“True Grit: Inspirational book"

 * ANDI :)

  

True grit tells inspiring and exciting stories of nine ordinary yet courageous people and hard hitting “vital statistics” files between stories that highlights global abuses of girls and woman, such as female infanticide, child brides, sex trafficking, girl soldiers, female circumcision, and honour killings. These women are making difference in such places as Tajikistan, India, Egypt and Lebanon. It serves as a wakeup call to all crises facing woman around the world.  Aside from raising awareness of global issues, it also points out simple ways in which we can help turn the tide for women worldwide.
These valiant women were Kathryn, a deaf woman who built a ministry to the deaf in Israel by teaching computer classes 4 times a week at a deaf club, English classes once a week, home and hospital visits to friends and contacts are also a vital part of her ministry and monthly deaf bible studies in Hebrew sign languages disregarding all Terrorist attacks, shootings and bombing in Israel. Tammy,  A business woman that has been called by God to leave Singapore for the kingdom of Nepal to help dreadfully poor women. Joy Yorba and her family choose to live on a cargo ship; operation mobilization ship “ logos” that sailed throughout different country committed to Serving God.  Pam, who lived and worked in war-racked Tajikistan, a country which is completely foreign and unknown to westerners to relieve the suffering and improve the lives of the people of Central Asia, Both physically and spiritually. Cindy, a Vietnamese who escaped the communist state in 1978 as one of the boat people who experienced being maltreated by the pirates, but eventually went back to serve the people in her country of birth. Ruth who is willing to give up her life of comfort, decided to live in Egypt with her husband committed not only to work with the very poor but to live among them. Janice was born prematurely and struggling for life ended up having a very effective ministry to Israelis in India. For Nurse Mary Hill of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario in Canada, it wasn’t a volt of lighting or a voice from heaven that launched her from her comfort zone. She just happened to read about the need for nurses in a children’s feeding program in Northern Iraq, and after praying about it for a while, she decided she should take a year’s leave of absence and do her bit. 

 Deborah Meroff

True to its title, all in this book was gritty and sobering stuff. But the stories radiate much hope and show very clearly that the only source of meaning in our world is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Honestly, I can never imagine myself do such things or survive in the kind of situation that they got into. But what I realize is that, helping others doesn’t imply any qualifications or position in society. Because each of them is simply ordinary Christians that also have struggle within themselves but manage to help others by stepping out in obedience and trusting in an extraordinary God. What’s even unimaginable is that they endured different forms of abuse; most of them are from Asia while the rest is occidental who unlike the former has accessed to comfort and abundance. All of them, regardless of their provenance were found and used by God to touch the lives not only women but everyone who in this modern world who still endure inequalities in work, education, rights and other facets of life.

When I was done reading the book, I try to analyze, weigh and asses the experiences of the women in the story. I was astonished how bad situation turned into good ones. Imagining how those women give hope not only for a few but for numerous people that will change their lives forever. But I was saddened to read statistics from each chapter of the book showing twenty two vignettes featuring information and key facts prior to the situations of women in the world. It was unfortunately increasing every year. I realize that despite of modernization, most women still suffers from different struggles from our society that our government don’t give much attention. And yes, there’s a law that would put criminal behind bars, but it is seldom impose or has a very minimal punishment. I have heard many issues about child labour, prostitutions, trafficking and domestic violence but True grit has given me more insight and impact in my life. Beliefs that has passed down from one generation to another have caused sufferings for the sake of “supposedly” honor or acceptance to society which is certainly unjust.
The book is composed of only less than two hundred pages, yet each page teaches me lessons that I will surely bring forever. Privileged as we are to live in an orderly, clean and generally well to do environment yet most of us complains with small matters without realizing other people that faces strong hardships.  True Grit show how needy much of the world really is. For that reason alone, this book is good medicine: It show us not to be complacent. If we have been so blessed, surely it is with a purpose, so that we can share some of our abundant blessings with those who struggle to get by on so little.Overall, the book is very inspiring and I hope that many people will be able to read it and learn from it, not just to women but for everyone. I know that most people prefer fiction or much of a fairytale story, but hey! This is a lot more than a fairy tale story, It has a positive outcome that were probably not expecting. This book talks about us, women and facts that has happened and is still happening today, while we may not understand or find answer as to why these appalling things have to happen, actions can be done. Start by reading True Grit and informing others; awareness could serve as threshold to the much awaited change. You wont regret reading it, im telling yah :)
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Meeting the Queen

