Why Homefront Hits Me Deep: Thoughts and Reflections of my 2010s
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Overview
For those who don't know, Homefront is first-person shooter game developed by Kaos Studios released in 2011. The gameplay is similar to other FPS titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield. However, it differs slightly since you are in the shoes of a resistance fighter rather than an active soldier or special forces operator.
Storyline
The game's storyline is set in an alternate future scenario in the 2010s where the United States slowly loses it superpower status due to the an economic crisis where the U.S. Dollar collapses, followed by budget cuts in the U.S. military and a Saudi-Iran conflict which causes all fuel and gas prices to skyrocket worldwide. Prior to the decline of the influence and power projection of the U.S., in January 2012 (in-game backstory), Kim Jong-il passes away so the leadership of North Korea immediately falls into his son, Kim Jong-un. As he takes the the helm, he promises to reunited both North and South Korea at long last as a new wave of Korean nationalism sweeps the peninsula. Part of this nationalism demanded that the United States Forces Korea leave as their presence was deemed unnecessary. Due to the budget cuts in the Pentagon, the USFK leaves Korea along with various bases in the Middle East. In early 2013, the regime tests its third nuclear weapon. By mid-2013, both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea reunify as the Greater Korean Republic. The international community praises Kim Jong-un for reunifying the Korean peninsula as it was divided for 60 years. He then promises freedom and economic growth for his country, as well as inviting inspectors from the United Nations regarding his nuclear weapons program. Seeing the country was "clean" of nuclear weapons, the GKR is given a positive light in the international community. The GKR continued sending relief and peacekeeping operations around the world all while the United States turns tail from the international scene, instead choosing to focus on domestic affairs. Yet, some suspected Kim was actually up to no good. Indeed, he hid his nuclear weapons far from the reaches of the UN inspectors. Around 2015, the Middle East erupts into war between Saudi Arabia and its Holy Arab Alliance vs. the Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies as both countries attempt to bring what remained of Iraq - which collapsed into a civil war - into their sphere. The war eventually saw the involvement of the United States once again before Iran launched nuclear weapons on several of Saudi oilfields. By 2016, the war was a stalemate but it undoubtedly went into Iran's favor as it became the most dominant seller of oil in the region. The GKR immediately formed an alliance with the Islamic Republic, much to the suspicion of the American intelligence community. By November 2016, a new unnamed President to serve as Barack Obama's successor was elected in the U.S. as it struggled to keep up its declining superpower status. However, as 2017 entered, diplomatic relations between the GKR and Japan soured as Japanese nationalist riots have killed Korean nationals in the Japan. This was also the same time relations with Washington and Tokyo took a nosedive as the Japanese also experienced a new wave of nationalism that demanded the withdrawal of the United States Forces Japan. The U.S. was more than willing to comply since budget cuts demanded every plane, warship, and personnel back on American soil. Meanwhile, the GKR demands UN condemnation against Japan for failing to stop the nationalists from attacking Koreans, yet only get little or no action at all. It was then where Kim Jong-un took military action to protect Koreans in Japan. In a reverse twist of history and irony, Korea invades Japan in April 2018 by destroying several nuclear power plants in the south of the country while sending troops and paratroopers to capture key cities. Seeing the Korean resolve, the Japan Self Defense Force is ordered to surrender by the Japanese government, essentially surrendering without firing a shot. Japan fell under Korean occupation and was forced to be a satellite state of the GKR. The world condemns the GKR's invasion of Japan but could not stop them due to the global situation of an economic collapse. Only Iran and Malaysia stood with the GKR. From 2018-2020, much of Southeast Asia would join the GKR, namely the Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. The GKR essentially fills in the gap in the Indo-Pacific region, a void created after the United States withdrew from the Western Pacific. Only China was left untouched despite its proximity to Korea, due to having a larger nuclear arsenal and having the world's largest ground force. Taiwan too was ignored as invasion would have brought the GKR into a war with the PRC which considers Taiwan its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The unnamed President was reelected by 2020 but by this time, the United States was on the verge of collapse as riots erupted over increased prices of basic needs, commodities, and fuel with dollar further dropping in value. In 2022, an outbreak of H5N1, dubbed as the "Knoxville Cough" after the city it was spotted in first, further devastating the country. This caused the "open-borders" policy between the U.S. and Canada to end while Mexico ironically closes its border to prevent the disease from reaching its country. Rumors persisted that the virus was engineered by the GKR to further weaken the United States but there was no solid proof of this. Fears of a collapse of the U.S. persisted even with the next election in 2024, where another unnamed President was elected to try to fix the mess created by the previous predecessors.
While this was happening, the GKR was secretly preparing for invasion of the United States. Building up its blue-water fleet which was further bolstered using captured warships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as well as its own shipbuilding capabilities, the GKR was poised on America's doorstep, ready for the kill. However, they needed to weaken the already weakened nation. By inserting sleeper agents across major cities in the United States, they would commit several acts of terrorism in areas of public transport that would meant to confuse law enforcement. In the past decade, no terrorist attack occurred within the U.S. since they left the Middle East a long time ago while also possibly ending their military aid to Israel. The time of attack was set to take place on January 19, 2025, right before the new President's inauguration. This would be followed by a cyberattack that would cripple the economy and finally an EMP blast right above the center of the continental United States that would wipe out its power grid and leave the country in complete disarray. On the target date, the attacks commenced which shocked the nation. That night, the cyberattack and the EMP occurred. Americans woke up to find several crashed planes and helicopters along with cars and electronics no longer working. Interestingly, the new President was inaugurated while the White House was being evacuated, showing that the U.S. Constitution still held true and strong despite hard times. However, it would take a week before the Koreans captured Hawaii; the President would not find out about this until some time later due to the lack of communications. It was then the Koreans placed a nuclear device in the middle of Honolulu, making the message clear that retaliation would mean the destruction of Hawaii. The military was ordered to stand down and ready for the defense of West Coast. Predictably, the Koreans then invaded the West Coast where heavy firefighting occurred between the KPA and the U.S. Armed Forces. However, due to the lack of communications and the disorganization caused many of the defenders to be rerouted and scattered all throughout. As the Koreans took much of the West Coast, a contingent of Washington National Guard and regular military fell back into the Canadian province of British Columbia in an apparent cross-over while the Canadian Armed Forces began deploying more troops to protect the border. The Koreans further pushed towards the heart of the continental United States, eventually reaching as far as the west of the Mississippi River. From there, they then irradiated the Mississippi River to prevent more U.S. military units in the East Coast from counterattacking. The occupation of the Western United States begins but the KPA then found themselves fighting a war-of-attrition against police, scattered military units, and armed civilians that harassed their every move. It became an eerie parallel with the Vietnam War, the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The Korean occupation and the war of resistance would continue on to 2027 where the game begins.
Homefront cinematic intro
Map of the Greater Korean Republic c. 2027.
