Filipinos culturally love nicknames. We’ve formalized it so much in our everyday lives that we hardly use our given names (aka what’s on our birth certificate), except in official looking forms that we carry (like passports, driver’s licenses) or fill out (job applications, bank account forms). I think this is something that we share culturally w/ our latin brethren.
I remember growing up every school year, during the first few days of school, our teachers would require us to fill in our details on a size 4 sheet of paper (a lined piece of paper 1/4 the size of a standard 8.5 x 11)…the standard questions would be asked: first name, last name, middle name, and always without fail – nickname. This would be the name that teachers – and everyone in the class – would use when addressing me. Growing up in the Philippines – everyone called me by my nickname – Jeff. Parents, family, classmates, etc.
When I moved to the US, this lack of a nickname was one of the big cultural shocks to me. I kept insisting people to call me Jeff, and yet, people would call me John – the first name that they would see on the form (and contrary to what people would think – Francis is not my middle name). The nickname would not stick. People couldn’t understand why I insisted on Jeff. And they would think I was snubbing them because I never answered when they yelled “John.” To this day – I don’t. I’m not trained to answer to that name – I hate it.
And so, that’s how JF was born – back in college. People had to have context – and I told them the true meaning of my name – that John Francis was my first name; and because it was too long, they could shorten it to JF.
They could make this connection much easier than me having to insist to call me Jeff and get all these quizzical looks that would invariably lead to a long winded conversation about culture and what not. Simply put, JF grew because of the need to simplify and not waste too much time on explanations.
Ah – but mind you – Filipinos have more than one nickname! And therein lies the rub, the complication, and oh my, so much fun! We use nicknames more than just informal names – nicknames are a term of endearment, that also signify the closeness and degrees of relationships. They are also given with some special meaning or assignation.
I have a lot of other nicknames. I have some that are only used by family and really close friends (aka, I consider them family). I have nicknames that only certain groups of friends use and know about. And these nicknames vary – depending on the group I’m with. Sometimes, these nicknames permeate, and influence/transfer from one group to another.
When I’m with my closest of friends – the ones who I’ve grown up with and have known since grade school – I’m known as Miranda – yes, the character from Sex and the City (and hence the name of this blog). Funny – there are 4 of us, and each of us actually represent one of the 4 archetype characters in Sex and The City. All 4 of us loved the show, because the characters mirrored our lives – a lot of times eerily – and funnily – coincidental (and I’m not sure if its due to the fact that all 4 of us are gay).
On my last trip to L.A., I earned a new nickname: Ms. G. Why Ms. G, you ask? Well – put them together. What do you get? MSG. Yes, the food additive, the one that enhances the flavor of dishes galore, when used sparingly.
All my friends know I’m such a foodie – how I love to try out new restaurants, eat the food, and just comment on how good – or bad – it is. And they said, whenever I’m eating, and I enjoy it in such a way that it’s both funny and fun to watch. They say I’m in such ecstasy, savoring each morsel, each bite, each nuanced flavor. And so they started calling me MSG. And I was like – no, I don’t like that. Call me Ms. G instead.
And thus, Ms. G was born, and is now in the house! You’ll hear more soon and the food adventures of Ms. G!
I’m probably one of the very few people who have not seen Avatar. Everyone has told me to watch it – especially for the special effects, and the great use of computers in moving the art of movies towards another direction.
I guess that’s probably why I haven’t really watched it – everyone says it’s great eye candy, but very few people really say anything…substantial…about the story. In fact, most folks who’ve told me to watch it say the story is very cliched and contrived. And methinks, is one of the reasons why it lost during Oscars night.
A really good movie that I saw last year was Up from Pixar Studios. Not only is the animation in this movie superb, but the story and character development was very well thought out and executed. It reeled me in – especially in the first twenty or so minutes, where I experienced a range of so many emotions – excitement, giddiness, curiosity, sorrow, despair. And to think, this is a cartoon! (Don’t worry about the despair, if you haven’t seen it – it’s end is very uplifting and life affirming.)