              When we were busy searching in the Narnia-like shelves of St. Scho library, I found this book  Oprah: A biography and I thought to myself—we were asked to look for books about either media, women issues, environment or arts, by the way—‘hey, this is a good catch, women empowerment plus media; all in one’. And I didn’t let go of it. Against two other books—one about women in movie and theater and the other I forgot—Oprah was chosen. When I presented these books, I was asked; ‘Kilala mo ba si Kitty Kelley?’. I didn’t answer and just smiled ‘cause I honestly don’t know a thing about her. It was only until I started reading this book that I have learned that Kitty Kelley is a well known writer of a number of biographies covering lives of famous people such as Frank Sinatra, UK’s royal family, Elizabeth Taylor, and more. This time, she’s writing about the Queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey and like the others, it was unrecognized by Oprah herself.

                I didn’t know if it’s in Kelley’s way of writing, but this book really put Oprah in bad light. No wonder she did not acknowledge this biography. Kitty Kelley explained thoroughly about her background in writing this biography, saying that every bit of information in this book was carefully quoted from Oprah’s past interviews.

“Free speech not only lives, it rocks.”—that quote, of course by Oprah, introduced the book. I never really paid attention to it at first; I only thought that it was cool coming from someone who made public speaking her way of living. The book covered everything about Oprah—from her difficult childhood, Miss Black Nashville Days to her love life. Turns out, speech is more than just a part of Oprah’s life, because speech is her life. There was even a point in her life, as discussed in the book, where she realized that in order to stay in the industry she lives, all she has to do is to never stop talking. And, well, Oprah is the queen of talk. She was also very influencing, not only in media, but also in politics.

She admire the Kennedy’s so much that she too was offended when Kelley wrote a previous unauthorized biography of them, no wonder she didn’t like when Kelly started writing about her life. And just a few years back, she endorsed Barrack Obama in the 2008 United States Presidential Elections which he won and became the first Black American President of the United States.

But before she became the queen, it was a rough ride for her. She was born to an unwed mother who left her when she was young. She said that this unfortunate childhood made her what she is today. The book, on the other hand, claims that it wasn’t a Cinderella story after all. Unlike what was previously known in the public, Kelley wrote (with a couple of interviews from Oprah’s family) that Oprah grew in her grandmother and actually had a spoiled childhood. She also had a good educational background. One trait that was pointed out in this book is Oprah’s insecurity in her color. I was surprised that the colored nation was divided to groups in terms of the darkness of their skin color. This is actually sad and unfortunate. Oprah showed her deep insecurity when she got into college and befriend mostly white. Being overweight was also her problem then but as she became a person of her own, she has learned to embrace herself despite her flaws. Another thing that she was obsessed at was fame. Ever since she was young, she knew that all she wanted when she grew up is to get rich and famous. And she did.

               

With her inevitable hard work and determination, she reached the fame she always wanted. When she started her career at WVOL, a local radio station and from there, she jumped to local TV stations, to what used to be her home, Baltimore until she finally came to Chicago and there she became a nationwide talk celebrity.

Since then, her journey to the top never stopped. And soon enough, she became one of the most influential people in the world. She influenced not only her audience but also celebrities. Over the years, her show has become the haven of numerous celebrities to promote their shows and themselves. And also a celebrity, Oprah herself befriended a lot of celebrities and it became a mutual relationship—both are benefiting from each other. For Oprah, it’s her nature to befriend famous people, and for celebrities, well, it’s Oprah, what more can you ask for? Being that influential, life has never been easy for her especially when she started her relationship with the then prison guard Stedman Graham—the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome who’s a model by night. People criticize their relationship and accused Graham that all he wanted to the overweight TV host was her money and since then became a joke to the show business. But Oprah doesn’t care, Stedman, on the other hand, learned to accept the world he chose to live in.

Since 1989, Oprah and Stedman have been together and forever in love, but still, wedding bells are not yet hears. Being both wealthy and influential—what she ever wanted—has also a big impact to her family that she never really liked as her own. Yes, she provides for her Dad, Mom, siblings, and other relatives but her relationship with them was never as special as it could be. Blame it her adverse childhood.

