On being a Godfather...

At first glance, one would think that I've been watching some Mario Puzo related films - or for that matter, reading his books. Nope... neither is true. What has been happening lately around our family is the fact that Bryce just received his confirmation sometime this early December; with his uncle Dict as 'ninong' (Filipino word for Godfather) , while I'm slated to be a ninong as well for Gabby Suzon - Jogie and Bernadette's first-born. This event is to happen at the 30th of December - just a day before the year's end.

So... in a month's time, I am reminded - thrice about the role of being a Godfather. Why three times? Well... December is traditionally the time for Christmas, and with that celebration comes another seeming tradition of God-parents giving gifts to their God-children. Though this latter is more commercially practiced than religiously considered.

Just two nights ago, while suffering from Christmas-related stomach problems, I had to attend a seminar about baptism - a prerequisite by the church before allowing a child to be baptized in their church. Not a new thing... just happened to attend this talk twice before (in the same church), both as parent to a child to be baptized (first Bryce, then Bernice). Now the shoe's on the other foot. I'm attending as the God-parent.

So what are the responsibilities of a Godparent (to a child)? Let me list them down:

Officially, its 1) to support the child's religious upbringing - specially when, for some reason, the parents cannot fulfil this obligation. This means bringing the child to attend mass regularly 2) making sure that sometime on the child's 7th year, he/she has been scheduled to take first communion 3) by the child's 14th year, confirmation is also scheduled

The rest of the seminar focused on the parents responsibilities, some dos/don'ts regarding the rite of baptism, some learning, some reminders... all lasting for 2 1/2 hours, as handled by a craggy old timer who had the dubious honor of defending the faith against those led astray before getting their kids baptized. It sure was funny and sometimes frustrating, as we listened to his lectures, tirades and glowing assessment of himself, his family and of course the church's practice - but then again, he was just doing he believed in, and I respected him for that. At the end, true to form - he just dismissed everyone like a principal finished with children on probation.

I would have enjoyed the talk, had it been done by someone less craggy, more reasonable and open to discussion - but at the same time, I wondered i this craggy old timer was the epitome of how the church was sometimes seen as. Old, strict, inflexible - on the surface, unwelcome - yet capable of letting people learn important aspects of faith.

Ah well... like I said, I was just glad to get out of there - not just because I was suffering from that stomach problem mentioned earlier - but because I felt that I was not learning anything new... maybe reminded a bit, but nothing new. It certainly did not enlighten me further... and I was more amused with a young couple, civilly married in the U.S., as they were seemingly amused or confused and raising their hands at certain times to question the old codger's logic - to no avail, as he was oblivious of all gestures except his own.

Ah well... the things one has to do for certain favors. This one was one for the books - maybe not the most memorable in terms of worst thing that can happen to you... but it certain deserves a place.

Apparently, one of the responsibilities of a Godfather is to suffer through lectures and tirades of old codgers who sometimes act like they're guardians of prudence against lions hungry to take it away... when in fat, these were parents wanting to bring their children into the world of Christianity. Maybe some of them were doing it on a shallow level - but their hearts, if not their minds, were in the right place.

Times like those, I'd wonder "what would Vito Corleone do?"

Bernice, my little leader

Last Saturday, I had the chance to witness the 'growing up' ceremony of OB Montessori (O.B.M.C. for short) Greenhills, and the reason, of course, was my daughter's part in it.

Just as a backgrounder, the growing up ceremony is done to officially shift the school's cub and star scouts to boy and girl scouts respectively. For the young kids group - to the older kids group. Its supposed to welcome them to greater responsibilities and challenges. So the idea is that they transform from young kids to hopefully more mature kids - somewhere right before their pre-teen phase, these scouts now face more responsibilities, not just as students, but as scouts - and by extension, model citizens.

I could easily relate to all these, since I, myself, was a very active scout during my grade school and high school days - so I know about the symbolisms in the ceremonies and their meanings.

Going back to the ceremony - I knew Bernice had a part to play in the program, namely the demonstration of setting up a tripod (three pieces of wood tied together so they can be used to stand and hang a pot on - usually over fire, for cooking purposes), and that was just about it.

