Feb 20 2007
Book Marathon 2
Note: If you feel that you have read this entry before, that’s because it’s somewhat similar to Daphne’s Too Many Books, Too Little Time about the books she bought from the Powerbooks sale and Verns’s NKKBSNTLGAKO. Oh well, imitation is the best flattery. 
One of my earliest memories was saying goodbye to my big brothers and big sisters as they went off to school leaving me alone at home with no one to play with. Why can’t I go to school too? The stereotype reply to the youngest and smallest of the brood — you’re too little. So it was at a very tender age that I had a desire to go to school and carry a bag full of books and notebooks and pads with the blue-red-blue lines… just because all my brothers and sisters were doing it. At that time, there were no pre-schools for toddlers and I had to wait until I was four before I could go to school.But I didn’t want to wait until I was four. I wanted to read right away.
And another early memory of mine was that of Sixter, after coming home from school, would play teacher-teacher with me. I still remember her small blackboard where she would write the letters of the alphabet. She would encircle all twenty-six letters but she would NOT say, “these are the ABCs.” No, she would say, “This is the alphabet.” And I would repeat after her, “alphabet.”
I learned quickly. Like a sponge. Because it wasn’t learning then. It was just playing. So even before I entered Nursery school at four years old, I could spell the big words and Mom would show me off to family and friends who would make me spell “teacher, “family,” even the tricky ones like “thought” or “committee.”
And I read. I would read everything my siblings read. No big picture books for me, thank you. I would read everything my siblings, who were three to nine years older than I am, would read. We had a collection of children’s classic books like Little Women, Gulliver’s Travels, The Jungle Book, etc. I read The Wizard of Oz before I was in Grade 2 because my brothers and sisters loved it so much. I knew all the Grimm’s and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales… not the ones with the big Disney pictures but the ones with more words and just one or two uncolored pictures. We also had a big collection of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins books. Those we didn’t have, I’d borrow from the library.
Every Sunday after mass, Dad would bring us to Bookmark in Ali Mall (there were no books in National Bookstore then… only school supplies). He never bought us toys and dolls, only books. And that’s when I started my own collection of Enid Blyton books — Shadow the Sheepdog, The Happy House Family, Mr. Galiano’s Circus, the Adventures of Roger, Diana, and Snubby, and so many more.
Unfortunately, as I grew older, my taste in books did not improve much. From Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew, I went to Charles M. Schulz, Jim Davis, and Scott Adams. And I also completed my collection of Tintin and Asterix Comics. Not to be caught red-handed as unpatriotic, in college I also read Nonoy Marcelo and Pol Medina, Jr…. haha! More comics.
Until now, whenever I enter a bookstore, I never fail to go to the children’s section. When I went to Strand, the famous discount bookstore in New York, I bought these two beauties: vintage 1930s Tintin and classic hardbound Sleeping Beauty.
And of course, how could I be left behind? I love Harry Potter too and I’m bracing myself for the seventh and final installment in July.
Anyway… oh yes… Book Marathon 2… that’s the title of my entry. Here in Cambodia, books cost a fortune. So Sixter, forever concerned with my continuing education, would shove into my hand a big plastic bag full of books during the rare times she sees me. Then, she would always ask me if I read this or that. And I would always answer yes though the truth is I’m always too busy blogging.
So whenever I expect to see her soon, I embark on a Book Marathon in case she gives me a test so that I could return her books and she could lend me another set… to the detriment of my plane baggage allowance. I did this already before when she visited me here in Cambodia. Kaya nga Book Marathon 2 e… there was a Book Marathon 1.
So I’m expecting to see Sixter next month and I’m panicking and cramming again to read all these books.
If you’ll notice, the book at the left is left over from the first Book Marathon. I read the first hundred pages and quit. I mean I get it – the Chinese discovered America before Columbus and that’s why the American Indians have oriental eyes – I don’t have to suffer through another thousand pages of maps and history.
I’ve finished about half these books and blogged about them. I’m currently reading Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life.