It was my first time reading a biography and I don’t know what to expect. And I don’t think Oprah: A biography wasn’t the best first experience. Because I personally didn’t like the way Kelley wrote it. I think rather than a compilation of carefully quoted interviews, it’s more like a compilation of the scandals Oprah faced in her career. Though some of it might be true and most of it are unproven rumors, it looks like this book completely evolved in these issues. I also thought that Kelley sounded bias

ed in writing the book. Besides, since Oprah herself didn’t claim the book, the facts written weren’t exactly proven, right? I wonder if all biographies are written that way, I know it sounded ignorant, but I hope not.

                Oprah was a very public person; every move she makes reflects who she is but at the same time, she managed to hide what she thinks her shameful past. She can easily control media and manipulate what was written about her. Though at some point in her life, the exposure comes from her, just like when she admitted she was sexually abused and that she had an unfortunate teen pregnancy—both were unexpectedly shared on air in one of her past TV shows.

But in fairness to Kelley, one thing she didn’t fail to prove that Oprah is a really powerful woman despite many hindrances like for example being a colored woman trying to prove herself to everyone. That’s double the dilemma. But it never made Oprah less capable of what she can do and even surpass what she can. And I admire her for that. Honestly, at first, I thought that she was too

tacky and some all-talk-no-work kind of person. And I was wrong. Having experienced the same kind of violence, Oprah stood up against women and child violence and even dedicated some of her shows discussing such issues. Though I think that the idea of discussing such sensitive issues on national television wasn’t a very good idea, I thought that her intention of reaching out to them is what matters.

No matter how or whoever wrote about her, one thing is certain; Oprah Winfrey is a pillar not only in media but also in women empowerment. So, after all, I was right in my choice. J

What Girls Learn by Karin Cook

I chose the book What Girls Learn by Karin Cook, because the title itself struck me. Learning! because i'm at the age that still learning how to live life but of course that's a never ending process. as long as we are still alive, we learn. And it also shows Mother and Daughter relationship that's why the book caught me, i know that somehow i can relate to the story because i'm close with my mother. 

Told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl Tilden, this story about a single mother with two daughters who moves, marries, and dies of breast cancer handles a variety of difficult issues with sensitivity and spunk. A list of those issues--absent father, new stepfather, a thousand-mile move to a new social environment, first menstruation, sibling rivalry, an uncle with incestuous impulses, family secrets, sexual experimentation, cancer, and death--might make it sound like a catalogue of the trials of a ordinary young adulthood, but in fact the point of view of Tilden, the main character, keeps the story grounded in very believable and very relatable, recognizable truth about what it is to come into awarenessin the stage of adult life.

The mother's cancer is narrated largely in terms of Tilden's experience of it: secrecy, eventual disclosure, partial information, losses of intimacy, feelings of betrayal, confusion about caregivers' roles, and in the middle of it all, the ordinary idea of early adolescence. The generous and understanding stepfather and neighbors with limited but ready sympathies lighten some of the novel's sad themes.

Have you ever thought, “I’m never going to get cancer?” Well, I’m pretty sure that’s how all of us in the world think because none of us want to be put in that position since it’s a scary yet a dangerous thing to deal with. In my book, ‘What Girls learn,’ by Karin Cook, it never occurred to Frances that she would be endangered by breast cancer. I've learn from the book that we have to be brave to live and experience everything, i mean. we are here in this planet to feel every feeling, Love at every opportunity you are given to love. Be less afraid. Embrace each day, Cry when you need to. Laugh when you need to. and then everything works out in the end. But always remember that in every decision we will make we have to think, Be wise in making decisions. Next is Love for our family, this book made me look at how family oriented i'am and how i treat my sister and my mother. This book showed pure sibling relationship, misunderstanding rivalry and many more, it showed the connection between siblings. Mother and Daughter relationship, it showed that Mothers are the best teacher. that we can really learn a lot from them, that we should value everything that they say. that we should obey them because they've experience a lot. The next is Death, that's what got into my mind when i got into the part where they found out that Frances knew about her cancer. because we don't know when will be our time, i'm not afraid of death but i'm afraid or worried if i'm with it, if my existence is enough if i got the chance to make it to the end of God's plan for me. 