To my surprise, Bernice did not just do that - well, actually it seemed like she was observing and helping in small ways during their demo, but the fact remains that she was there helping, rather than just sitting and waiting with the rest of the student body. But apparently, there were other portions of the program she did not mention to me - and to think that I was contemplating on making her skip the final practice because of my perceived small role she would have in the program - lucky for me... and her, that I did not insist on that action. Let me explain why.

As a patrol leader, she apparently had a lot of additional functions... carrying the patrol flag being just one of them. There was also her participation in the symbolical donning of neckerchiefs from their seniors (I can only surmise that these were select leaders of Boy and Girl Scouts forming the welcoming circle, and donning the neckerchiefs). There was the 'going up the stage to receive the patrol's sashes' while having their parents don their neckerchiefs on them on the stage. All in all, she had several small, but symbolic parts in the program, and I'm sure that when the pictures come out. I'll be buying a lot more than Barbie paid for... including the part where I was helping her don her neckerchief on stage of course.

While all this was happening, I asked Bryce - who was observing all these with me, what was the basis of selecting patrol leaders, and he said that it was either through popularity, or given to the brighter students, or possibly both.

I wonder if he knew that he somehow confirmed to me that Bernice was either of the three. Not that he wouldn't of course, but I can't help but wonder if there was a hint of pride and not envy in what he said... you see, on our way to O.B.M.C. Barbie asked me to talk to him about seemingly avoiding Bernice, or seemingly resenting her for one reason or another.

I may still have to talk to him... but I know that is normal anyway... after all, it can be attributed to sibling rivalries. All we (that is, Barbie and I) need do is show that we love them both regardless of accolades.

For that day, though... Bernice was one of the stars, and I was a glad witness to it... better yet, it was nice to be a part of it.

Whatever we're doing as her - and Bryce's parents, we seem to be doing it right.

My dad's 70th

Last October 11 (2007), my dad got a surprise of his life - a day shy of his 70th birthday, his colleagues and family decided to toss a party for him. To keep him from knowing what their plans were, the conspirators had to work their plans around him - and this kept going on for the better part of a month or two. The fact that they were able to do it is testament to their capabilities - and my dad's non-questioning ways.

I first learned about the party roughly about a month into the preparation, and we (that is, my wife - Barbie, and I) were asked to help make some kind of presentation for said celebration involving our kids - his grandchildren. This naturally included my sister's (Tizza, that is) kids as well... in all, four of them, made of two girls and two boys - Patty - (Tizza's eldest), Migs(Tizza's son), Bryce and Bernice.

Coordination for this was not so easy, since my sister lives in Batangas - a two hours drive outside of Manila on good traffic days, and the only way we could do it was to plan a visit to them over a weekend. Not exactly easy when your work schedule sometimes eats your weekends. But it took just one day to decide and polish their dance number... thanks to Barbie and Tizza's knack for showbiz ideas.

Call it parental pride, but I must say that seeing the kids dance was a great sight, and I was thinking that if I was feeling this way just for starters, I'm sure the audience come party time would, likewise, like what they will see. Kudos, of course has to be given to Tizza and Barbie for coming up with choreography inspired from a Vhong Navarro song. The song, by itself, had funny lyrics - while the dance was cute.

As the day for my Dad's surprise party approached, we had to prepare for Tizza and kids' sleep-over at our place, complicated by the fact that Barbie and I had to still go to work on that day, and further realizing that Bernice also had to attend afternoon practice for her Scouting.

Needless to say, it sometimes seemed more trouble than it was worth - but I can just imagine how the main organizers felt in making sure every detail was happening as planned.

As the day came, arrangements had to be made for Tizza and all the kids to be fetched using my dad's van - as they all could not fit into a car made for five at most - and definitely not designed to ably accommodate three adults, three teens (or near teens) and one kid - not to forget mentioning that Tizza and Patty are not exactly slim, so it would have been a very tight fit for a long drive, had we forced ourselves to use the car.

Besides, I was at work, so the car was not available to bring them for a much needed early dress rehearsal at the Palms, in Alabang. Still, I clocked off 2 hours early to compensate for having to fetch Barbie in her office, and avoiding the rush hour traffic. For those familiar with Metro Manila, I was coming from Gateway mall, in Cubao - rushing to Bicutan, which is all the way in Parañaque for Barbie. Then, we'd be proceeding to the Palms Clubhouse at Alabang. Just thinking about it was worrisome, and I wondered if I had done right by getting off just two hours before the afternoon / evening rush.

