Remembering Tyler Mayle

I would like to make a short record of Tyler's impression on me and I do so through this medium to share enjoyable memories of him with mutual friends.

I can't accurately remember the first time I met him, but I'm pretty sure one of the initial things that stood out to me was his voice. That voice that made me think, "He should be an announcer for something." Sure enough, he later became a news broadcaster for radio. Another thing was how much of a nerd he was... which I felt was relatable. I remember developing with him the idea of doing a huge map of Middle Earth on a flexible canvas that could be mounted on a wall, and then taken down when moving. He introduced me to the wonderful YouTube video of Saruman trolling among others. Priceless. It took me a while to figure out the pronunciation of his last name... Mayle. Was it like Maylay? Maylee? Oh wait, it's like mail. Today while applying for a passport at a postal office, I couldn't stop thinking of him... because of the mail.

Some of the bigger and probably more meaningful impressions however are a result of his special character and spirit. I will never forget the emotion and spirit felt during his talk in church on Mother's Day. The way he talked about his parents' faith, particularly his mother's was very touching. Love, gratitude, respect and admiration were all qualities expressed through his words. 

His love of music is both admirable and memorable. He was dedicated and always willing to fulfill his calling in church as music co-chair. He played the piano and from what I hear was a great band member as a french horn player. His music collection included many soundtrack to movies, even movies he had never seen.

He had recently bought a red convertible Mustang which he loved. He had plans to make it into his personal expression of American Patriotism which possibly included a big USA flag on the roof and special plates. His patriotism extended even to Apples to Apples where any card having to do with America could automatically be considered a winner. Either that or Helen Keller.

My last interactions with Tyler were the planning of a BBQ up in Provo Canyon simply for fun and leisure with friends. I had expressed a desire to have said BBQ during a meeting and soon after it ended he came up and said he volunteered to help me plan it. I was happy and grateful for his willingness to help. He looked forward to making his jalapeño dogs (or something along the lines) and I was curious to try them. We each expressed our excitement for these plans particularly because of the opportunity to be out in nature and the beautiful scenery of our planned location.

I won't pretend that we had a very close friendship, but he was a friend nonetheless and he definitely made an impact on me and with many people in our Provo YSA Ward. The outpouring of prayers, love, and tears throughout the last few days and last hours is proof of that.

I'm confident he is now making an impact in a different place and with different souls. My heart breaks for his family since his love for them and vice versa was very evident. Any separation from someone with such a strong bond can only be difficult. He will be missed during his absence but the difference he made with us during his life here on Earth will be remembered. That along with the knowledge of a future joyous reunion brings great comfort.

Rest in Peace Tyler Mayle, and farewell... till we meet again.

"Thank you for calling, how may I help you?"

Last post: over a year ago. Oops.
Considering how my life basically consists of just working, sleeping, eating, and the occasionally outing, I figured it'd be good for me to write about my work recently. Since my last post I quit my job at the dollar theater and got a job at the Nu Skin Call Center as a Sales Support Representative (Spanish Speaking). I know it's not related to my field of study in film, but it's a temporary and necessary sacrifice for a goal in the near future (more on that soon).

I started June 4th, 2012. Boy does time goes fast. I was skeptical of applying for that particular job since 1. I hate talking on the phone and 2. I hate sales. And yet I've been there a year. Most of the time the calls are non-stop, the calls get to be hours long, and yet... I've managed. That goes to show ME that I can do anything I set my mind to. I must say it's been rewarding though. My people skills have been sharpened, I've actually met several goals (both work related and personal), and probably my favorite thing about the job (aside from the pay) is getting to talk to people from all over. Even though I handle the Latin American markets of Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, I occasionally get calls from those countries by people that are from somewhere else like China, Japan, Korea, Germany, etc. I love diversity.

I first began just working in the sales department, but then I got trained in Shipping. I heard horror stories of disgruntled customers, angry cussing distributors, slow service, and the gnashing of teeth! I did not look forward to that at all! However, after working in Shipping for quite a while, I actually slightly prefer it over Sales. I'm the kind of person that enjoys challenges, and that's what shipping is all about.

