attic room

28th May 2012

Call for Children’s books: Kasi June na!

It’s June, once again. The start of a new school year. And so, the children from our nearby village, the children of informal settlers at Bongbongon, will once again pass by our house every morning on their way to school, and every afternoon, on their way home. During summer, they seldom visit the Library Project, the “Kasabuahan Ha Gagaw”, as named by Datu Macabugwas. They opted to roam the nearby forests and rivers, and to avail of the free City Public Pool. But come June, they would once again frequent this little space. They would once again, as my Mama used to report, leaf through pages and pages, book after book, leaving a state of disarray as they leave. My mother may be complaining of having to arrange the books and the magazines every time the children leave, but being the teacher that she is, I know that she’s happy as I am happy. That the children came, that they loved coming to the library, and that they eagerly leafed through these pages. Afterall, the shelves of libraries and pages of books were not meant to gather dust. What started last March 2011 as a cabinet of books, has grown a little bigger into a room with two filled shelves of children books. To date, the library has an assorted (remaining) content of 137 books, magazines and references. We have 20 encyclopaedias, 31 magazines, 27 short young adult novels, 30 storybooks, 49 reference books, 3 Bibles. These are books from my friends in Manila (you know who you are), some were from friends and neighbours in Bukidnon who dropped by and dropped their books too, some were even from a person I never met but who cared enough to drop her books at Sefali (Yanna’s friend). I may not be able to send as much books as I can afford to ship, but as the school year opens, once again, I am asking friends for more children’s books that they can spare. Slowly, but surely, I’ll (we’ll) find a way to ship them to Bukidnon.

Thank you Albert, for giving books, even before I found time to write this note, and thank you too for those who will be giving their books in response to this note. Thank you Bernz, for sending me the link for My Little Free Library, I have already received My Little Free Library Number: 1528. Next step would be to take pictures with the number, and then off to have the library officially registered. But more important than having the library registered would be having it filled with more books. And I know, I have lots of friends out there, who would be so willing to share.

Some questions:

What is the library project or “Kasabuahan Ha Gagaw” ?

The library project began with this call:

A few days ago, I’ve read a tweet from the Professional Heckler and it says: “my goal this year: set up a community library in our remote barangay in batangas.” I retweeted it, not for the sake of my few followers but for myself, I’d want to remember it when I finally have the time to do this: write about it, and conceptualize my own project based on the concept. And I did.It became the library project named by Datu Macabugwas as the “Kasabuahan Ha Gagaw”

I talked to Datu Macabugwas this Summer and he explained the literal meanings of the words “Kasabuahan” and “Gagaw”. “Kasabuahan” means “unity” “wholeness” “oneness” “togetherness” “collective”, and “gagaw” means “pity” “sympathy”. When asked to explain the phrase though, he said, as before, that it means being united, being together in love, in feelings, in goals of helping those who are in need.

Just like the first time he explained it, I felt I understood what he wanted to say, sans the language barrier and his propensity for figures of speech even in Binukid or even when he speaks and explains to me in Cebuano. Is it more of collective empathy then? Indeed, meanings are elusive, especially when I could only understand isolated words in Binukid, and could not speak the language. Nevertheless, the spirit is there, and I know you, as readers, understand it too.

Beginnings:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/twylah-rubin/childrens-library-project-a-single-book-starts-a-library/10150098024719037

And later became these:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1929149274959.2115823.1429042245&type=3

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3088611020778.2160030.1429042245&type=3

What books can I donate?

Since “The Library Project” or “Kasabuahan Ha Gagaw” is a primarily a Children’s Library, children’s books and ‘young adult’ books would be preferable.

Can I donate text books?

We do accept textbooks, even those with answers, as long as they are still usable. However, due to the cost of shipping, they would be sent much later compared to much lighter children’s books.

Can I donate board games?

Board games for children would be most welcome.

Where can I drop off my donations?

Since books, in bulk are often heavy, I prefer to have them dropped off at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Investigation Division (first floor). The CHR has two entrances, one is along Commonwealth Ave. just in front of HSBC of the UP Techno Hub, cars can go through this entrance. The other entrance is with the UP side, cars cannot go through this entrance and you’d have to walk from the back of the UP NCPAG building towards the CHR or from the UP Archery Range towards the CHR. You can call me before hand if you will be dropping some books at 09175874660 or at 02-9260454.

Want to help more?

You can sponsor a shipment of books through 2Go. Once enough books are gathered, I ship them through 2Go. Right now, I am using my own money to ship books, but others who would like to sponsor a shipment can do so. I’ll pack the books, contact 2Go (Door to Door delivery) for the cost, have the books delivered then ask for refund for the cost of shipping (as reflected in the 2Go receipt).

Another option?

For those who do not have time to go to CHR, and would be willing to ship the books themselves through 2Go, can surely do so. Here’s the 2Go website for guidance on the fees: http://supplychain.2go.com.ph/DeliveryTransport/parcel/boxes.asp. Should you choose this option, please send me a message so I can inform my parents to look out for your packages.

Books may be sent to the following address:

WILMA RUBIN

Old Transmitter Site, Claro M. Recto Street

Malaybalay City, Bukidnon 8700

Contact Number: 09164330913

I live in Bukidnon, or Malaybalay City, how to donate?

Please, do take time to drop off some of your books and donate some to the library. The address is shown above. It’s always open such that you can just drop by, and arrange the books on the shelves without my father (who is always at home) knowing it. But even then, I’d like to know my partners in this project so, please leave your name, for proper credits. Address is indicated above. You can also leave books through my mother at the Bukidnon National High School, Math Department. But if you choose to do so, make sure they are not too heavy. It would be difficult for my mother to transport them home. ;) And do take pictures when you do so, and send them to me.