"Karin Cook is a bright light on the horizon of new writers. Her sensitivity and honesty about the struggles of female adolescents are unusually insightful. I have no doubt that she will be one of the cherished storytellers" - Naomi Wolf, author The Beauty Myth and Fire with Five

"The bittersweet novel opens with the intimacy of a family of women and ends in a rich complex of relationships: Tragic at times, often adversarial, but always loving. A poginant story written with a keen understanding of loss" - Pearl Abraham, author of The Romance Reader 

"Telling a story of betrayal without bitterness is a real feat, and Cook has the tools: The Deftness and Authority, the sly humor to pull it off beautifully. This is an unusually fine portrayal of lost innocence and sisterhood under stress" - Jonathan Franzen, author of Strong Motion  

Cook writes clean and direct prose, infused with just the right amount of the aggressive innocence and lyricism with which adolescents often see the world. Only occasionally does Tilden's wisdom seem artificial, the sage intrusion of some older voice. But because Cook has firm and nice control of her material, the novel succeeds in avoiding the cliches of its potentially melodramatic subject matter. Cook's clear eye is unbend by false sentimentality, and her ear is seriously pitched to domestic dialogue. An promising debut. brilliant debut novel, What Girls Learn takes me on an intimate and haunting journey into the girlhood and the complex area of the family. Wise, bittersweet, and above all intensely human, this absolutely powerful novel it carried me away with its humor and insight even as it breaks their hearts. 



this novel became a movie too back in 2001, starring Elizabeth Perkins as Frances/Mama, Scott Bakula as Nick, Alison Pill as Tilden, Margo Martildale as Lainey and Tamara Hope as Elizabeth. it was directed by Lee Rose.

Drowning Ruth

In our school St. Scholastica’s College, we are asked to find a book about media, women issues, and environment or art. So, as I was looking in some books in the library, my eyes caught the novel Drowning Ruth and got my attention to read it. So I read the back of the book and it tells that it was about a family. Its main point was a young girl who lost her mother. Then I grabbed the book, borrowed and read it.

Drowning Ruth was been written by Christina Schwarz, a skillful writer. Schwarz worked as a teacher before becoming a successful writer. Drowning Ruth was her first novel. It was published on 2000, and became best known for her Oprah Book Club. 

The novel Drowning Ruth is a chilling, haunting debut about the relationship that bind families together and the secrets that can tear them apart. Some author says that it is a psychological thriller. The main characters, Amanda Starkey and Ruth Neumann were brilliant in their escalating encounters. Experiencing love, hate, life and death; holding on to each other in their own way and determined to keep those whom they love close. 

As I recall or summarized the whole story of Drowning Ruth, the novel portrays two sisters. Amanda and Mathilda Starkey, whose lives were drastically changed on a cold winter night of the year 1919. Amanda, or Mandy for short, the elder of the two, worked at Milwaukee hospital as a nurse who treated soldiers back into proper shape. She considered herself to be a brilliant nurse, until one day, she was been laid off, not permanently, but because of her hallucinations and various accidents that concerned both her and those around her. Amanda later decided to return home to the farm with her family in Nagwaukee, where her sister, Mathilda or Mattie for short, lives with her three-year-old daughter Ruth. Mattie being eight years younger, instead decided to get married, helped her parents on the farm, and raises a family. Both Mandy and Mattie shared a close relationship. They’re so closed that they were almost inseparable. But things began to change when Carl, husband of Mattie, stepped on to the scene.

Back in the winter of 1919, a young mother named Mathilda Neumann drowns beneath the ice of a rural Wisconsin lake. The shock of her death dramatically changes the lives of her daughter, troubled sister, and husband. Soon after Mathilda's death, Carl returns home from the war with several serious injuries, and he was been nursed back to health by Amanda. Ruth, was been traumatized. She was behaving strangely and very leery of her father, whom she barely knows. The three of them live together for a while without incident, but after a while, Carl starts to suspect that there might be more to the story of his wife's death than he has been told. As far as he knows, his wife wandered out into the night all alone and disappeared, later to be found under the ice.