- "Where is my order!?"
- "I don't know yet but let me figure it out."

- "I'm missing products!"
- "Let me see what I can do to fix it."

Sometimes it's simple to fix, but sometimes it is a complex puzzle that requires Operations Analysts, Supervisors, Managers, etc. After so much work, stress, tears and sweat (sometimes not an exaggeration) it gives me great satisfaction to inform the caller, "You're issue has been solved. Here's the information of the solution." I'm a sucker for puzzles.

Then some time later I get trained in the U.S. and Canada markets. I about wanted to throw a tantrum "No more!" Again I heard horror stories of customers that have been spoiled by great customer service in the U.S. and have the highest of unachievable expectations. Not only that, but I had to be trained for a whole new ordering system! After some time, I got used to it. It's not at all horrible. It's actually easier and faster. And the people that call are not bad at all. It's like that new dish that you think you wouldn't like, but end up ordering again and again after you try it.

Aside from all that, the perks are just about the cherry on top. Occasionally the company will treat us with food stuff, tickets to the movies, quarterly and end-of-year bonuses (which result in tears of joy), fun events, generous Christmas gifts, and some free products for personal use.

Recently I applied for and was offered a full-time position. The idea of having 9 hour shifts on the phone is scary, but if there's something I've learned is that I can do it. I've also set a personal goal of not just doing ok or the minimum to get by, but putting my best effort and going the extra mile. It's not always sunshine and peaches, and it's not always thunder and horror. It's what I make of it, and let's just say... I am ready to rumble.

Mi Primo Arturo - My Cousin Arturo

Cuando primero escuche la noticia, parecía irreal. Fue una gran sorpresa y golpe. Algo así no podía pasarle a mi familia, no era posible. Seguí pensando en lo que su familia debería estar sintiendo ante esto. Seguí pensando, pero no sentía... por lo menos aun no. Por fin me pego después de un tiempo que era verdad, era real. Sentí un inmenso dolor y tristeza con una desesperación inquietante. Busque paz por medio de una bendición del sacerdocio de mis maestros orientadores. Antes de la bendición, ellos compartieron unas escrituras conmigo, una de las cuales fue Alma 7:11-12:

11 Y él saldrá, sufriendo dolores, aflicciones y tentaciones de todas clases; y esto para que se cumpla la palabra que dice: Tomará sobre sí los dolores y las enfermedades de su pueblo.

12 Y tomará sobre sí la muerte, para soltar las ligaduras de la muerte que sujetan a su pueblo; y sus enfermedades tomará él sobre sí, para que sus entrañas sean llenas de misericordia, según la carne, a fin de que según la carne sepa cómo socorrer a los de su pueblo, de acuerdo con las enfermedades de ellos.

Me trajo esperanza, paz, y consuelo al ser recordada de esto.

Ahora pienso en los divertidos tiempos que comparti con el y siento gratitud de haberlo conocido y de haberlo tenido como mi primo. Ha pasado a la siguiente etapa de su vida inmortal. Acompaña a muchos otros que también han pasado como el Abuelo Carlos. Nos volveremos a ver. Hasta entonces, soy feliz de tener unas memorias de el:

1. Ir a su casa y quedarnos a dormir de vez en cuando.

2. Jugar y construir cosas con el y sus Legos.

3. Un dia de año nuevo cuando tronamos fuegos artificiales y cohetes, sentimos miedo y emoción cuando una botella de plástico que sostenía un cohete se callo al costado y el cohete salió rapidamente hacia el lado. Después el y yo nos quedamos jugando video juegos hasta las 6 de la mañana.

4. La primera vez que jugué dominos fue con el.

5. Me introdujo al juego de Pokemon en el Gameboy y me encanto.

6. Un verano jugamos a las escondidas en el jardin de mi abuelita Alicia hasta las 2 de la mañana cuando Ramnses accidentalmente rompió una botella de vidrio en mi cabeza.

7. Fuimos a nadar a una pila en Mexico y una vez en particular nos reímos tanto de Hector David mientras intentaba hacer del baño al otro lado de la calle. Había mucho viento y tierra por todas partes y un camión lleno de trabajadores paso y lo vio.

