The Tea Boy

Yesterday, when I went to the office pantry for my lunch, I happen to converse with our tea boy there. Taslim, is a 21 years old Bangladeshi, can speak English, knows computer, and with a sound understanding. Before I took my first bite, I posed to him a question that literally caught his attention that leads to this blog post.

“Why you didn’t pursue your college?” He looked at me, and with a timid smile asked in a typical Bangladeshi English, “Why you ask me?” “Well, I asked the same question over and over again to some of your fellows here. I recognize your abilities, as you know, one of my QA checker whom I trust is a Bangladeshi who is also very good like you” I replied. “So common, tell me your story while I am feeding my hungry stomach.”

It took for him a while to reply. Nodding his head in disappointment, and with a long breath he spoke sheepishly about his story. He said that it was his fault. That word ‘fault’ took us a few minutes before I finally comprehend because he had a hard time pronouncing it. He said it was his fault because he didn’t listen to his parents. He said that no one to be blame except him, and he is keeping that in his heart, and for that he feel sorry. We exchanged words about what happened, and exhorted him to share something about his life, and I’ll share some words and thoughts in a positive way.

“So what are your plans now? Do you intend to become a tea boy the rest of your life? You know, one day you’ll get married and will have kids. Do you think you can be able to send them to college someday by being a tea boy?”

“No” he said. “But what can I do?”

“Well, it’s up to you. It’s your decision to make, but I suggest you save money now, invest in education, get married and work in a good company. Through that way you will break the chain, and will have a good chance and your kids will have a better future. Remember that you are rearing a generation, and your decisions and the choices you will make today will greatly influence the kind of life they will live in the future. ” I answered.

He said that I was right. He said that instead of buying things and material stuffs that fades and wanes with the years, he should save money and take up a college or university degree.

Well, that’s his story. Amplify that to millions of others around the world. I am an education advocate. PEBA and KABLOGS along with the Thoughtskoto family and some generous donors are engaged in scholarship grants and sponsorship, making a difference in the life of a young person, that we believe will greatly impact the lives of the generations that will come after them.

It doesn’t matter who we are, where we are and what we are doing now, we have tremendous opportunities to learn, to improve, to succeed and to make a difference. We all have the capacity to change ourselves for the better. Small and seemingly simple ways we do everyday will become an asset in the future.

But most importantly, we OFW’s and Filipino’s in general are people who enjoy and savor every moment and yet even in the middle of laughter’s and joys, our minds reach back home. How are they doing? What do they eat? Do they feel hot right now that electricity is going on and off? Do they also enjoy? We save even the cheapest thing for our love ones back home. Masinop kumbaga, maalalahanin, mapagmahal. But the best that we can give to our kids and love ones are not material things. Education, and instilling right values, influencing for good and love unconditional will last.

©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

The TORTOISE and the DUCKS Lessons Learned

Aesop Fables

The TORTOISE and the DUCKS Lessons Learned

Well, we all know na ang pagong, dala dala niya ang kanyang bahay sa kanyang likod. No matter how hard he will try, he cannot leave home. Sabi nila, Jupiter, one of the gods, sabi nila punished the tortoise kasi napakatamad daw nito, at stay-at-home lagi na hindi siya dumalo sa wedding ni Jupiter, kahit pa especially invited siya.

Anyway, after so many years, sumasama lang ang loob ni pagong ang wish he had gone sa wedding nay un. Kapag nakikita niya ang mga ibon na lumilipad-lipad, and ang mga rabbits at chipmunks and other animals ran and patalon-talon, lagi niyang pinapangarap na Makita niya rin ang mga bagay na dapat makita. Laging malungkot at discontented ang pagong. Gusto niyang makita ang mundo, pero hayun niya dala-dala ang kanyang bahay at maliliit na mga legs na halos di makayang kargahin siya.

One day, nameet niya ang dalawang pato at sinabi niya ang kanyang hinaing.

“Matutulungan ka namin na makita ang mundo,” sabi ng mga pato. “Kumagat ka lamang dito sa stick na ito, at dadalhin ka namin sa itaas kung saan makikita mo ang buong kabayanan. Pero tumahimik ka lang, kung hindi ikaw ay labis na magsisisi.”

Tuwang-tuwa ang pagong. Kumapit siya ng maigi sa patpat(stick) gamit ang kanyang mga ngipin, ang dalawang pato ay hinawakan ang bawat dulo ng patpat at lumipad sila paitaas sa mga ulap. Kitang-kita ng pagong ang ganda ng tanawin mula sa itaas at halos lumuwa ang mga mata sa nasisilayan. Biglang may dumaan na uwak, and nagulat sa pagong na nakalipad, sabay sabing,

“Ito na seguro ang hari ng mga pagong!”

Natutuwa ang pagong, at sa magkahalong galak, tuwa, saya at excitement, sumagot ng...

“ Maraming Salam…”

Nang bigla niyang buksan ang kanyang mga bunganga para sumambit ng mga kataga, napabitaw sa kanyang pagkakakagat sa stick at siya ay nahulog, kung saan tumama siya sa mga batuhan at nawalan ng hininga.

Maraming lesson ang kwento na ito. And the Thoughtskoto will be featuring all throughout our blogging life stories like this from Aesop and many others and try to share our own thoughts and what are the lessons we can learn that will help us become a little kinder, a little better.

First: Laziness is mediocrity is to evil.

Laziness, it won’t lead farther than to where we are sitting right now. There is so much to learn, there is so much to be done. I firmly believe that most of the simple and poor people in this world who become successful, are those who work hard and those who are not ashamed working with their hands.

