South of the border, West of the sun

Somehow I liked this novel more than Murakami's Sputnik Sweetheart. I never thought I'd like it this much because it seems like it's just another love story, and it is. But there's this thing about the choices Hajime did that really made the story more appealing. 

Hajime met his first love when he was 12 years old. They were both an only child and that somehow makes a connection between them and it helped them grew closer. But his first love, named shimamoto has a bad leg. Time passed, they both went on with their lives without each other. Hajime married Yukiko and had 2 daughters whom he really loves. He was successful. One day Shimamoto appeared in his club and the affair started from there. At first it was just reminiscing but then certain feelings of the past got involved until Hajime decided he was ready to leave everything behind if it would mean being with shimamoto. They made love passionately in his cabin one night, the next day he was all alone. Shimamoto left him without anything to keep him hanging. But he did for awhile--Yukiko already sensed this affair and instead of being angry, she decided to let him choose if he will leave her or be with her. As the agony of Yukiko prolongs, the realizations came to Hajime and he decided to stay with her. 

The best part for me is the part where he decided to stay and Yukiko welcomed him still. It's very rare that after a storm like this, one can still find a place in one's heart to forgive and forget. It's very hard. But maybe it's because of her love for his husband and for their family that helped her decide to forgive him after all. 

What I love about this is the realization that sometimes we held onto something for so long that we thought the feeling is still there. That we always think we're incomplete and that someone tends to complete us. But we are already complete, we just think that we're not. We also need to value the people that sticks with us through hardships and the good times. Sometimes we were just being overwhelmed by our feelings but we forgot to notice the most important things in our life. This novel has taught me that. 

I actually noticed this before, but the mood to actually post something about it hit me just right now.

 

In all 4 murakami novels I've read and currently reading there is always a cat, something about being twisted, lost, finding oneself, and books. Oh! and yes, about not being understood by almost everyone except for that special someone. I'm thinking, is Mr. Haruki Murakami a loner? because, he tells all the signs. It's not annoying, it's just that it is the first time I've encountered an author like him. It seems like he wants to somehow connect all his works.

 

I'm currently reading South of the Border, West of the Sun. I temporarily put off reading Pamela because it is sooo long and I'm beginning to get bored.

Updates

I've been quite away from blogger for awhile because I missed my tumblr :) anyway, I'm back again and I want to keep both blogs so I decided that all posts regarding books, authors, and drama series goes here while more personal stuffs goes to my tumblr so as not to be redundant on posting one subject on all of my blogs. ha! yes, i do that sometimes when I don't know what to do with the other one. ahh, problems with overblogging. haha!

Since everything has now been resolved, I'll now update you guys.

Tumblr. Like I said, I decided to use my tumblr blog again.
Books. I am currently reading Pamela by Samuel Richardson and I find it quite amusing. Will keep you posted on that here.
Kafka On The Shore. Yeah, I know, I haven't posted anything about it yet. I'm kind of lazy right now and I haven't found the interest to do so. Whenever my mood switches back to being a writer wannabe again, maybe I'll be able to post something about it.
Now You See Me. whenever I hear just the name, I immediately goes into frenzy.That's how greatly it affects me. I really liked this film plus Jessie Eisenberg :)
Isla fischer. And because I remembered the film, I also remembered how I also really liked this actress. She can be so funny as how she was in Confessions of a Shopaholic, and she can be as fascinating as in the film said earlier.

And these are the reasons for not updating my blogger. I'll try to update my blogs as much as I can.

On The Job

The movie was superb! It really depicts the "dirty politics" here in the Philippines. Every character has their own spotlights and the story itself is the center of attention and not the actors. In this movie, one will see how the "corruption and manipulation disease" crawls from the highest to the lowest government officials. From the General/Senator down to the warden of the jails.

Every character, I believe, mirrors the social classes here. Joey Marquez's character can somehow be associated with how the middle class strives hard to be successful and be accomplished, every medal, every cent, it is hard earned. While Piolo Pascual's character can be compared to the people with connections and oftentimes gets what they want because of it. Gerald Anderson's and Joel Torres' characters are the typical poor Filipinos that are willing to do anything, whatever it takes, just for their families. And of course, Michael de Mesa's and Leo Martinez's are the influencials who owns the country and manipulates anyone whenever they wish.

This is a highly recommended must watch film! Worthy of your every peso.

Reading

Murakami on my mind

It's the first time I read a novel by an Asian author, and I was instantly blown away by this guy's talent. I cannot really describe it but while I was reading his sputnik sweetheart, I was drowned with emotions, and I was captivated by those feelings. No kidding. From then on I became a fan! I loved how sputnik sweetheart was not a happy ending, the ending was, for me, the right ending for the novel. And because of the impression it left me, I am now reading his Norwegian wood. I am also considering of watching the film after I read it and maybe I might post something about it if given the time.