Reading Sputnik Sweetheart made me profoundly sad. I could not pinpoint any reason for the feeling of loneliness and desolation other than perhaps a residual reaction to the disappearance of Sumire and K's own longing for her. Images of Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, orbiting the earth in black, empty space, all alone, kept recurring in my mind as I read this book.
I do not always understand Haruki Murakami's symbolism. Sometimes I just read for the pleasure of it, and I think that's fine. I have come to love his quintessential lonely male characters who often drink scotch and have a strong liking for classical music. I am not exactly lonely, but I must admit there were several moments in my life when I really felt depressed, sometimes because there was a compelling reason like failing to graduate with honors or being heartbroken, but sometimes for no apparent reason at all. My wife says I am naturally melancholic and I tend to agree. I would rather be alone than be in a crowd unless, ironically, I am called to speak. And I am sad more often than I am happy. I would like to be happier. I would like to smile more as people see me as always serious. That's because I probably am always serious.
I love classical music too and many forms of old music, like big band music and military marches. People are very likely to find that weird. But I have learned to be comfortable with myself. I have learned to be okay with the idea of being alone sometimes even as I truly relish the company of the people I love. Perhaps my wife sometimes feel she has a Sputnik for a sweetheart.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Tao of Physics
I dreamed of becoming a theoretical physicist when I was a science high school student. I used to spend my two hour bus rides to my home in Cavite - only twenty kilometers away but notorious for its legendary traffic - discussing physics concepts with my best friend James. I selected Physics with Computer Engineering as my first choice at the Ateneo and I would have probably finished that course had I decided to go there instead of UP. This fascination for science was partly responsible for my atheism back then, and my skepticism towards anything mystical or supernatural. It would take years, the wisdom gained from living a decade more of real life, and the influence of my wife before I overcame my aversion towards reading books like the Tao of Physics by Frank Capra.
As I read about Buddhism and other forms of Eastern Mysticism, I began to realize how arrogant I was to think that the Western rational scientific paradigm was the supreme and only legitimate way of looking at things. As one digs deeper into quantum physics, common sense notions of space and time almost become meaningless. Probability waves, rather than definite positions and velocities, define reality. These concepts seem far removed from Newtonian mechanics and are better explained by Eastern mysticism.
I find a lot of solace in Buddhism. The ability to meditate, to find moments of stillness in the middle of the drama of others at work who create a false sense of urgency, is something I treasure. It grounds me and gives me perspective. It is, therefore, especially satisfying to find a book that is attuned with both hard core physics and the great teachings of the Eastern sages.
As I read about Buddhism and other forms of Eastern Mysticism, I began to realize how arrogant I was to think that the Western rational scientific paradigm was the supreme and only legitimate way of looking at things. As one digs deeper into quantum physics, common sense notions of space and time almost become meaningless. Probability waves, rather than definite positions and velocities, define reality. These concepts seem far removed from Newtonian mechanics and are better explained by Eastern mysticism.
I find a lot of solace in Buddhism. The ability to meditate, to find moments of stillness in the middle of the drama of others at work who create a false sense of urgency, is something I treasure. It grounds me and gives me perspective. It is, therefore, especially satisfying to find a book that is attuned with both hard core physics and the great teachings of the Eastern sages.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Ten Best of Everything
I love lists because I believe life is too short not to be spending my time on only the best. I have a list of one hundred books to read because, at the rate I am going, I can only read about three books a month, which means I can only finish 360 books in ten years. For a bookworm like me, I can only echo the quote: "so many books, so little time." I have a list of 100 films to watch and a wish list of places to go and things to buy because no matter how rich I become, there is only so much time in the world to enjoy the fine things in life. This is why Lande and Lande's Ten Best of Everything was a joy to read. It was one of those books that gave me a sense of how best to experience distant places like Africa and South America whither, if it all, I may have but once chance to go.
