Adventures of Jin & Friends

Hi there! I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t go quite as you had hoped. :(

Perhaps they didn’t fully understand how important it was to you, for them to bail on you like that? If that had happened to me, I would have first talked to my friends. I’d say something like, “Hey guys, I’m not sure if you know but this means a lot to me. I spent a lot of effort to prepare for this, and I’d just really appreciate it if you could join me for this con because I think it would be more fun with you. :)” Just express it in a way that’s not too pushy or in a manner that would guilt them into doing it. They’re your friends after all, and it’s natural that you would like to share the experience with them.

But apart from that, a part of friendship is being able to talk to each other about stuff like that openly. If your friends have done something to upset you or make you sad, you have to let them know so you can work on it. Otherwise these little things will keep piling up and it’ll blow up on someone’s face one day. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it when you’re able to push through.

If it was unavoidable for them to miss it though (due to higher priority commitments like family or school or work) then I’d have done my best to enjoy it by myself. Last January I attended James Jean’s artist talk by myself because my friends were at work or school or out of the country. I didn’t want to miss out on something I was looking forward to just because nobody could accompany me. I ended up chatting and sketching with people there and making new friends and having an excellent time.

I can be incredibly shy sometimes (and perhaps socially awkward) but if I could do that, I’m sure you can too. :)

Hi, Rachel! Thank you for the kind words. You are so sweet. And now I must apologize for to answer your question I shall link a video that might persuade you to lose your respect for me. Hahaha!

Here is a video of me and my friends in a karaoke room. Our voices get mixed together at times but at 0:57 it’s kind of hard to miss me.

For some of you guys, this may be your first time hearing my voice. I’m sorry it had to be like this. Hahaha!

One that always gets to me is Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy. That’s where I got the username behindinfinity. If you’d like to read my post about that, it’s over HERE.

I’m not exactly Christian and even if there are religious tones in the lyrics, I appreciate the bigger picture painted by the song. It’s basically a song about life — our changing perspectives as we live and learn, the struggles we face, and finding strength in the darkest times. It’s a beautiful, meaningful song and the progression towards the end always lifts my spirits.

A song I found comforting was All Is Full of Love by Björk, though I had for sentimental reasons grown fond of the cover performed by Death Cab for Cutie.

You’ll be given love
You’ll be taken care of
You’ll be given love
You have to trust it

Maybe not from the sources
You have poured yours
Maybe not from the directions
You are staring at

The lyrics are concise and the melody is pretty simple, but I think that’s part of the reason it made such an impact on me. It almost feels like a mantra I’m whispering to myself, echoing inside my own head. (This sounds a little creepy and maybe I am a little bit creepy.)

I think something a lot of people deal with is feeling overlooked or taken for granted, or living with the weight of unrequited love. This song is a reminder that even when things don’t work out the way we had hoped, good things can still come from where they are least expected.

Those two songs I’ve mentioned are pretty serious, so I feel like throwing in something fun. This is a song that makes me think about my friends — We Are Golden by MIKA.

(Although it is in a non-vulgar way, Mika dances around in tiny white shorts in this video so I thought I’d give a fair warning just in case you’re at school or work or something, hahah)

It’s a song that touches on self-discovery as we grow up, along with the some of the stuff that comes with it: being misunderstood, feeling confused, doing things others might consider crazy. However, there seems to be a sense of fun and a healthy dose of reckless abandon that makes me feel that no matter what others might think of us, as long as we are happy and being true to who we are, we are golden. :)

Hi there. I hope you were able to read this post.

That aside, I do hope you know it’s normal for absolutely anyone to get depressed. I do know what it feels like to be in that place. And I know it’s easier said than done but you really just need to hang on.

I’m not sure how you got to where you are, but I hope it helps to say that we’re all bound to make mistakes. If you made one, own up to it. If other people wronged you, do something about it. The things is, we also have the power to make things better for ourselves. Learn from the bad things that happen. Make it so you can look back at what you did wrong and be thankful that it led you to something good.

Go outside and spend time with people. It can be pretty destructive to hole yourself up and wallow in negative emotions. Talk to your friends. They won’t judge you and will be happy to be there for you if they understand friendship.

There are also things you can do alone. I found a lot of solace in music. Sometimes it just helps to hear what you feel in your heart being sung by someone else so you feel a little less alone. Songs that immediately come to mind are by My Chemical Romance. (I’m so predictable.)

You can try starting with Famous Last Words

I find this part particularly cathartic:

Is it hard understanding

I’m incomplete

A love that’s so demanding

I get weak

And the chorus is extremely empowering:

I am not afraid to keep on living

I am not afraid to walk this world alone 

Honey if you stay, I’ll be forgiven

Nothing you can say can stop me going home

You can follow that up with Welcome To The Black Parade

My anthem:

On and on we carry through the fears

Disappointed faces of your peers

Take a look at me, ‘cause I could not care at all

Do or die, you’ll never make me

Because the world will never take my heart

Go and try, you’ll never break me

We want it all, we wanna play this part

I won’t explain or say I’m sorry

I’m unashamed, I’m gonna show my scar

Give a cheer for all the broken

Listen here, because it’s who we are

I‘m just a man, I’m not a hero

Just a boy, who had to sing this song

I’m just a man, I’m not a hero

I. DON’T. CARE.

We’ll carry on!

And when you feel stronger, SING

Sing it out, boy, you got to see what tomorrow brings

Sing it out, girl, you got to be what tomorrow needs

For every time that they want to count you out

Use your voice, every single time you open up your mouth

Sing it for the boys,

Sing it for the girls

Every time that you lose it, sing it for the world

Sing it from the heart

Sing it till you’re nuts

Sing it out for the ones that’ll hate your guts

Sing it for the deaf

Sing it for the blind

Sing about everyone that you left behind

Sing it for the world

Sing it for the world

The world can be such a crazy ugly place, and if we were to spend all our time thinking about all the bad stuff in it, we’d all be pretty nucking futs.

