#maybe under kuya's influence

[fisheito]

No rush or anything but when you get to Yakumo's rooms, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I enjoy reading your rambles ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

oh what a darling kaomoji ahaha of course it would be brutish of me to refuse such a---- *chokes on my own spit* *clears throat*;;;; I MEAN, BRO, LET'S SEE IF HE SHOWS UP, FIRST OF ALL;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[sleepychihuahua]

MCs as Ayakashi Suitor Descendants

WARNING: Some spoilers ahead.

Ayakashi RR is it’s own universe separate from the Love 365 games, but what if it wasn’t? Ignoring EITM (since the history and rules of their yōkai are so different), maybe some of the MCs are descended from the Ayakashi suitors?

So far, I’ve only finished Koga and currently somewhere halfway with Ginnojo, but from what I do know about the suitors, I imagine that for the Dawn Faction:

Ginnojo and MPDCTY MC

Koga and MFW MC

Kuya and SITS MC

Yura and FILA MC

Aoi and IYAT MC

Ginnojo and MPDCTY MC

Ginnojo reminds me of the MPDCTY MC. I only played Kimura’s stories, but from what I gathered, MPDCTY MC’s main traits are: she’s a big eater, a Judo black belt, and has a strong sense of justice.

Mizuchi dragons seem to be one of the longer-living ayakashi since Ginnojo is apparently 54 and still looks young, so he could potentially be alive when MPDCTY MC was born and growing up.

He’s most likely a grandpa. The game takes place during the Taisho Period (1912-26) so he could be a great-grandpa, but he’s so shy around women. If he doesn’t end up with Futaba/ARR MC, then it would take a while for him to interact with another woman and start a family with her.

He trained MC how to fight and use her water powers. Sparring is normal and their training room/backyard normally floods from the water that they fought with.

She could never beat him.

They probably caused the family grief with how much they eat. Imagine the food budget. They probably eat extra large pork cutlet curry and beef bowls at least two/three times a day.

Ginnojo would read little MC his favorite books after meal times and tell her about the Shinsengumi and their convictions. These stories and Ginnojo’s love for his country were what influenced her to become a detective.

She becomes a Shinsengumj geek, and she and little Kiyonori became Shinsengumi BFFs. Grandpa Ginnojo is highly uncomfortable when they would team up against him to hear stories that he already told 567 times.

Ginnojo is always flustered when MC gets crushes and tells him about it. But he’s also there to kick ass if anyone makes her cry.

Koga and MFW MC

They like to drink.

Honestly, that’s my biggest argument. I only played Yamato’s stories (can’t bring myself to cheat on him with the other guys even though I love Ren and Saeki’s characters...) so I don’t know how different MFW MC is in other routes.

But MFW MC’s funniest character trait is her love of shochu.

Koga mentioned that only few Ayakashi have long lifespans and in his route, he has an illness known as the “carnage” that some Oni Ogre have. Koga’s probably dead by the time MFW MC was born.

If there was a cure for the “carnage” and he’s still alive, he would drink with MC once she was of legal age. The two would have a Sake vs Shochu argument every time.

Koga’s probably a stubborn, old man. He can’t handle not moving around and doing work even when he should be resting. And he feels embarrassed when his granddaughter takes care of him. But MFW MC is just as stubborn and cooks for him, does chores that he can’t do, and makes sure he doesn’t overwork himself.

That was how she developed wife-skills

MC got his kind and strong nature from him. She’s willing to help others, although she didn’t inherit his natural entrepreneurship skills. Not to say she’s an idiot. She probably took business as her major because she was exposed to it. Taking a page from the PARTY version, MFW MC opens up a flower arranging business

Kuya and SITS MC

There are two types of writers: ones that actually write and publish things and ones that don’t and just keep the ideas in their heads.

Like Koga, Kuya is most likely dead or just very, very old when SITS MC was born.

I haven’t even unlocked Kuya’s route yet, but I found the contrast and similarities between him and SITS MC kinda funny.

SITS MC daydreams. A lot. It’s how she writes.

And then Kuya is here:

If Kuya’s alive when SITS MC was little, they probably took naps together under the shade of the mikan tree in their backyard with Kuya using one of his wings as a protective blanket over her.

They’d also go to the mountains where no one would see them and fly around to stretch their wings.

I don’t know if Kuya actually starts writing stories during his route, but if he does, he would tell little MC bedtime stories...

...then proceeds to fall asleep halfway through before MC does.

He’s an old man now, so he sleeps much more often. MC doesn’t mind and finishes the stories for him so she could tell it to him before his nap times.

Watching movies became normal since they don’t have to waste energy talking and can instead sit on the couch and focus on the screen until one falls asleep and the other daydreams scenarios.

SITS MC inherited her workaholic tendencies from Kuya’s kid/her father, who was taught by Kuya’s wife to work hard. That’s why she can handle working as an assistant manager and lyricist for Revance.

