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Witnessing a legacy

It was my first, it was my last, and in the end, there was this bittersweet feeling of regretting and not regretting at the same time. It was like trying a ice cream new flavor but it was the last scoop: no regret in taking on something new but wishing you could've done it sooner.

In my four years in the Ateneo, I was never really compelled to watch a UAAP game live. I always thought getting the tickets were a hassle and there was really no motivation for me since I didn't know any of the players. But for sentimentality's sake, I decided to watch at least just one UAAP game as a senior. Thesis and hell weeks broke loose and the next thing I knew, it was the finals, game two and I still haven’t watch a game. Suddenly, there was this tenacity in me. The girl who thought getting UAAP tickets was a hassle all but stood in line for an hour just for a ticket, even if it's freaking Gen Ad and she even thought of emailing her Theo professor to move her orals an hour earlier so she won't be late for the game. Needless to say, it was all worth it.

It was such an intense game: I clapped, I screamed, I jumped, I cheered and jeered, and I laughed. But most of the time, I was just thinking "Kaya 'yan, guys!" all throughout the game, fully knowing Kiefer and the rest of the team on the court didn't really have mind-reading abilities. And for the first time, I experienced a bigger sense of the Ateneo community. It wasn't just students, faculty and staff. There were high school kids, even grade schoolers, alumni with their girlfriends and family, all of them cheering and (I can feel it) telepathically sending the same message to the players: "Kaya natin 'to!"

Even before the game, as I nervously walk towards Dela Costa for my Theo orals, I felt it. It's not unusual for a lot of people to wear blue on a school day but that day, it was different. I knew why they were wearing blue; it was the same reason behind my blue shirt and I found myself thinking, "There's a word for this." Soon, I figured out it was solidarity. Definitely, win or lose, it's the school we choose.

I can't believe I put off watching a UAAP game until the very last but thank God I finally did. It really is one of the few moments of the Ateneo community at its finest. Well, my scoops of watching a UAAP game as a college student has gone but that doesn't mean it'll be my last UAAP game ever. Cheers to joining the alumni group for the upcoming years as the Blue Eagles fight for Ateneo's victory. Hey, maybe one day I might bring my family, too.

#ara alinea #UAAP #Five-peat

Ours.

five-peat: [noun] a fifth consecutive win of a sports championship; Ateneo Blue Eagles Basketball Team 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

I honestly don't know what to feel about the five-peat. A part of me is of course, happy that we have managed to snag fifth consecutive championship title for basketball but another part of me seemed to not care at all. Basketball is basketball, just another sport in that one can find in Ateneo’s College Athletics program. Being an athlete for Ateneo myself, sometimes I (bitterly) tell myself not to care about Basketball because a) one less person to not care about Blue Eagles and dribbling orange balls will not hurt them and b) basketball isn’t all that fun anyway. Though I do commend them for that fact that they have managed to stay on top for the fifth year straight.

But then, I think about it again and I find myself disagreeing with my indifferent and embittered self. There’s a reason you root for them, even if it is begrudgingly. Perhaps its that sense of school spirit, that sense of camaraderie, that sense of being one. When you watch an Ateneo basketball game, especially one that involves either a) finals or b) that Green-coloured school, you feel one with the crowd, you feel one with the team, and you feel that you belong. That you are an Atenean, and that this win – the win that these bunch of guys have gotten in a court – is not just for them but for all of us.

To put it simply, I think the reason why this five-peat matters to me is because it has given me a chance to feel connected to every Atenean I see. When the Eagles won the championship, people never said: “They won! They did it!” Instead, what we hear are “We won! We did it!” The Eagles' win was just not for themselves and for MVP and for Norman Black and for Father Ben and Father Jett and for the name of Ateneo de Manila University. I realised that, it’s for everyone, for everyone to share and to be proud of. And wow, imagine that feeling, that camaraderie, that celebration, that shared exuberance happening to you every single year of your college life. Yup. That’s the life. That victory that you all share, culminated in a night filled with fireworks and wood burning – the Bonfire. It’s a night where everyone comes together to celebrate, to be happy, to share. I’ve been to four Bonfire events and you just see everyone coming to celebrate. Alums, profs, Jesuits, students, feeling students, etc. The Basketball victory brings people together, and that is perhaps, what I envy the most about them: their ability to inspire a sense of excitement and unity among the Ateneo community, their ability to rally support and cheers from people they have never known, their ability to turn a nameless sea of screaming and cheering faces to into a part of their team, into being a part of Ateneo Blue Eagles, their ability to make people believe and cheer proudly "Win or lose, it's the school we choose."

