Greetings Sir! Only my little brother calls me that! I'm sorry for the late reply; I've been incredibly busy the past few days, and not to mention, the internet connection in the campus has been limited. Anyways, thank you so much! I couldn't wait to receive the book and the pictures (and maybe a letter) from you! I've heard so much about China from a teacher of mine who has been there for a field trip. I'm also hoping you'd send me pictures of the English country side as well. I'll be emailing you my address and some pictures of the university I go to just as soon as I download them. I couldn't do that here at home 'cause our computer's been infected with viruses, and we're still waiting for the technician to fix it. I really have bad luck when it comes to technology. So how are you sir? I attended a best friend's debutante ball last night. It was a lot of fun! She looked so beautiful and grown-up in her dress. It seemed like only yesterday when we'd be slurping fruit shakes under the tree in the playground during recess in kindergarten. LOL! Those were the times... Now we're in college and pretty soon we'd off to find jobs and such. Time passes by so quickly! I hope you're doing great! Love lots, Princess
Hello Your Royal Highness, No it won't be too much trouble and, as I said in my lost Email, I would like to get a younger person's point of view on the book as so far I have only had feedback from older people. I don't know why you didn't get my Email, I usually get a warning message if my Emails aren't transmitted. Anyhow, I will need your address to send you a copy of the book and, as I said in my last post, my scanner won't work with Vista for some reason so I am unable to send pictures by Email. However, if I am going to send you the book, I can also send you some photos taken when I was in China a couple of years ago. They are probably more interesting than those taken in London. I don't know if there will be any difficulty in my receiving Emails from yourself, but if you prefer sending your address via our correspondence here, perhaps it would be more certain to reach me. Best wishes, Brian
Hello Mr. Bean! I'm sorry, but I didn't receive any email from you. It's so nice of you to send me a copy! I just hope it isn't too much trouble on your part. I wouldn't want to be a burden. I very excited to read Maugham's Of Human Bondage. I've heard so much about it already! In speaking of literature, yesterday after an exam, my literature teacher asked me what I majored in. I told her it was Political Science. I was surprised when she asked me if I had any plans of changing courses. I said I'll be sticking with my current course till graduation. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her why she made the inquiry. She said, "Well, you have a knack for literature." I was a bit flustered at the moment seeing as I was very late for my next class, so I just shrugged and said, "Yeah..." LOL! It took a while for me to realize that she paid me compliment! I'd love to see pictures taken by your Nikon camera. I'm kind of in the opinion that pictures come out better if they're taken the old fashioned way. You can scan them and email them to me. That way it wouldn't be much of a hassle to you. Or which ever way you find it easier. Hope to hear from you soon, Princess
Hello Princess, Did you read my Email? I can send you a copy if you aren't allowed to buy anything anything from the web. If you want to read Of Human Bondage be prepared for a very long read although, unlike some other long reads, it doesn't have any boring or difficult passages as most of Maugham's books are page-turners without being superficial. After reading it you will want to see the world even more so. Look out for the character Emil Miller who is my pseudonym. You are right about most teenagers concerning themselves with the latest fads and pop music; it is due to their inexperience and conditioning by the media who, of course, make lots of money out of it. I would be very pleased to see the pictures of your field trip in February. It's great that people can now send pictures over the internet rather than through the post. As I said in my last message, I don't have a Digital camera, prefering to use my old Nikon that I have had for years and which takes very good pictures. If you send me your address, I can send you some pictures or, alternatively, I might be able to borrow a digital camera and Email you instead. Hoping to see you too, Brian
Hi Mr. Bean! Unfortunately, I've checked the local bookstores and I couldn't find a copy. I'm also not allowed to buy ANYTHING from the web. I'm very pleased to have learned that you're a well-experienced person. You remind me so much of my uncle; he too went through all sorts of jobs and met diverse groups of people. The stories he tell are simply fascinating! I've been meaning to read Maugham's Of Human Bondage as soon as my friend finds her copy. She spoke highly of it, so I'd like to see for myself. The non-socialist outlook and the notion of self-interest can be such sensitive topics to discuss with most people. The Filipinos, especially, are in too deep the philosophy of being 'his brother's keeper'. Self-sacrifice and the precedence of need over 'earned' is already inculcated in society's moral code. Yes, I admit it's difficult having a different opinion. Most teenagers are more concerned about the latest fads and pop music. LOL! I was even told that I was born old! But I'm used to it. I live in the province, Iloilo to be exact. It's very far from Manila. We'll be having a field trip to one of our country's famous tourist spots by the end of February. I'll be emailing you pictures of our trip, if you wish. I'd be delighted to see pictures of you, sir! Hoping to see you, Princess
