The Food of Paradise by Ibn Amjed

    Do you believe in God? Do you ask Him if why you are suffering? If why the world seems so unfair for you?

     The story written by Ibn Amjed entitled "The Food of Paradise" is more about of a religious approach. Ibn Amjed, an Arabian, wherein in their country it was their culture whereas Allah is considered a great figure towards them. The main character of the story Mullah Ibrahim is a teacher in a seminary. One day he just thought that no one appreciates him. So he asked Allah why does he need to suffer. He leave the seminary and went  to the City of Baghdad. He stayed underneath the wide tree beside the river and waiting for the bounty of Allah.
     He saw something floating on the river and he thought it was food. He received the same thing the next day until he got curious where did it came from.
     Ibrahim just found himself crying because he had been blind. The food that he always received was the Princess' things used during a bath.  He, then, realized that Allah surely gives food to everyone but its quality and kind are dictated by what man deserves.

    It tells us a lesson that we must be contented and thankful of what God gives
us. We should not be lazy instead we must work hard so that God will give us what we deserve.
    The story serves as a mind opener in the way that it tells us hope and faith towards our God. We must always put our trust to our Almighty God because when everything is at lost, God is the only one we can cling on. Whatever happens, it happens for a purpose. He will surely never leave us because He unconditionally love us. We must give thanks to all the blessings we received and pray for the guidance in the path we are taking.

The Cock by Tao Kim Hai

        Do you believe in superstition? What do you think are its advantages and disadvantages? We all know that most of us have superstitious beliefs in life that are inherited from our ancestors. And surely it pass from generation to generation through oral or written.

        The story entitled "The Cock" written by Tao Kim Hai,  a Vietnamese, wherein he based this story on the real life situation during his time. In Vietnam they have the culture of secret superstitious so they just believe on the beliefs they have without a proof. This story is a flashback, it is all about a forbidden love because the girl in the story is abundant while the boy is underprivileged. The boy was eighteen years old and the girl was two years younger, they were in love, hopelessly in love. They see each other whenever they want but they'll make sure that they are safe from indiscreet eyes. But one time, when they were talking, there's a cock who was keeping on making a noise.
     On the other day they look out over the endless reaches of her father's rice fields, then the cock saw them again but that time it was not only the cock who had witnessed them that they were seeing each other, there were other people who keeps on buzzing with gossip about them. The cock was crowing every night and they believe that it was a sign that someone is pregnant and they thought that the girl was that person. Because of that they become married and they have been five years now being settled down but they don't have yet a child so the cock has been proved a liar but because of its lies, she's now with the person whom she love the most.


     Maybe that kind of culture is still used in Vietnam in the present time. In our country, we also have some beliefs like that. The story serves as a mind opener because it tells us that there are also some beliefs that are not true. So before believing something, we must have first experienced it or we have enough proof that the belief we are trying to trust with is convincing enough. In the part of the couple towards the parents, we must believe that there is no secret that can't be revealed so it's better to let them know
earlier. If they get mad, it's okay because we all know that they are still the parents and they will accept us no matter what and love us unconditionally.

Mole by Kawabata Yasunari

      How many moles do you have in your body? What do you usually do with it? Are you playing or scratching with your mole? Do you know the side effects of doing your habit with your mole? In the story entitled Mole, we will know the role of it in one's life, in Sayoko's life.

      The story entitled Mole written by Kawabata Yasunari in Japan is all about a girl who has a mole located on her back at the left side. She keeps on playing with it and it was the reason why she can't do their house chores and do the things as a wife. It was also the reason for her and her husband be apart. Her husband always get mad every time she plays with it, until it reached to the point that Sayoko experienced physically abuse. Kawabata Yasunari wrote this story wherein he based it in his experience, he's alone in life so as Sayoko, the girl who has a mole, at the end of the story she was also living her life alone because she left her husband realizing that what she did was wrong.  Maybe Sayoko that time has a psychological problem, they should went to a psychologist who can help her because there was something or reason behind what Sayoko's doing with her mole. I think the husband was not aware of it  because he just get mad everytime she plays with her mole, he doesn't strengthen his patience towards her wife.

