Sometimes all it takes
is a good book and a nice cup of coffee
to make it a perfect Sunday :D
is a good book and a nice cup of coffee
to make it a perfect Sunday :D
.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Book Review: Rizal Without the Overcoat (Ambeth Ocampo)
Rizal Without the Overcoat by Ambeth R. OcampoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Between the covers of this book, Jose Rizal suddenly comes alive. You will not hear the usual textbook stories of the moth and the flame, or that old tale of Rizal throwing his remaining slipper into the river after the first one was swept away by the currents, so that whoever finds them will have the complete pair.
This is a book that will tell you that Rizal was kind of funny looking, with a small frame and a rather large head, that he had a lot of girlfriends, and that he even tried hashish 'for experimental purposes'. It gives you a peek into his insecurities and his frustrations, down to the little stories of how he hated tipping because he was so kuripot, or that while he was living abroad, he was too proud to let his landlady find out that he had no more money for food, so he would go out for a stroll every lunch time to give her an impression that he'd gone out to dine.
It's a whole bunch of little stories that show you how Rizal was "just like us".
And then Ocampo takes you through the story behind the "Mi Ultimo Adios", the politics behind the KKK, and a narration of what happened that morning of December 30, 1896.
You take a step back and remember that this is the man who influenced the course of our history and helped solidify our sense of nationhood.
That's when you see that heroes are people who were "just like us".
And it's these people who are more interesting to learn about and learn from, not the mythical heroes we hear about in school. You begin to relate to them, and to wonder what was going through their heads, the emotions raging in their hearts...
This curiosity lead me to read the "Mi Ultimo Adios" with fresh eyes, and I've never found it more beautiful. Now it's challenging me to take a second look at the Noli Me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo.
If you read "Rizal Without the Overcoat", be prepared to go down the path of rediscovering our national hero, and in turn rediscovering our sense of being Filipino. Trust me, it's more fun this second time around :)
View all my reviews >>
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Cebuano Weltanschauung
There’s a long-running urban legend about how the Eskimos (actually, Inuits) have more than a hundred words to refer to “snow”, showing how involved their culture and life is with the stuff. It’s not actually true, research by linguists show there are only about seven distinct words.
In any case, there is some sense to this theory of Linguistic Relativism that claims that “the language we speak both affects and reflects our view of the world.”
My brother tells me that the Japanese are so involved with the craft of sword-making, that they apparently have distinct names to identify the origins of the particular sword, or the kind of the blade that has been used.
My friend Edgar and I also got a discussion about how in Filipino, we have different names for rice in its different stages –
Palay is for the unhusked grains.
Bigas when they’ve been turned into polished grains.
Kanin when cooked.
Tutong when burnt.
That’s not including variants of rice, such as malagkit, or ways of preparing rice – like sinangag or lugaw. Definitely not surprising, since we are a country that eats rice with every single meal, and sometimes even incorporate it into our snacks or dessert.
One thing that’s been puzzling me for a while now is how, in Cebuano (Bisaya), we have an unusual number of words to refer to people falling down. A long conversation over coffee with my brother got the count up to 10. There’s hagbong, hulog, pandol, sapid, dalin-as, dagma, umod, mo-mo, hapla and umpak.
Which begs the question – what is it about Cebuanos (or Visayans?) that has made our language around people “falling” so highly developed and descriptive?
You can even classify the words into two - the first set clearly defines a specific cause of the fall, while the second set gives you a pretty good idea of what happened as a result of the fall. (We’re not really linguists, so these are the words we know from our everyday use of the language.)
First of all, there are the generic words for “fall” – hagbong and hulog.
And here’s set one – words that clearly defines why the person fell:
Pandol: to fall due to a loss of coordination.
