I failed. Yet I LOL about it.

I'm talking about my application at Gameloft Philippines. The lead artist deemed my submission as not Gameloft material. Well, I can understand that. After all, there are really great artists out there who are miles better than I am. I admit that. And also, I'm just an art hobbyist anyway. There's no way I'd fit in.I mean, they're talking about starting a core group in the Philippines!

Well, I do hope that the lead artist, whoever he is, finds worthy people to make the cut and ultimately spawn a Gameloft Philippines. The company is just starting from scratch, and maybe if it were an already established company here in the country, my chances would have been slightly bigger. And at least sinubukan ko. Ganun lang naman talaga e. Pag di mo sinubukan, di mo makikita ang hinahanap mo.

No, this isn't going to let me down. I still have other opportunities anyway, like yung sa KORPHIL, and Convergys too. And I'm still not giving up on my dream of becoming a voice actor. Kelangan lang ng free time.

And so we leave it at that, and now I'm back to waiting for my start at Convergys. It's on September 15, and I'm still adjusting my sleeping schedule. Knowing na isa akong narcoleptic citizen who'd rather stay awake and in front of my PC (and just yesterday I started retro-gaming with my PS1), at isang linggo na lang and it's September, it's going to be a tough one. Not to mention that I'm preparing for our group cosplay presentation for October.

I wish myself luck. After all, wala namang ibang tao aside from myself ang magwi-wish ng good luck para sa akin e.

And so I post this blog and shut down this computer, because I'll take out the DVD-ROM from this CPU and install it on other computers so I could start reformatting and fast. XD

And so I join another bandwagon...LOL

Wala lang, I promised my Korean friend Roana that I would color my drawing of her as soon as possible, but I finished it just tonight, so maybe I'll email her tomorrow.

The product of drunk drawing...LOL

There are more here, if you'd like to see the others. :D

1. Who were your latest 3 inbox texts from?
= Sheila, Jit, my mom.

2. Where was your default pic taken?
= In front of my computer. (it's a webcam FTW)

3. What's your middle name?
= Domingo.

Where's 4? yeah where’s no.4?
= If that's question #4, then the answer is obvious.

5. Does your crush like you back?
= I dunno. There's too many of 'em.

6. What is your current mood?
= too lazy to draw my animation assignments.

7. What's your mom's name?
= Amy.

8. What color shirt are you wearing?
= Brown.

9. Would you kiss the last person you kissed?
= Not again.

10. If you could go back in time and change something, would you?
= I'll change all those bad parts of my life I can live life as perfect as I would want it to be.

11. Have a crazy side?
= Who the heck doesn't?

12. Ever had a near death experience?
= Yep. More like a near-bankrupt experience.

13. What is something you do a lot?
= Using my computer since my PS2 broke.

14. Angry at anyone?
= Yep.

15. Do you wanna see somebody right now?
= I dunno.

16. Do you like drama?
= As long as it's not the same-old-crap-type of drama.

17. When was the last time you cried?
= Next question please.

18. Who would you do anything for?
= For the meantime, myself.

19. Who is your hero?
= The Undertaker.

20. What is the one thing you notice first with the opposite sex?
= The racks. 'Nuff said.

22. What's your biggest secret?
= I can flip the finger.

24. Would you ever take him/her back?
= Who is she?

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
= Yep, and I'm fond of some of 'em.

26. What are you eating or drinking at the moment
= None.

27. Do you speak any other languages?
= Filipino, English, some computer language and impersonations.

28. Whats your favorite smell?
= Blood. Got blood?

29. Describe your life.
= What about it?

30. Have you ever kissed in the rain?
= Nope.

31. Do you like the rain?
= Only when it's hot. Apart from that, I hate it. It makes me remember something I'd rather burn.

32. What are you thinking about right now?
= Playing my PS1.

33. What should you be doing right now?
= Drawing my animation assignments.

34. What is your favorite memory?
= When I went to ABS-CBN and met Mr. Danny Mandia in person.

35. What are you listening to?
= Somewhere Doewn the Road by Barry Manilow.

36. Who was the last person you told I love you?
= I'll never say it until I find the right person to tell it.

37. Who was the last person you yelled at?
= Mom.

38. Do you act differently around the person you like?
= No. I want her to see me the way I am. I'd rather hurt her honestly than deceive her with a lie. (That's from a song, if you notice.)

