Classic Tales

Even when I was in grade school, I have been an avid visitor of the place a minority of students like: the library. I studied in a private school so as expected, it is worth every penny my parents paid. I was in grade two when I began to read classic books. The titles Little Women, The Secret Garden, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, Last of the Mohicans, Gulliver's Travels, Robinson Crusoe, Call of the Wild, Black Beauty, Kidnapped,  were familiar to me. I mostly read them inside the library and borrow them for a week. At a young age, I don't care when some words required me to consult a dictionary. For as long as the book is hard bound, has clean pages and illustrations, then, I can read it for my own leisure. 

I entered high school where some classic books where required to read to submit a book review. Eventually, I read Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice,Wuthering Heights, and the thick ones like Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo. 

But if there's one book that I really enjoyed reading, that would be The Adventures of Tom Sawyer*. Tom Sawyer was a mischievous boy who lived with his Aunt Polly in the Mississippi River town. Because he was involved in a fight, he was forced to whitewash the fence as punishment. After then, more incidents happened displaying his mischief and wit. 

The author of the book is Samuel Clemens who used Mark Twain as his pen name. Out of curiosity, I researched about the author and his works. His book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was actually based on his youth in Hannibal. Because of his talent, wit and satire, he earned the title "the greatest American humorist of his age". As a writer, he published thirty books and more than hundreds of short stories, essays, and speeches.

A lot of biography were written for the literary icon, Mark Twain [1835-1910]. His early years and life near the river (Mississippi), his marriage and family, his travels, even his love for science (he was good friends with Nicola Tesla) were printed and published. 

In New York city, it has been claimed that a tour is given to the places he formerly visited nearing his birthday yearly. 

To you Mister Twain, (and with Google's doodle), 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

Thank you for being an inspiration. :)

Google.com, Nov 30, 2011

 "Courage is the resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not the absence of fear." - Mark Twain

References:

Merriman, C.D. 2006. Mark Twain. Retrieved November 29, 2011 from http://www.online-literature.com  /twain/.

Railton, Stephen. 1996. Mark Twain in His Times. Retrieved November 29, 2011 from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/index2.html.

The Official Website of Mark Twain. (n.d). Retrieved November 29, 2011 from http://www.cmgww.com/historic/twain/about/bio.htm.

------------------

* I also read the sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Its controversy led me to read it differently. It is indeed a Great American Novel.

Seasonal Seasoning

Para kang isang pista na minsan lang sa isang taon na nangyayari. Kinakailangan pa na magsabit ng bandaritas para maisigaw sa lahat na may okasyon. Pero tanong: ano nga ba ang meron?

Safe kong sabihin na higit isang taon na nating kilala ang isa't isa, at least, sa pangalan. Kung bakit nga naman kasi nag-hello ka pa noong pinakilala tayo ng isang kaibigan. At kung bakit ko nga naman kasi naisip na sa paraang iyon ay napaisip ako na may potential ka rin. 

Nakakabaliw na rin isipin kung ano nga ba ang pakay mo sa mga pasimpleng hirit sa tuwing may mga pagpupulong. Mabuti na lamang na sa mga samu't saring pakikitungo at relasyon ay halos expert na ako pagdating sa pagsakay. Pero sa totoo lang, nahihiya na rin ako sa mga reaksyon ko sa tuwing nababanggit ang pangalan ko at sa tuwing tatanungin ako ng iba nating kaibigan kung may namamagitan ba sa ating dalawa. Pati ang sarili kong sagot at paulit-ulit na "wala" ay pinagdududahan ko na rin. Wala rin naman akong matanungan nang maayos kung may katuturan ang mga naririnig ko tungkol sa ating dalawa.

Ano nga ba ang tamang sagot sa tanong na hindi dapat pag-aksayahan ng laway para sagutin? Anu-ano nga ba ang mga pamantayan para sa susunod na tanong ay alam ko ang mapangahas na sagot sa tanong na nakakarindi na rin ibato sa akin? Una, alam ko ang pangalan mo. Pangalawa, alam mo ang pangalan ko. Pangatlo, nakapag-usap na rin naman tayo (nang ilang beses). Pangapat...wala na. 

Sa araw araw na bumabangon at tinitignan ang telepono ko ay ni minsan ay hindi ka nagtext. Bakit nga naman tayo magtetext sa isa't isa nang walang kadahilanan, di ba? Oo nga pala, narinig ko na may pagka-mahinhin ka kaya sa bawat pagkuha ng atensiyon ko ay kinakailangan ng suporta sa kahit anong paraan; madalas-tulay na bulok naman. Pero kahit na may pagka-supladita at maldita ako, ay marunong din naman ako ngumiti kahit man lang sa text. Bakit hindi mo kasi subukan magtanong?  Hindi rin naman lahat ng sagot ko sa magiging tanong mo ay "hindi" kasi naniniwala ako na kalahati ng pagkakataon ay karapat dapat ang sagot na "oo". 

from image sketch

Siguro nga, wala naman talaga ako sa iyo maliban sa isang kakilala sa kung saan. Ilang beses na rin ako nagparamdam para magkausap tayo pero siguro nga ay hindi, man lamang, tayo magiging magkaibigan. Marahil wala sa plano mo ang makipagkilala talaga o panindigan ang mga pabiro mong pagpaparinig dahil siguro nga totoo ang tsismis na hindi ka pa naka-move on. Kung kaya, siguro kahit dumating man ang araw na kinakailangan ko nang umalis ay hindi ka pa rin gagawa ng kahit na ano. Magtanong ka o kahit man lang mag-aya para magkape tayo; hindi ko naman siguro kailangan ipagdamot ang sagot na "oo".

Alam mo, okay ka naman talaga. Kakaiba. Nakakatawa na nakakainis na minsan na sa dinami-dami ng mga kakilala ko, ay ikaw lang itong sobrang labo. 

Napanood mo na ba ang "3 Idiots"? Kung hindi pa, panoorin mo, wala lang: chill.

Questions

It’s has been over a year since the last time it happened. The memory was still vivid: the invitation, the hesitancy, the acceptance, the whiff inside the room, and the flavorful conversation. Even until now, the event left a trace of nothing but mystery. The smiles were still there but they conveyed plain charm. The laughter was still lucid but told a pinch of amusement. 

It was a busy day. I got a call and heard a familiar loud voice at the other end of the line. The exchange of words was quite short; I just heard myself saying, "okay". But then, I didn't realize that an unexpected call led to a memory that until now makes me wonder what is the true meaning of that instance when somebody just sat beside me and said, a different warmth of, ...