The band would find her napping with Little Yamada under the tree in the yard in a regular basis when she hits writer’s block. Poor girl would wake up to Takashi’s monster mode every time.

Yura and FILA MC

Sweets

Haven’t played a full FILA route yet but I’ve read reviews and read the prologue so I kinda have a general idea of the FILA MC.

If Yura didn’t end up with Futaba, he ended up with a confectioner. In this case, Yura is probably FILA MC’s father. He is already 1000+ years old, so another handful of decades probably wouldn’t mean much to him. It took a while for him to find his true love without being blinded by his love of sugar.

Father, grandfather, or great-grandfather, Yura’s alive when FILA MC was growing up. He doted on her and would always take her out to eat cakes, so he when she decided to become a pastry chef, he was happy.

She would always have Yura taste test her desserts. The two were inseparable and practically lived in the kitchen.

Ever since Aoi made that cake, Yura was fascinated with hybrid desserts a d new food combinations.

FILA MC tries to add sweet-bean jelly to almost everything and makes huge batches for Yura’s birthday. She loves seeing the happy look in her father’s face.

She even makes desserts with a bit of spice for her Uncle Gaku since she loves him just as equally and as thanks for always helping pay for the ingredients she needs.

Outside of sweets, Yura would encourage small animals to their backyard. Little FILA MC would play with them almost every day.

If Yura was freed from his curse, he would play his flute for her (sometimes with Gaku on drums) and teach her how to play the instrument so they could have a duet.

Aoi and IYAT MC

Art runs in the veins.

IYAT MC grew up with Aoi’s paintings and with her powers as a Satori, she can feel his emotions and thoughts for each one.

Aoi’s probably still alive since he’s 16 during the story, so he’s most likely to be a grandpa.

IYAT loves watching him paint. Her favorites are the portraits of his loved ones and she always feels warm and loved when he paints her.

The old paintings of his wife and kids in their old homes were what inspired IYAT MC to be an interior designer. She wanted to create that warmth she saw in his paintings.

She learned to paint by imitating him and they would often spend a whole day together just going out in nature to paint.

IYAT MC often painted her three childhood friends and would do commissions for them.

Aoi made sure that his kids had good work ethic he doesn’t want any deadbeats like that tengu so he taught IYAT MC as well to not be lazy. Recipes he learned from Raccord was passed down to her.

Aoi taught IYAT MC to make sure to not use her powers to invade privacy unless necessary, but also to not become bitter towards his powers like he was.

She didn’t use her powers on Koichi until she saw him with his mistress, which made her depressed. She couldn’t help but think that if she had read his heart earlier, she wouldn’t be feeling the pain of being cheated on.

But if following Koichi’s route, it was her powers that let her forgive Koichi when she saw how he was changing and truly learning to love her. She stayed with him because she saw that there was a part of his heart that thought he would grow to love her because he wouldn’t let go of her as a baby.

IYAT MC designed Aoi’s and her grandmother’s new living room. She went all out to make sure her beloved grandparents will be comfortable and happy. Aoi can always sense her love for them because of it and was embarrassed but happy the first time he stepped inside.

And that’s it for the Dawn Faction! I don’t really have any ideas for the other suitors since they’re not out yet and I haven’t read all of the other Voltage stories. I have a vague idea for Kagemaru and Toichiro but not enough to write about. Maybe once I read more.

Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you guys liked it!

[kwentongpsalmgyup]

A Reflection From the Film ‘Prayers for Bobby’

The film Prayers for Bobby is a coming of age true to life story based on the life of the 20 year old Bobby Griffith and her turned advocate mother, Mary Griffith. The movie tackles a wide spectrum of themes which are mostly sensitive and relevant up to now. The movie showed how the members of the LGBTQIA+ live under the stigma of homophobia. Despite society being more welcoming to the members of the LGBTQIA+, which was a bare minimum, some people still do not have the decency to treat them right. Still up to these days I can see people using homophobic slurs with the most intention to hurt them yet some of them are coming onto their senses and starts to come in their senses like Mary. Mary was once a homophobe and a bigot turned ally; her grief sadly changed her for the better. The movie also showed how a family encounters and somehow copes with the grief of losing someone.

I can vividly remember that we were sitting on the couch by the receiving area of the dental clinic. It was my grandmother’s dental appointment and we decided to go outside. I was with my brother, mother, grandmother and Monick, a distant family member when we received a phone call from her aunt. I can see in her eyes that she was desperate for good news about Kuya Nick’s recovery but she cried so badly. It was depressing news that the phone call declared that her father died of heat stroke after just a few days of being in the hospital. I cannot cry at that moment because of the thought that I needed to be a stronger person. I cannot cry nor react. The news did not register with me.

They say that we have a limited time on earth. We can be alive today but can be dead tomorrow but I wonder how someone who was alive yesterday can die today. I can’t feel rational at that moment. It felt that everything was a fleeting moment. I started questioning how everything will be just fine yesterday and all gone tomorrow like how it was not even a month when my grandfather died of pneumonia. I was silently begging God that he can bring Kuya Nick back cause I cannot stand the happy Monick crying. I also want to bring back the times that I could just rub my grandfather’s itching back because it’s his form of ‘lambing’ but then everything felt too late.