39. What is your natural hair color?
= Black. It doesn't get any more natural than that.

40. Who was the last person to make you smile?
= My chatmates.

Is it just me, or totoo lang na ever since I ventured into the world of cosplay, karamihan sa mga nag-a-add sakin sa Multiply ay mga cosplayers na?

Well, not that I don't like it, but it's kind of puzzling. Before I started cosplaying, kokonti lang ang mga contacts ko, and most of them are my classmates or just the people I meet in school. I used to have about 50+ online friends, until after Hataw Hanep HERO 2007, when I received invitations from cosplayers na nga.

Well at least, the good thing is that yung mga nag-i-invite sakin ay yung mga talagang nakita ko na in person. Though there are just some rare, weird, and somewhat disturbing opportunities, like once getting invited by a cannibal.

Meron ding instance na tinanggap ng isang famous celebrity ang invitation ko; that's the case when Ms. Zsa Zsa Padilla became my online buddy. Another case is that naimbitahan ako ng isang well-known personality. To be specific, Sen. Joker Arroyo invited me to be his online buddy. Just check my contacts list.

Gaya nga ng sabi ko, it's not that I don't like it, but as much as possible, I would like my Multiply contacts to be at minimum, at para lang sa mga taong kilala ko talaga. Though I can't really help it since may mga taong either natutuwa sa layout ko, or naaastigan sa mga pictures na nakuhaan ko or just simply dahil naguguwapuhan sila sakin. LOL

Well, bahala na. Basta I'll just keep on doing what I do best here in Multiply.

To all my friends, online buddies and others, salamat sa inyong suporta! :D

Ayun. Pati ako nadale rin nito. XD

At hindi lang pala sa Friendster nakaka-encounter ng "impostors"...Look at this.

Well, not that he's really an impostor, but it's interesting that he's also using two words that comprise my username in DeviantArt. It would have been a bigger deal if he stole my artworks, diba? Pero anyway, thig guy's not worth the time, pero I still wasted some for him for the LOL.

Anyway, kaya nga naman may mga usernames sa DeviantArt para may individuality ang lahat ng members. But as for this guy, how can he showcase his individuality if his profile is freakin' empty!? Tsk tsk tsk...

And look at her dialogue.. "The earth is now part of the Skrull Empire."

No wonder why she looks odd. LOL

My good online buddy Earl posted on his Multiply blog about his supposed impostor on Friendster. The way I see it, he was creeped out knowing that he's not the only one named Earl Maghirang.

Then naisip ko sa sarili ko: "Try ko nga rin i-search si Alvin Balce..."

Then alas!


May limang Alvin Balce sa Friendster! And four of them are absolutely NOT me! Well, it's not supposedly a big deal at all, pero natuwa ako dahil nalaman ko to. And at least yung isa ay may sarili talaga niyang identity, compared dun sa tatlong walang kalaman-laman. At kaya pala hindi ko na mapalitan to alvinbalce ang extension name ng URL ko ay dahil nauna na si Alvin M. Balce. LOL


I also tried to search for my second name Kjell on Friendster, and it displayed 58 results. Hahaha, so much for being unique. Magtataka na lang ako kung may iba pang Alvin Kjell Balce sa social dating website na to na overpopulated ng mga posers.

By the way, isang disappointing trivia: China is the most populated country, yet the number of Filipinos in Friendster exceed China's population; one solid proof that there are so many posers lurking around para makachane, or even worse, makamanyak. Tsk tsk tsk.

So I have to make up for the drought. XD


Eto na yung final piece na pinasa ko sa Gameloft Philippines. Basta ang sabi sa specifications, draw a video game girl na na fairly scantily clad in a sexy pose. Dapat din daw, contemporary ang theme, at not too manga-esque, not too cartoony, and not too Franco-Belgian. Hindi ko alam kung tama yan, so it's a freakin' gamble, lalo na't I rarely draw girls, and full body pose pa at that. Well, good luck na lang sakin.

Then there's this one too.


