Saturday, January 29, 2011

On Being Different and Practical

I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do. – Johnny Depp

Do you think I’m weird or perhaps eccentric? Some do. From people I don’t know, like the PEBA judge who quoted “I like his quirky way of writing” to my German boss who insisted that I address him on a first name basis. I decline, telling him “Sir” is shorter and easier to pronounce. I don’t see weird in that.

I got away with things I said and do because at first glance it seems, to some, it’s out of the norm but then realized there’s a grain of logic or practicality in it. The head of the IT department once told some staff to give me leeway. He said it’s understandable if I act like that because I’m a programmer. I don’t know how programmers act. All I’m doing is being me. I speak out if I disagree. I point out if something is wrong. I say “No” when everyone says “Yes” or silent when things are not right.

If you care for your job, you’ll go the extra mile to see to it that everything is straightened out. Your boss’ assessment is based on what ever feed back he gets from his staff. You should “protect” him that he wont commit any bad decision because his also answerable to someone higher up. It has nothing to do with “loyalty”. Any SNAFU he makes will reflect on the whole department and that includes YOU. There’s nothing wrong or “different” in that.

Even my wife said “Iba ka sa mga asawa nang mga kakilala ko”. She once hinted “Alam mo, ang mister ni ganito, binilhan sya ng Fendi bag nung birthday nya” to which I replied “Eh di sabihin mo kay ganito na papabili ka rin ng Fendi bag sa mister nya”. What is she complaining about? I bought her a brand new 10 kilo capacity washing machine on her birthday. It’s just a coincidence that our old one was on its final breath.

It’s not that I’m a cheapskate. Why should I buy a LED flat screen when my 24” TV still works fine? Why should I buy a 4 wheel drive instead of a sedan when all I do is just drive inside the city? Pare-pareho lang namang “installment” ang pag bili ng sasakyang yan. I find it pretentious for someone to flaunt their Louis Vuitton handbag or show-off their latest 4G cell phone and then makikita mong nakiki ukay-ukay sa sales sa mall or else nakiki-susyo on dividing the price of a “buy one take one” offer sa Debenhams. Practical? Yes! But do we really have to “display” those expensive materials to elicit awe or envy and to subtly point out that we are way above the social strata? Kung talagang mayaman ako, hindi na ako mag tatrabaho dito sa Middle East.

But I’m all out when it comes to my stomach. Except for those restaurants who serve more eating utensils than food on the table, I think, we ate in almost all the fancy ones here in the city. It’s a weakness my daughter and I share and I don’t scrimp when it comes to that.

23 comments:

  1. dapat talaga praktikal tayo sa mga bagay-bagay, hindi porke uso ang flatscreen ay bibili na tayo di ba. hehhee

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  2. Tama sabi ko nga sa asawa ko wag kang bibili Louis Vuitton na bag kung nasa Pinas ka, tapso sasakay ka lang ng dyip at tricycle..

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  3. Bino, sa panahon ngayon dapat lang.

    Adang, hehehe, ang sagwa ngang tingnan kung naka Gucci shoes ka tapos ipang apak mo lang sa putik.

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  4. Sir,

    Agree ako dyan. Thank God at ang aking mrs. eh nahawa na rin sa pagiging praktikal ko. hehehe.

    Although, sa bawat lingon ngaun dito sa Riyadh e puro sale, I have to give in kung may magustuhan.

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  5. I spend when it comes to good food and having a comfortable place here in the UAE (after all, it's a consolation being away from home). But I'm kuripot when it comes to bags and other stuff which really depreciates. Ang point of view ko, if there's an alternate which is cheaper why not get that instead. I'm now on my 3rd year in the Lower Gulf and this is the season of shopping (i.e. Dubai Shopping Festival). Ang challenge ko sa sarili ko, never to shop anything at this time of year. So far, hindi naman ako natempt sa 3 yrs. (*fingers crossed*).

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  6. Anonymous, naku ay sinabi mo pa. kaliwa't kanan nga dito. namumula ang mga mall sa dami ng mga letrang S-A-L-E!

    Ms.Jo, how about kung 50% discount na "buy one take one" pa ang mga handbag na LV at Couch? >: D

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  7. I don't think i'm a cheapskate, but like you, more of a practical buyer. I buy stuff only when really needed. And if ever I buy new ones, I make sure that we use them for the whole family, and not for myself alone. Believe it or not, I have not bought a new pair of jeans for more than ten years already. My younger sisters are getting bigger and bigger as they age and I am the one left who can fit into their jeans, so I get their hand-me-downs. I just buy my blouses and shirts, but I get them on sale, too. As for food and medicines, I don't compromise my kids' health that's why I am all out with their medicines, vitamins and especially food. The husband is also like me, only thing we are different, he buys really branded ones, he buys Adidas shirts and Merrell shoes, but that happens once or twice in a year, so I am okey with that, he deserves it anyway.

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  8. im learning to be more practical on things each day... importante talaga yan.

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  9. Re: your question 50% disc on LV, etc. --- hindi pa rin ako bibili hahahha, kahit pa 90% discount yan. Unless gift yan. Pero mahihiya ako kung sakali sa magreregalo sa akin. Pwede pa kung food, books, plane ticket or camera lens na lang. Lol.