I cannot remember if I encountered the stage of depression because I was so clueless of how I felt back then just remembering made it register but most of the time I just felt blank. The famous comforting the family of the deceased quote “They are already in heaven, there are no sufferings in heaven” can make them feel at ease for seconds but the people that are left behind are suffering from the unexplainable grief of losing that person. Maybe time and changes made me heal through my silent grief of losing them. Also the absence and distance of family members like my grandmother who migrated to Canada helped me cope through the situation.

Like what I have mentioned, “They are already in heaven, there are no sufferings in heaven yet the people they left behind are left with indescribable sorrows. This can lead to us being regretful after a loved one’s death because we felt that we have not done enough, we would beg to turn back time and become a better person for them while they are still breathing. This can be a great influence for us to treat people with kindness as much as possible because we do not know one’s struggle or silent battles.

[fasa-umich]

Matt Ratanapanichkich, 2019-2020 FASA Co-President

If someone were to ask me: "What three words would best describe how you've felt over the course of the last year?", the only words that would come to mind are: Surprised, Proud, and Grateful. And as much as I would love for those three words to reduce to some elegant acronym, I truly can't find ones that are more true.

Surprised

FASA, even from the beginning, has surprised me. I always go back to the first time my lineage ate dinner together. The warmth and acceptance that they expressed to me that day is one that I will never forget, and those feelings have been associated with my perception of this organization ever since. For someone who had not gone to any prior events except for Winter Mass Meeting, they treated me truly like anyone should treat their adings: with love and respect. To think that complete strangers could make me feel so comfortable here... I have them to thank for the unforgettable experiences that I have had since. Kuya Christian, Ate Natalie, and Ate Colleen, thank you for giving me the home that I had no idea would change my life like it has.

But a while has passed since then, and in March of 2019, I was again surprised to learn that the family that gave me a home when I was a freshman chose to give the Presidency to my co-chair, AJ, and I. Even today, I still don't fully understand how the boy who joined late (but not too late!), became your friendly, neighborhood Historian, and only a year later, Co-President. And yet, I was honored all the same. Miracles do happen, and while I do acknowledge that a lot of work was done to get to that point, I'm sure that anyone who has run for an Executive Board can relate to the feeling that they may not be exactly the right person for the job. Everyone, from the bottom to the top, can feel like they are imposters, but it is their actions that validate those feelings or wash them away.

Proud

But I do have one more thing to say on that point: I hope from the bottom of my heart, that not a single person on my board feels as though they are an imposter after this year that they served FASA. I've said it before, but I am so, so proud of the things that we have accomplished together and the people that the boardies, my friends, have become. While growing is an undeniable part of being on E-Board, it is the speed and extent to which they did so that makes them some of the most capable people I have had the pleasure of working with. Each chair has done so much, overcome so many obstacles, and owned their work right to the very end, that they make my job easy, or as close to easy as a Presidency can get. And to that point, I would like to be a bit sappy for a moment, so if you would like to get through this testimonial without all the gushy stuff, you may skip to the next section. But I would suggest sticking around, if only to hear about how amazing these people are.

Lauren Escote, Media Chair

Lauren, you've heard me say it before, but just so it isn't forgotten: from the moment you became my intern last year, I knew that you would become a better Media Chair than I ever could have been. Granted, you are the first (technically), but oh boy, how high you've set the bar for those who follow in your footsteps. There is no doubt that Nursing is one of the most strenuous undergraduate programs at Michigan, and even under that weight, you never failed to create photos that make people feel how special they are, graphics that have excited our friends to attend events in numbers that we haven't seen (maybe ever), and a newsletter that has kept everyone in the know of any of the multitude of events that we took on this year. They might have called Historian the FASA photographer, but I only dare them to say the same to you.

Bea Fandino, Performance Chair

Bea, I know for a fact that you don't need me to laud you for your accomplishments this year; but then again, I'm going to do so anyways. You were such a strong leader coming into this year that you didn't even need to stand on the shoulders of giants- you stood tall alone (or almost alone #iykyk). From Kalayaan, to PCN, to Battle, and all of the little performances in between, you showed us what it means to perform at a high level, get things done efficiently, and have fun doing it. Dance practices don't have to be super serious. FASA Performance doesn't have to be about just music and dance. Performance has been a large part of the soul of FASA for such a long time, and through it, there's no doubt that you've influenced the whole of FASA for the better. I can't wait to see what you are able to do next.