I do admit to myself that in every Bonfire event that I have been in as student of Ateneo, there is a refreshing exhilaration to winning the basketball crown and celebrating it with everyone. My bitterness as an Ateneo athlete playing for a relatively unknown and unsupported sport is melted by the fire of the Bonfire as I see everyone giddy with happiness, as I hear people cheer and laugh together, as I feel the pride radiate off the people in attendance. With every Bonfire I go to, I realised and re-realise that, and as my favourite GetBlued shirt said, “Kay Sarap Maging Atenista.”

by Nikki de Castro

#nikki de castro #fivepeat #ateneo

The Wins that Bind

Atenista. Blue-blooded. Eagles. These are just some of the words that Atenean students use to refer to themselves. More so than ever, when related to the UAAP or more specifically when in cheering for the University’s basketball team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles. This last season would have marked the Eagles’ fifth straight victory in the finals and thusly their 5th straight UAAP basketball championship. The myriad feelings around the campus have recently been that of ecstatic joy and a comforting breather amidst the anxiety due to exams being undertaken. All in all, the entire student population has never had such a fluctuation of emotions in recent history as they do now.

I, however, do not necessarily share the shame enthusiasm for the school’s sports and athletic prowess as my co-students and friends do. I suffice to say didn't even watch the last Ateneo game wherein the 5th championship had been cemented. It’s not that I have any qualms against the team and such, but neither do I just share the interest in the inter-school sports; my last stint being part of the high school baseball varsity is already years in the past. I respect them and do wish they win in these competitions but the need to watch just never really grasped my liking.

How it has affected me though is through the faces and expressions of my friends. When they’re happy, I am happy. When they talk about the game and all its glory I smile and enjoy the conversation. The story telling, of what I had missed, being much more animated, jubilant and sincere is a great thing to see and hear. The enamored joy in hearing my classmates re tell a certain play or the feeling of being in the stadium and just how… “Sarap maging Atenista” is proudly expressed makes the listening worth it.

The fact that my whole tenure as a student has been bestowed with championships in the most-popular sport of basketball in the UAAP comes with a lot of benefits and glad tidings. The upbeat spirit of the school has probably made my stay more enjoyable than if the basketball years had not been so kind. Honestly, even the teachers’ bonuses on account of wins and school holidays are a great treat as well. The over-all notion being that if the team wins and is happy then so is everyone else.

It has been a great and diversely educated experience for me so far in my 4th and, hopefully passing, last year in the Ateneo University. One thing however that I would think stands out from all the academics however and I think will always hold more importance in life over the years, are the friends. They say, “Life changes but friends don’t.” The friends we make here may be future business partners, connections, shoulders-to-cry-on, dance partners, wives, husbands, the list goes on and on and on; hopefully so do the championships. Haha! But if I can take one thing from the basketball team it would be that of their sense of camaraderie, without each other over the years, our team would have never won and I’m sure that’s something they will never forget. They’ll never forget all the hours of practice, competing, losing, and wining all those they did together. I also would have never made it through college without my friends, the studying together, panicking together, cramming together, cheat- cough, cough, something together. Concluding, college has been a great experience and made even greater due to the friends I have made. Onto graduation and us going our separate ways, but never forgetting the crowded path that brought us there.

- Quintin P. Cu-Unjieng

Ateneo's One Big Fight

Ateneo’s 5-peat was a great way to end the semester; one that many had despised halfway through. It was a long and tough semester academically, as students and teachers alike, rushed their work before the break. The finals series between Ateneo and UST was at perfect timing, to say the least, as everyone deserved the much need rest and leisure time. The game wasn’t as relaxing as taking a day off though. Both games were pretty intense, on and off-court.

I can imagine the frustration during the times of my brother where he never experienced a championship. Honestly, it’s cool to have experienced the 5-peat as a student. But I was not really born a basketball fan anyway. I have, and always will prefer football (soccer) to basketball. But UAAP Basketball is really different. The skill of the team as a whole has more emphasis, as opposed to the PBA, where individual skill and isolation plays are more common. But all the more, the atmosphere is different. Cheering with your friends and schoolmates together, seeing the whole school tuned in to the game, the atmosphere is terrific. It’s exhilarating. Be it you watch it live in Araneta or MOA, or in the comforts of your home, the thrilling, up and down match, and the fulfillment and stoke is the same.

