wednesday warbles: tigana, best philippine spec-fic, quijano, rissa's christening

Taking a little break from the insanity that is work to give me brains some oxy!

* * * *

I am currently reading Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, a book loaned by a colleague from the Desk who is also into SF&F. GGK is a new author for me and if Tigana is any indicator, I could end up buying his other works (or an alternate to buying would be hitting the sale books bins and scrounge for them).

Other authors I would like to line-up as must reads include Jeff VanderMeer and his fiction works circling around his world of Ambergris (including the novel Finch), China Tom Mieville (The City and the City), and Lavie Tidhar. Among these three, I will most likely read Tidhar first because I have in my N6680 an eARC of his work, Bookman, which according to Wikipedia is a steampunk-themed novel.

And since we're already talking about SF&F and reading, the indefatigable Charles Tan has released earlier last month The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2009, compiling what seems to be the best of the best in the Philippine spec-fic field for 2009. The anthology is available for free reading online and for download as a PDF or an EPUB. Unfortunately, my EPUB download didn't work with the N6680 which runs Mobipocket reader even if it's supposed to work. So, I may just end up downloading the PDF and probably print that out and get that binded :)

* * * *

And while still on the subject of books ...

I've recently finished reading Nick Joaquin's Reportage on Crimes, a book originally published in 1977 when I was but a year old.

I bought the book purely out of whim after seeing it on the shelf of Powerbooks in Glorietta. I've always wondered about the journalistic side of old Quijano de Manila (old Nick's nick or sometimes pen name) and by the title alone, the book then promised such (it was a choice actually between Reportage on Crimes or Reportage on Lovers, chose the former). And surprisingly, the book did show the journalist in old Nick.

Reportage is like an investigative crime TV show (think Gus Abelgas's SOCO, or Arnold Clavio's defunct show Emergency, or Tulfo's Bitag) but only in prose. Rather than straight out narrative of crime news, Joaquin, through sheer his sheer writing prowess transformed what would have been stale and common news fodder into investigative pieces that captivated and begged readers to finish the true-to-life tales. Only a journalist of Joaquin's genius could have mastered the art of blending true news stories and literary story-telling, the likes of which I've yet to see in today's newspapers whether broadsheets or tabloids.

Reportage transported the readers to the 1960s and gave a picture of the Metro Manila then, harkening old places such as the Grand Opera House or Odeon Cinema and giving us later generations a glimpse into the early lives of famous personalities we've grown accustomed to like FPJ and Erap (who, according to the book where notoriously notorious in their younger days) in thirteen crime stories included in the volume. While reading the book, my imagination was in a perpetual state of black and white -- just like watching the old movies before Technicolor was invented.

Reading Reportage somehow rekindled the journalistic interest in me, if only briefly. Nevertheless, I believe any true-blooded journalist should take time to read and learn from the master. And that makes buying the other volume, Reportage on Lovers, a must as well for me.

* * * *

I've switched back to my old phone, the Nokia 6680, taking it back from my sister-in-law, and gave to her the E71 Pro (kuno) phone. Until I get a new phone one of these days, I'm sticking with the 6680 for the meantime.

* * * *

It was a tight group that was with the family when our little Rissa Kristelle was christened last May 29 at the Cosmopolitan Church. It was a bigger crowd that joined us for the reception that followed at Lotus Garden Hotel Manila.

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you'll see some photos of event in my photo gallery.

Thanks to all our relatives and friends who shared that special moment with us, and special thanks as well to Pastor Bing Dakanay for accommodating our request for a christening even if it was on a Saturday.