To achieve success:
First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends: wisdom, money, materials and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.
Note to self: please listen and do.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
If I were a Sesame Street character
Which Sesame Street Character Are You? | |
 | You are Elmo. You are lovable and ticklish, and always inquisitive. Sometimes, though, your excitement about the world can make you seem childish, naive, and occasionally irritating to others. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
Monday, November 12, 2007
Good news of the day: Gotta love those humps
Curvy mothers have brainier kids
10 November 2007
From New Scientist Print Edition.
CURVIER women may have smart children because hip fat contains polyunsaturated fatty acids critical for the development of the fetus's brain.
Using data from the US National Center for Health Statistics, William Lassek at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and Steven Gaulin of the University of California, Santa Barbara, found a child's performance in cognition tests was linked to their mother's waist-hip ratio, a proxy for how much fat she stores on her hips.
Children whose mothers had wide hips and a low waist-hip ratio scored highest, leading Lassek and Gaulin to suggest that fetuses benefit from a rich supply of useful fatty acids (Evolution and Human Behavior, DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.07.005)
URL: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg19626295.600-curvy-mothers-have-brainier-kids.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
10 November 2007
From New Scientist Print Edition.
CURVIER women may have smart children because hip fat contains polyunsaturated fatty acids critical for the development of the fetus's brain.
Using data from the US National Center for Health Statistics, William Lassek at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and Steven Gaulin of the University of California, Santa Barbara, found a child's performance in cognition tests was linked to their mother's waist-hip ratio, a proxy for how much fat she stores on her hips.
Children whose mothers had wide hips and a low waist-hip ratio scored highest, leading Lassek and Gaulin to suggest that fetuses benefit from a rich supply of useful fatty acids (Evolution and Human Behavior, DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.07.005)
URL: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg19626295.600-curvy-mothers-have-brainier-kids.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Article published in Ako ay Filipino magazine
(This is the article I previously mentioned in another post. Finally, it came out in the Vol9 No4 Oct-Nov 2007 issue of Ako Ay Filipino magazine circulated in Singapore and Hong Kong. I'm looking forward to writing more articles.)
Remittance Talk
By Windel Anne B. Lacson
Most of us are aware of the great benefit that our remittances bring to our country, hence the label bagong bayani upon us.
Through our remittances, we are able to provide better finances to our families which might have been the primary motivation among many of us to work outside our country, if the decision was not for personal reasons alone.
We also know that our remittances have helped our country’s economy greatly. The foreign currency, mostly US dollars, that we send back home increases the dollar supply in the Philippines thus making the peso stronger against the US dollar. The extra income that we provide to our families has supported the overall economy due to our consumption with the simplified equation that goes: more money = more things to buy = more income to businesses = more economic activity. These are just a few of the many benefits the country gets from our remittances.
Beyond the good news, however, we have to evaluate how our remittances have significantly helped us improve our lives. For instance, I came across the an article two years ago that says that working abroad have not satisfactorily improved the lives of a significant number of overseas Filipino workers mainly due to the fact that the workers are not able to save enough money for long-term use. Most of their income or remittances go to consumption-related activities as against investment-related activities.
It is understandable how consumption is very attractive to a person who has suddenly experienced an increase in income. We all desire good things for ourselves and most of the time this desire is the thing that pushes us to strive for better lives. The desire for nice possessions, stature and recognition may have been the primary reasons why we all find ourselves abroad. Hence, we find it very thrilling and satisfying to indulge in these desires once we find we have the means. Being Filipinos with heavy family-orientedness, we also often wish to extend that thrill and satisfaction of our gains with our loved ones, and we find that fulfillment through sending remittances if not for physically bringing gifts to the special people at home whenever we visit the Philippines.
There is every reason to celebrate a blessing to ourselves with the people we care about. Beyond that, however, I would like to remind every reader about having short-term and long-term goals. The article I mentioned earlier said that many OFWs find themselves without sufficient savings and investment to support themselves during repatriation after many years of working abroad due to a variety of reasons which include: the lack of consciousness to save money among many, and the tendency among many to overspend on large feasts for our extended families or even our local communities.
It may be surprising to find how our little acts of kindnesses may drain us of our hard-earned money. Unfortunately, some studies have found that to be true. I guess the lesson for us here is to know how to temper our “kindness”. Surely, there are ways to show kindness and gratitude to our kin and our community without having to compromise our future once we are back in the Philippines.