Eto naman isa ay yung matagal nang pinapagawa sakin ng kaibigan ko na member ng UP Association of Karate (UPAK). He commisioned me to do a poster picture inspired by the image below:


Pero sue me, because I don't think I showed the feel of karate in my drawing. XD

Anyway, ayan. Please do look at my "frustrated art" gallery na rin for my other works. :D

Okay, things are getting pretty interestingly messy here...not that I'm amused, but I rather deem it distasteful. Hindi na maganda ang nangyayari rito.

But then again, the noise has died down, for the moment, so rather than accidentally restart the fire, I'll talk about something else.

How about a name game?

Well, it's not really a name game, pero this blog will talk about names, and what about them. These are mostly just uninteresting facts that I got out of my pretty chaotic mind.


1) Kilala nating lahat si Manoy, diba? Yep. His name is Eddie Garcia. What about it?

Well, if you're thinking about me talking about the fact that "Manoy" can also pertain to the male genitals, then you're dead mistaken. XD

Because I meant to talk about Eddie Garcia being the name of Cris Judd's fellow choreographer. I can also recall movies shown here in the Philippines starring Eddie Garcia, pero hindi si Manoy ang tinutukoy ko. This action star is more or less Latin American or something.


2) Now we go to the Olympics. Ever heard of or saw Miguel Molina? Well, when I saw this MILO commercial depicting our Olympic swimmer, I wasn't mindful about it, but when I saw his name, napa-WTF ako. That's the name of my classmate way back from Grade One! At sa pagkakaalam ko, kapitbahay lang namin siya ngayon!

My classmate's full name is Migueliño Molina, though we all used to call him Niño in Grade One and his peers now call him Miguel, that's why I predicted he and the Olympian are the same person.

Well anyway, I had to confirm if this Miguel Molina is the same guy as my classmate Niño. I had to search on the Net about his background and picture, and found out that they are two different people. Hahaha, so much for thinking that I had an Olympian for a friend. Hindi na rin sana ako mag-aabalang mag-research kung naalala ko lang agad na Niño never indulged in swimming, let alone the Olympics. Pero pwedeng mali pa rin ako about that. XD


3) Olympics pa rin. Did you know that Rudy Fernandez is an Olympian?

No, I'm not talking about the late great Daboy, but another guy named Rudy Fernandez. He's a member of the Spanish Olympic Basketball team, playing along with NBA's Pau Gasol. Viva España! LOL


4) About my name naman. You know abouy my second name, right? Yep, it's Kjell, read as "Kyel", or "Kel" na lang para wala nang arte. LOL

I always wondered where my parents got that name for me. I always used to ask my mom about it. But, years later, I think it was at around 2002 (actually, I'm not sure of the year) when I had a logical guess about my names' origin. It was a picture that supported that guess; a picture of my dad in his prime as a seaman, together with a foreign dude who seems to be the captain of the ship he's in. The guy's name was Kjell Opsahl.

5) Still about Kjell. Remember ABS-CBN's Star Drama Theatre? How does it connect to my name anyway?

I could recall one episode, I think it was in 1995. I don't know which actor or actress was featured that night, but when the opening credits rolled, I saw the name Kjell Villamarin. That wasn't the only time I saw the boy, who is probably the same age as I am now; he also became a cast member of the now-defunct science Show Sineskwela.

Well, so much for my name being unique in the Philippines. LOL But from who or what did his name originate from? That's another question. DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNNNN...


6) ACTS just changed it name to AMATS, meaning, Anti-MAnyak Terror Squad. I'm proud to come up with a good tagline: new name, same game. That tagline pretty sums it up for AMATS. This is to clear things up for the original chaneros. I hope we do gain support from them for our cimple cause to rid the cosplay world of opportunistic manyaks.

So, yung mga manyak sa cosplay world, ingat-ingat na kayo.


And so ends the Name Game. Well, wala akong maisip na better title, so there you have it.

Okay. So good day to you fellow Multiplyers. This is Alvin’s Blog Show, and this video blog episode for today, say tonight, is for the sole purpose to set the records straight once again, this time for myself and fellow ACTS members.

I recorded my third video blog, entitled Setting Records Straight, with a purpose to redefine the despicable act that we, as members of ACTS, are fighting, which was defined as chane. I accepted another definition of chane, pagpapapansin, and suggested words such as cosrape, pedography, and so on.

