Oh boy. I seriously thought I tweaked my settings so Blogger would send me an email everytime someone posted a comment here. Apparently, I missed quite a few. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to reply. So. In case you still read this, I'll try to sift through everything over the weekend and reply where appropriate.
In any case, I just want to announce to the world (as this doesn't happen very often) that I was VERY productive today. Yay me! =D Tomorrow I do my final edit and work on my footnotes, and I'm done. One decision down for decision-making month. Wheeeeeeee!!! Whattanerd.
Monday, September 12, 2011
In memoriam
Ten years ago, I was having dinner at my then-boyfriend's house. It was his mom's birthday, and the entire family had gathered to celebrate.
Midway through dinner, one of his sisters-in-law, a lawyer based in New York, called and said to turn on the tv and watch CNN, as a plane had allegedly crashed into the World Trade Center. We all thought it was a joke. In fact, I think someone even cracked a joke about American pilots getting lost, taking a wrong turn, or something like that. We turned on the tv in the den, and we were chilled to discover that it WAS true. Someone HAD flown a plane into one of the twin towers. A few minutes later, another plane crashed into the other tower. And then another plane crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane also went down outside Pittsburgh.
So the world was plunged into a war the likes of which had never been seen before. Unlike previous wars, this one involved no tanks, no infantry, no airborne units or paratroopers. Unlike previous wars, in the war against terrorism, you never really know who and where the enemy is, and where and how they will strike.
I've never been victimized by an act of terrorism. Neither do I know anyone who has. I thank my lucky stars that although I had a number of friends and family in New York and DC, none of them were in the least bit physically harmed. Of course the terror is an entirely different story.
I cannot claim any real personal damage caused by 9/11. Except maybe that I can no longer bring shampoo on board a plane, or that check-in time takes longer now. In fact, I've never been to New York. I've never set foot in the U.S. I know only in theory what the World Trade Center towers symbolized to the city, and to Americans in general. What I do know is the pain of losing a loved one. Thus, though MY wounds have healed over time, the scars all but forgotten, every time I hear stories of people who never even got to see their loved ones one last time to say goodbye, people whose hearts still weep, my heart bleeds a little for them.
I am not a very religious person. But I join everyone in remembering the poor souls lost on 9/11 and their families. And I hope and pray that nothing like this ever happens again.
Midway through dinner, one of his sisters-in-law, a lawyer based in New York, called and said to turn on the tv and watch CNN, as a plane had allegedly crashed into the World Trade Center. We all thought it was a joke. In fact, I think someone even cracked a joke about American pilots getting lost, taking a wrong turn, or something like that. We turned on the tv in the den, and we were chilled to discover that it WAS true. Someone HAD flown a plane into one of the twin towers. A few minutes later, another plane crashed into the other tower. And then another plane crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane also went down outside Pittsburgh.
So the world was plunged into a war the likes of which had never been seen before. Unlike previous wars, this one involved no tanks, no infantry, no airborne units or paratroopers. Unlike previous wars, in the war against terrorism, you never really know who and where the enemy is, and where and how they will strike.
I've never been victimized by an act of terrorism. Neither do I know anyone who has. I thank my lucky stars that although I had a number of friends and family in New York and DC, none of them were in the least bit physically harmed. Of course the terror is an entirely different story.
I cannot claim any real personal damage caused by 9/11. Except maybe that I can no longer bring shampoo on board a plane, or that check-in time takes longer now. In fact, I've never been to New York. I've never set foot in the U.S. I know only in theory what the World Trade Center towers symbolized to the city, and to Americans in general. What I do know is the pain of losing a loved one. Thus, though MY wounds have healed over time, the scars all but forgotten, every time I hear stories of people who never even got to see their loved ones one last time to say goodbye, people whose hearts still weep, my heart bleeds a little for them.
I am not a very religious person. But I join everyone in remembering the poor souls lost on 9/11 and their families. And I hope and pray that nothing like this ever happens again.
While my brain is on vacation...
So. Apparently, my brain is on hiatus. In lieu of productivity, in the final minutes of my workday, I googled "spanish la liga coverage philippines". Lo and behold, a treasure trove of links revealed themselves to me. According to the various online sources, ESPN Star has secured the broadcast rights to the Spanish La Liga for three seasons, 2012 to 2015. I couldn't be happier. Well, except if they'd announced that they'd acquired the broadcast rights to the 2011-2012 season as well. So anyway, that's my dose of good news for the day.
On another note, there are so many things coming up. There's the Manila International Book Fair, the 14th Cine Europa at the Shang, the Spanish Film Festival, Lisa Macuja's farewell performances, Libera, The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, Stomp, BP's production of Sleeping Beauty, and, if I believe the rumor mill, Adele in December. Well, I don't think I'll be watching Stomp because tickets are unfortunately too expensive. I haven't bullied anyone into watching Libera with me yet, and I'm not sure if my theater/ballet buddies want to watch Mamma Mia and The Sound of Music. But hey, the last quarter of 2011 looks promising.