The story had a good point of view – whether you were an adult, or a child – and just envelopes you like a mother wraps her arms around her babe.
Well, tonight, I was lucky enough to see something, at the very least, it’s equal, if not better. Lucky for me, I was able to watch a premier of the new movie, How to Train Your Dragon.
Like Up, it has a very engaging story that swallows you in, involving you emotionally. It has characters so lifelike and nuanced in their expressions and mannerisms, that they become real. And it has a lot of heart – and realism – that draws out emotional investment on your part. And it isn’t your typical Hollywood movie – there are a few twists that one would never expect.
But surprising of all – for me, at least – is that this came from the animation division of DreamWorks. They’ve managed to match – dare I even say – exceed the gold standard (in my book), Pixar.
Yes, I’ve seen other DreamWorks animations in the past, but they were all fluff – a mindless piece of entertainment that was good for a couple of hours of laughs, nothing else. Pixar is and was always different – their movies, in my mind, always had substance, and always managed to stand the test of time – precisely because their movies engaged you at another level, where you get emotionally involved – no matter what age, or generation you are. I honestly think DreamWorks succeded this time around with this movie.
Pixar better watch what’s coming in their rear view mirror, if DreamWorks continues to churn out another of these gems.
(And thanks to work for giving me a wonderful freebie, aka, this premier, this Tuesday night!)
I haven’t been inspired to cook in a while…as in really cook and whip up dishes out of ideas from my mind, or work up things after reading a cookbook. The past year to year and a half, I’ve sort of gone on auto pilot when it came to cooking.
I’m really not sure what caused it – maybe it’s because I’m always tired from the commute, maybe it’s just a lack of gusto. It seems that for the past year and half, I was just sort of cooking to eat something – no creative verve or anything like that.
The past few days I seem to have started again. I kind of whipped something up yesterday (Sunday) after having a recipe percolate in my head. The idea was spectacular – and downright mouthwatering when you start to think about it. But in the end, the execution wasn’t quite there. The dish had something missing – some kind of balance. It’s a start, and I hope to work on it till I get it just right (and will definitely post it online once I do).
This evening was no different – I had a pretty large radish and some carrots to boot, thanks to my mom – who left it to me since she and dad went on vacation. I was contemplating on what I wanted to do w/ the radish – I honestly cannot recall when I cooked radishes last – maybe back in college?
Anyways, the inspiration came to me after my mind made a connection to what I read last night – a pickling solution in one of the recipe books that I had recently acquired from the makers of Cooks Illustrated.
The basic recipe – pickled onions – called for a cup of white wine vinegar and half a cup of sugar, boiled. And when done boiling, pouring it over a chopped up, medium to large red onion to steep.
Instead of the onion, I used a combo of the radish and carrots. But rather than chopping it, I opted to use a neglected utensil that I had – the mandolin.
I took it out of the closet, rinsed it, and set it up. And I put the setting on very thin – almost paper thin, but not quite, and started passing the radish, then the carrots, through the mandolin’s slicer.
As I got into the rhythm of things, I started to really get into it – and noticed that my mood was getting lighter, and my mind was just racing w/ all these creative thoughts. Instead of doing the recipe as is, I put in regular white vinegar (since I wanted to experiment – and didn’t want to waste some white wine vinegar), the sugar – and for a twist, a quarter cup of mirin.
The whole using the mandolin sort of set me off on some sort of nirvana. I felt lighter, a happiness of sorts – while doing such a mundane thing as pickling radishes and carrots.
God – how I’ve missed cooking and being creative with it. And all from playing the mandolin tonight.
God – I can’t believe it’s been about 6 months since I last updated my blog. I haven’t been really in a writing mood in a while. Most of it is due to the fact that I have a lot of things that I’m juggling around…work, home renovation, learning new techie things, photography, etc.
Call it the ADHD in me (even though I have not been diagnosed w/ it). I just feel the need to be doing something.
Ah, well…let’s see how this lasts. I hope to at least kickstart this once again, now that I’m in a writing mood once more.
