Things happen in speed motion that my mind is rolling 24/7, while my sausage fingers type like an 80-year old granny. So bear with me if I will be sharing my bulk thoughts, regarding the Coffee Fest and the weight of recent events.
The Coffee Fest was a blast. Though organized not in our usual standards, there’s a large room for improvement. If I talk too much, I become the villain, if I stay silent, I ignored it. So I’ll end my criticism here: It was an eye-opener, a mind-boggling event that made me want to get involved with in a deeper sense. Although…The timeline was a bust, the delegation of tasks are scattered, and the core people are everywhere. With the right direction, timing, and clear goals, it could push through.
This global crisis is surely killing us, but here I am, indifferent to war and letting things move as they are. But be that as it may, I saddened by the death of a friend. I met Neil through IPMS Baguio. He was someone who shows up at random events, every now and then, that you’ll be surprised he’s there. You catch up, he takes photos, and he builds whenever he gets a free time, which is barely due to the demands of his job. But he was always there, taking photos, supporting events the best way he can. We may not have had too many coffees together because of our day jobs, but there was one time when we were all adjusting to the new normal, we scheduled a photoshoot because…pandemic, not so peopley out there, so my confidence was kinda above average, but protocols were so strict at the time that we had to retain the masks outdoors. His passing is heavy, not just for me, but for all of us who knew him on a personal level–even those who barely knew him is in mourning.
Actually, the whole Baguio is mourning for Neil Ongchangco and Ompong Tan, his fellow photo journalist. They were two great personalities, and I may not say this enough, everyone knows them and everyone knows their contribution to Baguio.
Now, contingency plans. For everything. Because war. Because price hike of everything. Tsk. How creative can you get? If all events will have to pause, and supply for all aspects in life becomes scarce, what’s left for businesses, corporates, and individuals? How will we ever survive this? What could we do to lessen the weight of this reality while thinking of ways on how to move as normal as possible with the ventures that we have lined up for the year? Will we ever see each other after this? Will we still be where we are when this chaos passes?
The members in every organization I am involved with are in silent panic, and some of them might even despise me for not speaking up about this. But if they knew what’s happening inside my head, I bet they’ll leave me hanging up to dry. Because I know that nobody could fully get me, or understand how my mind operates. And people by nature, leaves at the first sign of danger. So, yes, I choose silence, a pretentious indifference, and a sarcastic laughter to everything right now.