Hello Princess, If you would prefer to buy a copy rather than me send one over to you, you can get it from Amazon and various other internet sites. No I wasn't a teacher or lawyer but I did work for different Government Departments before I gave up work to concentrate on writing Pro Bono Publico. I didn't occupy very important positions in the civil service but I was interested in politics and current affairs anyway and kept a close eye on what was going on; not just in the UK but in the world in general. Actually, I haven't had what you might call a career, because I have been a bit of a loose canon on life's battlefield, so I have been able to rely on the experience gained through moving around in various jobs over the years. I think it helps in building a composite picture of the world through the various types of people one comes across in a diversified work environment. It certainly helped me to write, as most of the fictitious characters in my writing are based either wholly or partly on people I have known. This is one of the problems for writers who need to create believable characters. If their creations are to be believable, they must have some grounding in reality, but what does one do once one has used up all the people one knows? Characters created entirely from the imagination are difficult to present in a realistic way. My favourite writer Somerset Maugham, who is my avatar, would spend half the year writing in his villa in the south of France and the other half travelling the world to meet people he could use in his stories. Eventually, people became wary of meeting him because they were afraid that he would put their, often only slightly modified, personas in stories that would subsequently be read by their friends. I think you would enjoy reading him, as many of his stories are set in your part of the world. I don't think selfishness, which has a negative connotation, is how to describe self-interest, after all, many of the great philanthropists of the past were people who pursued a self-interested course with a view to giving back to the world much of the money they had made. There have been many of them: from Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates. The various trusts and other institutions they set up were a much more efficient means of distributing money than inefficient and sometimes corrupt governmental bodies. Yes, the socialist perspective you speak of has been very much the reason why people who adopt a different political stance have been made to feel that they are in the wrong; this is done through biased media that often seek to curry favour with governments that have adopted socialist attitudes even though they are supposed to be non-socialist. I admire the way you have decided to stand by your principles as I have also felt isolated by the prevailing social/ liberal ethos. It is, however, harder for someone as young as yourself to feel that way. When I was your age, I was a supporter of Socialism but, as time passed, it became obvious to me that it too often helped the unworthhy at the expense of those who contributed to society and because, unlike many, I was not given to self-deception, I turned against it and determined that one day I would write about it; hence, Pro Bono Publico. I wouldn't be shy of publishing anything in the school paper. Many famous writers started out that way and it is always nice to receive critical aclaim or feedback. As for the UK's scenery, yes it is beautiful but, unfortunately, we do not get very good weather so, much of the time, it is not possible to enjoy it as fully as one would wish. I used to do a good deal of country walking when I was younger because, although I live in London, the countryside around is very attractive. However, the weather pattern has changed in recent years and we get a lot more grey cloudy days and, because it often seems to be threatening rain, I don't get out of London too often now. Yes, we do have quite a lot of castles and other ancient buildings and the history is interesting, but the same applies to France, Germany, Italy etc. Which is why I know more about those countries than my own. You see, I also liked to travel when I was younger. I would like to Email you some pictures of myself but I don't own a digital camera and my scanner isn't compatible with Microsoft Vista which I was obliged to have when I changed from my old computer. Are you from Manilla? I would be interested to see what it is like over there if you are able to send a few pictures by Email or via the forum. Be happy, Brian
Hello Mr. Bean! I really do hope you don't mind me calling you Mr. Bean. I have a little brother named Bryan, you see, and well, it's kind of awkward for me to call someone else by the same name. Besides, you're a lot older than me, and I suppose it's only proper that I address you accordingly. It's funny you should mention your book 'cause it's the very thing about your profile that caught my attention when I first viewed your page. I was under the impression that you were a lawyer or a political analyst or something. And when you said it was the cover of your book, my interest was piqued even more. I'll try to see if there is a copy available here. Yes, when I first came across Ayn Rand, I was very much intrigued by her philosophy on the virtue of selfishness. The phrase itself seemed to be an oxymoron. But as I read on, I was surprised how quickly I understood and sympathized with the characters of the story. We had the same ideas, goals, principles, and values. Rand just put into words the thoughts I could not name. And with society's socialist perspective, I felt ashamed of these ideals; I came to believe I was selfish and even close to something evil. I felt enormous relief when I learned that I wasn't the only one. There are people out there who understand my way of thinking. Rand's explanation lifted the unearned guilt and further strengthened my resolve to live life by way I see fit: by the moral code of reason and ability. Many people simply don't understand this, and I'm often times viewed as cold, harsh, and unfeeling. It's a very lonely path at times, but I see no other way I'd rather live. I'll always be seeking out to fulfill my personal destiny, and I won't let anything stand in the way of that. I've considered writing, but I don't think I'll make a living out of it. Maybe after I'm well settled in, I'll try my hand at it. Many people already have complimented on my writing and urged me to try and get them published in the school paper or something. But I sort of developed the habit of burning my works. I don't know, I find it quite therapeutic. The UK definitely captivated me, what with your beautiful scenery and rich history and culture. I even used it as the setting of a story I wrote back in high school. As a child, I would daydream of castles, princes, dragons, and magic. I still do sometimes. Mr. Bean, where in the UK exactly are you? Do you sir, happen to be a teacher? Love lots, Princess