I’m finally home again, after spending 2.5 glorious vacation weeks in the Mediterranean! The vacation was definitely much needed, given that I’ve been slammed at work for the past few months (as seen by the timestamp of my last blog post prior to this one).
This vacation – comprising of a land tour of Italy, followed by a cruise to Egypt, Greece and other parts of Italy – was absolutely divine. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of – and am very blessed to have fulfilled. It was filled with adventure, laughter, a bit of drama here and there (had my wallet pickpocketed in Rome) – but most important of all – filled with friends and memories to treasure life by. And not just old friends like Leonel, Francis & Shannon, Tony & Ira, etc., but I managed to meet some really cool people once again, like Carl and Peter or Henry and Charlie.
The piece de resistance of the cruise – the main reason why I booked this – is a one day trip to Egypt, where I was able to see the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza – and was able to check off one more item in my list of things to do in life: set foot on Africa. I can now say I’ve been to 6 out of the 7 continents.
The only continent remaining – Antartica. And that is definitely on my plate for sometime in the near future!
In the meantime, I’m glad to be back home, and I’m thankful for all the blessings in my life.
A lot of folks think that I am not that spontaneous when it comes to doing things. On one hand, I agree in that I do have a tendency to plan things out – especially the bigger things in life.
But yesterday I think was an example in extreme spontaneity. In a matter of hours, I booked myself a flight and hotel room to Seattle – just after a few e-mails back and forth between Leonie and myself. He’s heading to Seattle for a cruise w/ his family, but the cruise leaves on Sunday. After looking at the airfares and hotel rates, I found it very cheap actually to do a quick getaway mid June, when he was going to be up there. It basically was a no-brainer.
And now, it looks like the entire gang is going to be there. It seems the planets have aligned – we’re all meeting up there for a reunion – something that we haven’t been able to do in a while. I think the last time we all got together was during our respective 40th birthday celebrations a couple of years ago. The past few trips after that, there was always one missing. Now, it looks like the SATC gang, aka Team PLDJ, will be together once more.
I’m soooo looking forward to what’s been dubbed as the Recessionista Reunion! Can’t wait for mid June to be here.
It’s oppressively hot this weekend. Well, in the house at least. It’s a little more palatable outdors, but not by much. That’s the one bad thing about an old house – it needs some updates, namely, in the insulation department. However, I’m putting it all off – cause I’m definitely thinking of getting a major renovation done at some point. I have my ideas in mind – it’s now up for me to find an architect to flesh out those ideas, and a contractor to do the work. The big question is – when should I do it…
We seem to have slid right into summer with this heat wave. I barely even noticed spring go by. We’ve had some rain and cold, and a few nice days, and then all of a sudden, a big blast of heat. It is a bit humid, and I took the opportunity this weekend to jump in my pool to cool off. What a relief.
I’m already waiting with impatient anticipation the upcoming grand Mediterranean vacation that Leonel and I are going on. We finally made our decisions this past week to go ahead with taking the Atlantis Mediterranean cruise, joining our amigas Tony and Ira who we met at our last cruise, the Carnaval excursion last Feb 2008. (I’m hoping to convince Francis and Shannon as well…they had mentioned that they were planning on it last year, but of late, Francis has been iffy.)
Leonel and I decided also to do some gallivanting in Italy beforehand. We arrive a week before the cruise, and we’ll be visiting Venice, Como, Florence and Rome. As always – it’s all about the experiences and pictorials. We’re already anticipating 60000+ worth of photos just between the two of us. We’ve already managed to compile a list of things to do – things that normally aren’t done by tourists…Leonel has this knack of getting not-your-run-of-the-mill travel info from all these various sources for all the places we’re visiting
The nice thing about the week traveling in Italy is that we’re not spending as much. One might think it’s due to the economic doldrums affecting the world, but in reality, it’s due to the fact that most of our lodging will be free – I’m using the points I’ve accumulated all this time for our lodging. And mind you – the lodging we’ve signed up for are decent to excellent. I’ve even managed to get the same hotel that I stayed in when I was last in Como during the XP 2007 conference – that was just beautiful!
