Sudden Images of a Beautiful Past

There are days when it is easy to get depressed especially on rainy days when every patter of rain seems like  a batch of daggers aiming for a stab at one's heart.

But then something strange happened today. I suddenly thought of people who I haven't seen in years who have shown me goodness.

For instance, a highschool friend who used to drop me and my sisters at home after school despite the many times I was terribly unkind to her.

Or aunts who used to be buy children's books for me and my siblings.

Or a student younger than me who brings out her hanky to wipe the sweat on my forehead after seeing me run around the school

Or that boy in my elementary class who gave me a sheet of paper when I suddenly realized I had forgotten to bring mine, and despite the fact that I was hated for being too active in class.

Or that sweet girl friend of mine who used to treat me to hotdogs during recess.

Or the funny guy whose name I cannot even recall who danced the "Johnny Bravo Dance" with me when we were in grade school.

Or those people who sincerely wished me good luck everytime I enter a contest.

And I always thought that the past is not so good, that it is full of tragic moments. In my mind, these memories of wonderful people and the seemingly little things which have brought me joy are and will be preserved well.

金陵十三钗 (2011)

金陵十三钗 (The Flowers of War) is a 2011 historical film directed by Zhang Yimou, about the horrors of one of the most brutal events in the history of man, the Rape of Nanking. The movie shows the sufferings of the Chinese in the hands of Japanese soldiers who occupied Nanking in December 1937 and juxtaposed these with the valiant and heroic sacrifices people made.

The movie stars Christian Bale as an American mortician who pretended to be a priest in order to protect the teenage girls at a convent school since it is said that the Japanese wouldn't dare touch a Westerner. John Miller refuses at first, seeing he wouldn't benefit from such a role but seeing the danger the girls are in following an intrusion wherein the girls were almost raped by the Japanese soldiers, he stepped up to become their guardian and protector.

A group of prostitutes forced their way into the convent. At first, this group always bickered with the convent girls, but in the end, it is they who saved the girls. As the prostitutes' leader Yu Mo says, prostitutes have always been seen in a bad light and what better way than to redeem themselves and changing the way society perceives prostitutes by doing one final act of greatness in the form of sacrifice.

The scene where the prostitutes sang and danced against iridescent light is my favorite scene in the film. In it, the prostitutes, so small and materialistic in the eyes of the society, suddenly becomes great beings capable of love and sacrifice in eyes of the girls, especially of Shu, the seeming leader of the convent girls.

The movie may be violent in most parts and it does have disturbing scenes not for the fainthearted but it does effectively show great human attributes in times of war. Compassion, sacrifice, love, forgiveness, loyalty, and above all, the indomitable human spirit are all expressed in this movie.

白蛇傳說之法海 (2011)

白蛇傳說之法海 (The Sorcerer and the White Snake) is a 2011 action fantasy film based on the legend of the white snake popular in Chinese mythology. The film stars Jet Li as the abbot Fahai who journeys around to vanquish demons together with his disciple-turned-monster Nengren. At the onset, it seemed like a film about Buddhism and the fight versus good and evil, though there is romance involved as the film also explores the love affair between a mortal and a snake demon in the persons of Xuxian and Susu respectively.

Susu the snake demon falls in love with the physician Xuxian and the two marry each other without Xuxian knowing about his wife's true nature. Susu, though a snake demon, has a good heart and helps her husband create medicine where she breathes magic into. When Fahai detected demon magic in the medicine, he gave Xuxian a spirit blade meant to protect him. When Susu took on her snake form and couldn't revert to human form, she was stabbed by Xuxian who was unaware that the snake and his wife are one. When Xuxian learned the truth, was advised to get a special root to help Susu recover and he did though when the root was taken, other captured demons were freed which possessed Xuxian.


Then the more important fight scenes begin as Susu and her sister Qingqing fight Fahai to "save" Xuxian who was under the care of the monks in the process of banishing the demons. Fahai fights the two sisters to prevent any interference but the snakes were successful in destroying the temple.


It is in this scene where we see the dedication of the praying monks as they remain indifferent to what is happening around them even to the point when they were already submerged in the water. This is a  beautiful metaphor for the Buddhist message not to worry about the tribulations in life and still strive to do what is right or what is expected of a person.


