I’m an Editor-in-Chief of a Magazine!

2011 had been a year of many “firsts” for me. Earlier last year, I became a “mama-san” to Miwha and Michiko Haga. I acted in my first indie short film, Emo and had my first legitly viral video, “How To Get a Korean Boyfriend“. Hey, I even tried my hand at business for the first time (check out our products, they’re amazing)!

BUT it did not end there. Guys, I’ve been meaning to share this with you but I couldn’t, not until everything was done and good. I’m excited and quite proud to say that I’m now officially an editor-in-chief of a magazine! Shangri-La Plaza’s One Magazine at that!

Shangri-la Plaza’s One Magazine: 20-Year Special, December 2011 issue! Marina Benipayo and Pauline Prieto on the cover.

You are probably asking why I’m so excited about it (I tend to be excited about a lot of things anyway so you shouldn’t be so surprised)… Other than the fact that it’s my first venture into print, there’s a story behind this “event” that began years ago when I was still in college.

You see, I’ve considered my self an amateur when it comes to writing and I believe I still kind of am. Being surrounded by amazing and award-winning writers in the College of Arts and Letters can make one feel… puny. I tried my luck once and submitted my “poetry” to Dapitan – our college’s yearly compilation of literary pieces and as I expected, it was rejected. I was told to my face that it just… wasn’t good enough. I knew the EIC (who happens to be my barkada) was right and I did not take it against them. If I remember correctly too, I’ve submitted numerous contributions to Inquirer’s Youngblood to no avail.

It made me believe that print was just not for me though I still wanted to write. I needed to write and create things. I had so many stories to share and I wanted to entertain people so I continued to blog (I was already blogging for more than a year at that time) and boy, did I blog a lot, transferring from one url to another. I also started to write for TV and corporate videos and had totally flushed down the toilet my dreams of being published.

And then came this. I was invited by one of my most fave persons in the world, Happee Sy and her hubby, Vernon Go to be the editor-in-chief of One. Though I was hesitant at first since I’m a true-blue production girl, I took the challenge ‘coz I’m a challenger like that! I sure am glad I did! Seriously, many thanks to the both of you for all the opportunities… really appreciate it.

Another job description on my resume… One item off my bucket list~ ^^

Working on One had been an amazing experience and I learned a lot. I also got to meet and work with so many wonderful and talented people in the industry (sorry I can’t list down everyone but thank you thank you thank you). This was truly a team effort and I could never have been more proud of the outcome. More than the writing, I definitely enjoyed doing the the art direction and conceptualization!!!

Fashion editorial: photos by THE Kai Huang. Miss you, dude!

Lesson learned? Never stop doing what you love even if you get repeatedly turned down. Look for other venues. If you can’t beat them, don’t join them. Create your own! Eventually, it will pay off as long as you have the heart… Kring, listen to your self. You need this advice NOW. Hahaha!

Hope you guys enjoy the magazine!

You may get a free copy of One Magazine at Shangri-la Plaza’s Customer Service and the Shangri-la Hotels.

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