You play as Robert Jacobs, a former U.S. Marine pilot that has recently retired and has been drafted into KPA service. Before this could happened, he rescued by the resistance to participate against the KPA. From there, much of the game occurs with hit-and-run missions and reconnaissance before finally culminating in the Battle of San Francisco.
Review
Sadly, the game never got a sequel since THQ closed. It was disappointing for fans of which majority declare this a masterpiece over Call of Duty. It's storyline, while implausible as of our timeline (hopefully), was well written and executed as the developers consulted former military and CIA officials on how possible a belligerent could invade the United States. Its story had more quality compared to the run-and-gun nature of Call of Duty which has become more of a Mission Impossible- or a Jack Ryan-kind of game. Homefront puts in the you in the hands of a resistance fighter trying to liberate America in long and hard campaign of driving out the Koreans. The game makes you feel as if you are doing this for the future of your children, as evidenced by the promotional material the developers placed so much effort on. This is where the games hits most players hard, because it is not the run-of-the-mill special operator commando but a retired marine joining several civilians for the future of the nation. The game was unfortunately left hanging and even the tie-in fanfiction was not finished.
The game was rebooted into Homefront: The Revolution as a new studio took over. However, they utilized a newer plot where it borders further into alternate history with point-of-divergence back into the 1970s. I own that game and frankly I was disappointed with the storyline. Nothing beats the original Homefront in my own opinion.
Thoughts and Reflections
Now on to the part we have been waiting for. As the title of this entry suggests, I would explain how this game hits me hard as brick as I look back on how the 2010s decade was.
Being born in 1996, me and most of the kids born in the 1990s grew up aware of world events following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. All of us were still kids when the world entered the 21st century, followed by the Global War on Terrorism, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the terrorist attacks in Madrid, London, and Mumbai. By the time the 2010s entered, most of us were in our teens when we got to see the Arab Spring unfold followed by the rise of social media and smartphones.
The effects of the attacks on September 11, 2001 are still felt on this day. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Now that we are in 2019, we look back at the decade where we became politically aware. I know for a fact many of us including myself cannot help but think of it how time went by so fast. Many of us are practicing professionals or just recently graduated from college, ready to enter the workforce. We all share the same sentiments of nostalgia of how the decade has been in terms of culture, events, music, video games, and technology. In the following paragraphs I will breakdown what has transpired from 2010 to current as I saw and read it. This will include what I was doing at that time while I try to juxtapose it with the Homefront timeline of events. So please bear with me.
2008-2009
B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy Batch of 2009 in Negros Museum, Bacolod City, January 21, 2009.
They say the 2000s decade essentially ended in late 2008 following the economic recession. I was still 12 years old and at 6th Grade. At that time I was a pre-teen, my world was mostly in Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PlayStation 2, the PlayStation Portable, and other things people my age at that time indulged themselves with. It was the same year that Obama became President in which I saw the inauguration on the day my batch and I went to Bacolod for our two-day retreat as graduating 6th Graders. It was where we started to somehow be politically aware with current affairs. Around the time I graduated from grade school, that was the time went the H1N1 virus became a pandemic. I remember the scare at that time right before it was determined to be nearly the same as the common flu. When I became a freshmen high school student by July 2009, that's when reality started seeping into us as we transitioned from pre-teen into teenhood. Yet, most of us were still young and naive mostly. The film 2012 kind off instilled fear among us because many claimed that our time was coming up in the next three years. My classmate introduced me to Rucka Rucka Ali around this period. The first thing I saw was the parody "I'm A Korean" which detailed about Kim Jong-Il's threats to the world around February 2010.
B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy Batch of 2009 group picture in Don Bosco Retreat House and Spiritual Center, January 23, 2009. I'm the small kid in the center.
Map of the H1N1 Pandemic as of July 31, 2009. Source: WHO
2010
As the first year of the 2010s decade entered, it was somehow a big celebration as we as teenagers got to celebrate a new year that transitioned to a decade that we are aware. The first few days of 2010 did not really feel different until the earthquake occurred in Haiti and Chile in the first two months. Our school held a concert that February to celebrate unity. The following month in March 25th, our batch had an overnight fieldtrip in Dalaguete. We stayed in the Ocean Bay Resort where my close friends and I were lucky to be given the two-storey cottage. Since we were still high school, we were mostly just hooligans slacking off, laughing at corny jokes, listening to the pop songs at that time, and even playing Rucka Rucka Ali's "I'm A Korean" while staying up all night. Eerily, the following day, the ROKS Cheonan sinking would occur. I would not hear of this until I arrived home late that afternoon. The incident is mentioned in the beginning of the game as the start of how tensions with North Korea and the United States inflame in-universe.
Our fieldtrip to Dalaguete on March 25, 2010. I'm the small guy with a green shirt.
My batchmates gathering in the courtyard prior to a team-building activity in Ocean Bay Resort, Dalaguete, Cebu. This was the night before the ROKS Cheonan sinking.
Campfire and marshmallows in the beach of Ocean Bay Resort, Dalaguete, Cebu. This was the night before the ROKS Cheonan sinking.
Last class picture of first year high school Section B (SY 2009-2010), c. April 2010.
Second year high school Section B (SY 2010-2011) group picture in the Arnoldus Science Complex of the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus during a campus open-house tour, c. August 27, 2010.
Book Character Day 2010, November 15, 2010.
Summer 2010 began with a mangrove tree planting in Cordova; all throughout I would be watching Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 montages, Roster Teeth, nigahiga, and several classic era videos form YouTube that time. The headlines that summer That July 2010, I became a second year high school student. Pop music was all high; everyone was listening to B.o.B., Bruno Mars, Travie McCoy, MacMiller, Miley Cyrus, Taio Cruz, Far East Movement and a lot more that I could not completely recall as I list this down. In November 2010, tensions in the Korean peninsula would flare up as North Korea shelled an island belonging to South Korea. Perhaps the most impact of the year was by December when the Arab Spring broke up in the Middle East. What began as protests started with social media using hashtag movements to make their cause known. This would set stage for protests in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya as 2011 entered.
Yeonpyeong Island under North Korean artillery attack, November 23, 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Blue Sharks emerges as the overall champions for Sportsfest 2011, February 4, 2011.
Second year Section B (SY 2010-2011) class picture.
Our hip-hop themed last day of school party for second year high school, April 15, 2011.
Tahrir Square on the night Hosni Mubarak resigned, February 11, 2011.
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Libyan Civil War, February 15 - October 23, 2011.
Credits: Alternate History Wiki
The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, c. March 11, 2011. Source: The Atlantic
Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, c. April 29, 2011. Source: The Telegraph
Celebrations erupt at Ground Zero Memorial in New York City following the news of the death of Osama bin-Laden, May 2, 2011. Source: Daily Mail.
