I'm proud I didn't graduate from college

Although it ain't really a requirement, I have made it a point to express my ideologies and/or stands in my artworks—films, literary pieces, stage plays, and songs. Not all of them, of course, but a great deal of them.

One issue I have tackled more than once in my works is my attitude towards formal education. While I see its function as an organized way of determining status in society (viability to occupy certain jobs), the system of formal education has one big flaw—its failure to recognize the few students who excel in non-curricular activities.

If it wasn't done in the classroom, then it can't be recognized in school. So if one makes an award-winning short film for an international contest, but fails to submit certain requirements in his filmmaking class in the university, then, he will flunk the subject. But technically, the filmmaker has proven he can make films. He has learned the skills and techniques well and practiced them fruitfully—but since he did it outside the walls of a classroom, it's not academically admitted.

A lot of successful businessmen in this country—do they have degrees in Business Management or Business Administration? Are some of them even college graduates? Can't this country have state-issued diplomas, or something that would academically acknowledge a person's intellect/capabilities even though he isn't a graduate?

My very first formal job interview in the Marketing Department of ABS-CBN (Manila) reeked of this case. After accomplishing a couple of time-pressured creativity tests, submitting sample script works, and being interviewed by the HR manager, I was told in the end: "You have the exact skills for the job, but I'm afraid to tell you we don't admit non-college graduates."

In my first full-length play (a musical), staged last 2006 at the Aldaba Hall, UP Diliman, one of my main characters, Dennis, echoed my sentiments regarding formal schooling:

DENNIS

Mamahaling sapatos Long sleeves, itim na medyas Isang college diploma pang Matagal pa bago makuha Minsan iniisip ko Pag-aaral ay inimbento Para kumita'ng mga Nagbebenta lang ng diploma Mataas na tuition fee Mamamahalin din ang ID. Ano itong miscellaneous fees Ipaliwanag niyo ito, please! Ayoko na! Huwag na ngang mag-aral Hanggang High School na lang Hindi ibig sabihing walang diploma Ang tao ay di siya mahusay Tiyak ko kaya kong kumita Sa pamamagitan ng sining at kulay Magsasayang lang ako ng oras Sa loob ng unibersidad, hay!

Then, in one of my "modern Kapampangan riddles," I included this one:

Papil a saguling mapirat (A fragile sheet of paper) Alulan ing kekang utak (That can contain your brain)
—Diploma

Which makes my fanaticism towards Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou much bigger. For all you guys out there who don't know Jay Chou (ehem, for all you guys out there whose exposure to pop music is poorly limited to Manila-produced music and USA-produced music), here's a short description of him care of our favorite Internet encyclopedia:
Jay Chou, born 18 January 1979, is a World Music Award-winning Taiwanese musician, singer, and producer. In 1998, he was discovered in a talent contest where he showcased his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Chinese singers. Trained in classical music, he combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock, and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.

Jay Chou grew up in the small town of Linkou, Taiwan. Both his parents were secondary school teachers: his mother Ye Hui Mei (葉惠美) taught fine arts while his father Zhou Yao Zhong (周耀中) was a biology instructor. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of 4. During his childhood, he was fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder, something he carried everywhere with him.

In the third grade, he became interested in music theory and also started cello lessons. As an only child, he enjoyed being the family's center of attention; he loved to play piano, impersonate TV actors, and perform magic tricks. His parents divorced when he was 14; as a result, he became reclusive and introverted. Although he had friends, he often preferred to be alone listening to music, contemplating and daydreaming. At Dan Jiang Senior High School, he majored in piano and minored in cello. He showed talent for improvisation, became fond of pop music and began to write songs.

(Now here's the best part)

Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. However, a sports injury triggered by an unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription... (end of profile excerpt)

Now Jay Chou expressed the same sentiments toward academic failure despite showing promise in his chosen field in one of his songs called 分裂 (Fen Lie | Split Apart). Hearing the song (and knowing its meaning, because I don't understand Mandarin) touches a familiar part in my heart. It inspires me to destroy the unfair system of formal education. Someday, I will be big—without my college diploma.

Read the lyrics below, while listening to the song. Then listen to it again while watching the video, because the video is very sentimental (for me).



