In June, I attended a lecture called Rizal na Woke Rizal ng Masa conducted by John Ray Ramos and Prof. Xiao Chua. After the Laong Laan: Rizal the Political Writer and Activist part by Mr. Ramos, I left (to renew my passport). To remember that afternoon of historical journey, I bought a copy of Bayani Biographies featuring Jose Rizal by John Ray Ramos.
I have mentioned in the past that of all the Filipino heroes, Rizal is my favorite. I have read books about him, visited some important places affiliated to him, and sat in on lectures about his life and works.
Bayani Biographies: Jose Rizal aims to delve into Rizal’s life and personality a little deeper – beyond what is taught in schools. I am delighted that I learned new things about Rizal from reading the book. These are mostly trivial matters, but I find them interesting just the same.
Here are some things I did not know about Jose Rizal:
1. Pepe, Jose Rizal’s nickname, comes from the initials of Padre Putativo to refer to Saint Joseph.
2. Jose Rizal had a yaya named Aquilina. Yaya Aquilina regaled the young Pepe “stories of monsters, people on the moon, and legends”. Maybe he got some of his imaginative skills from her.
3. Jose Rizal had two pets: a black dog named Usman and a pony named Alipato.
4. Jose Rizal liked fruits of mabolo and ate “two plates of rice and ayungin fish”.
5. As a young Atenista, Jose Rizal made a sculpture in the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was displayed in the dining hall of the school.
6. Jose Rizal studied land surveying in Ateneo.
7. Jose Rizal wrote a play called El Consejo de Dioses (The Council of the Gods). El Consejo de Dioses is about the Greek gods arguing about who was the best mortal writer. Their choices were Homer, Virgil, and Miguel de Cervantes.
8. Jose Rizal wrote a zarzuela called Junto al Pasig (By the Pasig River). It is about a boy named Leonido who was tempted by Satan himself persuade him to give up his Catholic faith.
9. While Jose Rizal was studying in Madrid, due to lack of funds he sometimes did not take a bath for at least a month.
10. Jose Rizal wrote Tagalog translations of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and The Little Match Girl for his nephews and nieces.
11. At one time, Jose Rizal had a bodyguard named Lt. Jose Taviel de Andrade, to keep him safe from his critics and attackers. When Rizal was charged with rebellion, he was given a list of defenders. He chose 1st Lieutenant Luis Taviel de Andrade because his name sounded familiar. The lieutenant turned out to be the brother of the bodyguard.
12. Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling designed the Rizal monument. It was named Motto Stella (Guiding Star).