The New 27 Club
The 27 Club is a pop culture concept mythologizing the deaths of musicians. Its most famous members would be Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, most recently would be Amy Winehouse and of course, Kurt Cobain. Some may argue that these are coincidental, but the chilling fact is that these music legends died the same age — 27.
I’m no music legend and I can never know exactly what these geniuses went through. What I know is the pressure being 27 brings.
It’s my fault, of course. I set life goals and gave myself a deadline. So the idea of turning 27 became a ticking bomb. I turned 27 last August but I did not die. Rather, panic exploded inside me.
Maybe this is what 27 truly feels like — clinging to the coolness of youth but feeling too old for some shit. 27 is like crossing the bridge to adulthood, like a second coming of age. Some may have given up, jumped off the bridge and entered The 27 Club. But some of us choose to brave the journey a little more and survive.
Where do survivors go? To The New 27 Club.
27 Rules of The New 27 Club:
- Don’t panic.
- Accept that people are different.
- You can only control yourself.
- Learn when to let go.
- Prioritize peace.
- Bluntness and honesty are not the same thing. There is always a better, less hurtful way to tell the truth.
- It does not hurt to give compliments when people do something right.
- But when people do something wrong, there is a respectful way to point it out.
- Work relationships are as important as the work.
- Credit comes to those who collaborate.
- Everyone’s lives are equally interesting.
- Be sensitive to other people as you are to yourself.
- When you feel like talking, try to listen.
- People will always find something wrong about you. The ones who truly matter are the ones who can tell it straight to your face.
- "If you worry too much about what other people think, you're worrying about the wrong people.” - Leigh Reyes
- There will be times you will feel irritated, make sure it is worth your time.
- Younger people can be arrogant but it doesn’t give you the right to dismiss them. Listen to to them and the arrogance wears off.
- Our parents taught us to read books, let’s teach them the internet.
- Looking good takes effort. Don’t be lazy.
- Drink to relax, not to get drunk.
- Sleep so you don’t get weak.
- Make time for family and friends.
- Facebook’s “Hide” button is an underrated feature.
- Sincerity over coolness.
- If you can do it in 2 minutes, do it now.
- Overthinking results to overreacting.
- Consume less, create more.
For me, turning 27 is what you make it to be. The pressure will always be there but we can always transform it into something productive and meaningful. 27 is start of gracefully growing up.
Doodle For Google Philippines
I grew up in an environment that encouraged create stuff (art) using my hands. I'm a traditional painter. But as I grew older, I also grew more curious about digital. And Google is one of the inventions that inspired me to get to know digital more. Do I sound like a fan? Hell yes, I'm a Google fan.
That's why I'll never forget the day when Google Philippines contacted me and asked me if I wanted to be a judge for the very first Doodle For Google in the Philippines. Art + Students and Learners (out of school youth) + Google -- Honestly, should I even think about it? Again, hell yes. It is an honor to be part of this.
Today, Google Philippines launched the first Doodle 4 Google Competition in Mind Museum. I felt bad I wasn't able to attend because I was in Singapore for a digital convention! (But of course I also feel lucky I got sent to the convention.)
The competition's theme is "What can I do for the Philippines?" Filipino students and learners aged 5-17 years old can join. Submission of entries is open from July 10- September 19. One talented student or learner will see his or her artwork on the Google Philippines homepage, receive an educational grant from BPI Foundation, an art kit from National Book Store and an Acer C720 Chromebook. The overall winner's school or community learning center will receive a connectivity grant from PLDT-Smart Foundation.
For more details, visit
Dear BIR
Six years had past since I graduated from college and learned the difference between gross and net income. And I have also been working for six years. Whenever I would get my salary increase, it is a bittersweet moment. There is joy in the feeling that a company rewarded you for the work you've put in. But there is bitterness in seeing how much of your actual income is going to your taxes.
Ideally, you should feel good contributing to the country. However, with all these issues on the government's corruption, most especially the Napoles and Senate scandal, seeing 25% of your income going to taxes, feels like you have been robbed.
