July 4, 2015 Meeting

July 4, 2015. It was Saturday, we had a meeting with our facilitator, Mr. Randy S. Gamboa. Actually is was not originally intended to meet that day. If my memory serves me well, we were supposedly to meet him on June 24, 2015, Wednesday or June 26, 2015, Friday to pass our hardcopy of the innovations we made on four various establishments like hotel, shopping mall, fast food chain, and school or university. But, after we have waited for our schedule to start, the other students told us that we were not going to have a class, but instead, we will be having a class on the next Saturday, which is July 4, 2015. We wanted to clarify things and confirm it, so we waited a little longer in the IC LAB 2, for confirmation. Mr. Gamboa went inside and did a little orientation that we will have a class on July 4, 2015, and he told us the possible activities. So, it was confirmed that we will not going to have a class at time. So, we have a week to prepare since, Mr. Randy S. Gamboa posted on our facebook group that we are going to do a pitch on Saturday. I was worried about the pitching. I was confused about what are we going to pitch. Is it the innovations on four establishments? Or is it the main idea you are going to propose to Mr. Gamboa. On June 30, 2014, Tuesday. Sharlyn posted on our FB Group saying that Mr. Gamboa would like to meet us on July 4, 2015 at 7am, and July 6, 2015 at 8am. Some of our classmates panicked because they have a Physics class on July 4 which is also 7am. It is because Mr. Gamboa previously said that the July 4 class will be 9am to 1pm. And I or should I say “we” also, said that we have class and a quiz in Programming 3 on July 6 at 7am. What happened was, Sharlyn posted again on the FB Group and said that to those who have classes on those days should attend the Techno class if possible. So, the day was July 4, 2015, it was 2am at that time. I was still wake due to the reason that I was bothered about the pitching. I kept on chatting my classmates and ask them what we are going to pitch. But unfortunately, they were all clueless. I slept for only a few hours and woke up early to prepare for the day. I went to school very early. I was the first one of the class to arrive. It was too early, the cleaners are still cleaning the IC LAB 2. Moments later, my classmates are slowly arriving one by one. It was almost 7am, but the cleaners are not done yet. It was 7:10 when we finally entered the IC LAB 2. We waited for a couple of minutes for Mr. Gamboa to arrive. Minutes later, Mr. Gamboa finally arrived. His arrival was a sign that things were going to get serious. He stood in front of us and set up his tiny speaker and microphone which facilitators, and teachers usually use. After setting up, he began to speak. He greeted us. I was so nervous that he will going to start the morning calling random names to stand in the front and pitch. But, it went on a different way that I had expected. And this was one of my favorite part of that day. Mr. Gamboa told us that we are going to have a quiz. And he said that, we should do our best to pass this quiz because it will be our FIRST and our LAST quiz. I was so shocked about that. I was worried that I might fail the quiz. He added that the quiz is worth of a thousand points. 1000 points. All of the class were shocked upon hearing that. Now, I am so worried, and scared a little bit that I might screw up. Now, Mr. Gamboa poured a lot of task on us. First, he tasked us to grab a 1 whole yellow paper. And I was like, “DAMN!” upon realizing that I do not have a yellow paper. And the funny thing is that, I am not the only one who had yellow paper. Majority of the class had no yellowpaper. So we quick turned on our sides facing our class who had a yellow paper to ask them for a 1 whole sheet. But, Mr. Gamboa quickly slammed us down when he said that those student who had a yellow paper are not allowed to give those who does not have a yellow paper. So, we were like “Oh no! We are f*cked up.” My mind was racing, I was thinking that we will be punished. Then, Mr. Gamboa said that, in order for us to acquire a sheet of yellow paper, we have to buy them from our classmates for a price of 20 pesos each. Then, we were like “DAAAMN! 20 pesos each? Well, forget it! I need to do this!”. We were forced to buy from our classmates a single sheet and handed them 20 pesos, but upon handing the money, I whispered that “Please return to me my money after the class.”. Actually, I was not the only one who said that. I mean, come on? Are you really to give up your twenty pesos for just a single sheet of paper? So, we were being at time. Tricking Mr. Gamboa that we actually bought those papers, and actually it was an act, where our money will be returned in the end. There are lots of my classmates who gained money from selling those yellow papers. Some of them even got a hundred and plus, some of them got 60 and plus. Then, Mr. Gamboa said that this is a Technopreneurship subject. We are taught how to make money. And what happened was just an example of making money. I was like, “Well, that was an impressive technique of making money.”