Simple Pleasures

Michael Crichton: Timeline

2006-06-15T21:24:00.000+08:00

Professor Johnston often said that if you didn't know history, you didn't know anything. You were a leaf that didn't know it was part of a tree.

Technically, it's not supposed to be time travel. It's space travel, err, or traveling to another universe, one that exists side by side with ours and in an earlier time. The books presupposes that parallel universes exist and that they are not all simultaneous to ours.

"And are you telling us that ITC has the technology to travel to these universes?"
"Yes," Gordon said. "That's what I'm telling you."
"How?"
"You make wormhole connections in quantum foam."

And by quantum foam, he meant subatomic fluctuations in space-time. The characters travel "Exactly like a fax... It's not quantum teleportation. It's not particle entanglement. It's direct transmission to another universe."

I don't understand quantum theory, so I'll simply agree with Crichton here. This is the first Crichton I ever read. Most of his novels are made into movies and I always get to see the movies first and so I never get around to reading the books. I mean, why bother? Since I haven't seen the movie Timeline, I decided to read this one. I was definitely not disappointed, rather very impressed. Crichton concoted a great mix of science, history, and action. The story is fast paced and incredibly interesting. Crichton describes life in 1357 feudal France, chivalry and war. Now I know why most of his novels are made into movies.

By page 140, though, after all of the scientific explanations, a thought occured to me. If they're sending a group of scientists to rescue their professor, trapped in 1357, why don't they just send someone to right before the time they go and send the professor back? You know, tell them something will go wrong, don't send the professor to this other universe. Would have saved them some 345 or so pages of trouble. (But it also would've deprived me of a good read.)

Today, everybody expects to be entertained, and they expect to be entertained all the time. Business meetings must be snappy, with bullet lists and animated graphics... Malls and stores must be engaging... Politicians must have pleasing video personalities... everyone must be amused, or they will switch: switch brands, switch channels, switch parties, switch loyalties. This is the intellectual reality of Western society at the end of the century.

Haruki Murukami: Kafka on the Shore

2006-05-26T19:21:00.000+08:00

I've never read a novel with Col. Sanders for a character so this was a first. Which is not to say Jhonnie Walkers stumbles upon every other novel i read, he was a first too!

Kafka on the Shore is not like most other novels I've read. It seems to define a whole new genre in itself, what with talking cats, inter-dimensional travel, and a rain of knives to name a few. Of course, Col. Sanders walks in a few times and there's Jhonnie Walker getting murdered in the middle of the story.

I definitely would never have picked out Kafka for myself from the bookstore, not even if it were free. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I started enjoying reading it. Haruki Murukami writes seamlessly and the details are weird enough for you to want to know what happens next.

I was halfway into saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" -- this one didn't appeal to me too much, it looks creepy -- and to "neither judge a book by what's written on the back cover" -- this one has "weirdness" written all over it, when suddenly the story ended. No explanations, no answers to the whys and hows of the things that happened. "What's the whole point?", I thought. I started to think I wasted all that time reading the stupid novel.

The story is about a boy, aliased Kafka throughout the whole novel. At age 15, Kafka is running away to escape his father's prophesy: that Kafka will murder his father and have sex with his sister and mother. Kafka hardly remembers his mother and sister -- they left when he was still young -- so when he eventually has sex with an older woman and a younger one, he theorizes they're his relations. He also wakes up with blood all over, presumably from killing his dad. In the end, he realizes there is no escaping fate and he goes back home.

That's about all I can say about the story because I don't know quite where to begin with all the other details and I've no idea how they all add up. One thing I really liked was the philosophical quotes interspersed throughout much of the novel. Haruki also seems to have a fondness for classical music which shows through his writing.

Overall, it was a good ride reading Haruki. It was definitely something different, much like tasting a new exotic dish.

Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice

2006-03-05T20:47:00.000+08:00

OTHELLO
< >< >I cannot speak enough of this content.
< >< >It stops me here; it is too much of joy.
(They kiss)
< >< >And this, and this, the greatest discords be
< >< >That e'er our hearts shall make!

My trainor looked at the book I held and asked me, "You're a romantic aren't you?"

I had to confess, and I did so with a slight nod. "Uh-huh"

I am a hopeless romantic. I know it's going to prove my ruin someday. But for now, it brings me the sweet delight in reading The Tragedy of Othello. It brought me some of the most powerful poetic professions of love I've ever read. And with them, the powerful insinuations, implications of pure abhorrence.

