I just don't know why that 'palengke' has several floors in it. It even looks like a mall but the aura of the place was just like a typical public market here in the Philippines.
So there were chit chats. I could not remember exactly what we had been talking about but I'm very much sure that it wasn't about the war. Then someone shouted from below that the 'Hapon' are coming. So everyone rushed out of the place including us to go somewhere else. But as me and my family are walking out, I was quite surprised to see that it was not the 'Hapon' who had come but 'Bumbays.' (without the negative connotation of the term, just a way to describe how they look like.)
They stopped us and told us to follow them. One of the soldiers pointed his gun at my head and keep on pushing us. Then we were lead to a nearby building which is like their headquarters. Then what is quite unsual is that it is relatively empty and looks like an office building. So they led us to the basement and I had forgotten what sign that the door had. So they left us and a man that looks like a diplomat (he is wearing an Amerkana. I don't know the English term for that) and started to interview us.
Again, what was quite unusual with that dream is that my relatives are gone and from the very beginning, my sister was not in my dream - yet she appeared on the second dream.
As of this moment (12:32 A.M.), I'm currently at the fourth place and is now 42 votes away from the first one, so please, as you finish reading my post, please vote for me. I'd really be grateful. And if you think I really deserve it, do grab my button which can be found at the sidebar and help me promote my site. Thank you very much and may God bless us all! :)
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Here we are again. Before, we have the biscuits named Filipino(s), then we have that dictionary entry that defines Filipinos/Filipinas as domestic helpers, then we have dancing maid on a TV show and then we have Mr. Tsip Chao calling us a nation of servants. Now we have Mr. Baldwin tagging our dear Filipinas as mail order brides.
It seems that we are becoming a common target nowadays for racial slurs by foreigners who does not understand what it is to be a Filipino.
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On the other hand, isn't it also time for us to look at ourselves on the mirror? Have we been racists too?
I would not mind that much if we have thrown some discriminating remarks or jokes about foreign nationals. Admit it, we've got tons of prejudices for Intsik, Bumbay or Hapon. Even by how we call them is discriminating itself. We presume all Intsiks to be 'kuripot.' We presume all Bumbays do 5-6 or does not take a bath. I don't have in mind now what we presume about the Hapons but I'm sure there's one. These prejudices have been deeply embedded in our minds that once we saw one, we immediately pre-judged them.
So isn't just bad karma for us?
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But what is worse is that even among ourselves, we are racists too.
We discriminate one another and feel superior to others. The Tagalogs see the Bisayas as dirty and does not have good manners. The 'civilized' Filipinos see tribal Filipinos as uncultured and barbaric. We tag our Ilokano brothers as kuripot. We see our Muslim brothers as war-freaks and should be avoided. The 'white' Filipinos feel superior over the 'brown' and 'black' Filipinos. The 'matangos' Filipinos deride the 'pango' Filipinos. The 'educated' Filipinos look down on the poor because they are 'uneducated.'
That's just a few examples of how racists are we. I believe we have thousands of these that are resting in our minds - waiting for the right time to spit it out against ourselves.
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I am not saying here that such remarks made by other nationalities against us should be shrugged off. I believe we should ask for an apology for that guy named Alec Baldwin. We should teach him a lesson so that others would not follow what he did.
But aren't we supposed to be angry with ourselves? We have let ourselves to live on prejudices against others - our fellow Filipinos whom we should be loving and serving. It is really sad to hear our fellow Filipinos being ridiculed in our daily conversations and being lambasted because of their so-called 'kakulangan'.
Bago natin punahin ang pagkakamali ng iba, mas maganda siguro na siguraduhin muna natin na hindinatin iyon ginagawa.
As of this moment (11:25 P.M.), I'm currently tied with someone else at the third place and is still 22 votes away from the first one, so please, as you finish reading my post, please vote for me. I'd really be grateful. And if you think I really deserve it, do grab my button which can be found at the sidebar. Thank you very much and may God bless us all! :)
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I had a taste of being an activist. But by the strictest 'standards' of being an activist, I wouldn't consider myself one. I had never joined any rally except that one when we are up in arms against the TOFI. I had never joined a basic masses integration or BMI to really be one with the masses and understand them better.
In short, I was a pseudo activist or a reluctant one to give myself fully to the cause.
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As I have mentioned in my previous post, after I had joined my first-ever rally inside the campus, I was invited by one of them to join their group. I just told her to give me some time to think about it, and I'll let her know my decision - after the Christmas break.
So as I attend the Simbang Gabi during the Christmas break, that was one of my prayers. Well, the first one was to drop that someone from up above that I would love, hahaha.. :D (That would be an another story.) Then the other one was to give me a sign if it would be a right decision to join them.
The Christmas break ended still the sign that I'm asking for didn't appear. But I didn't wait for heaven to give it to me. I made the decision that I would go for it - a decision that puzzles me know on why I made it.
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But I wasn't able to join them till the next sem. I don't know why I'm uber interested in joining them that even though my contact does not reply to any of my messages, I scoured the internet for possible contact. Lo and behold, I found someone who could have a contact with her. Luckily, he did have.
I don't know if fate had played upon me that day because it was also the same time that they're having an exhibit and a sign-up booth at the 2nd floor of AS.
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So to make the long story short, I signed up. They were quite thrilled because I had 'volunteered' myself in joining them. No one had bugged and preached me something about the national democratic movement, etc. I made my decision on my own will.