. After that, the second task was to grab a black ball pen, no blue ball pens allowed, only black ball pens. Luckily, I did not have to worry at that time, because I have a black ball pen. I love black ink that is why black ball pen is always my choice. After Mr. Gamboa said that, I saw my classmates’ faces. Some of them were shocked. It was like they were doomed. I get it that they do not have a black ball pen. I grinned as I saw the opportunity to take revenge. I grabbed my ball pens in my bag. I have lots of black ball pens in my bag. I have 5 of them. I raised them and said “For Sale: Black Ball Pens”. Mr. Gamboa said that if you want to acquire a black ball pen, you should buy it from your classmate. And what shocked them more is that they should by it for the price 50 pesos for each ball pen. I was laughing so hard! I was like, “YEAH! VENGEANCE IS MINE!”. My classmates were forced to buy my ball pens for 50 pesos each. I laughed so hard while we are trading stuffs. I sold 4 ball pens out of 5. I made two hundred pesos out from my ball pens. It was so epic. Supply and Demand. That was it. So, after that, Mr. Gamboa gave us the instructions. He told us to listen VERY carefully. And when he said that, I noticed something. I noticed that Mr. Gamboa was plotting a scheme. I was very careful at the time in case that there will be a sudden turn of events. The first thing that Mr. Gamboa assigned to us is to write our name. My classmates quickly wrote their names of the paper, but I decided not to do it. After a split second, Mr. Gamboa said “with your last name first”. So basically what he meant was to write your name with your last name first. A lot of my classmates failed. So, obviously they need to buy a new yellow paper again. Money! Money was flowing again. After they got a new sheet of yellow paper, some of them wrote their names with their last names first. BUT! Mr. Gamboa said that it should be written on the bottom left of the paper. I laughed, as they failed again. So, they bought a new sheet, AGAIN. After that, they wrote it again on the bottom left. Then, Mr. Gamboa said that write a comma on the top center of the paper. I realized or we realized that we will be writing our last name first, and then comma, then first name separately. So, my classmates bought a new sheet of paper again cause what they did was to write their full name on the bottom left. After all that time, I was still not wrote anything. I wrote what Mr. Gamboa instructed on my left palm as a guide. After that, he said to write our first names on the bottom right. Fortunately, that was the last of it. I started to write it. I was error free.

Now comes the second part of the quiz. Mr. Gamboa tasked us to draw nine circles, where there three circles are placed horizontally on each part, the top part, middle part, and the bottom. If you are having a problem to imagine it, try to imagine a 3 by 3 tic - tac - toe board. Alright? Got it? And Mr. Gamboa wanted us to connect all the nine circles using only four strokes without lifting the pen up. My classmates and I were struggling to member the solution of it. We knew the solution for a long time. Why? Because when we were still on our second year of third year, I guess. We had our senior friends who took the subject Technopreneurship 1. And every time we hang out, we talk about how was our subjects. We share about it. Then they shared about their Technopreneurship 1 subject. They told us how hard it was because of the reflection that they need to do which goes up to 5000 to 15000 words. They kept on telling us about it as if it was a warning or a heads up for us if ever we are going to enroll on that subject. They even told us that we should act professional whenever Mr. Gamboa is around and try not to break school rules or do any stupid things that would him for punishing you with a reflection that is worth thousands and thousands of words. Then, there was a time where we asked them how was their techno subject. They told us that they were challenged. We asked them why. They told us that Mr. Gamboa tasked them to connect the nine circles using only four strokes and without lifting the pen. Yeah, it was the same task the Mr. Gamboa gave to us. They challenged us to do it. We were so curious to find out and gave it a shot just in case the time will come that we are going to do it in actual. We tried so many times. We were thinking as hard as we can. We combined our brains’ forces to solve it, but we failed. Then, they showed us the answer to that challenge. The answer to that challenge is to overlap the lines. And they told us that the moral lesson is to think outside the box. So, let us go to the present time. Okay, so we were having difficulties to remember it. We were so puzzled at that time. I forced my brain to remember the solution, I even smashed my head just to make my brain remember. Yeah, I know that doesn’t work. Hitting your head is not a very effective way to remember a thing. You are not a device to perform and percussive maintenance to yourself. So, I drew the circles on my left hand, and I used it as a scratch. It because Mr. Randy S. Gamboa does not want us to have a scratch, so yeah, I kinda cheated cause I had a scratch on my hand. Minutes had passed and my brain was drained. Until, Chan mentioned that it had to be overlapped. So, that ringed our ears. The memories are slowly coming back in to my head. Chan was the one to remember it. He finally solved it, then the next one to remember it was me, then Rondie. After that, Mr. Gamboa started to point out random students and made them solve on the white board. The first one was my classmate, Ms. Estrella Grace Pansacala or also known as E.G. She was having a problem to solve it, until she gave up. The next one was also a classmate of mine, Mr. Pocholo Zoilo Recto. Just like E.G., they used all four strokes, but they still have not managed to connect the nine circles. While on our seats, Chan and I are having a discussion that who among the two of us will volunteer. He told me that I should go first, but I told him that he should go first since he was the first one to remember it. Then he replied to me that he feared that his answer might be wrong. We were pushing each other, saying “You first!”, “No, YOU first!”