Sapid: to trip over an obstacle, as when your ankle gets caught in a rope
Dalin-as: to slip over a wet surface
Dagma / Dam-ag: to fall after running too fast
Then, there’s set two – words that define what happened after the person fell:
Umod: to fall face first
Mo-mo: to fall face-first, specifically with the nose and mouth receiving the impact
Hapla: to fall flat, with a large surface area touching the floor, but not face-first
Umpak: to fall on your behind
If you stretch it a little more, there’s a third group that describes how people fell. We figured it’s a bit too much of a stretch, and didn’t include it in the official count. But just for kicks, here they are:
Tulimbang: to flip over
Hagpa: to slam into something
Lagobo: to make a series of loud sounds while falling, the kind that makes you picture how many things the person banged into on the way down
Tagak: to fall from a higher level
Labay: to be thrown, as in motorcycle accidents
Labog: also refers to being thrown, but this word sounds more forceful than labay
Oh, and did I already mention that these are all words referring to people falling? There’s still a different set of words used when referring to objects that fall.
A guy named Wilhelm von Humboldt once said that "the diversity of languages is not a diversity of signs and sounds but a diversity of views of the world."
So again, the question is, why does Cebuano (Bisaya) have a very highly developed language around falling?
My brother’s theory is it’s because Cebu is a mountainous region, and so people fall a lot.
My theory is that Cebuanos just love a good laugh. And the clearer the image in our heads of someone falling, the better the story :D
What’s your theory?
In any case, there is some sense to this theory of Linguistic Relativism that claims that “the language we speak both affects and reflects our view of the world.”
My brother tells me that the Japanese are so involved with the craft of sword-making, that they apparently have distinct names to identify the origins of the particular sword, or the kind of the blade that has been used.
My friend Edgar and I also got a discussion about how in Filipino, we have different names for rice in its different stages –
Palay is for the unhusked grains.
Bigas when they’ve been turned into polished grains.
Kanin when cooked.
Tutong when burnt.
That’s not including variants of rice, such as malagkit, or ways of preparing rice – like sinangag or lugaw. Definitely not surprising, since we are a country that eats rice with every single meal, and sometimes even incorporate it into our snacks or dessert.
One thing that’s been puzzling me for a while now is how, in Cebuano (Bisaya), we have an unusual number of words to refer to people falling down. A long conversation over coffee with my brother got the count up to 10. There’s hagbong, hulog, pandol, sapid, dalin-as, dagma, umod, mo-mo, hapla and umpak.
Which begs the question – what is it about Cebuanos (or Visayans?) that has made our language around people “falling” so highly developed and descriptive?
You can even classify the words into two - the first set clearly defines a specific cause of the fall, while the second set gives you a pretty good idea of what happened as a result of the fall. (We’re not really linguists, so these are the words we know from our everyday use of the language.)
First of all, there are the generic words for “fall” – hagbong and hulog.
And here’s set one – words that clearly defines why the person fell:
Pandol: to fall due to a loss of coordination.
Sapid: to trip over an obstacle, as when your ankle gets caught in a rope
Dalin-as: to slip over a wet surface
Dagma / Dam-ag: to fall after running too fast
Then, there’s set two – words that define what happened after the person fell:
Umod: to fall face first
Mo-mo: to fall face-first, specifically with the nose and mouth receiving the impact
Hapla: to fall flat, with a large surface area touching the floor, but not face-first
Umpak: to fall on your behind
If you stretch it a little more, there’s a third group that describes how people fell. We figured it’s a bit too much of a stretch, and didn’t include it in the official count. But just for kicks, here they are:
Tulimbang: to flip over
Hagpa: to slam into something
Lagobo: to make a series of loud sounds while falling, the kind that makes you picture how many things the person banged into on the way down
Tagak: to fall from a higher level
Labay: to be thrown, as in motorcycle accidents
Labog: also refers to being thrown, but this word sounds more forceful than labay
Oh, and did I already mention that these are all words referring to people falling? There’s still a different set of words used when referring to objects that fall.
A guy named Wilhelm von Humboldt once said that "the diversity of languages is not a diversity of signs and sounds but a diversity of views of the world."
So again, the question is, why does Cebuano (Bisaya) have a very highly developed language around falling?
My brother’s theory is it’s because Cebu is a mountainous region, and so people fall a lot.