The headlines of that summer was the Royal Wedding in the United Kingdom and when the U.S. killed Osama bin-Laden in a raid Abottabad, Pakistan. I remember clearly I was in Manila at that time and only knew of the news when I arrived at the hotel when I turned on the TV to CNN. I became a third year high school student by July. The month was somehow eventful as it was the end of NASA's Space Shuttle program while South Sudan declared independence. On September, the world commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Looking back to a decade into the War on Terror gave some deep thoughts among ourselves as we were only kindergarten at that time.
Pool at a karaoke room during a classmate's birthday around July 2011.
Banana Booth picture taken when my British classmate now based in the UAE visited Cebu in July 2011.
South Sudan becomes an independent country, July 9, 2011. Source: The Global Observatory
On October 8th, we had a gathering at my friend's house which was supposed to be a pre-hangout before the Manila trip. We left for a week-long trip from October 16th to October 22nd, 2011 for Manila and some sights in Laguna and Cavite. It was a memorable trip with the graduating seniors (Batch of 2012) at that time [see selected pics below].
A typical high school gathering at my friend's house, October 8, 2011.
A typical high school gathering at my friend's house, October 8, 2011.
Fort Santiago, Walled City, Manila, October 16, 2011.
Group picture with the Seniors Batch of 2012 at the Malacanang Palace, Manila, October 17, 2011.
Laser-tag with the seniors at LazerXtreme, Market!Market!, Taguig City on the night of October 17, 2011. I'm the one in a red shirt pointing the gun at the screen.
At the ABS-CBN studio, October 20, 2011.
Ice-skating in SM Mall of Asia right before going back to Cebu that night, October 22, 2011.
Humorously, people thought the world would end this year due to a prediction made by a certain Harold Camping. By December 2011, Kim Jong-il would pass away as the leader of North Korea. In-universe, the game predicted he would pass away in January 2012. Nonetheless, most of us only cared about the dictator passing away while the world anxiously watched what would happen in the Korean Peninsula while everyone on the Internet joked about seeing if the Mayan prediction of the long-count really would bring the end of the world. I forgot to mention, the U.S. pulled out of Iraq at long last, just as the game predicted.
That awkward moment when you predicted the world would end twice and it did not happen...
2012
2012, the year everyone wanted to see if the world would really end. The year began with major headlines of the Costa Concordia sinking in Italy. Meanwhile in Korea, the world got a glimpse of Kim Jong-un, the successor of Kim Jong-il. The most interesting parts of this school year occurred around March-April 2012. That is when I got a taste of my first online movement: Kony 2012. I have not heard of Joseph Kony until the video. Naive as we were, we actually shared it as we thought we were helping. After it became so famous, many started criticizing it as a scam. It was further intensified when the video's creator was seen having a naked breakdown in a San Diego suburb. Lastly, everyone criticized the date for "Cover The Night" that was set to be on April 20th, 2012. What is "Cover The Night" you ask? Well, it was supposed to be the time where people would cover their neighborhood with Kony 2012 posters to make him famous so that his crimes will be known throughout the world. Nonetheless, everyone forgot about it then moved on with their lives. March 2012 was the time I had my first prom.
Opening of Sportsfest 2012, January 31, 2012
Poster making during Academic Week 2012, c. late March 2012.
Kony 2012 poster. Credits: Yahoo News
The following month, things took a turn for the interesting in the Korean peninsula when North Korea attempted to launch a rocket into space. The Philippines was preparing in case some of the debris may fall in our country. To everyone's disappointment, the rocket launch was a failure. Yet, another thing occurred, this time in the South China Sea. Relations with the People's Republic of China soured after the Scarborough Shoal incident. It would culminate in a series of diplomatic spat between the Philippines and China throughout the year.
Trajectory of the failed rocket test of North Korea in April 2012. Credits: The Washington Post.
A meme that circulated among Filipino netizens following the Scarborough Shoal standoff in April 2012.
Now going back to April 20th, 2012, as predicted we all forgot to Cover the Night. Why? Because the high school I was in celebrated its 20 years. Yep, 20 years. Hard to believe eh? Everyone basically enjoyed and partied the night away, ending with a bang literally as we were treated to a fireworks display. Then afterwards, everyone went their separate ways for the summer. See video highlight here.
An incomplete class picture of our batch taken prior to the beginning of the concert, late afternoon of April 20, 2012.
Confetti Over 4/20, the iconic photo taken by a student as the concert began. Original picture is no longer available. This was salvaged before it was no longer available. April 20, 2012.
The crowd during 20. April 20, 2012.
The "friendship line" during the 20 Concert. I'm the guy pointing at the camera. Apri 20, 2012.
"Fireworks over 4/20": Screenshot taken from the highlight video. It was a symbolic way to end SY 2011-2012 and to begin Summer 2012 on a high note. April 20, 2012.
My neighbor's birthday on April 30, 2012, ten days after 4/20.
On July 5th, 2012, I finally became a fourth year high school student. Finally, senior year where we graduate and become college students. I actually enjoyed much of my senior year in high school. I had lots of time where I bonded with my batchmates including a team building camp around August 10th-12th, 2012 with another school. We made sure this year we would make the best out of it since it was the last time we will be together as a batch. Then came December 20th, 2012, after the Christmas program, everyone was waiting to see if the Mayan Calendar prediction was through...as and the 21st came and finished, nothing came and happened. The only thing that came true was PSY Gangnam Style reaching a 1 billion views on December 21st.
B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy Seniors Batch of 2013 at RAFI's Kool Adenture Camp with the 2nd years of Science High School held in Cordova, August 10-12, 2012.
Singapore 2012.
My brother (then 19) and I (then 16) in front of the Merlion Statue of Singapore. October 28, 2012
United Nations Day late celebration, November 7, 2012. I'm the guy with the South Africa flag on the lower right corner.
Seniors and Juniors after the Gawad Kalinga outreach in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City, Cebu. November 24, 2012
Book Character Month 2012, November 28, 2012. I'm the guy with the airsoft pistol next to the one with a black suit.
Me (right-most) photobombing the juniors and a few faculty.
My classmate's (black gown, center) 16th birthday dinner at her house. I'm the guy covered by the flower. December 17, 2012.
My classmate's (black gown, center) 16th birthday dinner at her house. I'm the guy next to the girl with the light-blue long-sleeved shirt. December 17, 2012.
Seniors Batch of 2013's last Christmas party, December 19, 2012.
Well so much for a disappointment...but Homefront fans were on guard to see if Kaos Studios prediction's held true.
Source: 9GAG
2013
It was finally the last four months of senior year. Everyone was excited to ace the year because graduation was in everyone's minds. While I can't really say much for January, most of the events occurred on February. The first wee was our final Sportsfest together (see pictures below). It was a tearful yet memorable event. Green Hawks won for the first time on their own this year.
Our last Sportsfest as students of B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy, February 8, 2013.
Filming of prom messages for the following month, February 24, 2013.
Behind-the-scenes picture of the horror booth crew for Family Day 2013, March 9th, 2013. I'm the one holding a digital camera in my left hand.
