Books

On my way home last Wednesday, I had a sudden urge to drop by the mall. It all started during my Business and Corporate Income Tax law subject when it suddenly hit me that I haven't been to a mall in over a month(s). I didn't actually have in mind going to the mall that evening, but I figured there's no reason not to -- midterms are over and I only had one class the following day.

So I got off at Cubao station and ventured into Farmers, then took the bridge to Gateway. (Michael Learns to Rock is having a concert next month -- I didn't even know they were still together!) After I got a bite to eat I stepped into Fully Booked. It felt good to be surrounded by books again. Glancing at different titles on the book shelves I was wondering if I'd find anything worth reading. Well, I did . . .

First book that caught my attention. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, the same guy who wrote Blink and The Tipping Point. He's a great writer that makes psychology and economics understandable. Gladwell's a story teller more than a scientists, which makes reading his material that much more fun.





Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde. Vix told me about the Thursday Next series back in High School, but I didn't get ahold of a copy until last year . . . in Tanzania. My sister had the first book, and I also saw some of the sequels in a bookstore in TZ (which was a British colony). I finished that book and I've been meaning to get read the sequels. Now I had my chance.





Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. I've read two books of Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and The Yiddish Policemen's Union, both of which are very intelligent and good reads. I usually get lost in the Jewish lingo he tends to include in his work (Gentlemen is another story about a Jew), but . . . it helped broaden my mind. The book looks appealing because it's one of those quest novels, which I've recently had an itch for.



World Without End by Ken Follett. I read the prequel of this novel back in '05. Well, I actually didn't finish reading the book because I grabbed it off a bookshelf at a place I was visiting, and I had to leave before I could finish it. Then the following summer I saw the same book at a bookstore and bought it. It's a great book, one of my favorites (though it's not suited for all ages), and I've been waiting for the sequel to come out (which it did late last year). I haven't seen it here in the Philippines, but lucky me! There it was teasing me on that bookshelf.


Other books that caught my interest: The Appeal by John Grisham; The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan.
Books I didn't see but want to read: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov; Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Currently Reading: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Next Book: The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer

P.S. Unfortunately, I didn't buy any of the books listed (supra). They were all above my budget.

Wassup!?

Tribute to my Middle School years spent in the High School Library watching Budweiser Commercials. Sorry if you don't find the video funny -- I didn't post it for you.

In Class Assignment

Crashing through the window
Without shattering the glass
It falls and nestles gently
In the cradle of my hands
I simmer in its presence
I bask in its sweet rays
I wallow in its goodness
And thank God for sunny days

Cribs

I'm following my sister's footsteps. Click on the image below for a tour of my abode.

Reality

I cower under my bedsheet. The walls are shifting and melting and collapsing. The whitewash comes off the walls like how ice thaws in the spring. The roof sags like when the rain accumulates on a poorly built awning. The floor gives way as the weight of the the cabinets, desk and dresser are suddenly a hundred times heavier. My world crumbles before my very eyes and I can do nothing about it. I pucker up enough courage and pull down the bedsheet to survey the room. The room is gone and I am all that is left. And one day, I too will disappear.

kathang-isip

i ipinangako ng isang tao na gusto ko blog sa tagalog. kaya ako na ginugol sa malawak na karamihan ng nakaraang kalahating oras pigain impormasyon sa aking utak. ako got pagkapino. anyways, ko na magsulat ng isang kuwento.

Minsan may buhay ng isang batang lalaki na noon ay genetically handi-tuktok. siya ay hindi nagsasalita ng ibang wika maliban sa tagalog dahil ang pangharap umbok ng kanyang utak ay napinsala kapag siya ay isang bata - na ito ay kaisa sa isang genetic pamana ng mono-linguism. kaya ang boy, na kilala rin bilang Jimmy, na ginugol ang kanyang araw sa pagsasalita ng isang wika.

(dito ay ang conflict) para sa isang gabi Huwebes Jimmy ay upo sa computer kapag ang isang tinatawag na "kaibigan" teases siya tungkol sa kanyang kawalan ng kakayahan sa pagsasalita sa tagalog. Jimmy gets mapataob at nahahanap ang pagsasalin ng isang site na online at nagpasiya na magsulat ng isang blog sa purong tagalog. he succeeds. at siya sa kabutihang-palad buhay pa matapos. [tandaan: ang ilang impormasyon ay embellished, ang lahat ng iba ay fiction.]

Ode to Flight

I attended a concert earlier today and it was pretty good. I just wished the performers received an audience that reciprocated it. If you’re at a concert please, pleeeease DO the following:

1. Dress well. Be professional if you’re watching professionals.
2. Be on time – don’t waltz in 30 minutes into the performance.
3. Put your phones on silent and do not take them out until the intermission.
4. Do not bring your PSP.
5. Leave your ear phones at home.
6. I’m serious about this next one – duct tape your mouth shut. Do not talk, do not converse, do not snicker, and do not comment on the performance during the performance.
7. You may start clapping once the conductor’s hands drop to his/her side. (do not clap between movements)
8. Do not squeak the chair in front of you (let alone dangle your feet over the head rest).
9. Do not stand up and walk out during the performance.
10. Enjoy the music.