8. Una vez lo acompañe a el y su familia a un centro comercial de varios pisos y nos estacionamos en un nivel que estaba alto. Debido a mi fobia de las alturas, yo no quería salir del carro. El se quedo conmigo y espero.

9. El me enseño a tocar las primeras cuerdas que toque en una guitarra. Fueron las cuerdas para la canción Stand by Me.

10. Nos acompaño a mi a mi familia a Disney World y los Estudios Universales en Orlando, Florida. 72 horas en el carro de ida y de venida con varios dias de diversion entre los dos viajes.

11. El y Ramnses intentaron ver todos los episodios de Star Wars sin quedarse dormidos. Los dos se durmieron durante la tercera película.

12. Cuando no podía hacer algo, se burlaba diciendo, "Es contra idiotas." Y si aun no podía, me ayudaba.

Seras extrañado primo, pero nos volveremos a ver.

Descansa en Paz

Arturo Almaguer Hernandez

29 Agosto 1988 - 29 Enero, 2012

When I first heard the news, it seemed unreal. I was shocked and surprised. Something like this couldn't happen to my family, it wasn't possible. I kept thinking of what his family must be feeling. I kept thinking, but I did not feel... at least not yet. It finally hit me some time later that it was true. I felt immense grief, sorrow, and an unsettling hopelessness. I sought peace through a priesthood blessing from my home teachers. Before doing so, they shared some scriptures one of which was the following in Alma 7: 11-12:

11 "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

It brought hope, peace, and comfort to be reminded of this.

Now I think of the fun times I shared with him and I feel gratitude for knowing him and having him as a cousin. He has passed on to the next stage of his immortal life. He joins ranks with many others who have also passed such as Grandpa Carlos. We will meet again. Until then, I am happy to be left with memories of him:

1. Going to his home and sometimes sleeping over

2. Building and playing with him and his Legos.

3. For one New Year's Day lighting up fireworks and being scared and thrilled when the plastic bottle that was holding one fell over and the firework when shooting sideways. Then we both stayed up until 6am playing video games.

4. First time I played dominoes was with him.

5. He got me hooked on the Pokemon game on Gameboy.

6. One summer we played hide and seek in Grandma Alicia's garden until 2am when Ramnses accidentally broke a glass bottle on my head.

7. Going swimming at a watering trough in Mexico and one particular time laughing at Hector as he attempted to do his "business" on the other side of the road while there was a strong wind and dust storm and a truck filled with workers passed by and saw him.

8. One time I accompanied him and his family to a shopping center that was several stories high and they parked on a high level. Due to my phobia of heights, I did not want to leave the car. He stayed behind with me and waited.

9. He taught me the first chords I ever played on a guitar. They were chords to the song Stand by Me.

10. He joined me and my family to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. 72 hours in a car roundtrip, several days of fun in between.

11. Him and Ramnses attempting to watch all six Star Wars episodes and not falling asleep. They fell asleep during the third movie.

12. Whenever I could not do something he'd tease me and say, "It's idiot-proof." When I still couldn't do it, he'd help me.

You will be missed cousin, but we will meet again.

Rest in Peace

Arturo Almaguer Hernandez

August 29, 1988 - January 29, 2012

LDS General Conference (April 3, 2004)

I think the best place to begin with this post is with some few points.

• I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• Every six months, members of this church have the opportunity to participate in what is called "General Conference." Latter-Day Saints travel from all over the world to attend this conference which originates in the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The church membership is currently at 14 million and as such, conference is broadcasted to thousands of meetinghouses all over the world as well as online so that all may watch and listen.
• General Conference is intended to be a revelatory experience as participants learn from living prophets, apostles, and other church leaders through the power and influence of the Holy Ghost. Receiving inspiration and instruction from Church leaders will serve as a guide for members' present day lives.
• I have a unique phobia of heights, big buildings, wide open spaces, and probably other things I'm currently unaware of.
• The Conference Center in Salt Lake City is a VERY big building.