On the international scene, Homefront's prediction came true regarding the third North Korean nuclear test occurring in the year 2013. This was on February 12th, 2013. On February 15th, 2013, a meteor would crash in Russia, becoming a trending video online and on news networks. All while the same week, Harlem Shake videos would sweep YouTube. The trend itself would continue around March-April 2013 until slowly dying off. This was one of the most interesting periods of my final months in high school. On March 17th, 2013, I would have my second prom as the senior year before passing it on the juniors. Between this date and my graduation, the Korean peninsula was at a crisis. I remember watching the news that the U.S. Air Force flew B-52 and B-2 bombers near North Korea in the hopes of deterring Kim Jong-un. Everyone was on edge thinking the Second Korean War would finally breakout. The Philippines even offered to the United States our airports and bases should war breakout as part of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. This would continue all up until August 2013. I would graduate high school a month later, on April 18th, 2013. This was just days after the Boston Marathon bombings. I was following the manhunt all the way up to the 19th when one of the bombers was arrested hiding in a boat in Watertown, Massachusetts. Then throughout the summer which lasted only a few weeks, I would prepare for college. It was here when I heard of the game Homefront and became interested with it.
Site of the third North Korean nuclear test on February 12, 2013. Source: The Daily Signal.
Prom 2013 at Shangrila Mactan and Spa Resort, March 17, 2013.
Seniors Batch of 2013 Group picture for JS Prom 2013, March 17, 2013.
Batch of 2013 graduation picture, April 18, 2013.
Aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Celebrations after the bomber was captured. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
I would take up B.S. Biology in the University of San Carlos here in Cebu City. The first months of college were a challenge because I was the only one from my high school batch taking biology while the rest went on their separate paths. I began my college life on June 10th, 2013.
Bio Fun Day 2013, the first step before officially becoming a college student. June 8, 2013.
Affinity 2013, my first college welcome party. Held in the University of San Carlos-South Campus on July 5, 2013.
Students' Night during USC Days 2013, August 23, 2013. It was a fun night of music and dancing.
Students' Night during USC Days 2013, August 23, 2013. It was a fun night of music and dancing. Credits: Today's Carolinian.
Museum tour around Cebu on September 28, 2013.
PE Fun Run on October 6, 2013.
During freshman year, I would take my free time off reading about the geopolitical structure of the world at this time. The civil war in Syria was going on in the government's favor. The situation in the South China Sea stagnated as ever as relations with China and the Philippines were at an all time low. In August 2013, following the Ghouta chemical attack, I would slowly follow the possible military intervention that the U.S., the UK, and France was going to do but slowly backed away after Russia pressured them not to do so. Back home here, the Philippines was marred by Typhoon Maring and the Pork Barrel Scandal, culminating in the Million People March in Luneta Park. On September 9th, 2013, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attempted to create the Republic of Bangsamoro with Zamboanga City as its capital, laying the city under siege for two weeks before being crushed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A month later, on October 15th, 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Bohol. I was there when it happened as mentioned in a previous blog entry I wrote during its fifth year anniversary. Then three weeks later on November 8th, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (local: Yolanda) would make landfall in the provinces of Leyte, Samar, northern Cebu, Aklan, and Palawan. Over 6,000 people were killed and various cities and towns heavily damaged from the storm surge. I would never forget the heartbreaking images and videos that emerged showing damaged houses, dead bodies on the side of the road, and the looting that followed. Additionally, I would never forget the photos of the international relief operation as relief goods and reconstruction followed. The death of Fast and the Furious celebrity Paul Walker would sadden the world as he was doing charity for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. Those were the two defining moments of my college life. I then looked forward to what 2014 would bring us all.
Million People March against the Pork Barrel Scam, late August 2013. Source: Rappler.
Map of the 2013 Ghouta Chemical Attacks which almost prompted U.S., UK, and French military intervention. Source: Military Wiki
AFP covering civilians during the Zamboanga City crisis, September 2013. Source: https://waves.ca/2013/09/13/how-we-look-at-the-afp-mnlf-armed-crisis-in-zamboanga-city/
Rubble on the street after the 2013 Bohol earthquake, October 15, 2013. Source: own work.
Devastation of Tacloban City after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall, November 8, 2013. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Local residents gather at a U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk as it delivers relief goods as part of Operation Damayan, November 2013.
2014
From what I can recall, 2014 was a good year all throughout. I managed to pass freshman college and got to taste on how a summer starting on March would feel like. The summer for me was also great, as I went to several beach destinations and went to the States from May 9th-28th. Below shows the pictures of my Summer 2014.
On my first day of Summer 2014, my first act was to visit B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy as they were holding their Sportsfest under the title United Colors of B.R.I.G.H.T., March 27, 2014.
On April 30, 2014, I would visit B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy again on their last day of school.
That night, it would be my neighbor's birthday. It was one of the longest days of my Summer 2014.
Before April ended, our family visited Bohol six months after the earthquake.
Perhaps the highlight of my Summer 2014 was when we visited the U.S. from May 9th-28th, 2014. We visited the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, New York, and Illinois (a stop-over only). New York was the best part of the trip.
My family and I on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty with the skyline of Lower Manhattan behind us.
At Times Square with my brother.
I began 2nd Year college by June that month. Already focused in Biology, I was determined to finish the course as we got deeper into it. 2014 was also the year everyone born in 1996 would become 18 years old; meaning the transition into adulthood. It was our right of passage. I would attend several debuts my classmates had for this year. It was on this year that we got more and more responsible and politically aware.
The first debut I attended, August 23, 2014
Students' Night as USC Days 2014, September 10, 2014.
Students' Night as USC Days 2014, September 10, 2014.
"Little Green Men" in the Crimean peninsula, February 2014. Credits: BBC and Reuters.
Last known location of MH370 as of March 2014. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
M/V Sewol capsizes near Jeju Island, April 9, 2014. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
A China Cost Guard vessel attempting to block the civilian Philippine supply ship heading towards Ayungin Shoal. March 27-28, 2014. Source: Max Defense Philippines.
Wreckage and debris at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Source: The Australian.
Pro-Scottish independence demonstrators, September 2014. Source: Herald Scotland.
Protests in Admiralty, Hong Kong on October 10, 2014. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
U.S. Navy sailors make final inspections on an F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the "Golden Warriors" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87 aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). George H.W. Bush was supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Tomahawk missiles fired from USN warships towards Raqqa, September 22, 2014.
2015
27th Annual Heinrich Schoenig Biology Symposium, March 14, 2015.
A high school reunion of my batch on April 17, 2015 - a very close timing for the second year anniversary we graduated from B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy - as one of our classmates was going to leave for the United States for good. I'm the one in the left-most of the picture.