It was quite a trip - and I must say that, with exception to a little gridlock near the Alabang exit, I was very lucky for having avoided traffic jams all the way from Gateway to the Palms.

Upon our arrival, we saw the kids, Grace (my dad's wife and one major co-conspirator for this evening's events) and a few of my aunts rehearsing and watching last minute things being set-up.

The first thing I noticed was the presence of so many printed faces of my dad - props to be used upon his entrance, I'm later told, and a big tarpoline backdrop by the stage - which is also set up as an altar (for a thanksgiving mass preceding the party). Arching over the tarpoline is a twisting design of blue and white balloons. While the Palm's ballroom is arranged with round tables; with each table easily accommodating up to 10 people, and I counted at least 20 of these tables, spread out in the room around a wooden parquet, doubling as a dance floor, adjacent to the stage.

As the party's guest of honor arrived, everyone was instructed to stand, cover their faces with all those printed faces of my dad - so as he enters a darkened ballroom, the first sgiht to greet him, would be a surreal sight of many printed faces (all his) staring back at him. See, Grace and comapny executed well - my dad came to the clubhouse prepared for a meeting - hoping to get it over with, and possibly salvage a late movie date with Grace, a party was the last thing in his mind.

As he entered amidst the dim lights and all those 'faces' staring back at him - a video camera was filming and projecting to a wide screen thus showing his reaction, capturing every moment of his initial shock, surprise - and later, wide smile upon seeing all the gathered people to greet him.

The program then went on - with Maricris, his office colleague (and Grace's co-conspirator), playing genial host and calling on each and every presenter, speaker or entertainer.

There were recorded messages from branch offices around the country greeting him, a collage of pictures showing him in different places and ages - I was even surprised to see Barbie and me in at least one... maybe two of said pictures (was I ever that thin?), then the kids did their dance number, and everyone thought it cute - they even had a surprise second number - which I did not know of, so it was a surprise to me too - where they pulled their grandfather to the stage and share a dance with them... which he, gamely, did.

Later, I, together with my younger brother Simon gave a mini speech - citing a few anecdotes in our past, to present our dad, in what was to us, memorable experiences with him - or lessons he taught us... consciously or not. Overall, our dual skit was funny, touching and applauded.

I was the more seasoned speaker - but for this night I made Simon do most of the more poignant stuff. After all, he had lived with dad a whole lot longer... and I was generous in sharing the spotlight. I was, also, earlier exposed to speaking that same night when I read mass' first reading and led in the responsorial psalm.

The food was aplenty - the kids enjoyed, and I got to rub elbows with a few long time relatives that I have not seen for a long time. Its nice to have these reunions - more so when the celebrations are for happy occasions. Dad definitely enjoyed - and we enjoyed entertaining him for one night. He was finally allowed to speak, and he thanked everyone profusely. He also wondered how this happened without his discovering it - and he normally prides himself at discovering things... making him joke in a self-depreciating manner that he must be inept for not discovering the plot.

Overall, he did say that waiting until his 70th brithday for such a night to happen, was worth it. At his current state of health, he may easily live to reach 80 too.

Simon mentioned as part of our speech, that the reason he was seemingly strong was due to his humor and outlook in life. I'll have to agree... the old man can still beat me in badminton.

He's had a great life - despite its challenges. Surviving a collapsed lung early in life - beating intestinal cancer around his sixth decade, and he certainly continues to enjoy life and people... his co-workers really love and respect him... I'd say that he certainly is doing many things right. I might venture to say that good Karma is rewarding him.

There were many times I tried to be different from him - yet there were also many lessons I learned from him. That particular night, I was glad to see so many people loving him. I don't expect a similar celebration in my future... though I surely would like one - I would lie if I said otherwise.

That particular night, I'm sure dad felt well loved by many - and who wouldn't want to feel that? Great celebration - congratulations to the planners... and I'm glad to have been part of it - even in a small way.

Why prevention is cheaper than cure...

