Written: Thursday. November 10, 2022.
Apologies for the large gap between the first entry, and this second entry I'm now writing.
A lot has changed. Literally. I've been living in Parañaque for quite a few months now. I've done a few photographer/videographer events since the last entry. I have a job now. A new kind of camera. And most recently a new laptop. That's how I would sum up all that's happened in the past few months.
But to dive deep into it, let's start where I left off.
After writing that last entry, I got busy making a Foldabots-related video because of the Shoebox I found filled with all of my old Foldabots models inside it. That video didn't do well, in retrospect, but it did open a few doors regarding that topic. I got emailed a bunch of times by people who collected Foldabots media throughout the years, and because of that, I was able to broaden my personal collection of Foldabots. Digitally, it's gotten bigger. But physically, it's still the same. A few who emailed me wanted to sell their physical copies, but at the time, I didn't have money to spare (despite saying in the video I made that I'd gladly buy their collection from them). Classic of me to claim such a thing. Reckless innocence in it's most purest form.
Next would be the time when I was contacted by Kurt, asking me if I could go to this Debut event of one of his friends's cousins, to be a Photographer. Back in May, he and I covered a 50th Birthday celebration of some random person we both weren't related to. I gained ₱3,500 for that gig, and bought Nintendo E-shop points ($35). Bought the DLC for BOTW with those points, and also Hades (digital).
This time around (the Debut event), I flew solo, because Kurt couldn't make it, because his sister got Covid around that time, and he was in close contact. So it was up to me to cover the event on my own. Alone. I haven't done that kind of thing, ever. I didn't even tell my mom, cause she would've probably told me not to go through with it. But I remember telling myself to just face it like a man, and stop acting like a bitch, to get it over with. Because what's the worst that could happen, right? It's all in my head that it might go to utter shit. I got paid ₱3,500 for that gig. Didn't really buy anything worth mentioning, or at all, with that money.
After that, I contacted my Highschool friend Erries. I remembered him having this large collection of K-Zone magazines back in Highschool when I would visit his house and check his room (or the room before his bedroom, which the K-Zone magazines were originally displayed). Unfortunately for me, Erries had thrown them away. All of it away. And my plan was thrown out of the window. That lead to me and Erries hanging out at Christian's place insteaed.
Christian and I had met prior to the hangout, because it turns out that he and I are just walking distance away from each other. Practically neighbors at this point.
I went to Erries' place, and basically got a free game (Animal Crossing), because we had talked prior about game-sharing our Nintendo Switch games, and/or trading games. I borrowed his Pokemon Shield cartridge, and he borrowed my Fire Emblem cartridge. I currently haven't played my Switch in a month now, but that's a story for later.
So the three of us hung out, and eventually we planned on going to this event called Pinoy Gamers Festival (or Gaming Festival. I never could tell which). I vlogged our trip to SM MOA that day, and Christian ripped his pants at the very beginning of the day, so we had to search for new pants before the event started. I let him borrow some money from me, which was the money I had kept from the Debut gig.
After the PGF event (literally on the same day), my college friends called me, asking if I was available for a Samgyup hangout with them. I said sure, and went to Justin's condo so that I could carpool with them to wherever Samgyup place we were going to. We ate Samgyup, and I had to pay like ₱700 for my share of the bill. This was something I didn't anticipate, because I had thought prior that Justin was gonna pay for the bill on his own. Good thing I had money in my pocket. Bad thing, because I was left with no money after that fiasco.
Next event would probably be the World Clean Energy Conference we covered, which was a 2-day event that happened at the Dusit Thani Hotel Events Area. I was no longer a photographer in this event, but a videographer. The team consisted of me, Kurt, Justin (Oliveros; Kurt's childhood friend, but technically his sister's friend cause he's older by 2 years), Kurt's maid (who was tasked to guard the equipment), and then Edmar (a random dude who Kurt found in one of his sister's event...thingies?, who was really good with the Camera).
We stayed at a Hotel in-between Day 1 and Day 2, because Dusit Thani was far away from Cogeo. Can't remember the name of the Hotel anymore, though.
After the event, I was paid ₱8,750. And I got to use some of that money to buy two new batteries for my Canon 1200D DSLR camera, a new 64GB SD Card because the old one I had was slow, a 64GB microSD Card (originally for my Switch Lite, but was moved to my DJI Osmo Pocket), and a Camera Mic (Boya) that I thought would be compatible with my DSLR camera—it turned out to be incompatible, and now I'm barely using the thing.
After this, PGAG started an audition for new and aspiring comedians. Kurt wanted to audition, so he called me up to ask for help, and I so did. I hung out at his place a few days in order to shoot the audition video. But a day before that, we had gone to GreenHills. Originally, to sell one of my DSLR cameras. But ultimately, I ended up buying a second-hand DJI OSMO Pocket for ₱7,500. I used up the money I had on my GCash account, which was money that originally came from my Axie scholarship (which was technically half of all of the money I earned from playing that game, because crypto is going down), and also swapped my uncle's Zoom Lens, which was worth ₱2,000 according to the people I sold it to, because the auto focus was broken, and it had a little bit of mold inside building up.