Maybe, it is because I had been reading some of their articles on their website (which is now gone) and the website of the so-called 'communists' since high school. In fact, the first photos I had in my Friendster account were photos of NPAs doing their work(the photos are still there).
Well during that time, I have been enmeshed in my own fight - a fight against cheaters. (That would be an another story. :D)
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In the first few months of being with them, I had religiously attended their Educational Discussions or EDs. I try to go to their 'tambayan' every afternoon so I could catch up with them and talk about anything under the sun - but of course more about on our cause.
During my short stint, I had been really amazed on the zealousness of some of our members who are really active in campaigning and advancing our cause. Their love for our country and the masses cannot almost be matched by anyone else.
Most people think that activists are not good in their studies. I must say that there are quite a few but most of them had been able to balance their time between doing activist and school work. Some of them are even cum laude or magna cum laude standing.
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But of course, I am different. I would also like to make it clear to everyone else. I had not been evicted from UP because it had interfered with my studies. It was simply my own fault. I had not studied well. And I had been a 'gago' in the final days of my stay in that university.
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Despite 'falling away' from them, I had really learned a lot from my experience. as a pseudo-activist. I learned to be more critical and 'mapanuri' on everything that is happening around us. They had opened up my eyes to most glaring issues of our society which had been usually left out by the mainstream media.
What's more important is that my stay with them taught me to love our country more - and to serve the people.
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Before I 'left' them, I had a few disagreements with some of them due to my not-so-nice post about them in my previous blog. Ang mga pagtatalong ito eh medyo umabot sa pagbabato sa akin ng mga masasakit at mapanghusgang mga komento. Still, despite of this untowards incident and some things that I don't agree with them, I still have high regard for them.
Iyun nga lang. I'm already asking my apologies because I would be reposting those articles in my blog here. Still, I do hope, they would have an open mind and heart when they read it. :)
(UPDATE - 21 May 2009: As of now, I have currently stopped the hiring of writers because of some unexpected problems. As much as I wanted to have everyone else to be my writer so that I could extend more earning opportunities for them, I have also promised my current writers to keep the team small so that they could get lots of opportunities to earn as a freelance writer. Rest assured that as I expand in the near future, I'd be hiring new writers so that they too could earn more than what they are earning now from their current jobs.)
This is really it. Finally, I'm having my own business - my own company to be exact. After 3 years of my experience as a freelance writer who is very frustrated with the low salary and compensation, I have finally decided to put up J.D. Lim Creative Solutions.
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I had first started as a freelance writer for academic papers when I was in first year college. I'm kinda new to the profession but I was brave enough to take on the challenge. Someone had noticed my ad at Sulit, a free classified ads websites. The ad was about me looking for a part time job. Nothing in particular. She had offered me to work with her as a freelance writer for academic papers.
Good thing that my beautiful English teacher in high school, Mrs. Rona Gallego-Sabino, (haha.. full name talaga at may pambobola pa, haha.. :D Well, that's my way of showing how grateful I am to her.) had taught us a few things about MLA academic style of writing and it really worked to my advantage. Kaya salamat po ng marami Ma'am Rona. :)
I earned some during my short stint, I had not encountered any problem but after the last order was done but good thing is that she paid me - unlike the others who would just disappear when the payment time comes.
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My next stint was a content writer for websites. She is based in Malaysia. Blame it for my stupidity, I had never asked her how she could paid me. I did quite a lot of articles for her and the pay is really low. Nevertheless, even though she hasn't paid me, it gave me lots of experience on how to write website articles for Search Engine Optimization or SEO.
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But for almost a year I had stopped doing it. Well, it is because of the many problems I had encountered then - which would be the subject of another story.
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Then after coming out of the storm, I decided to resume my 'career' as a freelance writer. I applied for several freelance writing companies. Some had also seen my ad and offered me to work for them. I accepted them all. But unfortunately, bad things happened.
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I signed for a quite popular freelance writing site. I saw their ad on a popular blog and I became interested to join. I thought I would be having a great time working for them. But, the opposite had happened.
What really pissed me off is that it would take them a long time before they can actually check your submitted articles. What's more is that they require you to finish it within 24 hours because it is alwayas 'urgently needed'! Yet, it took them weeks before they can actually check it. So is it really urgent? Or they are just forcing their writers to produce more so they could earn more? It is a clear case of exploitation.
Aside from that, their rates are REALLY low. Imagine, 60 pesos for a 500 word article? Your creative juices is just worth 60 pesos! Whereas, later I found out that writers can actually be paid a minimum of 100 pesos per 300 word article! Again, that got into my nerves.
So when they had been able to check my submissions, more than two weeks had gone by. Then, they are returning it to me for revisions! So, I thought it would be right for me to complain about their unfair policy. But then and there, they had terminated me for 'insubordination.'
Anyway, this experience had made me decide to put up a company one day that would value its writers and not treat them as robots - which had been finally realized last Friday.
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J.D. Lim Creative Solutions Inc. is founded on these core values: I want my writers to feel that they are being valued, their works are well-compensated and give them the best opportunities to enhance their skills as a writer. It is a one-man company that is set to break barriers and norms.
It is a one-man company run by a 19-year old. But he believes that this company would grow and diversify its services and help others find a job and earn for their living.
I just hope, with the aid of that loving Guy from above, things would go well and our team would be able to hurdle all the obstacles awaiting us in this new journey.
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If you're interested to be with us, please see my ad below.
