"LUMBAY NG DILA"

Cover photo of "Lumbay ng DIla by Genevieve
Asenjo (from Google Images)

To whom you can relate most in the novel? Why?

If I were to relate myself the most to a character in the novel, “Lumbay ng Dila,” it would be Stephen Chua. Because I want to be a lawyer in the future like him; however, my choice of becoming a lawyer is my personal decision unlike in the case of Stephen, he was being pressured by his parents particularly his father. 

“My Dad, sobra. Kaya nag nag-law ako, e. For the good of the family daw…” (17) 

This line from the novel shows how pressure he is to pursue law for the sake of his father’s fulfilment. 

“…Law student ngayon sa San Beda.” (16) 

Moreover, I can relate to Stephen because he is currently studying in San Beda for law which is one of my choices aside from Ateneo and UP Law School.

In relation of myself having lots of things I want to do such as study; play football; become a chef; be a lawyer; and an ambassador, I think it only shows how I really want to have a happy and contented future. Like Stephen, he seeks for success and prioritizing his future over relationships. 

“… … Masisira ang buhay ko.” (94) 

This line stated by Stephen during the heat of the conversation with Sadyah featured how scared he was if the professor of DLSU gets pregnant after the meeting that they had. In short, I associate myself the most to Stephen because of his willingness to be successful in life despite the pressure being put by his father, and his attitude of focusing on the things he needs to do for his brighter future.

We read novel for emotion. Share the affect - the emotional response evoked, elicited by the novel in you.

To be honest, the novel gave me an experience of enjoying it by issuing different emotions that eventually helped me to be part of the novel and understand the flow of events. In short, it is like love is like a rosary full of mysteries and yes it is. Such a roller coster ride, up for the positive emotion like happiness, and down for anger, sadness and curiosity. These four emotions were what the novel affected me.

“Ga, kinuha ko ang pera mo.” - Ishamel  (216) 

Ishmael stole Sadyah’s money without any permission from; what made me anger was that this was the time when he and Sadyah were already fighting and using a thick face, getting a money from a girl that you are not treating well. 

Moreover, the line... 

“You manipulated me.” - Stephen (94) 

… also made me anger because Stephen blamed Sadyah for not being prudent. In my stand, he should accept his mistake because he was drove by his sexual endeavours. In short, I felt anger because of Ishmael and Stephen not respecting a woman despite all the good things Sadyah did for them.

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“Is it true, Lolo, that you killed Gov. Edgardo Salazar?” - Sadyah (135) 

The passage gave me sadness and curiosity. Sadness because, I felt the sorrow of Sadyah of being confused to know the truth. On the other hand, I was curious of how Sadyah can she stand that long of not uncovering the reality within her family.

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“Pagkilala sa kanyang kaharap, at marahil pagpapatawad: ito ang silbi ng kanyang pagiging buhay ngayon.” (391)

This passage sums it up, being part of the up of the roller coaster, it give me the happiness that finally Sadyah forgave her mother. And in my perspective, forgiving is a process of forgetting the negative vibes that hinder you from being happy. This is also, I think, a lesson for us to remember that we should learn how to forget, and move on to the new chapters of our lives.

Reading is an experience in language. Share your encounter with the language of the novel: joy, difficulty maybe, and the strategies you employed to finish the novel.

Admittedly, it was such a great experience reading a novel like “Lumbay ng Dila.” Before reading it, I thought the words were more traditional in a sense that it is composed of deep Tagalog words but I was wrong. Personally, it was a great step for the author to modernized the language she used. I really enjoyed the words used because it gave me an opportunity to learn new words from the Visayan region of the Philippines like…

“Sa Kinaray-a, Kasubu kang DIla. Sa Tagalog, Lumbay ng DIla.” (97)

Moreover, I was able to learn their culture that helped me understand why some people from other regions act. In addition, since we have a Visayan helper, I asked her what did the Kasubu mean in Tagalog, which is sorrow or lungkot. 

Figuratively speaking, I am like a turtle when it walks, that is how I read; in short, I am a slow reader because I am easily distracted. This is why, I was so happy that the words used and language were not that heavy and deep. One of my main strategies to finish the books is by having an English dictionary for some English words that I am not familiar of and of course, internet. 

"Bounce Back"

Every time I see a mountain bike

It makes me remember my first fall as a child

The moment I accepted my failure

It gives me the chance to be an Acacia tree.

Rising from the bottom as weak and thin tree,

To a sturdy and flexible Coconut tree. 

