New Years Goals 2011

Evolution

I can’t believe we are already at the end of February, and I haven’t posted my 2011 New Years Goals yet. Alas, this is the life of the graduate student. School comes first, and everything else is secondary. I mean, if you’re spending several gold doubloons for something, then you should immerse yourself in it, right? I’m pretty sure you can tell from my tweets and blog posts that I’m all up in the intellectual and academic world of Harvard and enjoying every bit of it. But enough about that.

2011 promises to be a year of evolution. At the very least, it will be the culminating point of three decades of evolution, along with the bright beginning of a new chapter in my life. It’s hard to imagine turning 30 in December. Some days I still feel like a kid and some days I feel like I just want to be out of school already to get some work done. The past 29 years have weaved a rich tapestry of experiences, and I’m kind of excited to be turning 30. So 2011 is really about the end of an evolutionary period in my life and the start of a whole new one.

As I was thinking about the goals I wanted to set this year, I thought about making a “bucket list” for the final year of my twenties, but that just didn’t seem appropriate. I feel like turning 30 is more subtle–more evolutionary–than that. I actually don’t agree that 30 is the new 20. I think we should let 30 be 30. 30 is the year that you automatically get street cred. You’ve been around the block for a little while. You’ve built up a reputation and 30 is dignified. So I’m going to ease into my 30’s, and keep doing what I’ve been doing to make the last year of my 20’s as classy, dignified, and fun as possible.

As I do every year during my reflection time, I started by re-examining my goals and values from last year and then brainstorming new goals that fit with my revised personal values. I did not change my personal values at all and have created 10 new goals for 2010.

Personal Values

  • Challenging Adventures – I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
  • Contribution to the World – I live to make lasting, positive impacts on society’s most pressing problems.
  • Expressing Creativity – Being able to express myself artistically, musically or professionally keeps me inspired.
  • Lifelong Learning – I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
  • Quality – I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither excessive nor is it below my standards of excellence.
  • Family & Friends – Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.

New Years Goals 2011

  1. Do something physically challenging
  2. Do better at celebrating my friends and family
  3. Explore and get to know Boston and New England
  4. Continue improving my Tagalog comprehension and speaking skills
  5. Enter in a case competition and a business plan competition
  6. Take a risk with a personal relationship
  7. Go through the start-up phase of business plan for nonprofit
  8. Honor and celebrate the last year of my 20’s

Here’s to a constantly evolving and improving life, and to a fabulous culmination of my 20’s!

End of the Year Check-in 2010

At the beginning of 2010, I said that this was going to be the year of taking incredible leaps and trusting that I’ll land safely, even though I wouldn’t know exactly where I would wind up. Ominously, last year at this time I said that 2010 was not going to be easy, and guess what…. it wasn’t. 2010 was indeed a rollercoaster of a year. After spending a inordinate amount of my fall of 2009 working on grad school applications and essentially hidden from the world, I spent the beginning of 2010 wondering if all of that work paid off. And then in January, there was a large blow to our family when my dad’s mother, Nanay Ising, passed away. I was able to be there with her in the Philippines during her final moments, but it was an incredibly sad way to start 2010. I knew, however, that my grandmother was with me in spirit on March 22 when I received my acceptance letters to Harvard. The beginning of the year was truly bittersweet. Here are some other highlights from the year.

  • Spending Nanay’s funeral and mourning period with my entire family in the Philippines
  • Trips to New York (Tony’s bday & watching the US Open), DC, LA (Steve & Jen’s wedding!), Austin, New Hampshire, Maine and of course Las Vegas (oh, and my parents moved to the Strip!)
  • Finding out that my little sister got engaged, and then finding out that she’s pregnant!
  • Going on my 10th BUILD college tour
  • Leaving BUILD (and SF) in July after 5 amazing years
  • Moving to Cambridge and starting at Harvard
  • Getting certified as a Rap Director after 3 years of training with College Summit!
  • Dream come true: visiting the mother of all mother countries (Spain) with Karla and falling in love with Sitges, a gorgeous beach town
  • Meeting CEO’s of successful nonprofits: Year Up, Pratham, Planned Parenthood, United Way, and more
  • Watching some awesome speakers: Muhammad Yunus, Michelle Rhee, Rachel Maddow, Arne Duncan (OK, so he wasn’t an awesome speaker, but it was interesting nonetheless)
  • Becoming an uncle when my brother’s baby, Elliot, was born in October
  • Writing a business plan for my Education Policy course that I will probably launch
  • Let’s not forget that Prop 8 was overturned and DADT was repealed
  • Raising enough money to work with Gawad Kalinga during my winter break

