Book Review

February Flowers

February flowers is a book written by Fan Wu.

Fan Wu grew up on a state-run farm in southern China, where her parents were exiled during the Cultural Revolution. Her debut novel, February Flowers, has been translated into eight languages, and her short fiction, besides being anthologized and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, has appeared in Granta, The Missouri Review, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. Wu holds an M.A. from Stanford University and currently lives in Santa Clara, California.

Set in modern China, February Flowers tells the stories of two young women's journeys to self-discovery and reconciliation with the past. 
Seventeen-year-old Ming and twenty-four-year-old Yan have very little in common other than studying at the same college. Ming, idealistic and preoccupied, lives in her own world of books, music, and imagination. Yan, by contrast, is sexy but cynical, beautiful but wild, with no sense of home. When the two meet and become friends, Ming's world is forever changed. But their differences in upbringing and ideology ultimately drive them apart, leaving each to face her dark secret alone.

On its surface February Flowers is a swift coming of age tale about an obsessive friendship between opposites at a college in Guangzhou,China. Ming is shy, naïve, bookish and new to city life while Yan is bold, wild, magnetic and eager to corrupt. But beneath the surface tension and attraction between these two memorable young women is a story about contemporary China and the push and pull between tradition and modernity, communism and capitalism, constraint and freedom.

Insightful, sophisticated, and rich with complex characters, February Flowers captures a society torn between tradition, modernity and freedom. It is a meditation on friendship, family, love, loss, and redemption and how a background shapes a life.

February Flower is a fresh, original work that strikes a fine balance between intimacy and restraint, and shatters several stereotypes along the way.The author's control of her subject matter is impressive, capturing perfectly the claustrophobia and obsessive passion that youthful friendships can assume...The novel's ultimate appeal, however, lies in the universality of its themes-the pain and pleasure of growing up, and the discovery of sex and the accompanying wonder and fear.An original and unforgettable story. Just like the flowers referred to in the title, Fan Wu's novel is brimming with passion, vitality, and hope.
In the end of the story, readers will be left wondering what will come next in the lives of Ming and Yan, as they both continue to search... for truth, for themselves, and even for each other.

Poem

 

As A Teacher

Things our grown-up mind defies

Appear as giants in children’s eyes.

A gentle touch upon her head

A simple word when kindly said.

Complete attention when she calls.

Her knowing you have given all.

Correcting in a loving way.

Instilling trust in what you say.

Making her believe unique

The tiny flaw upon her cheek.

Admiring old and faded dresses.

Reminding her we all make messes.

Words of comfort you’ve softly spoken

A promise you’ve made she knows won’t be broken.

Your knowing her doll that was lost today

Is just as important as bills you can’t pay.

Helping make her plans and schemes

Giving her hope and building her dreams.

All of this and so much more

Is in her mind forever stored.

They who touch her life awhile

Can either make or break that child.

Education is important, true,

But so much more, her faith in you.

You helped to build a small girl’s life.

You mold the lives of every child
You’re truly one to be admired.

For you gave more than was required.

An Instrument for Solidarity

The family can never look inward only.It can never worry only about its success and enrichment. It always have to take society into account such that it effectively level up its duty of contribution to the success and enrichment.

A family with such an orientation towards social responsibility can never be satisfied basking in riches while other families  left under the clutches of hunger and extreme poverty.

Indeed, within a family  the spirit of solidarity is promoted and observed. Members of the family encourage each other and provides support for each other such that everyone attains a respectable level of success.
The same spirit of solidarity is learned and lived within a family. It is poster and observed in the community as well. Moreover. opportunities for advancement should be open up and in this regard, families should give due importance to these solidarity initiatives:

Giving other contributions to charities, in this, the charities with a good track record and with transparent accountable system should be given priority. Giving donation and grants through recognized church groups should not only be encouraged. Families should do so with great generosity.

Paying the right taxes in accordance with the law. The government too needs support through paying right taxes. Indeed, families should be pro active in promoting the citizen's charter which includes a compact between government and its citizen.

Promoting good governance. Families are major stakeholders in the public governance in their community. Therefore they should support good governance advocacy which are pitched to raising the standards of actual public governance practice in the local government unit. They should voice out their demand for breakthrough results to be delivered in exchange for the additional contribution that the family have put in to promote strategic initiatives for the transformation of the community through good governance practices.

There are many other solidarity initiatives that families may consider in getting involved and in supporting. Whatever they choose the bottom line has to be that the public interest is being promoted and greater substance is being given to the slogan "GOVERNANCE IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY"

Families should be out there, taking the lead in observing and installing the spirit of solidarity across

all units of society.

Discover, Explore and Learn

       

 

Public Libraries are open places where students can bask in reading and learning. They are places where people can have equal access. In this age, libraries are still essential in promoting culture information, literacy, and education.

          As a student, it is indeed important to have access to a library. One of the well known library in our city is of course the Marikina Library. It ramp for differently able people is part of its effort to reach out to everyone.

The Marikina Library is noted for its accommodating librarians. They are pleasant and entertain the people even if the are non Marikeno. There are other amenities for library users like free use of computers and
Wi-Fi..The library also envisions the more holistic way of reaching out to different audiences. There is also a plan that they will create a stage and a microphone set for the children to help them develop their confidence at an early age.

