Books & Brews: Stylized Book Hang-out

Great evening!

I've been in a hiatus for what --- 3 years! Haha. My, time goes by. A lot has transpired and changed especially in my life so it's time to come back... again. I hope this time I don't go away anymore. Let's see. :)

I'm usually busy nowadays so recreation needs to be scheduled too. Nevertheless, it's liberating even. Paradox as it may seem.

So I stayed in Manila over the weekend and my Manila Sunday was the normal lazy afternoon for household chores, mass and a movie. (Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi, geek overload yeah! Maybe I'll blog about that in the next few days.)

I decided last night that I should have a fresh adventure in the metro at least once a month so I browsed the net for places that I haven't been to. I realized that if I will travel abroad, I can also travel locally and experience the culture from a different perspective.

Travel need not be outlandish especially on the financial side so I was supposed to go to the National Museum earlier because of the free admission on Sundays. ^_^  But because I got hooked on Star Wars, I only got a few hours left to roam around the museum if I pursued it.

Good thing I remembered that there was a book-swapping event shared by a fellow PRPB (Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books... catch us on GoodReads) member. Maybe a good book is bound for my shelves, I thought. Plus I can clear off some books that are getting dust already. Waze informed me that I can get to Eastwood Mall in 30 minutes so off I went to Books & Brews.

Books & Brews Programme until September 12. Click image to enlarge.

Books & Brews: A Coffee & Book Fair. Fabulous idea to influence typical mall-goers to the literary world.

 I thought I had to find the book fair and ask around but it actually welcomed mall patrons as they come inside, particularly the live acoustic music on stage.

Lovely acoustic music for sipping coffee and reading a good book... or just roaming around the vicinity.

The objective of swapping a good book was foremost on my mind but I saw Pinoy graphic novels first and respectively browsed through the array of Meganon Comics. Skipping to the other stalls, price tags were posted for as low as Php 5.00 so I wondered if I can swap my books. Happily, I saw Hemingway Books stall and a good number of books I wanted - fiction and non-fiction, foreign and local - all of which were in mint condition. Yay!

Wide range of mint books in Hemingway Books stall. No, it's not Charles David's.

To get this for free
- well, in exchange of 3 books,
which I can go without already -
is a treasure. Maxwell fan here.
This will definitely be handy
for me and my team.

Still my books were not as minty as they can be so I summed up the courage to ask if I can swap my book(s) in exchange of a gem I saw - John Maxwell's The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. I thought, Lord, even if this is the only book I get, I'd be happy. I had to give 3 of my books just to have it! Oh well, the price to pay is lesser than the knowledge I can acquire, ei?

It was a quick transaction with only 1 book left in my bag, which they didn't want to swap for. I tried looking instead to paperback novels that can be exchanged for my lone book but there were no more books from John Grisham and Anne Rice. Surprisingly, there were Agatha Christie books but I knew Alexandra Potter cannot be exchanged for the great mystery writer.

Leaving the fair, I chanced upon a lady doing an actual painting. I was a frustrated painter when I was young so it was mesmerizing to see a good artist - she seemed an expert with the brush strokes - in action. I came in closer and read her background and she was actually Sunshine Plata, the Pinay coffee painter! I don't recall her name but I do remember that there was a celebrated artist because of using coffee as a medium of art.

Sunshine Plata: Pinay coffee painter, housewife, mom of two.

Amazed and curious, I asked her why she used coffee for painting. (In my new business, talking to strangers is a necessity so this is becoming a habit of mine unlike my more introvert days.) She said that she learned of an ancient document that used coffee as ink so it inspired her to paint using coffee to make lasting pieces of art. I also inquired if she was the only coffee painter in the country but she mentioned that there are already other coffee painters in Baguio. She has been using this style for 15 years already.

I liked her persona instantly and asked her if I can feature her in Empowered.Today. Thankfully, she said yes and I'm excited to interview her soon! While waiting for that post, you can visit her blog at d1wata.wordpress.com. Also here are samples of her works as displayed in the fair.

Indeed, travel need not be pricey or even time-consuming. With less than an hour, I was able to find a "treasure" book and an interesting individual who introduced me to a different culture I was not accustomed to.

May you find your own local adventure too. :)

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Angels and Demons, Still Better Than Da Vinci Code

I've read both books of Dan Brown and I liked the first Robert Langdon novel than the more controversial one because of the twisted twists. So maybe it's not a surprise that I liked its movie version as well compared to The Da Vinci Code movie.

Though the non-Brown fan would assume that Angels and Demons is the sequel of The Da Vinci Code especially with the movie pointing to a previous adventure of the professor, it's actually the opposite. Angels and Demons is the prequel though there's no problem with the events overlapping or interchanging since the two plots weren't connected with each other.

