Ka-Blog!

Muntadar al-Zeidi will be, from hereon, a household name for years to come.  While many will think of him as notorious, millions, if not billions, around the globe applaud his most memorable act to date: throw shoes at Bush and call him a dog.

I watched the deed over CNN this morning—a man throwing a pair of shoes at Bush who appeared to be having a press conference.  I learned later that Bush was in a hush-hush last visit to a country he ravaged with unjust war.  Al-Zeidi also called him a dog before throwing his footwear against the US President.

Succeeding reports educated me that throwing/hitting someone with a shoe and calling him a dog are the worst insults an Iraqi may hurl against another person.  An Iraqi at the receiving end of those insults is driven to great shame.  Bush’s response?  “So what if he threw shoes at me?”

But even with Bush’s apparently nonchalant response, I think it was false bravado on his part.  Even to a non-Iraqi, Al-Zeidi’s act is hugely embarrassing.  That Bush is (still) the President of the lone superpower and is the holder of the most powerful office in the world should magnify the insults a million-fold.  That billions around the world must be viewing it again and again should multiply it even more.

This incident will be one of the things Bush will be most remembered about even when he is no longer President.

Now, was Al-Zeidi justified in doing it?  Let me put it this way—if your country were ravaged by a war justified on totally baseless claims (WMD); if millions of your countrymen were dead because of it; if foreign aggressors are still occupying your country; and if the brains (now, this is a misnomer) behind all these comes to your country still saying he was right, won’t you feel the same degree of rage that this journalist felt?

Don’t get me wrong—I was shocked by what I saw on TV and I was still shocked when I reviewed it on YouTube.  I asked myself how a United States President could be treated in such a manner.

But when I put myself in Al-Zeidi’s shoes (pun intended), I can’t bring myself to denounce him.  I believe he was feeling the same towering rage Senator Mar Roxas felt when he called gloria’s cha-cha “Putang-ina!” And if I can bring myself to understand Roxas, why can’t I understand Al-Zeidi?

In fact, my only problem with the Iraqi journalist was his aim.

sa katanghalian ng iyong panahon

banat ang mga litid ng kasiglahan

sa panahong maganit ang bilis ng isip

bansot ang hakbang sa tagubilin

sa kagustuhang makita ang hulô

tumitiad at tumitingala

upang makatiyak ang kinaroroonan

yumuyuko sa lupa

sa walang-patid na paron-paritong mga sulatin

ang mga tiklado ay tinta ang bugâ at hindi tunog

ang walang-sawang ikid ng mga taon

paniguradong tatanda kang muli

at ang iyong kasaysayan ay singhaba na ng iyong nilakbay

ang iyong mga akda ay madadagdagan ang talab

sa libro, polyeto, dyaryo, pader

sa marami pang makababasa

patagal nang patagal

padami nang padami

Meg

06 Disyembre 2008

12:33-12:52

hatinggabi doon Sa Isang Bahay

I got invited to a blogger’s event at Bonifacio   High Street last Friday.  It was hosted by Fully Booked (www.fullybookedonline.com).  Pom and I braved the horrendous Friday afternoon C5 traffic from QC as I was looking forward to being inside the modern-looking building I’ve passed by many times before.

The press release handed to us read in part:

“Fully Booked, the concept bookstore that is a haven for book enthusiasts all-over (sic), in partnership with YEHEY!, the # (sic)1Philippine portal, welcomed bloggers to an afternoon of fun learning, good food and exciting prizes at TopShelf, Fully Booked’s premiere events place.

“Bloggers were treated to a scrumptious feast…”

Okay.  Stop! “Scrumptious”?  I did not know this archaic word is still in use!  Who but the chi-chi set still employs it?  It sounds (and screams) like “pretentious”!  Are we describing crispy danggit here?

Badly-written releases besides, the event was a success.  Hundreds attended and the food was good.  I wouldn’t call it a feast (pasta and roast beef slivers) but good indeed.  It was fun too.  Many participated in the games that gave away good books (what else?) as prizes.

When all the eating and games were over, Fully Booked made the participants choose two books from piles in a corner.  Pom and I were able to snap up three Isabel Allendes and a Salman Rushdie.  Friend and Yehey! section ed (Tech) Maui Hermitanio got a James Bond 007 Art (Meron pala?) coffee table book and a chick lit title.  Award-winning blogger Tonyo Cruz chose a Gore Vidal and a thick book about Rock & Roll heroes.  Not bad, eh?

But what is it with events like this?  They see an unfamiliar face and they ask him where he or she blogs.  This is probably the usual—to open up conversations—but I really felt like they were taking the measure of me.  (I told those who asked I keep seven sites, I contribute to two online mags and I get blog rolled by several others.  Saka naman ako nangitian. Hahahaha!)

Anyway, for a QC denizen, the frightful drive to Taguig just to visit this Fully Booked branch should be worth it every time.  The bookstore chain’s flagship store (they have eight) rivals NBS-Cubao in terms of floor space but, unlike the latter, its aisles were wide, neat and well thought out.  The music is soft and (while we were there, at least) are not Christmas carols (buti naman).  The lighting is just right and there’s none of the harsh glare from fluorescent tubes of old.  If one had been to an Ikea store Fully Booked-BHS has the same feel to it.  You will be drawn to visit the other sections and floors.  The basement is the comics and stationery sections.  It also has a movie theater that sits 62 behinds.  The ground floor is where the staff is waiting to assist you.  The second floor is the children’s and lifestyle sections.  The third floor is full of business and professional books.  Oh, and this where you could have expensive yet inferior kape courtesy of Starbucks.  A music section occupies the fourth floor as well as an art books segment.  Fully Booked also hosts book launchings, story-telling sessions and workshops.  And then there’s TopShelf at the fifth floor.  Now go and earn some moolah to give yourself a treat at Fully Booked.

The highlight of the evening for us (aside from spending time with Tonyo and Mao, of course) was finding on a most prominent shelf on the ground floor Jeffrey Archer’s “Prisoner of Birth.”  Man!  This bookstore has class!  I just learned about this new novel a few weeks back and Fully Booked already had it.  I have never, NEVER! received such service from Powerbooks.  Their Trinoma store still does not have a local title I asked them to look for me TWO YEARS BACK. Maraming salamat po! To think I had been a Powerbooks customer since their first store along Arnaiz.  To be fair, Powerbooks allows reading and has seats.  So Fully Booked must do it as well.

Anyway, I wish to tell our hosts that not all the books we took home that night were giveaways.  Bumili din naman po kami.

The heretofore mentioned and quoted press release said a Fully Booked branch may “rise” (Ano ito?  Monay na umaalsa?) a Trinoma branch sometime this month.  Goodie!  Three stores in QC! Ang layo ng Taguig, ano! I just hope it’s a big store though.

I am not transferring allegiance from my dear Morayta second hand book stalls to big time bookstores like Fully Booked just yet.  But any store that gives me free books and has the latest Jeffrey Archer titles on its shelves is definitely worth a visit from time to time.