The book also has lists of things like the ten best watches, pens and wines. At this point, much of the list is aspirational. It will take time before I can reward myself with a Rolex or a Patek Philippe and I already consider a one thousand peso bottle of wine expensive. I do not want to be too materialistic and measure my worth through the purchase of expensive trinkets. Yet I believe the aspiration for status symbols also has its value, especially if one does not mistake the symbol of achievement with the actual one. If I really wanted to, I can buy an expensive watch right now or perhaps take out a loan to purchase a luxury car. But to do so would be to remove the value of these objects for they are precisely the best because I need to work hard for them and earn the right to enjoy them. Cheers to the good life!
The book also has lists of things like the ten best watches, pens and wines. At this point, much of the list is aspirational. It will take time before I can reward myself with a Rolex or a Patek Philippe and I already consider a one thousand peso bottle of wine expensive. I do not want to be too materialistic and measure my worth through the purchase of expensive trinkets. Yet I believe the aspiration for status symbols also has its value, especially if one does not mistake the symbol of achievement with the actual one. If I really wanted to, I can buy an expensive watch right now or perhaps take out a loan to purchase a luxury car. But to do so would be to remove the value of these objects for they are precisely the best because I need to work hard for them and earn the right to enjoy them. Cheers to the good life!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Go Negosyo or Why I Want to be Rich
I read Joey Concepcion’s Go Negosyo to understand how successful Filipino entrepreneurs made it. I wanted to see which industries they ventured into and what methods they used to start and grow their businesses. Since the book is a compilation of two page profiles, it does not go into a lot of detail regarding how a particular entrepreneur decided on what business to start and the hard work and thinking that went behind building a business empire. Nevertheless, reading about the story of business moguls like Henry Sy, John Gokongwei and Andrew Tan, and realizing they all built their fortune from scratch inspires me to dream about generating my own wealth.
I want to be rich not just because I want to retire early. I want to have financial freedom, which will allow me to pursue things I have always wanted to do, but could not do because I needed to pay the bills. I want to be able to travel and immerse myself in other cultures. I want to learn more foreign languages. I want to appreciate art, and perhaps create art. I want to read history, do research, and write history.
Beyond my own personal dreams, I feel I owe it to society to be rich. I have been given with enough intelligence that it would be inexcusable not to become rich. And by having enough money to transcend my personal needs, I will be in a position to help more people have a better life.
I want to be rich not just because I want to retire early. I want to have financial freedom, which will allow me to pursue things I have always wanted to do, but could not do because I needed to pay the bills. I want to be able to travel and immerse myself in other cultures. I want to learn more foreign languages. I want to appreciate art, and perhaps create art. I want to read history, do research, and write history.
Beyond my own personal dreams, I feel I owe it to society to be rich. I have been given with enough intelligence that it would be inexcusable not to become rich. And by having enough money to transcend my personal needs, I will be in a position to help more people have a better life.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
1421: The Year China Discovered America
Gavin Menzies aims to rewrite history by making the extraordinary claim that not only did the Chinese discover the New World, they actually sailed around the world almost a century before Magellan did. Academic historians criticize Menzies for his claims, but I found many of his arguments plausible, and I truly enjoyed reading his work.
I actually envy Menzies because he is exactly the sort of historian I would like to be. Like him, I would like to pursue my passion in history by writing something revolutionary yet I do not see myself becoming a full time professor, at least not yet. I would like to research and write for the sheer pleasure of it rather than simply satisfy academic requirements or write theses only a few old historians would care to read. Why, if my wife can pay for my travel and research like his wife does, then I can probably write that Filipinos discovered Spain instead of the other way around!
Conventional history accepts that the Chinese did explore the Indian Ocean and reached all the way to East Africa. It is also acknowledged that Admiral Zeng He's fleet was the largest the world had ever seen. Whether they actually rounded the Cape of Good Hope or not does not diminish the greatness of Ming China.
I actually envy Menzies because he is exactly the sort of historian I would like to be. Like him, I would like to pursue my passion in history by writing something revolutionary yet I do not see myself becoming a full time professor, at least not yet. I would like to research and write for the sheer pleasure of it rather than simply satisfy academic requirements or write theses only a few old historians would care to read. Why, if my wife can pay for my travel and research like his wife does, then I can probably write that Filipinos discovered Spain instead of the other way around!