It is great to experience the winning run of Ateneo in the UAAP. I have heard a lot of worried comments about Ateneo’s season next year, as MVP and Norman Black will no longer be on Ateneo’s side. Yes, the team’s approach to the game may change, with new lineups and a new coach, but I am sure that the experience will still be the same. What is great about watching UAPP basketball is that it brings the community together as one. The fact that you are cheering together for the same team is a great feeling. It seems that there are no strangers once the tip-off ceremonies have begun. I believe that despite the outcome, the overall experience of watching a game is why everyone loves UAAP basketball so much. We always cheer in every end of the game “Win or lose, it’s the school we choose”, which very well represents the wonderful experience itself.

On a side note, I would like to finish this article with a few things I did not like about the series. Part of the heated exchanges between Ateneans and Thomasians were ignited because of the infamous “lemons” article that was published by The Varsitarian. Honestly though, I have not read the full article, rather excerpts and testimonials from friends. I personally thought it was shocking for a university publication to release such an article. I believe that they are entitled to their own opinions, but they must have thought of the amount of flak they would be receiving. I think the antics off the court messed up the image of the finals. The focus turned from the game to the debates and arguments between fans. The Varsitarian’s article, and even Coach Pido’s post-Game 1 comments were totally uncalled for. The game is supposed to be about camaraderie and community.

Partly, this happy disposition is helped by the outstanding performance of the basketball team. Perhaps if the team never won these past few years, the Ateneo community wouldn’t have felt the same or wouldn’t be saying “And sarap maging Atenista” after all. No one knows. But the fact of the matter is, is that we did win, for the past 5 years. I am lucky and blessed to have experienced championships in my stay in Ateneo as a college student. Despite the losses in the team, the community is still one, as it will always be. Every year is not just the team’s, but also the community’s “One Big Fight”!

-Miko Miso

#One Big Fight #Extra work #miko miso

Not So Imaginary After All

Ever had an imaginary friend when you were still a kid? Let me tell you now that Your Imaginary Friends are as real as it gets. I had the great pleasure of watching ¼ of the band come to class and share his music and thoughts on the music industry, work, and life. Ahmad Tanji, a graduate of Ateneo de Naga University (Psychology), came into class extremely cool and laid-back just like his music (which I’ll be getting on to later). He was obviously quite comfortable speaking in front of the class, and he had this certain “charisma” which just naturally draws you into the conversation. It was as if he was just speaking to you directly despite the fact there were around 30+ other people in the room. Something that struck me the most was when Ahmad said “It’s nice to share music” and I agree with that whole heartedly. Music is something that touches your very being, despite not being a tangible thing. And there’s always something for everyone.

Moving on to the actual music, I liked how it was very personal and “human”. These were songs that had an intimate story behind them, and lyrics that you could actually relate to. Hearing a stripped down, “unplugged” one-man performance by Ahmad reminded me of Brit-Pop bands like Noah and the Whale and Starsailor (bands which you should totally check out by the way). Ahmad’s singing was smooth and soulful with just a tinge of grunge. In other words: unique and pleasant to the ears. The songs themselves like “Oh Liza” and the aptly named “Baby You’re Going to Hell”, a crowd favorite, were simple yet they had so much feeling in them. And that’s music really. You don’t the looks and all these pointless gimmicks that have no direction (heh) . All you need is the passion for the music! Feel the love! Cheesiness aside, Ahmad’s performance was heartfelt and honest. The short “spiels” between each song was insightful and also funny like how “Hey Rowena” is about a hardcore atheist, activist, feminist UP student and how she needs to give into love. Personally, I really enjoy music that has a back story and personal meaning to it. So I’m going to do myself a favor and listen the hell out of Your Imaginary Friends’ music. Legally.

To end this, it was really inspiring to have Ahmad speak in front of us all. As a semi-official member of a band, this was also a topic close to my heart. OPM isn’t dead. It’s out there, if you have the willingness to go search for it. So what the hell are you doing still reading this article, go check out Your Imaginary Friends on Facebook , Google, Twitter and Youtube! www.yourimaginarymusic.com if you’re incredibly lazy!