What set this library apart from other libraries is its effort to reband itself and reach an even bigger audience especially the students. It recognizes the importance of one's root and shows this by creating a venue where people in search for their ancestors through an extensive data base on family trees.
Truly, it is a place that treasure its past and fortifies its present. 

The Marikina Library strives to enrich its future by reaching out every section of the community. By looking into the other ways by which learning and the sense of community be together, the library have been able to change the perception that it is a boring place.

           People make use of facilities and technologies can contribute to the public city library's vision of
promoting culture information, literacy and education.

Therapeutic Art

Some of us are born with artistic talent, but not many of us are blessed with hands like those of Picasso's or those of genius words like that of Edgar Allan Poe.
With the great pursue on art despite failed attempts, a lot of us are content just being onlookers, afraid to try and have our work be judged or laughed at. We are terrified at the thought of failing, knowing that those around us have this wrong notion that art is all about technique, that anything associated with the word "artistic" has to be beautiful, symmetric and perfect.
 But there's more to art that meets the eye.

Art is not just about creating the best looking paintings or the best sounding poems. It is about reaching deep within one's self, hearing and expressing what our inner selves have to say. Art shouldn't be just for show but should be used as a tool for expressing, exploring, improving and healing one's self.

A certain workshop known as "The Art of Healing": using art to heal body, mind and spirit help to create public awareness on how art can be used not just creatively but also therapeutically.
Not many people would understand that art is not just about having fun but it is also growing in the process

of having fun and and being one with your artwork.

Art therapy uses five art forms that involve the movement, sound, visual arts, poetry, and drama in the process basically creativity and psychotherapy. But unlike ordinary art, art therapy focus is not on one's mastery of techniques or delivery of the performance but rather on one's ability to immerse themselves in the creative process, to free their mind from all the stress and worries.

We usually think of the body, the mind and the spirit separately but actually but they actually interact very strongly. Art therapy work on our subconscious mind on our emotions. It could actually produce a domino effect on the healing aspects.The mind is powerful enough to create physical changes. So , if we unload ourselves of emotional baggage our bodies could feel lighter.
Art therapy is a useful method for people that are not verbally communicative because by using art as a therapeutic tool, people will not feel like their lives are being invaded. Art can also help young people express themselves freely and guide them to discover their own issues and process their emotions until they come up with a realization.

Doing art therapy may not be the answer to all our ill but getting in touch with our creative side would not exactly hurt. Do not let the fear of failing or being judged hold you back because you may be the only one standing in your way. So just be yourself and let the creative side comes to you. Who knows, art might be the answer to that uneasy mind, that broken heart or that stressful, toxic life that you are living.

Poem

Goodnight Dear

Goodnight dear,

The sun sets once again

Without even shining its light

On your countenance.

 Goodnight dear,

I look into a mirror before I close my eyes

Just to see your eyes

Reflected back at me.

Goodnight dear,

I'm left with nothing but imagined memories

Snatches of time I've chosen to create

To fill the void you left.

Goodnight dear,

I'd walk the world just to stay my eyes on you

If only you'd let me

If only you knew.

Goodnight dear,

I send this whispered plea out into the night

Hoping that the wind will somehow carry it to you

And let you hear.

Goodnight dear, 

I will keep you in my heart

The memory of you is enough

And I will just continue to dance with the shadows.

Goodnight dear, 

I have no memory of you

But you will never be forgotten

You'll always have a place in my heart.

Goodnight dear, 

I will never stop dreaming

That someday you'll dance with me

And finally have something to remember you by.

Memoir

A Small Stuff For You

               I must have been about 10 years old that time but still young enough to ask - please , please for a doll house.

               

             

    "You're too old to play with dolls" my sister Grace hissed at me.

                  "A doll house is not a toy, we can display it in our house" I hissed back, my face was red.

                  "It is" my sister said.

                  "No!!" I said.

          

                I was about to pinch her when our mother tugged me and carry me to the kitchen to avoid what I'm going to do.

                 

                  "Do you think I can have it?" I asked my mother.

            

               She was washing the dishes back then and cleaning other houses when she could to earn money for us. Christmas, to her was a time of great fear, fear that it would be a disappointment for her kids.

             

                  "I don't know, baby." she said.

                  "Its all I'm asking for." I said hopefully.

               I didn't know then that just asking her that question was like kicking her in the stomach.

              The next day,I went to my aunt's house, than she asked "What will Santa Clause will give to this coming Christmas?" she asked.

               "Well" I said. "I wanted a doll house but ate Grace said I'm too old to have it and mother can't afford to buy one for me." I said to her.

             A few days  later, I saw a box under my aunt's Christmas tree with my name on it. She had wrapped it with a thin gift wrap enough to see through: A doll house. I spent all days leading up to Christmas with a peace of mind. When the Christmas Eve came, I unwrapped it, my mother pretended to be surprise.

             "Santa Clause must have conspired with your aunt." she said.

           Even if she didn't tell me, I know that my Santa Clause is her and I'm very happy to have her as my mom.

           I love my aunt for doing that. I love my mother for doing all she could day after day after day. I know Christmas season means more than that stuff, that it might be wrong to call such things as a miracle even if its just tiny one. The miracle in it, I think is in those two women's heart.