Second: Our enemy is a green eyed monster named Jealousy

Jealousy, will always makes us feel miserable. “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself…” says in the Desiderata. We need to accept what we are and who we are, but always remembering that we have the power to choose for the better without jealousy and envy towards others.

I love this quote from the Serenity Prayer that was cross-stitched and hanging at the wall in our house.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to changethe things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference"

Third: For your Eyes Only

We were told not to, but we still did it. It happened to me, and I am simply so stubborn and so hardheaded. I need to keep my mouth shut, and give silence a chance to pass, and experience the peace and tranquility of being away or not a part of the noise and evil sounds of this world. In high school we call it reflection, in college, we call it introspection, and in my life I call it solitude. One moment where we can ponder and think what has happened to our lives, what we been doing, and where we are heading.

Sometimes, I need to follow even the simplest rules, to survive. Sometimes, in order for me to experience some great success, I need to be quiet and savor the things that are wonderful to behold. That’s the problem with the tortoise, he was so overjoyed, that he overcome, and forgotten that he need not open his mouth.

Sa buhay natin, maraming bagay ang mas mabuti pang hindi sinsabi, or wala kang sinasabi than later be sorry.

There are things that as my mother used to say;

“For your eyes only.”

©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

Life Changing Moments

October 2001, nasa MRT ako, kagagaling ko lang sa pressure na trabaho, maraming phone calls, maraming projects, maraming worries. Galing ako ng North Edsa station papuntang Taft Pasay, and from there take the LRT to Pedro Gil para imemeet ang may-ari ng company namin na noon ay nakacheck in Midtown Hotel, near Robinson's Ermita.

Magulo ang isip ko, mainit pala, dati na magulo. hehe. Hawak hawak ko ang Philippine Daily Inquirer gawa ng pagsunod sa news about sa 9-11 na nangyari sa America. Nakaupo ako't nakapikit ang mata at nagrelax ng huminto ang train sa Boni station. Biglang napuno ang area kung saan ako nakaupo, may isang nanay at tatlong mga anak ages between 7, 5, 3 na pumasok at dahil likas na gentleman, sa dami ng mga gentle dog sa loob ng station na nakamake-up at nakapowder pa ang mga mukha at gagala sa greenbelt at ayala, ako'y tumayo at pinapaupo ang mag-ina. 

Ang mga bata ay makukulit, maiingay at sa sikip ng MRT ay nakuha pang maglaro, maghabulan, at magsisisigaw. Ang nakapgtataka ang ina ay tila walang pakialam. Di ba niya naririnig na ang mga bata ay maiingay? Di ba siya nahihiya sa inaasta ng kanyang mga anak? Nanay ko po, nakakabulahaw ang tili, iyakan at sigawan, at nakakawala sa matinong pag-iisip ang habulan, at muntik pa akong masundot ng lalaking panganay. Gusto kong pasimpleng pingutin or pinch sa kamay yung pangalawa na walang pakialam nakatayo ako sa tapat ng kanyang nanay habang sia ay punta dito't balik sa nanay niya ng walang pakialam. 

Di ako nakapagpigil, sinabihan ko ang nanay. 

"Ale, yung mga anak niyo po, ang iingay, nakakabulahaw po sa mga pasahero, pwede po bang patahimikin niyo?"

Parang walang narinig ang nanay, nakatingin sa malayo, at parang walang pakialam. Kaya inulit ko ng medyo malakas sa gitna ng maraming pasahero.

"Ah, Ate, yung mga anak niyo po, sobrang ingay at makulit, pwede po bang sawayin niyo?"

Sagot ng nanay na biglang gulat at napatingin saken, at dun ko lang napansin ang namumugto niyang mga mata.

"Ha? Mama, pagpasensiyahan niyo na po, kagagaling lang namin ng Polymedic Hospital, at kamamatay lang po ng kanilang ama. (Humahagulgol na ng iyak ang nanay, ako naman parang binuhusan ng nagyeyelong tubig) Di ko alam ang gagawin, at di ko alam paano ko sasabihin sa kanila"

Di ko alam ang nangyari saken during that time pero bigla akong nanlamig. Naawa sa nanay, nahiya sa aking sarili, at nakalearn ng isang napakahalagang lesson. 

Be sensitive towards others feelings.

Sometimes in our lives we are focused on what we want and what will comfort us, without regard or without thinking about others. Naiingayan ako, and Im sure yung ibang pasahero din pero ako lang naglaks ng loob magsabi dahil seguro ako lang ang hindi naging sensitive na ang nanay pala ay nagdadalamhati.

Nakakahiya.

Bago ako bumaba ng Taft Avenue, nalaman ko na ang nanay ay taga Cavite, ang asawa ay nagkasakit ng cancer sa brain, at nagtratrabaho sa may Manggahan sa Gen Trias. 

Nag-abot ako ng isandaan bilang abuloy.

©2009 THOUGHTSKOTO

The Parable of the Pencil

The Parable of the Pencil

In the beginning, the pencil maker spoke to the pencil saying,
"There are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world.
Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be"

First:
You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

Second:
You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but this is required if you are to become a better pencil.

Third:
You have the ability to correct any mistake you might make.

Fourth:
The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

Fifth:
No matter what the condition, you must continue to write. You must always leave a clear, legible mark no matter how difficult the situation.

The pencil understood, promising to remember and went into the box fully understanding it's maker's purpose.

Now put yourself in place of the pencil; always remember it and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One:
You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for many gifts you possess.

Second:
You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you will need it to become a stronger person.

Three:
You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them

Four:
The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And five:
On every surface you walk. You must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

Everyone is like a pencil…
Created by the maker for a unique and special purpose. By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.

You were made to do great thing's…

Courtesy of my brother Carl, from his collection.