P.S. I just have to say that I cringed when Ahmad hit his Seagull guitar on the blackboard/whiteboard. Whew. Also shameless plug; like my band, Mang Thomas and the Sarsaraps on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/MangThomasandtheSarsaraps?ref=hl

Hi, meet my imaginary friends. They're hipsters.

Two things: he can pass off as Jesus and he has a pink guitar strap.

Standing at about 5'6" in his Morrisey shirt is the bronze-skinned, curly-haired front man of the indie band Your Imaginary Friends, Ahmad Tanji. Right at the start he clarifies the proper pronunciation of his name being Ah(k!)mad and offers a more … sultry alternative, specifically on the first syllable. Of course, you know what I mean.

Currently taking up his masterals on Clinical Psychology along with a day job and a family, Ah(k!)mad is doing one hell of a balancing act. Add having a band into the mix and you wonder how everything's not falling apart yet. According to him, it's all about a question of passion. And with starting a band, inexhaustable passion's gotta be a pre-requesite.

Ah(k!)mad filling the room with his pleasingly youthful voice. And see, that's his pink guitar strap I was telling you about.

Creating an Imaginary Friend

It all started with four friends uniting under the need to make awesome music along the lines of the Pixies flirting with Nirvana and Weezer making self-depreciating comments to Death Cab for Cutie, all in a world where The Smiths is God. Thus formed Your Imaginary Friends with Ah(k!)mad on vocals and guitar, his brother Khalid (no exclamation points there) on lead guitar, Em Aquino on bass and Eric Po on drums. Four years passed and they're still happy "just like a married couple," quipped the Jesus look-alike.

Their first album, "One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum", is a five-song EP. The title alone highlights some quirks of the band. "We just wanted to sound witty," explains Ahmad, pointing out the words as a line from Edgar Allan Poe. And witty they do try to do with wordy lyrics and interesting topics, as far as I've determined from the songs he performed for us on class.

Imagine a Singing Imaginary Friend

His line up for our class was as follows:

1. Oh, Liza

Quick descrip: Main song of the first album. POV of a 24-year old girl who's still a virgin asking "Am I getting my first kiss tonight?" The answer: one of the rejected titles for the song was "Adobo Kiss."

My reaction: The song had a dreamy air to it, like a drop-dead lovesick Jason Mraz on an acoustic guitar but without the playful rhymes and witty words.

2. Hey, Rowena!

Quick descrip: About Ahmad being a wingman, convincing a friend to fall in love. Story of the song banks on the idea of the stereotypical strong woman ("All the '-ist'") failing to find true love.

My reaction: By the second song, you kind of see a Taylor Swift trend to their song titles. Still not sure how I feel about that.

3. Baby, You're Going to Hell

Quick descrip: "It's supposed to be a love song but it doesn't sound like it."

My reaction: I actually like this song. I've never heard such spiteful words sung so beautifully and I've heard my dose of "S2PID LUV". Hope it's part of the second album. Speaking of which,

4. Your Silence is the Villain

Quick descrip: Main song of their second album, "Silence is a Villain."

My reaction: By the fourth song, I switched from thinking he sounds like Jason Mraz to Owl City. What's its actual relevance to this post, I don’t know.

It's quite obvious that second album is a far cry from the silly, child-like feel of ODIH (yes, I acronym-ed it). Even Ahmad himself said it's "noisier" and "grittier", echoing the natural process of growing up and it so happens that this album's all about the teenage angst phase.

L-R: Ahmad, Em, Eric and Khalid trying (and failing) to contain their smiles. (Photo from: yourimaginarymusic.com)

(Musical) Foster Home for Imaginary Friends

Like I said earlier, inexhaustable passion's a pre-requisite for a band but so is inexhaustible money. It takes a lot of moolah to record even just one song and after all the hard work, bands find their stuff being downloaded for free? That's just gotta hurt. So, if you like their music, let's help our imaginary friends get their music out there more by pre-ordering their second album.

