Past Life

I really should start collecting canceled plane tickets. I’ve managed to accumulate a few in a span of a month, and while it has brought me frustrations along the way, I now laugh at my apparent bad luck (for lack of better term) in flying.

If I may trace my flying misadventures, it all began in Legazpi where I spent a few days with USAP‘s marketing mancomm last month. By the way, I almost forgot how much I enjoyed flying. I mean, seriously, while Mikey looked like he was gona puke the entire 30-minute trip, my only concern was how to get his face off the view so I can get a glimpse of the clouds (the bastard got the window seat, loser). Anyway. Point is, I enjoyed flying, in spite them saying how turbulent the flight was. And I’m really looking forward to the next opportunity I could get to fly.

Okay, wait, pictures first.

Marc, Francis, Rico, Ely, Mikey, Alvin and Mel

..and me, of course.

Sooo TGIS, I know right.

Anyway. Here’s where all the “bad luck” started flooding in.

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This is long overdue already but I’m blogging it anyway. The Blog-o-rama column that featured my two blogs came out last weekend, Feb 18, on the Technews of Manila Bulletin. I didn’t know when it was gona come up, hence I didn’t get myself a copy, grr. I found out about it only the day after, good thing a friend has got a daily subscription of the paper. Yay.

In the interview, I talked about my blogs and how they evolved from a personal venting channel to a tool that has helped me establish my profession. Also, I talked about how it’s like to be a struggling female SEO (I know, this is a pretty old tune already, ha!) in this IT industry that’s been mostly dominated by men. I had fun answering Miss Annalyn’s questions, I guess it pretty much showed in how I blabbered my way throughout the interview.

So yeah. Thanks (once again) to Miss Annalyn Jusay for this wonderful opportunity. :) I took snapshots of the column and uploaded them there. Also, the online version can be found here.

I have a confession to make (again). During Gio Villanueva-Wall‘s Q&A on Keyword Research Tools and Tactics at the SEMCON, I was the one who SMS-ed the question “How does it feel like to be Aaron Wall‘s wife?” I mean, seriously, that was a valid question to ask, right? I’m sure a lot of us were curious to know! :)

“I got myself a competition” and “I am married to the Internet!,” Gio said to a room-full of SEMCON attendees. Didn’t I just say that it’s a good SEO technique (for female SEOs) to marry an SEO guru? Hehe. (Way to go Sharm! LOL) :)

Anyway, I was lucky enough to be able to have a chat with Gio when she and Aaron dropped by the Intercon the next day (SEMCON, Day 2). And unexpectedly too, as I just happened to be sitting at the back with some guys from SEO Philippines, near the entrance, when the couple dropped by.

With Gio — yes, that’s my back okaaay.

It was lovely to know that Gio speaks fluent Tagalog, hence it wasn’t that hard for me (LOL) to chitchat about tiangges, and shopping, and boracay, and stuff that are not related to SEO. And it was even more thrilling to know that she happens to be dropping by this blog (guitarchic.net) too once in a while. I mean, really now? :)

And really now, it’s not everyday you get to chat with an SEO rockstar in his shorts and slippers. *starstruck*

Chitchatting with Aaron Wall woohoo :)

Inasmuch as I wanted to ask Aaron more about his book and his SEO secrets, I ended up asking more questions about him and Gio, how he likes it here so far, and his interests aside from SEO, and music (music!! man!! I was talking about music with Aaron Wall, haha), etc.

With the Walls :)

I had my ten minutes worth of air time with the Walls, yay ME — perhaps one of the highlights of my SEMCON experience (which I will blog more about later). Very down-to-earth, both of them. :)

I told Aaron Wall that he’s got a pretty good taste, falling in love with a Filipina. And I could say the same for Gio, for marrying The SEO Book. Er, I mean, the author. Hehe.

As for me, I’m still starstruck. (And wondering if someday, people will tell my husband-to-be that he’s got good taste marrying this SEO girl that I am. Blpht.) :p

*Photos courtesy of Jason Torres, who happened to be holding Konks, my camera, when I was having the grand SEMCON time of my life.

(Those of you who are ehem, “dying” to get out of college and “taste freedom”, and earn your own moolah, and get out of parental confines, etcetera.)

Let me just say, it’s a cruel world out here. You can never tell who to trust. And even if there are a few people you can trust around, the truth is, you’re on your own. You get to enjoy your own money, yes, but soon enough you’ll realize that you’re trapped in your own (rat)race, and no matter how big you earn, it will never be enough. Self fulfillment does not come everyday. Criticisms (and misjudgements) are staple. Appreciation is scarce.

If only you guys will listen and believe me, I shall keep reminding you that there’s no need to rush. Trust me, you DON’T want to rush. Do yourself a favor and enjoy your childhood. If you can’t enjoy it, then fight for it. Live one day at a time.

If you’re a kid and you have access to Barbie dolls and crayons and coloring books that you don’t have to buy for yourself because your parents give them to you generously, then play your heart out. If you’re a student and you can spend your afternoons eating isaw at Kalayaan, or hanging out at Sunken garden with a guitar, or cramming for your term paper; and you can go to school in torn jeans, old shirt, and worn-out chuck taylors, then don’t go thinking about pin-striped slacks and stilettos, and payslips, and business meetings, and your own condo unit without your parents around, and night outs after work. I tell you, and you must believe me, life out here is not as cool as we all thought it is.

Then again, I’ve been there. And I was one of them who did not want to listen. So go ahead, see for yourself. Hurry on with your life. Go find yourself a gold thread even, so you can pull the string everytime you want to rush time. Once you’re here, I’m sure, and I need not prove, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.