First faith goal of the year achieved: Attend a TEDx Event

Ever since I watched my very first TED video (about 'Memory Palace', if my memory serves me correct. Pun unintended), I was hooked. Our STS professor wasn't helping with this healthy addiction - if there exists such a term - when he used TED videos as a supplement for his lessons. From being a simple admirer of the movement, I became a supporter. Hell, I even downloaded 10.8 GB worth of HD TED videos - after stumbling upon the torrent link while searching for a 'Ted' movie torrent. Hahaha. Then I learned about TEDx and such events are happening in the country. I almost hyperventilated when I first came to know about it. TEDx events in the area where already fully-booked even months before the event itself, except for a single one: TEDxXavierSchool.

I only got whiff of the event on the last day of it's online registration. Actually, I submitted my Google Docs application an hour past their set deadline but I held on to dear Internet traffic and all that shizz for the organizers to consider my application. 

Hence the desperate tweet.

I waited for days for their reply and I almost abandoned the idea until that faithful morning. It was a Monday morning and I was bored to death during the seminar that we ourselves organized so I checked my mail and 'PING!', a new email message popped up in my window. My heart started to race and my breathing getting shallower and faster. The heading was 'TEDxXavierSchool' and I have to hold myself together to not embarrass myself during the seminar. It was their confirmation reply on my application congratulating me for being one of the one hundred members of the audience for the TEDx. I was ecstatic until it dawned on me: Where is Xavier School? Ever the promdi despite my being a 'resident' of Manila for almost four years now. In my defense, my familiarity for Manila extends only from Buendia to Lawton, at the very farthest. Hahahaha. 

Definitely will leave you breathless and with a racing heart.

So for the following days, I studied Google Maps and even printed the road map for my own use on that eventful dawn of January 19th. Fast forward to this morning, I had a moment of cold feet whether I should carry on with that event. Thoughts suddenly took sides: one told me I might get lost and should abandon the event while the other side told me that this is the first step in the reality of my TED dreams (maybe another post in the future). So I prayed and asked for guidance and got an instant message: Son, you should go forward. So I asked for courage and wisdom to guide me in my voyage. So I set out on a cold Saturday morning, a road map in hand with the directions I got from the Internet and an empowered soul to take on this challenge: to get out of my comfort zone, literally. By God's grace, I arrived not at the road where I decided to start on foot despite the farther distance, but near a church which is actually closer to the venue. I was even right on time for the morning Mass which I was able to attend. It was indeed a blessed morning for me. 

TED dreams. And, yes, I am quite rant-y in Twitter.

Since I was actually almost an hour early before the registration, I walked around the village and, boy, was a sari-sari store hard to find! Definitely a place for the upper echelon, the area just exuded an aura of class and tranquility during that early hours of the day. Around 7:30, registration for the event started. "AKO LANG ANG MAY TALUKAP NG MATA DOON!", my inner self shouted. I even thought of writing this entry down in Filipino so any of those who have difficulty understanding the vernacular would feel the difficulty of being surrounded by an angry Chinese mob. Kidding. Apologies for the trope but I really appreciate their effort for organizing the event and helping me reach my first objective on my TED goals.

A big grin just crossed my face right now.

(I am saying my apologies in advance if it may appeared that I am advertising some organizations through the links that I put in this entry). Right on the clock, the event started with Michi Ferreol's talk on being a Balikbayan and encouraging the youth to go back to the country after studying abroad. It really inspired me, especially when she talked about the organization that she herself founded that aims to help senior high school students to apply in universities and colleges abroad, regardless of socio-economic status. Her passion in doing this kind of work also fueled the fire within me, and hopefully the rest of the audience members' inner fire as well. Get to more about their group here: CAMP Philippines. 

Next up was Chips Guevarra's talk on VOCS or vegetable oil conversion system which converts used vegetable oil into fuel. Yes, you heard that right, into fuel. His talk became more of a business proposal and it answered all the questions that popped into my head regarding the pros and cons of using the VOCS in the Philippine setting, like 'How long would the engine work if used with vegetable oil?', 'How large is the carbon footprint of a vehicle with VOCS?' and the like. It was a very promising idea and in spirit of TED's slogan of 'Ideas Worth Spreading', here's their website: Veggie Oil Car

Next up was Jomike Tejido who tickled my artistic ego with his innovative approach towards visual arts, especially his signature medium of banig as substitute for the traditional canvas. His works led me to think of  new ways to view my artistic outputs and I can say that shoes have always been an integral part of my artworks, which also serves a very practical purpose. Like being one with your work or some other philosophical shiz. View his online gallery here and be amazed: The Art of Jomike Tejido

The break was killing me. No thanks to my introverted side, I have to wander around the venue senselessly because I have no one else to talk to. I suddenly became awful disappointed when I didn't try to strike a conversation with other people during the registration when the organizers had us seated in round tables to facilitate small talks. After the 30-minute break, the school band 'Tropical Acoustics' played their covers of songs like Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' and The Beatles 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' with their ukeleles and a guitar. Simply amazing talent! Watch their other uke covers here: Tropical Acoustics

Christian Go was next to discuss reasons to 'discourage' the audience from joining the theater. The irony being a theater actor himself while still staying on top of his batch. A very animated talk on 'discouraging' us to take acting may actually have stepped up my theater-lover facet into being part of a production. Well, he did say that just by watching a productions makes you a part of it, I guess I'm already part of it whenever I watch plays and musicales! 

Philip Cheang of 'By Implication' talked about having passion on your work to be successful in it. His team of software and game developers - who by the way won the 2010 Imagine Cup Game Design Competition with their entry of 'Wildfire' - support local groups that need software that would be helpful in the progress of an aim at the grass-root levels. One such software is 'Sari', a smartphone app that helps proprietors of sari-sari stores to have a quick look on their sales and other finance-related stuff. Their advocacy to help such groups indeed show their patriotism in their very own way. Check them out here: By Implication

Last but definitely not the least, Mr. Aristotle Pollisco himself talked about his story of success from being a young boy in Rizal who dreamed to be a rapper and becoming one of the country's A-list rapper, being juniored by the Master Rapper himself, Gloc-9 threatened to blow off the roof of Xavier High School's Clifford Hall by treating the audience to his success story and a song or two. 

Lastly, the event was officially closed by the school's principal, Ms. Jane Cacacho, which was almost a TEDx talk on its own which dealt with three types of people epitomized by the speakers (those who believed in ideas and turned them into something real), the organizers (those who have the passion to make the ideas known to many) and the audience (those who believe in the power of ideas). 

The morning was very very informative, inspiring and empowering. I felt more 'Fully Alive' after the TEDx event and I hope I can be a part of one in the future so that I can cross out one more item off my TED life goals.

(Hopefully) to the next TEDx