Conventional history accepts that the Chinese did explore the Indian Ocean and reached all the way to East Africa. It is also acknowledged that Admiral Zeng He's fleet was the largest the world had ever seen. Whether they actually rounded the Cape of Good Hope or not does not diminish the greatness of Ming China.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Celestine Vision
I have not read James Redfield's Celestine Prophecy so I was not able to appreciate fully this book's recommendations on living with spiritual awareness. I did glean from the book that his earlier works highlight mysterious coincidences as unique opportunities to learn more about our life purpose. Synchronicity include events such as thinking about someone and seeing him on the same day, or dreaming about something only for it to appear in reality. Seemingly unrelated events converge to create special meaning.
I am not comfortable enough with these concepts to go out and preach about them. There is enough of the skeptical scientist in me to keep me from really exploring these ideas in detail. However, I have learned enough about life to suspend my disbelief and keep an open mind. There are things we cannot rationally explain. There are critical turning points in my life that seem to have been part of God's plan even though these events appeared meaningless or even sad at the time they happened. For example, my career would not have progressed as fast as it did had I not been rejected by IBM the first time I applied.
On the other hand, I do not want to read too much meaning in coincidences. I do not know how to explain it but I still believe in human agency and our ability to determine our future. Yet at the same time, I am humble enough to admit that there is a lot beyond our control. And I am comfortable with the idea that I cannot resolve this apparent contradiction.
I am not comfortable enough with these concepts to go out and preach about them. There is enough of the skeptical scientist in me to keep me from really exploring these ideas in detail. However, I have learned enough about life to suspend my disbelief and keep an open mind. There are things we cannot rationally explain. There are critical turning points in my life that seem to have been part of God's plan even though these events appeared meaningless or even sad at the time they happened. For example, my career would not have progressed as fast as it did had I not been rejected by IBM the first time I applied.
On the other hand, I do not want to read too much meaning in coincidences. I do not know how to explain it but I still believe in human agency and our ability to determine our future. Yet at the same time, I am humble enough to admit that there is a lot beyond our control. And I am comfortable with the idea that I cannot resolve this apparent contradiction.
Monday, July 4, 2011
1000 Places to See Before You Die
Reading Patricia Schultz 1000 Places to See Before You Die was sheer delight. She manages to capture in just a few paragraphs the history and the magic of a particular place. I know I cannot possibly visit all of the places in the book, but it does make me want to get rich faster so I can retire earlier and visit as many as I can. I also now have a good idea of the best places to stay in in the cities covered by the book. Most of the hotels she features are high end, but I do not really mind as part of the reason I travel is I want to experience the good life. I normally travel with two kids so staying at a hostel and being "authentic" is not really an option.
The book has almost 1000 pages, but I looked forward to reading it everyday until I finally managed to travel around the world vicariously by reading about one thousand beautiful places. It will take some planning, and a lot of saving, but I definitely want to see and experience the world, and this book has managed to fire up my wanderlust even more. My family is taking baby steps by exploring the country and neighboring countries first. So this December, we will be spending New Year's eve in Hong Kong. Too bad we cannot afford a room at the Peninsula yet, one of the featured hotels in the book and reportedly one of the best in the world, but I will make sure we savor views of the harbor. I cannot wait for the New Year countdown. This time we will see fireworks over one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world rather than just another Manila street seen from another hotel in Manila.
The book has almost 1000 pages, but I looked forward to reading it everyday until I finally managed to travel around the world vicariously by reading about one thousand beautiful places. It will take some planning, and a lot of saving, but I definitely want to see and experience the world, and this book has managed to fire up my wanderlust even more. My family is taking baby steps by exploring the country and neighboring countries first. So this December, we will be spending New Year's eve in Hong Kong. Too bad we cannot afford a room at the Peninsula yet, one of the featured hotels in the book and reportedly one of the best in the world, but I will make sure we savor views of the harbor. I cannot wait for the New Year countdown. This time we will see fireworks over one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world rather than just another Manila street seen from another hotel in Manila.
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