differentiation

I don’t know why I love reading chicklit. Maybe it’s because of the funny stories and the happenings that are very relatable to us girls. Or it is just because of the fact that chicklit discusses cute guys that I can imagine while reading it. Haha. The story “Getting better” by Tara Sering is about a woman who is at first, deeply in love with Mikko, her boyfriend/ fiancé but then she learned that Mikko is having an affair with their officemate Cynthia. She found herself heartbroken because she was caught off-guard. She never thought that Mikko would cheat, definitely not with her own friend. She felt betrayed and weak. Then started to forget about her past and move on and on the latter part, she found herself dating her gay-rumored/chef/old friend. But this time, she took it slowly.

           

The story is very relatable because of the descriptions in the story, the places that the characters went to and how she got over Mikko.

 

During our discussion, it was quite cute that three men actually discussed the story in class. :)

 

For me, the storyline is very typical. It starts with (1) happy/sad person, (2) his/her unsuccessful love life, (3) moving on tactics, (4) finding the perfect one and last, (5) happy ending.

 

I am actually a fan of shows like CSI, Bones, Numbers etc. that’s why crime scenes that were described in the story “Smaller and Smaller Circles” by FH Batacan are not that new to me.

 

I didn’t really like the story. For me, it was spoon fed to us by Batacan. She wrote the story in a very literal way, and actually the identity of the killer was very obvious. It was not that exciting for me but she wrote it well and she chose her characters suitably.

 

Still not close to the end of the story, the killer was identified that made the story somewhat boring, like you were just reading it for the sake of finishing it. TOINK.

 

The storyline of every crime literature for me starts with, (1) the incident/crime, (2) investigation, (3) twist and last, (4) case is solved. 

 

The story is appealing for me because of the investigators. Who would have thought that priests could actually do that. It was really interesting. :)

courage

The story Generations is about a beautiful young girl who desperately tried to save his dad from being put in jail but was never really appreciated by the dad. This is a sad story for me because the girl gave up literally everything for her dad but her sacrifice seems not valued or thanked for. After all that she had done.

After being brutally pushed by her dad after a fight with her mom, her mom even asked her to follow him and make sure that he’ll be ok. Her mom asked her younger son to accompany her sister to follow their dad around. They tried to stop him but the dad was very loud and disturbed the place that made the soldiers who are in the area to arrest him. He was even defending himself and even said that every individual has a freedom to get drunk anytime they would want.

Unfortunately, this was the time where freedom was not really available. The story was during the Marcos’ regime. So it was the martial law so they have a curfew.

At the barracks, the soldiers let her pay for her father. They let her give her own payment in exchange for her father’s freedom and for a comfortable room to stay in while she was still paying the soldiers.

Walking home, she realized that her dad still did not show any appreciation for the things that she had done. There was no sign though the dad knew what she had to do in replace for his freedom. So the girl got so angry and just hit her father’s head. Soon, she found her clothes drenched in her father’s blood. Her brother knew what happened though he did not say it directly. He just helped her sister clean up before they reached home.

I think that the girl has the strength and the courage of a man. She can do whatever it is that she desires. She may not know it at first but in the end, after her realization, she proved herself that she really is a strong individual.

She even had the guts to give up her virginity for his father though the father did not appreciate it, it’s as if nothing really happened.

what now?

The texts during this week are just like fairytales. Both seem too unnatural. They seem that these are the frustrations of the authors. It’s sort of something that is imaginary and what one can see or understand.

These may sometimes be the IF’s in our lives. What if we had done this, that? We wouldn’t know unless we have tried it.

“Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting.”

In the text Document, they guy was unsure if the girl who uses his computer really have a relationship. He cannot jump into a conclusion because all he knows is that his proof is the documents that are saved on his computer. He cannot talk to the girl in person. He is literally trying to figure things out through the documents that the girl saves on the computer.

