MINIATURES

If we are to believe some of his biographers, the reason why he went to Germany was simply to learn the latest in the field of ophthalmic surgery. Other authors pointed out his desire to be fluent in the German language, which he defined as "in the level fit only for the kitchen." Sorry, but my blasphemous thoughts would not stop me, whatever reasons we could come  up with, whether it was this unending curiosity on the Teutonic culture, one thing I just could not stop myself from saying: "Quatsch! Nein! Nuts! Rizal went to Germany to provoke. And every move he did was a provocation!" In the time when Spain was protesting German incursions in the so-called Spanish possessions in the Pacific -- the Marianas and Micronesia, our agent provocateur chose to cross the Rhine and visit. To say or greet them, "Ahoy there, enemy ahoy", or to exchange prosits for a "Stange" of beer? But the German intellectuals, some of whom were known figures in the sc...

Julio Nakpil – Kompositor, rebolusyonaryo, mandirigma;  Sa kasalukuyang panahon tila mahirap pagsamahin ang mga katangiang  nabanggit sa katauhan ng  iisang tao.  Sa dahilang kadalasan ang ideya ng karamihan sa isang  musiko-kompositor  ay -- Isang indibidwal na habang ang paligid ay nagkakagulo o nagrerebolusyon,  nandoon lang siya at nakaupo lamang sa isang sulok,  nagkukutingting ng piano o ano mang instrumento.  Walang pakialam at kung meron mang opinyon,  sasarilihin na lamang. Ano pa at sa panahon ngayon ng K-Pop at ng Rap,   naitatanong ko din naman kung   mauunawaan pa kaya o di kaya’y makaka “relay” pa ang maraming Pilipino, lalong lalo na ang mga Pasigueno sa  personalidad na ating tinatalakay, sa kanyang komposisyong marcha na may pamagat na  "Pasig-Pantaynin" na  nakahibla na sa kasaysayan ng Katipunan sa Pasig?                Pasig 1839.   Tulay "Fr....