With a title like that, I could really go into many profound discussions regarding quality processes and how they - in the long run, help the organization save money by way of less head-aches, less meaningless changes, less reworks and yes... maybe even less loss of skills when one of their staffs suddenly leave for greener pastures. Lord knows I've seen a lot of situations, and heard a lot fo stories to talk for an entire day about this - and in my job, I actually do talk about these things.

I can even equate this title with other things - like taking the extra money to get better, sturdier containers to preserve my comic collections. You see, I used to think that the old board-type boxes were fine - that was until they got hit with flood water and termites. Yup, a very expensive lesson for me, considering that some of those comics were pricey collectibles.

Now I use plastic containers to store my collection - no worry about water, no worry about termites, and they are a whole lot sturdier too. they just cost 5x more than those boxes - but can store about twice (or thrice) as much comics per container. Good thing too, since termites seem to be less worry these days than mice (or even rats).

But what I really am here to convey is the need to watch one's own health.

Yeah, I've been bothered by the cough lately - seems not a year goes by without my getting it. Chalk it up to weather change, home and office environs, my lack of exercise and therefore a weaker stamina, my not taking my vitamins... either way, I just spent a great load of cash for medicines, and boy is it costly... specially the antibiotics.

But... pricey as they may be, it will definitely still be cheaper to follow the doctor's prescription than paying the bill for getting hospitalized - much cheaper. So I grit my teeth, bear the cost and hope for the best.

Maybe I'll start being more health-conscious too, though in some ways, I do watch what I eat, and try to catch as much sleep as I can. I just hope that my living relatively clean (I'm only a rare occasions drinker, and not a smoker) helps contribute to my prolonged health - and life.

Damn... I do hate this cough... but I guess it puts into perspective my negligence to keeping healthy, so that'll have to be the silver lining in this situation. My cough, is my body's way of reminding me that I need to slow down, or rest. I'm inclined to listen, too.

Personality test

Here's some results of a quick personality test I took just recently:

Global Personality Test Results:

Stability (76%) - high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.

Orderliness (70%) - high which suggests you are overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense too often of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.

Extraversion (53%) - medium which suggests you average somewhere in between being assertive and social and being withdrawn and solitary.

http://similarminds.com

What struck me immediately was the statement on my being too overly organized. I guess its an offshoot of my current work and family life, but I do feel regimented in what I have to do and can do, leaving little room for any 'want to do's'. Not to mean I find my life less fulfilling because of it, but I sometimes feel that I'm not enjoying it enough - or maximizing the experience enough.

I need more fun... but how to do this with out having less sleep? I mean, my work eats up a great chunk of my everyday life - I find little time during weekdays to be with my kids, and when I do have that time, it covers most of the weekened. So there goes time for me to meet up with friends and other people I've not met or seen for a long while.

Whatever happened to the fun me?

Not to panic though, I've got some fun scheduled later - a high school batch reunion later tonight. So I guess I can find some time - it just has to be scheduled. But, I guess I do miss some sponteneity as well. Maybe its time to take a break... but if I do, how will I take a break by Christmas time?

Herein lies the dillema. I'm in a work environment that demands my time, and seemingly gives little back for me to enjoy myself and my life. I need more, if I'm thinking of keeping myself chained to this time-bound scenario.

To Coach... or not to Coach..?

That is the question.

I have, of late, found myself being approached by friends and relations asking to talk to me, perhaps listen to their situations and possibly give them cusps of wisdom... perhaps even an answer to their obvious dilemma.

In reality, I may have certain opinions - and they may... or may not matter, but for some, I guess, they get to see so many things in what I do or say that tends to help them - and I am happy to help... no doubt about that. I just wish I too saw what they saw... and maybe package it - but if I do, I might lose the 'stuff' that makes it what it is... whatever 'it' is. Get it?

However, I just don't talk ahead of myself or others. I do listen, and ask clarifying questions, and I guess this helps them realize things, focus on a different dimension or outlook and then come up with a more balanced decision. I guess, this is where I help out.

