El Filibusterismo

The vacation is coming to a close, and pretty soon it will be back to school or back to work. But I still haven’t finished reading the different chapter summaries of Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo.

There are 37 chapters, and the novel is quite riveting (although I still prefer the more romantic Noli Me Tangere). The El Fili has darker undercurrents which talk about revolution. It is easy to understand how the main character (Ibarra in the Noli) has transformed into Simoun in the El Fili.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, time is running out. I’m scrambling for a summary (or buod) of the entire novel. Perhaps if I had the luxury of time, then I would carefully savor Rizal’s writings and get to know his characters better.

Characters such as Padre Florentino, Fray Damaso, Isagani, Maria Clara, Senor Pasta, and many more will surely be treasured and remembered thanks to this masterpiece of Jose Rizal. Among the colorful characters I shall never forget is Donya Victorina, who was first introduced in Chapter 1 of the El Fili.

The strange thing is, most of us fail to appreciate the novel while we are still in high school or college. It is usually only when we have left the four walls of our school, when we are busy with work and family, that we finally learn to appreciate Rizal’s Noli and El Fili better.

That’s when we have more time, somewhat, to go back and read those old, yellowing pages. There’s no pressure, no high grades to aim for. There’s only the still, quiet air around us as we ease into a comfortable chair.

And as we go deeper into the story, we remember our life back then. Back when we were teenagers wishing we did not have to read Rizal, and back to the days when we had the time of our lives with our friends.

Truly, required reading does not have to be boring. It does not have to be some kind of chore. We may not see the true value today, but I am certain that somewhere down life’s road, we shall come back.

In the meantime, I will return to the pages of the El Filibusterismo, and admire the skill and writing talent of Jose Rizal.

Pin Collecting: A Nice Obsession

Pins are a hot collectible that offer an added advantage over other collections – they are small and do not take up much room. Pins are available in many motifs and themes. Some of the most collectible themes are Disney characters, sports teams, and Hard Rock Cafe. The first rule of pin collecting is to specialize. If you like the San Diego Padres baseball team, for instance, you can start pin collecting with souvenir pins that celebrate this team. Or try pins of professional golfers or amateur golfers. And just because these themes are popular doesn’t mean you have to collect them. Be original and collect what you like.

Many pins are centered around modern entertainments, but many pin collecting enthusiasts collect campaign pins from election campaigns. Buttons are a similar item and are collected by many of the same people who do pin collecting. Pins created to advertise businesses and services are also very collectible.

To display pins you have several options. When you wear a jacket with lapels, you can wear a few of your favorite small pins. The same goes for wearing a cowboy hat or a vest. Many pin collectors wear a few on the front of a cowboy hat. Tote bags, purses, and fanny packs are another place where some pins can be displayed.

Of course, as you get into pin collecting, you will soon find that you have too many to wear the entire collection at one time. A bulletin board, perhaps covered with a plain piece of fabric, like dark blue velvet, makes a nice backdrop for a pin collection. The pins can either be pinned into the cork of the bulletin board through the velvet or attached to the velvet first.

Another way to display and store pins is in a notebook. This method works well if you wish to take some of your pins to an event where you can do some trading with other pin collectors. To make the notebook, purchase sheets of hard felt or craft foam. Either punch holes in the side so they fit into a looseleaf binder, or slip the pages into page protectors after attaching the pins to the pages. The type of looseleaf binder that zips closed is the best to use for pin collecting.

Sometimes pins get scratched, especially if they are stored in a notebook arrangement such that they hit each other. The scratches can be smoothed over with a tiny bit of liquid car wax (Check your allergy test first). Future scratching can be avoided by using page protectors in notebook collections.

Pin collecting is a very popular hobby, at lease as popular as bass fishing. You can find groups of likeminded people with which to trade pins, making pin collecting a hobby that helps people make friends.

Hot Fashion With Sunglasses

When it comes to fashion, sunglasses are “hot!”