Also, I would like to caution our readers about how our remittances are made use of. A current study by Dr. Alvin Ang of the University of Santo Tomas reveals that the huge amount of money that goes into the Philippines through our remittances “have yet to be translated to value-added activities and investments which are more foundational sources of development and growth.” Simply put, we can ask ourselves, how has the billions of dollars of remittances sent by OFWs for so many years lessen the poverty in the Philippines? Have we seen a significant decrease in unemployment in our country due to investments, for example in small businesses, through remittances sent? Have we seen an upsurge in our economy due to the flow of dollars to our country? These are just simple questions that we ourselves can answer based on personal experience.
Dr. Ang says further that, “the bulk of the remittance money appear to be sucked into consumer spending that has spurred that rise of giant shopping malls across the country.” True enough, that was what I found when I came home to visit our country last June, a crowding out of giant malls, for instance SM City in North EDSA is now face to face with another giant mall called Trinoma. I’m sure we can all benefit from the convenience and variety of having more than one mall in the area where we live. But then I guess it’s also very important for us to ask ourselves the question: “Are malls and our ability to buy things that are available in them enough to make for a satisfying life among us?”
Reference:Philippine 2006 overseas remittances hit record 12.8 billion dollarsAgence France Presse, 15 February 2007
Remittance Talk
By Windel Anne B. Lacson
Most of us are aware of the great benefit that our remittances bring to our country, hence the label bagong bayani upon us.
Through our remittances, we are able to provide better finances to our families which might have been the primary motivation among many of us to work outside our country, if the decision was not for personal reasons alone.
We also know that our remittances have helped our country’s economy greatly. The foreign currency, mostly US dollars, that we send back home increases the dollar supply in the Philippines thus making the peso stronger against the US dollar. The extra income that we provide to our families has supported the overall economy due to our consumption with the simplified equation that goes: more money = more things to buy = more income to businesses = more economic activity. These are just a few of the many benefits the country gets from our remittances.
Beyond the good news, however, we have to evaluate how our remittances have significantly helped us improve our lives. For instance, I came across the an article two years ago that says that working abroad have not satisfactorily improved the lives of a significant number of overseas Filipino workers mainly due to the fact that the workers are not able to save enough money for long-term use. Most of their income or remittances go to consumption-related activities as against investment-related activities.
It is understandable how consumption is very attractive to a person who has suddenly experienced an increase in income. We all desire good things for ourselves and most of the time this desire is the thing that pushes us to strive for better lives. The desire for nice possessions, stature and recognition may have been the primary reasons why we all find ourselves abroad. Hence, we find it very thrilling and satisfying to indulge in these desires once we find we have the means. Being Filipinos with heavy family-orientedness, we also often wish to extend that thrill and satisfaction of our gains with our loved ones, and we find that fulfillment through sending remittances if not for physically bringing gifts to the special people at home whenever we visit the Philippines.
There is every reason to celebrate a blessing to ourselves with the people we care about. Beyond that, however, I would like to remind every reader about having short-term and long-term goals. The article I mentioned earlier said that many OFWs find themselves without sufficient savings and investment to support themselves during repatriation after many years of working abroad due to a variety of reasons which include: the lack of consciousness to save money among many, and the tendency among many to overspend on large feasts for our extended families or even our local communities.
It may be surprising to find how our little acts of kindnesses may drain us of our hard-earned money. Unfortunately, some studies have found that to be true. I guess the lesson for us here is to know how to temper our “kindness”. Surely, there are ways to show kindness and gratitude to our kin and our community without having to compromise our future once we are back in the Philippines.
Also, I would like to caution our readers about how our remittances are made use of. A current study by Dr. Alvin Ang of the University of Santo Tomas reveals that the huge amount of money that goes into the Philippines through our remittances “have yet to be translated to value-added activities and investments which are more foundational sources of development and growth.” Simply put, we can ask ourselves, how has the billions of dollars of remittances sent by OFWs for so many years lessen the poverty in the Philippines? Have we seen a significant decrease in unemployment in our country due to investments, for example in small businesses, through remittances sent? Have we seen an upsurge in our economy due to the flow of dollars to our country? These are just simple questions that we ourselves can answer based on personal experience.
Dr. Ang says further that, “the bulk of the remittance money appear to be sucked into consumer spending that has spurred that rise of giant shopping malls across the country.” True enough, that was what I found when I came home to visit our country last June, a crowding out of giant malls, for instance SM City in North EDSA is now face to face with another giant mall called Trinoma. I’m sure we can all benefit from the convenience and variety of having more than one mall in the area where we live. But then I guess it’s also very important for us to ask ourselves the question: “Are malls and our ability to buy things that are available in them enough to make for a satisfying life among us?”