Shakespeare was a good writer and I suppose this isn't news to many. But this was the first Shakespeare I ever read, and I was delighted in my own discovery of the jewel that is Shakespeare's writing.

The play was about the general, Othello and his ultimate ruin brought by the cunning of his ancient Iago. Iago is resentful because Othello has declared the more refined and educated Cassio as his lieutenant. Because of this, Iago connives with Roderigo to have Cassio demoted. Roderigo helps Iago thinking Iago will help advance his interest in Desdemona, Othello's wife.

When Iago does get the lieutenancy, which happens early on in the play, Iago goes on to ruin Desdemona and Othello's marriage. He lies to Othello, saying Desdemona has been laying with Cassio. Ultimately, Cassio kills Desdemona. When he learns of Iago's deceit, he kills himself.

QUOTES:

IAGO: Virtue? A fig! Tis in our selves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners...

CASSIO: Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.

IAGO: As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving. You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser.

CASSIO: O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

IAGO:
< >When devils will the blackest sin put on,
< >They do suggest at first whith heavenly shows,
< >As I do now.

IAGO:
< >How poor are they that have not patience!
< >What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

IAGO:
< >O beware, my lord, of jealousy!
< >It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
< >The meat it feeds on.

IAGO:
< >Poor and content is rich, and rich enough;
< >But riches fineless is as poor as winter
< >To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

IAGO:
< >Trifles light as air
< >Are to the jealous confirmations strong
< >As proofs of holy writ.

Dean Koontz: From The Corner of His Eye

2006-03-05T20:33:00.000+08:00

This is the fourth Koontz novel I've read since False Memory early last year. He has me hooked.

The novel presents three storylines, and slowly shows how they are interrelated. I love the first part where Koontz writes about all three, one after another. Naomi Cain is murdered by her husband, Junior. Phimie White dies of childbirth and Joey Lampion dies in a car crash. In particular, there's a set of chapters with Junior Cain, Celestina White (Phimie's sister) and Agnes Lampion (Joey's wife) all in separate hospitals, playing out parallel stories.

Uncunningly, the story is about parallel universes. I think Koontz likes to write about seemingly weird topics - but with scientific bases. In this instance, he explains parallel universes by way of quantum physics. The last novel I read, he had talking monkeys, the result of scientific military experiments gone bad. I was initially turned off by such bizarre topics, but his writing is really good and I've learned to just look the other way, so to speak.

Having said that, I really didn't get the part about quantum physics. Hahaha. In addition, a powerful motivation in the story is Harrison White's sermon about Bartholomew, one of Jesus' disciples, who apparently showed, through his example, that little acts of kindness goes a long way, echoing through the universe, and so do acts of cruelty and evil. How Bartholomew did this, I do not know and the novel does not say much about what Bartholomew-from-the-Bible particularly did.

This novel is not as well-paced as Koontz other novels, a fact I wasn't so happy about. Nevertheless, it still provided some measure of suspense and intrigue, that allowed me to finish the story. I guess it's because it's one of his older novels. Idk.

The reason why it's called 'From The Corner of His Eye' isn't revealed until almost the end. Also, the little boy who sees from the corner of his eye really wasn't the main character. Junior Cain brought all three storylines together, and the novel follows him, his actions and his thoughts. So, I don't understand why it was titled so. But since I don't have a better alternative, I'll just let it be.

Quotes:

"As always in uncertainty, she asked herself what her mother would do in this situation. Grace, of infinite grace, unfailingly did precisely the needed thing, knew exactly the right words to console, to enlighten, to charm a smile out of even the miserable. Often, however, the needed thing involved no words, because in our journey we do so often feel abandoned, and we need only to be reassured that we are not alone."

"Sometimes Celestina marveled at how intimately and inextricably the tendrils of tragedy and joy were intertwined in the vine of life. Sorrow was often the root of future joy, and joy could be the seed of sorrow yet to come..."

"Of all the kindness we can do for one another, the most precious of all gifts - time - is not ours to give."

2005-08-16T14:52:00.000+08:00

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

2005-08-06T08:16:00.001+08:00

not all paperclips are created equal.

2005-08-06T08:16:00.000+08:00

i just thought this was a pretty funny image of ronald mcdonald. hehehe. it's not such a very good pict, though. btw, this is at the back of the french fries pouch! :p

2005-08-06T08:14:00.000+08:00

scooby and my dad's laptop.

