day 13 and 14 | the wordsmiths and their crafts + a rant of a democratic cynic

This entry has been three days in the making, yet I can't seem to really get into it and write.

I blame the elections.

Last May 13 was my second time participating in my country's elections. To be honest, I was a bit excited! I saw it as an opportunity for change and improvement. A lot of people in my social media accounts seem to be getting into the spirit as well, promoting the candidates who they think deserve a spot in the senatorial roster. I thought, "Wow, people are really getting into the spirit of things!" As I stood in line to exercise my right as a democratic citizen, I believed in a change. I believed in progress.

But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Sadly, idealism will get you nowhere, and as the recent results will tell you, my country still has a long, long way to go in terms of "voting wisely."

I seriously didn't understand the situation. I felt like everybody knew who to vote for, and who NOT to vote for, yet everything still went downhill.

Then my father said, "Well, that's just how it is. Especially the urban poor, they'll vote for whoever gave them money or gives them feeding programs or hands out bags of groceries."

And that just sucks. It sucks that it's not even a matter of information dissemination anymore, it all boils down to who gives short-term solutions (money, groceries), not people who are capable of pushing for bills that will help the Filipinos for generations to come. It sucks that people would vote for a candidate because s/he entertained them with a song-and-dance number during the motorcade. It sucks that people who come from the same family as an esteemed politician will get voted because hey, "baka namana nya yung galing ng tatay/nanay/kapatid/lola/lolo nya."

I can sit here and rant all I fucking want, but at the end of the day, these are who the "people" voted for. I'm just one person who's very dissatisfied with the results. All I can do now is hope and pray that these elected people would do their gosh-darn best to make this country a better place.

And now let's get to my book entry!

Day 13 - Your favorite writer and Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer

I know that this entry is a day late, but that's cause I wanted to combine the two topics together.

I'm kind of annoyed at this question, actually! Way down Day 30, the question is "your favorite book of all time" but obviously, if I had favorite book EVER, I'd probably really like the author too right? Ugh. But no matter, I'll still try to not repeat a book while doing this challenge.

Oh it's so hard coming up with a list for this! I look up to so many authors and I don't even know how to write this without it turning into a full-blown Buzzfeed/Flavorwire-like list. Bear with me! I shall ramble! But I'll try to make this as short as I possible can.

In no particular order...

1. J.K. Rowling

Uh, obviously. I remember receiving a book on J.K. Rowling's mini-biography and it was so battered and dog-eared. Then someone borrowed it and lost it, urgh. But Rowling was seriously one of my earliest inspirations. I really loved how she started out with a children's story that transcended across all ages, and I know will still be read for generations to come. She gave me hope in a dreary, boring world, hope that somewhere out there magic exists.

Favorite book from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter

... cause what else am I going to write? I've yet to read The Casual Vacancy but that's definitely on my list.

2. Haruki Murakami

I read Murakami when I was in the high weaboo phase, and I picked up Dance Dance Dance simply because it was written by a Japanese. Thank God my weabooness brought me to a gem! Murakami is a marvel because he effortlessly writes about the strangest things and you don't even question the existence of it, you just go along with the flow. Whenever I read a Murakami, I always feel like I've been transported to a different world. Even the voice in my head sounds different. I've yet to come across another author who has that power.

Favorite book from Haruki Murakami: toss up between After Dark and Kafka on the Shore

I love After Dark because it's one of his shortest books, so reading it over and over never tires me. Kafka, on the other hand, is a lot longer, but sparked a healthy debate with me and my roommate. It's a book that has always stuck to me.

3. Oscar Wilde

I already mentioned my love for Oscar Wilde in a previous entry so I will not ramble about him any further.

Favorite book from Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince and Other Stories

My copy of this book is super worn out and battered! That's how much I love it, I read it over and over again when I was in high school. My favorite story would definitely have to be "The Nightingale and the Rose." I don't think I've ever been so heartbroken over a story my whole life!

4. Hans Christian Andersen

Oh, HCA. I can blabber on forever about him. I guess I like him so much because I feel like I would be him, only a girl, if ever I was born in his century. Most fairytales always ended with happy endings, but HCA always had the most tragic endings for my poor childhood heart. In some masochistic way I really liked that about his fairytales. Somebody needed to show the world that we don't all get happy endings.

Favorite book story from Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Mermaid.

I don't think he's ever written an actual novel? Anyway, the original version of The Little Mermaid is always a favorite. Not the sugarcoated Disney version. I'm glad that instead of villainizing the girl that the prince falls in love with, HCA shows us that we can love someone with all our heart but it doesn't make them conniving little spawns of demons when they don't return our feelings. Of course we don't have to die in the end XD

5. Banana Yoshimoto

The same with Haruki Murakami, Yoshimoto always takes me to a quiet place whenever I read her books. I voraciously read Kitchen, N.P. and Goodbye Tsugumi, so much that their spines are cracked. Reading Yoshimoto is like talking to an old friend -- always comforting, sometimes mysterious, and always leaves you hanging for the next time you meet.

Favorite book from Banana Yoshimoto: Kitchen.

I don't even know why I like this book so much lol. It's essentially plotless and very plain. But I really grew to love Eriko and Yuichi as characters. I think that's one of Yoshimoto's pulls -- characters who you can't help but be attached to.

6. Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl

I'm sorrryyyyyy I've been writing way too much! But I definitely couldn't leave out the authors who shaped my childhood! Beverly Cleary was the first ever author who I watched out for, as in I made my mother and uncle buy the books simply because it was authored by her. Roald Dahl was also my first foray into more serious, higher level children's literature. There's something so fantastic and carefree about Dahl's writing, I love reading his books over and over even up to this day.

Favorite books from Beverly Clear and Roald Dahl: Beezus and Ramona and Matilda.

Beezus and Ramona was my first Cleary book, and remains a favorite. It's the only book in the Ramona series written from Beezus' point of view and I loved reading it because I could relate so well to having a bratty sister! Matilda was one of my favorite movies, so naturally I had to pick up the book. I think I definitey prefer the book more than the movie. Also, I've always wanted Matilda's powers! This book was also really formative with regards to my reading habits. I think I had the idea that reading a lot will give me telekinetic powers. I still need my hands to reach for the remote, so that didn't happen. But who cares, when books have given me such immense joy?

AND THAT'S IT. OH GOSH THIS WAS A LONG ENTRY.

My next entry will be on the 17th, because two related questions are coming up again. Until the next post!

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Day 15 - Favorite male character
Day 16 - Favorite female character
Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book
Day 18 - A book that disappointed you
Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 - Favorite romance book
Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 - Favorite book you own
Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 - Favorite title
Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time