December Birthday Special No. 3 > My Birthday Message.

Ok, here goes.

Oh yeah, I'm already at the peak of my life. My own turning point. Before, I was a loner, I was just a person having no friends. I didn't even knew the word camaraderie until you all came and turned me into what am I now. It's not enough to just say "Thank you" or "domo domo arigatou gozaimasu" to those whom I really known during the past 18 years of my life in which I entirely set unto on the field of Anime journalism and, yeah, campus and off-campus events.

Okay, let me thank first the Lord, my parents and my elder relatives for raising me and having me as their eldest and only son. It sounds too corny and traditional but, what can I do? they're my parents!

Secondly, to my childhood friends and relatives. I never knew maybe some of you, but thanks anyway.

To my elementary classmates to whom I gave my first experiences as a budding writer. Kudos also to my former teachers and advisers because I was soooooo privileged to learn with them. I still am not forgetting where I came from. I can proudly say that I finished in a public elementary school.

Here comes the more exciting part! To my elementary friends whom I still remember. The friendship that we had never ended. I just hope that we meet someday and and share the best experiences of our lives.

It gets more exciting! To the Francisco School, the admin, the teachers and advisers and to all those I met there. Especially Manong the ice cream vendor. They formed me into what I am and molded me into what I became today.

To my former HS friends and classmates. I became what into my personality now because of you. I knew my mistakes. I knew my wrongdoings, because you all shed me up into a new light. A new hope, that someday, I can reach the top of the mountain or dive under the frigid waters of the Antarctic.

To my college professors, Then, now and in the future. It may sound a bit, yeah, tricky. But your professional teaching expertise have made me think more critically. Made me become a leveled person full of aspirations, dreams and especially, hope.

To the whole Lyceum Community. for instilling me the values that the great founder, Dr. Jose P. Laurel imbued on him by creating an institution which serves as a center of (academic) excellence.

And now, the main part of the message, It gets more emotional once you thank those who made you what you are now.

To the ABS-CBN Anime and Zen Otaku Honbu forumers. Anime Kabayan, Kuya Jamibu, synth, tetsu-sempai, Mikan-sempai, Prodigy, Ate Colleen, Pinoy Big Narutonian, windracer, Soulassassin, Joes, evileye_theblocker, and to all other members like Rineo, waltz and Mc08. Thanks because I was able to know and meet friends whom I can express my inner thoughts. my inner emotions and what my opinions are in the recent issues that plague the pinoy anime industry. Thank you for being there, for being open in our exchange of ideas when we post in our forums or in our blogs. I just wish that all these ideas of mine. My opinions and expressions won't go into into a sham of waste piled up in a wastebasket.

To The Doll House yuri group, again to windracer, synth, Ate Colleen, Mikan-sempai, tetsu-sempai and to Alianne, Ate Flor and to Dillian, They were the ones whom I should say as very much, The best group I joined. I shared all what I know on making and planning. I am also privileged to be one of the core members of the group. For this I humbly say, Thank you.

To my friends who were also my batchmates (hopefully,,,) on should I say, Where it all started. A106, 1st Sem, AY 2005-2006, I believed that all started in this group. It all started as a block section but, as time come and go, we were divided into differently-classed sections, Still I never thought that I will become friends with all of you.

(eto na,,) To the Lyceum Independent Sentinel, to my EIC Jonah, AE Ate Ehdz, to Ate Cha (who is also celebrating her birthday today, 10 Dec, Happy Beer-este-birthday!), Ate Kate, Ate Jam, Ate Kenneth, Ate Manel, Fafa Sef, Fafa Ramir, Fafa Redgz, Mark, Ate Myra, Ate Elha and Verniece. I said to myself during the tumultuous time of July that if i chanced the Sentinel, I be realizing the mistakes that I have done during that period (later..). Thanks for all the tips. for all the assignments and the pointers, and sorry if at one point I disrespected you, never followed your orders and became angry with some of you, I'm just still new, I'm am still adjusting because of my anime path and career. But anyway, you were not only my bosses, senseis or sempais, You were my adopted Kuyas and Ates. (credits also to JJ and Ate Honey)

To the one club which I will only join for my stay at the Lyceum, the Lyceum Anime Guild, to Sempai David, Bryan, Joseph, Ana, Shorty, Jiea and to Carlo or more commonly known to me as Twist. Yeah, we may seem inactive, we may seem as an NPA(non performing asset of Dean Norby :) XD :P). I won't promise, but when you leave the LAG (I think I will be joined by Kenji and Jiea in handling the guild when you're gone), I will do my best to continue what the LAG will be, to be the Center of Anime Excellence in the Intramuros area. Thank you for showing me that I am not alone, I am not fighting alone for my advocacy, Thank you for being there, and thank you (andami naman) for giving your trust to me. Like I said earlier, I am not promising to you, but I will make LAG an institution at par with other universities' anime orgs.

I am thanking Twist again for introducing me to new friends which are the WTF cosplayers (segue: thanks to FilCosplay, to Sempai Sephiroth for telling us the plans and points on making an event. We will try to make these pointers as we try to make the big one here in Lyce.). Although I have made some acquaintances with some cosplayers courtesy of windracer, (thanks if you trusted me during the Toycon and Ozine Fest-NCC 2006 during the GSD group cosplay). Nothing could replace the acquaintance that I made with the cosplayers courtesy of Twist during H3 2006 and, during the eve of my birthday, the UP AME Matsuri 2006(which I will discuss to you later on after this long post). Although I only know very very few of you like Keno and Yoeru, and I do not know the majority of you. Still, I am giving A big big thank you, definitely, because you made a big boost to our advocacy in Zen and made it more accessible.

And yeah, to Twist (again) because you became my comfort when I was sad. You became my best friend here in Lyce, Nobody can replace your Ideas, your visions (really?), your artwork (cool, hehe), and your humor, I became much more than an otaku, really!

Also. I am giving my thanks to 2 persons which shaped me. First is my fave dubbing icon, Sir Michael Punzalan. He was the dubber of all dubbers, an A-class director who helmed my ever-fave Gundam SEED and the one who voiced Kira Yamato. He was a big awe to us when we met him last 25 June. And I appreciated everything. I mean everything even during the time that the "issue" broke out, Still I am so privileged to talk to an Icon like Sir Mike Punzalan, bon voyage!

And to my only one, My Lacus Clyne, Arabel, It's been 2 years since we last met, but hey. I still remember you because you are bubbly, your face is so charming and your ideas are terribly more than anyone I knew. I hope that we meet again, someday. Maybe at a convention, perhaps!. :)

As I turn 18 today, I realize that I am definitely not alone. I have friends to lean on and to fall back on. I have my family and relatives to support for me. I have my professors and teachers to guide me. And more importantly, I have my Lacus and the Lord to inspire me.

Again, I'm saying this for the nth time already. A BIG THANK YOU , BECAUSE MY LIFE IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT ALL OF YOU WHO MADE ME A PERSON.



-HeAdIn'-OuT!-