It doesn't help that the BIR has been very aggressive (and ruthless) in charging our taxes. Dear Lord, they even made a distasteful ad to drive their point.
So here's a short and sweet open letter to the Philippine government (most especially to BIR and PNoy):
Sincerely,
Cj de Silva-Ong
Nostalgia Series: Pinoy Movies of My Childhood
This year, I turned 26 and felt my age. Most people will say that I’m still young but 26 definitely doesn’t feel like 25. I suddenly feel too old for the romantic, reckless and selfish stuff I did when I was 22, 23 and 24. Now that YOLO is unofficially a word, I am officially over it. After all, when you round of 26, it will be 30.
My metabolism definitely slowed down and my idea of a fun Saturday night is being in my pajamas, catching up on my favorite TV series. Heck, I even started investing and learning how to grow my money bit by bit. And I refer to the new 21 year-olds (bright eyed, eager and self-entitled) as “mga bata ngayon”.
But I think what makes it more obvious to me is that I start to have a sense of nostalgia and that pride that during “my time”, it was all better -- the fashion, the TV shows, the music, the movies.
Now that 2013 is ending, I thought of finally saying goodbye to my youth through the Pinoy movies that made my childhood felt better than anyone else’s.
Captain Barbell (1986)
Directed by Leroy Salvador
Before we all thought JGL, Jesse Eisenberg or Andrew Garfield were geeky cute, there was Hebert Bautista. And he turns into the hunky Edu Manzano whenever he carries his golden barbell. Captain Barbell was a movie that made me root for the scrawny and introverted underdogs.
Dear Diary: “Dear Killer” (1989)
Directed by Leroy Salvador
Dear Diary was the movie that introduced the concept of murder mysteries and psychos to me. Although recently, I shared the plot to Wincy and I realized how it used Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” as a major inspiration - a heroine investigating another girl’s mysterious disappearance, a meek, strange but attractive guy and a crazy mother. Nonetheless, Dear Diary was quite a memorable movie to me.
Aswang (1992)
Directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes
The best sequence in this movie was when the aswang (played by Alma Moreno) was trying to trick Aiza Seguerra’s character into letting her in the house by morphing into the form of Aiza’s yaya (played by Manilyn Reynes). There were two Manilyn Reynes, one was begging Aiza for help, the other one was angrily yelling at Aiza not come down from the bahay kubo and hold on to the jar of sea salt. Aiza helped the yelling Manilyn instead. When Manilyn asked her how she figured it out, Aiza answered something along the lines of, “Sabi mo kasi diba, ang mga taong mahal ka, hindi parating malambing o mabait sa iyo. Minsan, papagalitan ka nila kasi mahal ka nila.”
And my father conveniently used that to justify our family’s style of tough love, which I carried with me until now. Ask Wincy, ask my friends.
Shake, Rattle and Roll 4 (1992)
Directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes
I always loved the Shake, Rattle and Roll franchise until the 4th one, which was the most memorable to me as a child. It featured two of my favorite Shake, Rattle and Roll episodes: “Witawit” and “Ang Madre”.
“Witawit” was about a unique tree creature who kidnaps the village children as environmental protest against people cutting the trees. I personally thought it was a fantasy drama that teaches kids to take care of mother nature.
While “Ang Madre” starred Aiko Melendez as a nun who was on a medical mission in a poverty stricken area in Manila. By day, she gives children vaccine and blood tests (which she licks by the way). But when darkness befalls the gritty den of informal settlers, she turns into a mananaggal and eats people. This movie was very fun scary and entertaining! The movie’s hero, the young IC Mendoza, defeats the manananggal by squirting them with hot sauce and ketchup he stole from a night club. After all, hot sauce and ketchup contains spices and garlic, which traditionally are used to kill manananggals. Gave me my sense of pragmatism and logic.