It is also in this scene where Fahai is seen contemplating about his actions and questioning if he is doing the right thing. As a monk, it is his duty to capture demons and have them meditate to attain enlightenment. At this point though, seeing the love between Susu and Xuxian, he begins to entertain doubts but nevertheless achieves enlightenment.


He then was able to trap Susu but also granted her final wish to see Xuxian one last time. The ending of the two lovers' romance was tragic as Susu was sucked to the temple to spend her days on meditation.


I think that the type of Buddhism adhered to by Fahai is one that believes even demons have the capacity to attain enlightenment through constant meditation. As such, Nirvana is not limited to the religious but extends to all beings as a manifestation of mercy from the Heavens. One important Buddhist precept is the nature of a thing regardless of physical manifestation, as embodied by the young monk Nengren who, despite having been transformed into demon form after being bitten by a bat demon, retains his humane characteristics as he helped fish other monks from the waters and deliver them to safety.

Why Learn a Foreign Language

Languages play an important role in our daily life as it serves as a communicative tool that facilitates interaction with other people. We acquire language skills since infancy and as we grow older these language skills are developed in such a way that it allows us to express complex ideas and to convey abstract ideas.

Knowing a language allows us to engage with people who speak the same language. Knowing a language allows us to access information written in that same language. Knowing a language allows us to appreciate more the culture to which that language is part of.

Imagine knowing more than one language. Imagine then overcoming language barriers to read poetry in its original language, to have access to information in other languages! Indeed, at present when information is almost everywhere and linguistic differences are the only things that keep you from getting that much needed information, there is a need for multilinguals. Nowadays, knowing one's mother tongue is not enough, and even fluency in English is not enough. Learning another foreign language is always a plus as it widens your horizons and opens more career opportunities.

I have been fortunate to have been exposed to Fookien, Tagalog, English, and Mandarin since childhood. Since I love reading, I discovered one of the advantages of knowing Chinese as this allowed me to read manga translated into Chinese, like Ranma 1/2, Dragonball, Mojacko, and Doraemon. As a young adolescent infatuated with anything Japanese due to the anime boom in the '90s, I started picking up simple Japanese phrases and words until I decided to study the language by myself. In college I took up European Languages with the main goal of being able to read untranslated Spanish and French literature. I would have loved to learn Russian, Italian, Portuguese, and German, but there's always the problem of time constraint. Instead now I'm back to studying Japanese seeing how useful it will be in the near future.


Autodidactic's Tips on Learning a Foreign Language: Learning a Foreign Language by Self-Study

Autodidactic's Tips on Learning a Foreign Language: Learning a Foreign Language by Self-Study

Studying a foreign language does not mean you have to enroll in a language school in order to learn. While interacting with other fellow learners would be an advantage of language-learning in the classroom, there are also disadvantages. One disadvantage of enrolling in a language course is that one has to adjust to the class schedule which means that you have to sacrifice other activities (i.e. work) just to learn. Another is the costly fees usually associated with language schools.

I have just recently resumed my self-study of Nihonggo. I started to study Japanese in 2003, after buying two books: "Japanese for Today" and "Everyday Japanese". My goals then were just to be able to read Japanese and to make myself familiar with Japanese words, thus my studies were done in a highly undisciplined manner, opening the books only when I felt like it. I went on hiatus in 2006 when I entered college and by that time, I knew how to read and write hiragana, had little knowledge of katakana, was already familiar with a lot of Kanji, and could already understand simple sentences. 

Now, I have resolved to continue my self-study of the Japanese language. I still use the same books, but the difference is that now I include online materials.

Here are some tips to help you learn a foreign language all by yourself:

Image:  http://learnworldlanguages.com/

1. Before anything else, ask yourself why you want to study a particular language.

This will be your motivation for studying a foreign language. Are you planning to work, live, or stay in a country where that language is spoken? Or do you want to gain a thorough understanding of a culture through its language? In my case, I want to study Japanese to achieve fluency in order to be able to translate texts. Keep in mind that there is no right nor wrong answer to this question but that knowing your motivations will keep you more focused and will help you design your own curriculum.

2. Set goals.

Have a realistic goal in mind. What do you want to achieve? In my case, I want to be able to translate simple stories and to watch movies without subtitles after two months of self-study.