Other sites for your perusal:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yourimaginarymusic/info Official Website: http://yourimaginarymusic.com/ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yourimaginarymusic Multiply: http://yourimaginaryfriends.multiply.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/YIFmusic

#yourimaginaryfriends #indie music #music review #ara alinea

Up Close: Ahmad Tanji of Your Imaginary Friends

Light, carefree and relatable. These were the words that went through my mind when I first heard Ahmad sing a song from their EP. Your Imaginary Friends is not your ordinary band because they are composed of songwriters and so their songs are more detailed, more heartfelt than other bands out there and as Ahmad shares, also cheesier. Ahmad imparts that their indie band is mostly made up of Bicolanos, the place they originated in.

(Photos taken by me)

Your Imaginary Friends is influenced by a lot of 90's bands. Among them are The Smiths, The Pixies and Nirvana. What they try to do is come up with music melding the likes of these kind of bands and so once you listen to their songs you'll find some self-deprecating humor behind it.

The theme on their upcoming EP is said to be a “growing up stage” from their previous EP. One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum was more of a coming of age kind of thing. It talked about crushes, first kiss, and also about missing their childhood friends. Silence is A Villain, is said to be a transition from the puppy love to more serious matters like teenage angst, departing and broken hearts.

Staying true to the bands name, Your Imaginary Friends’s songs are mostly about their friends. When lead vocalist Ahmad Tanji was asked if their friends were offended by using their story he commented that his works so far are appreciated. He comments that songwriting is his catharsis, is his outlet. Ahmad played a few songs from their past album and a new single for the class to get a feel of what kind of music they have on them. He first plays the single Oh, Liza, which is a story about his friend who is about to get “some action” for the very first time...(If you know what I mean) Then he plays Hey Rowena afterwards. This song is about being a wingman that is convincing his friend to give in to love. Ahmad also gave a release single on their upcoming EP called Baby You're Going to Hell. The lyrics to this song was highly comical even though Ahmad said that this was supposed to be a love song. The melody of the song did not help the case of it being a love, it was really a catchy tune. He ended his performance with the 2nd EP's title: Your Silence is A Villain. Out of all the four songs he sang, this song had a touch of soul.

When asked about his thoughts on OPM being "dead", Ahmad doesn't believe that OPM's popularity has faltered. He shares that the author's article was merely an observation that didn't dig that deep. Usually this kind of people only resort to the radio as basis for OPM's popularity, let's to forget that there are other outlets for OPM to come out; especially with social media so rampant today. People think OPM is dead is because they haven't searched that far. if you actually give a thorough search on OPM, you'll find a lot of hidden gems, says Ahmad.

Even though being an indie band doesn't make much money, Ahmad is still dedicated to his love for music. He shares that, "if you're in you're 30's already and doing something that you love and doesn't earn that much, that's passion right there".

If this tidbit catches your attention, be sure to drop by their site and know more about his band at www.yourimaginarymusic.com and do avail their upcoming EP named: Silence is A Villain!

by Natasha Faustino

My Imagination's Friends

Your Imaginary Friends is an old married couple of a band I've never heard of...until yesterday...when they they won over my imagination, my senses, and my playlist.

Ahmed Tanji, vocalist and guitarist for the band, came by to class to perform four stripped down, just-guitars version of four of their songs: Oh, Liza, Hey Rowena both from their first album called One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum (title inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe poem according to Ahmad,) an unreleased track (but a crowd favourite) Baby You're Going To Hell, and Your Silence Is The Villain, from their upcoming album, Silence is a Villain.

The moment Ahmad began singing, he had me hooked. Their music and content were reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie while Ahmad's voice, deep, thoughtful, and provoking reminded me of Ben Gibbard's (the band DCFC and the vocalist, Mr. Gibbard were two of the inspirations for their music, he shared.)

Their music isn't of the pop chart kind, containing bubbly lyrics and sappy tunes, but that of a lyrical melodic type. It's those bands that make those floaty, giddy type of music, where you feel like you just want to drift across the open outer-space. Wordful, but full of meaning, a catharsis of some sort, a reflection of a past experience. an introspection to an emotion, a musical rendition of raw, human emotion. In fact, Ahmed mentioned that he considers Your Imaginary Friends to be a songwriting band. Their type of music is quite hard to find here in the country. They consider themselves part of the indie rock family, of those making uncompromised, meaningful, thoughtful but relatively unknown music.

Because of and the smaller fan base and the music rarity (at least in the Philippines) of the band (compared to those pop and chart-topping artists) they've called out for pledges in order to help the production of their second album, Silence is a Villain, through this Artisteconnect. (click the link for direct access to YIF's pledge page) To add to that, Ahmed mentions that he also has a day job, and keeps on singing and writing just because it's his passion and it is what he loves. He said that "Passion is being in your 30's, doing something you love and keeping on doing it." He stressed on the importance of time management, of being able to make time for something you truly love.