The year would start with a tragedy for France and the Philippines. In France, the Charlie Hebdo shooting occurred over the satire cartoon newspaper that mocked the Islam. While it was a big highlight in the Philippines when Pope Francis visited the country in January, it would be followed by tragedy after the Mamasapano Clash in Maguindanao, which resulted in the death of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) commandos. This was a political stain to the Aquino administration; to this day no one has been indicted of that disastrous raid. While no direct Saudi-Iran conflict occurred as Homefront predicted, it would somehow come true when in our timeline as of the end of March 2015, Yemen would collapse into a civil war. The Saudi government would send military support to the Yemeni government while Iran started supplying arms and materials to the Houthi rebels. This start of the Saudi-Iran proxy conflict was noted by the fans of Homefront. This year would also mark the wave of terrorist attacks in Europe as eight months after Charlie Hebdo, on November 13th, 2015, gunmen pledging allegiance to ISIS would attack several locations in Paris, bringing mass outrage around the world. The same month, the Turkish Air Force would shoot down a Russian fighter jet as it crossed over into Turkish airspace. It brought some degree of tension between Turkey and Russia, of which many feared a potential escalation of the conflict as Turkey is a member of NATO and any attack on a member state is considered an attack on all states as stated y Article 5 of the NATO charter. The situation was further complicated with Russian involvement in the already confusing Syrian Civil War. On the positive side, the U.S. reopens its embassy in Cuba after nearly 60 years of non-diplomatic relations. Back in the United States, the race for the Presidential elections the following year would heat up, especially after Donald J. Trump announced that he would run for president.
Charlie Hebdo shooting, January 7, 2015. Source: The Mirror UK.
Pope Francis visit to the Philippines. Source: GMA Network.
Bodies of the fallen 44 SAF troopers in Philippine flag-draped coffins. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Map of the current Yemen Civil War. Source: Political Geography Now.
Immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks on November 13, 2015. Credits: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Approximate flight paths according to the Turkish and Russian air forces on November 24, 2015. Credits: Wikimedia Commons.
I began 3rd Year college in June of that year. I could not really say much what I was doing except I had a lot of fieldwork for the first semester (June-October 2015). By the second semester (November 2015-April 2016), we had more fieldwork. While this was happening, I was also taking note of the international events. 2015 was also the last year I was in my teens. The following year I would be an adult. In addition, I would join Alternate History Online group on Facebook as this was my interest.
Fooling around with neighbors, April 24, 2015.
Fiesta at my classmate's house, mid-May 2015
Field work at Liloan for Animal Systematics, July 27, 2015.
Fieldwork at Tabunan Forest Reserve for Plant Systematics, August 17, 2015.
Marine invertebrates field work for Animal Systematics in Mactan-Olango channel, September 25, 2015.
Group picture of my group for the Plant Systematics final project, October 2015.
Visiting B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy's Christmas Program 2015, December 17, 2015.
USC Department of Biology Christmas Party 2015, December 17, 2015.
2016
The year began with tensions with North Korea boiling again. First, they detained an American citizen named Otto Warmbrier, accusing him of stealing a propaganda banner on January 2nd, 2016. On January 6th, 2016, North Korea conducted its 4th nuclear test, shocking the world.
Site of the fourth North Korean nuclear test, January 6, 2016. Source: New English Review.
At this time, I was still at the second semester of 3rd year college. Everyone here in Cebu was looking forward for the upcoming annual Sinulog festival on January which brought a sense of festival and street parties among the millennials of the Philippines. The rave era wasn't over at this time yet even with the Mayor of Cebu City declaring that there will be no street parties. My brother and I attended the Sinulog Invasion held in the parking lot of Food Saver's Mart, right in the heart of Cebu City. We were able to be at the front while also getting to see familiar faces in the crowd. Other parties held were Lifedance during the Sinulog Friday (Jan. 15th, 2016), Paintensity on the Sinulog Saturday (Jan. 16th, 2016), and Hyper Sinulog which was held on January 17th, 2016 alongside Sinulog Invasion and the one in the now-closed Club Alcohology. It was definitely a fun experience. When I went home later, I would later learn that despite the city government's strict rule of having no street parties, the partygoers were too numerous for the police and security personnel to stop. The iconic photo of a large crowd of people in front of Club Alcohology would serve as a symbol of resistance against street parties. Sinulog 2016 ended on a high note for everybody else. Sadly, that picture has been gone ever since.
Sinulog Invasion 2016 at Fooda Saver's Mart, January 17, 2016
Meeting with neighbors and friends at Sinulog Invasion 2016, January 17, 2016.
Sinulog Invasion 2016. I'm the one at the center. Credits: Spectrum Philippines.
Following Sinulog 2016 was the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which was held in Cebu. It was the second time the Philippines held such an event, the first one was in Manila around February 1937. During that time, it was nearing midterms week which gave us a week to rest and prepare for it. After IEC, I would recall that we would have many fieldworks and outings from February to March 2016. One of the most impacting outing was in Siquijor last March 10-12th, 2016 where we stayed in the mystic island for two nights and three days doing ecological fieldwork. On March 22nd, 2016, a terrorist attack in Brussels would shock the world while President Obama would become the first U.S. President in modern times to visit Cuba.
Thousands of Catholics join a procession from the Cebu capitol building to Plaza Independencia during the 51st IEC, late January 2016. Source: Inquirer.net.
Aftermath of the Brussels Bombings, March 22, 2016. Source: Know Your Meme.
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and President Raul Castro (L) of Cuba in September 2015. Source: Fortune.
Conducting ecological field work in Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor. March 10, 2016.
Ecology groupmates doing marine ecosystem assessment at Barangay Dumanjog, Siquijor. March 11, 2016.
Ecology groupmates doing marine ecosystem assessment at Barangay Dumanjog, Siquijor. March 11, 2016.
The rest of March and April was done to prepare for finals and internships for on-the-job-training (OJT) that would commence in the summer of 2016. I had my OJT at the Banilad Health Center for one month from April 26th to May 25th. During the OJT, I would participate in my first elections ever: the 2016 Philippine general election. After my OJT, I would take a three-day vacation to Bangkok, Thailand with my family right before I became a 4th year graduating college student a week later.
Third wheeling with my friends.
A debut I attended on April 29, 2016.
Family vacation to Bangkok, Thailand, early June 2016.
Brexit, late June 2016. Source: The Independent UK.
Rodrigo R. Duterte takes the oath of office as President of the Philippines, June 30, 2016. Source: Inquirer.net
Reaction to the UN court hearing regarding the Philippines' right to ownership over Scarborough Shoal, July 12, 2016. Source: The Nation.
French police stand near the lorry that ploughed into crowds in Nice on Bastille Day, July 15, 2016. Source: BBC
People stand on a Turkish army tank in Ankara, Turkey July 16, 2016. Source: Daily Sabah.
I was able to experience USC Days for the last time, going out to adventures with friends and partying during the free concert. Afterwards, on September 2nd-3rd, it was the retreat held for the graduating students coming from Biology, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, and Applied Physics. The following day, I would officially became an adult as I was 20 years old. On September 9th, 2016, North Korea would conduct its fifth nuclear test.
Island hopping with friends to Olango, August 21, 2016.