Photo: Coconut Trees from Google Images

On "MY DRESS HANGS THERE" by Frida Kahlo

Painting: My Dress Hangs There by Frida Kahlo (Google Images)

A triangle that symbolizes the society

That gives us the view of a losing dignity

Featuring the gap between the rich and the poor

Questioning ourselves "Why we ask for more?"

It gives us the choice where we can join

Earning everything to turn around from a toss coin

Hoping to finish as the top seed,

But almost all of us failed to do a good deed

On "Norebang"

    "Norebang" is about the story of the lives of the Filipino wives, of the Koreans, who were racially abused because of their race, colors, and status in the Korean society. The speaker of the story is also a wife of a Korea, who experiences the same way as her fellow friends, Filipino wives. The story opened with a line, "She arrived as a guest and departed as an accompliance to a crime." The guest pertains to her, attending to a small gathering of Filipino wives in a Norebang, a videokehous. The crime stated symbolizes to the things they did during their time in the Norebang, which are showing their love for their country and to themselves as women not just "only" a woman of someone. They cried all out to express their feelings they have been storing since they came in the country. The characters in the story are majority Filipino wives, it shows in the story that racism is prevalent until the present.

    Norebang is a videokehouse however, it is not the case for the Filipino wives. For them, it is also a place where they could release all their negative feelings as well as place for them to forget their problems for a while, and enjoy and seize the moment and freedom that they have. The story ended with them hanging and comforting each other to reduce the sorrows and loneliness they were experiencing. This ending is a fair one because it shows that celebrating who you are is just and is a good way for you to move on and get stronger knowing that you have the people that will be there for you, no mater what.

   The story helps us to be aware of this negative issues about racism. This gives us the time to understand the sorrows other Filipinos abroad experiencing.

ANO ITO?

BRILLIANT CONTEMPORARY BUGTONG

BUHAY O PATAY

LAGING NAKASAMPAY

NAGPAPALIT NG ISIP

SAYO'Y NAPAPASILIP

SAGOT: STOPLIGHT

PI7O-PI7O-PI7O-PI7O

TANAGA - HINDI NAKASISIRA SA BAGA

I.          Ika’y isang tahanan

            Nang higit sa ‘sandaan

            Ika’y aking sandalan

            Iisa kang halaman

II.         Tunay kitang katoto

             Kasing tigas ng bato

             ‘Kay tagapamagitan

             Sa mundong ‘lang atrasan

THE WHO?

WALT WHITMAN: 

  THE LIFE OF WALTER!

Walt Whitman (http://www.biography.com/people/
walt-whitman-9530126#synopsis)

       Walter "Walt" Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. He is the second child of his parents eight children. He grew up with a well-being family owning a large portion of a farmland which in the end was sold when he was still young. Their family is a fan of United States' democracy that time. The great Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892.

       INTERESTING!

        

        Walt Whitman is known to be the "Bard of Democracy." Since his family is a supporter of democracy, almost all his poem composed are usually about it. Second, Whitman's poetry collection entitled, "The Leaves of Grass," was thought to be genius; however, a poet named, Ralph Waldo Emerson, told him to remove some parts of the latter editions of the collection because they were too sexy for the children to read. Next, Whitman's "Franklin Evans" was characterized by himself as the worst work he have done but in contrary to what he said, the book sold more copies than any of his other works during his lifetime. Fourth interesting fact about him is that in his collection of poetry, the word grass was used since he thought that things are getting slower in his works. Lastly, most biographers continue to debate on Whitman's sexuality categorizing him as a homosexual or a bisexual basing it from his works. Furthermore, he is also known as the "Poet of America."

O Captain! My Captain! (Google Images)

     O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

  I chose Walt Whitman's famous poem, "O Captain! My Captain!" because it has been one of my most favorite poems. Moreover, this poem was created by Whitman in 1865 concerning the death of Abraham Lincoln. Know this, it made me pick this because his love for the president and the love for his country is being shown here especially his love to have a unified United States. 

   In addition, each stanzas have its own story. The first stanza started with Lincoln being the captain of the ship - the United States - winning the civil war. However, it finished on the line expressing the assassination of the President Lincoln. The second stanza is about his invitation to the president to join his fellow American in celebrating their victory. And in the last stanza is where he accepted the death of the president knowing that everything is impossible now.

  Lastly, this poem helped me realized that I should be more proud of my country and love it fully because this is where I belong. I need to save my country together with other Filipinos to give life to the nation for us to enjoy our own country and keep it for the future Filipinos to come.