With the the issue of OPM being dead? Ahmed said something along the lines of: "People who think OPM is dead are people who don't look very far for good music. The radio is not representative of the OPM." I agree. Your Imaginary Friends is original, Filipino and pure, lovely music (that I can't stop listening to!) In fact, right when I got home, I just opened their page and began streaming through their music, contented to feel the guitar riffs and Ahmad's voice bring me to a mood of something like a surreal anti-gravity.

Visit their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/yourimaginarymusic

Their website is: http://yourimaginarymusic.com

Support, support support!

by Nikki de Castro

#nikki de castro #your imaginary friends

Good music indiemand

I believe that good art and good expression is rooted closely from being in touch with your emotions. It’s not an easy thing to do, but vocalist of “Your Imaginary Friends”, Ahmad Tanji seems to surely know how. His passion reflects with his music and his whole outlook on the Filipino music scene.

Ahmad visited our journalism class last Tuesday, September 18, 2012 to perform a couple of the band’s hits and talk about their upcoming EP. Right off the bat, you sense that their songs have a very new wave feel. Besides the “Morrissey” shirt he had on for the performance, he later on explains that The Smiths and the like are the band’s major influences. For this day, he performed his songs “Oh Liza” and “Hey Rowena”, which come off Your Imaginary Friends’ first EP, “One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum”, which was surprisingly released 2 years ago. He also performed “You’re Going to Hell”, and my personal favorite, “Your Silence is a Villain”, which Ahmad says, will come out in their second EP entitled its namesake. Personally, the performance was great, and the feel of the songs hit the ears just right. You can really tell that the guy is serious with his art, as he shared that he and his brother started music at a young age

The “indie” band

Indie, in its technicality, really means unsigned with a major label. He shares that being an indie band is tough, and that also they are affected by piracy. He says, “It only helps in the start. It helps with popularity. But that also means we’re not making money.” He shares that an hour in the studio costs around 700-800 php, and sometimes it takes them up to 10 hours in the studio, just for one song. That’s the advantage of signed artists. They have a label company covering their recording expenses for them.

OPM is NOT dead

The past few weeks have been filled with online discussions and debates on whether or not Original Pinoy Music (OPM) is dead. I asked him whether or not he agrees with the whole notion and he said, “I don’t believe OPM is dead”. He quickly adds, “…to people looking for good music.” He says that there are a lot of “hidden gems” in the Philippine music scene, and that there are a lot of bands where when you listen to them, you would say “Bakit hindi ito ang pinapakinggan ng mga tao.”

That is how I feel about Ahmad and the rest of Your Imaginary Friend. I visited to their website and listened to the rest of their songs posted on their site. I really love their sound, and I am sure a lot will do too. I was telling myself, if the likes of Death Cab for Cutie are so famous with teenagers nowadays, why aren’t they?

By Miko Miso

For more information on Ahamad, and the rest of Your Imaginary Friends:

http://yourimaginarymusic.com/

#yourimaginaryfriends #ahmad tanji #mikomiso #miko miso

Ahmad Tanji of Your Imaginary Friends

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Friends With Benefits

"It's nice to share music,"

... is what Ahmad Tanji said upon being thanked again for sharing his talents and time with our class last Tuesday. He is 1/4th of the music group "Your Imaginary Friends" with the other members being, Em Aquino, Eric Po and Khalid Tanji. Ahmad was present in our class that other day to give a small taste of the music his band plays and just talk about his career and all that it has meant to him so far and still means even today.

He performed 4 songs, 2 of them being part of their first EP, entitled "One Dreamy and Determinate Hum" and another single from their 2nd and upcoming album, "Silence is a Villain" also the name of the song, and a song entitled "Baby, You're Going to Hell" still undecided on whether to be included in the upcoming album or not.

