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Our journey began in China, where you made us realize that the Chinese think in dual perspective. They adopted a Yin-Yang outlook, which calls for balance in everything. For them, an object can be seen in two ways. You told us that in times of plenty, they follow the Confucian way. Filial piety is what's important for them. However, in times of great hardships, they surrender everything to the ways of Tao and the Eightfold Path. "Only in surrendering material things, shall we find true happiness." you told us. In China, we were forced to read an entire novel in three days - The Dream of the Red Chamber to be exact. Before, it would take me three weeks to finish a book half the pages of the novel you required.
Such achievement marks the beginning of my affair with literature.
---
When we were in Japan, you told us that beauty is imperfection. The Japanese believe that beauty is a constant improvement of an object. Once it has achieved perfection, the object loses meaning; it becomes utterly useless. I would always remember the story you shared to class between a Japanese and a foreigner. In a tea ceremony, the foreigner took the glazed, regular-shaped cup. For the foreigner, it symbolized beauty. However, the Japanese took the cup that is not only irregular in shape, it had an earthly signature in it. For the Japanese, nature is the closest thing there is to perfection.
The novels told us the Japanese are a melancholic bunch. They pride themselves in using nature to express their emotions. It was difficult to interpret the symbols used in the Tale of Genji. Not only they were sublimely poetic, the characters spoke of "Cherry blossoms" and "restless twilight" throughout the entire novel.
For them, the closer you are to nature, the more you become one with yourself. They even coined the phrase Mono no aware to describe the transience of all things, and the gentle sadness at their passing.
---
The journey turned a westerly direction. We found ourselves being immersed in Indian culture after spending half the semester mingling with the yellow folks and their nature-centric orientation. The Indians are a happy bunch. They are expressive, colorful, loud and very heterogeneous people. In the Ramayana, we learned that the monkeys and the demons were actually the Dravidians - the Aryan's lesser brethren (and oftentimes enemy) in the South. In the Inheritance of Loss, we delved in critical issues ranging from poverty, post colonialism, Indian diaspora and the impact of centuries of British colonization in the modern Indian psyche.
Despite these scars, which they love to use as subjects in their modern literature, The Indian culture remains strong and their patriotism extremely high. Their wars with Pakistan and China were even a point of contention; a source of divergence in every postmodern novel that I've read about India.
---
Before returning home, we made a brief stop-over in Singapore and Indonesia. You assigned us to read the novel Fistful of Colors to learn the history of Singapore. We learned the country's past as it was weaved in the story and through the characters' family background as they all sought their identity at the end of the novel. You even invited the book's author, Suchen Lim to discuss how Singapore's recent history had been quietly altered in order to hide the bad elements of its past.
Progress has a price to pay sometimes.
In Indonesia, we learned how they suffered greatly from Dutch colonization. Like us, they were treated like second-class citizens in their own homeland. The novel This Earth of Mankind resembled our very own Noli Me Tangere in plot and characterization. Unfortunately, you only assigned the first of the four books that tells of Minke's story. I felt hanging after I read the novel.
---
Looking back, all it takes is a semester to transform someone to a new person.
Unarmed with any literary backgrounds or theories, you injected an Asian sensibility into my psyche. I am like a tabula rasa becoming more oriental after being touched by your shining hands of wisdom.
And I became enlightened.
Many semesters from now, other literary inroads will be opened. In order to become a truly good writer, one must be aware of the foundations - the essence of literature. Despite the possibility of being swayed to other directions, your ways has already taken root.
Someday, when I become a better writer, what you taught us will find its way into my writings. The Asian experience that you shared with us will pass on to many people, even if you are not and will never be aware of it.
Finally, I will spread your example of humility. Your friend revealed last night in the dinner that you hosted that the global community sees you as an authority; a prominent scholar in South East Asian literature. I sensed it in class, but I never expected the magnitude of your brilliance.
Indeed a mark of a true genius lies in her ability to be humble in spite of her overwhelming greatness.
Humanity is wisdom.
That is all that I need to learn.
---
Such achievement marks the beginning of my affair with literature.
---
When we were in Japan, you told us that beauty is imperfection. The Japanese believe that beauty is a constant improvement of an object. Once it has achieved perfection, the object loses meaning; it becomes utterly useless. I would always remember the story you shared to class between a Japanese and a foreigner. In a tea ceremony, the foreigner took the glazed, regular-shaped cup. For the foreigner, it symbolized beauty. However, the Japanese took the cup that is not only irregular in shape, it had an earthly signature in it. For the Japanese, nature is the closest thing there is to perfection.
The novels told us the Japanese are a melancholic bunch. They pride themselves in using nature to express their emotions. It was difficult to interpret the symbols used in the Tale of Genji. Not only they were sublimely poetic, the characters spoke of "Cherry blossoms" and "restless twilight" throughout the entire novel.
For them, the closer you are to nature, the more you become one with yourself. They even coined the phrase Mono no aware to describe the transience of all things, and the gentle sadness at their passing.
