The Search for Narnia

The main allure of reading is its ability to transport the reader to different worlds. The better the author's words flow, the deeper the reader delves into dimensions at once foreign and familiar. That is why when my stress buttons are pressed, coming home to a well-written fantasy is such a boon. Such is the reason for the alarming proliferation of fiction in my room. I need more shelving.

I have a tendency to impose my tastes on others, and anyone clueless enough to ask my opinion on books would no doubt be bombarded by Anne Rice, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Jostein Gaarder. I lend my books (if you ask me nicely) on the condition that its conditions be preserved. I tend to become obsessive when it comes to my tomes.

My problem is, I tend to forget who borrowed which.

Among the titles missing in my collection is The Chronicles of Narnia. I found my copy at Booksale years ago, before the first movie was shown, for 150 bucks. Some months afterward, I found that same copy selling at Powerbooks for upwards of 500. I've lost track of who borrowed this book from me. I was secretly hoping that it only got lodged among the things I didn't bother unpacking from my moving from one room to the next (I'm on my third room this year), but alas, the book wasn't anywhere.

Some friends advised me to create a card catalog for my books, as they have already grown too big to commit to just memory. What they didn't comment on was my abyssmal memory to start with. Seeing as Narnia is not the only title I'm missing, I just might consider that advise, only, I wouldn't go about calling my collection a library, at least, not yet.

I'm gonna need all my OC powers for this endeavor.

-----

Magic: The Gathering

I was a fan of this card game way back in high school, although I had more fun collecting the cards rather than playing them. It was such a geeky game, much like Dungeons & Dragons, and I love it.

Back then, one of the prized cards to find was the Sengir Vampire, which is a "cheap" creature to cast considering its abilites. By cheap, it means that the manna used casting the creature was well worth its cost. Imagine my surprise when I saw this online:

You've got to love Gloria, she really stives for universal appeal. I mean, Filipinos from all walks of life hate her now, from geeks to jocks, and all the cliques in between.

photocredits

Tagalog

Gamitin ko man sa pangaraw-araw na pakikipag-usap, hindi pa rin ako sanay sa pagtipa ng mga titik sa Tagalog. Mas sanay pa rin ako sa mga salitang sinulat sa wikang ingles. Marahil ay dahil ito sa pagkakasanay sa pagbabasa ng mga aklat sa wikang hiram. Nasanay na rin akong magisip at kausapin ang sarili sa ingles kaya't nagiging mabagal ang pagpapahayag ng sinaloobin sa sariling wika.

Damang dama sa mga lumalabas na titik ang bigat ng pagiisip gamit ang wikang ito. Hindi ko makayang paliparin ng matayog at malaya ang aking diwa at napipilitan akong tumigil panandali upang hanapin ang halaw sa tagalog ng ilang salitang natural kong ginagamit sa ingles.

Masasabi ko pa ring isa sa mga pinakamakulay na wika ang ating gamit. Gamit ang ilang kataga ay kaya nitong magpahayag ng iba't ibang kahulugan at damdamin. Isa pa, saan ka makakikita ng iba pang wika na may kakayanang bumuo ng matinong paguusap gamit lamang ang iisang kataga?

Sa isang elevator, pagbukas ng pintuan:
Man1, pasakay: bababa ba?
Man2, nakasakay: bababa.

Tiyak, walang ibang wikang may kakayanang gumawa nito.

Gayun pa man, hindi pa rin ako sanay gamitin ang wikang ito sa pagtipa ng aking saloobin. Araw-araw ko man itong gamit sa pananalita ay mas kumportable pa rin talagang gamitin ang ingles sa malayang pagpapahayag. Siyang dahilan ng aking pagbabalik sa wikang nakasanayan matapos ang dalawang linggong eksperimento sa wikang kinagisnan.

Maligayang buwan ng ating wika. Nawa'y maging makabuluhan ang paggamit natin nito.