As for the movie elements, I nitpick on editing and I hate it when I see ugly cuts in the film. It makes the film cheap at times and I thought they could've made this low-budgeted since they know many will still see the movie just because of the title. True.

Book-wise, of course we know that the movie would alter scenes. Since it's been years since I read the novel, I don't recall exact parts of the plot that weren't played except for the the "Air" cardinal. He was located not at the stairs but at a bench. And of course, who wouldn't miss the greatest twist in the story? The carmelengo is the biological son of the late pope. Still I understand the gravity of that concept so we'll forgive them for that. I assume that we're blessed that the movie wasn't totally banned from filming.

Despite that great bit of twist that was left behind and the disappointment of not seeing Anne Hathaway as Vittoria (from past rumors), I can still say that Angels and Demons is a great film and we can give most of the credit to the novel of course. But I thank the screenwriters in putting a better film in Angels and Demons than the disappointing Da Vinci Code (maybe because of the greater scandal there).

If you haven't read the book, you may find this movie a little bit boring at first especially on tiring details combined with a little drag of comedy from Tom Hanks. (Still I think Hanks is perfect as Langdon.) But the story, particularly the climax that tries to lengthen and form as it goes, will surprise you as what I experienced when I finished reading the book years ago.

As one of my favorite books, Angels and Demons' message wasn't lost in the movie despite the obvious bending to religion instead of academe. The movie was worth the watch despite knowing the ending... the graphic visuals of torture are enough. (Though I think they were minimized for the audience. Or maybe I just had a darker imagination. Hehe.)

***

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Tidbits 1.0

• Starting bulleted tidbit posts in my blog to compensate for laconic moments. Can't use Twitter for this because my Twitter account is now used primarily for sharing info on the web.
• Finished Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None adventure game. The ending wasn't as exciting as when I started playing it. Some items were left hanging. Reading the book is better.
• Downloading the infamous Monkey Island (Lucas Arts). Missing DOS adventure games. My brain might be itching for puzzles instead of troublesome problems at work.
  
• Reading Martha Grimes' The Horse You Came In On. Nice literary appeal.
• Thinking of buying a red Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5 on sale to complement my Canon Powershot S5 IS.
• Christmas perks of being a teacher (or having a teacher in the home) who works in an exclusive school: lots of brownies and gifts. Got a fab Coach wallet by chance. Woohoo.
• Wondering why friends are affected over rumors on Marian Rivera's pregnancy.
  
• Still can't feel Christmas around the corner. Pinch me. Better yet, grant my wishes.
• Thinking if there will be a Tidbits 2.0.

Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano, World's Most Expensive New Book

Costing 100,000 euros ("$155,000 when the first tome was finished last spring" but "about $130,000 at the current exchange rate"), La Dotta Mano is billed as the most beautiful and most expensive new book in the world.

It showcases Michelangelo's works of art and even the front cover is a scale reproduction in marble of Michelangelo's Madonna della Scala, a bas-relief of the Virgin and Child he sculptured when he was still in his teens (as seen at the left).

Published by FMR, each book took six months to craft, using Italian artisan skills dating to the Renaissance.

La Dotta Manno means "The Learned Hand" or "The Wise Hand."




Resources:

• Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano - NY Times Slideshow
• $155,000 Book : Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano
• GMANews.tv - Most expensive new book arrives in US from Italy
• Cover image
  

Michael 'Jurassic Park' Crichton Died of Cancer

Michael Crichton, the famous author of Jurassic Park among other titles that went into film, died of cancer last November 5.

It's really a shock for me that I only learned now upon browsing through other Twits. I'm not a fan of Crichton but I know of him because of his fame, particularly with Jurassic Park and Lost World. I, for one, like the dinosaur films and I can even watch it again and again (but not consecutively, of course).

 Prayers to Crichton's soul and his loved ones' loss.


Related Articles:

• ABS-CBN News: 'Jurassic Park' author Michael Crichton dies at 66
• New York Post: Crichton's Death Ends Thrilling Ride
• The New York Times: Builder of Windup Realms That Thrillingly Run Amok

Translating Bob Ong

One of my favorite Filipino authors is Bob Ong because of his wit (er, satire?), his conversational tone in writing and most especially because of the words of wisdom (and a little sentimentality) he shares on his books.

A friend emailed me some popular quotes from BO's books and I chanced upon to translate them for you. For the original quotes in Filipino, see here.

*Update (01/23/09) - If it's really Bob Ong who commented below, he is clarifying that the quotes from where these were taken from aren't really his. Hmm.. got to do some research. I have to re-read all 5 books then. ^^;

Even if you're dense and have no feelings like stone, be careful. Even if you can't feel pain, you are capable of inflicting pain.

