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Anecdotes On Rizal, The Atenean
Anecdotes On Rizal, The Atenean
Anecdotes on Rizal:
Self-discipline
Keen observant
Rizal was a keen observer of people and place. He also observed the life
and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and
governments and laws of the European nations.He spent his leisure moments
touring the countryside, observing keenly the customs, dresses, homes and
occupations of the peasants. He made sketches of the things he saw.
Friendly
H ealth Conscious
When Rizal was sick and sad during the crossing of the choppy China
Sea, he did not get off his ship when it made a stopover at Amoy for three
reasons. He is not feeling well, it was raining hard, and he heard that the city
was dirty. Maybe Rizal is conscious of his health that if he will get off the ship,
these reasons might worsen his feeling.
Diligent
Book lover
Since early childhood, Rizal liked to read. Rizal economized on his living
expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books from a second-
hand book store. He was able to build a fair-sized private library. The first
favorite novel of Rizal was ´The Count of Monte Cristoµ. On time, he persuaded
his father to buy him a costly set of Cesar Cantu·s historical work entitled
´Universal Historyµ. He also read ´Travels in the Philippinesµ.
Classy
Every time Rizal travels, he used to check-in famous hotels. Some of the
hotels were Hotel de la Paz in Singapore, Hotel de Paris and Latin Quarter in
Paris, Hotel Krebs in Bohemia, Victoria Hotel in Hong Kong, Grand Hotel and
Tokyo Hotel in Japan, and Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Enthusiast
During his first day in Tokyo, Rizal was embarrassed because he did not
know the Japanese language. He looked like Japanese, but could not talk
Japanese. He had hard time shopping, for he could not understand and the
Japanese children laughed at him. To avoid further embarrassment, he studied
Japanese language. Being an enthusiast, he also studied the Japanese drama
(kabuki), arts, music, and judo.
Forgiving
H elpful
An anecdote related by Manuel Xeres Burgos illustrates Rizal·s
predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life. One Thursday
afternoon, being vacation day, the boys flew their kites from the azotea. Young
Rizal then was busy reading a Spanish book of fables at the window. After a
while he heard Julio Meliza from Iloilo, one of the smallest boarders, crying ²
because his kite, was caught by the vines growing on the belfry of the Manila
cathedral which was near the boarding house-house. The bigger boys were
laughing, making fun of Julio·s misfortune. Rizal closed the book he was
reading and told Julio not to cry, for he would try to retrieve the kite. True to
his promise he courageously climbed the high cathedral tower and successfully
recovered the kite.
Frugal
Sensitive
Japan enchanted Rizal. The life, customs, and culture of the people
favorably impressed him. However, there is one thing which he did not like in
Japan, and that was the popular mode of transportation by means of
rickshaws drawn by men. His sensitive soul recoiled at seeing human beings
working like horses, pulling the carts called rickshaws. He felt disgusted at the
way a human being was employed like a horse.
Charitable
Socialist
Man of Dignity