More than a thousand words

Yesterday is orientation day. I spend a little over an hour with each team manager of the Estimates group to help me understand the entire work process. As one coming from the commercial side of the company’s business, I found the production (the backend) side interesting. The entire walk though requires me to hop from one workstation to the next as each one shows me what they do and how each unit impacts the other.

The orientation enabled me to learn a bit about what they do but I think I got a little more than that.

I got glimpses of who they are and what they value.

Their desks, walls and dividers are heaving with photos of loved ones, each nook and cranny stocked with mementos.

I know that Ellen is married to a cute husband and has an adorable baby boy. Mon loves to travel, met former President Aquino and is quite close to his family. I think the other photo is his girlfriend. Julie on the other hand, has two kids, a pretty little girl (around three) and a baby boy. Her little girl probably loves Dora the explorer and Winnie the Pooh.

Rey’s desk gave me the most telling picture. He has a girlfriend (a colleague from another department), graduated from one of the oldest institutions in the country , a member of the university’s basketball team, and has two beautiful dogs. On the left side of his cubicle shows pictures of pretty models/celebrities. (I only recognize Elizabeth Hurley). Atop his 21-inch monitor is a photo of his significant other and pictures of his two dogs. He loves the movie League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. On the long side table are two basketballs serving as his centerpiece.

I tried to recall the other stuff I saw on their desks but there are just too many. Suffice to say, their workspaces have become an extension of home, a window deliberately opened so that people from outside looking in (like myself) can take a peek inside their private world.

Having moved to a new work area, I have been thinking about how I can spruce up my space. I have misgivings about putting a lot of personal stuff on my desk though. It has always been that way for me. I guess it is symbolic of how I prefer to keep my personal life separate from work. And I can’t recall ever bringing home anything work related (that is why company-provided laptops do not excite me).

I am not much into pictures or some fancy table ornament on my office desk. The only photos I considered displaying are those of my two baby nephews, 2-year old Yui and and one year old Johann. I am absolutely in love with these two boys. Crazy I may be about them, the most I could do is to use their pictures as my screen saver. Other than Yui and Johann, pictures of loved ones (even a significant other) are displayed in my bedroom or yes, my wallet.

Bottomline, some aspects of my private life, I prefer to keep closer to my heart. I do excitedly open myself up to people and share my private side not in symbols or pictures but with stories I share.

A desk calendar, pen holder. Those are two accessories on my desk. The rest I keep in my drawer. One look around my work area, I know just the right thing to add.

A flower plant. Sunflower would be perfect. Right by the sun-kissed glass window.