Where were you when the Rogers outage happened July 8?
It was an awakening experience for one who just takes for granted that the internet is always there for you just as one is sure as rain that the sun rises every morning. Well, on that day, the all mighty internet was nowhere to be found. At least for Rogers customers, and that it seems that we (the R customers) formed quite a large percentage of the population considering how widespread its negative impact was. It really felt weird that one could not connect to anyone. And doubly weird that I could not access the addictive vlogs I follow online, the voluminous research material available and, not to forget, the Asian dramas that keep me connected to my roots and help relieve my stress. Thankfully, there were 3 of us in our household who were using a different provider. Alas, I was on the cheapest plan so, you guessed it. In less than a day I used up all my monthly allotment! Yikes.
And yet, there was one good thing that came out of it. Actually, several benefits ensued from this (almost) nationwide glitch. I finally cleaned and washed my favorite white canvas Muji slip-ons, for one. More important (although Marie Kondo may contest this), I also started to read some books that I kept putting aside for a later date. I am grateful I did, at last, read them because they are excellent reading materials:
The first book is “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner, a rising young Korean-American Indie musician, director, and author who is popularly known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the alternative pop band “Japanese Breakfast”. She attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania where she majored in creative writing. Her essays have been published in Glamour, The New Yorker and Harper’s Bazaar. Her book “Crying in H Mart: A Memoir” is an extension of her essay of the same name earlier published in the New Yorker. It is the moving and poignantly written story of the heart-warming yet heart-rending relationship she had with her Korean mother who died of cancer in 2014. I am sure though that her mom is now beaming proudly to see that her daughter Michelle was just named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world under the category “Innovators” for 2022.
If you are Asian and live in Toronto, you probably know H-Mart. My family is an H-Mart devotee and regular customer. We used to go to the one on Yonge St. for our jars of kimchi, gochuchang, sriracha and a plethora (not the Filipino band) of Asian foodies and goodies including fresh roasted sweet potatoes during the winter (reminds me also of fall in Japan and South Korea, and of fresh roasted chestnuts along the sidewalks in Europe during fall and winter).
We are not Korean but we may as well be. Our family’s food tastes runs from Korean to Thai to Vietnamese to Indian to Filipino to anything Asian – name it, we like it. What’s more my daughter is a steadfast and dedicated member of “Army” (you know, Army of BTS?) and horses could not stop her from flying off to Las Vegas for the BTS concerts a few months ago together with work colleagues (from different parts of the globe). I fully understand. I used to do that. Several years ago, we flew off to Tokyo (when I was still residing in Manila) just to watch a concert of Sarah Brightman, the classical crossover artist. Loved it.
I am still halfway through Michelle’s “Crying in H Mart”. I had to take a break from the exquisite grief that she elicited from me. How she beautifully expressed her anguish with the loss of her mother through Korean food and what H Mart stood for was absolutely incredible. She must have had excellent teachers and mentors in creative writing at Bryn Mawr College. Or she just has the innate talent to express herself and be able to move others. Probably both. Her first line in the book is so painfully beautiful – “Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart.” That really blew me. In a few words she embodied the whole essence of her message in the book.
You may also want to watch her perform online as the “Japanese Breakfast”. I find her very delightful, including her unique fashion sense. Just google her or search for her on YT. I’ll get back to her book. For sure.
Right now, I also started on the controversial novel of our Philippine hero, Jose Rizal –“ Noli Me Tangere_. As I mentioned, it was meant to be a breaker. But it looks like I will be reading both books at the same time. More like jumping from one book to the other.
The English translation of Dr. Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” that I am currently reading is by Harold Augenbraum. The original book was written in Spanish during Dr. Rizal’s travels and studies in Germany. So far, I find it extremely engaging and made me regret that I did not read it much earlier in life. But all is not lost. There is always a reason for everything. By next issue of Balita I will surely have finished both books and be able to give you a more extensive reaction/review of these extraordinary books – “Crying in H Mart” and “Noli Me Tangere”. In the meantime, you may want to read them on your own.
There you are. Thanks to the outage last July 8, I re-discovered my “raison d’etre” for having majored in English Literature in college – my love of reading books. Plus my love of history. On hindsight, I should have moved on to Creative Writing afterwards. Well, no use in looking back. I managed to catch up with my writing in the past few years while at the same time combining my experience and expertise in broadcasting. Many years ago, I would pore through scripts and approve them in my work in the television networks I worked for. This time, I managed to write one myself together with researching for video supports to enhance the script. It was eminently fulfilling. And without the battery of staff usually afforded one in a professional setting. Not perfect but I am quite proud of it.
I can’t help it. I have to rewind back to Michelle Zaumer. Her book “Crying in H Mart” is now being made into a movie. Naturally, she is writing the screenplay. I am so happy for her. She recently had a delightful interview with Jimmy Fallon which is posted online and worth watching.
On that note, I bid everyone “au revoir”. Enjoy the rest of July!
Tessie Ochangco-Taylor
taylorteresita@gmail.com