2005-08-06T08:13:00.000+08:00

saw this a while back on a store and i just thought it's one of the coolest chess sets ever! i mean, you have the darths as characters for the black pieces, and then there's luke and princess leah, chewbacka (did i spell it right?), etc as the white pieces! hehehe. cool eh?

2005-06-08T14:30:00.000+08:00

and here is the picture of the outside of our newly renovated chem engg lab. like sabi ko kay jax, i heard it's all maganda na inside (may office na daw cna mang winnie) but d ako nakapasok coz walang pips nun!

2005-06-08T14:29:00.000+08:00

ayosh davash? kaso lang wala namang mga tau alpha na nagbbasketball nang dumaan ako... (si lab crush ko ba ay tau alpha, coz pagkakaalala ko ay yes, tau alpha ata sha, like jackie's labiduds?)

2005-06-08T14:28:00.000+08:00

ang nabanggit ni carol na engg basketball court. nagulat din ako nang nakita ko ito!

2005-06-08T14:27:00.000+08:00

eto yung kinukwento ko kay jackie na regcom advisory chuva. gone are the days of printed "registration steps" posted with the "magbasa bago magtanong" quotes, and the endless "reasons for elegibility"...

2005-06-08T14:26:00.001+08:00

bwal pictyuran ang tyan!

2005-06-08T14:26:00.000+08:00

at the oath taking... wala lang... enhinyero na ako!

2005-06-08T14:25:00.000+08:00

me and jeff at the oath taking

2005-06-08T14:23:00.000+08:00

dahil hindi ako marunong mag bike... eto na lang sa akin, go cart daw itetch... :D

2005-06-08T14:22:00.000+08:00

when i played around with the curlers... :p

2005-06-08T14:20:00.000+08:00

we tried to cook chicken with pineapple, wrapped in pandan... unfortunately, hindi ko natikman dahil hindi ako gutom pagkatapos magluto. at ubos na cya pagkauwi ko... :( pero mukha namang masarap davash? hurray for me!

2005-05-08T17:07:00.000+08:00

ib-blog ko sana na hindi ko alam kung bakit umuulan ng mga papel sa makati nuong friday. but then nabasa ko sa dyaryo nung sat na anniv pala ng makati, hehehe.

2005-05-08T17:04:00.000+08:00

happy mother's day. :)

2005-05-08T17:03:00.000+08:00

ang gwapo ni red m&m's... hehehe

2005-05-08T17:02:00.000+08:00

wag bibili ng super choco loco taro. hindi masarap.

(Y)AHHOO!!!

2005-04-28T18:04:00.000+08:00

Tapos na ang board exams! :p

ANG DIFFERENCE NG BARBIE NUON AT BARBIE NGAYON:

2005-04-28T18:03:00.000+08:00

they have fuller lips, more defined kilays and generally better-shaped heads, hehehe

2005-04-28T18:02:00.000+08:00

Meron na rin silang "permanent" shoes. Wala nang walaan ng mga sapatos. Although I think part ng "barbie-playing" ang pagche-change ng mga shoes and all! Although dati sandamakmak na pares ang mga nawala ko. Hehehe.

2005-04-28T18:01:00.000+08:00

at (forgive me) meron nang panty!! (nde ko na maalala ilang "panty" ang tinahi ko nuon para sa barbie ko!)

LOOK!

2005-04-28T17:59:00.001+08:00

Sa unang tingin, mukha lang naman regular na lalagyanan ng siomai...

pero if you look closely, ito pala ay tetra pack na inimprovise para maging lalagyanan ng siomai. hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako sa pagiging mautak ng pilipino o mandidiri ako dahil haler, tetra pack?

2005-04-28T17:56:00.000+08:00

Wag kumain ng siomai habang nagbabasa ng pocketbook... katakawan ito.

2005-03-25T19:28:00.001+08:00

A very exciting thing happened in Calaruega. I got a picture of a butterfly!

2005-03-25T19:28:00.000+08:00

Natutuwa akong magku-kuha ng mga flowers. Di ko alam bakit.

2005-03-25T19:27:00.000+08:00

At si Jackie at si Pia in a shadow.

2005-03-25T19:26:00.002+08:00

Ako at si Pia, in a shower of sunlight.

2005-03-25T19:26:00.001+08:00

Ito pala sa may entrance ng Calaruega. Maraming picture perfect spots dun.

2005-03-25T19:26:00.000+08:00

And still me. Dahil di ko alam bakit ayaw naman nila magpa-picture. Kaya ako na lang.