But earlier tonight, things were made clear to me, thanks to my concerned fellow ACTS member. He gave me information I need to know; the appropriate information that I now take hold of and use as basis for this video blog.

And so I present to you the State of the Alvin Address.

First of all, I was overwhelmed by the reactions and responses that my third video blog has received. I felt somehow good because I was able to ignite a flame within us people who are against a common enemy. But I humbly admit that while my arguments on that video blog were seemingly correct and reasonable, I just realized that the basis of those arguments were somewhat shaky. I will not describe how shaky it was, but I stand corrected. I made a big amateur mistake, and for that, I apologize.

I have come into terms with myself, but I feel responsible enough to clear things up with my teammates at ACTS. And so, I move that the words I suggested and defined be quashed, and we retain the word that started it all: chane.

And since we can never reconcile all concerned groups about unifying a definition for this word, I suggest that we all treat chane as an ambiguous word, meaning, a word that has different meanings. Just like how we treat the word salvage, which may either mean to save or to wreck.

With that said, I think I have gathered enough data to enumerate the three definitions for chane:

chane (1) n. a random word that simply meant nothing

chane (2) n. an act done by a person to simply either catch people’s eyes, make heads turn or impress people

and finally,

chane (3) n. the despicable act committed by a person in which he or she uses cosplay and photography as a leeway to ultimately hit on the opposite gender or do something to harass them; can be associated with mental rape

I think these definitions are clear. They have been clear to me a long time ago, and it was an amateur mistake to discard what I knew and favor the seemingly fresh facts fed to me. Not that I hate it, because it’s those things that have taught me all of this now.

And now, let me set things straight again, once and for all, chanero or not, that ACTS is against the third meaning of chane! And if you can’t rewind this video, I’ll gladly repeat that third definition for you.

And so if you ever hear of an Anti-Chane Terror Squad, be it known by every single individual in the entire cosplay world, that that Anti-Chane Terror Squad is against, well, just enter the third definition here in my statement.) Well, it’s just up to you guys whether what definition of chane you have and accept. As far as I know, ACTS knows all these three definitions. Also, don’t feel guilty if you think you fall under our description of chaneros; we are against the extreme ones anyway.

I think after this, I have made things clearer for myself and everyone else. If need be, I’ll post a text-format of this video blog. By the way, I still wish to pursue my oplan against our cosplay criminals.

Any reactions? Post them below. Let it all out, but don’t mess up.

So there. Thanks for viewing. This has been the State of the Alvin Address, an Alvin’s Blog Show Special. 

I'll be breaking my silence.


No, it's not that I have a big problem. It's more of I have two big problems. Let me first just share my current exploits in the field of animation.

I've already mentioned in my previous written posts about my enrollment to TESDA-run Kore-Philippines IT Training Center, which is one of the reasons I went on leave of absence in UP. Ang una kong problema ay ang thought na baka hindi nako pwedeng magbalik sa UP after my one year of absence, not to mention na nag-enroll nga ako sa ibang "school". It's actually a training center, pero maybe I'm exaggerating pag sinabi kong di nako makakabalik. Kung sabagay, LOA naman yun, at good standing pa rin ako despite being delayed.

Pangalawa sa problema ko is yung kontrata ko sa CONVERGYS. Supposedly, I should be happy dahil in September, magsisimula na ako ng training. But one email I received would change all that excitement and anticipation. I received an email from Ms. Grace Dimaranan. Siya ang President ng Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI). She asked me kung may trabaho nako, because she received an inquiry from Gameloft (yep, that company that makes mobile games) are looking for artists who are good in character designs, coloring, and are knowledgeable in online games; a description that, if not perfectly, somewhat fits me.

My first reply to that was that I regret to tell her na may kontrata na nga ako sa CONVERGYS, at may 4-month-bond agreement ako with them. Pero nagpahiwatig pa rin ako na interesado ako. Then after a night of sleep, naisip ko na pag hindi ko sinunggaban yun, I will regret it for the rest of my life, knowing that drawing and video games are just two of the things I live for, and to be given a chance to have a job related to those will be a big break for me. Kaya nag-email ulit ako kay Ma'am Grace at sinabi ko lahat yun. Then she told me to submit a resume that she will forward to Gameloft. Hindi ko pa siya natatawagan for further instructions, pero I plan to do that tomorrow morning.

