Gone to Soon by Michael Jackson  || 


My first GCMA post was a big hit. It was a list of GCMA's most popular expressions. In a Facebook thread, D said he'll be watching out for my next GCMA post. So in memory of Papa D, I decided to come up with his own top 10 list.


These are the things I will always remember about D:

10.  The Face Contortionist




9. The Neat Freak
For a straight guy, D was surprisingly neat and organized. He wanted everything in place and in order all the time.
8. D the Explorer
I think D is short for Dora. He had everything inside his magical backpack: a sewing kit, pins, a tube of adhesive glue, utensils, a nail cutter, a Swiss knife, a pack of wet wipes, etc. I wonder if he had a map too.



7. Touchstone 
Touchstone was "conceived" because of D. Enough said.

6. Sweet, Sweet D



5. Two things that will make you happy
D did not just equip his trainees with the skills needed to survive life on the operations floor, he also prepared them for the real world. His trainees were fortunate to have learned some of life's most important lessons from him.

And by the way, those two things (according to D) are security and consistency.




4. Respect is earned, never mandated
This was D's favorite adage. He taught our team many things about respect.



3. Chinigger!
Chinigger. Chinitong negro. Yup, that's Derick alright! Kidding aside, D was very proud to be Pinoy.

If you want to know the story behind his body art, you can read this blog post.



2. D the Baptist
Sometimes, we christen trainees and give them playful names in GCMA. If your trainer called you Magdalena, Choleng, Sibulburo, or Mamerta, you have D to blame. He came up with all those catchy pet names.


1. The Ultimate Nanette
For those who do not know, this seemingly immortal GCMA expression came from Dee. Yes, he "nanetted" the word "nanette".


I told you D, I am your number 1 fan. Always was, always will be.