Months had been passed and Amanda starts having serious issues again with her nerves and anxiety. She is institutionalized in a mental hospital, and Carl is left to take care of Ruth on his own. Worried that he doesn't know enough about her daughter, he asks his cousin, Hilda, to come to the farm and take care for Ruth. But Ruth dislikes Hilda almost instantly. She is very strict, serious, and humorless. She sees Ruth as a problem child, and it seems almost for her to enjoy punishing Ruth.

Told in the voices of several of the main characters and skipping back and forth in time, the narrative gradually and tantalizingly reveals the dark family secrets and the unsettling discoveries that lead to the truth of what actually happened the night of the drowning. Schwarz certainly succeeds at keeping the reader engrossed.

As of the theme of Christina Schwarz’s novel Drowning Ruth, it runs throughout jealousy. In one of the flashbacks, it was been established that Amanda Starkey feel offended in losing her exclusive authority to her mother when Mattie is born. Then Mandy has to take care for the girl who is younger than her, much prettier than her, and more lovable than she. Mandy never let herself in being jealous. But when Mattie’s husband, Carl, went off to war after their baby Ruth was born, Mandy moves back to take care and to help raise the baby. Amanda grows obsessed with Ruth and openly preempts Mathilda's motherhood, making Mathilda jealous and resentful.

For all the things and memories that happened in the content of the book, I just find out that all of us had been experienced being in jealousy and anger. But all of a sudden, we should lessen it and be comfortable and be contented for what we have. Of course, through works, everything can change. Also, anger was been made by some serious mistakes, but all of the problems that made us angry, has all solution.

Moving on to the whole structure of the novel, it is in a proper sequence and orderly well. But at first, I’m getting confused on the flashbacks and the main story of the book. And on the middle part, I found out the reason why I am getting confused. My imagination was been mixed up with another visions, that’s why those visions were some throwbacks or some flashbacks.

As I evaluate the story of Drowning Ruth, most of the content that I really get perplexed were the characters of the story. I ended it up by finalizing on what and how does the story will end up. On the part of the flashbacks and the other characters, I thought that some of them were important, but it is not.

In the over-all content, I find the story interesting. As what it says that the novel was best known in the Oprah Book Club, people might be interested on the whole plot and get some ideas and learn a lot about relationships, like love in the family, loving your friends, being trusted to someone whom you really love, every life of a person, and also the death.

Cinemalaya 2013 in Clips and Snaps

Cinemalaya 2013

here are some of the photos taken from CCP. 

the okatokat group at CCP :)

photos and videos credit to Alexis Arellano.

The Cinemalaya Experience 2013

In this year Cinemalaya, The theme is Cinethesia which means synergy of the senses. Multiple elements working together, while in art Cinethesia Is the simultaneous perception of multiple stimuli in one single experience. It speaks of the changes that have occurred during the past nine years, how filmmakers and audiences have matured, and learned to work together. "Nagsimula kami sa ganto.. Paikot ikot, padapa dapa. Sakit pwet... Parang action star"

For the first time in Cinemalaya history, a documentary was shown for the opening film. The documentary was entitled Jazz in Love by Baby Ruth Villarama. The documentary shows the life of Jazz, a gay, and his relationship with his Dutch partner. It was set when his partner visited his family in the Philippines to ask for his hand for marriage. The film ended with Jazz and Theodore having a quarrel which made Theo leave. The audience almost believes that it was the end of their relationship; however, an interview was shown where Jazz was explaining that in the end, they eventually made up.

The documentary featured a same sex relationship and it’s far from other films that feature same sex relationship which is somewhat a classic when it comes Jazz in Love tackles this issue in a different light.  The documentary focused on Jazz and Theo, their relationship and how much they are in love. It showed that gay relationships are pretty much the same as any other relationships.

to indie films. But

            Watching the documentary makes us wonder and ask such questions like “who is the man and the woman in their relationship?” but come to think of it, Even if Jazz is more romantic and effeminate of the two, we cannot assume that he will act as the “female role” in the relationship. Are they really in love? Isn’t it unfair for the part of Theo all the economic demand on the part of Jazz? It only shows that Jazz and Theo truly love each other against all odds prior to the fact that Jazz society requires more understanding and acceptance than on the part of Theo.

