GREAT FINDS

Hello December! I'm so glad you're finally here! You know you will always be my favorite for a number of reasons. First, it's Christmas season and Christmas is my favorite holiday. It feels homey. Second, I get to eat a lot without anyone commenting on how much and how often I eat, since everyone else is doing the same thing haha. Finally, December marks the end of the year , which means I can finally use my new planner/ diary/ journal. This year, I can say I'm very proud of myself for filling every page of my planner/ diary/ journal. I've never been this consistent. I went to National Bookstore earlier today and bought a washi tape with kawaii print. Can't wait to use my new planner. 

Aaand one of the reasons why I'm blogging now is that a few days ago, I found some gems on Spotify. As you know Google (Google na lang, kasi wala namang nagbabasa nito lol), Haruki Murakami is my favorite writer. One day, I was listening to some tracks on Spotify, the usual ones ---jazz by The Jazz Hop Cafe, some Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles. While listening to The Beatles' Norwegian Wood, I wondered if there were tracks that had something to do with Murakami. Searching for some wouldn't hurt, I thought to myself. And voila! I found these two: 

Song Title: MURAKAMI
Artist: Made in Heights

Some lines that captivated me:

It's just a story though, is it a story though?
I can't tell if it happened 'cause it felt impossible 
Don't know whether it was real or dream 
Imagination playing tricks on me 

Song Title: MURAKAMI
Artist: Jason Reeves


Some lines that captivated me:


I chased that sheep 
All the way out to Hokkaido
I couldn't find a thing
Anywhere, and I felt so alone
That I traveled back to Tokyo
To walk those neon streets 
Weaving like
That you drew in silence
While your
And Bernstein vinyl played
Listening to every mark they made


These last few days were serene. Just me enjoying the peace and quiet. I feel like I'm on an island but I get to access anything in the mainland if I want to, but most of the time choose not to. Music, coffee, books, some amicable conversations, good food. I could not ask for more.

THOUGHTS ON ANNOTATING BOOKS

Writing this at around midnight while listening to some jazz (Nighttime Ramen by Chillhop Music) on Youtube. Temperature: AC reads 25 but feels cooler.

I brewed coffee, added some milk to it and I just can't seem to put myself to sleep yet. I still feel full from having some fried sweet potatoes in butter. What a lovely snack after doing the chores.

I want to write my thoughts on annotating books. This year, I stumbled upon an article by Mortimer Adler, titled How to Mark a Book. It is from The Saturday Review of Literature, July 6, 1941. He wrote about annotating books and why we should mark our books to truly own them. Well, of course, that is if the books were purchased by you or they were given as a gift.  He also mentioned the 3 types of book owners. I really loved the article and I have shared it with some of my book-lover friends.

I didn't usually write in books. I usually kept them good as new, although I didn't develop the habit of covering them with vinyl, plastic, or paper. But this year, I made a 180-degree change by writing in the books I've read and I felt better by doing so. I made notes on new vocabularies, wrote down my immediate reactions, some sentiments I wanted to share as if talking to the author. I highlighted sentences, underlined funny remarks, circled unusual names and words. Annotating is leaving imprints of you. Writing in books means sharing some pieces of your thoughts and soul.

Normally, I highlight using my Stabilo in pastel green because it's not overwhelming to look at. Green because, duh, it's my favorite color. If I need to make some notes, I use a 0.5 mechanical pencil or 0.3 Pilot G-Tech since it's micro-fine. Notes are usually placed in margins.

I do reread books. I tried rereading one of the books that I made some notes in and I was so happy to see the annotations. They were actually helpful and made things easier for me when it comes to speed and keen comprehension. Felt like reading a journal or diary entry. In my opinion, marking a book can come in handy when you need to do a book review and you want it to be as detailed, as personal, and as comprehensive.

I want to add some pics but they are yet to be taken. Will try to make some updates asap.

Approximately 68 Weeks Ago

Some days we go out there and we better be armored.
Some words we hear are as sharp as a sword.
We get bruised by judgments and worse even wounded.
If we are too weak, we are taken down with a single blow of ridicule.

We call it a BATTLEFIELD, 
and it's not even a place.


Then there are times that we don't need to be tough.
It's totally okay to let your guard down.
There isn't a need for a shield because hugs won't hurt, 
The warmth you'll feel will not burn you.

And again it's not even a place.
We call it  HOME. 

Pluviophile

If it doesn't rain in heaven, then it's not heaven at all.

"Sunset in the ethereal waves:
I cannot tell if the day
is ending, or the world, or if
the secret of secrets is inside me again." - Anna Akhmatova

ANAGRAM

BAKIT
TIBAK
KABIT
BATIK
BITAK
AKTIB

PURSUIT

PURSUIT

Wislawa Szymborska

I know I’ll be greeted by silence, but still.

No uproar, no fanfare, no applause, but still.

No alarm bells, and nothing alarming.

I don’t expect even a shriveled leaf,

to say nothing of silver palaces and gardens,

venerable elders, righteous laws,

wisdom in crystal balls, but still.

I understand that I don’t walk the moon

in search of ladies’ rings and vanished ribbons.

They pick everything up in advance.

Nothing left to suggest that . . .

Trash, castoffs, peelings, scraps, crumbs,

chips, shavings, shards, bits, pieces.

Of course I only bend over a pebble

that bears no hint of where they’ve gone.

They don’t like leaving signs.

They’re peerless in the art of leaving traces.