So now to end this post and in the tradition of Bob Ong’s Stainless Longanisa, I will give you a written exercise (gawaing pansanay) to test you on today’s blog entry.
- In your opinion, who has the higher IQ and the one with more exemplary conduct? Ikabod Bubwit or Mickey Mouse? Snoopy or Polgas? Explain in your own words.
- How many letters are there in the alphabet? I mean the Chinese alphabet.
- How many toes does Sixter have? How many arms? How many legs? How many heads?
- If you turned your blog into a book, in what section of National Bookstore would it be found? The humor section? The political section? The health section? The gift-wrapping section? Or the lost and found section?
- Which is the correct spelling for the flower? Boganvillea. Bugainvilya. Boganvillya. Rose.
And for the BONUS QUESTION (if you were paying attention to this entry): Do you think that Hiro, the character in the TV show Heroes who could teleport himself by making a hemorrhoidal face, be allowed to join The Amazing Race? If yes, do you think that teleportation requires one to have a passport? What about visas? Do you think he could beat the amazing duo, Romber?
Ready or not pass your papers and have a nice day.
- Book Marathon
- Filipiniana Book Donation Project
- The Mendoza Girls
- How I Read Harry Potter
- Where are the Books and Shows for Filipino Children?
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I bet my money on Team ROMBER for this TAR season! What a great way to start the race!!!!
Anyway I want to be the first one to comment so submit ko na muna to hrhrhrhr
hihihihihihi
KSP ko noh hrhrh
Anyway *serious mode*…wow! The books that were introduced to you when you were little are really great books. Me, I never heard of them until I’ve seen the movie, Little Women and Wizard of Oz I mean. Probably I was in my early elementary years at that time. We don’t really have books in the house except for the ones we salvaged from the fire and from that pested room in my elementary school
Most of the books I read when I was younger were just borrowed from my cousin Mariya. Those include Sweet Valley Twins pocketbooks and of course Sweet Valley High when we reached HS
But my favorite children’s book will always be Charlotte’s Web 
Anyway sa trivia (may price ba eto? dapat meron..isang hardbound na libro hehe)
1. Mickey Mouse (kasi di ko kilala si Ikabod Bubwit) at si Polgas kasi minsan kahit amo nya eh inookray nya….o ha! saan ka nakakakita ng aso na inookray ang amo nya?
2. imagine di alam ng ka YM ko na chinese kung ilan…tama ba naman yan?
3. errr 10 toes, 2 arms, 2 legs…one head?
4. Definitely gift-wrapping section! ready na to be given as a present hehe
5. pwede SANTAN na lang? hirap naman…bougainvilla (whatever hehe)
Bonus Question: NOpe…Hiro, Dumbledore and other witches and wizards are not qualified to join TAR. No VISA required for teleporting (Hiro did not have US$ with him when he teleported to the US from Japan). But even with power I don’t think he can beat ROMBER because Hiro doesn’t speak and understand English well…he will have a hard time understanding the intstructions.
Ayan talagang kina-reer ko ang pagsagot
darn..Sixter has 11 toes! tsk tsk ngayon ko lang binasa ang link.
Sorry guys…don’t mean to flood the comment box..quiet na ako
It’s funny, because when I was little, my Mom had a hard time teaching me how to read and write. LOL
I can’t exactly remember WHEN I started reading but I recall devouring every available Reader’s Digest magazine in the house before the fourth grade. And by the 5th grade , I was not only reading Homer’s “The Oddessy” and “Iliad”, but also a book on Norse Mythlogy.
Wow! You’re such a bookworm. and classics pa! I myself grew up with books too, nahiligan ko yung mga “Choose Your Own Adventure” Books nung bata ako.
Wah! I really have to “Heroes”> Been hearing a lot about it lately. And did you know there’s a Portugues-Pinoy in the top 24 of AI. Good luck to him!
Waaaahhh..next question pls….alam ko lang sixter has 11 toes…hehehe.
Sana maging katulad mo si tin2 ko, kahit nakasandal lang sa wall may hawak na book. Pagpunta sa mall deretso sa bookstore, yung mga schoolbooks nya bago pa mag start yung pasukan tapos na nya basahin.
