Monday, March 23, 2009
A great conversation chooses no age
I am fond of being with different age groups, young and old. Being the youngest in the family, I’ve been exposed as I tag along with my mom in her meetings or being with my sister and her friends. I even sat in one of my sister's classes in UP, and the professor thought I was one of those who skip classes most of the time. Excuse me, I was just a grade school student then... I probably just looked mature. ☺ hahaha!!!
In AIESEC, I had a good combination of dealing with senior executives and training the new members. So now even when I attend alumni gatherings, I don’t feel different from the not-so-old generation, and neither do I feel aloof with the young ones. Except when they start calling me “ate” (older sister) or say “po” or “opo”(word to respect their elders) in their statements. Apart from that we share the same experience that easily connects us with the same language and humor (or must be the alcohol).
Much to the surprise of my mom’s friend, I can also converse with them while having a nice Vietnamese dinner. What she doesn’t know is that my mom would always tag me along for her dinners as her photographer in various get-togethers. I got used to being around their age group and hear that their conversations are not all about stock markets and health problems. Once they start talking about their recent business trips to so and so countries, I can easily relate to how tough the immigration is in that area, how expensive the restaurants are or how nice the cultural districts are in that country.
So while eating my Vietnamese dinner with the owner showing me the authentic way of eating it, I recalled the time I went to Vietnam and nearby countries for a travel adventure. The conversation easily went on to the different types of Vietnamese food then to the places I’ve explored like Hanoi and Halong Bay. I was able to connect it and asker her how she was able to start her Vietnamese restaurant here in the Philippines back in the 90s. Next thing I knew two hours have passed and I was actively part of the conversation.
She was so fond of the fact that I was casually talking to them with no hesitation about the generation gap. That’s when I started thinking of writing this post and started thinking why it was indeed no effort for me to share that nice conversation with them. I realized the right combination for a great conversation = great company + common interest/topic + food and you are sure to have hours and hours of laughter and shared memories of the past and the present.
So be it young or old, I am one with the group.
In AIESEC, I had a good combination of dealing with senior executives and training the new members. So now even when I attend alumni gatherings, I don’t feel different from the not-so-old generation, and neither do I feel aloof with the young ones. Except when they start calling me “ate” (older sister) or say “po” or “opo”(word to respect their elders) in their statements. Apart from that we share the same experience that easily connects us with the same language and humor (or must be the alcohol).
Much to the surprise of my mom’s friend, I can also converse with them while having a nice Vietnamese dinner. What she doesn’t know is that my mom would always tag me along for her dinners as her photographer in various get-togethers. I got used to being around their age group and hear that their conversations are not all about stock markets and health problems. Once they start talking about their recent business trips to so and so countries, I can easily relate to how tough the immigration is in that area, how expensive the restaurants are or how nice the cultural districts are in that country.
So while eating my Vietnamese dinner with the owner showing me the authentic way of eating it, I recalled the time I went to Vietnam and nearby countries for a travel adventure. The conversation easily went on to the different types of Vietnamese food then to the places I’ve explored like Hanoi and Halong Bay. I was able to connect it and asker her how she was able to start her Vietnamese restaurant here in the Philippines back in the 90s. Next thing I knew two hours have passed and I was actively part of the conversation.
She was so fond of the fact that I was casually talking to them with no hesitation about the generation gap. That’s when I started thinking of writing this post and started thinking why it was indeed no effort for me to share that nice conversation with them. I realized the right combination for a great conversation = great company + common interest/topic + food and you are sure to have hours and hours of laughter and shared memories of the past and the present.
So be it young or old, I am one with the group.
