The Contributor

It's just like the old days.  Back then in High School, I was a Contributor of "The Harrow", our school organ which is published monthly by the Principal's Office.  Then comes college days.  I started as a Contributor of the "TIP Voice", an administration sponsored school paper.  Well, I was fortunate to have been given the chance to be the Managing Editor before I hang up my gloves.  It was just a short semester before I graduated.

Anyway, whether you're the editor or the lay-out artist, I think everybody in the press is a contributor.  The advent of internet media has exponentially multiplied the number of contributors in multi-media.  In my own little way, I made my own contribution through "The Graveyard Shift."  Today's just a little bit different.  I have decided to be an official Contributor of Google.  How official?  Check this out...I want to help this Contributor campaign of Google.  Anyway, this is what I love doing - being a Contributor. 

Another Bonsai in my Garden

Ficus B.... The newest bonsai
in my garden.

The regular trips going to the clubhouse for my morning table tennis game with Mr. Chat has yet produced another wonderful addition to my collection of home-made bonsai.  Then I came across Mr. Obet, himself a self-taught bonsai enthusiast. He shared with me his techniques which he learned over many years of propagating and nourishing various kinds of bonsai plants.

“Any tree can be made into a bonsai,” he said it with much confidence as he prunes some of the twigs that have started to grow wild due to the start of the rainy season.  He added there are short cuts and there are the long cuts – both require patience and creativity.  “Can you tell me what the short cut is?” I asked with such eagerness that he stopped what he was doing, looked me in the eye, clipped his pruning shears and led me to the inner part of his bonsai garden . . . and that was the start of a regular weekend lecture that culminated in choosing one beautiful double twig of a ficus benjamina as a marcot item.

Months have passed and baby roots started to grow out of the edges of the wrappings of the twig.  The rain surely has helped a great deal in producing those roots but the watering during the summer season was due to the kind assistance of Mang Boy who is stationed at the Village Clubhouse  manning the small beverage store of the Sports Club.  The short cut, it turned out is not that short and as I expected and have already learned at the onset when I got hold of my first ever bonsai plant, patience is key to the growing process.

Today, I am transplanting my bonsai in a temporary pot to help the twig accelerate growth of its new roots.  Another one precious life added to my garden.  Thanks to Mr. Obet. 

"You're Not Supposed to be Here!"

T'was a Friday and the Renaissance Tower lobby was uncharacteristically empty at lunch break.  It used to be teeming with guests and agents to culminate a productive and busy week.

I was with a friend from the Treasury Department of the FEGC and we decided to have a leisurely talk on one of the comfortable loungers of the generously-spaced lobby.  After a few exchanges, we fell silent and the lobby was pulling us to a short nap.  Just as I was leaving my consciousness, a voice thundered and brought the two of us to our feet.  "You're not supposed to be here!" yelled the Training Director.  What we didn't realize was that there was a scheduled Business Opportunity Seminar for real estate agents and the place was being readied for the big event.  This is also aside from the fact that employees are prohibited (unofficially) to use the lobby for short naps during work breaks.  While we did not resist (as subordinates should always do), we felt embarrassed to have been yelled at in front of... well, I don't really know if there were some people present.  We flee right away and went back to our work station at the 6/F.

That was 20 years ago.  A time when I was still trying to find my own place under the sun.

And now it's quite different.   A lot of things have changed and more wisdom have been added to my years.  I am standing right near the place where the lounger stood.  There is no more lounger, only walls of glass put up by a new tenant.  The once majestic lobby is now being leased out by the new owner to a reputable bank and an ubiquitous mini grocery store chain.  Looking back, I can see that the Training Director was right... I was not supposed to be there.  Her words have reverberated at the back of my consciousness ever since  we left the lobby that noon break and fueled me to look for my rightful place.

To the Training Director, all I can say is, "Thank you for giving me the direction."