Bahala na kung sisiputin ko pa ang training ko sa CONVERGYS. Tutal, the bond will be effective when and only when I start to attend their training.

At sana ay okay naman ang application ko rito sa Gameloft It's a chance I must not waste.


Now on to my problem in KORPHIL.

With KORPHIL being mentioned, it's not that I'm obliged to think of this as a problem, pero may kaklase ako na, sabihin na nating, walang kwentang katrabaho. Nung simula pa lang ng klase namin, I had a gut feeling na sa mukha nitong taong ito, siya ang pinaka-hindi ko makakasundo pagdating sa trabaho. At eventually, tama pala ang first impression ko about him.

Sa pre-production class namin, siya ang most uncooperative sa grupo. Siya rin sa klase ang may little to no output pag pinapagawa ng assignments at research. Nang pinagawa kami ng character designs para sa project namin, wala kaming nakita from him. Wala ngang silbi ang dala niyang notebook at ballpen e. Kung ako ang maghuhusga, sa porma lang talaga siya magaling. Pag may mga group activites kami na kailangan ng participation ng lahat, he seems to be preoccupied in his virtual reality. At kapag napaparinggan naman namin siya dahil doon, sasabihin na lang niya, "oo na, sige na, lagi namang ako e." E kung hindi ba naman siya gago't kalahati, bakit hindi niya tulungan ang sarili niya?

Then natapos kami sa pre-production class and moved on to the production proper; the actual drawing class. Doon na nasukat ang kakayahan at abilidad namin sa pagguhit. Kumbaga, nagkaalaman na. At nagkaalaman na nga.

When we first saw his drawings (we were assigned to draw our original characters), well, actually, we never saw any output from him. Mas inatupag niya ang pagporma, especially sa bago naming kaklase na sa unang tingin pa lang ay malalaman mong isang tomboy (pasintabi po sa LGBT groups out there XD). For some odd reason, tinamaan siya ni Kupido sa kaklase naming yun. Well, walang masama sa ganoon, pero masama iyon kung iyon ang pina-prioritize niya instead of his studies, er, drawing. Para siyang pakong babaon lang pag pinukpok. What's worse, he's a rubber nail, or more of a nail with a spring for its pointed end.

At nung nag-drawing na siya, hindi sa nagmamagaling ako, but based form our production instructor's initial reaction, I think what he saw was not a drawing that you expect from someone who enrolled in an animation class. Compared to mine that was sarcastically called a "piece of shit" by our pre-production instructor, his drawing was more of a lump of shit. Not to mention that he does not practice to hone whatever skill he's got left.

With that assessment, I believe he's definitely not suited for the profession. Hindi lang ako ang nag-iisip ng ganito tungkol sa kanya; may mga kaklase akong sang-ayon sa akin. Heck, even our production instructor thinks so; discrete nga lang siya sa pagpaparinig.

Sinasayang lang niya ang ipinapambayad ng tiyuhin niyang animator sa pagpapaaral sa kanya. Kung hindi nanghihinayang ang tiyuhin niya, puwes, ako ang nanghihinayang. E kung sa akin na lang ibinigay yung perang yun?

Just by the fact that that classmate of ours was "eligible" to enroll in our animation class makes me doubt KORPHIL's objective to produce a workforce for the animation industry. Ang sakin lang kasi, nagkaroon kami ng initial screening noon to test our skills in drawing, pero parang eventually pati yung mga bumagsak sa screening na iyon ay pumasa at nakapag-enroll din e. How then can our very dedicated instructors provide quality education for all of us students kung matutuon lang ang oras nila sa pagpansin at pagpukpok sa mga pakong underachievers?


Anyway, about the piece of shit comment by our pre-production instructor, as much as I want to never mind it, I did. And because of that, I did not draw for almost a month in protest. Dahil din doon nawalan ako ng ganang makinig sa kanya, even though I need to. Anyway, tinanggap ko naman yun for animation's sake, dahil ang drawings ko naman ay more of illustration material than animation material.


Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa. 'Nuff said.

That I would learn to dance WonderGirls' Tell Me. ROFL

Yan na lang muna. Antok nako e. XD