As a result of my grand vacation, I will, unfortunately, be missing Agile 2009. It’s the one conference I look forward to every year. I think the break will do me good, but there’s always a part of me that says I’m going to miss a few things. I may not be there physically, but then, I’ll be there in spirit…one of the experience reports that I worked on last year is now slated for this year’s conference. It’ll be all about the Agile adoption at Yahoo – which I was there from the very start in 2005 till about early 2008.
I may not be attending Agile 2009, but then, I’m attending an in-house Agile conference at Wells Fargo, courtesy of my Agile amigo, Michael Dowling. I’ll be talking on implementing distributed Agile. I can’t wait.
Britain’s Got Talent continues to amaze – and surprise me. Thank God for YouTube…this totally was not what I was prepared to hear and see…I definitely agree with Simon Cowell…I’m perplexed…yet at the same time, I want to see more.
I attended the Agile Alliance Board of Directors reception/meeting last Monday, held at the Google offices in San Francisco. I went along with my friend and old co-worker, Michael Dowling. The goal of the meeting was to help the board come up w/ roadmap items what people in the Agile trenches think need to happen to sustain as well as move the Agile community forward.
It was a great meeting to say the least. On a social level, it was nice to reconnect with some old friends from the Agile community. I was happy to see Diana Larsen and Esther Derby once again – two stalwarts in the real of retrospectives and team dynamics. I always look to their body of work (as well as to bounce ideas) whenever I’m faced with a quandary on getting teams to the next level, or figuring out how to get past a source of conflict within a team. I also saw some old Agilistas from Yahoo – like Nicola Dourambeis, who I worked with in the Agile team back at Yahoo, as well as Keith Nottonson from having coached the Yahoo video teams back in the day.
I felt very rejuvenated – seeing people of like minds, being able to bounce ideas, getting support and validation for ideas of my own. It’s the one key ingredient that I’m missing right now – I feel a little bit isolated, being the lone person who knows various ways that can help improve things and make things better.
I can’t say that I’m entirely alone – there are folks who I’ve worked with that have embraced the practices. But that is not enough for me, I guess. There are so many things we can do – things that I’ve mentioned like road mapping, one pagers, etc., but it seems that we haven’t moved forward as much – except in the adoption of scrum and a few XP practices (which the dev team is still trying to master).
To really see the change, the whole organization has to embrace it…but so far, it seems only one group has. Other groups have adopted scrum-like practices – like tasks on a task board in priority order – but that in and of itself scares me. I know partial implementations work in the short term, but long term, can cause more problems – I’ve seen it happen back during my coaching days at Yahoo.
I did mention this to people, in the hopes that some of my concerns can be addressed. However, in the grand scheme of things with everything going on currently, people have put it on the back burner…lowering it’s priority. I can understand the reasons why, but I’m not liking it.
Of late, I’ve been second guessing my decisions because of what’s happening. Could I have made another decision? Should I have made the alternative at that point time?
And I’m really starting to question – what value do I bring to the table? Try as I might, I feel I’ve hit a wall. And what needles me is the fact that certain messages which I’ve delivered before – are now being delivered by another messenger, and it seems that that messenger is being listened to. Same exact message, and yet this time, there seems to be more action.
Is it the way I deliver the message? I remember a time as a coach, I’d deliver the message, and people would do something and have more dialogue on how to go about doing the change. But I’ve noticed the dialogues have stopped…since sometime ago last year.
The one thing that I left with from attending the BOD meeting of the Agile Alliance is that I need more community support. And I think I’ll have to look for it elsewhere. I just need an outlet (aka person) to bounce off my ideas, and get an objective take on things. I really miss Gabby being here so that I can talk with her, since as a friend and mentor, she has a lot of insight and ideas that always send me, to the right direction.
I think I’ll propose something w/ Michael Dowling – he’s also having similar issues, trying to get his company to go Agile. Maybe we can meet like every two weeks, bounce our ideas. At the very least, we can commiserate w/ one another, and hopefully, feel better.
We use nicknames more than just informal names – nicknames are a term of endearment, that also signify the closeness and degrees of relationships. They are also given with some special meaning or assignation. 
