Thursday, May 31, 2012

Mengemis: Sebuah Potret Kemiskinan atau Kemalasan?

"Lebih baik seseorang bekerja dengan mengumpulkan seikat kayu bakar di punggungnya dibanding dengan seseorang yang meminta-minta (mengemis) lantas ada yang memberi atau enggan memberi sesuatu padanya." (HR. Bukhari)





Bola kristal itu pecah menjadi tetesan embun, yang meretas menjadi guratan tipis bening di permukaan wajah ovalnya tatkala menatap wajah lelaki tirus itu. Dengan telaten, lelaki paruh baya tersebut meracik bubur kacang ijo pesanan kami. Sembari menyeka butiran kristal bening, Kirani menghempaskan badannya di rerumputan pinggir jalan tempat kami memberhentikannya. Keringat yang tadi mengucur deras saat lari pagi pun per lahan menguap saat senyum tipis mengembang di wajahnya, dan mulailah ia bercakap dengan lelaki sahaja tersebut.


Mengalir lugaslah ceritanya tentang perjalanan hidupnya. Bagaimana selama hampir 15 tahun ia mengandalkan mata pencahariannya sebagai penjual bubur kacang ijo keliling. Selama dasawarsa itu, dengan penuh asa ia memikul ‘angkring’ bubur di kedua bahunya yang sekarang mulai melemah. Beban berat puluhan tahun itu merentakan bahunya sehingga nampak membongkok. Bau minyak tanah menyergap hidung, dan dari sudut ekor mata, kulihat kompor minyak mungil mengarat hitam untuk menjaga bubur tetap panas. Setumpuk mangkuk putih diletakkan diatas angkring sejajar dengan setoples santan di sudut atas. Semerbak harum kacang ijo dan ketan hitam sontak membaur dengan aroma minyak..ehm, membawa kenangan masa kecil saat Ibu memasak menggunakan kompor minyak, dan nenek di gunung dengan tungku tradisional :-).


Meskipun senyum menghias wajah senjanya saat bercerita, kami dapat merasakan manis getir perjuangannya. Sejak pertama kali menginjakkan kaki di kampung ini saat menumpang hidup di rumah kakak tahun 2001, Bapak sahaja ini telah berulang kali menyusuri gang sempit tempat kami tinggal. “Ting…ting…ting..ting…” bunyi dentingan mangkuk yang dipukul sebagai pertanda kehadirannya setiap akhir pekan. Seringkali Bapak sahaja ini memakai kemeja cream yang warnanya telah memudar diseling dengan sejumlah lubang kecil. Sandal jepit yang dipakainya pun telah melebar dan menipis. Tidak heran, Kirani yang berhati lembut ini pun tersentuh rasa haru saat kami berpapasan pagi ini. Profesi sebagai tukang bubur keliling dijalaninya untuk menopang kehidupan istri tercinta bersama ketiga buah hatinya yang kini telah masuk SMP dan SMK. Dengan penghasilan kurang dari Rp. 50.000,-/hari, berjalan kaki puluhan kilo keluar masuk gang setiap sudat kampung dengan beban berkilo-kilo di pundaknya, tentu saja hasil yang didapat masih kurang untuk membiayai sekolah maupun menutup kebutuhan sehari-harinya. Untungnya, istrinya pandai mengatur keuangan sehingga meskipun kecil tapi kehidupan mereka masih dapat berjalan meskipun kadang tersenggal di tengah jalan. “Selama badan ini masih sanggup, pantang menyerah, Bu. Tuhan sudah menggariskan rizki kita, tergantung bagaimana kita menjemputnya.” Ucapnya penuh kebanggaan saat menutup kisahnya. Kulihat mata bening Kirani mulai mengabut kembali sebagai tanda kristal itu akan mengalir lagi. Ada rasa haru menyentuh qalbu saat mendengar lakon lelaki sahaja tersebut, sebuah perjuangan indah untuk menafkahi keluarga dan rasa malu untuk menadahkan tangan. Setelah mengucapkan terima kasih dan membayar bubur pesanan kami, Bapak sahaja itu pun kembali melanjutnya perjalanan panjangnya menjemput rizki. Tentu saja, Kirani menyelipkan selembar uang lebih dan saat terlihat senyum penuh haru di wajah renta itu, senyum tulus temanku ini kembali terkulum indah.