Reggie Galanto, External Chair

Reggie, if there is anyone who has known the struggles of our board the best, it is probably you. The 2019-2020 school year has thrown FASA so many curve balls (to put it lightly), many times through the typical External channels, that I can easily say that I am so proud of how well you've done this year. Even from the beginning, when you fought for what you believed, but stayed professional when the cards didn't fall in the way that we wanted, I knew that you were going to be someone on our team that could be trusted to do exactly what I expected from all members on the board: to push where we needed it, and compromise when we needed their energy elsewhere. And from then on, tackling the never-ending problem of needing to be everywhere at once, working with people with priorities that didn't always match our own, up against circumstances that none of us could control, I hope that you are proud of the things that you've accomplished in the face of all of that. The measure of a person is what they can do with the cards that they're dealt, and I would argue that even at face-value, the work that you've done, especially in pushing for FASA to focus more on advocacy and community-building, has steered us in a direction that will shape our community into one that even our current board won’t be able to imagine.

Hannah Anderson, Service Chair

Hannah, even from the beginning, I knew that we would be in good hands in Service. The amount of work that you did behind-the-scenes for your chair was truly inspiring, but even more importantly, you embodied everything that I’ve ever wanted in a teammate better than nearly anyone else: your competence in your role was only matched by your willingness to help everyone on the board carry out their duties. While your chair is notable because of its independence from the operations of the board and dependence on organizations beyond the collegiate level, in spite of it all, you gave FASA an outlet to give back to the communities that have given us everything, which is undoubtedly one of the most important functions of FASA as a whole. But beyond all of that, you displayed a willingness to bring new life into the role and into the board, with the rollout of Mental Health Mondays, designing what will become a more structured alumni program, and collaborating with Jacque and Christine on the creation of an entirely new chair in Professional Development. AJ and I’ve always said that before even your chair, all board members are members of the board, and I would just like to thank you again for being exactly that.

Christian Magno, Social Chair

Mango, what a wild ride. To think that my first real interaction with you was at FACT 2018, I’m sure that anyone who knew you back then would be nothing but proud of the person you’ve become. Creating and overseeing events that are supposed to be fun above all else is a task that is deceivingly difficult, but tacking on your and Jacque’s goal of integrating culture into everything that we do is one that I would personally find extremely challenging. And yet, there is no doubt that you and your co’s work this year has done just that: even apart from my role as Co-President, I’ve never felt more at home. From our youngest members to those that I’ve known from the very beginning, I’m happy to say that I’ve gotten to know them better than I had in the last two and a half years in FASA. And for that, I hope you are as proud as I am.

Jacque Young, Social Chair

Jacque, the athlete that could talk the ears off of even the shyest of people. It’s hilarious to think that while we have the same personality type (allegedly), I could never in a million years even imagine myself as Social Chair, while you are the very embodiment of it. Your ideas for Social and the board were among the most ambitious, notably your push for Professional Development, and from someone who has had the opportunity to be on countless teams: it is so much better to be on a team that can crank out legitimately creative ideas and then reduce them to something that can actually be accomplished than to be on teams that stick to what has been done before. Your clear perspective on all board things was one that I always listened for, and I can only wish that my teammates outside of board could copy the way that you approached your work with energy and empathy. Above all, I hope that your performance on board can serve as confirmation that not only is one’s major not important to their ability to be a good board member, but their commitments should not stand in the way of their contributions to FASA, if only they have the discipline and love for this community that you do.

Kaitlyn Barron, Cultural Chair

Kaitlyn, one half of the heartbeat of FASA. Out of all of the boardies, I think I knew you the least before coming onto board. Little did I know that you would become part of the powerhouse duo of Co-Culture that never ceased to inspire the rest of the board. Working with Izzy several days of the week over the summer (I even remember that there was a point where you and Izzy had calls every single day), I was absolutely floored that you two would put in so much effort for an event that was more than half a year away. But boy did it pay off. I can safely say that PCN 2019 is one that will be remembered for a very long time; if not for the speaker, if not for the history-imbued storyline, PACE-MI, or the performances, then for the way it made us all feel. PCN is a celebration of our culture, but it is also a celebration of how each and every one of us are an important part of that culture as well. And of course, you know that better than anyone else (except maybe your co!). But even apart from your role as part of the cultural duo, you, as a singular member of the board, are someone I would love to have as a teammate again. You are so on the ball about everything, so willing to throw your hat into the ring, and you have an energy that reminded me every meeting why I decided to run for board again. Being a nurse is hard by itself, but the way that you balanced your role in FASA with your studies and had energy leftover is a testament to how lucky any team would be to have you on it.

Izzy Poquiz, Cultural Chair

Izzy, if Kaitlyn was FASA’s heart, then this year, you were its soul. Together, the two of you pulled off a reimagining of what FASA stood for that continuously reminded me why, even after I’m no longer on FASA’s E-Board, that I will be sticking around. While AJ and I made it a priority to make sure culture was at the heart of everything we do as a board, you and Kaitlyn not only made that idea a reality, but inspired the rest of the board to do the same in each of their positions. Being a leader in a cultural organization is tough: there are so many people with different ideas of what FASA should be that it is sometimes crushing to stand at the front. But you and Kaitlyn did everything with such conviction, empathy, and clarity of vision that there is no criticism that could diminish what you two accomplished together. And just as Kaitlyn was an irreplaceable part of our board outside of her role as Co-Cultural, you proved to be just as irreplaceable. Your combination of organizational ability, creativity, vision, and empathy made you a key leader amongst all of the great ones that our board was blessed with, and your voice was one that held more weight than I think that you realized. I can only imagine what you will be able to accomplish in the future, but from your performance this year, I know that I will be nothing but proud.

