The Filipino Group discussion

Hi Guys!
It has been a loooong break and then some work on the side for most of us or the so-called "summer" break adjustments for some
I present to you June's book discussion
(waves magic hands in the air) Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Why this book for June's read
June is about second chances, or so I declared (F2F moderator hat is "on" haha!) so I gathered all the runner up F2F books from the past, fed them in a randomizer program on the internet and tadaaa, got this book

Join me for a month long journey with Daniel Sempere as he discovers a life within the pages of a book interwining with his very own life

This book is quite lengthy as to matters of page count. I will not recommend a reading plan (I generally do not follow them anyway) But do log in from time to time as I entice you to some activities and bits of questions for the whole month

Feel free to post your feels, I believe this book contains a vast amount of it, enough to make you cringe, to fear and to let a new perspective on how to be conquered by a Spanish.

Are you ready?
for pdf/ audio book copies, PM me.

~50% done. It's an engrossing read. One of the blurbs says if I love Possession, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the New York Trilogy, I will also love this. I think that blurb is true.

Angus, your statement got me curious with Possession!

Rereading! :)

A newbie here! :p I'm joining the discussion because I've been wanting to read this book. :)

Hi, Cary! :D See you at the f2f??

Doc, Possession has characters unearthing the secret history of two poets. It has the same feel as the Shadow of the Wind.

Hi! How is your reading?
Just a little fun activity to tickle your fancy-
Shadow of the wind is initially written in Spanish by Senor Zafon and was translated to English (so that we may read it)

If you were given a chance to have a Spanish name, what would it be? And why choose that name.
If your name sounds Spanish already, would you choose to be named differently? What name would it be?
And if given a chance to rename a TFG member a Spanish sounding name Who would it be and why?

Also heads up! Reserve your June 25 for our Face to face discussion

I haven't started yet. I'll start once I finish the book that I'm currently reading. But Angus and Mawi said that it's an engrossing read so I think I could finish it on time.

I'll choose Elisa. Just altered my name a bit. A short form of my mother's name, Elisabeth/Elizabeth. Or maybe Manuela, from my father. Sounds more Spanish. Hehe!

Because Mawi's name is rare and of unknown country of origin, I'll rename her Maria Adoncia (view spoiler)[nickname: Maridon LOL (hide spoiler)]. (Peace, Mawi!) Adoncia means sweet, anyway. And I think "sweet" suits her (as far as I know :D).

For me: Alejandro. Because I like Alexander.

For Rehana: Rafaela. Because I like Rafael (Raphael) and because I think the meaning fits your profession (something about healing).

For me: Elia. Because gumegame of thrones lang! (At pangarap ko asawahin si Rhaegar Targaryen!)

For Meliza: I hereby christen thee: Gabriela. Para humahigh school musical ka! :)

For me: Isa; because my middle name is Elizabeth.

For Tin: Lorenza; because she's tall.

My names are actually Spanish names: Monica Cecilia. Pwede ko pa idagdag ang middle name at surname, Spanish din sila. (view spoiler)[Portuguese actually, pero keri na. Hispanic naman pareho. (hide spoiler)]

But if I were to rename myself with another Spanish name, I'd choose "Aurora." Because stars/northern lights.

I'd rename Mommy Louize "Fidela," the male version of which, "Fidel," means "faithful."

Will start reading. Any idea of the time or venue for f2f. First time to join

Hi, Eleanor! There's no venue yet but the time is usually 2pm or 3pm. Just check this thread from time to time for the details. :)

Me: Probably I'd go for Isabella. Lakas maka-alta lang. :D

I'd rename Chami as Angelica. As in Senyora Angelica Santibanez. Charot!

I like Monserrat because it's unique. There was a girl in school with that name and until now I've never come across anyone named Monserrat.

I 'd give Aaron the name Jacinto just because I like the sound of it. :)

^Maybe she was born or conceived there (Montserrat)?

Angus wrote: "^Maybe she was born or conceived there (Montserrat)?"

Maybe. She was in a higher batch but i remember she went with the mestiza girls. :)

Why do I associate Montserrat with vampires? lol

Ronnie, that's a Spanish name truly ba?

Hmm, Rafaela has a nice ring in the ear. I'm torn between picturing myself as a tennis player or a teenage turtle. Hahaha. But I never knew it meant "healer"

Montserrat is a unique name. Akala ko French origin. I am learning new things here. :)

Since it is almost Father's day. And I hope you've reached this part of the book.
Daniel has a unique connection with his dad, they share a secret- the library of forgotten books.
Here is the second "activity"
Dad Connection: share a memory which for you is an "exclusive" thing you have with your father
Like that early breakfast coffee where he will save the last pandesal for you or the way you share the newspaper, he gets the sports section while you read the entertainment section, reading your horoscope for the day.

