Ex Libris 2005
Una sa lahat, gusto kong ipamalitang online na po ang 7th issue ng Pinoy Book Reviews. Salamat ng marami kay Nikka for helping me editing the other articles, saka na rin kay sir Gerry at Sir Jun para sa pagpayag nilang gamitin namin ang larawang kuha nila noong launch ng Siglo: Passion at Philippine Speculative Fiction, Volume 1. Dalaw naman po kayo sa site. 
Gumawa si banzai cat ng listahan ng mga nabasa niyang libro ngayong taong ito. Bigla kong naalala ang thread na ginawa ni elessar sa Peyups na nagtatanong kung ilang libro ang nababasa sa isang taon. Naisip kong mukhang I am going to follow banzai cat’s entry. Pero sa kasong ito, maliban sa list na gagawin ko ay pipiliin ko ang mga best reads ko ngayong taong ito. Kasama rin sa talang ito ang librong binili ko na malamang ay sa susunod na taon ko pa mabasa. May mga ilang libro/GN ata akong nabasa na hindi ko nagawan ng entry, dito ko na lang ilalagay. More »
Lolita
A number of emotions and ideas came up as I was reading Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel, Lolita. First, what is he trying to say? Should I look at this book in a psychoanalytic view and consider this work as a form of release? Does this mean Nabokov himself fancies pre-pubescent girls? Does this book elicit fear, as I try to remember my own pre-teen years? What is this book all about?
Lolita is about the account of an old man named Humbert Humbert and his ‘love’ towards the young Dolores Haze, the daughter of her landlady when he was invited to move to America. The book started with Humbert’s beginnings, including his discovery of the opposite sex, his first love Annabel, and how her death haunted him for several years. As he grows older he discovers that he has an eye for pre-teen girls, whom he calls as ‘nymphets’. He characterizes these ‘nymphets’ as young girls “between the age limits of nine and fourteen” (16) and who “reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac).” (16) These ‘nymphets’ are not necessarily good looking, however, they have that “elusive, shifty, soul-shattering, insidious charm” (17) that distinguish these young girls from other girls their age. In order to spot a ‘nymphet’, one must notice the “the slightly feline outline of the cheekbone, the tenderness of a downy limb, and other indices which despair and shame and tears of tenderness… the little deadly demon among the wholesome children; she stands unrecognized by them…” (17) The sight of these ‘nymphets’ knocks Humbert off his feet, with pictures of desire and lust playing inside his mind.
When Humbert moved to America, he met Charlotte Haze and her twelve-year old daughter, Dolores. Dolores is the nymphet of all nymphets, and Humbert spent a lot of time in torture for he cannot lay a finger on the young Lo (as what her mother calls her). But because of some events, Humbert found himself taking Lo away from the summer camp and traveling from the different states, and being more captivated in Lo’s beauty. He falls madly and obsessively in love with Dolores, his Lolita. More »
Pamasko ng mga Bituin
You get to hear the songs “Mano po Ninong”, “Sa Paskong Darating”, “Misa de Gallo” during Christmas, but do you know who performed these songs?
My family owns the album “Pamasko ng mga Bituin” and I’ve been listening to this since I was a kid. When someone in the household stole our cassette tape copy of this album, we decided to buy the CD instead. Anyway, the album contains ten tracks, two of them are medleys. Artists featured in this album are Apo Hiking Society, Celeste Legaspi, Leo Valdez, Janet Basco, Marco Sison, Ivy Violan, Verni Gonzales and Florante. You get to hear our most-loved Filipino Christmas carols with the right tune and right lyrics, hehe.
Anyway, Happy holidays everyone!
Lunch out at Brioni’s
Pinasa namin ni Jaq sa school ang aming bursaries kaya inaasahan naming may pera kami sa darating na pasukan.
Pagkatapos, sinamahan ko siyang mamili ng ireregalo niya sa mga kapatid niya sa pasko. Kumain kami sa Brioni’s, tapos naglibot kami sa Polo Park. Wala pang masyadong tao noong nagpunta kami kaya hindi nakakabadtrip mamili at tumingin-tingin. More »
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
Ayan, hehe. Sorry if this is going to be a spoiler both for the book and the film. Anyway, wala akong masyadong ipipintas sa film na ito kasi sinunod naman nilang maigi ang kuwento. Kung tutuusin ang napansin kong binago lang nila ay iyong paano nakapasok ang apat na bata sa loob ng aparador. Maliban doon ay halos wala namang alteration. Ang problema ko lang talaga ay iyong ilang actors at saka iyong ibang eksena. Sa mga actors, sa totoo lang hindi ko nagustuhan ang pagkakaganap kina Lucy, Susan and Peter (although cute si Peter, hehe). Iyong gumanap na Edmund ay okay naman kasi naasar ako sa kanya sa pelikula, kasi nga siya iyong medyo salbahe doon. Pero iyong tatlo talaga, hindi ko alam. Parang wala silang masyadong emosyon. On the other hand, I love Tilda Swinton’s performance as the White Witch. Bagay sa kanya ang character, galing niya lalo na sa battle scene. I also love the beavers! Mas natuwa ako sa kanila kumpara sa mga bata. More »
Movie and Christmas shopping
Salamat at bakasyon na. Nakakainis nga lang kasi pinagsama lang nila ang sembreak at winter break, tapos para sa tulad kong ngayong linggo lang natapos ang mga pagsusulit ay dalawang linggo lang ang pahinga, tapos sa January 3, papasok na naman ako. Panibagong pangangarir. Magbabagong-buhay na talaga ako sa susunod na taon. I wish.