. Until one of our techno classmate (not our main classmate), stood up and volunteered. He went on the white board and drew the nine circles. Then he successfully connected all of the nine circles using only 4 strokes without lifting the marker. And he did it the same way like what Chan and I did. So, in short, Chan and I were right. After that, Mr. Gamboa asked our classmate who volunteered about the message of the challenge. What was its message? He answered it correctly. To think out the box. He answered it in a nonchalant manner, as if he already knew about the challenge. For me, I think he already knew. I think that a friend of already taught him how to answer that challenge just like our friends did. Anyway, it was over. The challenge is over, the message has been decrypted. It tells us to think outside the box. Think outside the box.  Hmm. Yeah, of course. We will not be able to solve the challenge if we limit ourselves by thinking that the strokes will only go along the figure, as if it has an invisible wall. But no, you must think outside the box, break the rules. Do not limit yourself. In this case, think outside the box was used literally and metaphorically. Literally in a way that your stroke must go outside or overlap the figure. And metaphorically in way, which I already said that we should think outside the box and to limit ourselves to find a way on solving the puzzle. Just because there are nine circles forming a square figure, it does not mean that you have to go along the figure. And most of all, Mr. Gamboa did not give any rules that are not permitting us to overlap or go beyond the figure. So, in cases like that, where there are no rules stating the Dos and Don’ts aside from the main rule that was given to you, then you can freely do what you want to do to solve it in your own style. . Another thing that I can remember which is also one of the parts I like is changing the typical or default mindset of the students. What does this means? Well, people’s mindset are like this;  Your parents worked hard for you to go to school, and you as a student worked hard on studying to pass your subjects and hopefully to graduate, then when you graduate you are going to apply for a job that have as an employee, and work your butt out to keep on living. The technopreneur mindset is; you study hard, learn about technorpreneurship, and when you graduate, you will build your own company and become your own boss. The technopreneur mindset aims to change the people’s mindset from becoming an employee to becoming an employer. That mindset is actually a motivational mindset for the people. When you think of it, the default mindset cause a loop. An infinite cycle. I am gonna re iterate the default mindset so you can understand. Your parents are working so they could get you to finish your studies. While you, are studying to graduate. And when the time comes that you will graduate, you will apply for a job. Now that job is not a high-end job where you get paid hundreds of thousands a month. Then, one day you will have your own child. You will work your body to death just to get your child to finish his studies. So, now you are doing what your parents were doing when you still studying. See how it creates a loop when you have that default mindset in your brain. Now it is time to change it. You do not have to be the employee anymore. You do not have to work your body to death anymore. Instead, you will build your own company. It will be your empire. You will be the king. The people will work for you. You do not have to stress yourself to pay your child’s tuition. You will look at your bank account and it will look like a phone number to you. Everything that is expensive will become cheap to you. That is the difference of the default mindset and the technopreneur mindset. Another that I liked is when Mr. Gamboa about the incubation hubs. Okay, so what are incubation hubs? Have you seen a chicken egg? If yes, then you know that it is placed inside an incubator for the chick inside to incubate. They have to be incubated for a period of time so that they will be developed, and they will be ready to come out soon. So that was the analogy used in incubation hubs. Incubation Hub(s) is a place or usually and office or headquarters where people stay to harness their skills, talents, etc. They train, and learn vice versa, until the harnessed or enhanced their skills, wits and intelligence, or we can say until they will be developed and ready to face the world which is full of challenges. And oh! Did I mention that it is for free? Yes, it is free to be in an incubation hub. They give you anything that you