In the text The tale of the spinster and peter pan, it focused on a woman who has a very boring, repetitive, dull life. She has her own schedule of what to do for today and when to do it. Then one night, at her favorite bar, something had changed. She therefore recognized it immediately. At first, she didn’t like the changes, but then when she heard the line up of the songs of the band, since she knows some songs, she then liked it. Then she developed this little admiration for that guy who is in the band too. So her schedule changed, she goes to that bar a bit earlier just to get a glimpse of the guy before he goes on stage. She has a crush on the guy but when the guy tried to talk to her and flirt a bit, she just got scared and got up abruptly and left the young man alone.

The guy in Document tried to guess what the answers to his questions are. He never asked the girl. He had just come up with assumptions.

The lady in The tale of the spinster and peter pan, she tried to go out of her safe zone. But then when her “peter pan” approached her, he just left her and made no contact with him anymore.

magames

Magnificence. At first, I didn’t get the story. So I had to read it twice. A friend of mine messaged me that she doesn’t want to go to class tomorrow and discuss with our classmates this text. She said that it was disturbing. I got her point because I know her story. So after reading the text I agreed that yea, it was really disturbing, especially for her.

The story Magnificence showed that the mom was so poised. Even though she was very mad she still managed to show the man that she is a woman with dignity. No one can step on her, especially when it comes to her children, to her daughter. Whoever you are, when you mess with her family, you’ll get your ass kicked. Haha.

Estrella Alfon made her readers feel and imagine how the story happened and how the characters felt all the way. She showed that the mother is compassionate, sympathetic and yet she is a strong woman. She can defend her family anytime.

The text GAMES is more of the modern women. How liberated and playful they can be. It talks about how a woman can play and be played at the same time. It showed that women change sooo much. They can now do what men really do. Play games with the opposite sex. Now, women are in guard. They won’t allow anyone to hurt them.

So, don’t mess with us : )

strong women

Women before were considered as subordinates of men. They were treated as servants. Like they should serve their husbands the way their husbands would ask them to. Women before are very dependent of their husbands. I think this is because they were accustomed to this habit that when they marry they will be housewives. This is so wrong of course. Because they did not know that women can do the things that men ca. they can find a good job and live on their own, they can feed themselves, defend and take good care of themselves.

The literary texts that we discussed for this week focused on women. How women of today changed. We were very much respected and treated as how we want men to treat and respect us. Every woman now has her right to do whatever she feels like doing. We demand respect; we don’t want men to belittle us. We are strong women that can do whatever men can. Women today are independent. They earn money, they have their own house and some women are career women. They don’t want to marry until they think that they are rich enough to sustain a family.

So, the story LOVE IN THE CORNHUSKS talks about how Tinang found out that Amado never abandoned her and that he still loves her. It is a sad story, knowing that it is not a happy ending one, just like fairy tales. Tinang found out through a letter that her lover, Amado is still in love with her, and is asking if she still feels the same way. Sad to say that Tinang married a bagobo, just so she can live a good life, for her to be able to bring up a child.

In the story THE CORRAL, Pilar felt that time is running out. She thinks that she has to marry someone who can give her the life that she deserves. So when a guy showed her money, even without the looks or the attitude that she likes or even the love or the spark that every girl wants to have before entering a relationship is nowhere to be seen, she just gave in to him. Accepted what he is offering and thinks that in time, she’ll learn to like/love him.

So basically this week, the texts focused on women. How women now differ from women before. And I guess that as time flies, women evolved. They became stronger and wiser. No more miss nice girls : )

magpakatotoo ka. (royal tru orange) haha! :p

The bread of salt.

A person who really likes someone, often times do unusual things for that other person to notice him/her.

The bread of salt is like a teleserye love story. They are two separate hearts that live in 2 different worlds. HahaJ ) there is this boy who really likes a girl named aida. This aida is the niece of a super rich Spaniard while this boy only lives with his grandma. He loves to buy pan de sal everyday. He grew up to have the responsibility to buy pan de sal every morning for his family.