Thank you once again. And, yep. A library starts with a single book. And that book that you’re not reading anymore? It’s welcome.

28th May 2012 | 27 notes

A good run cleans your Lungs, and also your thoughts…

(Source: skinnystarts-now)

28th May 2012 | 2 notes

At foot speed, the Sierra Nevada seemed just barely surmountable. I could always take another step. It was only when I rounded a bend and glimpsed the white peaks ahead that I doubted my abilities; only when I thought how far I had yet to go that I lost faith that I would get there.

—

Cheryl Strayed, Wild

This has turned out to be a great book to listen to while running.

(via federov)

28th May 2012 | 7 notes

(Source: gore-geous)

23rd May 2012

If you do it and don’t post it, does it mean you haven’t done it? #Facebook #ExistentialistShit

You won’t see Hillary Clinton in the same light ever again. Read Meryl Streep’s introduction of Hillary Clinton during the recent 2012 Women in the World conference:

Two years ago when Tina Brown and Diane von Furstenberg first envisioned this conference, they asked me to do a play, a reading, called – the name of the play was called Seven. It was taken from transcripts, real testimony from real women activists around the world. I was the Irish one, and I had no idea that the real women would be sitting in the audience while we portrayed them. So I was doing a pretty ghastly Belfast accent. I was just – I was imitating my friend Liam Neeson, really, and I sounded like a fellow. (Laughter). It was really bad.

So I was so mortified when Tina, at the end of the play, invited the real women to come up on stage and I found myself standing next to the great Inez McCormack. (Applause.) And I felt slight next to her, because I’m an actress and she is the real deal. She has put her life on the line. Six of those seven women were with us in the theater that night. The seventh, Mukhtaran Bibi, couldn’t come because she couldn’t get out of Pakistan. You probably remember who she is. She’s the young woman who went to court because she was gang-raped by men in her village as punishment for a perceived slight to their honor by her little brother. All but one of the 14 men accused were acquitted, but Mukhtaran won the small settlement. She won $8,200, which she then used to start schools in her village. More money poured in from international donations when the men were set free. And as a result of her trial, the then president of Pakistan, General Musharraf, went on TV and said, “If you want to be a millionaire, just get yourself raped.”

But that night in the theater two years ago, the other six brave women came up on the stage. Anabella De Leon of Guatemala pointed to Hillary Clinton, who was sitting right in the front row, and said, “I met her and my life changed.” And all weekend long, women from all over the world said the same thing:

“I’m alive because she came to my village, put her arm around me, and had a photograph taken together.”

“I’m alive because she went on our local TV and talked about my work, and now they’re afraid to kill me.”

“I’m alive because she came to my country and she talked to our leaders, because I heard her speak, because I read about her.”

“I’m here today because of that, because of those stores.”

I didn’t know about this. I never knew any of it. And I think everybody should know. This hidden history Hillary has, the story of her parallel agenda, the shadow diplomacy unheralded, uncelebrated — careful, constant work on behalf of women and girls that she has always conducted alongside everything else a First Lady, a Senator, and now Secretary of State is obliged to do.

And it deserves to be amplified. This willingness to take it, to lead a revolution – and revelation, beginning in Beijing in 1995, when she first raised her voice to say the words you’ve heard many times throughout this conference: “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights.”

When Hillary Clinton stood up in Beijing to speak that truth, her hosts were not the only ones who didn’t necessarily want to hear it. Some of her husband’s advisors also were nervous about the speech, fearful of upsetting relations with China. But she faced down the opposition at home and abroad, and her words continue to hearten women around the world and have reverberated down the decades.

She’s just been busy working, doing it, making those words “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” into something every leader in every country now knows is a linchpin of American policy. It’s just so much more than a rhetorical triumph. We’re talking about what happened in the real world, the institutional change that was a result of that stand she took.

Now we know that the higher the education and the involvement of women in a culture and economy, the more secure the nation. It’s a metric we use throughout our foreign policy, and in fact, it’s at the core of our development policy. It is a big, important shift in thinking. Horrifying practices like female genital cutting were not at the top of the agenda because they were part of the culture and we didn’t want to be accused of imposing our own cultural values.

But what Hillary Clinton has said over and over again is, “A crime is a crime, and criminal behavior cannot be tolerated.” Everywhere she goes, she meets with the head of state and she meets with the women leaders of grassroots organizations in each country. This goes automatically on her schedule. As you’ve seen, when she went to Burma – our first government trip there in 40 years. She met with its dictator and then she met with Aung San Suu Kyi, the woman he kept under detention for 15 years, the leader of Burma’s pro-democracy movement.

This isn’t just symbolism. It’s how you change the world. These are the words of Dr. Gao Yaojie of China: “I will never forget our first meeting. She said I reminded her of her mother. And she noticed my small bound feet. I didn’t need to explain too much, and she understood completely. I could tell how much she wanted to understand what I, an 80-something year old lady, went through in China – the Cultural Revolution, uncovering the largest tainted blood scandal in China, house arrest, forced family separation. I talked about it like nothing and I joked about it, but she understood me as a person, a mother, a doctor. She knew what I really went through.”

When Vera Stremkovskaya, a lawyer and human rights activist from Belarus met Hillary Clinton a few years ago, they took a photograph together. And she said to one of the Secretary’s colleagues, “I want that picture.” And the colleague said, “I will get you that picture as soon as possible.” And Stremkovskaya said, “I need that picture.” And the colleague said, “I promise you.” And Stremkovskaya said, “You don’t understand. That picture will be my bullet-proof vest.”

Never give up. Never, never, never, never, never give up. That is what Hillary Clinton embodies.

(via gardensgrey)

(via neusdadt)

17th May 2012 | 45 notes

silfarione:

In Praise of Mutant Bikes