Reference:Philippine 2006 overseas remittances hit record 12.8 billion dollarsAgence France Presse, 15 February 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Fabulous Friday! God is Good - Part Deux
Friday morning, 12 October, I remembered that I wanted to watch ballet from the Dains Singapore Festival. I surfed the Net for info. Russian ballet, my initial choice, was sold out for Saturday night but there were available tickets for the second night of the Zurich Ballet. I remembered watching the choreographer’s interview over ChannelNewsAsia a few days ago and how the choreography struck me, so I decided to try my luck that night over the box office. My willingness to pay was $60, up to $80 if there’s no $60 worth left.I left the office at 7PM, for no specific reason, mostly lethargy, I guess. I reached Esplanade 10 minutes before the show. I went into the ladies while they were announcing how it was only 10 minutes before the show and how we’re supposed to be inside the theatre soon.
I rushed to the box office, asked the lady at the counter if they still had tickets.
“For tonight’s show?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Will you be willing to pay $60 for a $120 ticket?” she asked really graciously.
“$60 FOR A $120 TICKET???” I had to emphasize because I couldn’t believe what I just heard. Normally, it’s the reverse, right?
She said, “yes, because that man over there is selling his ticket” pointing to where my prince stood, gorgeous in his three-piece black suit.
Ok, there was no three-piece suit but there was this well-dressed Caucasian guy, around six feet tall, holding two pieces of $120 tickets. I asked him in front of the lady selling the ticket if his tickets were legitimate. They said yes.
“But I don’t have cash with me,” I said, which is the truth. “I can only pay by card.”
“I don’t have a machine with me,” he replied. Hahaha. Cute!
The lady suggested that we go to the ATM where I can get money to pay him. We searched until it was only six minutes before the show. By then, we decided to go back up because we might end up late. Along the way, I was asking him where his date was. He said he didn’t ask. I asked why. He shrugged. I offered an unsolicited advice, that next time he should. He said he won’t be staying for the whole show anyway.
He told me to just leave the money at the counter after the show where he’ll get it later on. I passed him my business card just to assure him that I’m not running away from my debt. He took it and said thank you. We hurried to the theater and made it to our VIP box seats just a few minutes to the curtain rise.
I had to ask if he worked in the finance company that sponsored the box we were sitting in. He said no, he just bought the tickets. He could be telling the truth. The tickets bore the booking fee charged by online reservation.
“Enjoy the show,” he said.
“You too.” I returned with a smile.
Entree. Very good.
Around maybe five to ten minutes into the show, my VIP ticket hero stood up and left just as he said.
I felt a bit sad for the guy if he indeed could not ask his date to the show. Meanwhile there was I, lucky stranger, who had two VIP seats to move back and forth to depending on the angle I required for the different numbers.
I enjoyed the night, nevertheless. Who knew there was a very good thing waiting to happen to me over a rash decision I made in the morning.
After ballet, I met up with Melvin for dinner. He was making up for not watching with me. We had fastfood sushi, Japanese cheesecake for dessert, and a wonderful Friday night to cap the workweek.
My lethargic mood was suddenly gone. Little magical moments can do wonders for a soul. Suddenly, my faith in God's care of me, in the good, was restored very convincingly. I am going to trust my Lord for all my needs, and they will be supplied.
Until now, the guy hasn't called me yet to collect. I'm thinking he might just let me go for free. I'm hoping he would, that would be perfect! Meanwhile, my prayers go with him wherever he is. I hope he receives blessings too for his good deed (not calling me :-).
Cello Suites, Winds in the Void (In den Winden im Nichts)
By Zurich Ballet, Switzerland
12 October 2007
Esplanade Theatre
I was struck by the dynamism of Heinz Spoerli’s choreography. His dancers moved in three-dimensional space and one is not limited to viewing flat figures on the stage. Instead, their formations are fluid so that a viewer gets to feel the height and the length, and more importantly, the width of the space where the dancers move. The dancers are also made to exploit different angles of the space mostly with their arm movements and their kicks. Bravo to Spoerli for the daring and imaginative occupancy of the stage.
A friend, nevertheless, complained of the repetitiveness of some moves, to which I agree. I was particularly baffled with a certain position when the male partner carries the female with her arms outstretched and her upper leg parallel to the ground and then the knees bent. Together, the partners look like they resemble an insect. The first view was a novelty to behold; but repetitive use of said position puzzles me completely and makes me ask what I am missing!