I however really enjoyed the last song, "Baby You're Going to Hell" sounding like pretty upbeat and cynical yet revengeful song about an ex lover. These things I guess just speak to me, as I'm sure they do another a great number of other people anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed his music and appreciated what he was trying to do as an artist. The music was very much inspired by The Smiths as well as The Pixies and Nirvana. The Smiths I immediately heard but the rest, maybe I have to listen a bit better. He performed well on his own and had a pretty great voice. The lyrics, however were what stood out as they were very true and he said based on myriad life experiences. Something he would actually tell his girlfriends, "if we break up, you'll probably be in my next song." Inspiration always comes from the heart and from emotions either good or bad, it's just how you choose to expel it is what will make it either useful or a waste. Ahmad, in this case thankfully chose to put it into his music and into what he loves, and that's all he needs right now to enjoy life. "It's nice to share music," he says and I can say at least these time the people listening weren't imaginary but now, new found friends and fans.

- Quintin P. Cu-Unjieng

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Two of Kaya FC's brutal force

In the past few years, football has been pretty prominent, or at least rising in the eyes of the Filipino masses. This has been due to successes of the Philippines Azkals in their tournaments the past couple of years. If you want to pin-point exactly when the Azkals sprung into the lime-light, I believe it was after the Azkals’ run in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, where the Azkals fell short of the title, but eventually became a very crucial tournament in the development of Philippines football. The Azkals have gone a long road to get to the success they are in now. But despite all the hype that they have garnered, Philippine football isn’t all as bright. The UFL, or the United Footbal League, is the main competitive football league here in the Philippines. It isn’t a household name, unlike the Azkals, but the league is significantly growing every year.

Last Tuesday, Nate Burkey, a striker, and Jonah Romero, a midfielder or defender, both from Kaya FC’s starting eleven squad, visited our Journalism class and gave a short talk about themselves and life in the football scene. Both Nate and Jonah were born in the United States, and both have tons of experience from high school and college football. Nate shares in an interview that his brother is the reason why he got into football. Jonah on the other hand says that he really wasn’t into football at an early age, but rather wrestling and American football. Nate also plays for the Philippine Azkals, where he actually scored the opening goal in our bid for a spot in the last World Cup Qualifier, while Jonah is part of the Guam National Team.

Nate and Jonah share the same passion for football like many others in the league. Yes, the UFL may not be as prominent as other leagues in the world, but Nate and Jonah still enjoy football here. Because there really is a future for football in the Philippines, and the Azkals is not the only team looking to prove that. I recommend that you watch a UFL game, and see for yourself why many across the world call it the best sport.

You can check Nate, Jonah, and the rest of Kaya FC at:

http://kayafc.com/

For more information and updates on schedules of the UFL:

http://www.uflphilippines.com.ph/

By Miko Miso

#Nate Burkey #Jonah Romero #Kaya FC #mikomiso

Football players Jonah and Nate

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Kicking Around The World

The future of soccer… sorry, I mean football, in the Philippines is looking brighter everyday. The sport is on the rise and over the last 2 years or so taken over the Philippine media scene as well as the world’s sport stage. The adoption of the Azkals as a team to watch and certainly root for could be considered the main cause. Nonetheless this has all been a great way to encourage more and more kids to get into the sport and try their skills at it. Surprisingly so, has also been the popularity the Philippine football scene has gotten on an international perspective, thusly bringing in a lot of foreign, partly Filipino, talent to the country in the form of representation in the national teams.

Two of these players are young guns Jonah Rivera and Nate Burke, the former being part of the Caya football league and the latter a member of the previously mentioned Azkals. Both of them lived in the United States up until a couple of years ago, wherein they took the decision to fly instead to the Philippines a country wherein they had a certain lineage to. The opportunity to represent their blood related country was something they couldn't turn away from and especially if the representation was in the form of something they truly loved. These two clearly love the sport of football and would do it for the rest of their lives if they could, that they can represent their country is just and added bonus onto the already blissful career they have attained.

Like I said earlier, football in the Philippines is on the rise and looks like it is here to stay. One factor of this is the acceptance of teen Sandro Reyes into the Barcelona club-training league. He represents the opportunity that can be attained with the proper determination and drive in the sport; and already an inspiration to many. Football is growing and will continue to do so.

-Quintin P. Cu-Unjieng

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Paul Cuengca of The Last Wild Place

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Raiders of the Lost Islands

Hidden paradises. That’s two words I’d use to describe the Philippines. The problem here however is in the first word being just that…hidden. Why do we live in a country that we know is so beautiful but don’t really “know” it. So many places in the Philippines are just waiting to be explored and admired and our task now is to go out and find them.

