Memoirs of a Geisha GR Review

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My rating: 4.25

The book was written very well that I felt like I was floating along a Japanese river while I was reading it. It really didn't get deeply into me... well, it did get into me but it didn't stab straight into my heart, though I must say that it was such a beautiful novel, with such delicate prose that I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to explore cultures and lives and history.

Seeing through a geisha's life is new for me and I had a lot of new learning not just about geisha, but also about Japan. The tale was a good historical narration telling us what happened to Japan and during the war.

What I didn't like about the book is that it may be a little culturally biased to the Americans, since the author was American. I don't know if the Japanese's view of the Americans changed as abruptly as it was stated in the book, but I just didn't find it realistic that they could easily forgive their enemy as quickly as that.

Another: I don't really like how the story turned out in the end, and I don't really find that twist amusing at all, no not at all. It wasn't realistic for me. It was so protagonist-serving.

Why, despite of my negative reviews, am I still giving this a high rating? Because it's such an undeniably good book! It brings you to places you've never been before, and I felt that what Golden wants to happen is for the readers to see what Japan is like, to give us a picture of a culture that is beyond our knowledge, in a manner so ethereal and so gentle that you could almost hear the shamisen strings while you're reading it.

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Passion Manila 2014

Psalm 148:1
Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens. Praise Him in the heights. 

Last night was the first day of Passion Manila 2014 that was held in Smart Araneta Coliseum, and it was awesome!!! Truly it is. It was the first time that I attended a huge worship night, and it was really really great to see the power of the Lord reigning upon each and everyone of us.

The thing is worshiping God in a big dome, with thousands of people made me see God's extravagance in a whole new light. I was able to see explicitly the glory of God, and it was just a portion of its totality! How? Imagine having a Hollywood star Dad and you know he is famous, but you get to just really see how famous he is if you accompany him to an event where hundreds or thousands of people are gathering waiting for him. Well, that's how I felt. I know God is really famous, and that His name reaches the corners of the world, but to see people from different corners of the country gather to glorify God together, and to jump for joy with them, to sing with them all, to really shout praises to God with them all, I was able to see just how magnificent my God is. I was able to see how many lives God are protecting and changing and loving. And take note, it was only a small portion of people.

Passion Manila 2014 was spearheaded by Passion City Church's head pastor, Pastor Louie Giglio together with Christian artists Kristian Stanfill and the David Crowder band.

Highlights from Pastor Louie's preaching:
-Non-dancers can dance because of God's amazing grace
-Even as Christians we still try to earn from God what He has already given us, and so, God comes out for us, and tells us that we are His children and we already have everything, and He couldn't be more pleased to us than He already is.
-The stars are not just shining, they're also singing
-Every creation in this universe worships God, and when they all are mashed up together, they make a really beautiful sound.

With friends!

We just happened to meet Yen there. Yey!

My best friend Dane was actually the one who invited me here yaaaah

March Nostalgia

This time of the year reminds me of a lot of things. Through the years, the month of March, especially its latter part, reminds me of games, trees, children, and everything else that revolves around childhood. I spent my childhood summers in Pangasinan, and as we were growing up, I noticed that we don't go there as much as we did before.

During my younger years, everytime March comes I'd be very excited because I know that classes are going to end + we are gonna be on vacation + we are traveling to a wonderful place we spend little time in. Now, that I am 19, in college, and summer doesn't mean vacation at all, I feel mixed feelings towards March: the sameness of the excitement, and that sad feeling that I wouldn't be back there in my childhood anymore.

(via)

Because of the intoxicating atmosphere of being in the university, most of the time, we students wish that it'd end already so that we can unwind for a while, take off, and just chill out. Of course, I feel that way now. But having this semester end doesn't mean I'd be spending vacation at all, there'd be a lot other stuff to take care of, like applying for my internship, spending time with people, then the internship itself.

I can't believe how smoothly the seasons changed, that without us realizing them, we are already distant from where we once have been. I can't believe that the smell of childhood is now just a memory and not an experience anymore. Oh well, I've accepted this now. Though childhood was wonderful, I'm happy that I've once had it, and I'm happy that I'm already over it, too. At least, I'm able to experience more of the world, and I'm glad that I can associate Summer with a lot of other things than vacation and games. I'm also glad that I have good memories to ponder upon every now and then. I may crave for them, but I know they helped me become this curious wanderer I am today. 

The apartment's cat

We have a cat here in our apartment building. It just roams around here, without a permanent place to live in. I don't really know what gender it belongs to but they say that it's a male cat, so. Anyway, as I said it has nowhere to live in. And tenants here shoo it away because it sort of disturbs apartment units. Sometimes, it'd be so clingy that it would cuddle itself on your legs, then without warning or without you doing anything to hurt it, it would just suddenly bite you, so it's a little deranged.

So, what's it's name? Haha. As it does not have a permanent place, it also doesn't have a permanent name. People call it different names, "Mary Grace", "Mingming", "Kitty", "Eldinbert", etc. Tenants per apartment unit has a name for it.

What's my problem now? I think I really feel sorry for it. Right now, while I'm writing this post, it is by my feet sleeping on a rug. How does it feel to be alone, without anyone to be with, without an identity. People just shoo you away because they think you're a disturbance, that you're not serving anything good. It probably is, no, I think it really is so dificult--very difficult. It's hard not knowing where to belong, not knowing who you are, not knowing whatsoever else there is to know. It's hard to not be able to build a character that is yours because you are misplaced, because you are lost.

OK, that sounds so dramatic, but really there is a cat 'round here in the apartment who'd always wanted to enter but always failed to. (HAHAHAHA, K.)

Some people

Seriously

There are times really when things happens and you just wanta say ____ all like all these are really crazy and you just wanta let life’s ongoings end in a click like the streets are dashing before you instead of you in them, like you have so many things happening and you don’t have an idea where all these things are going, and you are waiting for someone to turn up and just appear in front of you but that someone won’t appear, and that someone asked you to stay up with them, but turns out that someone is already hanging out with other people. Crazy stuff happen like when you just ask someone something that someone borrowed from you and it’s just gonna be like you’re the one who’s being done the favor for, I mean what! You unappreciative person. I like the word defective—you defective! Anyway, and then you’re gonna wait for someone to tell you howta do things because you’re as clueless as a newborn, and you can’t start because that someone won’t tell you how and you’re gonna be like “Is that so hard?” when the matter’s not really difficult at all. And you know that you're only gonna be able to do that unless that someone tells you how and you feel like you're the only one who is really concerned 'bout getting the work done, like this is all crazy. 

Imagine being stuck with a series of to-do's and you just don't know how to fit all of it in your time. It is really very difficult. Shoot 'em all, you wanna do but 'fcourse you can't! Hello, you can't. Just tease them all in your head that's what you're gonna do because it's all you can do like it's the only doable thing in the world. And then, you're ranting like this but you don't want anyone to see that you're ranting this violently on your laptop but then someone would suddenly see you and then you'll be in secret panic to transfer the "tab" you're on. Like being in college will allow you to live. And like you have so much to do but then you can't do anything OR you're not really doing anything at all. And then, someone would pop into your mind again, and you'll want that someone to just suddenly appear but then you don't wanta, because it'd be for nothing. It is useless and senseless, and that you just dismiss these stupid thoughts, and tell yourself that you're better off by yourself, dreamy, and wanting to go to places. And then, yer gonna realize that all these are just er. Anyway, I'm just saying.