A Wonder intern reflects on her experience at the digital platform, with memories captured by the OPPO A57
“What is it like to work with Wonder?” I wondered to myself some time in 2021. As a Communication Arts major, I was interested in the field of magazine publishing, and Wonder caught my eye with its youthful visuals and content. I dreamt of dipping my feet into the publishing industry.
Fast forward to 2022, and here I am. I’m seated at my desk, earphones plugged in, blue light specs on and busy at work as I type down this article for Wonder. It’s crazy where life takes you. (Confession: I even put Wonder on my 2022 vision board! Talk about manifestation. 😩🤞🏼)
I guess I’m at a position where I can tell my 2021 self what she’s wondering about. It’s my last week as an editorial intern for Wonder, and the past three months have been, well, wonderful (pun intended).
Truthfully, I’ve never written so much in a condensed amount of time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful—I’m the type who works better with deadlines and assignments than none at all. I’m no stranger to writing, but it feels like second nature, more than ever. It’s an eye-opening experience to be on the other side of the media, from someone who’s been at the receiving end of it for the longest time. There’s definitely an added responsibility to the job. Sure, an internship is an internship, and work is work. But add the audience to the equation, and you start to realize that you have influence. I often keep mum with my work, but to think that there are hundreds, thousands, even, who come across my work makes me queasy if I really think about it (I try not to).
I’ve met the loveliest people here at Wonder, and I’ve learned so much about the production of it all. Like most things, there’s more to it than meets the eye. I could go on about this forever, but let’s take the visual route.
Since last week, I’ve been using the OPPO A57 to accompany me in my work as an editorial intern. The phone comes in two variations: Glowing Black and Glowing Green. I have the latter, and it glitters when placed under light. The phone comes with a case, but its backplate is cured with a multi-stage process, making it highly resistant to fingerprint smudges and scratches. If I’m being honest, it’s perfect for a klutz like me. 🙈
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June 18: Monday
Tagged along with the Content Leads, Elisa and Kai, for a work date in Poblacion! We dropped by Assembly Hall for an interview with their founder, Harvey Alumisin, for a feature we did on their newly-opened space. Since my internship is mostly virtual, I’m glad for the quality time I get to spend with my team members whenever I get the chance. ❤️ Since the café only had drinks and dessert, we stopped by Onlypans for a late lunch!
RELATED: Assembly Hall, A New Local Coffee & Cocktail Space in Makati, Defies All Odds
June 19: Tuesday
Since this month’s theme is Kids These Days, we sought to highlight Gen Z talents and personalities for this month’s content. On Tuesday, I had an interview with ANNA, a singer-songwriter and Kumu livestreamer! Afterwards, I accompanied my brother to do some errands prior to his graduation. 🏃🏻♀️
June 20: Wednesday
Wednesday was packed. I was invited to Coke Studio’s virtual event in anticipation of their 6th season, Coke Fan Fusion. We got to meet the artists who participated in this season’s Coke Studio: BINI, KZ Tandingan, The Juans, Shanti Dope, Arthur Nery and Adie as they talked about the songs they produced in the show. It was the first time for me to attend an event (albeit virtually) with celebrities, so it was a new experience.
Later that day, I used the OPPO A57 to go on TikTok and do research for my article on up-and-coming young TikTok creators.
RELATED: Upcoming Young TikTok Personalities To Watch Out For
June 21: Monday
Monday was spent transcribing my interview with ANNA. Though transcribing is a tedious process, I’ve learned how to appreciate it! The “slowness” of the activity allows me to really absorb and process the contents of the interview. I get to reflect on an interviewee’s responses, the flow of the conversation and my interview skills as well.
If I’m being honest, I used to cringe whenever I listened to my voice, but these days I let myself learn from my mistakes and acknowledge my growth. Later that day, I also wrote an article about the Filipino spinoff of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Drag Race Philippines.
I also got a package from the Coke Studio event that I attended last week! ❤️ I’m totally new to receiving PR (obviously), and I’ll admit, it does make me feel kind of special. 🤪
June 22: Tuesday
AKA today, the day I’m writing this article! A full circle moment in this article, don’t you think? As a student with a part-time job, I’ve been juggling multiple hats: a senior in university (I’m on break now 🌞), a junior content strategist at a local boutique agency and an editorial intern here at Wonder!
A part of the challenge is balancing the different aspects of my life together, but I still wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. Now that my internship is coming to a close, I want to pat myself on the back and tell myself: you did that.
More About the OPPO A57
I was able to capture these moments during my stay in Wonder using the OPPO A57. It has optimized cameras to help me capture these moments in their best light. The 13MP rear camera plus the 2MP bokeh camera has enhanced features such as the Portrait Mode with background blur, as well as Nightscape mode for low-light photography and Flash Snapshot for sharp action shots. The 8MP front camera is also equipped with the Nightscape feature for clear selfies in all conditions!
Among other features, I like how the OPPO A57 has its fingerprint scanner on the power button located at the side. Quite handy, if you ask me. I also love the phone’s aesthetics; it looks super sleek, and the 6.56 inch display feels very spacious for someone who is used to squinting at smaller screens. Weighing 187 grams, the phone is light enough to hold but still has a certain weight that feels nice in your hands.
The phone also has innovative gestures, such as the Google Lens Three Finger Screenshot. Lastly, and perhaps the most convenient for someone on-the-go like me, is the 33W SUPERVOOC Fast Charging. The phone claims that it charges the battery in about 72 minutes. Their claim isn’t too far off: it took 74 minutes to charge my phone from 16% to 100%.
I can’t help but be sentimental about my experience here at Wonder. Now that I’m a senior about to graduate in a few months, I’ve been having a lot of bittersweet memories and this one is an addition to that mix. But I’ll look at the bright side of things. I hate to be dramatic, but I’m a sentimental person. To quote WandaVision: “What is grief, if not love persevering?” It’s a good thing to be able to feel sadness simply because it’s proof that there, too, is a source of joy. So I’ll focus on the sweetness and endure the bitterness that comes with it.
After all, I can’t be sad forever—it’s only the beginning.
Photos Gwyneth King with the OPPO A57
Words Gwyneth King
Art Macky Arquilla
