While having our editorial workshop at the PDI Multi-Purpose Room, frames hanging on the wall caught my attention. Maganda kasi yung mga landscape photos na andun. Astig yung sunset, yung trees, yung rocks, yung skies…

At astig din yung mga words of wisdom underneath the pictures…

Synergize.

Think win-win.

Put first things first.

Be proactive.

Sharpen the saw.

Short sentences which obviously speak a lot. Let’s get something out of them.

“Hindi ako dapat tamarin. Marami akong pangarap.”

- Paul

Nasabi n’ya ‘to kanina habang nakasakay kami sa tricycle. Hinatid nya ako pauwi bago siya pumasok sa trabaho. Nakakatamad nga naman ang shift nya kaya kailangan ng matinding motivation.

In a “one thought-first thought” segment of an open forum in Pasig where a senator-elect, a governor-elect, and a mayor-elect guested, former 3rd District of Albay Rep. and now Governor of Albay joey Salceda, an economist allied with the administration, wittingly answered and made the audience laugh:

Bush and Blair: “Forgettable.”

Charter Change: “Forget it.”

Empowerment: “Dream.”

Biodiversity: “I give money to it.”

GMA: “She trusts me.”

There were other parts of the  discussion that convinced me why the president wanted him to be in her Cabinet and why he won as governor but the fewer words and the conviction I saw in these quotes topped his other convincing but long answers. 

His fellow politicians admit that he is a loss in Congress but a gain of Albay.

For him, what Albay needs is a strong economy, a strong environment, and strong governance. Nice. I hope these would materialize.

Nakikinig lang ako kanina sa Todo-Todo Walang Preno program ni Winnie Cordero at Ariel Ureta. Iniinterview nila si Reggie Pablo, isa sa mga Pinoy mountaineers na umakyat sa Mt. Everest last May.

Sabi ni Reggie sa last message niya: Lahat tayo may Everest at yun ang challenge ng bawat isa.

Yeah, I agree, At sana hindi lang pag-akyat ng bundok ang kayang harapin kundi yung bundok ng pagsubok ng buhay: yung pride, yung tunay na nararamdaman, yung takot, yung sundin yung talagang gusto mong gawin sa buhay na ayaw mong gawin na isang malaking hakbang lang naman e maaabot na. Takot ka lang. 

Sana yung multo ng nakaraan bitawan na rin kasi ibang bundok na ang kinakaharap mo at hindi na yung dati. Kung hindi ka bibitaw, baka hindi mo na maakyat yung ibang bundok. Di mo naisip na kahit nandyan lang yung bundok na yan, nagsasara rin. Sabihin nating may clean-up sa bundok o kaya binawal pansamantala. Pansamantala man yung pagbabawal sa pag-akyat sa bundok na yan pero kung ayaw kang patuluyin ng diwata ng bundok may magagawa ka pa ba?  

Overheard from two people who barely knew each other’s lovelives… the lady was saying to the guy:

Hindi ka dapat nagmamahal kung alam mong hindi ka seseryosohin.

Hmn, I wonder where that came from. Mukhang may bitter experience ang ale. I’m not sure if I want to agree or not. How do you know na seseryosohin ka ng isang tao? Sinu-sino ba sa mundong ito ang dapat na sineseryoso at hindi sineseryoso? Ano ang batayan ng ganyang klaseng pag-iisip? Hindi ba enough yung tao ka kasi kaya dapat sineseryoso ka?

I’ll have to agree with that statement. Kung hindi ka sineseryoso ng isang tao, he/she doesn’t deserve your love. Or maybe, you should show him/her your love para ma-realize n’ya na ikaw ang taong dapat na sineseryoso. Or baka dapat wag na, kasi ibig sabihin ba nu’n, seseryosohin ka lang pag pinakita mong mahal mo s’ya. One-sided yata.

For the sake of not ruining your thoughts on this freakin’ statement, I’ll stop right here and leave the thinking to you.

Drama/serious mode:

If we can’t make memories, we can’t heal.

I’m a memory person. I love moments and sentiments. And I find this quote so true.

Sometimes, time isn’t just enough. We also need people, places, and things to make fresh unforgettable moments so that the old ones drown on the new ones. And we eventually forget because the memories of today are better than the memories of yesterday. And when we start forgetting the bad and the painful, that’s when we start healing.

Windang ang umaga ko nang marinig ko ang conversation na ito ng isang “oldie but goodie” consultant at ng isang office staff:

Consultant: Anong ginagawa mo ngayon? May trabaho ka pa ba for accounting or finance?
Staff: Sa legal po ako.
Consultant: Ah, sa legal ka ginagamit..

Gamit?!

Bigla akong napatigil at napaisip. Paglabas niya ng kwarto, sabay kaming tumawa ng officemate kong “ginagamit sa legal.” Talk about being politically incorrect.  Hindi man lang nag-menor. Walang hesitation. Well, we let her “mis-terms” pass na lang. One time, she actually introduced me as an “office alalay“ to one of her friends. Que horror! I guess that makes her the “majordoma.”

From a friend na ang hobby eh mag-flood ng inbox ng mga friends n’ya ng text quotes (dahil yan sa unlimited texting tuwing kalaliman ng gabi):

If you’re not willing to sound stupid, then you don’t deserve to be in love.

Nakanang text yan! Pero bago pa kayo mapabilib eh galing ito sa A Lot Like Love. Do you believe in this quote? Well ang masasabi ko lang… bakit stupid lang? Dapat may karugtong pa yan. Tipong, if you’re not willing to sound stupid… and corny…

Ganyan! kaya ako, hindi deserving ma-in love. Boohoo! Hahaha!

“Always ask, never assume.”

While you might be thinking in inches, the boss might be thinking in meters. Or vice versa. It’s better to be sure about everything. – Or so i pep talk myself. Each morning.

I was going through some reading materials over lunch earlier when i came across this phrase. It stood out because it seemed to be scolding me. Ha-Ha! Me, the ever assuming “siguro..” kind of person. 

Right now, i’m teaching myself to always make sure that i know (for sure) what needs to be done, and that i do it right — oh, and on time. I’m still learning the hard way. So that i don’t lose the lesson someday. (fingers crossed)

Sa opisina, hiningi ko ang filename ng document na bubuksan mula sa USB ng katrabaho kong lalaki.

Ako:  Ano na? Yung filename na hinihingi ko?

Ka-lalaki (as in katrabahong lalaki): Eto o. (sabay turo niya sa piraso ng post it na sinulatan nya.)

Ako: E ayan naman pala e. Kanina ko pa hinihingi di mo man lang inabot agad.

Ka-lalaki (pwede ring kaasar na lalaki): E hindi mo hiningi ulit e.

Ako: Ano ka gobyerno? Kailangan ng follow up!

Di ko akalaing nakikinig pala ang katrabaho naming girl na malapit lang sa amin.

“Ay gusto ko yang linya mo. Very true.”