I’ve known it for ages: the gift of vanishing just in time,

their divine ungraspability by horns or tail,

by the hem of a robe ballooning in flight.

A hair never falls from their heads that I might snatch.

They’re always one thought smarter,

one step ahead, I can never catch up,

they let me play at being first.

They aren’t there, they never were, but still.

I have to keep telling myself.,

don’t be a child, stop seeing things.

And whatever just hopped from underfoot

didn’t get far, it toppled over, trampled,

and though it stirs again

and emits a long-drawn muteness,

It’s a shadow—too much my own to point the way.

Reaction and Interpretation

At first, I assumed the poem was pertaining to pursuits in general. However, after rereading it several times, the title seemingly appeared to be falling under a particular category, which is the ‘unconventional’ category of pursuit or something (in line with career, life choices, activities) that is neutral in nature.

The character in the poem (I choose not to refer to Szymborska) may be referring to an ephemeral or long-term pursuit. Initially, readers might have assumed that the character was driven by impulse or just a pure act of rebellion and defiance, as suggested in the first stanza.

As mentioned, in the first stanza, he/she (the character) is strongly compelled by the desire to carry on despite unfavorable responses, lack of support, let alone encouragement. Here, the character sounds resilient.

The second stanza exhibits rebellion or insubordination, denying some authoritative intervention or of the ‘wise.’

Stanzas 3-5 show the journey, challenges, encounters during the pursuit. He/ She expresses dismay as he/ she fails to find hints and signs along the way thus losing directions.

In the sixth stanza, heightened emotions are evident. The pursuit becomes a race, a competition rather than a personal journey. The character also begins relying on other people for help, which he/she fails to get. Whatever his/ her position in the race, may it be ahead of others (grasping a horn) or behind (grasping a tail), the attempt is in vain.  

The next stanza shows self-pity. The character thinks he/ she is being manipulated, being taken advantage of. People outsmarting one another.

There is a sudden shift in Stanza 8 as he/ she reminds him/herself of the pursuit, shunning paranoia.

In the last stanza, the poem continues to thrive by revealing his/ her introspective character, from observing external factors to assessing oneself and maybe relying on his/ her own sense of direction.

THOUGHTS ON HARUKI MURAKAMI'S KILLING COMMENDATORE

This is in no way comprehensive but let's get started. 

The usual Murakami elements in the book are: historical events, phone calls, being somewhere else (a different dimension), moon, a young girl, pits, woods/ trees, an affair, sex, classical music, rain, vanishing, and scenes in the kitchen. 

Killing Commendatore didn't leave me with so many questions unlike most of his previous works. Most of my queries were answered and the ending was pretty much like an ending, if that makes sense. It ends positively, happily maybe. It wouldn't leave you saying "What?! What just happened?" 
Then the readers get to decide and interpret everything unwritten and concealed. 
But this one has a definite ending - not very common of a Murakami book but soothing and relieving. 

I like the idea that the main character/ narrator's name is not revealed and there is no need for that so it's okay. Coming up with Idea and Metaphor as characters was creative and successful. Highly impressive. 

The book has 2 parts, nearly 700 pages in all. Noticeably, the events and happenings were toned down and milder, comparatively, which makes it a safe first Murakami read for those who are actually planning to read his books. Not much of sex, not much of out-of-this-world experiences. It is more on following a life of an introspective, self-reflective painter. 

There was one chapter that was all about the parts of a mansion of one of the characters. One of the slow chapters but still bearable, especially if you are also after descriptive writing. 

One of my favorite parts is whenever the main character would prepare something to eat or drink in his kitchen. Picturing out a simple act of brewing of coffee is therapeutic. 

Final thoughts. The following are some of the things I can relate to while reading Killing Commendatore:

• The Path of Metaphor
• believing someone/ something actually exits
• Art
• your inner power when alone

I bought my hardbound copy for Php 1, 099. 

Enjoy reading, book lovers! ^^ 

On Khaled Hosseini and his books

Khaled Hosseini has always been one of my recommended authors. His works are not a pain to read (I mean the choice of words), though most of his themes and stories are quite heavy. He is an Afghan-American writer/ doctor who knows his roots. He knows what to show and hold back from his readers. There are a number of sensitive issues in his novels that he was able to euphemize without sacrificing the impression of cruel reality. 

I don't have a copy of Sea Prayer yet, his fourth book, but generally speaking, his works are about family, betrayal, love, sacrifice, and friendship. The Kite Runner captivated my heart and it is definitely unforgettable. Never have I read such a story before, pure and heartbreaking. I don't want to give you some spoilers because I want you to experience the journey yourself. Among his books (not including the last one), The Kite Runner takes the number 1 spot.  

The Kite Runner is a story of 2 boys and their friendship. According to the author, it is a father-son story but for me it was more on friendship between Amir and Hassan. Furthermore, it's a story of redemption amidst forces of ferocity. Reading this book is literally life-changing. 

Fully Booked

Probably one of the most sophisticated bookstores I have been to by far. This Fully Booked branch is located along B6, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig, Metro Manila. On the first floor, you will be welcomed by a stellar painting of a woman and a pink cat. Take a closer look because it's not a painting on canvas but on books. Take the escalators for more books arranged neatly, not to mention Starbucks on the 3rd floor. Enjoy, bibliophiles!

Bliss

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Bliss is when I wait for each morning to drink my cup of coffee, run my fingers through the pages and look for where I left off. 

Jazz in my head; solitude for my soul.