On another note, there are so many things coming up. There's the Manila International Book Fair, the 14th Cine Europa at the Shang, the Spanish Film Festival, Lisa Macuja's farewell performances, Libera, The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, Stomp, BP's production of Sleeping Beauty, and, if I believe the rumor mill, Adele in December. Well, I don't think I'll be watching Stomp because tickets are unfortunately too expensive. I haven't bullied anyone into watching Libera with me yet, and I'm not sure if my theater/ballet buddies want to watch Mamma Mia and The Sound of Music. But hey, the last quarter of 2011 looks promising.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Happy fatdom
I treasure my quiet weekends. Particularly the rainy and/or overcast ones. I just order in, curl up in bed or on my couch with a good book or watch dvd's and thank my lucky stars for the absence of my main life stressors, at least for two days. Vegetating is so much fun. =D Last night, I watched Saving Private Ryan. Not as good as I remember. Today, in keeping with my period war theme, I've been reading Love Stories of World War II (compiled by Larry King). It's a surprisingly good read, with none of the literary equivalents of a grand cinematic gesture, e.g. a scene at the airport, the train/bus station, etc. These are just real stories of real people, at a crucial point in history. These stories took place 60 years or so ago, really not that long, but it really was a different time, antedating the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars, Martin Luther King, the heyday of terrorism, sanitary pads, the cellular phone, the internet, television (at least as we know it), and sex EVERYWHERE. It seems like such a picturesque era, the 40's. I mean, minus the whole issue of civil rights and women's lib, which I really do not mean to belittle.
Anyway, I think I'll go pop in an Audrey Hepburn movie now. I just bought a bunch of her movies on dvd. I also got a couple Grace Kellys and Elizabeth Taylors. And James Dean. Oh goody. Chau.
Anyway, I think I'll go pop in an Audrey Hepburn movie now. I just bought a bunch of her movies on dvd. I also got a couple Grace Kellys and Elizabeth Taylors. And James Dean. Oh goody. Chau.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Si, hablo español.
Judith, Mark, Anna and I finally managed to stage our grand comeback to start nivel 7 Spanish class at the Instituto Cervantes last night. As always, the anticipation was worse. We'd been on a four-month long hiatus, and I was more than a tad apprehensive about going back when I'd barely touched my notes since April. I did, on occasion, leave TVE (Television Española) on while I was doing my chores, and read the occasional article and poem here and there, but for all intents and purposes, I'd forgotten how to conjugate, and the difference between preterito indefinido and preterito imperfecto. I was really excited though. I find learning a new language (and a new culture) just plain fun. More than one person has scoffed at me (literally) when they learned I was taking Spanish classes. One particular person said I was jumping on the bandwagon. (I wasn't even aware there was a bandwagon.) Another said he would never study the language of our erstwhile colonial masters. Yet another said he did not understand the status of Spanish as an elite language in the Philippines.
I really don't feel I have to defend myself or the language. I don't have any strong views on any of the issues these hellraisers put on the table. I just enjoy studying Spanish. First of all, I've always been fascinated with Europe and its colorful history. Second, as my great-grandfather was Spanish, my grandmother and her family spoke it fluently. (Yeah, I know, hindi halata. =p) Anyway, it eventually went out of fashion in the family, but my grandmother and my aunts cursed in Spanish, so really, the first Spanish words I picked up were, naturally, the cuss words. My mom started teaching us the language when we were kids, but her early death effectively put an end to our lessons.
I spent a great deal of time buried in books when I was a kid, and I became really fascinated with history in general, Europe, and how our history was inextricably linked with theirs. Naturally, I have misgivings about the whole issue of being colonized, but what good would it do anybody to start banging on the table half a century later? Besides, why blame the descendants for the abuses of their ancestors?
Fast forward to 2010 and the World Cup. I was rooting for two teams: Italy and Spain. However, when Italy was booted out early after that heartbreaking loss to Slovakia (against whom I still hold a grudge), I focused on La Furia Roja. I must admit, my interest in football was rekindled by that gorgeous specimen of man, Fabio Cannavarro. I don't think anyone can deny his appeal. Or his talent. (Well, his last World Cup appearance didn't go too well. At least they won the 2006 World Cup.) BUT. The beautiful game really does deserve its monicker. Although of course, human as I am, I cannot deny that the parade of gorgeous men makes football infinitely more enjoyable to watch. (Wink wink)
So anyway, my Spanish boys won the 2010 World Cup. (Yay!) And so was rekindled my love affair with Europe, and Spain in particular. We signed up for classes right after the World Cup. It most certainly helped that the Instituto Cervantes de Manila was a hop and a skip away from the office. A year later, we're enrolled in intermediate level classes, and I'm still determined to continue. I also plan to study the other Latin-based languages: French, Italian and German. I also eventually want to learn Catalan, in the hopes of being able to meet Cesc Fabregas and the rest of the Barca boys someday. =D See, I plan to make it to Spain and the rest of Europe by my 30th birthday, on my own or with friends, and obviously, I don't want to go around like a fool asking everyone, "Habla ingles?"
