Whitbread
My husband is a pretty strict person when it comes to the family finances, and I am very careful where and I spend my money here because I keep hearing his voice in my head everytime I even think of buying anything besides food.
Now If you earn dollars here in Hong Kong, then books aren’t really expensive (at least my friends say so. I’m still not wholly convinced; but for the time being and the sake of this blog, I will quietly acquiesce. I do think that $112 for a book is already nothing to sniff at). When I go to the booksellers’ though, it’s quite effortful to not get all the paperbacks I’ve always wanted to buy back at home if they’re weren’t so damnably expensive (A Different Bookstore; PowerBooks; Fully Booked…)
Last week during the Easter break, I threw caution to the winds and brought ‘The Power Book’ and ‘Everything is Iluminated’ and risked hearing my husband sigh over the phonelines and say ‘Naka, baka meron ng mga yan sa Booksale dito…’
But that was last week, and I’ve already finished reading both, and the Keruoac’s ‘On the Road. I was in a bit of a panic because, well, that meant I didn’t have anything else to read! Most of my free time I spend reading and, well, making these blogs as a breather; and having no new books to read meant rereading the books I’ve only recently finished and that would’ve been no fun at all.
Buti na lang, there’s Nick the Bookman.
In Lamma island where I live (Yung Sheu Wan side, for anyone who wants to visit), there’s a retired rock and roll/music British journalist who now makes a living selling previously-owned books (and being a moving man. He asks $50 per hour to help lug furniture around for people moving on or moving out. He says he enjoys the exercise.) He sells his softbound wares and the occasional hardcover editions for $10-$15 each.
I’ve been lucky enough to secure two absolutely amazing books from his itinerant book case for $10 each.
The first is Rachel Cusk’s ‘Saving Agnes’, and the other one is John Lanchester’s ‘The Debt to Pleasure.’ Both won the prestigious Whitbread First Novel Award, for 1993 and 1996 respectively.
Both are written by British authors, and both employ poetic prose. It’s like reading Eduardo Galeano without the politics but with a whole lot of personal introspection. The protagonists are always highy intelligent but somewhat and to some degree messed-up individuals (boy, am I ever familiar with the type. Some of my best friends are so…nevermind)
The language is so beautiful one forgets to breathe.
Ever so often, I come across a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph that is so staggeringly beautiful in its stark simplicility, the sheer poetry of the words thrown haphazardly net to each other , creating an image so graceful whether traced silently to one’s self or spoken out loud, well, holly freaking heck I forget to exhale.
Really. Am not kidding.
Beauty can kill.
Anyways. All this is good. I need this. I need to be taken out of myself, and to walk around a separate space where I have not previously encountered any wounding word, thought or experience. Books make great escape hatches, and you can take them anywhere with you.
"Once a soft touch for these ragged moralists who inveigled her into sparing them her change, Agnes began to cross the road, begging for some change in her circumstances."
Then again, I really ought to be more…mature and accept that often, I end up being affected by a book not only because of the prose but because of how the characters are and how they think, feel and react to the world. I’ve noticed and realized (big confession coming up) that I am still so bewildered by the way I am - I frustrate and shock and disappoint myself often, or at the end of the spectrum I like myself sometimes) that when I read something that reminds me of me and helps me explain myself to myself better, I am no end glad.
It’s like discovering bits and pieces of myself embedded in phrases and in characters in various of books, and I am relieved to read that maybe I’m not such a horrid person after all.
Does that sound looney?
Yes.
Oh well. I suppose that’s not really surprising. After all, Morrissey once sung, "Because the music they constantly play says nothing to me about my life. Hang the DJ!" (okay,so he was singing about the British Prime Minister at the time, but heck…)
—–
THIS SO MADE MY DAY!
Students heckle Arroyo in Cavite graduation
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Marlon Ramos
Inquirer
INDANG, Cavite—President Macapagal-Arroyo was heckled here yesterday by a Mass Communication graduate of the Cavite State University, turning the afternoon commencement exercise into a nightmare of protests against her.
