From This Day Forward

“When a couple gets married, it isn’t just their lives that are thrown into chaos. 

For Nicholas and Nala’s wedding, there’s the mother of the bride who is forced to face her failed marriage; the mother of the groom, who revisits the past – and an old love; the bride’s best friend who has lost the only boy she thinks she will ever love and with him, all her happiness; the bride’s cousin who fooled around with her boyfriend’s best friend (who inconveniently turns out to be the groom); and the groom’s sister who cannot understand her brother’s choice of a future wife. 

 Surrounding the bride and the groom’s happiness are the heartache, joys, hopes, dreams, and realizations of the people who care about them. It makes you think: does everybody get a chance at happily ever after?”

I’ve read only one other book – in full – by Ms Marla Miniano before, Table for Two. I had enjoyed that immensely, especially because of its interesting narrative and the premise of a single place being a silent witness to so many broken and mended hearts. So, I decided to get myself a copy of From This Day Forward. I had intended to read the book in two days, to give myself ample time to sleep the way I know I’m supposed to. I broke my body clock again though, as I knew I would.

Reading Revived

2013, huh? Congratulations to us for still being around after the supposed Armageddon.

This week I managed to do get more reading done than I ever did last year. Which is not to say that I didn't pick up even one book last year - I just mean that the things I read in 2013 felt for me like a vacation, an escape from all sorts of things, while my reading this week is reminiscent of the time I minored in Pol Sci. I am actually doing serious advanced reading again, more defined than the Wikipedia skimming kind I often prefer.

It feels nice. Even if I am reading about Nazideutschland and Hitler for a German grammar class, and I understand only half the jargon. I feel useful.

What I read in 2012

May Superfreakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner,
The Third Lady by Shizuko Natsuki, and That Kind of Guy by Mina V. Esguerra

June The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

August Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James,
Fifty Shades Darker by EL James, and My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra

September Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

October Solanin by Asano Inio,
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Out by Natsuo Kirino

November Love Your Frenemies by Mina V. Esguerra,
Kiko Machine 6 by Manix Abrera, Kiko Machine 8 by Manix Abrera,
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

December Fairy Tale Fail by Mina V. Esguerra,
Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin by Bernadette Villanueva Neri and CJ de Silva,
Trese 5: Midnight Tribunal by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo

Mujou, Impermanence

Once, on the way home from a Japanese speaking workshop in Makati, R-senpai and I got into arguing about the types of anime we preferred. As a rule, I only watch one-season, mono-plot anime that revolve around the paranormal, and so R-senpai had to explain to me the perks of being a fan of 'slice of life'. There were many fine details I believe, to this day, I am better off not thinking about. For instance, Azumanga Daioh is considered 'slice of life' but Clannad is not. And so on.

Eventually we came to the term 'mono no aware'. R-senpai brought it up, and I didn't understand it then. The phrase slipped my list of things to Google until a few minutes earlier, when I became fascinated with why Kazuo Ishiguro says he doesn't write in the Japanese fashion despite how clearly - to me, at least - he thinks the Japanese way. The term 'mono no aware' is in his Wikipedia profile, here. To clarify, I've only read one book of Mr Ishiguro's, An Artist of the Floating World. But the 'mono no aware' is there, all right. The novel ends with its lead character merely, poignantly people-watching, after all.

Expectations

I’ve been in a fairly good mood these past few days, despite my habitual lack of productivity. Take for example, my reaction to a comment given recently about my current state of pseudo-unemployment.

I like calling P ‘the exception to every rule’. To say the least, he’s an achiever, and he’s very vocal about his dream to be part of Wall Street someday. We are both somehow affiliated to the School of Economics, and that is why he’s comfortable sharing his latest entrepreneurial exploits with me. Like his having joined this or that conference, this or that seminar, meeting this or that financial celebrity, etc. I always, always feel the necessity to keep up with him, if only because I’m older and am his literal senior. And he always, always reminds me of this supposed hierarchy. In his own strange, lovable way, of course.

Once, this week, we met for dinner – P and I and our other friends. And then he suddenly asked me: So what are you busy with now? To which I replied something along the lines of: Busy being bored. He instantly suggested: Why don’t you do something productive like write or something? And that just struck me.

It didn’t sting at all. In fact, it was somewhat heartwarming.

See I’ve developed this fear of meeting people from my first degree days, people who probably wouldn’t understand why I chose to take a second degree instead of finding a job. Most of these people are achievers – precisely the reason they can’t relate to the fact that some people don’t really know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. P is one of these first degree friends; there are times when I dread meeting him, because I know he’ll pry about my current life, and I will not be able to give him a reply he will find adequate. And I was right, at least in the case of our last meeting.

But there was something very refreshing about his comment this time. Somehow, it felt good to know people worried about me. Somehow, it made me feel they expected much better things. Never mind the fact that I failed to deliver. There is strangely something very comforting about people expecting only the best out of you.
__

On a side note, some people from K translated some love poems into Bisaya Cebuano as part of our routine ‘Get Crazy’ moments. We read If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda – sadly we couldn’t remember whether he was Spanish or Italian or Brazilian or Portuguese – Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and others. Here is a rough transcript of our ‘joke time’ group translation for Christopher Marlowe’s Come live with me and be my love.