The whole concert is made up of different numbers which would entertain primarily for its variety and then of course with the excellent dancers’ techniques. Beyond that, however, the stories conveyed in each of the numbers are rather hard to comprehend.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Book Review: Either Side of Winter
Either Side of Winter
Benjamin Markovits
2005, Faber and Faber
235 pages
The Daily Mail describes Markovits book as “truly a book to get lost in”. That may have been very precise if it is less of my determination to finish the book and more of my fascination with the world that Markovits created that prompted me to read the book from cover to cover. I would say outright though that Markovits was successful in convincing me to read a book completely, in particular, a work of fiction. During these past few years, I have been unable to finish reading almost all of my recently acquired books, or even assigned chapters or articles in graduate school. A fictional work is something I have not held for at least the last five years of my life, and spending day to day with someone who is convinced that fact is stranger than fiction does not help in this matter.
Back to Markovits. A surprising and wonderful method that he employed was to gather four stories of interrelated lives and distribute the storytelling for his protagonists among the four seasons. I believe this format led to a less confusing unraveling of his sub-plots and may have manifested Markovits organized thoughts, if the method did not aid him first in his storytelling. Thus the rendition of his characters’ interrelated plots and lives are neatly served to his reader, making the consumption of his book more palatable rather than when they are served in the usual chronological chapter manner.
Markovits’ finest quality is his subtlety, his ability to convey his message without being preachy. Overall, the book gives one a sense of sobriety despite the turmoil in the characters’ lives; his prose allows one to discern that the events described in the story are facts of life, without being lost in the vividness of his imagery. The downside to this is that the stories may seem dull at certain points. Coming across as intelligent and sensitive, Markovits in this work provides an emphatic rendition of his characters by effectively presenting their multidimensionality.
Book 1: Fall - A Thanksgiving Visit
Book 1 takes us to the story of Amy Bostick, her family and her new lover. Amy, a fresh graduate from Amherst, moves to New York for a teaching position in an elite secondary school accompanied by her father, Jack Bostick. Jack is a lawyer who is no stranger to the big city having spent a considerable time there as a student and a young lawyer till he met Amy’s mom, his wife Joanne.
Markovits slowly unravels Amy’s fast-paced story, starting with the night she met Charles Conway, a rather famous son of one of her employer’s big donors. Amy and Charles began dating since their meeting, with a cloud of class differences building up above them the whole time. Charles’ world was new to Amy but there were certain aspects to his privileged lifestyle that fascinated her.
In the course of dating, Amy would slowly reveal herself to Charles, relating to him at one breakfast how she always felt that her dad was closer to her than her brother, and speculated that this dynamic might have played out in her favor during their entire young lives.
A day before Thanksgiving, Amy’s mom and dad arrived. Shortly after their arrival, they met Charles whose graciousness impressed Amy’s parents in no time. On Thanksgiving, Andy, Amy’s brother, arrived, looking like a familiar stranger.
Andy had grown up in California, away from his family, and carried a whiff of manhood with him. New things about the family started to unfold in Amy’s consciousness upon Andy’s arrival and here is where the beauty of the story emerges.
Book 1 gently reminds us of our tendency to take our family members for granted, thinking that we know them well due to having spent a great deal of our lives with them. This belief may not prove true, however, especially as we find ourselves coping in the midst of our own individual lives.
Andy entered the story with a confidence about him that Amy never noticed before. Amy and Andy had split beds during holidays when they were kids, the same way that they were now sharing a futon in Amy’s apartment in New York. But as Andy has grown up and is living and exploring his life as an individual, some aspects of his life have just become off-limits, unintentionally or not, ironically just as he and Amy find themselves opening up more to each other as adults. They were now more assured of their identity as compared to when they were kids when there might have been a ‘disconnect’ between them due to competition for their parents’ attention. As Markovits writes, “Amy guessed he had a girl in California, or had had girls, and knew what it was like to lie in bed beside them now, and forbore from turning over as he might have done before because he had new habits to repress.”
A bigger surprise that met Amy during Thanksgiving was the fact that she was the last person in her family to know that her dad lost his job, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, due to her being the favored daughter. The information was hidden mainly to keep Amy from worrying about her family, a decision made by them having known how sad Amy was during her move to New York. The ‘secret’ was never brought up by anyone the whole time the family was together.
