RAMBLINGS OF THE MIND
ABOUT ME
With poems, it was easy to get the attention of the girlS. But of course, after a week, they would eventually prefer the more muscular guys in schools, which was practically the rest of the boys. But it drove me more and more to writing, and the pen became my sword.
It was no surprise to my parents when I took a double major in college. I finished AB Philosophy and English, in San Carlos Seminary College. I mentioned my school because it was where my romance with writing became more passionate. My English professor, who was himself an author of several books, drove me nuts, but it made my love for writing even more intense. In any literary contest, I always got the second prize, but there was no first prize, either.
On one ocassion when I came home with the first prize trophy of a National Short Story Writing Contest, I showed it to him. He simply looked at it, lit his cigarette, and winked at me. That was the most endearing response I had from him, ever. He continued to nag me about my comma splices and dangling modifiers. But on the side he allowed me to read books from his private library. And that was the first prize I received from him. I was unceremoniously introduced to Russian literary greats like Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Anton Chekhov.
But it was Ernest Hemingway who influenced me most. His simplicity was almost instructive. I could not remember how many times I've read "The Old Man and the Sea." Not that I didn't understand it at first, but I was drawn to how great a story can be written in such a very economical way. So few words, yet so much thoughts exploding out from them.
These authors, among with so many other literary geniuses, propel me to writing and expressing my thoughts, fears, ambitions, joy, love and passion into words.
Lately, when we moved to New Zealand, I got hooked into photography through my only daughter, Danielle. WIth all the beautiful grand sceneries in New Zealand, subjects for an awesome photo abound. My wife, Jia, and I discovered the raw talent my daughter had in photography. It was awakened by my friend who bought her a digital camera and sent it all the way from Japan.
This brought my writing to a different level. Now with photos, I began to write again and publish them with the photos that me and my daughter took. Then more and more photos came from my friends which inspired me to write even more.
Hence, The Park Chronicles. This book is intended to bring life to the park which is an integral part of life in New Zealand. Everywhere you go you will see parks, very clean and well-maintained parks. So, in one of those beautiful moments in the park I realize that one can get the full essence of life, by just hanging out in the Park.
A ball point pen, a pencil, a fountain pen, a brush, give me something to write, and I will write. A paper, a table napkin, a cardboard, give me something to write on, and I will write. I look at a bee, I watch the butterfly, I stare at the sunset, I hold a praying mantis, anything can trigger in me something to write about.
I have always loved writing even as a young kid. This must have been influenced by my father who was also a writer, among other things. This came as a natural result of being at the library whenever possible. While other students were scampering around school grounds during breaktime, I preferred to grab a book and read. It didn't do well to my social skills, but it was a necessary escape to not see the food being sold around school grounds. I didn't have money to spend, so I lurked in the school library, and could have literally eaten the pages of "King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" by Roger Lancelyn Green
Me in my little office at hoome.
Me with my beautiful wife, Jia, and lovely daughter Danielle Angelika at the Auckland Botanical Gardens.