Opera Campus Crew Blog

How long have you two known each other?
We met during first grade at school. We were classmates during first and fifth grades, and all of high school. That’s why we also did Crew activities at our old high school.

What has motivated you to do such a high amount of activity on the Opera Campus Crew?
The Opera browser itself! Having experienced the fastest and safest way to browse online, we thought that it would be great if other people could also enjoy it. And what better way to reach out to them than through these activities! I like giving back to the company that gives me the best internet experience! Another motivation is being one of the few members in the Philippines. (Xyrilloid adds, "Crew activity also helps my public speaking, which is handy because I'm thinking of teaching after I graduate.")

What have you learnt this semester from your activities?
We learned that it’s really easy to talk to people. We use to think that it would be difficult, but as we hold more activities, talking to people has been much easier. We also learned to use our connections at schools and organizations, to make it easier for us to organize activities. Talking to the ‘big’ people is not just reserved for other big people!

Was there a particular activity that you most enjoyed working on this semester?
We enjoyed the demos and seminars in our former high school (see left). The participants are always in high spirit and very interested. It’s heartwarming giving back to the school where we have lots of fun memories – giving a taste of the world’s best browser to younger students. It’s fun talking to teachers we haven't seen for so long, and they notice that we have grown not just physically but also in our views on life. And all the students calling us 'kuya' (Filipino for 'big brother') never fails to make us smile.

What activities are you most looking forward to working on next semester?
With the Opera 10 World Series were planning to 'invade' as many schools as we can handle. There are lots of schools in our community that know internet browsing only through a big 'E'. We can hold activities in their schools, and leave future tasks to newly 'baptized' members of the Crew there. We also look forward to integrating the Web Standards Curriculum in classes at our former high school!

Enough of this Campus Crew business, tell us about YOU!
Xyrilloid: I'm into graphic design, and I'm doing some reading about Typography. For me life without music would be boring, I also do some music arrangements and mixing contests, and one of my dreams is to have my own music studio. Cooking comes naturally for me since my mother loves to cook and taught us how to cook and appreciate food.
Alexis: I love writing; I've been a student journalist since fifth grade. Web surfing is a necessity, and I can't live without my mobile! I love reading, and I dream of having a library in my home that's similar to a bookstore. A week won't be complete without a movie at the cinema. On my PC, I'm into video-editing and strolling in cyberspace to look for new stuff to share with my friends.

Nice to learn more about both of you! Thank you for your amazing work this semester, it has made a great impact and is truly appreciated. We look forward to seeing what lies ahead for you.