sacha chua

When Dae Unisa mentioned the meeting that the Brain Gain Network was going to have with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, I asked her if she could sneak me into it. I like BGN. I don't regularly pass by their site, but I think the idea is terrific: help stem or even reverse the brain drain phenomenon by reaching out to Filipinos abroad. Besides, I love meeting people who care about these things, too, and if I could pick up a few best practices for a soon-to-be expat...

I went with Dae Unisa and Emerson Tan, both of Narra VC. The meeting was the second in a series of planning meetings for BGN's possible rebranding. I originally intended to just observe, but I couldn't help step into the meeting, building agreement by restating what people were saying. ECCP thought there was a lot of potential in expanding the scope of BGN from technology entrepreneurship to five key industries:

• Animation
• Design process delivery (engineering, architecture)
• Retirement
• Medical services
• Information technology

By asking questions and rephrasing what people were saying, I learned more about what they wanted to do, and added a few suggestions on how those ideas might be implemented. The decisions still have to be made by Narra VC, which runs BGN, but I think there are a few ideas there that are definitely worth exploring.

One thing is to ask the expats I meet about what they would need in order to consider referring business back to the Philippines, and in order to consider returning to the Philippines. The other is to find a way to make it easier for people who are visiting the Philippines for a vacation (like I did this December) to share their knowledge with local people. That would be great, and it would also strengthen people's ties with the Philippines.

I can't work on BGN right now (busy with my thesis), but I can give them a couple of ideas to try out. Who knows? Maybe something will work, and then I'll get better at coming up with ideas... =)

On Technorati: bgn, braingain

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My dad taught me how to parallel park today. Or at least he tried to; I still need constant instruction while parking, as I haven't quite gotten the feel of the size of the car yet. It's a very useful skill, though.

I spent half the time in third gear today. This is an improvement. =)

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Yesterday, I learned about love. =)

...

My mom is right. Love is a cycle. The trick is hanging on even if you don't feel particularly keen at some point. Sooner or later, you'll fall in love again. I can't claim to be in love with him all the time, but even when I'm feeling a little frustrated, he helps me learn how to be a better person. Who'd have thought that he would teach me by example about love and acceptance? I'm still adjusting, still learning, but I'm glad he's in my life.

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Yesterday, my dad took me along on his Manila skyline shoot. He talked the condominium administrator to let him take pictures from the helipad on the 42nd floor; him, and the ten other photographers he invited! I tagged along to bond with my dad and to carry equipment. It was fun.

That was the *best* view I'd ever seen. It was a clear day and we really could see forever, from the mountains and hills near Antipolo to the oceans beyond the bay. Because we were on a helipad, there was that feeling of nothing being between you and the rest of the world. Wow!

I shot people more than I shot landscapes, though. It's easier to tell stories with people. For example, I got a few good pictures of my dad telling people stories over halo-halo. What a place to eat halo-halo! With an unobstructed 360' view of the Manila skyline and everything...

So yesterday, I learned how to shoot with an SLR. I discovered the thrill of seeing a picture in your mind's eye and figuring out how to make it real. Today, my dad got me a point-and-shoot camera that's so much better than my current camera. I've been trying it out by taking pictures of my patient and long-suffering cat. I'm looking forward to using it for portraits...

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Anyone can change the world. Some people know how to keep the world changed.

My dad had a vision for the street of R. Hidalgo. He saw that it could be a photographer's haven if the vendors who choked the street could be moved elsewhere. So he organized the shop owners, brought in City Hall, cleared the street, and promoted it to photographers.

At the last meeting, my dad said, "My job is done. I want to move on and focus on other things." He wanted to make sure that the street retains its character through any changes of administration. A new tradition such as a street photo gallery would ensure the continuity of the project and attract more people to R. Hidalgo. New administrations would have to respect it.

What would the first photo exhibit be? A photographer named Leo Pomanes suggested an exhibit about the Black Nazarene, a religious devotion about to celebrate its 400th anniversary. My dad turned to him and said, "Okay, take charge, and head the project."

Yesterday, Leo called to organize a meeting. My dad was disappointed that many people who should have been there weren't coming, but my dad said, "Don't worry, I'll come. I told other people to help you out, but if they're lukewarm about the idea, I will support you."

The meeting was small. There were a few people from the church and from City Hall. My dad said, "We need to move fast. If you're talking about the end of January, that's in one, two weeks." If they could put together a draft this weekend, present it to the church, and finalize their plans by the next week, then they could take advantage of the opportunity.

"That fast?" Leo asked. "How about the committee?"

My dad told Leo that they didn't need a large committee, and proceeded to put one together. "Leo. Ogie. Brother Vic. Three of you would be more than enough." He knew that if the group could get the church involved, then the current mayor would support the project, and then the successful project could be used to get the support of the next mayor.

This is politics, and my dad knows how to play the game.

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