Why is it that children hate sleeping in the afternoon; don't they know that when they learn to love they won't be able to sleep even if they want to?

If you love someone you shouldn't love and got hurt, don't blame your heart. It only beats to supply the blood in your body. Now, if you're good at anatomy and you blame instead your hypothalamus which controls your emotions, you're still mistaken! Why? **** Don't blame your body organs for your heartaches in life! Remember: You can only be happy if you learn to accept that it's not your heart, brain, liver or intestine that caused everything that happened to you, but YOU yourself!

It's not sadness or fear that's difficult with loneliness but it's accepting the fact that among the billions and billions of people in the whole world, no one fought for the chance to be with you.

If you're in love with two people, choose the second one. You couldn't love another person if you really loved the first one.

Do you know how great the distance is between two people when their backs are turned against each other? You need to roam around the whole world just so you can face the person you turned your back on.

Let go of the things that hurt you even if it makes you happy. Don't wait for the day when all you feel is pain and your happiness left you.

Love is like a manhole... it's frightening to fall into... and when you do, it's either by accident or you're just plain stupid.

Go and eat siopao with a stuffed cat inside or walk through broken glass on your bare feet, but never never try drugs. If you can't avoid it, seek help from your parents. They know where the cheap suppliers are and they won't cheat on you.

Use your heart to take care of the people you love. Use your head to take care of yourself.

Don't let go of something that you hate to see being held by another person.
Don't hold onto something that you know you'll let go of in the end.
[And] never never hold onto something when you know you're already holding onto another.

If you're not loved by the one you love, don't complain. Because there are people that you don't love but love you.. It's just fair.

I don't like to get used to things that I can live without.

Not everything you can't understand is a fallacy and not everything you understand is truth.

Dream and reach for it. Don't blame your dysfunctional family, your failed relationship, your crippled puppy, or flying cockroaches. If your parents have their shortcomings, you can blame them and be a rebel. Stop your schooling, get married, use drugs, color your hair in the armpits. In the end, you're also the victim. A rebel who haven't proven anything and haven't the sanity to live.

I learned that final exams are not the passing rate of life. It's not a test of multiple choice, identification, true or false, enumeration or fill-in-the-blanks that you answer but an essay that you write everyday. It won't be judged on right or wrong answers, but on the sensibility of what was written. Erasures are allowed.

It's better to fail on doing something than succeed in doing nothing.

***
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"When God Doesn't Make Sense"

Let go and let God.



That's a powerful adage. Why? Because you think it's easy but actually it's not. It's hard letting go of everything that you think you can and should do. Even if, in the end, it's better to let God's will be.

***
Didache, May 29 '08

Then I read a book entitled, When God Doesn’t Make Sense. There, the author shared how trees grow. The roots of trees planted in arid land tend to deeply stretch out to seek water for nourishment. And because of this, flood waters can’t easily uproot it, unlike a tree planted in rich soil.

That's a good title: When God Doesn't Make Sense. Perhaps you've asked, even for once in your life, how God makes sense out of all the catastrophes around and within us. But what is "sense"? Is it us who makes sense out of things? Or what if God also wonders how we don't make sense? Haha.

Read "The Road"

The Road by Cormac McCarthy




What's the bravest thing you ever did?

Getting up this morning.








Describing The Road

Imagine there's nothing to look forward to. Nothing to hope for. Dreams are all but useless. And memories of the past are the only remnants of happiness.

What is important is not today. Neither this hour nor minute. But this very moment that decides if you'll survive another moment to simply exist.

No safe shelter. No food available. No heat from the sun. No one to trust your life to. Only you and your child.

Would life still be worth living?

Experiencing The Road

I had to continue reading despite the urge to stop, to breathe, to escape the bleakness and desolation. It's as if their lives (the father and son) depended on me, as well as mine on them.

At first, I was thinking of I am Legend's set based on the beginning of the story. The aloneness, grayness, hopelessness. But as the plot progressed, the world became much darker until pitch black of the night.

I can feel the fear of such darkness, the blackest black, since I recently experienced wading in the beach on a rainy night. It was as if darkness will swallow you with its entirety spanning the whole horizon. It was frightening.

The slow pacing made me want to turn down the book and not finish it. But since a friend recommended it as a very good read, I waited for the story to unfold further.

With the first scene of sentiment, my heart was pierced to the very core and tears hung strongly in my eyes so they won't roll off. And as the tension for survival thickened, the pace became much slower but my heartbeat getting quicker. A slower pace due to the terror enveloping the heavy air, that I have to make myself stronger to read on. The word "gripping", true to its essence in this book.