You need to focus on the things you have to be thankful for. Start small. I used to find comfort even in trivial things like finding a simple chocolate cake that tasted just like I wished it would. The nice feeling of a cool breeze on a hot day. Sometimes I would go for a walk at sunrise and just taking in how beautiful the world looks bathed in morning light.

These little things will add up and get you through, and hopefully soon you’ll find yourself much happier than you thought you could ever be. :)

One that I had a great impact on me was that of Salvador Dalí. I picked up his autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí. His thoughts and writing at times are as otherworldly as his paintings. Yet somehow my mind felt at home exploring his.

Hello! Here are some things you can ask yourself:

1. Do you have a dream job? Your choice should be one that would lead you to the path of your ideal career.

2. Is there something you’re considered particularly skilled at? Maybe you can consider something related to that so that you can utilize your strengths.

3. What are you passionate about? Is there something that excites you so much you’d put off sleeping because you were researching about it just for fun? Is there an area of interest that you know an inordinate amount of trivia about?

(Related to No. 3 — I know it’s fun to stay up and look at random things on Tumblr but I must stress on how important it is for us to also take some time to immerse ourselves on substantial, relevant things that will be beneficial to us in the future. Teach yourself some skills. Read about the history behind your interests. Learn the biographies of people you look up to. It can really shape the outcome of our own work.)

You absolutely should take up what you want! Your decision will determine the place where you will be pouring your efforts for the next four years or so, and will affect the people you meet and the kind of work you will get into later on. So it ought to be for a course you would be willing to give your whole heart to.

You don’t know yet if your parents won’t be supportive. As early as now, it would be nice if you could talk to them about it.

At first, my parents were against me taking an art course. They were just trying to be practical, and doing their best to look out for me based on what they knew. But I fought for what I wanted. Eventually, I proved to them that they didn’t need to worry about me. I managed this by working hard and doing well, and so I earned their support. (And now sometimes they act so proud of me that I get embarrassed. Hahah)

If they have doubts about what you have in mind, you can discuss them as early as now. Maybe they can get you into some training programs or internships so you can be better prepared and get a feel of that field of work. Find opportunities to prove to them that you can do it.

Sorry if some parts of this are kind of vague! I’m not sure what course you’re considering so I’m unable to be more specific. I hope this helps you, and any others who might be struggling with the same problem!

A little something to remember: It’s okay to switch to a different course if you realize what you really want while you’re already in college. Some people even end up taking a second degree. It’s normal and completely okay. :)

There are a lot of people I look up to in terms of craftsmanship.

One of them is Obi Gibson (from Japan), whose Metal Gear cosplays blow my mind, put the goo in a blender, and serve it over a nice salad.

Another is Harrison of Volpin Props (USA), who does stuff like this fantastic Daft Punk helmet in the course of 17 months. I have no words. Just look.

There are many awesome costumers also here in the Philippines whose work and dedication inspire me to challenge myself more.

Donrobert Torio and Izabel Cortez

angstnomiko and eva-guy01 who are part of Cosplay.ph, the people who have from the very start been giving cosplayers fun events to attend and helping the community grow.

Zhel Guiral and AC Hernandez (as I had written about here)

But the people who really keep me cosplaying are my friends.

Regardless of how our cosplays turn out, what I really look forward to is the time we spend hanging out and helping each other with our costumes, and the great time we always have during cons or shoots. :)

Hi there!

Aww, it’s alright! I do what I can to try to help people so messages like yours are very welcome.

That’s something I can definitely relate to. When I first got to college, I was the same way. All my life I had been in one school. All my friends were there, and we all got split up after graduation. I didn’t see myself as optimistic or confident or emotionally strong. I was sure I would crack. At first, I certainly wasn’t always among the cheeriest people around, hahah. /angsty little emo kid

At the time I was feeling down, I’d write down my negative feelings (no matter how emo or stupid or silly it sounded) just to get them out, and afterwards tear up the paper and soak it in water to turn it to mush and throw it as far as I could. Somehow, it made me feel better. It’s terrible to keep bad emotions bottled up. I also learned to enjoy alone time, like by taking solitary walks around the campus while listening to music. I’d also take pictures of little things I saw along the way that I appreciated.

I guess what worked for me was purging the bad stuff out, and learning to shift your focus on the good things, bit by bit.

Eventually, I met people who connected with me even more than some of my friends from high school. (Only two people from Tux Team were my friends from my old school.) Some of my new friends, I wouldn’t have expected to become close with based on my impressions from the first days of class. You really just have to take a risk  and give people a chance, and not be afraid to get out there and be yourself. Don’t ever shut yourself out.

Back then, I envied my friends who were able to stay together over college. But if I hadn’t been separated and met new people, I may never have gotten into photography or cosplay or blogging. That would have been a huge chunk missing from my life, and I wouldn’t be writing back to you now.

I used to think that nothing would be as good as the way they used to be. But things got better, and at one point I found myself happier than I had ever imagined I could be. Keep your head up. Things will get better! You’ll surprise yourself. :)

Lastly, here’s a video I’ve linked before but always enjoy sharing:

Hope this helps <3

I’m really not sure! While I will always be partial to cosplaying with my own friends (for the simple reason that they are my friends and I love them hahah), I did meet some good people in the past by being invited to shoots.

But apart from first getting to know the other people involved, I also need to at least try to familiarize myself with the suggested character by watching/reading the series before making a decision.

I’m a little curious as to who that character is. It’s always kind of fascinating to hear what sort of characters other people associate me with.