What I've been doing lately.

Last April, I accepted a copywriting position at a public relations agency where my godsister works. I felt it was time to leave human resources after doing it for a year, as HR can be quite repetitive and therefore, tedious. I felt like I didn't belong in the corporate world, which I thought was too rigid.

It's funny, the story of how I applied in PR. I was going through a phase, which you could call a quarter-life crisis. I was confused with what I was doing with my life. I felt unhappy with my career and my personal life. I felt I needed a change of pace and environment, so I asked my godsister Sophie if there were any openings in her office. There was one for a writer, but like everything else, she'd get back to me. Being the indecisive person that I am, I'd suddenly set my mind on sticking to my HR job when she'd invite me for an interview. There was the fear of the unknown, and my two projects with The Philippine Star and When In Manila. Rigid as the corporate setting may be, the schedule's not as crazy as PR.

This cycle of cat-and-mouse, of me wanting to apply but having to wait, then hearing news after I decided to stay, happened three times until I finally realized that my lack of spontaneity and fear will not get me anywhere in life. I should take more risks and if I fail, it'll make for one great story over drinks. It also humbled me that this position waited for me for three invitations in the span of five months. As they say, opportunity knocks but it does not beg. I grew some balls, showed up for the interview, and was hired.

Three months in and I can say that PR is for me. Of course, writing has always been a breeze. But I think what I love the most about is that every day is a new day. I get easily bored and I always need a new thing to fuss over. On top of writing PR, I have also handled media relations and endorser relations. Just recently, I assisted in a media interview and became the photographer.

Yes, it is true that there are no working hours in public relations. Often I find myself working into the night, and sometimes bringing my work home and in the weekend. It can be very busy, too. One time, I was in Makati in the morning for a press launch, then I had to go to San Juan to brief the San Beda Red Lions for another press launch we were having the following day. In between, I was making dozens of calls and sending hundreds of text messages to the celebrity endorsers and their managers to coordinate for the next day's event. I also had to write that week's column for Star and wake up at 5AM for the event.

Strangely, despite my busy schedule, I find myself having more time to pursue other projects. I once thought that I would have to give up Star, but instead I am getting more gigs. My theory is that I love my job so much that I still have energy to do other things after work.

Below are some of my sidelines besides being a PR all-arounder:

The Philippine Star Supreme

My presence at Star is still going strong. I've been writing non-stop for almost two years, and though my space Supreme Picks has been a constant, lately I've been inspired to make other pitches.

When In Manila

I had a sort-of falling out with When In Manila when I started in PR because of my busy schedule. Most events happen during weekdays and sometimes my work stretches until the early evening. But the busiest part of PR is over since my two largest accounts had their expo and media launch, so my hands are a little free to accept invites. My return to When In Manila is a feature on the I Love Kusama exhibit at the Ayala Museum on Monday. I'm also planning to pursue my idea of covering the art scene in the country.

 The Culture Trip

This project is new. The Culture Trip is a London-based website featuring cultural events around the world, and they agreed to let me contribute essays on Philippine culture. My first piece will be about a certain Filipino artist who is making waves internationally by joining this certain art show.

Voyeur

This is by far the project I'm most excited about. One morning, as I woke up, I decided to start a zine. Just a small, independent zine with a small circulation. My inspiration is Andy Warhol's Interview, which was informative yet light, with a slight irreverence. I've always been fascinated with people and this zine, tentatively titled Voyeur, will be a series of interviews with interesting people, mixed with critical essays by some of publishing's great thinkers. I'm going to publish it quarterly and will have themed issues, with September being fashion. It's progressing quite well, and I have a great team on board who's just as excited as I am to run it.

Bikram yoga

I finally signed up at Bikram yoga Alabang this month. We do their PR so as a deal, we get free classes. I finally had the courage to join, and I just had my second class this Thursday. My first one didn't go so well. I felt incredibly dizzy and felt like vomiting, and I think it's because I wasn't hydrated enough. In my second class, I made sure to hydrate and take occasional breaks, so I was only slightly dizzy (I pee a lot so I lose a lot of liquids, too). I can already feel my paunch getting smaller, so I'm pushing for three or four classes a week. On days I won't do Bikram, I'll be doing hatha at home. I just downloaded this amazing app called Yogify, which is pretty intense.


I'm clearly going overboard with my projects, but I'm so passionate that I find the time to do all these things. Now if only I can commit to maintaining this blog.... That should be one of my projects.

Uniqlo featuring Keith Haring x Jean-Michel Basquiat x Madonna x SM Aura

I don't remember how I found out about it, but I do remember my reaction. I had a mini-panic attack and I found myself scrambling online, looking for pictures of the collections. I was out of breath, my mind was going in circles, and I asked friends if they've been to the stores recently. It was, in a way, an attack of the Stendhal Syndrome.

Keith Haring

One of Haring's many murals

I'm talking about the Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat collections at Uniqlo. I've been a fan of the two for quite some time, their colorful and sometimes manic approach to art hypnotizing me. Both artists flourished in the 80's and had a unique visual style. Haring's works were a series of graffiti that explored socio-political themes such as AIDS-awareness, drug addiction, and racism. His bold lines, bright colors, and sense of movement has made him one of the most recognizable artists of our time.

Jean-Michel Basquiat 

King Alphonso

Basquiat's pieces were more intense, featuring doodles of human figures in abstract shapes. He isn't quite as popular in mainstream art as Haring, but his works speak of a seriousness amid the playful lines. His sketches can be terrifying, but the details work beautifully together.

From the Madonna UT collection

Like I said, I panicked and asked my friends if any of them have been to Uniqlo recently to check if the collections are up. The Philippines isn't exactly one of the countries to get first dibs on collections, so I wasn't surprised when Melvin told me it wasn't available yet. But being the sweetheart that he is, he got me a shirt from the Madonna collection to tide me over. It's a gorgeous watercolor design from the True Blue album cover, and it was chosen by the Queen of Pop herself from a recent design contest Uniqlo had. One of the finalists was made by a Filipino student from Asia Pacific College (also selected by Madge herself).

It's a wonderful shirt, and I wore it to the party my mother threw for some kids at the St. Rita orphanage in Paranaque. Very festive.

My mom's Uniqlo stash from Japan

Being the fan that I am, I felt like I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Haring and Basquiat collections. So I quickly texted my mother, who was in Japan, to bring some home for me. I was worried she wouldn't be able to accommodate my request since she was coming home in a few days, but voila, never underestimate a mother who used to model when it comes to fashion requests.

What my mom got me in Japan

Here's my Basquiat and Haring stash. It's all so lovely. And to add to the Uniqlo fever, I bought two polo shirts at the opening day of SM Aura. I was late so I wasn't able to catch Sarah Jessica Parker, but I was impressed with the two-storey Uniqlo flagship and the accommodating staff. The best part is, there weren't that many people! It doesn't compare to the 12-storey behemoth in Ginza, but this is way better than the branch in SM Mall of Asia.

I'm planning to complete the collections. Talk about dedication.