Hi Princess, I think it's about time to call me Brian, unless you prefer Mr Bean. I don't mind either way. If you eventually decide to become an advocate, you must really read my book Pro Bono Publico. I mentioned that one of the main characters is a barrister who participates in some trials that are part of the story. I only became interested in legal matters when I began to realise the injustice that was being inflicted on the UK because of a venal and corrupt legal system. This is reflected accurately in the book as it took me a long time investigating the system before I could write the story. I will Email you more on this later but for the moment I would like to say that I can see now why you share certain philosophical points of view with Ayn Rand. She was of the opinion that the best way for individuals to serve society is to allow them to reach their full potential as opposed to the socialist view that intelligence can be regulated to achieve the same result. Having watched the edcation system being virtually destroyed in the UK, it is obvious to me that the socialist idea is is both wrong and damaging to society's interests as a whole. There is no equality in intelligence or anything else. The whole advance of civilisation has been through individual effort, and the idea of collective intelligence is nonsense. All attempts at levelling peoples abilities have levelled them down rather than up; which I think may be your point of view also. No, I meant that English was used for official purposes in the Phillpines, not that it was the official language of the country; which is, as you say, Tagalog and its associate dialects. I personally don't find the dark side of life attractive even though there are elements of it in Pro Bono Publico which add a little spice to the story. Perhaps you should become a writer if you want to pour out your soul on paper but there isn't enough of a market for poetry to make a living out of it and, as I have already mentioned, very few novelists are accepted for publication. Most young people want to travel and see the world, I know I wanted to, and it is much easier nowadays when communications are more advanced. Unfortunately, the same communications have made the world a less interesting place as the differences between countries has lessened with the spread of western culture across the world. As for the UK, it still has a lot to offer in terms of historical interest but modern British society is an amalgam of every nationality you could think of and the traditional way of life has beeen practically wiped out.
Good Evening Mr. Bean! I wonder why Political Science seems to be "a man's course". A friend's uncle told me I'd be at a disadvantage because I'm female. Of course, having the tendency of being a bit of a feminist, I was determined to prove him wrong. Which I did, modesty aside, topping my class in our majors. I've always been interested in pursuing law. I get that certain 'rush' when I'm out proving my point, persuading people to my side. Of course, I do it with the use of reason and logic (although a little bit of charm helps at times), not with brute force and revolting pity. I feel so alive knowing I have a sense of purpose in my life. LOL! It's probably the reason why I find studying in the university so easy. I have this thirst for learning; I have fun learning! I don't consider it tedious work. I don't see the point of doing something that will only cause me misery. People always wonder why they struggle with homework and lectures while I, on the other hand, is as carefree as a butterfly in a meadow in spring. They seldom see me study (that's 'cause I don't. well not according to the common defintion). Yet i get higher marks than most people! Ironically, I don't care much for grades. Thank you for the compliment. *blushes* I just happened to grow up with TV and books for best friends. So who knows what sorts of things I picked up! It helped a lot with my English that's for sure. Actually, Filipino is our official language but it's mostly Tagalog. There are so many other dialects here that it's quite overwhelming! It's like a different country from island to island. And mind you, there are 7,107 islands. On the topic of affinity towards the dark side, I guess this 'side' seems to be shrouded with such mystique that some people find it rather intriguing. I do all sorts of writing (ever since I could remember, people have been coming to me for letters, speeches, etc. I've been thinking of charging them.). But poetry is different form all the others. It's like music, dance, theater, and other forms of art, on paper. It's where I can completely pour my soul out. I plan to travel someday, see the world. UK's on the top of my list. What is it like there sir? Always enjoying your company, Princess
Good Morning Princess, I was very interested to read that you are at college studying Political Science because I have sometimes wondered why women are attracted to such an esoteric subject. I am pleased that you are doing well in your studies and that you seem to enjoy it so much; many people find studying difficult and sometimes tedious. What is your eventual goal? Do you intend to go into politics and become another Margaret Thatcher or perhaps Imelda Marcos ( just joking ) or will you go into a related profession such as law or the media? At 17 you seem a remarkably intelligent young woman and, although I know that English is the official language of the Philppines rather than Tagalog, your command of it is greater than that of many English people. Thanks for explaining your avatar, I wonder why so many girls on the Lit Net Forums have this affinity with the dark side of life at a time when one would expect them to be looking on the bright side; given their youthful enthusiasm for literature. I am also surprised at the number of people on the forums who, like yourself, write poetry, which is something I have seldom done except for a few amusing things that I did in the past and which were essentially doggerel rather than serious attempts at anything meaningful. I expect you will get to know me better with further correspondence. Best wishes, Brian Bean