“Benar-benar Bapak yang mengagumkan ya. Bandingkan dengan para pengemis yang badannya masih bugar tanpa cacat fisik apa pun yang sering kita jumpai di jalanan.” Ucapnya lirih sembari melontarkan pandangan ke arah lelaki sahaja yang mulai menghilang di tikungan jalan. “Lebih indah memberi pada mereka yang benar-benar membutuhkan dan mau kerja keras.” Selorohnya sambil menggamit lenganku menuju rumah kami yang kebetulan berdekatan. Melihat wajahnya yang anggun dan teduh, aku yakin ia sedang memikirkan rencana terkait Bapak sahaja tadi…ehm, memang ia sering mengejutkanku dengan hal-hal kecil yang indah…J. Terbayang minggu depan kembali ia merencanakan mencegat Bapak tadi…ehm, tentunya memberi sesuatu yang bisa meringankan bebannya…sepeda atau gerobak bubur J sehinggga pundaknya yang telah renta dapat lepas dari siksa J. “Lebih baik memberi kail sehingga orang dapat menggunakannya untuk mendapatkan ikan dan terlepas dari ketergantungan, daripada memberikan ikan yang membuatnya tetap tergantung pada kita.” Ucap Kirani pada suatu waktu.



Sepulang lari pagi, kuminta suami mengantarkan ke pasar tradisional di bawah fly over Depok yang jaraknya lumayan jauh dari rumah. Demi mencoba resep dendeng kolega kantor, aku tetap semangat dibonceng motor di tengah sorotan ganas sang matahari yang membakar J. Seperti biasa, suami menunggu di area parkir, sementara aku mulai berbelanja berdesakan dan berpeluh ria dengan para ibu yang memadati pasar. Terlihat sejumlah anak kecil yang menawarkan jasa angkat atau pun kantung kresek seharga Rp. 500,- / lembar. Ehm…sayangnya belanjaanku tidaklah terlalu banyak. Eit…namun saat ingat wajah melankolis temanku tadi pagi, akhirnya kubeli satu dengan menyelipkan uang lebih ke tangan mungil bocah tanggung berusia sekita 10 tahunan. Benar saja, binar wajahnya begitu indah sehingga menular juga ke qalbu…hehehehehe.



Nah, sebelum menyeberang rel, ada pengemis tua renta yang selalu duduk di sebelah bapak penjual ikan asin penghuni tetap gang sempit pinggiran rel. Ehm…ada dilema dalam hati antara memberi atau tidak. Namun, melihat kondisi fisiknya yang memang nampaknya tidak memungkinkan lagi untuk bekerja, kembali kusisihkan selembar uang di mangkuk lelaki renta ini. Tentu perasaan berbeda merambah sukma, bukan rasa indah namun rasa iba.



Kupercepat langkah kaki saat menyeberang rel, menuju tukang daging langganan. Saat sedang tawar menawar daging, seorang ibu paruh baya mencolek lenganku sembari menyorongkan mangkuk putihnya. Setiap kali pergi ke pasar ini, aku selalu berpapasan dengannya. Badannya masih terlihat segar dan kuat, langkah kakinya masih kokoh. Aku bayangkan dulu ibuku seusianya masih tetap bekerja keras, bangun tengah malam memulai aktivitas paginya dan pergi ke pasar berjualan. Berusaha sesopan mungkin, kuberikan sinyal bahwa aku tidak bisa memberinya uang lebih. Ibu itu pun berlalu tanpa sepatah kata pun. Sejurus kemudian kulihat Ibu tersebut tawar menawar dengan penjual ayam tidak jauh dari tempatku berdiri. Wah…ternyata Ibu tadi mampu membeli seeokor ayam utuh dengan recehan dua ribuan yang dikeluarkan dari dompet lusuhnya. Perasaan yang muncul kali ini? Ehm… Miris bercampur dongkol. Bagaimana tidak, lelaki sahaja yang kutemui pagi tadi harus memikul beban berat puluhan kilo dan menyusuri puluhan gang demi meraup uang 30 sampai 50 ribu. Sementara Ibu pengemis di pasar yang masih kuat ini hanya berbekal sebuah mangkok lusuh. Sungguh miris melihatnya.



