I will never vote for Erap

I was tagged in a photo, and to my surprise, it was this one, taken in 2002 during one of the EDSA rallies for Erap’s ouster.

I wasn’t aware that such photo existed. In spite of the lanky college body and afro hair, I am pleased to see the proof that I voiced my stand on Erap’s presidency.

And on this coming 2010 Elections, I stand firm: “Erap should never be a President.”


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Thanks to brod Chibu Lagman for sharing this photo.

This is what I've been doing lately...

At GMA Kapuso

At Megatent Relief Site

(where we were introduced as rescue experts, hahaha)

At Los Banos, Laguna

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Balram Halwai was born in the “Darkness”. He grew up in one of the depressed and marginalized areas of India – so poor that the average number of children in a family is more than 10 and all of them are either called boy or girl. Before he became Balram, he was just “boy” – Munna.


This is the story of how Balram moved out of the Darkness – from being a son of a common rickshaw puller to being the driver of one of India’s wealthiest man; from being a murderer to being one of India’s most successful yet unwritten entrepreneur; from having no name to being the White Tiger.

I admit that after reading Life of Pi, I got interested to the other ManBooker Prize Winners. Pi’s story manipulated my imagination well and tickled my heart to silent bouts of laughter. I wondered if all Booker winners are as great.

The White Tiger is a highly recommendable book. It is the 2008 ManBooker Prize winner. If you enjoyed Pi’s story of childhood, spirituality, and struggles, you would also find Balram’s story amusing. The White Tiger is a story of success, albeit a morbid one. It is a picture reflective of the life in the slums of India – a long narrative of living in the Darkness.

Balram’s destiny was to be a slave from birth to death. This was because of India’s caste system, and his was never wealthy. Balram faced life’s obstacles carrying nothing but his wits and ambition.

Aravind Adiga described how it is to live in the slums of India nowadays. Aside from the caste system, India’s poverty is not far from ours. I guess we could really say that Poverty, be it in any given place, has only one face, but of multiple dimensions. Corruption is also very much apparent in our country, just like in India. It wasn’t hard for me to understand what the author was trying to tell when he talked about vote buying and bribing.

I love a good humor in a story. As you read this book, you would find yourself smiling or even laughing at some lines. I admire the author’s ability in creating a light tone on a socially-relevant story. The mood shifted to a darker one though when the murder happened. The story was serious on the parts emphasizing how the rich treated India’s poor.

Balram became rich. In my opinion, the transformation made him like the other wealthy persons of India. He forgot about his family. He also bribed people. He worked like a bigtime Mafia honcho. He became the persons he despised when he was still living in the Darkness.

I guess money really changes people’s character. Read it and you be the judge. I rate the book 4 of 5 stars.

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I am on a mission of reading Man Booker Winners from the 1990s to present.

My book is an advanced reader’s copy I found at BookSale.

Fishing at Booksale

Some of my friends wonder how I find highly-sought books at Booksale. Truly, for a beginner, that book store is a chaos. There is no organized book classification system – just hardbounds, mass paperbacks, trade paperbacks, inspirational books, coffee tables, children’s books, and magazines.

 

I am no expert in Booksale buying, because in my perception, there is no such thing. There were days when I can’t find something worth buying. And there were days when it felt like winning the lottery. The feeling is like finding a treasure. Imagine stumbling on a book in your wishlist that is in good condition at a very cheap price. I can’t even find the right words how to explain it. Just “wow!”

 

Think of Booksale as a vast sea of books. Everything beneath this great sea should be well taken care of. It is a generous provider of life for book addicts and enthusiasts. It connects people from all around the world. Now, this sea, like the real sea, contains treasures. Here are some of my tips if you want to treasure-hunt:

Study the Map and Plot the Coordinates

You don’t just go inside and randomly search for books. It’s a waste of time. Look around first. Get a feel of the bookstore. Find out how the books are segregated. This would not take long.

Plan the Dive

You should have a wide variety of choices in your mind when you go inside Booksale. You don’t go there looking for only one or two books. Even if you go to all the branches here in the metro, you won’t find them. Make a mental note of the authors and books you want to search. You have a greater chance of success if you have a number of book or author selections.

Reading book blogs and reviews would help you widen your knowledge on “great-buys”. Joining reading clubs is also helpful.

Duck and Dive

Although in Marketing, the bestsellers should be located at the eye level, this doesn’t really work in Booksale. Well, if you only want the mass paperbacks, then you could just stand up and look around. Take note, some of the treasures I found are underneath the shelves and tables. Some are even hidden behind other books. However awkward and uncomfortable it seems, crouch and squat. People there won’t mind you blocking their way.

Splash

If you are looking for clean books, Booksale is not for you. Books here are pre-owned. Most of them have been in the shelves for I don’t know how long. Your hands would get dirty. This is how you should search.


Love the Sea and Its Creatures

Don’t just pullout books and stack them in mayhem. Please take care of them. The books you do not like might be of high value to others. Respect other book buyers. Treat the sales crew nicely – they put the books in order; they give tips; they are willing to save the book for you. Get to know them.


Know the Best Time to Harvest

Ask the sales personnel when the book stocks are replenished for that particular branch. This would give you a headstart the next month.

I hope you find this helpful. I am sure other Booksale buyers and fanatics have more useful tips. Good luck to your hunt.



Go fish!

 
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Photo was grabbed from here. Thank you.

September Mooches

Today, I went to the post office to pick-up 3 mooches: one from Natalie of Japan, another from Laura of UK, and the other from Patricia (also from UK).

And these are the books I got:

 

A Spot of Brother – Mark Haddon (tpb)

The Inheritance of Loss – Kiran Desai (Man Booker Prize 2006 winner, tpb)

The Line of Beauty – Allan Hollinghurst (Man Booker Prize 2004 winner, mpb)

Truly early Christmas gifts!

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The author is in the process of reading Man Booker Prize winners from the '90s to present.

Caleruega Church

On Top of Mt. Manalmon

I joined the Bakas Outdoor Group in their Outreach-and-Climb Program at Brgy. Madlum, San Miguel, Bulacan. I have had past experiences in climbing mountains, usually with my dad and cousins. It was my first to climb and camp overnight with friends.

The earth was soft and slippery, carrying the smell of fresh mud. It rained the night before. We prayed hard for the sun to grace our meaning and purpose. It would have been an easy climb, but the soil was wet. That slowed us down, particularly at the steeply-sloped areas of the mountain. We crossed two rivers, both above-the-knee-level. We felt its current shaking us even on a calm weather. We felt thankful because the rain did stop.

After roughly 2 hours -- roughly in time-estimation and climb-description -- we reached Mt. Manalmon's summit. The cool mountain breeze brought comfort and peace to our weary bodies and wobbly legs. Just looking at the picturesque view made me say in sincere appreciation, "Truly, God's creation is magnificent and wonderful."

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My photo here was taken by Franco Cortez. Thanks bro!