3. Use a main reference material but prepare supplements.

Buy a book which suits your level. To be on the safe side, choose one that is appropriate for beginners and which contains conversations, grammar explanations, and exercise drills. Make this your main reference material, but do not limit yourself to this one particular book. Supplement this songs, videos, dictionaries, and other grammar books. In my case, I watch anime and listen to Japanese songs.

4. Read children's books.

Reading children's books in the language you are studying helps, too, since sentence structures are fairly simple and you will not be overwhelmed and discouraged. Besides, it is a good way to build your vocabulary. Oh, and when you read, READ ALOUD!

5. Make studying a habit.

I know this is hard especially when it gets frustrating, but a lack of discipline would get you nowhere. Sometimes it's just in how you manage your time. Twenty minutes of study everyday is sure to bring much improvement.

In my case, I study almost everyday but without a definite schedule. Sometimes I study for three hours and sometimes just half an hour. 

6. When stumped or uncertain, RESEARCH!

Suddenly having difficulty with a topic? Research online! Or research on ways to cope with that difficulty. Chances are other learners also experience what you're going through.

To share some of my experiences, I found verb conjugations in Japanese difficult since the book I use does not explain in depth how to conjugate verbs. So I did a research on the internet and found useful information.

7. Take notes.

Notes are not just taken in class, they are also helpful when doing a self-study. Taking down notes not only increases chances of remembering words or grammar formulas, it also lets you practice writing non-romanized languages. Also, you may bring your notes with you everywhere so you may review what you have learned while in the bus or waiting for someone.

In my case, I create lists of kanji and foreign words (in katakana) as I encounter them. 

8. Immersion!

There is no quicker way than travelling to the country where your target language is spoken. Once there, interact with locals. Speak no English. Speak the language no matter how awkward or stupid you may sound. 

No budget? Search for online language communities or online forums and befriend a native speaker with whom you can practice your target language.

9. Face the mirror and talk to yourself.

This may make you look like a crazy idiot but it does work as it helps in making your tongue accustomed to producing sounds in the target language which may not be found in your own language. It also helps you come up with what to say faster.

With these tips, I'm sure you would be learning any foreign language in no time! 

三國演義

This year, a Chinese cable channel has started to air 三國 (Three Kingdoms), a TV series adaptation of the Chinese classic 三國演義 (Romance of the Three Kingdoms). The series, directed by Gao Xixi, was first released in May 2010.

I was awed at the first few episodes of the series. It seems like this is one of those lucky enough to have been allotted a huge sum what with beautiful graphics. It was a truly remarkable work, not to mention the choice of actors and actresses who took on their respective roles with such believable portrayal.

So lately I have been following this series. The benefits are numerous, not only do I get to know more about Chinese history, I also get to brush up on my Chinese. Mind though that the language used in 三國 is not the same as modern Chinese and there are a lot of things I do not comprehend, or am slow to grasp. But at least, getting exposed to Old Chinese make me understand more the Japanese language since the latter borrowed much from the former.

In line with my occupation with 三國, I have researched on other media adaptations of 三國演義. The only ones I have watched prior to my interest in the Chinese classic is Koutetsu Sangokushi and Ikki Tousen, both anime series which wove their own respective plots from the classic. And yes, 三國演義 is very popular even in Japan, so I guess I will be expecting myself to watch anime and read manga related to it.

And then there's this wonderful song used in the Japanese anime 三國誌 based on 三國演義 and which I found on Youtube:

And here is a more mellow and sadder version (or maybe it's because the video's old) which was actually used in the anime.

Japanese Online Vocabulary Test

I took this test to see how familiar I am with Japanese words. Then again, this test fails in that a user who knows Chinese will rely on his/ her knowledge of Chinese rather than of Japanese and thus defeats the purpose. On a positive side, it helps in acquiring new vocabulary as one sees the range of Chinese-inspired words. I for one, increase my vocabulary by means of association with known words from different languages.

One suggestion though is that futagana be used so that those who need to brush up on their kanji may learn how to pronounce the words while taking the test.

Oh, and I stopped because it's already late and I don't know what time I will finish with an almost 5,000 item test. I guess I'll just have to look for other quizzes available online.