Just a few minutes into the President’s speech, the student, Maria Theresa Pangilinan, shouted "Patalsikin si (Oust) Gloria" while holding up a red banner with the words "No to Chacha." A member of the Presidential Security Group and two security guards of the university immediately went to where Pangilinan was sitting and confiscated the banner.
The President was visibly stunned but kept her poise and resumed her speech.
A few minutes later, a group of protesters from the left-leaning Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and the Solidarity of Cavite Workers (SCW) also raised red streamers calling on Ms Arroyo to step down.
The protesters were positioned at the row of chairs meant for the parents and relatives of the graduating students.
As the group was escorted out of the school grounds by policemen and PSG members, they continued chanting "Pahirap sa masa, patalsikin si Gloria (A burden to the masses, oust Gloria)."
"May karapatan kaming magpahayag ng aming hinaing. Huwag ninyo kaming saktan(We have a right to express our views. Do not hurt us)," said Marlyn Gutierrez, SCW president.
"Huwag kayong mambastos (Do not be crude)," Supt. Roberto Soriano, the operations chief of the Cavite police, retorted.
The group was later brought to the police station.
Frisked on way to stage
The commotion halted the President’s speech midway for about a minute.
She gave the hecklers a blank stare, clasped her hands but remained calm. She resumed her speech but this time, her voice had a higher pitch, which betrayed her irritation.
Ms Arroyo was then addressing the graduating class about the importance of mastering the English language in landing better-paying jobs inside the economic zones in Cavite.
She wrapped up her speech without any more incident and stayed on to hand out diplomas to half of the 1,159 graduates, who were frisked by police and PSG on their way to the stage.
"This is really a forgettable event," said one of the graduates.
Tough graduate
Pangilinan was allowed to march to the stage, but at least four police and PSG personnel tried to prevent her from getting her diploma to avoid further incident.
When it was her turn, Pangilinan shook hands with the President but both purposely looked away from each other. On her way down, Pangilinan was heckled by some of the graduates who did not like her actions which they claimed ruined their graduation.
A school official said that there was nothing to prevent Pangilinan from marching on stage because she had completed all the requirements and what she did was only a misdemeanor.
The Inquirer later learned that Pangilinan was the president of the Central Student Government of the university. Students interviewed by the Inquirer said she was also a staff writer of Gazette, the official publication of CvSU.
Another streamer
Halfway through the conferring of diplomas, another student, identified as Apolinario Dayang-dayang, an agriculture engineering graduate, was also arrested as he was about to raise a streamer at around 6 p.m.
At this juncture, the President left the grandstand and boarded the presidential car.
Cavite Gov. Ireneo Maliksi, who had a front row view of the entire incident, said he was embarrassed that the President was heckled.
"She was our guest of honor, we should have treated her properly. I really feel bad for the student for doing that in the graduation ceremony," said Maliksi, who has ordered an immediate investigation of the incident.
At the same time, he complemented Ms Arroyo for remaining unfazed throughout the incident and staying longer than expected (the President was supposed to hand out only a dozen diplomas).
"She showed that she was a true statesman," Maliksi said.
Security breached
PSG and police personnel had reportedly confiscated several red banners during security search hours before the President’s arrival.
PSG head Brig. Gen. Delfin Bangit refused to comment when asked how the protesters-who pretended to be parents of some of the graduates-breached the security line. The huge open field was cordoned off with only students and their parents and relatives allowed within the main venue.
PNP Gen. Prospero Noble said the security for the event was the sole responsibility of the school and that the police was only there to help keep the peace. "The student’s actions reflected badly on her school not us," said Noble.
Tit for tat
Senior Supt. Benjardi Mantele, Cavite police director, said the protesters were taken to the Indang police station.
Asked if the arrested persons would be charged, he replied: "We’ll see. They are still under investigation."
The incident elicited several reactions from the crowd. "While I agree with what they (the students) were saying, they should have chosen another place and another event. The graduation rites should be solemn," one parent said.
Another said: "Tama lang yun. Binastos din naman ni GMA ang boto ng mga Pilipino (What they did was right. GMA also did not respect the vote of the Filipino)."