Pare Ko (1995)
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes
“Pare Ko” is probably our answer to America’s “Reality Bites” and “Singles”. If there’s one thing this movie taught me, it would be: that syotas come and go but your barkada is forever.
And that girls who live in big mansions and invite you to play scrabble are needy and two-timing bitches. Not to mention, “Pare Ko” made working as a staff in Carl’s Jr. my short-lived aspiration.
Magic Temple (1996)
Directed by Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes
I think “Magic Temple” was the 90’s Pinoy film industry’s attempt to produce something that Steven Spielberg mastered - the fantasy adventure genre. When I first saw this movie, I enjoyed every bit of it. Although recently, Wincy and I watched it again and my adult mind realized executional improvements, especially in the pace of storytelling. But my childhood heart will always celebrate the hardships and victories of Jubal, Sambag and Omar. “Magic Temple” left me an abundant sense of hope, humility and confidence that my adult self can always retreat to.
Labs Kita... Okey Ka Lang? (1998)
Directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng
The I’m in love with my best friend romcom plot has turned so old, as seen in Star Cinema’s recent “She’s The One”. But “Labs Kita... Okey Ka Lang?” executed this tired cliché in the most iconic possible way. The movie featured the quirkiest love team in the Philippine history of love teams, Marvin and Jolina. It was set in the picturesque Baguio City. And most of all, it had the killer lines of all killer lines, “Oh yes kaibigan mo ako, kaibigan mo lang ako… And I’m so stupid to make the biggest mistake of falling in love with my bestfriend!!!”
Hiling (1998)
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes
“Hiling” is seriously underrated and sadly, forgotten. But “Hiling” is a movie that excels both in craft and heart. Through its tight and witty screenplay, I learned probably one of the most realistic lessons in life -- prudence. That most of the time, we don’t instantly get what we want, but we are always given what we need and deserve.
26 was a year of adjustment for me. It was a slap in the face that there are things I am already too old to do -- like whining, being selfish and skipping moisturizer. But surely, these movies I discovered as a child will still be my treasures as an adult. These movies gave me second-hand wisdom, lessons we can only learn from fiction, because our lives will be limited.
How about you, what are the childhood movies that helped you grow up? Share your list and stories on my comments area!
Review: Urbanears Humlan Headphones
Some may argue with me, but for me, listening to music is a very intimate thing. I have a discomfort in playing music that I like in full blast, for everyone to hear. I feel like I’m invading other people’s boundaries. But listening parties and gigs would be exceptions - in those kind of events, there’s an invitation and agreement to listen to music as a group.
That’s why I always preferred listening to music in private, with my headphones. And just like music, a pair of headphones is a very personal thing to me too. I invest in my headphones and keep them clean as much as I can - wiping them clean with isopropyl alcohol or Lysol. That’s why I shy away from white or pastel colored headphones, even though I find them the prettiest. I foresee the whole cleaning process a little scary.
That's I got so excited when Urbanears came out with their new concept for headphones, the Urbanears Humlan. It’s the world’s first headphone with washable parts.
Urbanears Humlan’s headband and ear cushions are removable. You can niftily put them in the laundry bag (included in the packaging) and throw them into your laundry.
Just like the other Urbanears products, Humlan also comes with the very brilliant feature, Zound Plug, for easy (and private) music sharing!
It also has built-in microphone and remote. I can conveniently fast-forward, rewind and adjust the volume, as well as pick up calls if it’s plugged in my mobile phone. And don’t forget the impressive audio quality of Urbanears! They got it right with my preference - the crisp mids and deep bass.
Urbanears Humlan Specs:
40mm Dynamic Drivers
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Sensitivity: 100dB
Max Input Power: 100mV@1kHz
SRP: Php2,250
I personally think that Urbanears Humlan headphones is a great Christmas gift idea. Who wouldn’t love a pair of headphones that can always look new! They also come in other yummy colors, just visit Urbanears.com
Urbanears Humlan is distributed by Digits Trading and available in Astrovision, Beyond The Box and Digital Walker.
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