The story culminates the night before Amy’s family left New York City, over dinner where Charles and Jack arrived late and behaved strangely throughout. After hearing the reason for the men’s strange behavior, it dawned on Amy how different she and Charles were owing to their wealth.
Amy was frustrated with the how the visit ended, but Charles, having the pedigree that he has, reconciled with Amy and offered whatever he could manage as an apology. Still, it occurred to Amy how the men in her life, despite their lovely qualities and obvious strengths, can fall haplessly to the very things that bring them prestige and mystique.
Book 2: Winter - Second Chance
Book 2 tells us the story of Howard Peasbody, Amy’s colleague, and his heart that is as cold as winter. This is an interesting story of a gay love affair that ends in pathos as Howard finds himself unable to cope with his lover and the subsequent re-entry into his life, after seventeen years, of his long lost female friend with whom he unknowingly fathered a child. Howard meets his child, Francesca or Franny, thinking that she is not the child that he thought he would have or liked. Ultimately, Howard, not wanting to cope with the people in his life, devises a wicked plan to get rid of his lover, his long lost friend and mother of his child, and his child.
Book 2 adds spice to the collection by presenting what still could be considered a different love story, that of two men. That in itself makes for an interesting read for the curious. The story comes to a rather dark close as the protagonist, who is also the antagonist by the measure of his deeds, succeeds in his heartless plan to rid himself of the people closest to him by poisoning their minds with his destructive lies. The reason for his decision is unclear, but what reason does an unkind heart and a twisted mind need to execute a mean deed?
Book 3: Spring – A Girl As Fresh As Spring
Literature teacher Mr. Stuart Englander or Stu lives a quiet and uneventful existence except for two points of his life: when he was with the sensual Molly Hancock, his first girlfriend who introduced him to sexuality in college; and a year when he found himself fixated with Rachel Kranz, his very wealthy and very pretty but unassuming student in his Shakespeare class.
Rachel initially came to Stu’s attention three years ago, when she went looking for a book in a faculty room together with Stu’s colleague Roger Bathurst. Three years later, Roger went missing after eloping with a student from their school; Rachel was then enrolled in Stu’s Shakespeare class. Stu found himself increasingly drawn to Rachel, his attraction to her fueled by the memories of his first love, his childless and routine-filled marriage, and the precedent set by Roger Bathurst. Stu’s madness came to a halt when he eventually found out that Rachel did not exactly carry the equivalent of his sentiments.
This is a very enlightening story regarding the various forms a student-teacher relationship can take. For those who have never found themselves involved in a student-teacher affair, this story serves as a reminder that the authority figures we see in our classrooms are humans too, and therefore are very capable of feeling and at times erring and abusing their powers over mostly younger people who are their students.
The story also gives valuable insights on how marriages can last through time. In the case of that between Stu and Mary Louise, it is their ability to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings, owing mainly to Mary Louise’s courage to confront truths, that held them together.
Additionally, the story presents the brighter side of ‘strange’ or scandalous events normally taken as an affront to the sensibilities by those who consider themselves more conservative than others. Roger Bathurst found himself reinvigorated by a new love that he fought for. Such a fight of course still has to come with a price—here the price is the odd couple’s happy but ultimately lonely state.
Favorite line: “Secret lives exert great outward pressure.”
Book 4: Summer - Inheritance
Rachel Kranz, daughter of a wealthy lawyer and a former model, is not your usual teenager by virtue of her wealth and the future wealth that is to befall her. Except for that fact, Rachel will be your usual teenager seeking and forming her identity and looking out for affirmation from the world around her.
On the eighteenth and probably the most important summer of her life, Rachel went through an array of endings and beginnings in her life. Her father died, leaving her a vast inheritance; she met her teacher and mentor who would be influential in her chosen career in the future; she experimented with a boy who had long professed his love to her; she completed high school; she became independent.
The death of Rachel’s father, wealthy lawyer Reuben Kranz, may have accelerated the flow of information that she needed to fortify herself as an adult; that she was born out of love and that she would have all the money she needs to live comfortably at her discretion. With Reuben’s slow and painful departure, Rachel’s ‘incubation’, her preparation for facing the rest of her life, was hastened, readying her for things to come. During a conversation with her father, Rachel declared, ‘I think I’m going to write a book. About my life. I am going to call it: Unfurnished.’ He answered, ‘Unfinished. Clutter will come. You’ll see.’
Reuben knew what his daughter needed.