Namili sa national bookstore last vacation, nagulat sa dami ng english book doon, (limited kasi dito) pagdating sa counter worth P5taw yung dala…waaahhh..pinasoli ko yung iba….hehehe.
Verns, first honor and valedictorian ka talaga!
Yes, I vote for Romber too… sobra namang substandard yung mga kalaban nila no. I thought John Vito and Jill would give them a run for their money but they got eliminated right away. 
Naku, ang daming classic children’s literature kami non. We had an entire collection. I think the collection was called the Children’s Companion Library or something like that. I tried to read all of them.
You don’t know Ikabod Bubwit by Nonoy Marcelo? OMG, he is one funny mouse… nakakadiri nga… parang galing lungga talaga. Not like Mickey who has a nice house in Disneyland.
Oh yeah… si Polgas parati inookray boss niya. Parang si Garfield. 
Okay may korekkajan.
Sino naman yung ka-YM mong Chinese? Wrong answer.
11 toes… mali nanaman.
4 and 5… pasang-awa.
But since you gave a stellar answer for the bonus question… perfect score ka na rin.
You are right… dapat disqualified si Hiro along with Dumbledore and Gandalf and Super Inggo. 
Snglguy, hehe… over ka naman bumawi… Iliad? And Norse mythology? Wow… that is really cool!
Yup! I love Readers’ Digest too. You remember Erma Bombeck who’s always in Readers’ Digest? That woman humorous writer? She’s my idol. I want to write like her.
Ferdz, I remember those Choose Your Own Adventure Books. There was no post-it yet at that time so I would usually insert my fingers between pages so that I would know what would happen if I chose one or if I chose the other option.
Ann, funny but I was thinking that Sixter had six toes… oo nga pala… she has eleven… hahaha!
Wow, Tintin pala is a bookworm. That is very good. Siguro nga nagwala sa National Bookstore. Naku, there are even more books in Powerbooks. But that is very good… she must be a very intelligent and studious girl Ann.
Hindi kaya ng IQ ko yung Q. 1-3. Yung number 4, not really a question but wistful thinking — siguro a new section has to be made for my pieces — a class of its own ehem. CONFUSED SECTION OR QUIRKS SECTION. Sa No. 5, siempre ROSE. P.S. You had a good diet of books when you were growing up, Toe. But your apetite for them is natural, not forced. As a mom, I just saw to it there is a smorgasbord of books around the house. Sabi nga, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.
Ay, Toe, pass na lang ako sa quiz mo… hehehe…
One thing lamentable nowadays is – kids no longer read as passionately as we did before. Puro computer na lang.
waaahhh hirap ng mga tanong mam Toe
hmmnn reader ka pala talaga
ako e ngayon lang natututong magbasa e
at sinasanay ko na rin ang sarili kong magbasa lalo na ng ingles, naiinggit ako sa mga china kids na dito nag-aaral within two years natuto silang mag ingles at sabi nila malaking factor ang pagbabasa ng english paper kaya nga di na ko blog e basa na lang ako dyaryo
Annamanila, ah don’t worry… panay kalokohan lang yang mga quizzes ko… hehehe.
Yes I do enjoy reading… but I think the books I read are very light. You wouldn’t catch me reading Tolstoi or Dostoevsky or any of those Russian writers. Even John Steinbeck bores me to death. 
Rhodora, wala pa namang computer noong bata tayo.
And that could actually be both good and bad. We didn’t have too many distractions with the computer and life was so much simpler then. But somehow I wish that I could have blogged when I was younger. 
Manilenya, don’t worry… kalokohan lang yung mga tanong ko.
Hey, I’m sure you’re a fast learner. Alam mo… mejo malaki na rin ako yung natuto ako mag-English. Reading is definitely one of the best ways to get used to the language… any language for that matter.