And as I do every year, I wanted to check-in on the goals that I set for myself last December.

  1. Go on a spiritual journey – Yes, the trip to the Philippines for my grandmother’s funeral was quite the spiritual journey.
  2. Take a GIGANTIC risk – There have been a couple of gigantic risks taken this year, but the biggest by far was leaving my position at BUILD after five years and starting my grad program at Harvard.
  3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing some gay rights advocacy work – This wasn’t exactly as I imagined, but I joined the staff of Harvard Kennedy School’s first-ever LGBTQ Policy Journal.
  4. Learn how to write music and then write a song – Yes!
  5. Build something with my hands – Yes, I built a laptop stand. 😉
  6. Continue improving my Tagalog comprehension and speaking skills – Yes, they’re getting better
  7. Deepen my spiritual practice (yoga, Catholicism) – Yes, at least definitely with the yoga.
  8. Read at least 8 new books – Yes, I think this is true, particularly since I started grad school, and we do a ton of reading all the time.
  9. Connect with my international relatives at least once a month – Yes, via video chat or IM.
  10. Continue spending time with family members – Yes, I took a lot of trips home.

It’s been a great year, and I’m really looking forward to 2011!!!

We reached 100%!

In less than 28 days, we reached 100% of the $2,500 fundraising goal with donations and pledges! Thank you so much to everyone who supported my project with a donation, with love and with positive energy. I sincerely could not have done this without you, and we are just getting started. Tonight, I’m flying out to Manila, and will spend the next three weeks working with Gawad Kalinga. I’m really excited to head back there to work on this fascinating project, and it’s really great to know I’ve got a ton of support from you.

I’ve been reading a lot about “crowdfunding” (kind of like crowdsourcing, but projects are financed rather than just talked about by the crowd), and this truly was an interesting experiment in crowdfunding (read more about it here). Here are some fascinating data from the fundraising (minimal amount of quant skills used!):

  • Total amount fundraised: $2,500
  • Total # of contributors: 70!
  • Minimum contribution: $5
  • Maximum contribution: $150
  • Average contribution: $35.21
  • Standard deviation: 30.16
  • # of clicks on the paypal link: 127 => More than 50% clickthrough rate

All quant stuff aside, this goal has been a fun foray into the world of fundraising! Well, I’ve got to pack my bags now for the three-week trip. I’ll update as much as I can in the Philippines!

Thank you, thank you, thank you again.

Taking the Next Big Leap after BUILD

After five amazing years at BUILD, I’ve chosen to take the next big leap in my life: this summer I’m going to graduate school at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Yes, I’m going back to school! I’m moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts! I’m going to Harvard! 2010 is truly the year of leaping and landing.

I’ll have more to say about BUILD over the next few months as we go through transition — I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done over the last several years, and very optimistic about what the future holds. I’m deeply indebted to the BUILD staff for believing in me, challenging me and trusting me with our flagship site. All of our amazing mentors, volunteers, and board members have been crucial to BUILD’s success as well, and I would be remiss if I did not thank you all.

And I especially am grateful to our BUILD students and alumni, who continually inspire me to do the work that we do and show me that our society’s educational inequities and problems CAN be solved… even if it is one student at a time.