At the Olango Island seagrass bed, August 21, 2016.
Students' Night at USC Days 2016 with friends, August 27, 2016.
Aftermath of Students' Night of USC Days 2016, August 27, 2016.
Department of Biology during the retreat for graduating students, September 2, 2016.
Group picture of the Department of Biology before going home from the retreat, morning of September 3, 2016.
Site of the fifth North Korean nuclear test on September 9, 2016. Source: The Guardian.
Along the way, I made the mistake of joining USC Mountaineering (USC-M) thinking I had everything under my control. I was dead wrong as I could not even join a single event due to the demanding nature of the B.S. Biology. I would barely pass that semester as fate was hanging in the thread. When the semestral break came, I would get more into alternate history while I followed the progress of the U.S. presidential race, which was already down to Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D). The so called "Great Meme War" on the internet was progressing everyday as the election got closer. I would join in this Great Meme War on the day before the election. On November 9th, 2016 (November 8th in the U.S.), it was ordinary day in the Philippines. In our university, enrollment was ongoing. I was helping a friend that time while keeping tabs on the election on my smartphone. Basically almost everyone around the world was doing the same. It was around 1 pm - 3 pm in the afternoon that we knew Trump won the election, receiving both shock and surprise all around. I remember one guy had a breakdown in the hallway when it was announced. I actually stayed until sundown at the university before going home. As I did not know, the USC-M had a meeting in my old neighbor's house. It would have been a great way to know them better. Yet the next day, I would come to the decision to join the USC-M paneling despite having no attended a single activity and not knowing anything mountaineering-related.
Electoral Collage of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
On November 13th, 2016, I would enter the organization as an applicant with zero knowledge, thus looking like a total dummy in front of everybody else. Nonetheless I made new friends. The Mannequin challenge would take the Internet by storm.
Reading our messages written by co-applicants during the USC-M pre-panelling, November 13, 2016.
USC-M Applicant Group HAIT 2016-2017 group picture with the USC-M flag, November 13, 2016.
USC-M Applicant Group HAIT 2016-2017 group picture with the veternan members and the USC-M flag, November 13, 2016.
December 2016 came was the life changer. I wasn't able to go the USC-M overnight Christmas Party in Tabuelan which would have made a big difference on how the year ended. Since I was not able to forego that trip, it would be the start of a mild depression that would only grow severe the following year. The only positive thing that made the month great was I had my first nightclub afterparty in the now-closed Dozo Izakaya bar and lounge at Crossroads. It was along with the rest of my batchmates along with the lower years. Since it was my first time, I made sure to enjoy the night as the next four months were going to be my last. We also did a mannequin challenge that night as per my request.
USC Department of Biology Batch of 2017's last Christmas Party on December 17, 2016.
Afterparty at Dozo Izakaya (now Red Fowl) on December 17, 2016.
Afterparty at Dozo Izakaya (now Red Fowl) following the Christmas party, December 17, 2016. Source: Dozo Izakaya Facebook page.
Impromptu reunion of alumni students from Batch of 2013, 2014, and 2015 during B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy's 2016 Christmas Program, December 19, 2016.
Lastly, several celebrities and important figures passed away in 2016: Alan Rickman, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Bhumibol Adulyadej, Fidel Castro, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds to name a few.
2017
Everyone knew what the big headlines for January 2017 was gonna be: the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Days before that, I would only join my one and only unofficial hike as part of USC-M in the Sirao-Budlaan trail commencing with us conquering Sirao Peak on January 8th, 2017. The following weekend was Sinulog 2017 when I watched Steve Aeoki perform at the Plus 63 Music and Arts Festival on January 14th, 2017.
The only time I hiked with USC-M even though this was unofficial, Sirao-Budlaan Trail, January 8, 2017.
USC-M HAIT 2016-2017 members (5/13). I'm the guy with the blue jacket that looks like a headdress, Sirao-Budlaan Trail, January 8, 2017.
Groufie taken by me once we reached Sirao Peak, January 8, 2017.
Shenanigans before climbing the grass trail that would lead to Sirao Peak, January 8, 2017.
Steve Aeoki performs at Plus 63 Music and Arts Festival held in Cebu Business Park, January 14, 2017.
A week later Trump would become president. I actually stayed up late watching it on TV. Four days later, a classmate from high school would unfortunately pass away due to aneurysm. She was due to graduate that April. It particularly hit me and my batchmates on how everything seemed to be falling apart.
By late February, our class was already bound to go to Ormoc City but was cancelled on the last minute because the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ordered that all fieldtrips to be cancelled indefinitely due to an accident in Rizal that killed 13 students at that time. Due to the last minute nature of the cancellation, I could not even go to the USC-M hike in Mt. Napua. It would have been the last time I would have hiked with those people.
SAS Days opening parade on the afternoon of February 13, 2017.
Official opening of SAS Days 2017 on the afternoon of February 13, 2017.
Fieldwork at Buhian Watershed, Ferbruary 24, 2017. (NOTE: The date on the photo is wrong).
March was just to celebrate the end of our last Biolympics which was an afterparty in ICON. Then afterwards it was just the slow march into graduation.
The last activity I did in USC-M, March 11, 2017.
Last exam as a college student, March 28, 2017.
The last time we would act as a batch was on April 5th, 2017 when we went island hopping to Pandanon Island.
USC Department of Biology Batch od 2017 conquers Pandanon Island, April 5, 2017.
Five days later on April 10th, 2017, I would graduate with a degree in Biology. Yet, I was left hanging. I was already attached to the Department of Biology, something I tried to indefinitely avoid. Worse, I was not able to say a proper goodbye to most of my friends in USC-M. Nonetheless, I would make it an effort to see or even speak to those people in the next few years.
Summer 2017 began differently. It was not even a "summer" to begin with; rather we call it the rest and relaxation phase of the "officially unemployed." Justified since we graduates earned it as we transitioned from student to a member of the work force. Others started preparing for their licensure exams that year. Many of my classmates wanted to go to medical school while others wanted to take the wind off the sails. I myself was not ready but due to parental pressure I went on. They initially wanted to me to go to the Cebu Institute of Medicine but I chose Cebu Doctor's Medicine which would then turn out to be a fatal mistake although I would not know about until the November of that year [this is a subject of my other blog entry you can view here].
Graduated at long last! USC Department of Biology Batch of 2017 group picture at the University of San Carlos-South Campus, April 10, 2017.
Still my favorite graduation picture among all, April 10, 2017.
Before entering medical school, I made sure to make the best of my summer as I would definitely miss the freedom once it begins. I went to Bohol and Manila with my family. Then around June 17th-18th, 2017, I would hike with the USC-M into Mt. Mannungal and Mt. Mauyog; though only two others from the original group from November 2016. And then two weeks later, our batch had an unofficial reunion in The Sentral (now called The Complex) where I met new friends from Psychology Department of USC. It was an unforgettable night. Four weeks later, freedom would end as medical school began.