As much as for the style, the author did a very fine job of cutting down into the barest necessities, may it be dialogue or punctuation. It's as if the writing itself was part of the story, in simplicity and grayness. Making the characters more vivid, the emotions more raw.

Perhaps my note to Jonat best describes my experience with The Road:

Thanks, Jonat, for sharing this book with me. I just finished reading it and I was deeply moved. (Thus the letter.)

Yet I cannot include this in my favorites because of the heaviness and sadness in my heart. I don't know if I still have the guts to read it again.

Nevertheless I do agree with you that this is the best novel I've read so far. It is the saddest yet most beautiful story that made me weep so painfully. I couldn't stop crying even after I closed the book and held it in my hands for a long time.

Thanks again and I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

Ner

Want a Copy of Zafra's new book, Twisted 8?

To all Jessica Zafra fans out there

Manila Freelancer will be giving away a brand new signed copy of Twisted 8 : The night of the living twisted by Jessica Zafra for FREE! Just visit here for the contest details. It's easy to join so go! ^_^

Tech Tags: Jessica Zafra

Life is an Art

Life is an Art

Jonat placed a comment on my Friendster profile recently stating:

If literature is an art then Ner is an artist.

Well that sounded nice but after some thought this morning, I found some logic to connect it with. From my English III in high school, I learned that literature is life. Therefore if life is literature and literature is an art, then life is an art. Hehehe.

But this discovery isn't new to us exactly. Why not? Since we really paint the colors in our lives. We have the say on how it will affect and effect. God has given us the vast range of colors and we shouldn't just waste the easel using only the greys and blacks. :)

8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

At long last I've squished my budget to fish out the Php 350 to buy Bo's newest book, 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich. I really recommend this book especially for the common tao who don't think they could go beyond their means of survival.

It's just like Bo to bog down the notorious beliefs on money, similar with how he did it on love in his book How to Find Your One True Love. His books always enlighten not just the mind, but the spirit. A holistic approach, comprehensive and light --- a definite good read.

Some of the pointers I got:

• A definite goal. Yes, I do have goals but they're not too detailed, not really precise. The mind needs to focus in order to achieve.
• Bless the world. When I wake up, I do thank the Lord for another wonderful day but I picked up another good habit from Bo by asking myself next how to bless the world.
• Passive income like mutual funds. The magic of compounded interest. We need to work it for us.
• Maximizing our psychological wallet. We can earn more than we think we can. We only limit ourselves. This can be related to my recent thinking of boxing ourselves. Again: DON'T.

Here are online excerpts from the book's Cover and Preface, Dedication and Foreword, and Introduction.

All About Love

Watched a movie last night at the apartment: All About Love. Yup, the Pinoy 3-part flick starring the couples Bea-John Lloyd, Anne-Luis and Angelica-Jason.

The stories were good however not much done in justice due to the short duration of each sub-plot. Perhaps a little more minutes wouldn't do much damage.

Angelica-Jason's drama was quite exaggerated given the conflict of the video scandal. There were also scenes that needn't be included and scenes that weren't developed to fully grasp the characters' situations.

Anne-Luis' romantic comedy had its turn of laughs despite some of Luis' awkward acting and Anne's slip on her "unsophistication." I liked their quirkiness and wanted more wacky minutes here.

Bea-John Lloyd's story had the most substance (expectedly). They also had the best lines (and the best performance since they had the dramatic climax) in the whole film. I liked this particularly:

You have to have a hold of pain for you to let it go.

***
GTG. Sorry for the hang-up. Till next time.

what should i do with my life

That's the title of a bestseller that Nhut bought. She said it seems desperate that she bought it. But as I thought it over... Nah. That question should be posed to us when we're not desperate, when we think we're sane. That's the right time.

I just read one of its chapters entitled "New Person, Same Job." It hit me near the gut. It was enlightening especially that I was going through the same ordeal last month. That's why the two-week leave. That's why the so-called self-introspection.

But during that two-week leave I didn't get all the answers. Nevertheless it was ok. It was fun to bond with my loved ones especially my family. I've come to love the philosophy that lost time cannot be bought. Jogging with my father, mother and sister at Bayanihan Park would be one of those memories I'll cherish and look forward to also.

So I'm still here with the same job. Looking at the computer for hours and slacking my butt on the chair. Listening to the droning processor and relentless issues from my superiors and clients. That's life. (No boyfriend also. Haha.)

I just realized now (even if I've read it countless times in other books) that you can't change your life just by changing your environment. It starts with you. Change of perspective would somehow make life easier. As I've stated before, life ain't complicated. We just make it complicated.