Updates so far for May and June

Life truly has its ups and downs.

Just wanted to post a brief summary of things that I've been dealing with, or celebrating so far.

Still loving my job as a Game Designer for Indigo Entertainment.  The work can be tremendously stressful and at times, feel like I'm juggling way too many projects with one hand, but man the idea that I am creating GAMES as a living is truly a dream come true.  The idea that I have started games that have entertained, challenged and been enjoyed by kids all over out there in the world is amazing.  I have James and Dokes to always thank for that.

My dad was recently confined at the hospital and I had to stay with him for a week to make sure he was doing well.  I was happy to be able to be there for him, given all the years that he and mom spent making sure that their second son was happy, healthy and given access to education and safety.  It was a scary time for us, admittedly, but thankfully we were able to get through it and found our bonds as family members even getting stronger in the process.  Dad's home now and on the road to recovery.  Life get's better.

I started cooking and baking again.  And each time I do, I find myself dedicating it to PJ.  I still miss PJ a lot.  I still find myself sometimes wishing he'd suddenly text or call me and ask me to head out with him to Ortigas and enjoy the music, the dancing and the laughs.  I still find myself replaying the scenes in the hospital.  Still find myself at times wishing I could have done more.  But I do push myself to focus on the positive side of things.  To remember the lessons he taught me.  To think of the tips he shared with me.    I tried using a bigger knife when I prepped dinner the other night.  I recall PJ used to always tell me that I should stop using a Pearing knife for everything.  I don't think I'll ever stop missing him.

Yoshi is also doing better.  After a bout of fungal infection, he's feeling much better now and is starting to grow back his wonderful hair.  We are considering trimming him this much once a year to help him deal with the summer heat better.  He kinda looks more like Doby the House Elf right now, which is quite endearing.

Rocky and I have also been spending lots of time celebrating our geeky life together.  He got us a pair of Star Trek communicator/badges which have powerful magnets so we don't ruin the shirts we wear.  We also invested in getting a few more board games including Risk: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Lords of Waterdeep, Pret-A-Porter and Merlin's Company, the expansion to Shadows Over Camelot.  Gaming kinda slowed down given the recent events and summer trips, but now we are working on getting thinks back to stride.  Rocky is also now the proud owner of the Dr. Who novels, both the individual novels for each doctor and the novels dedicated to the different monsters.  It looks tremendously beautiful on our selves and I'm happy to have helped him make up his mind to get them.

Then there's Ben Woerner's A World of Dew which is a spin-off of John Wick's Blood and Honor game.  I was very excited about the book that I messaged Ben ideas on how I'd love to expand the game.  Thankfully he took my pitches seriously and has made my contribution one of the stretch goals for the release of the book! The Kickstarter was incredibly successful, netting over $16,000 even with an initial goal of only $2,000.  This will be another chance for me to contribute to the rpg community and I'm pretty psyched about it.  You can still check out the Kickstarter here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/381911690/a-world-of-dew-a-samurai-noir-role-playing-game

Finally, we're watching over Misty, Prince's dog, for the meantime while he has his trip to Cebu.  The dog has been a bit demanding for attention but I've been training him to be more calm and orderly.  He still whines every now and then, but I am hoping to teach him to be more patient and calm like how Yoshi is.  Given she's a girl and Yoshi is a boy, I've resorted to keeping them separated with a pen for now, just because I'm worried they might.. you know.. when I'm not looking.

But yeah, overall, life is good.
And tomorrow is going to be better!

July Update

So, I've been quite quiet on this blog for some time.   I will admit now that the silence was to a great part a reflection of how some parts of the year affected me.  There were some events in the first quarter and more so on the second quarter which kinda hit me hard.  But thankfully, this third quarter has been generally getting better with every passing week.

But enough.  Time to remind myself of what I have accomplished and celebrated in the last few months.

I now proudly can say I have some stuff in the table top gaming industry.

First, I helped translate/proof read the English release of the Italian Story Game Cartooner, which can be purchased on Drivethrurpg.   Originally I was being asked to review the game for my gaming blog, Tagsessions, but when I got the drafts I realized I wanted to help tighten the text and make the English easier and clearer to grasp.   To my surprise, Giovanni Micolucci - the game's creator - not only agreed to let me help with the English, but even added me to the book's credits!

So this marks my first official participation beyond merely just being a playtester (as I have been for other games such as Eloy Lasanta's Part-Time Gods or the 5th incarnation of Hero, I think it was).