This is what adventurer and environmentalist Paul Cuengca believes as well. The Philippines as a country is still ripe for the picking and exploring, only he wants to be the first one to get a taste, and then share it with the rest of us. This is where “The Last Wild Place Conservation Initiative” comes into place. The Last Wild place is a show to be aired in the near future on Philippine television. The mission: to explore and promote exotic locales and in turn give people a chance to travel there themselves and witness the hidden beauty of these paradises. The important reminder though he shares with us is that of “responsible tourism,” meaning, we do have a right to tour these places but then we also have the responsibility to protect and keep them the way they are. Then comes in the saying of “leave no trace” which he advises all would be adventurers to do. We have an abundance of untouched paradises around the Philippine islands and they are paradises due to the face that a lot of them are hidden and barely inhabited. We would like to explore these places and discover more of what our country has to offer but at the same time we wouldn't want another Boracay, according to Paul a victim of commercialism and industry.

We were treated to a viewing of the unaired pilot episode of The Last Wild Place and what a treat it was. They traveled to Camiguin Norte and there they saw whales, dolphins, went to hot springs and natural waterfalls. All in all everything being such a great and new but fulfilling experience. This same new sense of wonder and amazement is what he would like many of us Filipinos to be able to experience and now through this program he intends to just show us the way. All I can say is that, I am ready to follow. Won’t you come with us?

- Quintin P. Cu-Unjieng

#Quintin cu-unjieng

Inside Scoop on the Life of Being An International Footballer featuring Kaya Football Club’s Jonah Romero & Nate Burkey

Going to the same school but never really knowing each other until they became teammates, Jonah and Nate take a sit down and talk about their passion and their life on the road.

Sitted L-R Jonah Romero and Nate Burkey

These footballers have different stories upon coming across their sport for the first time. Jonah shared that he really started with wrestling and American football. He wanted to get a scholarship going into college and so he tried football and has been successful ever since. He has been part of Guam’s National Team as well. Nate Burkey, on the other hand, started early. He got into the sport because of his brother; together, they joined various youth teams in his younger years.

Profile photos from Kaya Football Club : Jonah Romero, Nate Burkey

Being miles away from family and friends, the distance has made these players homesick. When Nate has reached the one-month point of staying in the country, he admitted he was already homesick. Back at DC, Nate shares that he’s got a car and friends to go to and he’s all set. Despite the drawback, the two players say that The Fort Strip has got them bringing back those memories and so they hang there a lot. “The Fort is definitely not the Philippines”, shares Jonah with a hint of a dubious smile.

On being here to play higher-level football alone, the players confess that it’s easy to get caught up in the glamour life that comes with it. Their stay here has been enjoyable so far. “I’m in love with it (Philippines)’’, Jonah shares. The perks that come along with their job gives them a lot of socializing with new found friends and a lot of exposure for their team and their name. Aside from the perks of being local celebrities, a superb game is always expected of them. Both players are thankful for the exposure of the glam life that they are getting but they hope that people would not lose sight of the purpose as to why they are here in the first place; to play great football.

Jonah & Nate also dished out some of their pre-game rituals, see if you do or can live up to their ways:

· Bums the whole day before the actual game day

· Drink lots of water throughout the day

· Eat more protein two days before

· Visualize what you want to do on the game before you sleep

· Relax

· Don’t do anything strenuous on game day

· Pray before the game

When asked about their life after their football career, Jonah and Nate said that the sport would always be a part of them. Nate shares that he plans to go back to coaching kids at youth teams back at home. Jonah says that he might pursue a career after his course, which is Criminal Justice but quickly admits that he doesn’t want to be a “Shaq” who is now a deputy sheriff back in the United States.

The players’ thoughts regarding the issue that the Azkals consisting mostly of mixed – race roster and therefore not being a “pure-Filipino” team, were that it was such a crazy thing to say. Nate further expounds their point by saying that we Filipinos don’t have a definite origin in the first place and that we are a mixed race to begin with. They are fortunate enough to have Filipino blood in them because it is such a huge privilege to be playing for our nation.

“The Philippines in terms of Football (exposure) is very young”, Nate comments on the state of football in our country. Jonah and Nate are absolutely honored to be part of the team that can bring football to new heights in the country. Catch them at the upcoming United Football League this October. See you there! Cheers!

by Natasha Faustino

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