Then this boy has always wanted to tell aida how much he likes him but he never told aida the truth. He always thought of doing some cheezy things to aida just to get noticed. As in he'll do anything just to get aida's attention. But it went overboard. He joined a band just to be able to step in to aida's house. But the love story never happened. He dreamt of things that he really long for. Dreams that has always “aida” in them. When his band played for aida’s family, the oh-so-underground-courtship that he was doing to aida ended. He got busted for hiding those egg-yolk things that were served in aida’s party. Aida caught him though it was not directly stated in the story. He then realized that his life is in love with simple things. That he does not have to build himself up just to impress a person. He went home realizing that he does not have to be liked by aida as well, and to taste those egg-yolk things. A pan de sal is good enough for him. Just like the saying, “the simpler, the better.”

The summer solstice

This story is also the movie “tatarin.” At first, I actually didn’t get the story, maybe because I haven’t watched the movie itself and I have no idea what it was all about. But thanks to Gers (ehem. Haha), for narrating the story so it was clearer to me by morning when the reporters were explaining all about it. I finally understood that it was about a tradition during St. John’s Day.

I actually live in San Juan, so every July 24 (feast day of St. John the Baptist), it starts at 7am and lasts until 12noon, parishioners in my place (as in everyone) gets wet or splashes water on someone (everyone). You’ll only get spared if you stay at home and you will not go out ‘til it’s over. Basta, once you pass by the streets of San Juan, for sure, you’ll get wet. At 12noon, there will be a parade of the life of St. John the Baptist. It is men, women and children re-enacting his life. Each baranggay is obliged to participate in this.

Now, back to the story, Dona Lupeng wanted her husband to admire her. She wanted to be adored. She was so sick being forbidden by her husband to act the way she really wants. She’s always uptight, formal and poised. Of course every girl wants to express what she really feels by acting her true self.

……

So I guess the theme of the two short stories is BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF. You can show off all you want when you know that you are acting your true you. There will be no hindrances. No judging. No acting. No forcing. Just your PLAIN YOU. And for sure, whoever you meet they’ll like you just the way you are.

to OWN is to HIDE

first text: THE MATS

It is a story about a family trying to accept pain. Pain that is caused by the death of 3 family members. Specifically, the 3 daughters or Mr. and Mrs. Angeles.

After reading this story, I realized 1 thing. The whole family was denying the fact that they are still in pain. They refuse to admit that they are not yet ok. In a sense that when the 3 daughters are being talked about, they cry. They feel the pain once more. As if it only happened yesterday.

Nana Emilia is the most affected person in the story. She cannot talk about the three girls. Or whenever she remembers them, she breaks down. That's why she pushes herself to forget her daughters. Forget in a way that topics about the girls will never be talked about just so she can hide the pain. As if the girls never existed. But the thing is, Mr. Angeles is still in pain and he faces pain as manly as possible. He tries to accept the fact that they are dead but he does not want to forget them. That's why in the story, when there where 3 mats left, Nana Emilia was stunned. She thought that it was over and that they will never have to talk about the deaths again, but then again, Mr. Angeles loved his children so much that even death won't be a hindrance to show his children how much he loves them.

He wants his family to have whatever it is that they need. Meaning if they all need mats, everyone in the family has to have one. Even the dead.

.....

second story: DIVIDE BY TWO

This is a story about 2 neighbors. I had fun reading this story because I imagined things that were unthinkable. At first I thought that this story was about LUST, ENVY and AFFAIR. But then I realized in class that this is about owning something. Or someone? haha

There is a conflict in this story. It is only about this adobe blocks. That their lands were not divided equally and stuff like that. This became a big thing for them. That they even have to write a note to the other family to talk about this blocks that were not placed in the correct area. one inch lang naman ung difference. Ang labo. Big deal n un sa kanila eh. Wala na tayong magagawa. Parang pinalaki nalang eh. Halatang may tinatago. haha

They want to have everything they ever wanted.

...

~So for this texts, the theme for me is--TO OWN:TO HIDE

To own something, like the mats and that part of land is like to cover up the past, to hide the pain, to forget things that you do not want to remember.

...

You would want to move on but still you cannot, because of these little things that make you hurt once more.