Then, there was the Kickstarter for the game Heroine, which I backed.  The game allows a group to play a session where a Heroine goes through an adventure following staples such as Through the Looking Glass, Wizard of Oz and the like.   Josh Jordan, the creator of the game, messaged me to ask if I wanted to try writing a version of Heroine set in the Philippines and I jumped at the opportunity.

And so, Girls Elsewhere is now available on Drivethrurpg as well.  And I do hope that more and more of you guys check it out and support it.   I know it isn't anything that fancy, me being a contributor now to a book, but for me it is a HUGE step forward in realizing my dreams.

And then there's my job at Indigo Entertainment as a Game Designer.  I tell you, it still boggles the mind how fortunate and fulfilling it is to be in my position.  I design games for a living.  I come up with ideas and work out mechanics, systems, stories and experiences for others to enjoy and get paid to do it.  And I've even worked with greats such as Cartoon Network and the like.  Oh my god.  I tell you, I still am overwhelmed by the fact I have this job.    Even more awesome?  Part of my job is helping the gang experience and get exposed to even more games, so yeah I've been running various table-top games and story games for the last few months to help broaden the horizons of those who are willing to try it at work.    So in a way, you can say I am paid to run games too.  And now, I just might be doing this as a full-time job.

Maybe those are the signs I have to finally see.

I had dreams for film.  For comics.  For television.
Film and television kept getting side-tracked by relationships, by wars on terror, and by financial problems.  The dreams of bringing my parents home an Oscar someday were I guess dreams that were meant to be forgotten.  Wrote a bunch of scripts.  Some even got produced as plays in Los Banos, or were considered for short film treatment.  But naw, I doubt anyone even noticed or heard of them.  

Comics kept getting overwhelmed by cliques.  By lack of support.  I'd come up with cool, or original things to do, and others would barely notice.  Tenth year anniversary plans for my comic, Diliman, fell so flat I really felt crushed.  And mind you, I really had thought my friends would be there to celebrate with me.  And now, I can see so many of my friends moving forwards with their creations.  Touching people's lives.  Inspiring fans.

For some reason, there just wasn't the support or attention that I expected from them.   And to think I'd gone as far as directly asking for some friends before to support it.    I even got featured in a documentary, but surprisingly not a blimp on the social media side.  Not even after I shared the news with friends whom I had hoped would at least spread the word too. Yeah.  I guess its a sign for me to realize that those areas are just not meant for me.   And maybe if I ever try to dip my toes into those waters again, they'll be just for me to go for it and not for me to want to find an audience for it anymore.  

Maybe it was about time that I've seen what has been in front of me all this time.

Gaming is my niche.

And maybe it is about time I've focused my time instead on just making more and more gaming experiences for more to enjoy and celebrate.

So I promise myself to his these goals.  And here's a peek of what I have in the pipeline.
I have to finally finish and release the following:

Muses
A meta-game role-playing game where even the players themselves are characters in the game.  Play Immortals that wear Masks to enjoy the limitations of a mortal life.  In this game, using meta-game knowledge is part of the fun!  But beware, the Enemy lurks and worst of all, is the only person you really trust.

MEM:RE
In a world where you can remix your brain to tap into memories you need, where does identity and loyalty lie?  The Mission must be accomplished before time runs out.  And unlike most role-playing games, in Mem:RE games do unfold in real-time.

And maybe find a way to compile and release my other creations that are currently on Tagsessions.

Kumiho of the Nine: A KoreanDrama RPG
Cat Dreams/Neko Yume : A Ghibli Inspired RPG
Survivor the RPG
Black/White
Adventure Time Advanced
Adventure Time: Simplified RPG

Thankfully, my partner Rocky, has been tremendously supportive through all these moments in my life.  And so many other friends out there have been very encouraging and uplifting in their faith in my talents and abilities.  And even more, gaming idols such as Eloy Lasanta and John Wick have been willing to throw me an encouraging message or two when the going gets tough.

Life has been geekily amazing.
And it can only get better!

Gun Ban Over!

Bang bang bang!
That's all.

Six months in our Journey

Life is geekily good.
Happy Sixth Monthsarey, Rocky!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

To my Mom, who has always been supportive and loving.  Whom has taught me to trust in my talents, to hone my instincts, and to embrace my interests, I love you Mom and I hope that I always make you proud.

 

To Yaya Bebie, who is in many ways my second mom.  She has helped take care of me ever since I was one year old.  And even until now, she is with us and watching over our family.  We love you and know you are part of our family.

Happy Mother's Day!

Your Blog Does Not Exist

Woke up today and tried to log in to discover my blog was not existing.
Tried to log into Gmail and was told the same thing!

Freak out moment, eh?