Kanina ay tumawag si Cheree at niyakag akong manood ng sine. Pagdating niya dito ay nag-abala pa siya at nagdala ng biscuits! Sabi ko ba’t pa siya nagdala, nakakahiya naman. Quits naman kami kasi binigay ko na sa kanya ang aking belated birthday gift na isang pares ng hikaw galing Pilipinas (pinabili ko sa nanay ko).
Kasama nga pala namin ang ate niya na si Ate Wendy. Pumunta kaming Silver City tapos nanood na kami ng Chronicles of Narnia. Ang haba pala noon, 3:30 kami nanood tapos pasado 6:00 na ng gabi natapos ang pelikula. Pumunta na kaming Polo Park pagkatapos. Ang masasabi ko lang: ANG DAMING TAO. Nasakal kami ni Cheree sa sobrang sikip. Madami ring sale, palibhasa nga ay holiday season. Si Ate Wendy ay naghanap ng pangregalo samantalang ako naman ay namili ng sapatos at damit. Sa wakas ay nakabili na rin ako ng sarili kong Chuck Taylors sa Foot Locker at apat na vintage shirts sa Bluenotes. Mayroon nga pala akong nabiling pink na The Beatles shirt, hehe. Asteg.
Nakakainis ding mamili kapag malapit na ang Pasko. Ang dami-daming tao, tapos yung ibang tao, paharang-harang sa daan! Actually kahit naman hindi Pasko, nakakairita talaga yung mga taong nakabalandra lang sa daanan na parang kanila yung mall. Ang bagal pa maglakad. Medyo naiirita rin ako kapag may mga babies sa mall. Pakiramdam ko hassle talagang magdala ng baby kapag masyadong matao ang lugar. Siguro wala lang talagang mag-aalaga sa mga anak nila kaya nagkalat din ang stroller sa mall.
Punta kami ni Jaq sa school bukas, puwede na raw kasi ma-claim yung bursary. Kapag nagkataon puwede na kaming mamili ni Jaq sa hapon pagkatapos ideposit ang cheke sa bangko, yehehe. Makakabili na ko ng panregalo.
Chronicles of Narnia
Ikukuwento ko lang saglit ang impression ko sa ikalawang kuwento ng Chronicles of Narnia na The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Pinanood ko na kasi ang pelikula kanina. Oo nga pala, kumpleto ko ang nasabing libro kasi yung adult edition (complete 7 books) ang kopya ko ng Narnia.
Naliligaw na ako. Maganda yung kuwento. Gusto ko ang characters, gusto ko ang pagiging masama ng witch. Nakita ko rin iyong ilang parts ng story na kapareho ng turo sa Catholic faith, example, ang betrayal ni Edmund saka ni Judas, ang prophecy sa apat na pagkakapatid saka ang second coming ni Christ. Hindi ko pa nababasa ang ilang stories sa Narnia kasi kanina ko lang binasa para ready ako sa panonood ng film.
Hindi sa hindi ko na-appreciate ang libro nang lubusan, pero sa tingin ko kailangan ko ulit basahin para mas ma-enjoy ako. Mamayang konti naman ang entry ko tungkol sa film, maliligo muna ako.
Sekai no Chushin de Ai o Sakebu
Sekai no Chushin de Ai o Sakebu is roughly translated as Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World, and is the title of the bestselling novel in Japan, surpassing Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. This novel is also called as “Sekachu”, and is written by Katayama Kyoichi.
Last year, Viz Media decided to release the licensed manga version of this manga, and is called Socrates in Love. Now, I’m kind of wondering why did they use this title when there’s no reference to Socrates in the story. Viz also handled the translated version of the novel, also bearing the same title. I managed to get the manga yesterday afternoon despite of my reservation towards the story.
The story isn’t that unique. It is about middle school and high school sweethearts Hirose Aki and Matsumoto Sakutaro. They faced a very difficult situation when Hirose was confined in the hospital and was later diagnosed to have leukemia. The couple has to struggle to stay in their relationship despite Hirose’s slim chance of recovery. Kinda like A Walk To Remember, no? More »
Kepeng
Narinig niyo na ba ang “kepeng”?
Hindi ko alam kung local food ito sa Cavite. Pero dahil hindi naman ako palagala talaga, sa pagkakaalam ko sa Cavite lang mahahanap itong pagkaing ito. Mga parihabang biskotso ang kepeng, tapos may matigas na asukal na pula sa ibabaw. Noong bata ako, ang jingle ng pagkaing ito ay, “masarap, malutong, matamis… KEPENG!” Turo yan ng tiyuhin kong malakas mang-trip.
Itong kepeng na ito ay dala ng nanay ko galing Pilipinas. Oo nga pala, kung hindi ito local sa Cavite, pakisabi na lang kung saang lugar pa ito makikita/mabibili.
About
Angela Solis grew up in the Philippines before moving in to Canada in 2003. She became a Canadian in 2006. Angela is 22 years old and an alumnae of University of Manitoba with a degree in Bachelor of Arts (Adv.) in Psychology and a minor in Asian Studies. She has been blogging since 2002 and occasionally writes for Tinig, Peyups, and Filipino Journal. [MORE] [PHOTO INTERVIEW]