2005-03-25T19:25:00.000+08:00

And this is me, still in Calaruega. It's very nice there, btw. Very conducive to deep thought. Nice view. Makes you feel very close to nature. Allows you to appreciate nature. Very very good facilities. And magandang pagdausan ng kasal. Kaso, di naman ako catholic.

2005-03-25T19:23:00.000+08:00

From the Flower Vendors, we went to Calaruega to visit the chapel there. Here is Amor in a very scenic view, posing to be contemplating.

2005-03-25T19:22:00.000+08:00

This is, I think, the first beetle I've ever seen. Kung beetle nga sya. Parang. Gumagalaw kasi sya kaya malabo yung pict. It was uber small, siguro mga 5mm lang.

2005-03-25T19:21:00.000+08:00

Next stop dapat after lunch ay ang Flower Farm. KASO, SARADO PALA SYA. Hehehe. Dahil nga ay Holy Week. Napadpad tuloy kami sa Flower STORES along the road to Nasugbu. Para kaming kawawang naglalakad sa isang road na puro mga kotse ang dumadaan. Pero okay na rin dahil nakakita naman kami ng maraming flowers along the way.

2005-03-25T19:19:00.000+08:00

Ang ulam namin ni Amor ay relleno. Nakalimutan ko paano hiwain ang relleno kaya nagala-daing (?) sya. Hinati ko lengthwise sa gitna (not shown here). Halatang wala akong alam sa pagpe-prepare ng food. In fairness, masarap yung relleno. Favorite ko na nga yata sya eh.

2005-03-25T19:17:00.001+08:00

At syempre, ako rin, magpapakuha ng pictureS ko.

2005-03-25T19:17:00.000+08:00

Syempre, si Jackie ay nagpakuha ng pictureS nya. This is one of them. Merong sepia, B&W, may labas-bra, etc.

2005-03-25T19:16:00.001+08:00

Wala akong maisip na caption. Hehehe.

2005-03-25T19:16:00.000+08:00

Again, walang pansinan ng bilbil. Pansinin nyo na lang ang di-ko-alam-kung-bakit na napaka tambok na cheeks dito ni Amor. Hehehe.

2005-03-25T19:15:00.000+08:00

Lunch na so we decided na kumain ng Bulalo at ang sabi-sabi ay yun daw ang masarap sa areang ito. Itong kinainan namin ay sa tapat lang ng Picnic Groove. Masarap naman ang bulalo nila. :D

2005-03-25T19:11:00.000+08:00

Nice shot by Jackie.

2005-03-25T19:10:00.001+08:00

Sa Palace in the Sky, merong parang groto. Dun to. Walang pansinan ng bilbil. Tignan mo yung view sa likod.

2005-03-25T19:10:00.000+08:00

Sa taas ng Palace in the Sky.

2005-03-25T19:08:00.000+08:00

Ayan, naka busangot pa rin si Amor. I am starting to believe gusto nyang magswimming sana dun.

2005-03-25T19:07:00.000+08:00

Hindi ko alam bakit nakabusangot si Amor. Ito ay sa semi-bridge over the kidney-shaped supposedly-ay-swimming-pool-ni-Marcos. Siguro nalulungkot sya dahil napaka-off ng bridge na ito over the pool. Or dahil walang tubig at gusto nya sanang mag swimming, ewan.

2005-03-25T19:06:00.001+08:00

Dahil late si Pia, di kami naka-akyat ng Palace in the Sky agad. Inisip kasi namin, kawawa naman c Pia kung aakyat sya mag isa. Hehehe. Antagal nga lang ni Pia. Gusto ko nang kainin yung sandwich para sa kanya. At napanood na naming gumalaw ang shadow ng ulap.

2005-03-25T19:06:00.000+08:00

Syempre first thing to do ay mag pictyoran. But walang kukuha ng pict namin so hinawakan ko na lang. Kaya ako lang din ang nakita. Well me at ang katabi kong si Jax.

2005-03-25T19:05:00.000+08:00

First Stop: People's Park in the Sky a.k.a. Palace in the Sky. Ang "dilapitated" na supposedly ay Marcos Palace sa Tagaytay. Di na finish ang supposedly ay very grand house sa di ko malamang dahilan. Maganda sana sya kung natapos. Pero dahil hindi, at dahil ang pangit na ng ginawa nilang "adjustments" para maging semi-park ay napaka pangit nya. Walang kwentang "tourist spot". Although maganda ang view.