I’m pretty sure that I’ll have more to say about my Harvard experience as I transition to the East Coast. Ya’ll know that education is extremely important to me — and I specifically wanted to model that by going back and getting more education. Special shout out to my parents for instilling the love of learning in me! And they say it takes a village… to raise a child, and then send that child to college, and then to send that child to grad school. I want to communicate a deep gratitude to all of the people who aided me throughout the application process: Oudete, Karla, Chantal, Suzanne, Larisa, Sal, Tim, Amber, Craig, Kenyon, Alex, Jim, Amber, Sandie, Regan, Steve, Adriana, Elizabeth, Tony, Jed, Richie, Bola, and of course my family–Mom, Dad, Francis & Rachel. I literally could not have taken this gigantic next step without you!

Below is a note I sent out to everyone in the BUILD Family, with a little bit more explanation for why I chose to go to Harvard.

Onward & upward!



Dear BUILD Family,

Over the last five years, BUILD has grown in significant ways. We have expanded into three sites with a robust, life-changing and innovative program. I have had the privilege of working with phenomenal BUILD students, aiding their growth into confident young entrepreneurs and college students. And I have had the opportunity to work with talented community members and partners, like you, in the fight for educational equity. I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together in my five years at BUILD.

This summer I am about to embark on another personal journey. It is with careful thought and great anticipation that I want to let you know that this will be my last school year with BUILD. In August, I will pursue a master in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Pursuing my education in this country has been a lifelong dream. This next step will allow me to be a better leader for communities of youth in our country and around the world. After delving deeper into education policy in graduate school, my goal is to affect systemic, transformational change in the education sector at national and international levels. Although it is hard for me to even imagine leaving BUILD (and California!), I would be a hypocrite if I did not take risks in the way we ask our students to.

The BUILD Peninsula site is in good hands. Nicole Oppenheim, our current E1 program manager, will be the next site director of the BUILD Peninsula site, and I have the utmost confidence that she will lead the Peninsula team to achieve new and exciting heights. Her management experience and innovative vision and implementation of our freshman year program showcase her qualifications for the site director position.

My last day at BUILD will be on July 16th, and I encourage you to please reach out directly if you have any questions before I leave in the summer. I am equally available on phone or email.

Thank you for our relationship, your continued support of BUILD and your partnership in the fight for educational equity.

With deep appreciation and gratitude,

Rey

PS – Because of the transitions, we are hiring an Academic Program Manager and an E1 Program Manager at the Peninsula site as well as a few other positions in Oakland, DC and our Headquarters. Please check out our website for more information and please spread the word: http://www.build.org/browse/employment

PPS – I’d love to stay in touch with you: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter

First attempt at writing a song

Since one of my goals for 2010 was to write a song, I thought I’d give it a shot on this lovely / gloomy San Francisco day.

Loving Space

Here are the full lyrics for “Loving Space”:

I just wish I could do something for you
But I know I can’t
The delusions of a warm embrace
The instant fire when my lips touch your face
It’s attachment
Emotion, packed, spirits, love
Attachment

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly

You were in pieces, shattered and scattered
But I didn’t care
The hope that we could be forever
Without being together, no matter
We deserve better than
Attachment

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly
Take it easy
Baby can you see me
Take it easy
Can you see me

Even in your darkest place
You could count on my loving space
I would climb down those trenches
Brace the defenses
But I realized I love me more

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly
Take it easy
Baby can you see me
Take it easy
Can you even see me?

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
I’ll give you loving space

New Years Goals 2010

Leap & Land

2010 is the year of leaping into the unknown and landing into the next great challenge. It’s about taking risks, following your heart, listening to the universe, and opening your eyes to the signs that are guiding you to the next level. I don’t think 2010 is going to be easy.

I think 2010 is going to be a very practical year–a year of rolling up our sleeves and getting things done. If you think of 2009 as the year of preparation, then 2010 is the year of action. And we all know that sometimes it’s not easy to take action. Fear, self-doubt, and distractions will get in the way. But whatever is in store for us in 2010, know that we were born to be there and to take them on.