                Also, the documentary makes us realize that we cannot no longer say that Jazz and Theo are missing out on the joys of romance just because they spend most their time separately. Since with the help of social media, their relationship brings about more trust and satisfaction than purely close relationship. After all, we understand that film like “jazz in love” are what our society needs more. Films that normalize instead of scandalize homosexual relationship.

Since we are also required in our PE class to watch the Cinemalaya finalist Liars, we have agreed to watch it for our extra film. Liars is a film about the controversial Philippine Baseball team who competed at Little League World Baseball Competition almost ten years ago. What made them controversial is that they allegedly faked their way to the championship by faking some of the player’s age. Based on a true story, the film not only focuses on the manipulation of the team’s personal information but also each player’s struggles.

               

The film opens during one of the game’s of the Smokey Team—the game that’ll be their ticket to be part of the said international competition. On that same day, Eloisa, a journalist from Manila Times, covered the story of the kid of Smokey team and met Dante, a catcher, and Ato, left-handed pitcher.  The team continued on their training for the competition. However, Dante was injured when his abusive father hit him. Dante, and two other players were removed from the team and was substituted by older players which is a major violation in the said competition. With the twist of events, it is not only their baseball career were ruined, Dante and Ato’s friendship was damaged.

                Despite their manipulation, the Philippine team won the championship and brought glory to the country. Eloisa have been following their story and she was surprised that, though there’s still a ‘Dante’ in the team, he’s not the same Dante she met. So, she met with Dante and asked him what happened. Dante, filled with emotion and what must be envy, innocently admitted the real story to Eloisa. She then bravely published what she have learned and just like that, the country’s glory was gone and was even replaced by judgment and complete distrust. But Eloisa received the most hate and she ended up going out of the country. After ten years, she came back and met Dante, who’s now a deacon and Ato who’s coaching his own junior baseball team.

                Since we already had a little background about the film, we weren’t as surprised as the other viewers of the film. And maybe that’s the same reason why we didn’t felt enthralled by the film. It has also been a big aspect that none of the kids who acted didn’t have much acting background which made it sound too scripted. We really enjoyed the ‘bobo’ jokes between Dante and Ato. Though it was quite corny, its consistency all throughout the film was entertaining and funny. This film’s also important for us, MassComm students because, at some way, it tackles Mass Media Ethics. The dilemma Eloisa, played by Alessandra de Rosi, faced can happen to any journalist or media person.

ilm sound too scripted. It actually has good script; however, the quality of the acting didn’t meet that of the scripts. This maybe the reason why some parts of the film looked

There are a lot of things that mainstream media, particularly television, can learn from Independent films. A lot of times, mainstream films are so much into business and profit that they sometime put the quality at stake and worst, totally forget about the quality. It’s like most films nowadays, are just concerned in profit and popularity. Also, since mainstream film production targets a larger audience, it’s cautious when it comes to making films that concerns social issues. This way, such films can reach out to the majority of people, thus, making the problem known to all. It’s not that it will solve social issues such as poverty; human trafficking or corruption, what I’m pointing out is that it will be an eye-opener to the mass. And maybe become a start of change. But isn’t it that the main point of making indie films is not for exploitation but rather to promote awareness? Apart from this, mainstream media should also adapt the meticulous independent films when it comes to technical aspects. Like for example, Sana Dati, a film that did not compromise neither the screenplay nor the technicalities and aced at both aspects. We always thought that indie films are low budgeted and cannot make a film that’s as neat as Sana Dati. It’s an example of a film that will surely be a hit in mainstream cinemas and surprisingly, it’s an indie film. There are a lot of other things that mainstream media can learn from indie films, it’s just that the audiences of indie films are so limited that only a few people are able to see. In contrary, Indie films can also learn from Mainstream media such as the ability of mainstream media to ace when it comes to profit. Casting mainstream actors, which most indie films does today, can be a big help to promote an indie film, hence, making its audience bigger.

Though Independent films didn’t have the chance to be viewed by the mass, it surely is a pillar not only to Philippine Cinema but to the entire Philippine media. Through Cinemalaya, filmmakers have the chance to break film conventions to express their thoughts without too much critics from the public. However, since for an ordinary person, Indie films are too liberal for tackling too sensitive topics, Cinemalaya should be cautious enough to appeal to the conservative mindset of most Filipinos.