As an attention-getting accessory or fashion statement, designer or custom sunglasses are nothing new. Trendsetters like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Elton John sported designer and custom sunglasses as part of their “look” or star status. Some have worn sunglasses to hide behind, cover their drug-affected eyes, or make a statement. Pictures of Elvis Presley reveal that he had sunglasses custom-made for him with his initials or the letters TCB (Taking Care of Business) built right into the nose bridge.

The same clothing designer may also be the designer of the sunglasses that you choose to accessorize your brand-name clothing. For instance, the smart Tommy dresser can add to the look of a Tommy Hilfiger clothing ensemble with Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses. For casual wear, Kate Spade sunglasses might do nicely. Carrera is known for a sporty look. For a sensual mood, Valentino frames that have smooth round edges and Swarovsky crystals might just put you (or whoever is looking at you) in the mood.

Marketers of designer sunglasses aim toward children who enjoy the same hot styles and brand-names as their parents and their idols. Children’s designer sunglasses can also be polarized. Sunglasses should be part of children’s daily wear as they play outside and engage in outdoor sports and activities. Sunglasses can prevent them from the long-term affects of sun damage to their eyes.

Sunglasses in any shade, shape or size, by any name may be a “hot” fashion item for trend-setting stars, men, women and children, but the importance of protecting the eyes from damage far outweighs the importance of looking cool.

The Vegetarian Diet – For Weight Loss

Most people have a general idea that a vegetarian diet is more healthy for them in many ways. The following paragraphs summarize the work of diet experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of The Vegetarian Diet. Heed their advice to avoid any diet surprises.

Vegetarianism seems to be gaining in popularity each year, spurred on by health concerns, weight difficulties, and celebrity endorsements. You may find that a vegetarian diet is the key to weight loss in your particular case.

A vegetarian diet is naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, that help to prevent cancer. You may be surprised to learn that there are actually a variety of vegetarian diets in use nowadays. In some cases, vegetarians eat only fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. In other cases, they may also eat cheese and drink milk, while in still other cases, they may eat eggs.

One of the advantages to the vegetarian diet is that it tends to be low in fat and cholesterol. As a result, a vegetarian diet can help you avoid heart problems and even cancer. However, you may also find that you are missing some important vitamins and minerals on a strictly vegetarian diet.

It has been said that the key to a successful vegetarian diet is planning. You must decide what you will be eating for every meal in order to ensure that you receive the proper nutrients. Otherwise, you may end up starving your body of the nutrients you need in order to be healthy.

A major benefit of the vegetarian diet is that it tends to involve a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains. However, getting enough protein can be a challenge. Therefore, you might consider adding soy to your diet, which is high in protein content.

When we make the switch from eating meat to a vegetarian-based diet, our cholesterol improves, our body fat reduces, we are less prone to many types of cancers, the chances of contracting diabetes reduces, our blood pressure falls into the normal and generally, our overall health and fitness improves.

If you have a family history of high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then it’s particularly incumbent on you to revise your eating habits. Moving towards a more vegetarian diet has been shown statistically to reduce the incidence of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries. Vegetarians are statistically healthier than omnivorous persons; they’re leaner and live longer.

Vegetarians avoid fast foods at all costs. Have you ever seen an example of your blood plasma after eating a fast food hamburger? What was previously a clear liquid becomes cloudy with the fat and cholesterol that’s absorbed from eating a high-fat hamburger.

It is important that you get to know about the different diets, in order to find the one that will fit you and your lifestyle. You also need to ensure that the diet you choose can meet all of your nutritional needs and preferably, without the need for supplements. That way, it is more likely that you can stick to it and derive the maximum benefits from a healthy vegetarian diet.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn about The Vegetarian Diet may help you overcome your hesitation to take action. There are many recipes you can obtain to educate yourself in the art of vegetarian cooking so that you will be able to create meals that are delicious, healthy and energizing.