Benjamin Markovits
2005, Faber and Faber
235 pages
The Daily Mail describes Markovits book as “truly a book to get lost in”. That may have been very precise if it is less of my determination to finish the book and more of my fascination with the world that Markovits created that prompted me to read the book from cover to cover. I would say outright though that Markovits was successful in convincing me to read a book completely, in particular, a work of fiction. During these past few years, I have been unable to finish reading almost all of my recently acquired books, or even assigned chapters or articles in graduate school. A fictional work is something I have not held for at least the last five years of my life, and spending day to day with someone who is convinced that fact is stranger than fiction does not help in this matter.
Back to Markovits. A surprising and wonderful method that he employed was to gather four stories of interrelated lives and distribute the storytelling for his protagonists among the four seasons. I believe this format led to a less confusing unraveling of his sub-plots and may have manifested Markovits organized thoughts, if the method did not aid him first in his storytelling. Thus the rendition of his characters’ interrelated plots and lives are neatly served to his reader, making the consumption of his book more palatable rather than when they are served in the usual chronological chapter manner.
Markovits’ finest quality is his subtlety, his ability to convey his message without being preachy. Overall, the book gives one a sense of sobriety despite the turmoil in the characters’ lives; his prose allows one to discern that the events described in the story are facts of life, without being lost in the vividness of his imagery. The downside to this is that the stories may seem dull at certain points. Coming across as intelligent and sensitive, Markovits in this work provides an emphatic rendition of his characters by effectively presenting their multidimensionality.
Book 1: Fall - A Thanksgiving Visit
Book 1 takes us to the story of Amy Bostick, her family and her new lover. Amy, a fresh graduate from Amherst, moves to New York for a teaching position in an elite secondary school accompanied by her father, Jack Bostick. Jack is a lawyer who is no stranger to the big city having spent a considerable time there as a student and a young lawyer till he met Amy’s mom, his wife Joanne.
Markovits slowly unravels Amy’s fast-paced story, starting with the night she met Charles Conway, a rather famous son of one of her employer’s big donors. Amy and Charles began dating since their meeting, with a cloud of class differences building up above them the whole time. Charles’ world was new to Amy but there were certain aspects to his privileged lifestyle that fascinated her.
In the course of dating, Amy would slowly reveal herself to Charles, relating to him at one breakfast how she always felt that her dad was closer to her than her brother, and speculated that this dynamic might have played out in her favor during their entire young lives.
A day before Thanksgiving, Amy’s mom and dad arrived. Shortly after their arrival, they met Charles whose graciousness impressed Amy’s parents in no time. On Thanksgiving, Andy, Amy’s brother, arrived, looking like a familiar stranger.
Andy had grown up in California, away from his family, and carried a whiff of manhood with him. New things about the family started to unfold in Amy’s consciousness upon Andy’s arrival and here is where the beauty of the story emerges.
Book 1 gently reminds us of our tendency to take our family members for granted, thinking that we know them well due to having spent a great deal of our lives with them. This belief may not prove true, however, especially as we find ourselves coping in the midst of our own individual lives.
Andy entered the story with a confidence about him that Amy never noticed before. Amy and Andy had split beds during holidays when they were kids, the same way that they were now sharing a futon in Amy’s apartment in New York. But as Andy has grown up and is living and exploring his life as an individual, some aspects of his life have just become off-limits, unintentionally or not, ironically just as he and Amy find themselves opening up more to each other as adults. They were now more assured of their identity as compared to when they were kids when there might have been a ‘disconnect’ between them due to competition for their parents’ attention. As Markovits writes, “Amy guessed he had a girl in California, or had had girls, and knew what it was like to lie in bed beside them now, and forbore from turning over as he might have done before because he had new habits to repress.”
A bigger surprise that met Amy during Thanksgiving was the fact that she was the last person in her family to know that her dad lost his job, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, due to her being the favored daughter. The information was hidden mainly to keep Amy from worrying about her family, a decision made by them having known how sad Amy was during her move to New York. The ‘secret’ was never brought up by anyone the whole time the family was together.
The story culminates the night before Amy’s family left New York City, over dinner where Charles and Jack arrived late and behaved strangely throughout. After hearing the reason for the men’s strange behavior, it dawned on Amy how different she and Charles were owing to their wealth.
Amy was frustrated with the how the visit ended, but Charles, having the pedigree that he has, reconciled with Amy and offered whatever he could manage as an apology. Still, it occurred to Amy how the men in her life, despite their lovely qualities and obvious strengths, can fall haplessly to the very things that bring them prestige and mystique.
