Linking In

Are you Linked in?  I have been a member of this site for a couple of years now, but I have not gone to great lengths to explore what it has to offer.   But as they say, everyday is a new day.  And today, I decided to play with it.

It's an interesting site.  You get to see more of the professional world.  People you connect with are people you connect with for possible career opportunities.  It does not matter that you do not know their birthdays (leaving you guilt-free for not remembering them on that special day).  It does not even matter if you do not exchange jokes with them.  You are not obligated to share your thoughts, make mundane comments on their shout-outs or "like" their wall posts.  It is such a carefree, to-each-his-own virtual world. 

The only thing everyone actually cares about is whether you are a possible conduit to a better future for them; whether you are an angel in disguise, meant to bring them to a fulfilling career outside of where they are now.

And so, I have started to love being Linkedin.  Try it. Maybe we will see each other there.

Trojan War {Why I hate Helen}

Exams na naman ni anak, so I had to help her review.  One of their topics is the Trojan War. At dahil mahaba ito, I had to summarize it for her - including describing each character and "connecting the dots" of how each one is related to the other.  ANG HIRAP! Not only do I not remember having studied this when I was in school, but I also only got to skim thru the summary from the web. Summary na nga lang, spi-need read ko pa. So, what I know is really pira-piraso.

After hours and hours of making kwento, I finally gave up and told anak:  "sige, anak, just do you best na lang"

Anak burst out laughing and teased me: "tinamad ka na ano? pag mababa ang grade ko tapos nagtanong si teacher bakit, sasabihin ko kse tinamad na ang mommy ko!"

Kung bakit naman kse si Helen nagpakidnap pa kay Troy! :D

Appreciation

There should be one.  Not so much as for the employee to feel appreciated, but for the bosses to realize what they should be thankful for.

Friends

This year has been a good year of pleasant revelations.  I have learned that no matter how far a relationship dates back to, it does not mean that the bond will not break.  I have learned that there are people who believe so much in their own goodness that they fail to see the flaws in their character.  I have learned that no one is spared from the impulse to twist words in order to justify one's opinion. 

This year, I have come to an acceptance about where my relationships are. A long time friend disappointed me big time when I realized the person was a turn coat.  Someone who claimed to be a friend was really just that - claiming to be a friend.  A professional relationship turned cold when I learned about the twisted workings of that person's thoughts.

In each and every moment, I was surprised that people that I thought I know, I actually didn't really.  It has been a mix of emotions - anger, disappointment, sadness and relief.  It is never a happy moment to acknowledge that it is time to move on.  But I am happy that I am spared from many more moments of misplaced comfortability and misguided trust.

It is never really about how many friends I have, as long as the ones I have are the ones who I can trust with my life.

Showtime

I often wonder why a quorum is called when there really is nothing for the quorum to do or say.  Lahat privelege speech lang.  Now I understand why those senators either look lost in thought or fall asleep entirely.  Nakakapagod makinig sa speech na limang kilometro ang haba, pero di mo naman talaga makita ang kabuluhan nito sa araw araw na pamumuhay mo.

There is no point is asking for an audience when there is no audience participation required.  Buti pa ang Showtime, may mob dance!

It just gets old to be hearing the same things over and over, knowing that parang RH Bill lang lahat yan. Pagdedebatehan pero it will take forever to actually come to fruition.  Kahit na para sa ikakabubuti ng nakakarami ang bill, mamamayagpag ang clout ng iilang pinagpala.  "Ikaw na!" sabi nga nila.

Minsan naman parang disco lang ang quorum na pinatawag. May ledge kung saan nandun ang mga (feeling) star. Manuod ka kung gusto mo, o kaya lumabas ka na lang at lumipat ng venue.