Bueno, en fin, creo que voy a poder a ir a España el año que viene, o al menos, antes de mi trigésimo cumpleaño. Cruzo los dedos. =)
I really don't feel I have to defend myself or the language. I don't have any strong views on any of the issues these hellraisers put on the table. I just enjoy studying Spanish. First of all, I've always been fascinated with Europe and its colorful history. Second, as my great-grandfather was Spanish, my grandmother and her family spoke it fluently. (Yeah, I know, hindi halata. =p) Anyway, it eventually went out of fashion in the family, but my grandmother and my aunts cursed in Spanish, so really, the first Spanish words I picked up were, naturally, the cuss words. My mom started teaching us the language when we were kids, but her early death effectively put an end to our lessons.
I spent a great deal of time buried in books when I was a kid, and I became really fascinated with history in general, Europe, and how our history was inextricably linked with theirs. Naturally, I have misgivings about the whole issue of being colonized, but what good would it do anybody to start banging on the table half a century later? Besides, why blame the descendants for the abuses of their ancestors?
Fast forward to 2010 and the World Cup. I was rooting for two teams: Italy and Spain. However, when Italy was booted out early after that heartbreaking loss to Slovakia (against whom I still hold a grudge), I focused on La Furia Roja. I must admit, my interest in football was rekindled by that gorgeous specimen of man, Fabio Cannavarro. I don't think anyone can deny his appeal. Or his talent. (Well, his last World Cup appearance didn't go too well. At least they won the 2006 World Cup.) BUT. The beautiful game really does deserve its monicker. Although of course, human as I am, I cannot deny that the parade of gorgeous men makes football infinitely more enjoyable to watch. (Wink wink)
So anyway, my Spanish boys won the 2010 World Cup. (Yay!) And so was rekindled my love affair with Europe, and Spain in particular. We signed up for classes right after the World Cup. It most certainly helped that the Instituto Cervantes de Manila was a hop and a skip away from the office. A year later, we're enrolled in intermediate level classes, and I'm still determined to continue. I also plan to study the other Latin-based languages: French, Italian and German. I also eventually want to learn Catalan, in the hopes of being able to meet Cesc Fabregas and the rest of the Barca boys someday. =D See, I plan to make it to Spain and the rest of Europe by my 30th birthday, on my own or with friends, and obviously, I don't want to go around like a fool asking everyone, "Habla ingles?"
Bueno, en fin, creo que voy a poder a ir a España el año que viene, o al menos, antes de mi trigésimo cumpleaño. Cruzo los dedos. =)
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Building my personal library =D
I am currently reading/browsing through at least 5 books and an ebook. My dad doesn't believe me, but I am. Seriously. I still haven't been able to find an actual physical copy of Band of Brothers, and I have terrible EQ when it comes to these things, so I'm reading the ebook on my phone. I also have the ebook of the Spanish translation, which I fully intend to get around to soon. (When I started taking Spanish classes, I promised myself I'd read the Noli and the El Fili, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Neruda, and Isabel Allende in the original. So now I'll add that to my list.)
I'm also reading Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl, Pablo Neruda: Late and Posthumous Poems (1968-1974), A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos by Luis Francia, Oriental Carpets and their Structure: Highlights from the V&A Collection by Jennifer Wearden, Treasures of Greece by Emanuelle Le Pommelet, and Ancient Egypt: Art amd Archeaeology of the Land of the Pharaohs by Giorgio Agnese and Maurizio Re. All very interesting and very good books. I can't wait to move on to the rest of my stash. Obviously, I overspent on books last month. And the month before that. I blame my mother. She always indulged us when it came to reading material, so I now I feel my expenses are justified. The past month, I probably bought more than two dozen books. A quick glance at the pile yields an estimate of AT LEAST three dozen. I kid you not when I say I overspent. I'm running out of space to put them. A good number have ended up eating half the space on my dressing table. But hey, they make me happy. And having been a student on a meager allowance for so long, I haven't always been able to afford to buy the books that I want, so allow me this little indulgence.
I'm also reading Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl, Pablo Neruda: Late and Posthumous Poems (1968-1974), A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos by Luis Francia, Oriental Carpets and their Structure: Highlights from the V&A Collection by Jennifer Wearden, Treasures of Greece by Emanuelle Le Pommelet, and Ancient Egypt: Art amd Archeaeology of the Land of the Pharaohs by Giorgio Agnese and Maurizio Re. All very interesting and very good books. I can't wait to move on to the rest of my stash. Obviously, I overspent on books last month. And the month before that. I blame my mother. She always indulged us when it came to reading material, so I now I feel my expenses are justified. The past month, I probably bought more than two dozen books. A quick glance at the pile yields an estimate of AT LEAST three dozen. I kid you not when I say I overspent. I'm running out of space to put them. A good number have ended up eating half the space on my dressing table. But hey, they make me happy. And having been a student on a meager allowance for so long, I haven't always been able to afford to buy the books that I want, so allow me this little indulgence.
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