Natalie Lampa, Treasurer

Natalie, I can’t express how happy I am that I was able to serve on board with you this year. My other half of the Techtorian duo, I knew back then that if we were to carry out all of the ideas that the board was planning, we would need someone that was level-headed, knew FASA deeply, and had the organizational and writing abilities to keep the lights on. Our board was an ambitious one, and I can say that your guidance was one of the things that helped us make this year one that I will remember for the rest of my life. While I can understand why seniors wouldn’t want to serve on the Executive Board, you showed just how valuable the input is from someone who has seen it all happen before. Thank you, Ate: you made FASA feel like home for me when I was a freshman, and even as your undergraduate years come to an end, you have continued and will continue to do so for so many others.

Angela Salacata, Secretary

Angela, the return of the cultural queen! Like your ading, Bea, you don’t need me to reiterate the things you’ve done for FASA. But that won’t stop me from saying that I am grateful for having you as part of our Core Four. Your insight and sharp wit has always challenged me to be a better leader, and it’s definitely not a stretch to say that I look up to you in many ways. FASA wouldn’t be where it is without you, and for anyone who thought that cultural chair would be the end was only kidding themselves. Even beyond your duties as Secretary, taking on choreography for PCN as well as LITERALLY COMPOSING THE MUSIC THAT WE DANCED TO FOR BATTLE, your FASA accomplishments are unmatched. Future roomie, I am proud just to say I served on a board with you one last time.

AJ Espinoza, Co-President

AJ, what can I say that hasn’t already been said? It's been a rollercoaster, with this year being an extension of the one that we've been riding since freshman year. And from when we first met to now, I'd say that we've grown a little. Just a little. And I've said it before, a lot of it was because of the type of leader and person you are; I've always wanted to take just a little bit of that, and make myself just a little closer to the person I hope to be. But there are things that we can't learn from each other, and the things we've seen and done on this board are a good example of that. So while I think we both got a lot more than we bargained for, I couldn't have done it without you by my side. I'm proud that we built a few things that I think are going to last, and I'm grateful that it was you that went through the ringer with me. May we continue having our hour(s) long talks together, about FASA and not, into our last year and beyond. (But then again, hopefully we can get a bit more sleep when all of this is over...)

Grateful

I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful to have had a chance to come back and serve a community I love. I'm grateful to have served with a team that I won't forget for the rest of my life. I'm grateful to have grown with these people, and to have grown with FASA. Our community is getting larger and larger every semester, and I'm just so excited to see where it all goes. Some of my friends from this year, on board and not, new friends and old, will probably go on to see another board. Or maybe join boards of other organizations. Or maybe just be the general members that we all wished to be at one point or another. But the fact is, I wouldn't have traded this time with FASA for anything. You all have taught me so much. You've given me opportunities that I couldn't have imagined. You've allowed me to touch more lives than I ever could have alone. And now, it's time that you give the opportunity of being Co-President to two other leaders.

Four generations of Presidents

So to the aspiring Co-Presidents:

The funny thing is that I already know who you are. I don't know which two will sit where AJ and I have necessarily, but I do know that it is one of you who I've served with this year. So the first thing I have to say is this: FASA is in good hands.

But the second is: always remember that first thing. Depending on what kind of people you are, there will be times in your tenure that you might forget. Times where you don't feel qualified or knowledgeable or ready to make the hard decision. The fact is: maybe you aren't. But that shouldn't stop you from becoming qualified, knowledgeable and therefore ready. Being Co-President isn't about knowing or having all the right answers. I've personally, definitely had ideas that were wrong. Many, in fact. But what you have is a board to support you, and a Co to bounce ideas off of, and old friends that are always willing to offer you any wisdom that can be had from just a few years in your shoes. You're never alone, just as your boardies are never alone. You might have a fancy title, but only together can you get through anything.

A caveat though: always be decisive. You might not have the answer right now. Your boardies might not have the answer right now. But being Co-President comes with the fact that the buck stops with you. In the end, for the many decisions that have to be made that don't require a 3/4ths vote from the board, your word is the decision. So give your board something to stand behind. Make a decision, stand by it, and admit you're wrong when you are. Because at least, if you are wrong, your board knows that they can trust that you believe in and act according to what you say.