My theory is that Cebuanos just love a good laugh. And the clearer the image in our heads of someone falling, the better the story :D
What’s your theory?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ignite Manila 1
Was fortunate enough to get a seat reservation at the geek convention that is called Ignite Manila. 16 speakers, 5 minutes each. True to the event's tagline -- "Enlighten us, but make it quick!"
It was a night that held many delights for the geek within me. But let me just share two of the best thoughts I picked up that night:
\\
Work with the given.
Work with the given.
Work. with. the. given.
Life is the co-director.
~Khavn de la Cruz, digital film maker
\\
There is beauty all around Manila.
If you don't see it,
there is something wrong with you.
There is nothing wrong with Manila.
~Carlos Celdran
\\
Roster of speakers at Ignite Manila 1:
It was a night that held many delights for the geek within me. But let me just share two of the best thoughts I picked up that night:
\\
Work with the given.
Work with the given.
Work. with. the. given.
Life is the co-director.
~Khavn de la Cruz, digital film maker
\\
There is beauty all around Manila.
If you don't see it,
there is something wrong with you.
There is nothing wrong with Manila.
~Carlos Celdran
\\
Roster of speakers at Ignite Manila 1:
- Nina Terol Zialcita (Communicator, Connector, Changemaker) A ball can change the world: Lessons from the 2009 Milan Homeless World Cup
- Paul Zialcita (percussionist, performance artist, social advocate) Recycle music. Recycle life.
- Alvin Gale Tan (entrepreneur; people-reader) 7107 Reasons
- Elizabeth Angsioco (National Chair, Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP)) Reproductive Health
- Mikong Galero (web developer, go player) Why Go is better than Chess
- Bill Shaw (Social entrepreneur) Jeepney Magazine: the first “street paper” in developing Asia
- Benj Espina (Backpacker) Visit Sagada
- Victor Asuncion lead (vocals, guitarist, songwriter of Indios band) On joining the national search for Rivermaya’s lead vocalist
- Bryan Bibat (UP AME alumnus) Saving a Dying Geek Community
- Frank Manuel (Software Developer, Astronomy geek) The coolest things in the universe
- Team New Slang (Overshare Advocates) Creative Nonfiction, Show-and-Tell, and Getting the Blog Out of Writing
- Norman Wilwayco (Novelist and Blogger) How I Created My Latest Book
- Khavn dela Cruz (Digital filmmaker) On digital films
- Dean Jorge Bocobo (Writer, commentator, atheist) Why Atheists Should Come Out Of The Closet
- Carlos Celdran (performer, visual artist) Myths and Legends for Filipinos
- Ana Santos (sexual health advocate / vagina warrior) Sexual Health Made Sexy and SASsy
General Emilio Aguinaldo - A Character Sketch
As I've mentioned in my previous post, I came across this wonderful article about Emilio Aguinaldo written by the eloquent American Diplomat, Edwin Wildman (United States Vice Consul General in Hong Kong) in a Harper's Weekly issue dating back to 1898.
I tried to look for it online. Although I found a lot of scholarly work referencing the article, I cannot find the actual piece itself. Maybe I'll go back to the Benpress Museum one day and copy it. Hmmm... When will I ever have the time?
But I managed to note down a bit of the introduction. See how Wildman can at once express his admiration for Aguinaldo, but at the same time throw him in a realistic, practical light:
"In the nineteenth century there has not been a more unique figure among the native races of earth than this Tagalo patriot - or rebel: call him what you will. Philosophers call silent men wise, superficial people call them ignorant. Aguinaldo is wise among his people, ignorant among Europeans. A man must be judged by his environments, his compatriots, his race. Aguinaldo is not a Napoleon nor a Washington, neither is he a Tecumseh or a Sitting Bull. He is Aguinaldo, and his name stands for no metaphor."
I tried to look for it online. Although I found a lot of scholarly work referencing the article, I cannot find the actual piece itself. Maybe I'll go back to the Benpress Museum one day and copy it. Hmmm... When will I ever have the time?