Listening is, after all, a skill that surprisingly not everyone is good at - coupled with my asking clarrificatory questions and my penchant for digging-in... then making suggestions - who'd think that this was actually what comes across to some as coaching? I mean, huh? What I knew about coaching was what I normally saw in sports events - you know, the old geezer normally hanging around some young athletes, once in a while yelling at them to do better while in the middle of the game... and possibly yelling some more when the game's end is not in their favor.

Sorry if that was not a fair assumption, but it was what I saw... and understood. Goes to show what I knew about sports.

Anyway, assuming I did coach others by way of doing the thing I was doing... well, then I can definitely be a coach. I just didn't expect to be using the skills - though I have of late taught the concepts of coaching.

Practicing what I preach? Glad I found out about it too - and I am, likewise, humbled by the fact that people do approach me for help... and for some coaching.

But I still have half a mind to try to package the damn thing, and see it it can help me get rich quick. I mean, helping others is great - I just wish I helped myself more often too.

Do you have an Internet identity?

One weekend, my wife informed me of her attempt to 'Google' her name - only to find out that she discovered another person with a similar name. What's worse, her namesake had a police record somewhere in the U.S. (the Google search engine did search globally). Aside from that, zip... nada... nothing else follows.

Feeling a slight sense of frustration, she then did the same action, this time, to my name, and discovered that I did indeed have some mentionable comments in the internet - though not in a notorious vein.

Mildly surprised, and now curious, after having my wife tell me this, I did the same search - just to see what she meant, and likewise see what she saw. It was then and there that I; long time user of the PC, and advocate for the internet and its access to free information, realized that I actually had an Internet identity... something that I never came around to consciously building.

More so, this particular internet identity is not, at all, my doing... as other individuals whom I've come to have met and got acquainted with would, perhaps, have mention me in passing - either through a blog or an article they'd have written, and, thus added individually (but not consciously in any collective way) to the picture of just who 'Butch Syyap' is. Great huh? All these people unconsciously forming a picture or profile of someone.

Now, before I go any further, let me also say that I'm no slouch in being an active participant to the internet-backed virtual forums. I happen to be a 'vocal' member in avengersforever.org, a comic fan's forum. Then there's the five email addresses I maintain - of which four are personal, while one is officially business-centric, a Friendster account, plus another from Gmail, - and all this can be seen as resulting into my having a decently enough established identity in the 'net'. Guess those social networks I've joined were good for something.

Now, you see, these are all actions controllable by 'moi' so any accolades written there may not necessarily present itself in an 'unbiased' manner. After all, even if I mention all the superlatives to myself here, who'd believe it? Unless, of course, there were proof alongside such superlatives.

On the other hand - a Google search cares not for what has been written about someone, nor by whom - it covers all angles in its search... so long as it can associate your name with (or to) something. Its unbiased, and the other articles it may dig up in its search could be describing an entirely different person - and sometimes, specially if you, or your name, happens not to be as unique as you'd like to think you are, then it could be a different person. But what if its not? What if you are mentioned in a very different light? What would have to be done? Lucky for me, this was not the case.

It was definitely a surprise to see some articles - seemingly written 'ages' ago - yet still timely after all these years - and to help further mold my internet image, by populating my three blogs with past articles that I have written in several newsletters... at some latter date, that is. It definitely should help boost my Internet identity.

Here's a brief rundown of things my name search had turned up:

Avengers Forever articles - I had contributed to more than a dozen write-ups. Basically talking about Marvel heroes, and analyzing their heroic lives, I've also commented on, or analyzed key comic events happening in their universe.

AEGIS Campfire tales - a Role Playing Gamer's site, specifically built to share memorable and enjoyable feats in the world of dice thrown, paper-based games - all this while imagining a different world, and how one's character would interact in such world.

I Saw, I Speech, I Conquered - a blog by an aspiring (as of this writing anyway) Toastmaster, who then collects his speeches and relates how he prepared for each project; what feedback was given him; and what he felt about these feedback

Toasthost.org - lists out all the Toastmasters International, District (Philippines) membership - and I happen to be listed in this database.

Other than those listed above, the rest of the entries I see are no longer associated with me... so, aside from this, I, likewise, have two or three major sites to my credit - yet, since they do not mention my name, they are thus not recognized, hence, not included.

What, exactly, does this Google-search show me at a glace? What would someone's first impression of me be?