Just days after that, my mother and I went to this year's MIBF! They finally did a physical event, 2 years after the pandemic started. I brought along with me my newly bought DJI Osmo Pocket, which was definitely a different experience vlogging-wise. I had gotten so used to bringing and using my huge-ass DSLR Canon Camera, that converting to the Osmo Pocket felt like I wasn't even vlogging or shooting a video. It just felt like I had this toy that I pointed toward things, that could apparently shoot high def videos. But when I transferred the footage to my computer, the video was so High Quality compared to my DSLR, and so smooth and stabilized. Plus, I didn't have to bring a large bag and carry such a tremendous weight on my shoulders the whole day, which is definitely an improvement to my vlogging hobby.
I was only able to buy one book this MIBF. For some reason, the big distributors were absent from the event, and only the local distributors/publishers were present. It was just one large function room, and no second floor. Which is sad. But hopefully next year, they get to go back to being a big event.
I bought Mars, May Zombie! by Chuckberry J. Pascual. It's a Tagalog-written young adult novel. Haven't read it yet, though. Getting there.
Oh, and I think, around this time too, I've been able to finish reading the Wheel of Time books...not much to talk about on that topic, though.
And then Claire had a Gender reveal party. It's a Girl! I got fucking drunk that night, which was bad news, because I had to go to Erries's birthday party the next day. Luckily enough, I didn't get a hangover, and got to go to his party just fine.
Saw Oliver and Jane at the party. Haven't seen them in a while, specially Jane. She's gone through a lot, which I'm too lazy to mention in this journal entry. But basically, she went through a lot the past few years. It was good hanging out with my High School friends again that day. Felt like old times.
After that, Kurt got me a job at the company he's currently in. It's technically kind of like a freelance part time job, but comprised of a team of freelancers who edit for the same companies/brands/clients. I started working on October 3...or maybe 4? It's a night shift, so I work from 1-9am. At first, there was an adjustment that needed to be made. But once I got the ball rolling for me, it's been a cake-walk ever since.
We only get paid once a month, which is fine, because I don't really need money yet since I still live with my parents. I only want money, at this point in my life. But you get the point. I work because I have some things that I want to buy.
At around after the first week of having a job, one of my cousins (Ate Joy), went to the Philippines for a short visit (5 days), and we went to visit her at a condo of one of my other cousins (Ate Jodie). I jokingly said to Ate Joy that once I've bought a laptop for myself (which, at the time, was probably after I got my November salary), I could watch over their condo cause I would have a laptop with me while I stayed at the condo, so that I could get some work done. Ate Joy offered to lend me money so that I could buy a laptop already, and then pay her gradually through the next coming months, just so I could get a taste of my salary, and not have to save it and spend it all in one go. Unfortunately, this became a paralogue story, due to the inability of my cousin's bank account to transfer money to my bank account...
On October 25-26, Kurt, Tin, and I (and also Edmar), covered the 5th Hospitality Philippines Conference that happened at the Marriott Hotel Events Area. We watched Black Adam in-between, because there was a brownout at the house. Kurt and Tin had slept in at our house before going to the event, because my house was nearer to Marriott than Kurt's. I got paid ₱9,000 for that event coverage.
Kurt and I got to talking, on the way home, about the idea of me borrowing money from him so that I could buy this laptop I wanted (TUF DASH F15, at the time). He said sure.
I got paid my first salary around the first week of November. It was a total of ₱17,100, because accounting only registered 19 days on their end. That was fine, for the most part.
November 6 (Sunday), I attended Iñigo Amari Leonor's (Justin Leonor's Son's) Binyag. I was able to buy two books at SM San Lazaro's Book Sale branch: Battlefield Earth(₱85) and Dianetics(₱85) by L.Ron Hubbard. I only realized that Dianetics was in no way shape or form a Science Fiction Novel, once I got home and checked the books I had bought that day. I guess I'll just pretend it's some sort of in-universe book that was being sold in one of L.Ron Hubbard's Sci-Fi Novels, which talks about how powerful the mind can be, and how to control the mind, or whatever, in order to gain psychic powers...
After strolling around SM San Lazaro that day, I was then kidnapped by my friends, and we ate Champorado at this restaurant in Pasig called Locavore. I also ate like a Chicken w/rice meal similar to something one could buy in Chow-King, but was unable to eat all of it, because I was just too full around that time.
November 7 (Monday), me and my brother went to Gilmore, and met up with Kurt. We went there to buy a TUF DASH F15, but ultimately got to buy a TUF Gaming F15 instead (a cheaper model). The plan was originally supposed to be that Kurt would pay for it via 12 months installment, from his Aunt's credit card. But the card unfortunately had limited credit funds (?), and we had to pay in cash on the day.
I now have a very fast laptop, and little-to-no money left in my wallet.
After all those checkpoints, this is my current situation. I'm not complaining. Far from it. I'm happy. My head hurts, but that's only because of sleep inconsistency, and the whiplash I currently have from all that's happened in my life in these past few months of not writing them down on a journal entry.
It's good to be back writing shit down again on a laptop that works.
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