Book 2: Winter - Second Chance
Book 2 tells us the story of Howard Peasbody, Amy’s colleague, and his heart that is as cold as winter. This is an interesting story of a gay love affair that ends in pathos as Howard finds himself unable to cope with his lover and the subsequent re-entry into his life, after seventeen years, of his long lost female friend with whom he unknowingly fathered a child. Howard meets his child, Francesca or Franny, thinking that she is not the child that he thought he would have or liked. Ultimately, Howard, not wanting to cope with the people in his life, devises a wicked plan to get rid of his lover, his long lost friend and mother of his child, and his child.
Book 2 adds spice to the collection by presenting what still could be considered a different love story, that of two men. That in itself makes for an interesting read for the curious. The story comes to a rather dark close as the protagonist, who is also the antagonist by the measure of his deeds, succeeds in his heartless plan to rid himself of the people closest to him by poisoning their minds with his destructive lies. The reason for his decision is unclear, but what reason does an unkind heart and a twisted mind need to execute a mean deed?
Book 3: Spring – A Girl As Fresh As Spring
Literature teacher Mr. Stuart Englander or Stu lives a quiet and uneventful existence except for two points of his life: when he was with the sensual Molly Hancock, his first girlfriend who introduced him to sexuality in college; and a year when he found himself fixated with Rachel Kranz, his very wealthy and very pretty but unassuming student in his Shakespeare class.
Rachel initially came to Stu’s attention three years ago, when she went looking for a book in a faculty room together with Stu’s colleague Roger Bathurst. Three years later, Roger went missing after eloping with a student from their school; Rachel was then enrolled in Stu’s Shakespeare class. Stu found himself increasingly drawn to Rachel, his attraction to her fueled by the memories of his first love, his childless and routine-filled marriage, and the precedent set by Roger Bathurst. Stu’s madness came to a halt when he eventually found out that Rachel did not exactly carry the equivalent of his sentiments.
This is a very enlightening story regarding the various forms a student-teacher relationship can take. For those who have never found themselves involved in a student-teacher affair, this story serves as a reminder that the authority figures we see in our classrooms are humans too, and therefore are very capable of feeling and at times erring and abusing their powers over mostly younger people who are their students.
The story also gives valuable insights on how marriages can last through time. In the case of that between Stu and Mary Louise, it is their ability to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings, owing mainly to Mary Louise’s courage to confront truths, that held them together.
Additionally, the story presents the brighter side of ‘strange’ or scandalous events normally taken as an affront to the sensibilities by those who consider themselves more conservative than others. Roger Bathurst found himself reinvigorated by a new love that he fought for. Such a fight of course still has to come with a price—here the price is the odd couple’s happy but ultimately lonely state.
Favorite line: “Secret lives exert great outward pressure.”
Book 4: Summer - Inheritance
Rachel Kranz, daughter of a wealthy lawyer and a former model, is not your usual teenager by virtue of her wealth and the future wealth that is to befall her. Except for that fact, Rachel will be your usual teenager seeking and forming her identity and looking out for affirmation from the world around her.
On the eighteenth and probably the most important summer of her life, Rachel went through an array of endings and beginnings in her life. Her father died, leaving her a vast inheritance; she met her teacher and mentor who would be influential in her chosen career in the future; she experimented with a boy who had long professed his love to her; she completed high school; she became independent.
The death of Rachel’s father, wealthy lawyer Reuben Kranz, may have accelerated the flow of information that she needed to fortify herself as an adult; that she was born out of love and that she would have all the money she needs to live comfortably at her discretion. With Reuben’s slow and painful departure, Rachel’s ‘incubation’, her preparation for facing the rest of her life, was hastened, readying her for things to come. During a conversation with her father, Rachel declared, ‘I think I’m going to write a book. About my life. I am going to call it: Unfurnished.’ He answered, ‘Unfinished. Clutter will come. You’ll see.’
Reuben knew what his daughter needed.
Monday, August 27, 2007
God is good
Good things just come through to my life despite the many confusion I find.
I have just completed my first article for a Filipino-run magazine here in Singapore that is mainly catered to domestic helpers. I feel so privileged after having been invited to contribute to the magazine. Finally, a chance for me to share my knowledge to one of the most marginalized Filipino group everywhere in the world. What makes the venture especially exciting is that I have been wishing to write to a newspaper or magazine audience for a while now. And now, that wish has just come true. Another one of my prayer has just been answered.
