Surveys, Rizal, and Dicta License

Stolen from Macy's...

Your Aura is Purple

Your Personality: You're a dreamer and visionary. You believe you were put on this earth to do something great. You in Love: You're very passionate but often too busy for love. You need a man who sees your vision and adopts it as his own. Your Career: You need a job that helps you make a difference. You have a bright future as a guru, politician, teacher, or musician.

What Color Is Your Aura?

Your Love Song Is

Yellow by Coldplay "Look at the stars, Look how they shine for you, And everything you do, Yeah they were all yellow" You're so in love, it's like a drug.

What Love Song Are You?

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I have finished Ambeth Ocampo's Rizal Without the Overcoat. I really loved it. Unlike other books on Rizal, Ocampo's was light on the eyes and the mind. What Ocampo did was he "undressed" Rizal, painted a picture of a human Rizal. And it was a fresh and welcome perspective. Because after years of studying Rizal, this was the only time I realized that he has feelings like all of us. He was always portrayed as invincible. But Ocampo showed that Rizal was not. He made mistakes like the rest of us. And this endeared me more to Rizal. It made me admire him more. It almost made me fall in love with him!



And finishing this book has prompted me to buy Noli Me Tangere. It dawned on me that I never read Rizal's works outside school. They've always been a requirement and that's why I took time out to read them. But, as a required reading, these books become almost detestable. And you only take note of the little things that might come up come exam day. You never notice the writing style, the humor, the opinions that made the book celebrated until this day.



I am now just in Chapter 5 (Si Kapitan Tiago) and I have noticed a few texts that escaped my attention back in high school. Here's Rizal on the sacrament of reconciliation (in the voice of Don Rafael Ibarra):

'Senyor Guevarra, naniniwala ba kayong pinatatawad ng Diyos ang isang krimen, ang pagpatay halimbawa, sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagsasabi sa isang pari, isang tao na may tungkulin namang ilihim ito, at dahil na rin sa takot niyang matosta sa impiyerno, at ito ang kaniyang acto de atricion? Kahit na maging duwag at walanghiya siya? Iba ang aking pagkakakilala sa Diyos,...Para sa akin, hindi maitutuwid ang isang mali ng isa pang mali....' from Noli Me Tangere ni Jose Rizal, isinalin ni Virgilio S. Almario, nilimbag ng Adarna House, 1998.

What Rizal wanted to point out is that he doesn't think it's enough to confess your sins. Because what only happens is that you confess to someone who'd take your secret to the grave. And what is justice, he says later on, confess to someone who'd keep your sin a secret or let society punish you for what you've done? Interesting point, right?



I'm so excited to finish the book and understand more the inner workings of our national hero's mind...

* * * * *

I've already mentioned that I've recently bought Dicta License's PAGHILOM. And I've also posted the first song, Ang Ating Araw. Over the weeekend I've listened to the songs in the album over and over again. And there's this one song that really hit home. Almost all of the songs in the album were of social relevance, but most especially Daloy ng Kamalayan. It really painted the true picture of what Philippine society is like nowadays. Read on be moved...



Daloy ng Kamalayan

Dicta License



Dumadaloy sakin

Bawat ilog, lawa at tubig-asin

Dumadaloy sakin

Sa tinataglay kong lawak ng himpapawaid



Makinig sa pahiwatig ng

makatang galing sa modernong paraan.

Hanapin ang sariling ligaw

Sa makitid na daan at pagtanaw.

Ang pagmamalay wag n wag pabayaan

Nang makabangon ang Perlas ng Silanganan.

Isip mo at isip ko

Ginintuang sandata ng pagbabago.



Tanong ng kababayan:

Paano makakapag-isip ang walang laman ang tiyan?

Sino ang magsasabi

Na siya ang huhubog sa kinabukasan?



Madalas na 'di napapansin

Edukasyon ngayon ay kulang sa diin

Ang ating mga silid aralan,

Ang mga guronagbebenta na lamang.

Pero di ako susuko sa tanong.

Pag-asa ko'y kaakibat ng ng aking dunong.

Doon tayo sa malayo tumingin.

Mahalin ang bukas na darating.



Dumadaloy

Dumadaloy sa akin

Dumadaloy sa iyo.