I can pass as an Analytical Writer..., I am a Toastmaster and I have been part of at least one Role Playing Game group at one time or another.

Is this good, or bad? I'd have to go with 'good' since there is an absence of anything bad associated in the list.

So... there it is. I've an internet identity.

Cool!

In an ever growing world that is the internet, this simple Google search proved I exist... and this process may, at some time in the future, be a record for historians to note; or for sociologists to analyze.

This internet identity can be a glimpse into the person I am, and can likewise be a link to who I might have influenced or left an impact with; who I strove to help or coached to help themselves.

In a weird sense - I see this internet identity as part of my legacy - and now that I'm more aware of it, I'll likewise strive to make sure it stays great. How so? Two ways... (and this is, by the way how a person with a not so negative identity can turn things around)

1) contribute more write-ups, and/or...
2) positively influence others - so should they blog about said experience that they had shared with, or listened to (talks I've given), it will come across as valuable lessons or techniques they felt worth writing or commenting about.

I dodged a bullet...

Before we go any further... no, I have no aspirations to let others think of me as Superman (who need not dodge such a bullet, by the way), or Batman (who has a bullet-proof vest), or Captain America (with his shield) - I don't even think I'm Neo (who can dodge such bullets in slow motion) - what I'm saying is that 'dodging a bullet' be taken as an expression to mean I avoided an otherwise possible life-threatening situation.

What am I alluding to? Simple... Last New Years' I had the unfortunate experience to suffer a sudden case of L.B.M. (for those not familiar with the acronym's use, I'm sorry - but I shall not spell it out), after which, the exact opposite happened - for the next three days, I could not even break wind.

Now this was obviously an unpleasant experience for me, and in the process, I had not even been able to enjoy a brother-in-law's birthday celebration last January 3. To add to this predicament, I had an aching back. These were similar signs/symptoms to what my father-in-law experienced prior to his having to undergo an operation for colon cancer. So you could say that I was definitely worried about the same thing happening to me.

Needless to say, I scheduled a check-up with a doctor for my problems. After one consultation, the doctor recommended I have a colonoscopy - a process where the doctor sticks a tube (with a monitor) up one's rear-end and checks if there are any problems with the intestine...possibly some blockage.

The process is relatively painless - but that is because the patient will undergo said colonoscopy with the benefit of being under anesthesia - in other words, they'd be zonked out... which is literally what happened to me... zonked out, and I must say it was a wonderful dreamless state.

So here's my experience... one moment I'm being wheeled into the prep room and they pump water into the rear - to clean up the intestines - next, I'm already in the operating room where the procedure is to be done, and the anesthesiologist gives the anesthesia to me - all while the doctors talking about trivial matters... I'm told to count up to 20, and I can't recall up to when I counted, because the next thing I knew, I woke up in the recovery room - the process done.

So what was said bullet that I dodged? Apparently, the doctors found a single polyp in my intestine - this polyp happens to be the early stage of a possible cancer - you could call it a cancer-in-the-making; one that is still in its incubation period. This polyp, had it not been detected and removed, could eventually turn into a tumor - say after three to five years, and then become a full-blown cancer.

My father, sometime during his mid-50s also encountered this cancer and had to undergo a long arduous process of therapy and cobalt treatment... same holds true for my father-in-law right now. Both processes - as per their experience, was traumatic and expensive. My dad's fully recovered, while my father-in-law is still undergoing preventive maintenance, not to mention his having a bag attached to his side, where his waste materials go out.

Bottom line, I was able to nip the cancer in the bud with the process of undergoing a colonoscopy, and the polyp taken? No worries, as it was benign. Had I not, however, undergone this process, I would probably have suffered a similar cancer five to seven years down the road. I might have suffered having to undergo an operation, and having parts of my intestine removed; going through months of cobalt treatment, and years of preventive maintenance... not to forget the cost of the entire thing, which could easily reach up to the hundreds of thousands... if not millions.

So yeah... I dodged that bullet. Thank you, God... and to the wonders of today's medical science. Some people balk at the thought of having a colonoscopy - heck, I was worried when I thought about having to undergo it, but I guess it was more a fear for the unknown (both about process and possible outcome) - but it shouldn't be something to avoid.

