Times have really changed. Everything has shifted into being digital. It's like everything about our lives have been swept and thrown into an online bin—from our clocks, calendars and papers to our thoughts, conversations and even relationships. There are those things we find despicable about this change but then there are those we absolutely enjoy even if it costs our healthy eyesight(s).

Now that we have come to a point where we feel the need to broadcast our feelings to the world, our love for words has also increased. The only problem is how some of us have lost our ability to think on our own, of our own. We have fallen in-love with words that had been spoken and written by others and have relied on them too much to express our feelings. Instead of doing research to learn more about the language we want to use to put our thoughts across, what we do is go to BrainyQuote, or Tumblr, and most of the time, Google to look for statements to quote—whatever the intentions are.  The point of it all is to express.  All these social-media apps are there so we have an outlet to wear our hearts out on our sleeves and we can tell people how we think about what they think, feel, and say. Doing so through other people's words isn't wrong. Overdoing IT is. What's worse is when we take so much pride in being able to translate our heartbeats into words through those people but forget, if not refuse, to give credit to where credit is due. Worst is when we claim the words are ours and we use them to spread vexation.

It's pretty sad seeing how we got so comfortable of copying or quoting or whatever you like to call it just because we are unwilling to go through the discomfort of knowing better. But you see? It's only through knowing better that one can begin doing better.

This whole thing isn't so much about originality. This is more about sincerity, on how much truth we are able to make people see from our status updates, or tweets, or Instagram captions, or Tumblr posts. Since we're already in this age where sharing is the big thing, we might as well make sure that the people who get to see what we're sharing are able to capture the authenticity of our own feelings and our own thoughts. Our feelings and thoughts are not somebody else's duplicate. They will, at times, seem close but not really. Everything has their personal touch. You always have a version of your own. Respect that. Don't get too caught up trying to impress others. That's the first reason you will have a hard time voicing out—thinking that if it's your own words, your feelings are less valid and the number of people who agree or sympathize with you will decrease.

Keep it real. Use the language you're better at. Do more than just echoing. Start your voice lessons. Invite me when you're ready to scream; I'll scream with you on a rooftop.

This year, I haven’t really been able to read a lot of new books. One, because I have become more incapable of affording them. Two, because the app on my phone where I get to do most of my reading before has already gone extinct. Three, because our office denies access to Google.

We all crave that feeling of belonging-ness. It is that feeling that help us be secure of who we are. Because if we belong, we are not left with a room to pretend we're somebody else. We are all lost creatures in this wilderness of a world trying to find a place in which we don't have to question our identities. We want a family that's supportive; a home that nurtures. For almost two years, I found a home in a work-group called TEAM TITANS. Sadly enough, the home just won't be the same again.

Saturday, last week, Sup Sawi called for a huddle for a very important announcement. An announcement we almost never saw coming : Clang and she will no longer be with us as our SME and supervisor, respectively. Of course, we were dumbfounded to hear about it because most of us have been in the team for at least a year and more. Together, we have achieved so many, beaten so many, and learned so many. Everyone saw us as a dream team as we have gone from zero to hero. We were always the team who surprised every other team by every end of month by doing the impossible.







 Each member has contributed to all successes but none of our successes would have been possible without Sup Sawi's faith in what we can do, Clang's patience and knowledge and both's expertise in their respective fields to support and hone us to be prolific and significant workers. Now, with a new leadership, I don't think it will ever be the same again. The two of them have been a huge part of the hard work we do because at the end of the day, nothing beats the fulfillment one gets from making his/her superiors proud.

Due to all the drastic changes we are forced to embrace, we had to squeeze our previously planned team building in with the traditional birthday surprises which were supposed to materialize at a later part of June. We had to come up with a birthday celebration for April celebrant Krystal, for May celebrant Karen, for June celebrants Sarah and Veejay and birthday surprise/send-off/appreciation in one for June celebrants Supe Sawi and Clang. Although Glenn and I were the main organizers , everyone got to play a part in making the party a major success.

Big thanks to Supe Sawi, Clang, Thal, Redge, Sarah, VJ and Nero for the pledges. Without those, there would not have been  party in the first place. Thanks to Glenn for making all necessary transactions to find and secure a venue. Thanks to Kit, Alvin, and Mommy Nora for taking the food to the venue and for the extra gifts for all the celebrants. Thanks to Wadz, and Ren for cooking rice for everyone. Thanks to Redge for the cake I got to take home since no one took a slice. Thanks to Sarah, Thal, the guard on duty that afternoon, and the people from Coffeecat who cooperated with us to make a memorable surprise for Supe and Clang. Thanks to Amin for helping me set-up the decoration and for doing the party hats. Thanks to Kai for coming so late only to do business. And finally, thanks to the boys for being there, for popping the poppers late, for singing off key, for joining in the Beer Relay game and most importantly, for completing the fun.

 The whole thing was quite taxing but I realized we have shown the leaders who taught us to work as a team what it really meant to work as a team. On that day, we were a team working on one goal: to make each other happy.

As I journeyed home, I felt extremely proud because there was nothing to feel but pride. I felt proud because we have achieved something. I felt proud because of the fact alone that I belong to this team. I felt happy, too. Only for a single reason - because WE ALL WERE.

In case, circumstance forces us away from each other, I will be both happy and sad about having to let you go. Happy because I once belonged. Sad because I don't know if I'll ever belong again. But I'm not thinking of that so much. For now, I'll just wish Supe Sawi and Clang all the best in their future endeavors. I am pretty sure they are going to touch another set of lives just like they did with ours.