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  10. sheng, kung younger sisters mo yun, di ba dapat ang tawag don ay "hand-me-ups". : D

    donG, reasonable and practical ang motto ko ngayon.

    Ms.Jo, hehehe, ayaw mo ng LV handbags na regalo pero okay lang ang camera lens. E mas mahal ang camera lens kesa sa camera no. : )

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  11. haha! pareho tayo riyan. ang bag ay lalagyan ng gamit. ang wallet ay lalagyan ng pera. hindi dapat mas mahal ang bag sa laman, at ang wallet ay bagay sa perang ilalagay mo. nawiwindang ang mundo ko pag ang halaga ng bag at wallet ay mahigit pa sa isang linggong suweldo. o ang sapin sa paa ay mas mahal pa sa tinatapakan.

    pero bro, sana ang washing machine, sinamahan mo ng tatlong dosenang roses at dinner. that's coming from a totally non-girly girl. tip ko iyan. kahit gaya kong macho girl, ang flowers ay romantic.

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  12. haha... I like this post...
    I can clearly remember in the early years of using cellphone where people use cellphones as status symbol. Meaning, having a cellphone seems they are rich... but you see them eating at "turo-turo"!!! Nowadays, "singko dalawa na ang mga cellphones"...Show-offs!!...

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  13. atticus, alam mo ba ang halaga ng 3 doz. roses dito? Abay kulang-kulang sa kalahati na ng halaga ng washing machine.

    Olay, long time no hear ah! Kahit ngayon marami pa ring ganyan. Pumunta ka lang ng Makati, san tambak doon.

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  14. it's a matter of need and want. kung talaga ba na kailangan ang siang bagay dapt go for it. pero just to go with the trend ay mahirap yun.

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  15. marhaba...wow i really love this post...ang kasagutan sa pagnilaynilay sa buhay ofw sa buhanginan...maraming salamat dito talagang idol kita...magaya nga ang motto mo for 2011 reasonable and practical....hay kakatuwa talaga ang mga pinoy :)

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  16. LifeMoto, okay lang siguro maki uso basta priority muna ang "needs" before indulging in our "wants". : )

    dacz, basta huwag lang matulad kay "Asiong Aksaya" at sa mama ni Marciang asawa ni John.

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  17. Ako, I'm the 10-Riyal person as my wife puts it. Pag sobra sa SR10 yung presyo, nagdadalawang isip na ako. He...he... he...

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  18. ok lang maging praktikal, kanyan-kanyang choice yan, pero tama ka dapat binubusog muna ang tyan hehehe, kami ganun din tyan muna bago materyal na bagay....at syempre dapat yun luho pang huli na lang pag may iluluho ka pa ;-) pero wag naman masyadong kuripot hehehe di natin madadala ang pera sa hukay LOL

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  19. Anonymous, hehe, SR10? Mukhang suki ka rin ng etnin-etnin store. : )

    Sardz, kuripot ako pag hindi na praktikal ang bibilhin. Katulad ng denims na me butas pero SR200 ang halaga. Hindi ko man madadala sa hukay yang pera, at least, maalwan ang magiging buhay ng anak ko. : D

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  20. Where I used to work, the "powers-that-be" disdained being address as "sir", they preferred to be addressed by their first name. It was a cultural shock to me coming from Pinas. Now, I am one of the "sirs" (or was, I am now retired)I know the reason why.

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  21. This world is awash with rules and procedures that at the end of the day, we grab on to "practical wisdom" to make sense in what we do :)

    Sometimes culture can overrule us. Case in point - calling your boss sir. When I came to Canada I noticed that even the CEO of the company is called by his first name, parents in law are called by their first name too. At the end of the day going with the flow seems harmless and can preserve harmony. Some people, senior bosses at that are irked and even offended when they are called sir. Net net calling by first name puts everyone in the same level of respect and such informality lessens the tension and makes everyone feel like they're peers and therefore makes socializing a bit easier. I like it.

    I also personally feel that even the ho, po, opo, oho are simply nusiance to the language and inhibits people from being direct to the point. Marami pang paikot-ikot and pa ek-ek. Wala naman sa Ingles yan. THat's why I kinda like Ilongo , my native tongue kasi diretso na - matanda o bata pareho lang ang grammar tapos. Of course, modulation of voice lang ang adjustment pag matanda ang kausap :)

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  22. One of your friends used to tell me, "bakit kita bibilhan ng roses, eh di isang kilong kangkong na lang-- lulusog ka pa" ; hahaha! I'm glad hindi kami nagkatuluyan though.
    But I'm all for practicality, as long as we have what we need, what we want goes in the backburner.

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  23. bertN, I don't know. I think its born out of respect for someone older or my superior. Nakalakihan ko na kasi yan.

    bw, you're right, bro. Sabi ng taga hilaga, walang galang tayong mga bisaya dahil walang po and opo. What they don't know is that we have our own way of expressing our "respect". : D

    Pam, sinabi nya yun? LOL! Mabuti pa pala ako, binigyan kita ng kalahati nung ice cream ko.
    >: D

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