Another thing: being Co-President is not babysitting. The amazing leaders on your board are fully-grown adults, and you should always hold them to that standard, if not higher. They don't need to be coddled, they need to be supported. They shouldn't need to be reprimanded, they need to know that their leaders have their backs. Because when you give them freedom, when you give them your confidence, it is up to them to uphold it. They might not always agree with you, and they might still be learning to be the professional leader that you expect them to be, but in the end, they are capable of so much. And sometimes, they just need to hear it from you.

Finally, remember that you set the tone of the entire board, and further, of FASA itself. Once you become Co-President, not only do you become the leader of your board, you become the face of FASA. The implication: you can decide how you want your boardies and FASA to feel for this upcoming year. And really, that is your choice. There will be those, on and off your board, who might want you to be super professional. Or super social. Or super laid-back. Or any number of things. But then again, it is your choice. Be empathetic of the concerns of your friends and community, but do what you think is right. What we've done before can be a good template, what others are doing can be a good plan, but what you actually do should be what you think is right. Remember that and I promise that everything will end up great. Not perfectly as planned, not smoothly, and likely not great without adjustment, but great in the end.

So to sum it all up:

Always remember that you are qualified

You aren't alone

Be decisive

Stand behind your words

Admit when you're wrong

Your job won't be babysitting

Hold your board to a high standard

You set the tone of both your board and FASA as a whole

Do what you think is right.

Notice that I didn't mention anything about organization, planning, strategy, skills you need or anything like that. Why? Because I already know what you're capable of; I've seen it, and I already know that you're going to do great.

But let me get off my soapbox for the last time.

How could you say no to a smile like that?

To FASA, again:

Thank you. Being able to serve the community that made Michigan feel like home, as much as I complain about it, has been nothing but an honor. And you can bet that you haven't seen the last of me, for better and for worse. Because, how could I stay away? I am endlessly fond and proud of this year's freshmen, the sophomores have proved to be some of my closest friends, the juniors inspire me every day with what they have and are currently accomplishing, and the seniors continue to be the Ates and Kuyas that make this community worth sticking around for. So while I won't be coming back as a board member in my final year, I guess you'll just have to catch me dancing in AJ's tinikling choreo this upcoming November... Maybe.

Only the most high-quality facial expressions...

Mahal na mahal kita, FASA. Always.

Matt Ratanapanichkich, FASA Co-President

[noones-moon]

TL;DR at the end for anyone interested.

Hi. I’d just like to put my two cents in the My Family’s Slave discourse since it’s been bothering me all day and I need to let some of my thoughts out, mostly about the discourse happening on Twitter which has now also spread to Tumblr. I am not the best person to talk about this, and I’m sure I’m missing some parts. If there is a need for clarification, I am open to DMs. Don’t forget to be polite, please.

I don’t wish to insult or offend anyone as this is a sensitive topic. Sentiments can be shared. But for now, all I ask of you is to be silent, to listen, and to understand. If there are any corrections with regards to the content of this post, just let me know. Long posts like these are bound to have some mistakes and will be edited from time to time.

My first point is that slavery that has happened in the West is different from slavery in the context of Filipino culture and history. Yes, slavery is bad and should not be a thing in the modern era where we all strive for equality to further improve society, and yes perhaps Lola Eudocia’s situation might as well considered her a slave and that we should improve the world so people don’t get into those kinds of situations, but please know that there are still differences between how slavery was between the Philippines and the West.

A quick search on the internet can reveal the history of slavery in the West, particularly in America, where slaves were bought from Africa in exchange for firearms (if I remember correctly). The slaves were used mainly to enrich and maintain the farmlands’ production of crops and tobacco. The treatment of these slaves was abusive in nature, mainly because of racism born out of it with class separation by skin color, putting the white slave owners at the top and the black slaves at the bottom. All you Americans know this better than I do; I assume this is taught in American History in most, if not all, your schools, so forgive me if I got some things wrong.

Slavery in the Philippines started in the pre-colonial period when everyone was part of a tribe or kingdom with their own set of royal families, social classes, and slaves. Usually, the rich had their own slaves to attend to them, and some of these slaves had their own slaves as well.  They may or may not have been abused but these abuses were not recorded, or perhaps were recorded but burned when the Spanish took over the country.

When the Spanish colonized the Philippines during the Age of Exploration, there was an obvious difference between them and the local Filipinos. The Spanish came in their giant ships and with their technology more advanced than the tribal Filipinos who wore bahag and fought with barely any armor (or so they are depicted). With the Spanish having the advantage over several things, they managed to colonize the archipelago with barely any difficulties. These Spanish, who are by the way European, tried to erase pre-colonial Philippine culture by massacring tribes that resisted and burning any written traditions and almost completely erasing the native alphabet Baybayin.

The Spanish after a while started to get abusive and own Filipinos, referred to as Indios, as slaves in their own land. Not much was written about how life was for the most of the 333 years of colonization, with most accounts coming from its final years with the rise of the Philippine revolution to gain independence. Little is known about those <300 years aside from the racist social structures regarding people of pure Spanish descent residing in the Philippines who had all the privileges, people who descended from a Spanish and an Indio some privileges, and those who are entirely Indio, who have little to no rights at all.

