Never eat alone – pamagat yan nung librong tawag pansin sa bookstore. Wag daw kumain mag-isa kung gusto mo daw maging matagumpay. Wala naman akong magagawa kung mag-isa akong kakain ng hapunan ngayon, nagsusulat habang nag-aantay mahainan.
Nag-ikot ako sa bookstore kanina at napadaan sa may history section. Syempre di naman ako umaasang makakakita ako ng sandamakmak na Philippine History books dahil nasa Dubai ako, pero umasa ako na sana kahit man lang isa ay may masilayan ako. Kahit man lang isa.
Wala.
Nakakalungkot lang na wala man lang tayong parte sa history section ng bansang aking/ating pinagsisilbihan. Ng bansang umiinog sa pamamagitan ng mga expat workers na kung saan napakalaking porsyento ay binubuo ng mga Pinoy.
Pumunta ako sa Asian section. Iisang shelf lang ang nakalaan para sa buong Asia, sa buong kasaysayan nito. Habang ang buong history section ng bookstore na ito ay napaligiran ng, syempre, Arab history, history ng America, United Kingdom, Germany at Russia at mga may kinalaman sa WW2.
China. Japan. Korea. Cambodia. Thailand. Myanmar. Singapore. India.
Buti pa sila, buti pa ang mga bansang iyan. Nandito ang kanilang kasaysayan. Nandito ang kanilang kwento. Abot-kamay ng mga nais makaalam ng kasaysayan nila. Pero tayo, wala. Walang ibang istorya ang mga Pinoy dito kundi ang kwentong kaming lahat ay mga trabahador.
Malalaki ang mga librong tungkol kay Lee Kuan Yew ng Singapore, biography niya iyon malamang. Listahan ng kanyang mga achievements at kung paano nya nahulma ang Singapore kung ano ito ngayon.
Napakarami ring libro ang tungkol kay Mao Ze Dong ng China. Kwento ng kaniyang buhay, ng kanyang kabataan, ng kanyang katandaan, ng kanyang husay at maging ang kanyang kabrutalan. Marami ring librong tungkol sa pag-unlad ng ekonomiya ng China at kung bakit sila ang nangunguna ngayon.
Andyan din ang history ng Korea at kung papaano ito nahati. May mga libro din tungkol sa kasalukuyang pinuno ng North Korea, ng kaniyang ama at ang kanilang mga pinaggagagawa.
May mga librong tungkol sa kalupitan at kawirduhan ni Pol Pot ng Cambodia na ginustong i-reset ang taon ng Cambodia noong 1975 at gawin itong Year Zero, at librong tungkol sa peaceful revolutionary leader (since Mahatma Gandhi) ng Burma na si Aung San Suu Kyi – The Lady and the Peacock.
Pinaka hinangaan kong section ay yung sa Japan. Naroon ang mga libro tungkol sa gyera, tungkol sa kanilang kultura pero ang pinaka-nagustuhan ko ay yung mga librong tungkol sa 2011 Earthquake na halos sumira sa sangkalupaang Hapon. Yung librong 2.46: Aftershocks: Stories from Japan Earthquake na nilathala para makalikom ng pera para sa mga nasalanta. Mayroon pa silang isang libro doon na patungkol sa kung papaano muling nakabangon ang Japan matapos ang lindol noong 2011.
Bukod pa sa mga history books, marami ding mga literature books ng Japan, China, India at iba pa ang isinalin sa Ingles na ibinebenta dun sa bookstore. Bakit kaya walang Florante at Laura o kaya’y Noli Me Tangere dito? Wala bang nagnais magsalin? Sayang. Napakagagandang kwento. Sayang kung hindi maikukwento. Sayang kung mababaon lamang sa baul.
Bakit kaya walang librong nailathala tungkol sa muling pagbangon ng Pilipinas matapos salantain ng Ondoy at Yolanda habang nakagawa ng librong tungkol sa lindol sa Japan? Dahil ba hindi talaga tayo nakabangon? O dahil wala lang bang magandang naisulat tungkol dito? O ayaw nating isulat kung saan napunta ang mga donasyon ng iba’t ibang bansa? O walang librong pwedeng i-export?
Kung sa kwento lang, napakaraming interesanteng kwento at kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Kung sa manunulat lang, napakaraming manunulat na napakahuhusay. Kung sa exporting ba tayo nagkukulang, yan ang di ko alam. Pero kung exporting or publishing issues ang humahadlang na makapaglabas ng mga librong Pinoy, sayang naman.
Pero, hindi kaya marami tayong ayaw ikuwento? O maraming natatagong kwento sa likod ng mga kwento at kasaysayan na ating natutunan na ayaw maibunyag?
