Makapili

So here I am trying to have a good start although I was sooo late already for work when out of the blue, a blue bird pointed to me this article.

China builds more Spratly outposts

After reading the piece, I cannot help but feel awful. You see, I am working for China's state media so upon reading this, as shallow as it may seem, I felt like shit. It is just that while this circus is going on here I am, working for them. Somehow, I feel like I am betraying my country, the Philippines, just like a Makapili. Serving the Japanese conqueror at the expense of the Filipinos. But my hands are tied, though not too tight. I love it here, I mean my current boss is just the best. The working environment is non-toxic (at least most of the time). Anyway, I really pray that this dispute over Spratly's Island will not in any manner complicate things further. For one, we cannot afford a battle with China, and I say this with all honesty and humility. But as what the political analyst had said in the article, we should not surrender our sovereignty to whoever. We have come a long long way and fought our way through the end. This is not the time to surrender, and bowing down to whoever is out of the question.

Book review: Norwegian Wood

Just recently another author's work boomed in the market. But this time, it was an Asian author. Haruki Murakami. Familiar? Yeah, it should be. I doubt that anybody who loves to read has never heard of Murakami. His works are "hot items" nowadays. Swept by this hype, I bought my own copy, or make it, two copies of his works, just for trial. Upon reading reviews of other book bloggers, I chose "Norwegian Wood" and "After Dark" as the first books that I will read. I understand that Norwegian Wood has created a hype not only in Japan but in the whole of the readers' universe. In fact, Norwegian Wood has been created into a movie in Japan due to its popularity.

With so much curiosity and expectations, I read Norwegian Wood's first few pages with gusto. Quite frankly, I do not know what to expect, for one I have read quite a few mixed reviews of this book, mostly praises but also a few negative ones. Another thing is that I have already watched the movie version of the book, courtesy of my officemate who insisted that it was a fairly good movie for me to watch. I know that our fellow-Asian, Japanese have their own culture, sometimes, quirky, and some are just plainly weird for me but I thought maybe a glimpse inside their world will help me understand their ways of life a little. I hate to say this since I purchased his work due to the "mostly praises" that I have read about Norwegian Wood, but I find it somewhat detached. I mean, yes, it is not a Nicholas Sparks kind of novel, it is somewhat closer to reality, especially about the coming-of-age of the narrator, Toru Watanabe. But a narration that it is, I find it somewhat lacking in the connection department. Norwegian Wood, in my opinion is a "true" love story. And what I mean by true, is that it is somehow closer to what happens in the real world but the idea is to narrate it as a narration and nothing else. Maybe Japanese people are really somewhat detached. Maybe I am so used to the Western kind, which attaches and touches you as you read each part. But I just think that when reading a novel, of course I am not talking about biographies and stuff, I deem it proper to put in some feelings that will make the readers relate to the story or at least live them in their subconscious minds. This element, I think is what Norwegian Wood lacks as a novel. As of this entry, I have also finished reading After Dark, actually I read After Dark first before Norwegian Wood, and it left the same impression on me. Well, maybe Haruki Murakami's works are not my cups of tea. I love Midori's character, though. She is liberated and yet emotional, sometimes she struck me as a little bit weird, but I admire her ability to open up and express herself honestly. Something that I cannot fathom doing myself. And to think that this is 1960's to 1970's. Quite a gutsy lady, I must say.

Glorious Books

So it started with blog hopping through numerous book bloggers' blogs. It has started with reading through reviews after reviews of books of recent release and timeless classics. Bookworm that I am, these titles just pulled me into them, arousing my curiosity and seducing me to buy them and experience them myself. I got into this craze so much that I ended up signing in to two social networking sites that are into books.

Yesterday was shopping day for me. But take note that I shopped for.. what else, but books. I was so happy that those titles that I have been anticipating for has already arrived and so I jumped to the opportunity and ended up with this...


Yeah, it was the first time that I purchased this much in one visit. Thanks to the book bloggers. I get to update my library and I am now encouraged to read all the books that I have now in a faster pacing.