To everyone, before you guys think that I’m some sort of literary nerd, I just want to clarify who the writers I’ve mentioned are:
Charles M. Schulz – creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown
Jim Davis – creator of Garfield
Scott Adams – creator of Dilbert
Nonoy Marcelo – creator of Ikabod Bubwit
Pol Medina, Jr. – creator of Pugad Baboy
Hahaha… panay komiks lang pala binabasa ko.
Toe,
The late Nonoy Marcelo also created the “TISOY” comic strip for the Manila Times in the 60’s.
hangan hanga pa naman sana ako sa iyo Toe, dapat hindi mo muna inamin
Teka nga matanong lang kita, talaga bang mahilig kayong mga babae na mag bigay ng test. Kasi tuwing manonood kami ng sine ng babes ko parang meron lagi siyang tinatanong sa akin. Kunyari pa daw hindi niya masyadong maintindihan pero hawa naman na gusto lang niyang malaman kung nag pay attention ako.
Yeah, Erma Bombeck also came out with several bestsellers about her daily life… puwede mo ngang gawin yun. You can even title it as; “The Life and Times of a Housewife/Diplomat”.
Noypetes, oo nga… I’ve heard of Tisoy. I’ve never read it but it was mentioned nga in Ikabod’s book cover.
Mon, madami pa ‘yan… I used to read Manila Bulletin everyday because of the funnies.
Hey, pareho pala kami ng babes mo… mahilig magbigay ng pop quiz. 
But I got that idea from a man…. Bob Ong. In his book Stainless Longaniza, he’d always give a written quiz of silly questions at the end of each chapter. He’s so funny. 
Snglguy… yeah… Erma is really one funny lady… she’s so ahead of her time. She could have been a very successful blogger if blogs were in vogue when she was alive. Hahaha… may title na yung memoirs ko ha.
I know the title of your book… same title as your blog… Inside the Mind of a Snglguy. 
Steinbeck! Toe, try his “Of Mice and Men” — a very thin volume siguro 100 pages lang — you will never forget the main character as long as you live. Oo nga pala, you said ang mahal ng libro sa Cambodia. Will send you a copy if you give me your mailing address — serious. (Basta walang deadline ha?)
at least correct sa bonus question hehe
Siguro si Bubwit na encounter ko na rin pero di ko na maalala
OO nga…magiging timawa talaga sha kung e-compare sha kay Mickey Mouse hehe 
Pero mas talo ni Stuart Little si Mickey Mouse pero (ulit) pinaka-matalino sa lahat ng mga daga ay si Scabbers! sa palagay mo? hrhrhrhrhr
Wow! You have a very impressive background in reading Toe. We never had such books in the house when I was a kid. Textbooks lang from school. I only got interested in reading in college when I studied World Lit. That was the only time I was introduced to the classics. Then natigil ang interest sa pagbabasa when I started having kids.
Took up reading again just a few years ago. But lately wala na ring time. Busy attending to their activities and sa blogging na rin. 
When I was growing up, children’s books were a rarity in our household, di siguro nahilig ang nanay at tatay ko noon. I was in collage when a boardmate of mine introduced me to pocketbooks. Naaliw ako kay Asimov at mars ravelo hihihi. After college medyo nabawasan na ang hilig at napunta na sa iba.
Pinis or not pinis this is my answer:
1.)Sa tingin ko si Snoopy kasi kahit na hindi sya nagsasalita he manages to convey everything necessary sa pamamagitan ng kanyang facial expression at pag-iisip, para syang may telephatic powers diba hehe.
2.) Ilang letters ang chinese alphabet? Tinanong ko yung kapitbahay namin na indian, sabi nya meron daw 60,000 characters na ginagamit ang mga chinese pero sa aking palagay labing-lima lang. sige bilangin nga natin: CHINESE ALPHABET, pero pag di kinonsider yung nagdoble, labing-isa lang.
3.) Dito ako nahirapan; 12 ang toes nya pero me bonus pang isa so 14. Sa arms at legs hula ko dalawa lang pero sa head sigurado akong isa lang.
4.) Sa tingin ko hindi sa national bookstore makikita ang libro ko, malamng sa bangketa o sa palengke..pambalot ng tinapa hehehe.
