My Friends: Direk AB

“Show me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.” — Vladimir Lenin

If you watch the shit that comes out of local TV, there's a good chance that Direk had a hand in creating it.

I've actually spoken with Direk before writing this because I was looking for a wacky photo of us. Much of what I am to write comes from that conversation. It might be a bit unfair to Dodong and Pau since they were caught off guard but it is what it is. Anyway, Direk and I have no other interesting photos, it seems.

Direk and I have known each other since we were high school freshmen. He was originally just Dodong's friend but since both of them skipped seventh grade, they caught up with me. Pau actually skipped seventh grade as well but Dodong and Direk aren't as nerdy and he wasn't part of their group when we all entered high school.

Direk and I had, and still have, so many links. Football. Writing. Anything that has to do with producing media. I suppose I just strayed from Direk's path because I didn't perform well in college and had to carve out a career in another industry.

The relationship between Direk and I has always been based on respect. At first, the respect (and fear) that whatever he can do to me, I can do to him— typical high school machismo. We were not very nice people back then. But that respect has since evolved into respecting our ability to create, and respect on our individual style and application of technique.

That may have sounded a bit cerebral but it's not. Well, it's not because on top of that respect is an understanding that even if I or he creates something that may not catch the other's fancy, the other knows that what was created always comes from the heart more than the mind.

Take for example what I call “shit that comes out of local TV”. I know that when Direk comes across that, it will sting. But I only say that because we actually grew up watching cheap, Filipinised stories with very low production values and bad acting. And Direk takes his profession and passion very seriously. So much that he would literally make day into night just to help tell all of us better stories.

I honestly don't know where that understanding comes from. It has just been there.

If I am easy to break; Direk is, too. But if I am easily made happy, so would Direk be. And as he told me on chat last night, I am also glad and grateful to have someone like that in my life— looking forward to our next meetings and always just picking up each others pieces.

And yeah, we are both “intellectual giants” happily standing on each other's shoulders.