坐着我的摩托车 载你缓缓的离开
zuo zhao wo de mo tuo che zai ni huan huan de li kai
Gradually leaving with you on my motorcycle

考不上好的学校 可以不微笑就走
kao bu shang hao de xue xiao ke yi bu wei xiao jiu zou
Without a smile I departed my dream school

把手慢慢交给我 放下心中的困惑
ba shou man man jiao gei wo fang xia xin zhong de kun huo
Calm your heart and rest your hands in mine

雨点从两旁划过 割开两种精神的我
yu dian cong liang pang hua guo ge kai liang zhong jing shen de wo
Raindrops slid down and split apart my mind

经过老伯的家 篮框变得好高
jing guo lao bo de jia lan kuang bian de hao gao
The hoop seemed so high as we passed the old man's house

爬过的那棵树 又何时变得渺小
pa guo de na ke shu you he shi bian de miao xiao
And when did the tree I once climbed on become so small

这样也好 开始没人注意到（你）我
zhe yang ye hao kai shi mei ren zhu yi dao( ni) wo
Maybe it’s still well because no one saw you and me

等雨变强之前 我们将会分化软弱
deng yu bian qiang zhi qian wo men jiang hui fen hua ruan ruo
Before this rain strengthens we will show our vulnerabilities

趁时间没发觉 让我带着你离开
chen shi jian mei fa jue rang wo dai zhao ni li kai
Let me take you away before time notices us

没有了证明 没有了空虚
mei you le zheng ming mei you le kong xu
Without a proof and without acting pretentious

基于两种立场我会罩着你
ji yu liang zhong li chang wo hui zhao zhao ni
I will back you up regardless of the circumstances

趁时间没发觉 让我带着你离开
chen shi jian mei fa jue rang wo dai zhao ni li kai
Let me take you away before time notices us

这不是顽固 这不是逃避
zhe bu shi wan gu zhe bu shi tao bi
This is not stubbornness and its not running away

没人帮着你走才快乐
mei ren bang zhao ni zou cai kuai le
When no one helps you walk you will feel true joy

Watch me dance! (even though I can never perfect dancing)

For the past years, new acquaintances and friends only know me as a writer, director, journalist, radio announcer, etc. But hey—I also love dancing!

Although I would love to master street dancing, I can never be that good in it because of physical reasons, the major reason being my inherited genu valgum; knock-knees for laymen. Piki in Filipino/Kapampangan. Mine is hereditary and I must have gotten it from my mother.

Such bone structure problem results in getting easily tired, especially in the knee and ankle area, because more effort is exerted by people with knock knees in activities, like dancing or running, to maintain balance.

Knock-knees for me has also been a source of insecurity since childhood. As a kid, I have always been told by older people, "Samasan mu ing lakad mu, tong" (Walk correctly, kid), because my feet had this formation when you look at them from above: / \ instead of \ /, which is the normal type.

Such bone structure problem has made me choosy in getting pants and shorts. I pick the ones that would hide my knock-knees. Skinny jeans are a no-no to me and shorts that expose my knees are likewise banned in my wardrobe.

The bad thing about having knock-knees is that it's incurable. Researched about it on the net, and there's only one Russian expert whom people claim can correct knock-knees through bone surgery in the knees. Will I go that far!? No. In a parallel universe, probably, but not here.

So whenever I am in a public place, such as a mall, and I see guys of my age with "desirable feet" (meaning they have straight feet), or even guys who are a bit sakang (reverse of genu valgum) like Korean guys, I look at them with envy until they disappear from my sight. I look at their feet so endearingly you would think I'm gay if you base your judgment on my malagkit a lawe/malagkit na tingin. But that thirsty glare proves how much I desire to have such feet, and I'm willing to sell my soul to Satan just to have those feet... Kidding.

Anyway, I still love dancing. Even though I can never perfect dancing because of knock-knees, here's an attempt to dance the chorus part of BoA's "Eat You Up," the steps to which are not very basic:



Also, watch the original music video/dance here:

Kamaru Photography's first "serious" attempt

Okay, so after goofing with photography last time, we decided yesterday to for the first time do a serious shoot—but not a professional one. Serious, as in producing quality photos that are add-worthy to our very (9x) young portfolio.

The catch is, we only had one camera, a friend (whom we turned into a model overnight), home lights and desk lamps, and various junk to serve as possible props.

Diegs and I were discussing what type of photography we want to engage in. We don't know all the labels for the different branches of photography (fashion photography, landscape photography, photo journalism, etc.), and we're too lazy to research, so we decided to come up with what to call our desired specialization, regardless whether the term exists already or not.

We call it character/dramatic photography. Character, because we make our model portray characters we create (which we usually do on the spot when things start making sense around the set). Dramatic, because there's supposed to be drama—a [fictional] story behind the concept.

So, our photography is not really about the model, nor is it about the fashion, or the set... It's about the character and story. The set is not of less importance compared to the model, nor is it the other way around. The model, like the props and all the other non-living materials present in the photo, is simply an element that contributes to the realization of the concept we have in mind.

This is because the model wouldn't be an interesting character if the set was given less attention, and the set alone wouldn't highlight much drama if the human element is not semantically related to the environment.

Sorry, we in Kamaru love to philosophize and understand our craft to make the most out of it consistently. Know thyself, says some European philosopher I can't recall right now. It's not that we're limiting ourselves. As I said, we aim to specialize in something.