With the above points in mind, I will proceed with my General Conference experience in the Spring of 2004. At that time I was living in Spanish Fork, UT with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and siblings. My parents remained in Laredo, TX, however that Spring my father had the opportunity of traveling to Utah with other Laredo Church members for General Conference. My dad had with him four tickets; two for the Saturday Morning Session, and another for Sunday Morning Session. It was his plan to attend both with one of his children. My older brother and I were the only ones old enough to attend so it was determined that I would attend one and my brother the other. From the time I knew of this I was not at ease. Much of what happened that day was a blur for me. I remember being very sleepy during our drive there since I could not sleep the night before due to the nerve-racking anticipation, but I could not sleep due to the anxiety.

Once there, I clung to my dad as we entered the building. Imagine my disbelief when I learned we were to go upstairs. I covered my eyes throughout this ordeal and remember nothing, only that we were then to go upstairs once again! There are no words to describe what I felt. If anything think about something that would cause you great anxiety, then think how that scenario would feel worse and then you might feel what I felt.

We proceeded to enter the actual conference area (I'm sure there's a particular name for it) and I realized we were on the highest level for seating. We proceeded to find our seats which happened to be close to the edge! We finally took our seats and I figured the worst was over. I let myself relax and try to take in the fact that I would be in the presence of a prophet of God. I remained anxious, but I felt enough peace to remain there for the full 2 hours. At one point I was thankful that I was strong enough to be there and have that experience with my dad. Once the session concluded, the anxiety increased as we began the descend. We left and all was good.

Seven years have passed since that day. I don't know if I will ever return to the Conference Center and face the possible anxiety and horror caused by my phobia, but I am glad to say that I've been there. I've experienced General Conference with thousands of other members that gather to hear important messages imparted by servants of God including his very own prophet. While there I received a witness of the peace the spirit can bring to our lives during troubled times. Even though I faced great difficulties I will forever remember that I overcame them and enjoyed this remarkable experience. I did it!

For Olga

This is me updating my blog.... muah...ha...ha!

I'll do it properly later when I'm done with my paper. (eek!)

What's this?... my life for the next four months?!

(Good words to live by these upcoming months.)

Schedule for 2011 Winter Semester is as Follows:

REL C 324 - The Doctrine and Covenants

CMLIT 202 - Civilization: Literature 2
Taking it to fulfill two GE requirements but I'm excited nonetheless. A bit scared about the readings (10 books required for the class) since it's difficult for me to concentrate when I read, but what else can I do but try my best right? Besides I'm taking it with Becca!!!

ITAL 201 - Intermediate Italian 1
I added this to get enough credits to be a full-time student, but now I'm simply excited for the class. It'd be a shame to waste the little I learned freshman year and now I get to refresh my poor Italian and make it better!

TMA 315R - Special Projects 2 (Digital Video Technologies)
I figured if I want to be a learned film student, I should learn more about the digital aspect of cinema.

TMA 441R - Screenwriting 3
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CLASS!!! I've taken both Screenwriting 1 and 2 and in them we learned about writing short scripts. This class is for feature-length screenwriting.

Sitting in:
TMA 492R - Media Arts Genres (Musicals)
I really wanted to take this class, but my desire is not so strong that I'd submit myself to a grueling 18-credit-semester. I already took this class last year with Dean Duncan and we looked at the horror genre. It was great. Now Sharon Swenson will focus on the musicals genre. What is there not to like about musicals right!? So I'll be sitting in class but not actually be registered for it. I'll go for the lectures, buy the book and do some reading, maybe stay to watch the films or rent them and watch them at home (I don't feel like sitting in class for five hours until 10pm every Wednesday again this semester).

That's how my semester looks for now. Aside from school I'm hoping to practice playing the guitar and piano, maybe actually paint or draw something, and exercise (anyone want to join?) Last semester opened my eyes to certain difficulties, but now that I'm aware of them, I plan to kick butt this semester. If all goes well I'll graduate in April, so why not finish with a bang!

Employment... I should get on that ASAP. Any tips anyone?