need. And office, internet connection, etc. (that is according to Mr. Gamboa) So, if my brain is not playing with my memory right now, it was Ateneo de Davao University who was supposed to have the first incubation hub here in Davao City, but that   was not continued because they chose to top their old students which are now successful person with their newly graduated students who are starting life after college (that is how I remembered it). And if I remember it correctly, it was Brokenshire College who successfully built an incubation hub here in Davao City. What they did was very epic and very nice. They built an incubation hub out from a cargo, container or whatever you call it. I am referring to those rectangle thingy you see on shipyards and on the back of the trucks, I know you understand what I mean. Well, as I have said, the Brokenshire College made an incubation hub out of it. Mr. Gamboa said that those are two containers being piled together. So, it is one container on the base with the other one on the top. So, it was like a two-story house. And it was completely equipped with electricity, internet connection, air conditioning, and many to mention for free. Yes, you read it right. An incubation hub out of a container with electricity, internet, air conditioning and for free. Well that is because for the accommodation for the team who are in the hub. So, they can focus on studying and harnessing their minds, wits and skills in the most comfortable way possible. They got the idea of the containers being used as incubation hub from Nankai University, said Mr. Gamboa. And oh! Before I forgot, another thing that I liked was when our late classmates were punished. And they were punished in the most entertaining way. They sang a song in front us. We were so overjoyed at that time. I was thinking that what if one day, I will be late, and it will be me who is standing in front of my classmates, singing. And I have a terrible voice. I bet my classmates’ ears will bleed. But, at the same time, it will be fun. We will have our butts falling while laughing.

That day was a really nice day. I really do not have a part which I disliked. All of the parts were very fun, and by fun I mean very informative. Well, there are parts that I liked the least, but we will get over there later. For now, I am going to share some other things we did on that day. I apologize if there will be a mixed liked and least liked parts coming as you read the next sentences and paragraphs. Okay, July 4, 2015, that day, was very new to me. Why? Because it was the very first time Mr. Randy S. Gamboa gave us a lecture. Well actually, we already had our first meeting, and we have met for times that are more than once. And those meetings were just like a give-a-wisdom meeting. Mr. Gamboa would just explain the structure of the subject gives us a heads up on the things that will be coming to us. He would also share his experiences on teaching Technopreneurship. He also shared the achievements of the previous class that he handled, and he even challenged us. And he would just give us some activity or tell us to check the FB group for posts before the meeting will be adjourned. And that day, July 4, 2015, Mr. Gamboa gave us the very first lecture, proper lecture. He had a presentation the prepared for us. He started lecturing us, and the worst part is that I cannot remember those things the he lectured to us. I only have some fragments on my mind. I hope I can write them properly here. I usually forget all things so easily. It is like a curse that is running our bloodline, I got from my mother. But, it is not bad at all, after all, it is an illness or a disease at all. So, speaking of forgetting things, there goes the least liked part on that day. Actually, my short term memory is not the sole reason why I forgot the things that happened on July 4, 2015. Actually, I also have a mind that would slip away without me noticing it. I was listening to Mr. Gamboa’s lecture at that time, then suddenly my mind leaved my head. I cannot remember a thing. I bet my mind went to very far place. There are times that I noticed that I have been slipping away, that is why I try to cope up on listening. But, it will still re-occur moments after. One of the things that I can remember is how Mr. Gamboa told us the story of bringing the subject Technorpreneurship here in Davao City. He said that a long time ago, he was invited by some Australian staff, which I cannot remember exactly what kind of person invited him. We has invited along with another educator here in Davao City. He said the two them were invited to go to Australia and study Technopreneurship for two years, and when they are done studying, they would go back to Davao City, and teach the Davaoenos about Technopreneurship. So it was like a “Spread the word” mission. But, Mr. Gamboa refused to the offer. And the reason why he refused it was still unclear for me.  