After we “declared independence” in 1898, Spain sold us to the United States through the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which involved Spain to relinquish nearly all of what’s left of the Spanish Empire—Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. This was the beginning of the American colonization. We were not treated as slaves outright, with the Americans influencing us with their Western culture. Several Filipinos went “hey we just declared independence why are y’all settling here” while others were all “they’re nice and they’re teaching us stuff we like them”. However, the social statuses of some of the Filipinos who were once slaves of the Spanish still remained as they were powerless even in face of these new friendly(?) colonizers.

And don’t get me started when World War II broke out and the Japanese colonized the Philippines as a part of their master plan to conquer the East. Filipinos captured by the Japanese were treated like cattle in their own land.

Is slavery bad? Yes. Is the slavery of Africans in America the same as the slavery of Indios in the Philippines? Not entirely. Should you comment on slavery in the context of Filipino culture using the context of slavery in the West? Please don’t.

My second point is that Lola Eudocia’s situation is almost completely unique to her. Almost. She was taken from her poor family to serve and take care of Tizon’s mother who was close to her age. To the young Eudocia, being offered food and shelter in exchange for taking care of someone was better than her current situation at the time. Maybe if she knew what was in store for her for the rest of her life she would have declined or ran away.

Now let’s put this into perspective. The social class divide has hurt the lower class Filipinos the most. No matter how hard they worked, the world was just too harsh and they couldn’t escape their poverty unless they were lucky. Several poverty-stricken Filipinos nowadays offer their services as maids/katulong (helpers)/kasambahay (housemates/househelp, I will be using this term to refer to them from here on)/yaya (nannies) for the middle class and higher, in exchange for money to send to their families in need.

Most kasambahays are treated well, being given their own quarters, days off, and the liberty to buy whatever they want using their salaries. Others are integrated into the family, with them being included in family celebrations such as Christmas and New Year, and their birthdays being celebrated by the family. A few are abused by unforgiving employers, though most stories relating to this come from domestic helpers abroad. A few steal from their employers, as told by some of my friends. All kasambahays have rights and are protected by the law. It’s literally called the Kasambahay Law and it’s stated there at least how much they should be paid (overpay is always an option so please do not worry about how they may not be paid enough) and how the law protects them from maltreatment and abuse.

Lola Eudocia was an abused kasambahay and working without pay. She might as well have been considered a slave. But please know that this form of slavery is different from the slavery of Africans. That slavery was a form systematic oppression against a group of people. The form of slavery Lola Eudocia endured was abuse directed at an unwaged and maltreated kasambahay. During the time when she was taken in by Lieutenant Tom, the Philippines was being tormented by the Japanese during the war. If there were any actual slaves that were systematically oppressed at that time it would have been the Filipino slaves under the Japanese. And in comparison to that, Lola Eudocia could be considered a family servant and a personal attendant of the author’s mother.

But why do we take in fellow Filipinos as kasambahays even up to the modern time? These people don’t have enough skill or qualification for even the few minimum wage jobs. But what they can do is do chores for people who don’t have the time to do them but can afford to pay people to do them for them. And it’s in a way our way of helping them earn money they wouldn’t have otherwise earned out there. Some kasambahays resign from their households more skilled than when they came in, as they have learned more things like cooking new dishes, using several kinds of appliances, or even experiencing the internet.

Was Lola Eudocia a slave? Yes and no. In the context of slavery in the West, she was not, but given her harsh situation as a kasambahay, she might as well have been.

My third point is the usage of Lola when referring to Lola Eudocia. Filipino is very family-oriented, as seen from soap operas to TV commercials to Binibining Pilipinas Janina San Miguel and her memefuly quoted “My pamilee” and “My family is the most important persons in my life”. Using family titles is a sign of basic respect.

Kuya (older brother) and Ate (older sister) can be used from siblings (usually in place of their names) to people slightly older than you (upperclassmen, your parents’ employees).

Tatay (dad) and Nanay (mom) can be used for your parents (usually in place of their names like how Westerners do with ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’) to parental figures (Duterte supporters towards President Duterte).

Tito (uncle) and Tita (aunt) from actual uncles and aunts to family friends and friends of your parents. Tita has turned to its own adjective to describe people that fit the Tita stereotype.

Lolo (grandfather) and Lola (grandmother) from your grandparents to elderly in general (though some of the posh elderly would prefer to be called Tito and Tita so they don’t feel their age).

Lola is not an insult nor a slave term. It simply means grandmother. In the context of the essay written by Tizon, he may or may not have started calling Lola Eudocia Lola when he had children, as referring to her as Lola would also have his kids refer to her as Lola, and that just stuck with him until the time he wrote the essay.