So I propose that we all take a leap this year. Leave procrastination and fear back in 2009. Do something that you may have been too afraid to do or that you’ve been putting off. Open up your options, make some positive choices, and do something for yourself. Take a leap, and I promise you that you’ll land somewhere amazing.

Alex gave me the "Passion" Angel Card for 2010, and I think it's appropriate

As I do every year during my reflection time, I started by re-examining my goals and values from last year and then brainstorming new goals that fit with my revised personal values. I did not change my personal values at all and have created 10 new goals for 2010.

Personal Values

  • Challenging Adventures – I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
  • Contribution to the World – I live to make lasting, positive impacts on society’s most pressing problems.
  • Expressing Creativity – Being able to express myself artistically, musically or professionally keeps me inspired.
  • Lifelong Learning – I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
  • Quality – I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither excessive nor is it below my standards of excellence.
  • Family & Friends – Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.

New Years Goals 2010

  1. Go on a spiritual journey
  2. Take a GIGANTIC risk
  3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing some gay rights advocacy work
  4. Learn how to write music and then write a song
  5. Build something with my hands
  6. Continue improving my Tagalog comprehension and speaking skills
  7. Deepen my spiritual practice (yoga, Catholicism)
  8. Read at least 8 new books
  9. Connect with my international relatives at least once a month
  10. Continue spending time with family members

It’s going to be a phenomenal year, and I can’t wait to face it head on. So here’s to leaping and landing into all of the goodness in store for 2010!

End of the Year Check-in 2009

The goal is just a blip. I was reminded about that at yoga. When you master your mind you’ll realize the pose (e.g. your goal) doesn’t matter. Getting fixated on a goal closes our minds to all other possibilities of surpassing that small blip (the goal). Dropping the fixation lets us move through the world with greater ease, and gives us a better capacity to help others. Goals are useful, but they’re not the end-all and be-all.

2009 was my year of the Epic Journey. There were so many blessings this year that that acted like a domino effect. When one door opened, yet another window opened. It was a journey into receiving a ton of love from the universe and from God. It was sometimes heart-wrenching, other times incredibly joyful, but through it all, I definitely felt loved and gave love. I deepened friendships to levels that I didn’t know existed, and I formed family bonds that I only dreamed of. In a word, 2009 was a blessing. Here’s a quick run down of the events:

  • Getting my citizenship!!!
  • Lots of traveling! Two trips to Chicago, two trips to DC, two trips to Vegas, and two trips to LA
  • Epic trip to the Philippines with my brother
  • Grandmother’s 80th birthday in the Philippines
  • Cousins bonding trip to Bohol Island
  • Amazing trip to Australia
  • Cousin Michael’s Wedding in Sydney
  • Karla’s wedding to herself in DC
  • Rap directing at USC again with Salina and UC Merced with Danny
  • GLAAD Media Awards with Jim Freeman and Professor Ben (Robert Gant) from Queer as Folk
  • Intimate 10 Year High School Reunion with JARK
  • Natasha’s Trojan Wedding
  • Singing in a trio at SFGMC’s Home for the Holidays concert on my birthday!
  • Attending Memorial services for Michael Jackson and old high school teacher, Ms. Van Hunnick

Here’s my annual update on New Years Goals from 2009:

  1. Spend more time with family membersAbsolutely, yes!
  2. Improve my Tagalog comprehension and speaking abilities so that I can hold a conversation with my grandmotherYes!
  3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing gay rights advocacy workNo, this was one of the goals that I wish I wanted to do, but sadly just didn’t commit to.
  4. Improve my singing abilities and sing a solo at a concertYes, sort of. At SFGMC’s Holiday Concert, I sang in a trio.
  5. Do relief work in a developing countryNo, another one of those timing things.
  6. Fall in love and be in a committed, loving relationshipSort of. Definitely was heartbroken.
  7. Strengthen myself spiritually, mentally, and physically by practicing yoga more deeply and seriouslyYes! I practiced almost 3 times a week

Out of my eight goals, I accomplished about six of them. Again, I realized this year that I did not focus so much on the actual goals, but the journey that I took. And what a journey it has been. Any year where I spend more than 25% of it on a sabbatical, live 2 out of 12 months out of the country, and get my American citizenship after 19 years is automatically an awesome year… probably one of the best ever.