---
The journey turned a westerly direction. We found ourselves being immersed in Indian culture after spending half the semester mingling with the yellow folks and their nature-centric orientation. The Indians are a happy bunch. They are expressive, colorful, loud and very heterogeneous people. In the Ramayana, we learned that the monkeys and the demons were actually the Dravidians - the Aryan's lesser brethren (and oftentimes enemy) in the South. In the Inheritance of Loss, we delved in critical issues ranging from poverty, post colonialism, Indian diaspora and the impact of centuries of British colonization in the modern Indian psyche.
Despite these scars, which they love to use as subjects in their modern literature, The Indian culture remains strong and their patriotism extremely high. Their wars with Pakistan and China were even a point of contention; a source of divergence in every postmodern novel that I've read about India.
---
Before returning home, we made a brief stop-over in Singapore and Indonesia. You assigned us to read the novel Fistful of Colors to learn the history of Singapore. We learned the country's past as it was weaved in the story and through the characters' family background as they all sought their identity at the end of the novel. You even invited the book's author, Suchen Lim to discuss how Singapore's recent history had been quietly altered in order to hide the bad elements of its past.
Progress has a price to pay sometimes.
In Indonesia, we learned how they suffered greatly from Dutch colonization. Like us, they were treated like second-class citizens in their own homeland. The novel This Earth of Mankind resembled our very own Noli Me Tangere in plot and characterization. Unfortunately, you only assigned the first of the four books that tells of Minke's story. I felt hanging after I read the novel.
---
Looking back, all it takes is a semester to transform someone to a new person.
Unarmed with any literary backgrounds or theories, you injected an Asian sensibility into my psyche. I am like a tabula rasa becoming more oriental after being touched by your shining hands of wisdom.
And I became enlightened.
Many semesters from now, other literary inroads will be opened. In order to become a truly good writer, one must be aware of the foundations - the essence of literature. Despite the possibility of being swayed to other directions, your ways has already taken root.
Someday, when I become a better writer, what you taught us will find its way into my writings. The Asian experience that you shared with us will pass on to many people, even if you are not and will never be aware of it.
Finally, I will spread your example of humility. Your friend revealed last night in the dinner that you hosted that the global community sees you as an authority; a prominent scholar in South East Asian literature. I sensed it in class, but I never expected the magnitude of your brilliance.
Indeed a mark of a true genius lies in her ability to be humble in spite of her overwhelming greatness.
Humanity is wisdom.
That is all that I need to learn.
---
"Nakapili ka na ba ng mga subjects mo? Check this list kung anong gusto mong kunin diyan," Dr. Mooney hands me down the subjects list. For the past three semesters after I have been accepted in the masters program, she is the person I consulted.
She is the admiral of my entire fleet. Whatever suggestion she makes, I follow.
The afternoon I visited her, she had a visitor with us. She was a mid-forties plumpy woman with short hair, large bead necklace and a very pleasant and calm aura. She sat quietly in the arm chair while Dr. Mooney assisted me in choosing my subjects.
Dr. Mooney's consultation room was wrapped in silence. However, it was abruptly broken after she asked me if I have taken any electives before. "Bakit hindi mo i-try mag-CL (Literary Criticism) para maiba naman?" She was right. I had not taken any reading subjects before.
Before I could decide what CL subject to take, Dr. Mooney pointed her finger at the visitor who was still seated in the armchair. She felt embarrassed after the spotlight was suddenly turned to her.
"Ayan o, kunin mo yung CL240 (Asian Literary Criticism) niya. Marami kang matututunan diyan." The visitor smiled at the prodding of her friend. "Yun nga lang 8 novels ang babasahin mo sa loob ng isang semester, pero matututo ka talaga" she further added.
Much as I would like to look for other options, I felt that it would be rude to decline Dr. Mooney's suggestion. I could make an excuse and tell the ladies that the class schedule would conflict with my work. However since I am very familiar with Asian cultures and I was already aware that reading would improve writing .
I decided to take the subject. It was the turning point of my entire first semester.
She is the admiral of my entire fleet. Whatever suggestion she makes, I follow.
The afternoon I visited her, she had a visitor with us. She was a mid-forties plumpy woman with short hair, large bead necklace and a very pleasant and calm aura. She sat quietly in the arm chair while Dr. Mooney assisted me in choosing my subjects.
Dr. Mooney's consultation room was wrapped in silence. However, it was abruptly broken after she asked me if I have taken any electives before. "Bakit hindi mo i-try mag-CL (Literary Criticism) para maiba naman?" She was right. I had not taken any reading subjects before.
Before I could decide what CL subject to take, Dr. Mooney pointed her finger at the visitor who was still seated in the armchair. She felt embarrassed after the spotlight was suddenly turned to her.
"Ayan o, kunin mo yung CL240 (Asian Literary Criticism) niya. Marami kang matututunan diyan." The visitor smiled at the prodding of her friend. "Yun nga lang 8 novels ang babasahin mo sa loob ng isang semester, pero matututo ka talaga" she further added.
Much as I would like to look for other options, I felt that it would be rude to decline Dr. Mooney's suggestion. I could make an excuse and tell the ladies that the class schedule would conflict with my work. However since I am very familiar with Asian cultures and I was already aware that reading would improve writing .
I decided to take the subject. It was the turning point of my entire first semester.
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