The magazine, Ako ay Filipino, comes with an issue every two months. I've made an arrangement with the publisher and editor to post my articles here in this blog once the issue is out, and he agreed. Having that liberty felt great. Not only would I be read in the magazine, I will also have the chance to share my article with friends who read my blog. I hope my writing will spur discussion amongst you who read my blog. I'm very excited about this new venture and I hope you'll find good things about reading my articles too.
Thank you all for bearing with me 'til this point, and I hope get in touch with all of you continuously.
Much love, Windel
I have just completed my first article for a Filipino-run magazine here in Singapore that is mainly catered to domestic helpers. I feel so privileged after having been invited to contribute to the magazine. Finally, a chance for me to share my knowledge to one of the most marginalized Filipino group everywhere in the world. What makes the venture especially exciting is that I have been wishing to write to a newspaper or magazine audience for a while now. And now, that wish has just come true. Another one of my prayer has just been answered.
The magazine, Ako ay Filipino, comes with an issue every two months. I've made an arrangement with the publisher and editor to post my articles here in this blog once the issue is out, and he agreed. Having that liberty felt great. Not only would I be read in the magazine, I will also have the chance to share my article with friends who read my blog. I hope my writing will spur discussion amongst you who read my blog. I'm very excited about this new venture and I hope you'll find good things about reading my articles too.
Thank you all for bearing with me 'til this point, and I hope get in touch with all of you continuously.
Much love, Windel
Congratulations Bogchi!
Bogchi, our dog of three or four years have just given birth to three healthy grey puppies with body shape resembling that of a dalmatian.
We thought she'd never get pregnant again owing from how she'd stay away from boy dogs lately, but who knows about one's dog's fate. So again, we find ourselves delighted with our new family members and also rather burdened with making sure that the puppies get to good masters in the future. We've succeeded in finding good owners for our (Bogchi's) puppies in the past and we're delighted whenever we see our previous puppies under the good care of another. We've also failed at some attempts. Hopefully this time around we'll find successes for all three.
Witness the newborn longanizas:
We thought she'd never get pregnant again owing from how she'd stay away from boy dogs lately, but who knows about one's dog's fate. So again, we find ourselves delighted with our new family members and also rather burdened with making sure that the puppies get to good masters in the future. We've succeeded in finding good owners for our (Bogchi's) puppies in the past and we're delighted whenever we see our previous puppies under the good care of another. We've also failed at some attempts. Hopefully this time around we'll find successes for all three.
Witness the newborn longanizas:
Ugly babies! :-D Beautiful as grown dogs! ;-)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Realizations I have to face
I have an overactive Ajna chakra, a manifestation of which are the many dreams I have in my sleep. The dreams I have is one reason why I put up this blog. They are entertainingly weird and I would like to document them as much as possible before they drift from my memory.
Dream #1 (18-19 July 2007)
I was in a beach in Queensland where I was catching the waves. There was a very big rock on the sand (as big as a single story house) which looked interesting in the beginning but got scarier as dusk approached, and I remember being wary of hitting my head on the rock while I try to ride the waves to the shore as it got darker.
Maybe the tide was rising that's why I felt like I was getting closer and closer to the rock. I've never been to Queensland also.
My friend said that the huge rock and my fear of hitting my head against it must mean that there are realizations I have to face. Soon??? I hope not. Before it gets dark??? Acck! I don't want to hit my head anywhere! That sounds a bit too painful.
Dream #1 (18-19 July 2007)
I was in a beach in Queensland where I was catching the waves. There was a very big rock on the sand (as big as a single story house) which looked interesting in the beginning but got scarier as dusk approached, and I remember being wary of hitting my head on the rock while I try to ride the waves to the shore as it got darker.
Maybe the tide was rising that's why I felt like I was getting closer and closer to the rock. I've never been to Queensland also.
My friend said that the huge rock and my fear of hitting my head against it must mean that there are realizations I have to face. Soon??? I hope not. Before it gets dark??? Acck! I don't want to hit my head anywhere! That sounds a bit too painful.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Am I Love?
Melvin took this picture of me. The interesting thing is that I was taking pictures of Melvin first, and I was timing my shots so that Melvin had the word love behind him once I clicked, but I never got to take the word with him. And then when it was my turn, Melvin began clicking and the first picture he took of me had the exact word that I wanted for him. Funny how synchronistic it was. Funny how I got the same word in my background as the word I wear around my finger everyday. By the way, my name essentially means 'loved' and this incident more than proves the fact that love is the most important element in my being. I think love is the one thing I know best in this life.
Welcome all to my blog.
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