MINIATURES

Pencil sketch by Rizal -- Port city of Aden (Yemen). Near the entrance to the Suez Canal. May 28, 1882. I always maintain that one great source of Rizal's thoughts is his correspondence. Collected letters which somehow give one that advantageous glimpse of who the man was. His biographers often mention only some quotations from this correspondence that often leaves the more curious in us, asking for more. In June of 1882 (138 years ago), Rizal's ship was navigating the Suez Canal on i ts way to Europe. He had a letter to his parents and siblings (dated June 7), written in Spanish, mentioning the event. But another interesting letter to the family followed two weeks after the Suez crossing when Rizal was already in Barcelona. It describes his experience setting foot for the first time in Europe -- his intellectual homeland. The letter goes: "We descended there were four of us and accompanied by a cicerone (tour guide).  We toured the city. It was the first Europe I

Tatlong gabing katahimikan. Ngayon ko lang napansin na naipon na pala sa aking mesa ang ilang librong may patungkol sa China at mga Tsino. Inaaral ang kalaban? O naghahanap ng dahilan upang ituring na kakampi? Opyo at ang papel nito sa kasaysayan ng China -- iyan marahil ang pinakamalaking dahilan kung bakit tila may kipkip na sama ng loob ang nasabing higante ng Asya sa mga bansang kanluranin.  Kung nasa Beijing ka daw, subukan mong hanapin ang labi o ruins ng "Summer Palace" ng Qing Dynasty, sigurado may makakahalubilo kang ilang Tsinong maghahayag ng kanilang paghihinayang sa lugar at pagka- inis sa mga sumira nito -- ang mga British at French. Kapag nakikita ko ang ilang imahe ng mga kasalukuyang protesta sa Hong Kong, sumasagi naman sa isipan ko itong unang "Opium War" na pinaglabanan ng Britannia at Imperyo  ng China sa ilalim ng Qing Dynasty noong 1840's. Sa mga hindi pamilyar, ganito yan: Mahilig sa kanilang "afternoon tea" ang mga