And she had the right to be called Lola. She was basically Tizon’s second mother who cared for him and his siblings watched them grow up. He took her into his family as his daughters’ grandmother after his mother died, and he gave her a more relaxed life since her former employer had passed. She didn’t have to do all the house chores anymore nor did she have to endure any more yelling. She had the liberty to do what she wanted like a stay-home grandmother. This part was a good chunk near the bottom of the essay, I don’t understand how many people could have missed it unless they stopped reading after five paragraphs in.

As a Filipino who watched American films, I am always caught off guard whenever younger characters refer to people older than them with their first name, and I always feel secondhand offense for the older characters, but that’s cultural difference there and I let it be because it’s how it is for them.

Is Lola a slave term? Absolutely not.

My fourth point is that Tizon tried to defend Lola Eudocia but his own mother was in the way. As the employer of Lola Eudocia, she was basically bound to her until death. A good part of the essay told how Tizon tried to stand up for her, even offering her a way to escape. But his mom was always in control. In the Filipino family, we put our parents at the top, no matter how we despise them for their wrongdoings. And maybe that isn’t the same for Western culture but that’s an entirely different culture.

She was finally sent home after moving in with Tizon, but seeing she barely had anything to go home to aside from her siblings, she decided it would be better to return to America where she had a more secure home with people to take care of her and a garden to tend to.

Was Tizon a slaveowner? By extension of his family, yes. But as an individual, he did not want to treat her as a slave, more especially when his mother passed. He treated her as a mother. I’m not used to saying slaveowner when referring to Filipinos because usually the Filipinos are the slaves.

TL;DR

We also know what it’s like to be slaves, but our enslavement is different from the enslavement of Africans in America and should not be treated exactly the same way.

Being a domestic helper is an option for poor people (especially women) to provide income for their families. It’s perfectly legal and their job and rights are now protected by law.

Lola really just means grandmother and Lola Eudocia was a grandmother figure for Tizon’s daughters.

Tizon would have let Lola Eudocia free if only his mom wasn’t in the way and she knew where to go.

[jesusisallineed]

2 Corinthians 10:5

2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In reality, the world offers you only two sides of the coin. Black and white is the only color existing among the range of different colors. In a blank canvas, one may color it perhaps with dark blue or light blue. Gray is a color of pre-decision; it is a color of contemplation. Since we are human being, we are able to comprehend what is relatively right or relatively wrong. But what matters will be the outcome of a single stroke of paint without prejudice, which is either right or wrong that is absolute. There will never be a shade of gray.

One thing that guides us in this world where we live is ethics. If I were to define ethics, in a perspective of a person who believes in God, the meaning would be the truth. Truth will never be relative, what good is good and what bad is bad. It can never be intertwined. What is truth? John 17:17 it says, "… Your word is truth.” Therefore it is constant. How can a Christian simultaneously make a stand that dishonesty is wrong while proving their white lies on the time being they need to purposely make use of it? If one supports both ideas, then it will be too safe to make a mistake, or in other words, it tells us not to do anything. In that way, you may support both idea, and you are expressing yourself relatively. In an examination, the teacher may provide you a multiple-choice question. Basically, answering only one letter among all of the possible answers makes us realize that there will be one absolute correct answer. But still, Praise God! Since it is absolute it would be easier for us to comprehend and to grasp. Yes, it is difficult but we do this because we have Him and we love Him. We will follow in the name of Jesus! And not only that, for He will teach us how; Psalm 25:9 TLB it says “He will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to Him.”

Scientifically speaking, possibly your intellect is constantly contesting the perplexity of classifying and categorizing human being, when we are actually under the same taxonomy. We are survival beings; we tend to act out of needs. If it is necessary, it is likely for us to execute. In the kingdom of animal, a behavior of a species is predictable because we are certain that it acts out of its nature. Disregarding everything that may influence our decision, including our logic, then we’ll surely act out of our nature similarly. Maybe this explains “gasgas na gasgas man, pasensya na tao lang.” One verse, Matthew 26:41, tells us, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." The reason why we are different is because of our ability to reason out, to make a judgment, to use our logic and the levels of our consideration in each contrasting issues for us to reach a decision. I remember how Kuya Jhei told us, “Kahit anong gawin natin kapag inentertain ang maling idea, hinahayaan lang natin na magkaroon yan ng small opening sa atin, ija-justify at ija-justify lang natin yan hanggang sa ang small opening ay lalaki at magiging kasalanan….” One man is no different to another; we only differ on the finale of our decision. Well, it can only be either good or bad. Again, there’s nothing in between.

To finally conclude this reflection, there’s a statement of T.W. Hunt in his book entitled The Mind of Christ. “Our weapons in the spiritual battle are not carnal but mighty through God. As we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2), we engage the battle against pretense and arrogant philosophy in the world. Trusting Christ and rightly dividing the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), we take every thought captive, pull down the strongholds, and, by the grace of God, set the captives free.”

[fisheito]

yakuya in MY swamp? in MY ecosystem? no . i am still in disbelief. i hope you all know that my particles are bouncing off the everything. i am using periods as punctuation but the state of my mind is naught neareth final.