Dad connection:
(view spoiler)[
When I was maybe four, my father and I spent an afternoon at Wonderland Resort in Bamban, Tarlac. He let me climb the water slide while he waited in the pool to catch me. He also tried to teach me how to swim. It was the only swimming lesson I had with him, and I never learned.

Before that, probably the morning or the day before, I didn't know him. He was just a stranger who gave me two shirts (one of them had a punk who was pissing against a graffitied wall). I knew he was my father but I didn't know what that really meant. He worked in Saudi during that time so I suppose that was the first time I met him.

This is the only time that the two of us spent together, and sadly, the memory is getting dimmer year after year.
(hide spoiler)]

Maria and Ranee, napa Google tuloy ako. Haha. It's a Spanish name alright but I didn't know you could spell it with a "t." I prefer the one without (Monserrat).

Dad connection:
(view spoiler)[
I was around four years old and going to nursery school. My dad was the one who taught me how to pray at bedtime. Kaso, my dad had a twisted sense of humor so this was the prayer he taught me: "Bless Mommy and Daddy, Ate and Tab (my siblings) and burn our school."

You know what? The school did burn down during summer vacation and that was the last time my Dad taught me to pray. Haha
(hide spoiler)]

Doc, why do this to me? Parang lobotomy lang! :(

Dad connection:
(view spoiler)[
My father loved chess, playing was his most relaxed moment. And we usually have a set at the terraza. He taught us all (my siblings and I) how to play, but it's me who usually indulged him. Mainly because my siblings would suddenly vanish in every direction when he called for game, and he's not satisfied with just one game, it took hours.

Whenever I lose a game, he would swipe his right thumb to his tongue and put a mark on the center of my forehead and say, "Hindi masuhay na klase." He would say it in perfect Tagalog. And in spite of the oddity, it made me laugh all the time. The best part is, I'd get to do the same to him whenever I won.

I never played chess again after he died.
(hide spoiler)]

Alright thanks

Dad Connection:

(view spoiler)[When I was in grade school, I usually hang out at home in the late afternoons with my dad. He's the one who gets home earlier than my mother. He would turn on the radio and he'd cook dinner for the family.

One time, a song came on the radio. It's Joni Mitchell's "The Nearness of You." I asked him if he knew the song and the title. He did, and he sang parts of it. Now, every time I hear that song, I remember him. (hide spoiler)]

sorry Louize did not intentionally cause the lobotomy. But it felt so appropriate to remember these little things about our dad. It is Father's day this Sunday and Daniel and his father had that perfect vibe

Here is my connection:
(view spoiler)[my dad is an OFW so he is not around all the time. so whenever he is in "vacation" with us, he had to make efforts to bridge the gap. He made up this simple game using commercial breaks on tv- First person to guess the commercial wins and he/she gets to "pitik" the loser's knuckles. It was really a spin-off of "name that tune" but I was a kid, it worked for me. During those times I was looking forward for the advertisements more than the actual show and we would laugh like crazy people until mommy calls us for dinner. (hide spoiler)]

My Dad and I have a shared passion for which we pursued together through our coffee shop.

Hi Doc! Do you have a venue already for the F2F? :)

Dad Connection: (view spoiler)[When I was in high school and during the first 2 years of college, I usually asks my father, who is a college professor, to help me solve Math and Physics problems. He offers to help me and my siblings with our math homework but I was the one who asked for his help the most. Maybe because my siblings don't like to write the problems on the board. So, yes, we have a blackboard (plus lots of chalk and a board eraser, of course) then at home where I will write the problem first on the board, try to solve it, show him the solution then he will teach me if I didn't do it correctly. He will always say that I have to try solving it first before he gives the correct answer. There was even a time when my cousins and I have to visit a friend and he didn't allow me to leave until I solve a problem on the blackboard. I was a bit angry and impatient that time because I was so anxious to go out and was afraid my cousins will leave me behind. But thanks to him I understood my lessons better and had good grades on those subjects. (hide spoiler)]

Finally done! Excited to meet you all on Saturday

I suppose the meeting will not push through tom?

Hi guys,

On behalf of Ranee, we'll be holding an impromptu discussion tomorrow. Below are the details:

Date: June 25
Place: Toby's Estate, Level 2, Main Wing, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Time: 2 PM

What to bring: Your love of books and your sense of humor!

Sorry for the very short notice but we hope to see you there!

Regards,
TFG Mods

Hi guys! So sorry.
Bad moderator is bad.

Thank you Angus for taking over.

See you at Toby's Estate tomorrow!

Bring your feelings with the book