In any case, may mga pagkakataon talaga na wala kang choice. Tanggapin mo na lang na kailangan ka nila duon. Pang body count. Para naman mukhang demokrasya nga talaga ang nagpapaikot sa mundo ninyo.  At kung tunay na hindi mo na masikmura, kumanta ka na lang ng :

Tayo’y tumalon (heyyy)  Tayo’y sumigaw (hohhh)
Maghawak-hawak tayo’y sumayaw
This is your show, this is your time
Magpasikat na, it's showtime!

Today's Random Thoughts

I like random thoughts, perhaps due to my predisposition to start a thought and quickly move on to another one. :D  So, today's random thoughts are:

1.  Ulan = Baha. The only math equation na walang operation pero may answer.

me and the forever boyfriend, after wading thru some serious flood

2.  General meeting today = a blast of punctuation marks

but they won't be as happy as these question and exclamation marks are

3. Pag tinext ka, mag reply ka naman. Even if only out of respect for another human being. 

yes, minsan gusto kitang ipakain sa whale.

4.  The witch has arrived. The day has started.

maganda pa itong witch na ito.

5. I used to love where I am.  Operative word here being "USED".

need i say more?

Star

margarine ka ba?
feeling mo kse ikaw palagi ang Star!

Specific

Anak asked me the other night: " mommy, guess mo anong oras na?"

me: "10 o'clock?"

anak smiles and tells me: "be specific"

i teased her back :" be more or less specific?"

she goes: "yes"

so i say: "10:15?"

anak laughs and declares: "less specific!"

turns out it was 10:07.

less specific nga naman! 

The aftermath

After several days of monsoon rains, this is how Manila looks like.  Lahat ng bahay may sarili ng swimming pool. Mandatory daw ang paglalagay ng swimming pool, sabi ni Mother Nature.  Ang hindi sumunod, ipapakagat sa ahas.  Opo, may mga ahas na nakitang nagpa-"partee! partee!" sa baha.

And so, like many times in the past, when disaster strikes, nagmamadaling lumabas ang mga inner goodness ng bawa't isa.  Everybody scrambles to organize rescue operations, collect donations and distribute relief goods. 

And like many times in the past too, nagmamadali ding lumabas ang mga personal at ulterior motives ng iba.  We have politicians who trek to every flooded street for relief operations, but who are also quietly counting the number of registered voters in the area. We have artistas, who join relief distributions in evacuation areas, who probably get a narcissic high when people queue up to hug them. 

These people I can actually forgive. It is part of what they do. Politicians have to think of their long-term goals of staying in power.  Artistas have to get exposure in order for their movies and teleseryes to sell.

What annoys me though, are the ordinary people who find this as an opportunity to show off.   People who take advantage of the goodness of other people's heart and claim it as their own.  There's a word that comes to my mind - "credit grabber". 

Para lang mukhang siya ang bida.
Siya ang mabait.
Siya ang star.  
Sana, siya na lang din ang inagos ng baha.

Like a Boss

Have you seen that thumbs up icon that says "like a boss"?

I used to think it meant that i should be enamored with the boss, then i realized it was actually referring to doing things as if you are a boss.  Although, quite frankly, I do not subscribe to either interpretations.  I am not enamored with the boss and I hope to God I do not do things like a boss. 

The thing with being a boss is that you tread a very fine line. You have to be careful with the words you say, and the things you do.  You cannot continue to be "like everyone else" where you twist words to fit your pre-conceived twisted notions; and yet, you cannot be so high up the ladder to not know when jokes are just that, jokes.

I expect a whole damn lot from people of position. 
I expect them to know when to say something and when not to.
I expect them to exercise prudence and sensitivy.
I expect them to lead with action, not threats or empty words.
I expect them to know how to do my job.
I expect them to champion the greater good.
Most of all, I expect them to own up to what they say.

One cannot be in a position of respect if one does not have the courage to stand by what one has said; nor can one be respectable if one can only say things behind closed doors, away from the ears of the person one is championing against.

It takes more than the ability to talk incessantly for hours or the ability to sprinkle sentences with jargon to be a real boss.  It takes true understanding of what being a boss should be - one who motivates people, pushes them to grow and champions them to be the best they can be.