Oh and one last thing: Dating. I wouldn't mind if it became existent this semester. As much as I like hanging out, it's not the same. If this continues, I'll resort to staring at my shirtless-Shah Rukh Khan poster every night, then getting a date from me without having rock hard abs will be impossible. (Kidding)

Ideas:

1. Trafalga Fun Center - Have never been.
   
2. Laser Tag - I ranked 5 out of 20 recently. So be scared, be very scared.
   
3. Salsa Chocolate - Don't know how to salsa? Learn! (BYU Salsa Club meets every Tuesday at 8:30pm in the Garden Court and Salsa Chocolate provides an hour of lessons before the dance.)
4. BYU's Peter Pan - Grandma (aka the amazing Shelby Luke) costume designed for this play so you bet I will be attending. Basically anyone want to tag along?
5. Living Legends - I've gone to this show every year since freshman year. So again, tag along?
6. BYU International Cinema - Free. If you don't like any international cinema get off my blog now. Kidding... but seriously, who are you?
7. Dollar Theater - Inexpensive (1.25 with student ID to be exact). If there's something decent (quality wise) why not.
8. DVD Rentals/Netflix - Normally I'd say, "You're pushing it" but I'd be happy staying out of the frigid cold. And don't insult me by thinking I limit myself to chick-flicks or family movies. The occasional Gladiator or The Hurt Locker is most welcome.
   
9. Video Games - That's right. I'm a gamer. Recently played Batman: Arkham Assylum, some Red Dead Redemption, and got slaughtered in Black Ops (I need more game time). Other favorites include Mario Games, Guitar Hero/Rockband, etc.
10. Eating - Everybody does it, so why not give in to peer pressure. Anything goes.

I've given 10 ideas so far, your turn. What you got?

Reaping Rewards

You know how it is when you get an idea or thought in your head, and you say to yourself, "It would be cool if that ever happened to me." Well it actually happened to me!

I actually paid attention to and clicked on a banner ad on Facebook which read, "BYU Meal Plan Video Contest" and it had a picture of a film-type guy with the words, "Win an iPad!" (or something like that.) I don't recall the exact wording of the description.

Anyways, I click on the link which takes me to all the information with regards to the contest. I decide that it's doable, if only I had a good idea, because if I've learned anything about making videos, it's all about the idea, concept, or story. If that's no good, don't even make the video. It's like Thumper says, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." Same idea applies to film/video making in my opinion. So great opportunity in front of me, I simply lacked a good idea.

It's funny how most of the time we as college students think to ourselves that this college education will someday be worth it (if it doesn't feel as such at the moment.) We may also feel like we're not becoming adequate for what's ahead of us. I had been feeling like that for quite some time: an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. In any case, when such feelings arise I say to myself, "What else can I do but keep trying... right?" *confidence slowly receding throughout the thought.

One day... or should I say night, my evening film class was coming to an end. It is called Media Arts Topics (I think), focusing on what makes films great. Each week we look at a certain aspect of film that can make a great film. The professor for this class (Dean Duncan) felt it was best to show this through several short films. That week the topic was THINGS... focusing on the benefit that the use of materials brings to film. Material world, materialistic person, and other terms have a sort of negative feel to them. It makes sense how they could be considered a possible evils, but that is not always the case. What about that small box of knick-knacks that one keeps safeguarded as a priceless treasure with each object housing a valuable memory? I can't make his lecture adequate justice in this short blog post, but you can hopefully sense the idea of where he was going with this. One of the many films he showed us was Toccata for Toy Trains. It was then that I received the much desired idea for my video.

What should the video be about? Food! How was I going to focus on it?-by showing the process by which it is made. I'm sure the BYU Meal Plans' big thing is that it makes food readily available for you in the place where you typically spend most of your time, on campus. People make you food, and a Meal Plan takes care of getting that food to you. However, what if none of this existed? What would be the impossible ideal?-food that makes itself, and THAT was my BIG idea.

I proceeded to make the video by taking many many pictures and putting them together, adding music, and tweaking the visuals. Behold the result:



...and yes I did win the iPad.

Feeling of inadequacy? Considerably diminished, but never extinguished. In a way it's a good thing, it keeps us humble....right?