Telling it like it is

Thanks Steve for an “insanely great” time!

It’s the people you meet that makes traveling fun and memorable. Places change. But the people are there forever, etched in your brain. And thanks to social networks, they will be “friending” you soon.

Day 10 with a group of young people (some half my age) brings memories of my youth. I secretly admire many of them. While they are still struggling to find their place in this world, I see the fire, the passion, and their willingness to take risks. As we get older, our tendency is to take lesser risks. While we still commit mistakes, we often hope to avoid it. I plan my life carefully now since my future is all about my children and family — and my extended family back in the office.

As one of the former students said last night, learning is not about getting an “A” in class. Learning is about opening yourself to the world and picking lessons from other people’s experiences.

It’s fun during lunch time when the conversation revolves around the diverse languages of the people sitting around the table. We feel elated when we learn a new foreign word. But we are much elated if we find similar words we share.

I often share this joke about Filipinos talking in mono syllabic language.

Story goes: A group of Pinoys take the hotel elevator to meet friends at the lobby. As lift descends, it stops and picks another passenger: an American who smiles and greets them. They all greeted back.

The lift then stops to reveal a puzzled-looking Filipino who inquires: “Bababa ba?” as he points his finger to the ground.

The confused American passenger stares blankly at the potential passenger. He says nothing.

One of the smiling passengers nodded and answered, “Bababa!”

And the Filipino joins the crowd.

The American chuckled after hearing this mysterious exchange.

There are no accidents in life. Someone told me this not so long time ago.

Story penned by Thea Alberto-Masakayan.

Video by Yahoo! Southeast Asia and loQal.ph.

Every day we make decisions. Decisions that will either work or fail. This afternoon, I met a good old friend who reminded me that both heart and mind can work when making big decisions. The mind provides you alternatives, but the heart keeps you grounded.

This idea was a result of a conversation I had with one of the professors in UP Diliman. I wondered out loud if there was any website featuring talents within the University. I also wanted to discover or even rediscover great minds from the scientific, technological and other technical departments in the University.

Thus The Diliman Genius was born.

See how my students in Journ 109 stumbled upon great stories about great Filipino talent right under their noses. Sometimes, you don’t have to go any further to find such stories.