Sayang at hindi malalaman ng iba kung ano ang nangyari sa atin sa loob ng tatlong siglong pagkabilanggo sa pamumuno ng Espanya.
Sayang at hindi nila malalaman kung ano ang Death March o kung bakit Tagalog at English ang ating official language.
Sayang at hindi nila malalaman kung sino ang ating mga bayani o kung sino ang ating mga tunay na kaaway.
Sayang di nila makikilala si Jose Rizal, si Magsaysay, si Bonifacio at ang KKK.
Sayang at di nila malalaman kung bakit napakaraming OFW at kung bakit ang Pilipinas ay para na ring Korea, may North at South.
Sayang. Sayang naman.
I’m not sure, but I feel other countries think the Philippines is pretty insignificant, with realy corrupt public officials, and no major contribution to the world…the country gets in the news because of disasters, and vote in boxers, actors and actresses , and even clearly corrupt people, like the Binays. The Marcoses are still idolized , the family that bankrupted the country,and institionalized corruption and brazen nepotism. There’s anarchy in the streets, no one is penalized for any traffic violation…. the traffic takes a toll on the country’s economy.
My point is, this is what will be written about the country, so the country should be thankful no one has written anything about it.
PS With so many Filipinos here in the US, it makes me wonder why Filipino cuisine is unheard of, and there’s few Filipino restaurants that are successful. You know why, Filipino foods are expensive and portions are so little…. dishes are served on platitos. Americans will not go there to eat, unless it’s Japanese.
Of course, I only say these things because you’re Filipno, and I came from there too. I myself will not air my dirty laundry in publc.
hehehehe…Hi Ren…chill…
I know, i know there’s nothing really good to write about the Philippines especially with what’s happening in the country now. Full of crap.
But then, I just thought, anyway all countries have their fair share of ugly past (and even present) but that makes them what they are today and we are just like all the other countries. So why not expose it here? (he he)
And apart from (our bloody) history, don’t we have fiction books that are good enough to be exported? (*__*)
I just thought that maybe, maybe, learning something from our past will make them look at us from a different angle. That we are more than just plate or ass wipers. That we are more than just half or quarter of the population that makes this country (UAE) rich while earning peanuts.
Anyway, so much for my thoughts. But I agree with you about Filipino cuisine. Its always the Japanese, Chinese, Thai or Malaysian Cuisine that makes it to the high end while we’re stuck on the dirty corners.
Even the US is ugly, past and present. But system of justice is still in place.
The majority is not always right., especially the ignorant majority. They are dazzled by money and good-looking people, and a few cans of sardines. a few kilos of rice,. Politicians turn their backs on lawlessness as long as the people who commit it will vote for them.
* sigh*
I get all of this from my parents. You can just imagine the discussion that goes on among ourselves over dinner, ha ha.
I’ll bleed to death if I hear these discussions over dinner ha ha ha…
with regards to filipino cuisine, i find it also strange that there are so few filipino restaurants in japan. one of the rare ones that i saw cater to customers of bar girls and is open only late at night.
i have yet to see a family restaurant type filipino restaurant in japan like the ones they have for thai, vietnamese, indian or chinese restaurants.
but there are books about the philippines in japanese bookstores.
our cuisines deserves a lot more than this right?
I’m interested to know what Phil. books are sold in Japan 😛
There’s a bakery here called Red Ribbon. here’s the thing…. at Costco, one HUGE double chocolate cake is like $ 12. But at Red Ribbon, one single layer chocolate cake is $ 16. And my Mom is like, Kabayans, you’re already in the US, ingredents are cheap and aplenty… chocolate cakes are soooo ordinary here. I’d understand if it is mango cake or ube cake, ( which is like $24 ), because , it’s mango. We once ate at Goldilocks…. we tried their chicken adobo… the chicken adbo was on a small plate, with only 3 small pieces of chicken. We stared at the dish. WTF ! a ha ha
my guesses are:
1) putting up foreign business franchises in the US are very expensive
2) Red Ribbon or any philippine brands import all their ingredients from the philippines and
3) they think that no matter how expensive they sell their product, people will still buy them
I choose # 3. It’s a stupid business idea. I highly doubt Filipinos buy their chocolate cakes there. Do they import cocoa from the Philippines ? The flour ? Everything is here and they’re very cheap. A Fiipino restaurant opened near our house… it didn’t even last one year. I can describe their servings…. Mom said , carinderia style, everything is served on platitos.
ibig sabihin siguro nito eh hindi pa nila masyadong itinuturing na importante ang bansa natin…
Most likely.
hindi siguro importante sa kanila na halos kalahati ng populasyon ng manggagawa sa Dubai ay Pilipino….yay naman