Fiesta at the same house two years prior, second week of May 2017.
Scuba diving for the first time in Marigondon, May 27, 2017.
The only time I went to an official open hike with the USC-M. Taken at Mount Manunggal Camp Site on the morning of June 18, 2017.
Group picture of the USC-M open hike participants at Mount Manunggal Camp Site, morning of June 18, 2017.
THE DAY BEFORE: Raising the #UnitedBio flag at the peak of Mount Manunggal, June 17, 2017.
At the peak of Mount Mauyog, June 18, 2017.
The unexpected gathering at the Sentral Bar and Lounge (now Complex), late evening of July 1, 2017.
The meetup crossed-over to the midnight and dawn hours of July 2, 2017.
And it would hit me like a brick. The moment I entered it, I was in different world with a different culture. The first few months were tough but everything started to fall apart by November 2017. I still held on into hope even at this point there was virtually none. Below are some pics before everything fall apart:
CDU Fun Run 2017, morning of August 20, 2017.
Opening of the CDU Intramurals 2017, August 22, 2017.
My 21st birthday with my former student-group discussion (SGD) members. September 4, 2017.
CDU CM Acquaintance Party, September 29, 2017.
Craft Raid, October 13, 2017.
Craft Raid, from the late evening of October 21 to the dawn of October 22, 2017.
SGD 17 Christmas Party at the Big Hotel, December 8, 2017.
SGD 17 Christmas Party at the Big Hotel, December 8, 2017.
SGD 17 Christmas Party at the Big Hotel, December 8, 2017.
SGD-17 (6/10) during the CDU CM Christmas Party 2017, December 15, 2017.
The 90s kids are all that. Evening of December 15, 2017.
The afterparty at League Sports Bar, evening of December 15 to the dawn of December 16, 2017.
Attending the USC Department of Biology's Christmas party on December 19, 2017.
Targets of the April 6, 2017 USN Tomahawk missile strikes in Sharyat, Syria. Source: Global Security.
Troops of the Philippine Army cross a river during the April 2017 Bohol clashes with the ASG. Source: Cebu Daily News.
In the Homefront timeline, the year was supposed to be the time when diplomatic relations with Korea and Japan would deteriorate. In our timeline, North Korea tested a sixth nuclear weapon on September 3rd, 2017. This coinciding with threats to Japan, South Korea, Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. mainland eerily drew parallel with the storyline of Homefront. The term "rocket man" would be used by Trump to describe Kim Jong-un's reckless threats of a nuclear attack throughout the year.
Site of the sixth North Korean nuclear test on September 3, 2017 as provided by USGS. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Kin Jong-un depicted as Rocketman. Source: gfycat.com
2018
Note: Part of this has already been discussed on this blog post
The year 2018 was the part where I changed career. First, let me discuss how it happened, so we begin at the first month of the year. It began around January 2018 when my grandfather was hospitalized due to a hip bone fracture. This was around the Sinulog Saturday and just before the scheduled block exams. Prior to entering medical school, I had already accepted that I would miss all the events that would occurring. As students of CDU - which the College of Medicine started in August while everyone started last June - Sinulog would have a sure miss as the faculty scheduled the block exams RIGHT AFTER the festival itself. And since the school is in Mandaue City, the Sinulog rest day does not apply. So came the exams which was difficult itself. However, the grades for a previous block was released after the week (along with the weekly quiz that hammers as all); it was the block that finally sealed my fate with CDU. That was on February 1st, 2018. At this point, my grandfather was already roughly two weeks into the admission. The operation was successful but complications arose. I was not able to visit for the past two weeks because of exams after exams. Plans were finally made to do it on Saturday, February 3rd, 2018, to visit at long last. Due to research being conducted in Barangay Inayawan then to church before we would go to the hospital. However, I didn't realize I had the luxury of time anymore as after mass, I would learn the hard way that my grandfather passed away before I could see him. This left me into a state of total breakdown as I threw an outburst on the hospital, blaming the whole thing on medical school. I was never the same person after that. I constantly wished death and destruction to occur and would take advantage of every bad event to say something equally vile and repulsive just to satisfy my anger and hatred for the world. It came to the point where I didn't even care if World War III would breakout. I just wanted to year to end get out of CDU.
Meal planning as part of the Digestive System module, February 9, 2018.
SGD 17 dinner on the last day of AY 2017-2018 at YakiMix, May 10, 2018.
The whole thing already went down the toilet bowl so I was more than happy to be out of there. I just needed a to get away from medicine as a whole. Summer outings and boxing helped as well as supporting my friends who were taking their board exams.
USC Department of Biology Batch of 2017 reunion at The Grid, May 19, 2018.
Displaying the Gadsden flag at Chocolate Hills Adventure Park, Carmen, Bohol, May 27, 2018.
Conquering the bicycle zipline at Chocolate Hills Adventure Park, Carmen, Bohol, May 27, 2018.
Attended the B.R.I.G.H.T. SHS Graduation Ball on May 17, 2018 at Radison Blu. It finally put the "volunteering for prom/ball" chapter to rest at long last, which was supposed to have ended in March 2015.
Come judgement day on June 13th, 2018 and I didn't really care anymore. Three weeks later I would decide to change career once and for all in a very big major announcement (yet some people still remain unaware to this day), knowing I would be driven to insanity had I stayed in CDU.
Conquering Osmena Peak, June 16, 2018.
Third-wheeling at Osmena Peak, June 16, 2018.
Meanwhile, a day before judgement day, the Kim-Trump summit would occur in Singapore. Just as Homefront predicted, the North declared the Korean War "over" (technically it never ended) and declared intentions to unite with the South some time in the future. Homefront fans were quick to point this out; some ever outright terrified if the Greater Korean Republic would occur. Also I forgot to mention, a false alarm in Hawaii thought the North Koreans launched an ICBM towards Honolulu, the first nuclear scare since the 1995 Norwegian Rocket Incident.
The Kim-Trump Summit in Singapore, June 12, 2018. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Range of North Korean ballistic missiles. Note some of these are hypothetical in nature. Source: Statista Charts.
Screenshot of the false alarm alert of an approaching North Korean ICBM towards Hawaii, January 13, 2018.
By July, as a symbol of new peace, my family and I traveled to Japan, where we visited Tokyo and Lake Kawaguchi. At the same time I found it strange why were in Japan, as in the Homefront timeline, 2018 was the year the Korean-Japanese War would have taken place resulting in Korean victory and occupation of Japan. I guess this was the point-of-departure from our world and the game's world. It would have been terrifying had the Homefront timeline actually became reality but thankfully the KPA does not have amphibious assault capability as of this writing but their ballistic missiles can hit Japan.
Shibuya Crossing with my family, July 5, 2018.
Near Lake Kawaguchi with Mount Fuji in the background, July 6, 2018.
Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, July 7, 2018
Unexpectedly timed the Tabanata food festival, Taito, Tokyo, July 7, 2018.
