Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

Norwegian Wood - Book Reading Re-launched

By: Dir. PJ Jison

The title of this article is actually the title of the book I am currently reading. It’s a fiction piece by critically acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, who is also a Franz Kafka Prize recipient. It’s a coming of age story set in Tokyo in the sixties. A young man fall’s for his dead friend’s girlfriend and just can’t seem to figure things out.

I’m only on page 71 so I can’t say much, but what I’ve enjoyed most so far is the way Murakami illustrates the scenes of Tokyo as the characters wander through it. It brings me back to when we took a family trip to Japan this past Christmas. It reminds me of how you can walk through the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo’s districts and yet find traditional Buddhist shrines right smack in the middle.

The way books can take your imagination away is just how do I say.. awesome. That’s why it feels so great to continue our reading projects which we had for 35 kids last Saturday, Aug. 14th. These kids might have a bad day at school. Or, things could be rough at home. You know, any of the numerous things that life may throw our way – but when they get to read, they get that moment of escape, that moment that revs up their imagination engine. It’s that imagination – that will let them dream about what they want to do in this world. Let’s help them dream big.

Dir. Archie who is very popular with all the kids conducted an orientation (together with PP Yasin Badr of RC Las Pinas)for our high school Interactors who are all very eager to do what they can.

Pres. Mac & Ann, Rtn. Je and Dir. KP were all in attendance for a awesome Saturday morning.

While I’m at it, here’s my Japan travel tip:

If you’re in Tokyo, take a 1 hour train ride south to a quaint town called Kamakura where you can hike through the forests and see these beautiful, traditional shrines. The air is so fresh and crisp that it makes you love oxygen. My lungs felt so good. Also, there’s a really small ramen restaurant run by a ramen master where we ate. It was delicious.