After attempting to contact Google, the password started working again, so I logged in quickly and changed all my present passwords.  Gah, it was definitely a scare.  I cannot imagine how I'd function if someone had successfully hacked and deleted all my emails and blogs.

Thankfully, whatever that glitch was is over.

Right?

Even Google Just Greeted Me!

Thank you so much, Google!  This means a lot to me.
Woot!

Just Another Week.

Birthday coming up.
Mixed emotions.

Remembering Poy-poy.
Remembering last year, spending it begging and pleading on the cellphone.
Remembering feeling tired.  Sad.  Angry.  Frustrated.   Confused.  Afraid.  Weak.

Lots of memories surging through right now.
Some clear.  Some vague.
Some, an absolute riot.

Each year had its themes.  Each year had its moments.
Shattering glass.  Spilling fluids.
Smiles.  Cheers.  Fires burning.

Living life proud.  Shameless.
Crazy.  Geekily.  Free.
Sharing the joy with the ones I loved.
Celebrating them with friends I no longer see.

But life goes on.
Life that challenges you. That provokes you.
That welcomes you.

You can embrace it in many ways:
By living it as one where others judge you and state how right or wrong you are.
Or by living it knowing only certain opinions matter, as others will always have something bad to say about you - out of jealousy, out of misguided religious feelings, out of political views, out of spite.
Definitions are important.
That is true.  Sometimes we embrace them to help center ourselves.
But you can define yourself.  Or be mastered by one.

And my words will always be used against me.

But life goes on.
Life endures.

As does love.
Pure, true love.
Love born from am honest urge to take care of and bring happiness to another.

So yes, life goes on.
And I am happy to have Rocky in my life, who always reminds me to embrace my geeky gay side.  He's at work right now, but I can always feel him in my heart.

And Yoshi who is related to Poy-poy and now carries Prince and Poy-poy's legacy of having broken my fear of dogs.

Wait...

What are these marks on my skin?

Did I do these to myself?

Is there someone else in the house?

April 23, 2013.

A Pleasant Snail Mail Surprise

Woke up today to a letter in the mail

The last time we got a snail mail message was a post card from our good friend Dekya who is now based in San Franscisco.  This was a beautiful envelope with a wax seal on the back.  A real literal wax seal!

Opening it, there was an elegant letter M on the front, which for a moment made me wonder.
Having just woken up, I must confess to thinking it was a message from either Madonna or Magneto.
Yeah, gay geeks.  Hahhaha!

 

Finally opened the letter to find...

Thank you so much Monica Valentinelli!
And yes, more writing and reading for all of us!

Thank you Mayfair Games

Finally got the missing White Road piece for my Settlers of Catan game.  Thank you so much Mayfair Games for being very awesome and cool.  Most companies I know of would merely apologize and leave it at that.

And because of that, I promise to expand on my Catan collection in support of your coolness.

Making Another Run for your Heart.

Yes, I remember that night.

  

Netrunner.

:-)  

Mayfair Games, you are AWESOME

So Rocky and I, on our last trip to Singapore, got our very own copy of Settlers of Catan.

It took a few days before we actually opened it, and it was then my friend Jovan discovered there were only fourteen white wooden road pieces in the set, while the rest were fifteen.

At first, I resigned myself to just accepting the fact it was missing a piece.  But Jovan and Neek insisted I try writing in to at least check if there's a place to find replacements or anything.

I wrote my email to them a few days back.
This is their reply.

I love companies that try to make their customers happy.
Thank you so much Mayfair Games!

And yes, I've just purchased the 5-6 Player Expansion for the game.
Up next, hunting down Seafarers of Catan, Cities and Knights, and finding that Frenemies rules thing.
And to look for Catan: Oil Springs.

WE3 absolutely is worth it!

Rocky saw this on the shelf while we were at Fully Booked today.
I just HAD to have it.  The back states there are 10 new story pages and 25 additional pages of behind the scenes stuff.  Simply AMAZING.  I can't wait to open it.

:-P

This does mean I have a WE3 trade paperback now for sale.  Hmm...

Got myself my own Christmas Gift

Yes I know.
But maaaan I couldn't resist.

Got my early Christmas Gift from Rocky!

Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Absolutely an awesome read.  Grant Morrison really knows how to craft a confusing yet cool tale (which nicely comes together before you know it).   Thank you so much Rocky for this wonderful gift.

Yeah, things have been on an upswing overall in the scheme of things.  I'm frankly happier than I thought I would be given the events some months back.  But yeah, I'm now one month cigarette-free and in many ways even more geekily happy.

Too bad someone doesn't quite get it.

But yeah, he's a happy dog.  That's for certain.
Wait til I give him another banana.