So, here's a picture from our first set. Others are still to be color-graded. The set it belongs to doesn't have an official title yet, but I remember us telling our model to internalize the character of a Movie Bitch (Optical Media Bitch!). Or a Pirated Lady, who is bought for less than it's real value.

"Optical Media Bitch"

Photographer: Diego Marx Dobles
Set Designer: Jason Paul Laxamana
Model: Thea Lelay
Dobles Residence, Redwood Village, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga

I confess that for the first time in my life I tried to be a makeup artist, putting eyeshadow and other colored powdery substance (sorry, I don't know what they're called) around the eyes of our model. All that was in my head was that putting makeup on someone else's face is just like coloring a poster with pastel or color pencils, which I have always done in the past. Was I successful? I don't know. But nevertheless, I did the job. But I won't credit myself as makeup artist, hahaha.

Here's a picture from our second set, shot in the morning that followed. Others are also still to be color-graded. This one is "Coming Home to Nature."

"Coming Home To Nature"

Photographer: Diego Marx Dobles
Set Designer: Jason Paul Laxamana
Model: Thea Lelay
Redwood Village, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga

Okay, now's everyone's favorite part. What do you think of Kamaru Photography's first serious attempt? Let the bashing and trashing begin!

Kamaru branches out to photography...

Well, not really...

Not yet! Since I am to soon acquire my own camera, and fellow Kamaru member Diegz has his own camera, we might be producing a number of "Kapampangan photos" in the future, i.e., pictures that in one way or another present a Kapampangan touch.

No, we are not referring to photos of farmers, boatmen, and Candaba migratory birds—although we'll take photos of 'em as well. We intend to specialize on shooting models, both male and female, embellished with costume, set, and concept that emanate a certain degree of Kapampangan identity.

Below are some wala lang / ala mu photos we took this afternoon while killing time at the GV radio station backyard. All of the people you'll see in the photos below are not models. They are however the young DJs of GVFM 99.1, including yours truly.

Note though that these photos don't represent what we intend to do in the future, as we still have a lot to learn about photography. I'd just like to post these fool-around photos.






















Can't wait to get into photography!

Call for Entries: Cinekabalen Short Film Competition

Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies,
Kalalangan Kamaru, and
Circle of Young Angelenos

present

The 1st Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival

The short film competition seeks to explore, criticize, promote, empower, and/or describe the Kapampangan experience through independent cinema.

We are looking for short narratives that tell the story and perspective of the Kapampangan people, who, since their pre-Hispanic participation in the affairs of Asia, have been leading diverse lives up to the contemporary times—from the humble rural folks of the riverbanks to the dehumanized drones of highly urban areas, from resilient survivors of the Pinatubo eruption to the aggressive players in national industries, from sun-worshipping dwellers of the mountainside to the strong devotees of Roman Catholicism, from the protesters of social inequality since ancient times to the culturally overloaded youth of the nation, from the migrants forced to live elsewhere for greener pastures to the politically maturing residents making waves in mass media, from the craftsmen who balance business and art to the brown tillers of the plains, etc....

Rules and mechanics of the short film competition:

- The contest is open to everyone, student or professional, Kapampangan or non-Kapampangan, living in the country or abroad, etc. except members of the core organizing committee

- any topic is allowed, as long as it expresses "The Kapampangan Experience"

- entry must be a narrative; no music videos or documentaries

- no limit of number of entries

- because promoting the Kapampangan language is one of the aims of the festival, the dialogues, if any, should predominantly be in Kapampangan. The occasional use of non-Kapampangan languages is allowed as long as used in proper linguistic context.

- setting of the story does not necessarily have to be in Pampanga or other Kapampangan-speaking regions like Tarlac and Bataan

- film must have readable English subtitles

- strictly 10-20 minutes in length; for animated entries, minimum of 5 minutes is allowed

- in digital format (submit final work in playable DVD)

- extreme violence and obscenity and unnecessary abuse of foul language are discouraged, but not prohibited

- use of copyrighted music is not allowed, unless permitted to by the owner of the material

- deadline of entries (final DVD, registration form) will be on July 31; they must be shipped or submitted in person to the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Angeles City; the registration form will be downloadable beginning mid-March

- 8 to 12 finalists will be chosen (depending on the quantity of submissions) to compete in the festival; cash prizes and trophies are at stake for the top three best short films, which will be selected by a Board of Judges consisting of experts from the industry; special awards (best male performer, best editing, best screenplay, etc.) will also be given; the competing films will be screened during the actual Cinekabalen Philippine Film Festival in August at the Holy Angel University Theater in Angeles City; an Awards Night will follow

Inquiries: text JASON @ 0918 699 2459 or email sisig_man@yahoo.com.ph

Amateur filmmakers are welcome to consult the organizers regarding their entries