How exactly will 2010 be able to top 2009? I’ve got some ideas already in mind, and if all goes according to plan, then 2010 could be even more epic.

Farewell 2009, you have been amazing and full of surprises, and 2010, I welcome you and all of your challenges and promises with open arms!

New Years Goals 2009

I hope the world is ready for me in 2009. Seriously.

It’s going to be a year of change, hope and love, and I want to play a huge part of the collective awakening of the world. For the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year in conjunction with what’s on my plate personally and professionally. After four years of working at BUILD, I’m entitled to a three-month sabbatical (which is awesome in any profession, but a dream-come-true in the nonprofit sector!). I’m still solidifying what I want to do during that time off (and all of the logistics involved), and I’ve got lots of ideas already. And with this tremendous luxury to not have to worry about my work for 25% of the year, I have the capacity to focus my life in other directions and expand in other ways.

As I do every year during my reflection time, I started by re-examining my goals and values from last year and then brainstorming new goals that fit with my revised personal values. I’ve largely kept my personal values unchanged, except for a few semantics, and created eight challenging goals.

Personal Values

  • Challenging Adventures – I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
  • Contribution to the World – I live to make lasting, positive impacts on society’s most pressing problems.
  • Expressing Creativity – Being able to express myself artistically, musically or professionally keeps me inspired.
  • Lifelong Learning – I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
  • Quality – I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither excessive nor is it below my standards of excellence.
  • Family & Friends – Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.

New Years Goals 2009*

  1. Spend more time with family members
  2. Improve my Tagalog comprehension and speaking abilities so that I can hold a conversation with my grandmother
  3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing gay rights advocacy work
  4. Improve my singing abilities and sing a solo at a concert
  5. Do relief work in a developing country
  6. Fall in love and be in a committed, loving relationship
  7. Strengthen myself spiritually, mentally, and physically by practicing yoga more deeply and seriously

*I actually can’t display one of my goals because it contains sensitive information.

So there are my new goals for 2009. As a sneak preview for what’s ahead in 2009, it’s my grandmother’s (dad’s mom’s) 80th birthday, the first big family wedding is happening in Australia (I’ll be a groomsman for my cousin Michael), it’ll be my fifth year working at BUILD and third year with SFGMC, and I’ll probably be getting my American citizenship (FINALLY!) sometime in the first quarter.

I’m extremely excited about 2009, and if you’ve got goals for 2009, I’d love to hear about them!

Happy New Year and Happy New World!

End of the Year Check-in 2008

I love the transition from one year to the other because it’s the best time for reflection. 2008 has been an amazing year, and part of me is sad to see it go. I recapped with Karla about some of the greatest things that happened in 2008:

  • Applying for my citizenship!
  • Getting my DAD, mom and brother to come to my SFGMC concert!!! Huge step.
  • Becoming site director at BUILD.
  • Rap directing with BFF Karla at USC and then the spiritual events at UNC Asheville with Zenia.
  • Witnessing my first (and not last, damnit) gay wedding, along with 4 other regular ol’ straight weddings.
  • Miami! And the liberation that ensued.
  • Mmm… savoring my birthday bacon brownie cake surrounded with love…
  • And so much more…