But I managed to note down a bit of the introduction. See how Wildman can at once express his admiration for Aguinaldo, but at the same time throw him in a realistic, practical light:
"In the nineteenth century there has not been a more unique figure among the native races of earth than this Tagalo patriot - or rebel: call him what you will. Philosophers call silent men wise, superficial people call them ignorant. Aguinaldo is wise among his people, ignorant among Europeans. A man must be judged by his environments, his compatriots, his race. Aguinaldo is not a Napoleon nor a Washington, neither is he a Tecumseh or a Sitting Bull. He is Aguinaldo, and his name stands for no metaphor."
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lonely Traveler
I kicked off my 2010 with a crazy travel schedule for work.
2 weeks, 5 cities, 9 plane rides, 2 long drives, 4 hotels, countless tricycle rides, loads of luggage and bitbit na pasalubong... all of which eventually earned me a bad case of lumbar strain.
Occupational hazard aside, I've found some time to collate reflections of my travel highs and lows...
2 weeks, 5 cities, 9 plane rides, 2 long drives, 4 hotels, countless tricycle rides, loads of luggage and bitbit na pasalubong... all of which eventually earned me a bad case of lumbar strain.
Occupational hazard aside, I've found some time to collate reflections of my travel highs and lows...
Leaving home at 4am to catch flights
while the whole village is still asleep save for the
dawn street sweepers and nightshift guards.
It just being me, my suitcase, and I.
Traveling alone,
and not really knowing anyone at my next destination.
But then again there were lovely cafes by the boulevard,
where one can have long breakfasts alone.
Just me and my thoughts,
as I sip my morning coffee and watch the fishermen out at sea.
There were lovely strangers who welcomed me into their homes,
shared with me stories of their lives and their dreams.
Those moments when I find myself stepping out of my own shoes
to see what it's like being in theirs.
And the realization that the world is pretty neat from that vantage point, as well.
Different. But still beautiful.
A different kind of beautiful.
And then there were the lull times.
Waiting times. In between coming and going.
A chance to just sit and stay put.
To not do anything, not be headed anywhere.
And to not feel guilty about it.
And then the trip back home.
Home to my old house,
my old bed, my old office desk...
but not my old self.
Because I've had the chance to take a step back,
and have some time away from my own life.
To honestly take it all in,
and realize that I've chosen to live in such a way that simple pleasures -
like staying put, lingering over a nice morning cup of coffee,
and just staring out into nothingness,
leaving my thoughts free to wander wherever they wish -
have all become unfamiliar luxuries.
That was the trip back home where I decide that when I get back,
I'll make sure things aren't the same.
It's been a great January.
Now to make sure it'll be an amazing 2010.
while the whole village is still asleep save for the
dawn street sweepers and nightshift guards.
It just being me, my suitcase, and I.
Traveling alone,
and not really knowing anyone at my next destination.
But then again there were lovely cafes by the boulevard,
where one can have long breakfasts alone.
Just me and my thoughts,
as I sip my morning coffee and watch the fishermen out at sea.
There were lovely strangers who welcomed me into their homes,
shared with me stories of their lives and their dreams.
Those moments when I find myself stepping out of my own shoes
to see what it's like being in theirs.
And the realization that the world is pretty neat from that vantage point, as well.
Different. But still beautiful.
A different kind of beautiful.
And then there were the lull times.
Waiting times. In between coming and going.
A chance to just sit and stay put.
To not do anything, not be headed anywhere.
And to not feel guilty about it.
And then the trip back home.
Home to my old house,
my old bed, my old office desk...
but not my old self.
Because I've had the chance to take a step back,
and have some time away from my own life.
To honestly take it all in,
and realize that I've chosen to live in such a way that simple pleasures -
like staying put, lingering over a nice morning cup of coffee,
and just staring out into nothingness,
leaving my thoughts free to wander wherever they wish -
have all become unfamiliar luxuries.
That was the trip back home where I decide that when I get back,
I'll make sure things aren't the same.
It's been a great January.
Now to make sure it'll be an amazing 2010.
Monday, October 5, 2009
PBA 2009: My Blogger's Choice Award Vote goes to....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Vote for the 2009 Bloggers' Choice Award (National)
I vote for flipflopping my way around town (http://www.frannywanny.com/)
Bloggers' Choice Award
2009 Philippine Blog Awards
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