Gwen’s Reviews > Recuerdos de Patay and Other Stories > Status Update
Gwen
is on page 34 of 115
The True Story of Ah To
In this short story, Hau focused on the changing setting/s and recollection of the historical account of the character Ah To in parallel to the history of Chinese migration to/in the Philippines during "the war" (Japanese occupation in the country) from the POV of an unnamed narrator.
It is deeply embedded with the struggles of the Fil-Chi people -- need to re-read it to grasp it better.
— Mar 18, 2024 12:15AM
In this short story, Hau focused on the changing setting/s and recollection of the historical account of the character Ah To in parallel to the history of Chinese migration to/in the Philippines during "the war" (Japanese occupation in the country) from the POV of an unnamed narrator.
It is deeply embedded with the struggles of the Fil-Chi people -- need to re-read it to grasp it better.
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Gwen
is on page 111 of 115
Recuerdos de Patay
The title already gives away the hint of Spanish bg in the setting. It also means "Memories of the Dead". Other translations say it means "souvenirs" or "paintings" or "photos".
But more than that, I think it's more of "hauntings" for this specific short story. I grew up watching this kind of horror stories so there's nostalgia while I was reading it.
— Mar 29, 2024 03:17AM
The title already gives away the hint of Spanish bg in the setting. It also means "Memories of the Dead". Other translations say it means "souvenirs" or "paintings" or "photos".
But more than that, I think it's more of "hauntings" for this specific short story. I grew up watching this kind of horror stories so there's nostalgia while I was reading it.
Gwen
is on page 86 of 115
A Stranger in the Room
"Singaporean mumu"; There's a literal apparition that haunts the unnamed protagonist -- could resemble horrors of the past and her daughter's future.
— Mar 28, 2024 10:59PM
"Singaporean mumu"; There's a literal apparition that haunts the unnamed protagonist -- could resemble horrors of the past and her daughter's future.
Gwen
is on page 74 of 115
NUKUMORI
Longing and waiting for "warmth" is depicted in this sensual narrative.
— Mar 28, 2024 04:39AM
Longing and waiting for "warmth" is depicted in this sensual narrative.
Gwen
is on page 68 of 115
THE GORGE and albertson.com
The Gorge = reflective moments about the present and future (life in general) far away from the Philippines; TW: begins with a suicide incident
albertson.com = a paranoid man falls into deep schizophrenia after the death of his father
Both stories tackle feelings of isolation after the death of a (distant) loved one or an important relationship, and how they could not find solace.
— Mar 28, 2024 04:14AM
The Gorge = reflective moments about the present and future (life in general) far away from the Philippines; TW: begins with a suicide incident
albertson.com = a paranoid man falls into deep schizophrenia after the death of his father
Both stories tackle feelings of isolation after the death of a (distant) loved one or an important relationship, and how they could not find solace.
Gwen
is on page 50 of 115
Firetrees and Orange Sundays
Third time now that I read this short story and it just does not fail to hit home. Coping with grief and somehow moving forward despite the hardships but more so because of the memories that keep us going are told in this non-linear narrative. Family, by blood and chosen ones, is realistically and wonderfully depicted.
— Mar 27, 2024 07:54AM
Third time now that I read this short story and it just does not fail to hit home. Coping with grief and somehow moving forward despite the hardships but more so because of the memories that keep us going are told in this non-linear narrative. Family, by blood and chosen ones, is realistically and wonderfully depicted.
Gwen
is on page 24 of 115
STORIES
This specific short story feels so close and personal as if it was not fictional at all. The unnamed narrator shares her own beginnings in writing through remembering her father’s lived experiences and the histories of the ones who brought them where they are at the present. It is kind of bittersweet but with a clear tinge of desire to honor all their stories.
— Mar 12, 2024 09:45AM
This specific short story feels so close and personal as if it was not fictional at all. The unnamed narrator shares her own beginnings in writing through remembering her father’s lived experiences and the histories of the ones who brought them where they are at the present. It is kind of bittersweet but with a clear tinge of desire to honor all their stories.
Gwen
is on page 18 of 115
New Year’s Day
A story about a family — simple but with the complexities of one. Two sisters there for each other despite the age gap and the three smaller lives between them. In hindsight, the elder one suffering from her 10-year-old marriage in comparison to their parents’ 36 years being together.
— Mar 09, 2024 11:11PM
A story about a family — simple but with the complexities of one. Two sisters there for each other despite the age gap and the three smaller lives between them. In hindsight, the elder one suffering from her 10-year-old marriage in comparison to their parents’ 36 years being together.
Gwen
is on page 7 of 115
“The Grindstones”
We see an unfamiliar scene where the woman (wife and mother) is the one who sells the taho and tokwa—I have never seen a woman carry the usual bamboo pole with two baskets on its ends around town to sell their merchandise in the PH.
We see the woman’s hardships as a mother to “two little ones” and as a wife to her husband. A story that’s very much close to Hau’s Chinese background.
— Mar 08, 2024 11:32PM
We see an unfamiliar scene where the woman (wife and mother) is the one who sells the taho and tokwa—I have never seen a woman carry the usual bamboo pole with two baskets on its ends around town to sell their merchandise in the PH.
We see the woman’s hardships as a mother to “two little ones” and as a wife to her husband. A story that’s very much close to Hau’s Chinese background.
Gwen
is starting
WAAAAAAA. Finally diving into Hau's collection that includes one of my favorite Filipino short stories that resonates with me.
— Mar 08, 2024 08:51PM
