Creativity with Lego

Yes, I have discovered a new stress reliever. Lego!  Through the years, my eldest son, Rafa had been accumulating a lot of Lego pieces. Some original pieces. Others copycats from China. But they would mostly fit each other. 

In-between binge watching on Netflix, I placed hundreds of these bricks on the sofa and started putting them together. Mostly, using “left-over” pieces that my son, Rafa, had not used in building his own creation.

 

Who would have thought that these colorful interlocking plastic bricks that originated in Denmark in the early 1930s would appeal to communications practitioner like me. 

Like brand building, putting together these Lego pieces require focus and synergy. Each creation results to an identity that unique and different from each other. Just like how brand building helps creates a unique image about the company. Out of scratch, I believe no two Lego creations are the same. 

 

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, says, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” I say, these Lego I have created are what my kids will say about me when I have left the house to go to work. And they dare not take it apart.

 

Like brand building, both involve a creative process, but only Lego can bring endless possibilities. Totally agree when Tom Donaldson, VP of the Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group said, “"We really see Lego as a creative tool.” 

Just hope my kids, Rafa and Angel, don’t disassemble them yet. But even if they do, I wouldn’t mind as I know they will create something that I never even thought of.  

 

These bricks have also given me literally the hands-on experience that is an escape from the everyday business reality budgets, briefs and brand mandatories. 

 

Lego has given me a renewed focus to build, to create and drive my anxious mind to a playful world that started in a workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932. 

 

 

UST Tigers vs DLSU Green Archers

 

Last Saturday afternoon, 28 September 2019, the steps of our lives brought us to SM Mall of Asia Arena for our 1^st ever UAAP basketball game together as one family. We left our Greenhome around noon as we anticipated a big crowd around MOA, specially, with key teams from UST, DLSU, FEU and ADMU playing this weekend.

 

I had bought the tickets at the new SM Ticket outlet at SM BF Homes Paranaque. 

“Nagbalasakali lang ako…”And luckily, they had tickets for a UST game. It really didn’t matter who UST was playing against. Basta#GlowingTigers against any team. The #GlowingTigers had been doing well in the Elimination Round and has a 4 win and 2 loss record, enough to be ranked number 4 in the current standings.

 

We all wore UST shirts. Cecile and I had our CFAD white shirts while Rafa and Angel had “Anak Ako Ng Tomasino” yellow shirts which we bought last Holy Week at the UST Chapel store. 

 

There wasn’t much of a line but there was a slight crowd build-up around the lobby. The kids were given the white Manulife-branded balloon clappers. Funny that the man asked us, “La Salle or UST” while it was obvious that we were #Thomasians

 

We found our way to the Upper Box Section. There was less of a crowd today as compared to the FEU vs UST game Rafa and I watched at Araneta Coliseum a few years ago. The UST Yellow Jackets were drumming on our side of the court. The #GlowingTigers were first to be on court. 

 

I could see the excitement on our kids as the game was getting ready to start.

Dwight is back

 

Yes, Superman is back. The 33-year old “man of steel” is back with the LA Lakers, after signing with the team last 26 August 2019. Howard first played with the Lakers in 2012  after being traded from the Orlando Magic.  He played along side Kobe Bryant  and Pau Gasol and complained that didn’t get much touches. Plus he injured his shoulder midway through the season. He spent one season in LA before being traded to the Houston Rockets where he played with James Harden.

 

After six years, he signed back with a non-guaranteed contract to fill in the spot of DeMarcus Cousins who is out due to a knee inury. Now, he plays along side, Lebron James and Anthony Davis.

 

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Howard's contract with the Lakers is paid $14,490 for every day he's on the roster

 

Keeping our fingers crossed the LA Lakers make it to the 2020 NBA Finals next year but they will have to face a tough challenge against the LA Clippers. Reminds me of the 2000 World Series, between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.  It was called “the subway series” as they were crosstown opponents.

 

Would it be a classic matchup between two LA teams? 

Prayers for Eddie Garcia: National Artist

By the time this blog gets published, Eddie Garcia would be lying in state at the Heritage Park. Now, why am I writing a few words about “Manoy.” Well, he is one of the few actors that I respect and admire. He is a legend who continued to practice his artistry and craft even into his 90s. Wikipedia says, “Manoy” garnered a total of 43 wins and 38 nominations from notable award-giving bodies. He won six FAMAS trophies for Best Supporting Actor, five for Best Actor and five for Best Director. And the only Filipino to win Asian Film Award Best Actor His roots are from Bicol, specifically, Sorsogon. Very little is known or written about his family. I believe that he has valued his privacy. Didn’t even know he had a son, until I saw a news segment about his wake over at CNN Philippines.

Photo by Mau Mauricio from People Asia Magazine. The accident could really have been avoided had the network put into place extra safety measures, specially, if there are senior citizens working around the set. And that includes both cast and crew. News about Eddie Garcia being rushed to the hospital in a taxi cab looks bad. An ambulance on stand-by at the set would have probably saved his life? Those cables locked and taped, or placed under rubber. I do hope that industry leaders would put into place appropriate measures and regulations to prevent accidents on the set. “Manoy” death brings me to recall the death of Vic Morrow while filming the movie, “Twilight Zone, The Movie” back in July 1982. He and two child actors, seven-year-old Myca Dinh Le, and six-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen, died due to a helicopter crash. Surely, he would be missed. He died last June 20, 2019, at the age of 90, 12 days after the accident. He deserves to be “National Artist.”

MACCA and the soundtrack of our lives

Happy birthday Sir Paul McCartney. I remember when I bought "Band On The Run." It was one of the very albums that I would play from start to finish, up the last track, "1985." I think I bought that album around 1973, when I was still a freshman at UST High School. The album cover really intrigued me, specially, seeing James Coburn and Christopher Lee on the album cover. Searching around Wikipedia, I would later learn many interesting trivia about that cover. I learned that the album cover photograph was taken by photographer Clive Arrowsmith at Osterley Park, West London, on 28 October 1973.

Today, your music will always be a part of the soundtrack of our lives! And thanks to YouTube, I can always watch and listen to your many performances and concerts, as part of the Beatles, leading Wings and with other legendary artists, from Billy Joel to Eric Clapton. May you continue to share your music to your fans all across the globe.

Agency celebrate Raptors 1st NBA Champtionship

Working in an agency is exciting. Yes, there is pressure and many challenges. But also, there are many moments of celebration, from birthdays to even NBA championships. Yes, last Thursday, some members of the agency team took to KFC to celebrate the 1st ever NBA championship of the Toronto Raptors, plus enjoy Cornetto ice cream. Photo below shows Gil, Pauline General, Charity Bragan, Martin Jordana and Rafa Velez.

While a part of me wanted the Golden State Warriors to win and achieve their three-peat championship. An even bigger part of my basketball sense wanted the Raptors to win which would shift the balance of power to the East! And now, we have a whole country celebrating around the streets of Toronto. And yes, the presence of Kawhi Leonard on the court help make this championship happen for Toronto. After getting traded from the San Antonio Spurs and sitting out 22 games due to injury, Kawhi proved to many sports fans a champtionship is possible outside of the Golden State Warriors.

Congratulations #Toronto Raptors and happy 23rd birthday Pauleen!