Returning back to the Philippines, I then focused on pursuing the Masteral of Science in Biology track. Then I got into airsoft. August was when classes began again, but this time as M.S. I was back in the University of San Carlos; I really felt at home, away from the toxic and on-the-demand schedule of medical school. Things were slowly healing. By September 28th, I would then stand-up for my friend in USC-Mwho revealed she was bullied and bodyshamed in high school (see blog post here), gaining my humanity again. She even thanked me for standing up for her, thus restoring our somehow-awkward friendship. I was no longer the person that wished death and destruction. It would take time to heal. I was fully healed by around November-December 2018. I would ultimately find peace on December 26th, 2018 when I opened up to several people what I wanted to say before the year ended. To name a few, one of them was a classmate from high school currently taking up law. Seeing she was down, I immediately gave my support to her. Another included a friend of mine from USC-M whom I only hanged out twice. In our conversation, I told her that I subbed and will continue to support her YouTube channel as well as the fact that I was happy that she became a CPA and overcame her bullies from before. Furthermore, I told her that I was glad to stand up for her, knowing what I did was right. After that, she responded that she appreciates the things I did for her (even saying that it was sweet of me to promote her YouTube channel) and looks forward to hiking with the former USC-M applicant group sometime in the future. While not grandeur and fancy as what social media says, it was the 2018 plot twist I was looking for: finding peace with myself and others.
Kayaking at Shangrila Mactan Resort and Spa, September 25, 2018. (NOTE: Date on the photo is wrong).
Snacks with the Environmental Science people, October 11, 2018.
Snacks with the Environmental Science people, October 11, 2018.
Snacks with the Environmental Science people, October 11, 2018.
Fieldwork at Kawasan Falls, October 14, 2018.
Trekking the Kawasan River as part of fieldwork, October 14, 2018.
Field work for Field Crops Entomology at Maloray Agricultural Farm, October 23, 2018.
Field work for Field Crops Entomology at Maloray Agricultural Farm, October 23, 2018.
Dinner time at the Dalaguete Sea Wall, October 24, 2018.
Chilling at the Dalaguete Sea Wall, evening of October 24, 2018.
Halloween 2018 costume. I got into airsoft in July 2018 where I recieved my first unit.
The Plus63 Halloween crew, October 31, 2018.
Sampling at Barangay Suba-basbas, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, November 7, 2018.
Unexpected night out at G-Spot Gaming and Bar, late evening of December 1 to the early dawn of December 2, 2018.
USC Department of Biology Christmas Party 2018 at MIO Restobar, December 16, 2018.
USC Department of Biology Christmas Party 2018 at MIO Restobar, December 16, 2018.
Along the way on the political side, gas prices increased worldwide, just like Homefront predicted. Europe is current in the middle of refugee crisis, where the left and right constantly clash as has been ongoing since 2015. In France, the Yellow Vests movement has intensified due to the high fuel prices and rising coasts of everyday goods. While not exactly as Homefront predicted, the parallels are similar. Meanwhile, the right has apparently won in the presidential elections of Brazil.
The 2018 Brazilian general elections. Source: The Dialogue.
Yellow vest movement in Paris, France, November 2018. Source: CNBC.
2019: We Are Here
If you have reached this part of the blog, then I salute you. The point of the whole entry was a recap of how my 2010s decade went while relating it to both current events as well as the events of the Homefront timeline. Here, I look back what I was doing for the decade. Most of my early 2010s, I was a cringey teenage along with almost everybody else. At this point, I didn't really have a care on what was going on despite being aware. It would be during my late teens when I started to care. Now that I am an adult, I now know how everything impacts me.
During my high school and college years, I would slowly see tensions in the international scene. The Korean peninsula was always the flashpoint with North Korea constantly threatening the South as well as Japan and the United States along with its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The next one is the South China Sea and the East China Sea, where the People's Republic of China has gotten aggressive over the years. For most of the decade, China has been building up its military (particularrly its navy, air force, and ballistic missiles) to match the U.S. and Japan. Consequently, the U.S. Navy as well as Australia, Britain, and France have increased patrols in the South China Sea. Japan has purchased the Senkaku Islands (Chinese: Diayou) in 2012 while also increasing JMSDF patrols in the area. China is also threatening to wage war against the Republic of China in the island of Taiwan, the "rebel province" which became its own country following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950. Should a war break out between the PRC and the ROC, the United States would be dragged into the conflict as both Taipei and Washington have a defense treaty. Many defense analysts say a war between the United States and China is bound to happen in the future. Elsewhere, people say war could break out in the Middle East especially in Syria where the multi-faction civil war supported by opposing powers has dragged it into the Arab Winter. Some say it could be triggered by Iran vs. Israel. Some say the war would occur in the Baltics and Ukraine where Russia has become aggressive in the area, causing NATO to deploy forces in the hopes of deterring the once mighty Soviet bear. Whatever it is, we can only hope that nothing would escalate. While I have never lived in the Cold War, most historians and defense analysts would say that we are currently in Cold War II, which began with Russia's invasion of Georgia in August 2008 and further intensified with Syria in August 2013 and Ukraine in early 2014.
Map of overlaying claims by claimant states in the South China Sea, which is believed to be the next point of an escalating conflict. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Map of overlaying claims in the East China Sea. Source: BBC.
NATO troop and forces build up in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, June 2018. Source: Business Insider.
Situation in Iraq and Syria in December 2017. Note the presence of foreign troops involved in the camapign against ISIS. Source: Newropeans Magazine.
Comparison of the military forces of Taiwan and China. Source: IHS Jane.
Build-up of U.S. forces and alliances in Europe and Asia. This shows that both Russia and China are technically encircled. Source: Quora.
So to simplify this, why does this game hit me so deep? My simplified answer is just look back what you and I were doing in the 2010s decade. Think of it. One time we were all cringey teens turned college students without a care in the world, just having fun, partying, hanging out with friends, and being hooligans in general and then in the next decade, we might be seeing war and living under enemy occupation, or even worse, living in post-nuclear holocaust world. It is this kind of game that makes us realize how lucky we are not to live in war or being occupied by our enemies. Furthermore, the developers of Homefront wanted players to feel that they are fighting the KPA for the future of their children and the nation. Most of us 90s kids lived a good childhood without a care in the world as the War on Terror began. The 90s-era feeling was a product of the American Century as the Soviet Union dissolved and the Eastern bloc collapsed, effectively making the United States the sole superpower after the Cold War. We lived watching good cartoons on TV and playing our favorite toys and gadgets that were of the era. Imagine growing up as aware adults where we are fighting an invading enemy force and fighting it for the future of our kids and their kids so they could taste freedom like how we tasted it. This is paragraph I stated is why the game hits me so deep and makes me think how lucky things have not escalated, yet. War is Hell. It is not a joke. As we live through rough times in this post-9/11, Cold War II era, we can only hope that cooler heads will prevail and that sheer diplomacy to work out so there won't be a Third World War that would permanently scar the 21st century.
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