5.)Eto give away question. my answer is chrisantemum hmm chrisanthimum teka i changed my mind, rose na lang.
Annamanila, yehey! Sige I will read Steinbeck. I will e-mail you… thank you! Thank you!
Verns, diba bad si Scabbers? He was a murderer!
Are you reading Harry Potter again? 
Thanks Niceheart.
My sisters are more voracious readers than I am. And I only read the easy ones… they read the more difficult ones… real mainstream classics and historical books. 
Yes, blogging has been taking too much of my time… kaya I have to cram again to finish all the books my sister lent me. 
KD, saan kaya napunta ang hilig mo after college?
No. 1. Korekajan! Achaka si Snoopy… very astute sa kanyang observations ng human behavior. No.2. For your resourcefulness, korekajan! No. 3. Eeeeh! Wrong answer! Sixter has 11 toes… ang dami naman ng 14.
No. 4. Sa iyong kalokohan… korekkajan! And No. 5. Tama nanaman! Yehey! Pinantayan mo ba si Verns? Pareho kayong valedictorian. 
Hey did you know that Tin-Tin & Asterix is a cartoon comics originally made in France
! Have cartoon serie on TV too! They’ve actually made a film of Asterix and Obelix meet Cleopatra year 2002 my fave character there is Jamel Debbouze! He is really funny 
. Have you seen the movie? If not you should see it, please check this site http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ID=7409.
Yes I remember vividly playing teacher teacher with you and being shocked that you were actually learning how to read!
Maghanda ka na I have sooo many new wonderful books. I’m now reading Into Thin Air and I can’t put it down. I have this fascination with Everest and this is an account of the 1996 disaster. It’s great to read after Jamling Tenzing Norgay’s book because it’s same event but diff point of view. I’m almost done with the numerous books I brought home from New Hampshire, I’ll lend them all to you, except for this book A Fine Balance. If you want to be utterly depressed and angry at how unfair lie is, read it. I’m inis at Ate Adele for lending it to me.
I remember being very proud of you when you could spell the word “equivalent” , “believe” and “receive”.
Oks. Will wait .. then you wait. haha Serious, i dont make promises i can’t keep. Just came from mini concert (Orange and Lemons — galing nila) .. that’s why am still up and bloghopping.
kaya sha pinakamatalino kasi he was able to get away with it…sha lang ang dagang ganyan hehe ano nga sabi ng taga-gawa ng wand re: Voldemort? “he who must not be named did great things…yes terrible but great nonetheless” something to that effect..so si scabbers parang ganyan hehe
Haze, thanks for the link.
No. I’ve never watched any of the Tintin or Asterix TV shows or movies. 
But I have been to the Tintin store in Brussels… so cool! 
Sixter, sniff, sniff! I am forever grateful to you for teaching me how to read. Naiiyak ako memorizing our memories.
Okay, excited na ko sa new books… pero yung mga madaling basahin lang ha. 
Mom, that’s right… I remember… equevelent, comitee and recib… ay! Nakalimutan ko na yung spelling… hehehe!
Annamanila, you’re a cool mom… Oranges and Lemons ha!
Verns, wahehehehe! Oo nga… terrible but great. But Scabbers was also a coward. Imagine pretending to be a… mouse ba siya o rat? so that he could hide until the rise again of Voldemort. Ano ‘to? Critique of Harry Potter? Wahahahaha!
It’s bougainvillea.
I know where that picture was taken . . . in front of the Music Building at St. Joseph’s College!
devad55, isa kang henyo.
Shark!, yeah… you’re right. The whole picture is actually all of us four sisters all in white before a dreaded piano recital.
omg! you got a complete collection of tintin? i love that series! when i was also in nyc i went to strand and saw this book about tintin–the history, background behind the stories, etc. for the life of me i didn’t buy it the first time i saw it. so the next time i went back, the book wasn’t there anymore.
Carlotta, yes, I got the complete collection of both Tintin and Asterix.
Oh, I must have been the one who got that book from Strand then. 