Why? Because he said that refused the offer because he is going to miss his loved ones. Now, for me, he looks like joking. I think that he told us that very sarcastically. Well, whatever the reason was, only Mr. Gamboa knows. He told us that he talked to them asked what if instead that it was them who will go to Australia and study, why not those Australian educators will go to Davao City and teach Technopreneurship. So, after that, it worked. The Australians went here in Davao City and taught the educators Technopreneurship. Mr. Gamboa told us that they studied Technopreneur for years. And it took them a long time to create a syllabus for it, and he told us that it was a very thick book they made. I was impressed of what Mr. Gamboa did. He has a point. Going to Australia and study there for two years is a difficult thing to do, especially to those who are attached to their loved ones, because you are going to leave them. You are going to another place, without them. You are going to wake up not being on their side. The place will be new to you and you try to adapt, you are going to miss them so much. And if you get sick, they are not there to take care for you until you get well. Especially when you get the kind of sick that is hard to cure, which being homesick. That is a very hard thing to do. So, thankfully, Mr. Gamboa’s request was granted and the Australians came here instead of Mr. Gamboa and his partner would go to Australia. It was more easy. There was a thing that is one of which I liked the least, it was when shared the harsh reality of the students who graduated from our university, USEP or also known as the University of Southeastern Philippines. I liked it the least not because it sucks. No, I liked it the least because it was so very sad to hear. So, what was this I am talking about it? Here it is. Mr. Randy Gamboa told us that not all students who graduated are blessed to land on a job that offers great salary. Only a few will be granted. Now, Mr. Gamboa shared there are students who graduated from the University of Southeastern Philippines who were lucky enough to have a decent job that offers them great salaries. But the thing about it is that, that job is not here in the Philippines. It was abroad. Now, why is it so sad to hear? Should not I be proud of it that they are now working outside the country making good money? Yes, I am proud of their achievement. But what got me is that the fact that they studied here in the Philippines and they are now working abroad. Now, what am I trying to point out? I wanted to point that they are helping the country which they are currently in. It was the Philippines who nurtured them, but the go out and help other countries on its improvement instead of helping the Philippines to improve. That is why Mr. Gamboa said that why the Philippines is still behind, the reason Philippines’ improvement is slow as hell , because our brilliant minds left us and went out there to help other countries. It makes me sad because it makes sense. They studied here in Davao City, in the Philippines. The Philippines sheltered them since they were a child, until they grew up. The Philippines gave them so much. They were given the education. They studied college for four years, and maybe some of them are scholars. Those scholarships were from the government of the Philippines. And yet, the go outside and leave the Philippines to have a better, and helping the place of their choice to improve. All I am saying that, they should somehow give back to the Philippines. Well, it is fine if they chose to work abroad, but I wish that whenever they make a legend of from themselves, they would go back in the Philippines and help our country to improve. Maybe they could build IT companies or anything relevant or a facility that promotes intelligence so that the Philippines will improve. Mr. Gamboa said that the Philippines is 10 years late from the technology of Japan. Well, that is pretty obvious to see if we are aware of our surroundings. If there were enough IT companies or facilities, the Philippines would so much better than it is today. That is the reason why I liked it the least. So, there was another part that I liked the least. It was when I slipped away again. I was focused on listening to Mr. Randy S. Gamboa’s lecture, until the lecture went on the topic about the SEED. I was looking at Mr. Gamboa. I looked at him as he was speaking in front, it looked I am listening to him actually my mind slipped away again for the second time at that day. Why did I know of this? It was because my classmate tapped and said that he going through, but he cannot since I was not able to hear him for the 3^rd time. And after he tapped me, I gained my consciousness. So, everything that Mr. Gamboa taught about the SEED, was not registered in to my brain, and I was very disappointed. If there was another thing that I really liked the least was at that afternoon. Mr. Gamboa said that he will be releasing at noon, but then he told us that he wanted to meet us that afternoon, 1pm to 5pm. It was fine for me, cause I do not have a class that time. So, all of us agreed to that. It was 10am when we ate our lunch. After that, we went inside the engineering building and hanged out there in the lobby. We waited for hours and when it was 1pm, we were about to proceed to our room, but then Mr. Gamboa said that we are not going to meet that afternoon. The afternoon plan was cancelled. The class will be resumed on Monday which was July 6, 2014. Well, it was a good news, but the reason why I liked it the least is that we wasted an ample of hours for nothing. I am not saying that I am mad about, actually I was not mad at all about that. So, we went home and continued working on our reflections. That is all. Thank you.