      The story serves as a wake up call in the way that in the situation of Sayoko, there are people who have problem psychologically that should be cure as early as possible, we should treat those people in the way they should be treated. It is also an eye opener in the way that the story implies that all of us is not aware of having a psychological problem.

Homecoming by Lin Huai-min

     How far should we go to forget our ancient traditions to fit in? Do we really have to forget it? In the story of Homecoming written by Lin Huai-min in Taiwan, it tells us that turning back one's native culture isn't that easy; one has to suffer the consequences of cultural displacement. And the grandmothers are the glue that keeps the family together. But if a family member decided to migrate, it loose the bonds that bind the family.

     The author based the story on his first hand experience wherein he also migrates to study abroad but unlike the character he created, he go back to his old hometown to teach and prove that some of the emigrants didn't grab the opportunity offers in abroad to go back to the confines of their native culture. In the first part of the story, it inspires us in educating ourselves wherein Chen Chi-hou leave his hometown to earn his degree abroad. We, Filipinos believe that education is the best thing that could be inherited from our ancestors. Most of us prioritize our education because it's the only thing that can't be steal by anyone. Another reason for leaving his hometown is to be with his family, in our part, it is our culture to  be a family oriented. We are known for a close family tie. On  the contrary, I felt disappointed on Chen Chi-hou did with the death certificates of his family members so that there will be nothing left to remind him of his ancient traditions. We are likely to adapt another tradition mostly a foreign one. As the story stretch out, Lin Huai-min presents to us the changes that happen when a native rejects his own culture to adapt new one, a process known as cultural displacement.  

Mahamaya

   
   
       How can love survive during unfavorable social traditions and customs? The story of Mahamaya is the best example of it.

     

    The short story entitled Mahamaya written by Rabindranath Tagore wherein he based it on the real life situation during his time in India. The said country has their culture wherein a widow should be cremated alive with her husband's funeral and that so happen with Mahamaya.

     Mahamaya in the story is a girl with a beauty compared to an image of gold. It was the reason why Rajib fall in love with her but it was also the reason for them to be apart. Mahamaya was married to an old Brahmin because of her brother Bhavanicharan but the day following after her marriage, she became widow. I really admired Mahamaya for being a devoted wife, that she can sacrifice her life because it was their tradition that time and also for being a suttee. But if I were Mahamaya, I would not do the same. My husband has his own life and I have my own also so that time it was the day for him to leave this world and I'll just wait for my time. But I understand Mahamaya's situation that time because as a respect to their culture and as having a high social status she did that thing. In the case between Rajib and Mahamaya, I don't think it was true love they felt for each other because they just base their love on physical appearance. The veil that covered the licked face of Mahamaya was the reason why they're not happy like the old times they had. Rajib broke their agreement so Mahamaya left him. She didn't even turn her back to face and listen to Rajib's explanation. The story was not as good as what I had expected but the author let the readers make their own ending of the story. Now I know some of India's culture during the time of Tagore and maybe it was still used in the said country in the present time. We don't have the right to judge them because there's a reason behind those things, we just have to respect.

Oh.. Oh.. Oh.. by Idrus

 

     The short story entitled Oh.. Oh.. Oh.. written by Idrus in Indonesia wherein he based it on the situation during his time. He cited there how Japanese dominates the said country. For me the story was interesting because the title itself can be expressed in many ways so as a reader you'll be curious of what's the content of the story.

      The author entitled his story as Oh.. Oh.. Oh.. because it was the expression used by several man in the train when it stop at a tiny station. The story is a mind opener in the way that it tells us how cruel the Japanese during that time. The Indonesian people, themselves can't fight even though they were in their own country. It was really unfair for them because if you don't have the authority from the Japanese, you can't get easily what you need. But if you have a pass from the people who governed the said country it will be an effortless for you to get what you need as in the part of the story wherein a Chinese who didn't lined up because according to him he has a pass from the Japanese, so the ticketing window opened for him. 

 It is also a wake up call for us to be aware that corruption is everywhere, even that time corruption was present in the said country and we can't deny that corruption is also present in our country and we're hoping that the government will take a step to solve that problem. As a reader, I felt pity for the woman in the story because the keibodans or the occupation auxiliary police didn't even think that the woman work hard to buy the rice and there's no money left for her to buy another sack of it. It just shows how cruel the Japanese are that time.