I hope this blog makes sense to you

I've been reading through the books by minor prophets from the Bible and was upset about the overemphasis on God's wrath. Throughout my whole life I've been told about God's love and compassion and how he doesn't want us to suffer, yadda yadda... I was upset about the sins of the Israelites and how they always turned away from God. Through the Old Testament, it talks about how God will cause the downfall of the Israelites and how he'll lead them into bondage by different nations. And I wondered to myself, what happened to God's love?

Now, after taking notes on what the Bible has to say about God I re-discovered a few attributes about God. (Taken from Nahum 1 -- which aptly summarizes it)
1. God is a jealous God; avenging, vengeful, and filled with wrath.
2. God is slow to anger and great in power. However, he will not leave the guilty unpunished.
3. The Lord is good; a refuge in times of trouble.

Take note that the whole book of Nahum is about the downfall of Ninevah -- the same city that God saved and showed mercy through his prophet Jonah.

The previous book, Micah, says," I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right." God is just, he must punish us for our sins. But God doesn't want to punish us because of his love and mercy. That's why he never fully destroys the Israelites. Fortunately we have the New Testament where God fulfills his covenant and sends his son Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice; the atonement for our sins. Thus God portrayed one of his greatest attributes: his Love.

Fiction

[I was bored and witless when I wrote this]

The newspaper lies in front of me. The paper’s grime is already rubbing off on my fingers making their tips sooty. Page after page I read about the turmoil and chaos in this place I call home. I read about the murders, the corruption, the wars, diseases, famines, endless, endless! I was staring into a sea of trouble.

But on the last page of the newspaper I saw an ad that proclaimed in bold, red text “Name it and we will deliver!” I glanced down and read the name of the company who paid for the bottom half page: Credence Inc. And below their reassuring name I saw their 1-800 hotline welcoming calls for assistance.

I was fed up with the horrors this world was presenting me. Now I was staring at a self-proclaiming panacea – a company that said, “We can fix anything!” I dialed the number.

It rung twice.

Credence: Good Morning! You’ve just reached the Credence hotline! How may I be of service?
Me: Hello. I was wondering what types of services Credence provides. I was reading your ad in the newspaper just now and it wasn’t very specific.
C: Hahaha! It’s as specific as can be!
M: But it’s so general. “Name it and we will deliver?”
C: That’s right! Whatever it is you need, we’ll deliver!
M: Ha! So what if I say I want to end the War in Iraq, could you do that?
C: Of course! We’re capable of doing anything!
M: Whatever. Okay, I want you to solve all the world’s problems . . . You can start with the world economy.
C: Right away, sir! It’ll just cost you 14 trillion dollars. Do you plan on charging this to yo . . .
M: FOURTEEN TRILLION!?!? Are you insane?
C: But sir, that’s what it’ll cost to fix the current world economy.
M: This is absurd! How do you guys get any business?
C: Usually our customers start out small, for example if you need help with your financing our daughter company can provide you with a broker.
M: I don’t need a broker. I just hate reading the newspaper – it’s utterly depressing.
C: May I suggest you try subscribing to Credence News? We customize the news and present to you whatever you want – in your case, happy news!
M: Nah, I’d rather read unbiased, and unabashed truth. What you’re suggesting sounds like communism.
C: Uh . . . Technically, no. What we’re providing is Absolute Capitalism. We are entirely customer-focused. Whatever the customer wants, we deliver!
M: Do you sell a potion that would make me immortal?
C: Why yes, we’re still in stock.
M: I’ll take it.

132 years later . . .

Me: I hate you Credence Inc.

Good Days Start With Comedy Central

They say that a picture speaks a thousand words. Well, I didn't have my camera this afternoon so instead of a picture I'll type a few hundred words in its place.

Picture this: a golden sunset that lights up the sky, contrasted with a growing blue of the evening. They both blend into each other at your zenith. The shapes and shades of the pillowy clouds bring out the depth of the sky. You can fool yourself into thinking you were staring at the world’s largest piece of canvas – with solid colors melting into gradients. It was majestic.

It wasn’t just the sky. Just minutes before I stepped out of my house it was pouring. Lighting ripped across the sky, thundering off a monstrous roar. I had to turn up my television volume up to the twenties to hear the dialogue in Thank You for Smoking. Yet, when I stepped out of the house the air was cool, the sky was clear. The city smog had been lifted like a blanket. The colors and texture of everything stood out brilliantly. And as the sun was setting, its last rays struck the sides of red and yellow buildings – making its contrast with the deep blue sky even more awe-inspiring.

And it’s not just nature. I hopped onto the jeepney where my visibility was cut down to a small windows worth. But as I stared at the black asphalt I saw the brilliance of reflected candescent lights as the layer of water had settled on the ground. I thought to myself, is this what John saw when he was describing the new Jerusalem in the book of Revelation? The roads really were golden, and the streets were teeming with neon lights. Different colors glowed as the sky began to darken. We didn’t need the light from the sun, moon or stars. We had out own flames that burned just as bright.

Later that night I tried describing the scene to a friend. She just nodded along. She had been indoors the whole afternoon so she missed the perfect sunset. I pitied her. We all need to spend more time out doors.

That's 328 words. Not even close a thousand . . . But I hope you can construct an image in your head of what I thought to be a perfect sunset.