Unedited blasphemy care of H, B, P, M, M, J and moich.

Tara maglive-in ta ug pwede ba ikaw ang akong ihigugma
Ug sa tanan kalamian atong patunayan
Ug sa mga bukid, mga bakawan, mga buntod ug mga basakan
Mga kakahuyan ug sa mga tungas nga bukid

Maglingkod kami sa mga bato
Ug mangita kami ug mga pastol nga gapakaon sa ilahang mga gialagaan nga sheep
Sa mabaw nga suba gakahulog
Ang nindot paminawon nga mga langgam nga gakanta ug org sa UP

Ug magbuhat ko para sa imo ug katre sa mga rosas
Ug libo-libo nga humot nga santan
Isa ka kalo sa mga bulak ug ambot
Ug gipalibutan sa mga dahon sa isa ka tanum

Ug isa ka taas nga sanina na gihimo gikan sa pinakatsada nga sheep
Nga gikan sa mga gwapa nga karnero atong birahon
Ug pinakanindot nga linya sa mga tsinelas gikan sa bugnaw
Kauban ang kandado nga bulawan kaayo

Ang bakos nga sagbot ug bougainvillea
[Skip]
Ug kung kani nga mga kalamian mulihok
Mag-live in ta ug himuon tikang akong gugma

Ug ang mga tigbantay sa karnero kay musayaw ug kanta
Para sa imong kalipay kada buntag sa Mayo
Kung kani nga mga kalamian makapalihok sa imong utok
Dali na kay maglive-in ta

hunting fics

I've taken to reading a lot of Ghost Hunt fanfics lately - blame it all on having nothing to do while I wait for my summer to officially start. The good thing about this particular fandom is that it has a lot of really good, mature, well-thought of stories. I guess that's the upside of having fics written about an anime series that's relatively "unpopular" compared with, say, Full Metal Alchemist. I shudder to think what its fandom would be like had it been as famous as Harry Potter. If then, the quality of the fics would undoubtedly go down - and I'd probably be too frustrated with the poor stories that I'd abandon a promising fic fandom altogether.

Found some talented writers, namely:

Amaranth Adanae is one of the best writers I've read in ffnet. I think it's partly because she's got a background in writing (if I'm not mistaken, she's an English teacher) but her critical observations tell me it's not just that. I've read most of her NaruxMai fics, and I'm happy someone as talented as her is a NaruxMai shipper like me - that way I can leech off her work. Rules of Engagement you must definitely read.

Azamiko, whose candid wit amuses me greatly. I love her collection of shorts called Spirited, particularly the last two chapters and the crossover featured in the Part-Time Workers United arc.

Calkat writes solely on Ghost Hunt so it's something like her specialty. I like her Seasons, and I'm still getting ready to read her one-shots.

curatorangelus, whose Vesta's Bonds archive I'm skimming as of the moment. I'm still reading 1oI: Goddess, and so far it's really good. Lots of paranormal information in it, which means that the author probably researched heavily or she's really into the occult.

ravyncat, whose Echoes scared me in a "woe-if-that-happened-to-me" way. I wish she'd update soon, but oh, well. I guess she has RL business to take care of.

Some fics you must definitely read (most, if not all, are NaruxMai):

Years by Azamiko

Actually LinxMasako but it's set against the event of Mai and Naru's wedding, so what the hell. I like the fact that's it's not just NaruxMai. Moreover, I love how it features two of arguably the most "unlikeable" characters Ghost Hunt, giving them their own chance to shine with their self-reflection moments that are actually quite interesting.

Echoes by ravyncat

Shame this isn't Complete. I love the opening though, with Mai and the clown - in fact, I think the demon being in clown form makes it even more creepy, which is probably with the author devised that clever disguise. It frustrates me that this story hasn't been updated in years (literally) because I have a feeling the story hasn't actually started yet.

Love Spell by Azamiko

Interesting one-shot borne from an interesting premise. I love how the characters don't go OOC, or at least too OOC, and for a one-shot, it's actually action packed and generally fulfilling.

Meeting the Parents by Azamiko

Has been left hanging at a very awkward stage. On one hand, it seems as if it's Complete judging by the update date and the way the last chapter ended. On the other hand, it's not classified as Complete yet. Either way, I wish I could read more about it. Like Echoes it hasn't started yet.

MESSAGE DELETED by -X-.Giggles.-X-

Very short, very cheesy, abundant in errors, but still a very satisfying read. The type that makes your insides turn to mush - or whatever the term is.

Rules of Engagement by Amaranth Adanae

Indubitably one of the sharpest commentaries available in ffnet; the upside is it's complete. One page into this fic and I extracted two quotables for my words collection. I swear, this thing is epic. Might not appeal if you're a staunch NaruxMai hater though.

Seasons by Calkat

I didn't like the ending, but it's very well written. Also, I thought Mai was a bit OOC; I just can't imagine her being a flirt. Naru was adorable - or maybe I'm just biased. Written in two parts, with chronology that baffled me mainly because I wasn't paying attention.

All this reading's giving me a headache.