Here’s my annual update on New Years Goals from 2008

  • Save enough money to have 3 months worth of emergency funds by June 2008Yes, with extra to boot during this economically challenging time period.
  • Hold a full-length conversation in Spanish, in a Spanish-speaking countryYes, sort of. I get a B for holding minor conversations with a few folks in Mexico.
  • Be in a quality relationship for longer than 5 weeks, if the opportunity arisesYes, sort of. Again, I get a B in this.
  • Continue spending quality time with my familyYes, but I could have done a better job.
  • Invest in and build deeper friendships (with special emphasis with friends in the Bay area)Yes! I think I built a really supportive network of new friends here in the Bay Area, and it seems to be getting stronger each day.
  • Visit another countryYes. I went to Cancun for Shanif’s wedding.
  • Get more sleepNo. Big fail. Although, I sleep a lot when I’m not working… =P
  • Do a handstandYes, sort of! With an assist!
  • Get a new job at an organization that I am passionate aboutYes! Yes! Yes! This was my secret goal, which I didn’t want to post at the beginning of the year, but I did move into my new site director role at BUILD, which are both an organization and position that I am passionate about.

Out of the nine goals, I accomplished eight of them, which is a far cry from my eleven out of twenty last year. It really helped to focus my goals and really send out my intentions to achieve them.

Again, 2008 was truly a blessed year, and I cannot wait for the challenges and gifts in store in 2009.

Sushi, Priorities, and Rituals

Sushi on December 22, 2007My Wednesday night sushi ritual has been hindered by one of my 2008 New Years Goals (the one where I want to save up 3-months’ worth of emergency funds). I’ve instituted an $80 per week allowance for myself to pay for groceries, lunches, dinners, parking, books, laundry, clothing, alcohol, entertainment, home supplies, et al. “$80 a week?!? Are you serious?” Is pretty much the response I get when I tell people about it. But I realized that I’ve been able to live quite well while on the allowance (I started it a month ago. Check out this Lifehacker post if you are interested in how the heck I am able to do this).

It’s all about prioritization. If I really want to go to dinner with someone on Friday night, I will make sure that I don’t go to dinner on another night so that I save my money for that Friday night event. I noticed that I am drinking a lot less alcohol as well–formerly, I would easily spend $20/$30/$40 a weekend on drinks alone. Now I’ve instituted a $5/week alcohol allowance. Yea, that’s right. $5 a week. On alcohol. I can’t even buy a cocktail from the Top of the Mark with my weekly allotment, so I just have to be diligent and save it up from one weekend prior.

Thus, if I go to dinner/lunch with you or have a drink with you, that means I’m prioritizing that event and, more importantly, you. Feel special!

Fringe benefit: I didn’t realize that when I signed up to be on this fiscal-responsibility plan that I would end up cooking so much, but that’s what’s happened. Every weekend, I look at the week ahead, and plan a little culinary adventure for myself. Last week was a trip through Korea (I made pork bulgogi, nine-fillings pancakes, pickled cucumbers and daikon, and kimchi), and packed it for lunch for work all week. The week before, it was my aunt’s delicious Filipino spaghetti recipe. This weekend I made lugao, which is a Filipino version of a rice porridge with chicken (otherwise called congee in Chinese, pospas in Cebuano, or arroz caldo in Spanish). Yum. May this goal be the rebirth of my love for cooking? This is a good start.

Sushi on December 23, 2007Oh yes, back to the point. I used to go to No Name Sushi without fail once a week, mostly on Wednesdays, but sometimes on Saturday if I didn’t make it earlier. Now, I really have to prioritize, and sometimes No Name doesn’t make it on the priority list that week. I don’t know why, but it’s kind of pained me to not be able to go. For the last three years, it’s been my ritual. My thing. Hiroko’s been kind of a surrogate grandmother to me. When I enter through the broken door and sit in that crappily ventilated shack of a restaurant, it feels like I’m going home. Hiroko and I communicate with each other with a blend of familial gestures, her broken English, my broken Japanese. And it feels like what going home to your Japanese obaachan would be like.

Sushi on January 16, 2008I didn’t realize that I had such a strong bond with this ritual, but really in many ways it’s more than a ritual. So I guess looping back to why I wrote this post in the first place, if I go to dinner with you on a Wednesday night (or on any night for that matter)… man, you must be really freakin special. I mean, really. Really special.

Sushi on January 30, 2008

(The first and third pics are from January and the second and fourth are from December).