My friend, Gerry, says that he wouldn't do such a thing - if its your time, its your time. I disagree. If I can have more time, by way of doing preventive maintenance, then why lessen your potential life span? Why not guarantee a long and healthy life? If such can be had? Wouldn't it be folly not to take advantage of what science and technology has to offer?

Star Trek - what's so good about it?

In the '60s, a TV series called Star Trek debuted. Like many TV shows, it presented a colorful cast in terms of costumes and relatively sparse studio backdrops - the first aspect was to take advantage of color which was now visible with colored television (as opposed to the mundane grays of black and white TV), the latter aspect was for budget purposes of course - unlike movies, TV shows had to stretch their budgets. Hence the near spartan-like sets, and if some could be reused for future shows, well even better.

But that was as far as similarities would go... the rest would be uniquely Star Trek.

The premise: In the 23rd Century, humanity has reached the stars - in fact, they travel amongst the stars using Space ships - in this case, mostly having a saucer shaped front section connected to a cylindrical body, which then connected to twin aft thrusters. The crew would be mostly human - but of international in aspect... we'd have a Scotsman, an Asian, another person of African-descent, two Americans, a Russian and last but not the least - an Alien.

This presented two important premises as of its time - peace amongst the nations, as evident by these people working in harmony with each other and the concept of tolerance/exploration with whatever situations they would encounter. The series did not handle things with the usual shoot first and sort things out later - rather, it presented a view of reasoning, use of logic and the understanding through, need for and respect of diversity... in short, it was a thinking person's show.

It also, as an offshoot of its limitations, explained a few gadgets to make things easier - take for example a device called the universal translator, which allowed for everyone to understand each other, and communicate. Then there's the replicator - where food and other items were, well... copied as good as the original (and Xerox still had to shoe its face - not to mention the concept of cloning), but this allowed people to get what they need and not have to wary about scarcity. Of course the need for transport from ship to planet was answered by transporters.

Some of today's inventions are gearing towards trying to copy what Star Trek has introduced. Of course, it may be some decades in coming (and that's being an optimist) before we can fully appreciate similar devices. But we are getting there... thanks to a multitude of fans wishing to make real, what was imagined for the show.

I mention the fans... actually, Star Trek can easily be considered a culture by many - and the fans are legion indeed. The franchise (business parlance, I know) has birthed an animated TV series, four newer TV series, books, comic books, an exhibit, at least 10 movies and many souvenir items.

Am I a fan? Yes... though possibly not as rabid as others, and when i say this, I mean that I'm relatively familiar with the show, the imaginary universe it revolves around and of course some terms that have been created with the show's universe in mind. I know a lot of trivia, own a sizable collection of TV episodes, which I get to watch when I find the mood - and yes, I even have a Tribble (fans would know of what I'm talking about).

I don't have a Starfleet uniform though, nor do I have models of the ships. I don't speak Klingon (though I have a dictionary of its terms), and I may understand and remember certain episodes - though not to the extent that I could quote certain personalities verbatim. I am thankful for the actors' contributions to the universe, but I don't stalk them, nor do I try to find out every tiny tidbit about them. Oh yeah, I do the 'V' sign with my fingers and can recite the greeting "Live Long and Prosper".

I am a huge fan of the lessons it teaches - IDIC (i.e. Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations) is a prime example for pluralism and the embrace of diversity... the Prime Directive, which states the need for non-interference of a lesser advanced society for fear of accidentally destroying their unique culture... and of letting them grow naturally, of letting them go at things in a natural state - rather than jump starting them into something they may not be ready for. The use of reasoning - first and foremost, and lastly... the need for exploration, for discovery.

In the last company I came from - the group I happened to be working with happened to be Star Trek fans, and we would enjoy our discussions - back then, we would be watching episodes of Voyager, then come the next working day, we'd discuss what we watched. I can honestly say that this act built camaraderie amongst us. This extended itself to our watching Enterprise, though more likely - via CDs burned with episodes.

I still enjoy reading books about Star Trek... in fact, right now, I'm enjoying a book that further follows the adventures of one of the show's characters. I also hope that soon, we - the fans, will be treated to a new movie, or even better - a new TV series that could expand the already large universe.