Betapa sering kita dihadapkan dilema saat berhadapan dengan puluhan pengemis yang mengular di sepanjang jalan ke stasiun kereta, perempatan lampu merah, atau pun stasiun, bahkan di depan rumah ibadah. Ada rasa mengusik hati, apakah gambaran ini merupakan potret kemiskinan sebagian umat di negeri ini ataukah potret kemalasan. Meminta-minta bagi mereka yang masih sangguh untuk mencari nafkah tentunya merupakan ciri mentalitas pemalas, yang ingin mendapatkan uang tanpa mau bekerja keras dan hanya memanfaatkan kebaikan orang-orang. Mendapatkan uang dengan cara instan tentunya merupakan godaan, dan banyak yang jatuh dalam perangkap ini. Namun, kita lebih tersentuh dengan kegigihan dan perjuangan para ibu dan lelaki sahaja yang selalu percaya bahwa memberi nafkah kepada keluarga lewat kerja keras adalah lebih terpuji dibanding hanya dengan mandahkan tangan. Apa pun itu, satu hal yang pasti bahwa memberi itu lebih baik daripada meminta :-).







Hadits riwayat Hakim bin Hizam Radhiyallahu’anhu: Bahwa Rasulullah Shallallahu alaihi wassalam bersabda: Sedekah yang paling utama atau sedekah yang paling baik adalah sedekah dari harta yang cukup. Tangan yang di atas lebih baik dari tangan yang di bawah. Mulailah dari orang yang engkau tanggung (nafkahnya).





Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Mockingjay: "There's no Victory without Humanity"



Mockingjay is the finale novel in dystopian fantasies of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Once again Suzanne Collins has not let her readers down with the adventure of the 17-year-old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, bringing a heart- wrenching conclusion to the tale of a country in chaos. You can’t stop reading, once begun… Mockingjay is not as impeccably plotted as The Hunger Games, but none­theless retains its fierce, chilly fascination which offers every bit the pressure cooker of its forebears. Nevertheless, I find the book bloodier, more deaths on both sides, more twisted characters, and more grey areas that compel readers to think that ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is far too complicated, not just a distinguished color of black or white. More elaborate gadgets, gizmos, and creatures (mutations) are devised for means of torments or death, among others genetically altered wasps called tracker jackers that can hijack memories and distort them to change the very essence of who a person is, and mutts trained to track down and destroy enemies in horrifying graphic ways, creating a simultaneously disturbing and fun book to read. As always, it brings tears to read a sweet innocent child being killed and sacrificed to gain twisted victory, like Prue in Hunger Games. In the end, Katniss fails to save her sister (Prim) whom she intends to protect and safeguard from the start of her volunteering in the games, and learns the bitter truth that the rebels are just as morally ambiguous as Panem’s leaders. As Katniss herself says in ­“Mockingjay,” “There are much worse games to play.” Absolutely my fondness of Katniss, a headstrong nihilist grows more in this book. Unlike the common stereotyped heroine, she’ becomes a heroine not because she fights next to a male hero, but she fights on her own terms, and in fact she feels protective over the people she loves ad cares about including her male partners and strangers alike, particularly the helpless and weak. She can be a fatal nihilist and stubborn egoist, but her brighter sides always win. She is sharp and deadly as the arrows in her quiver, yet she has compassionate heart. Her heroism isn’t necessarily something that’s played up as sexy.




“Mockingjay” was a symbol for the rebel cause in Panem. During the Dark Days, the Capitol genetically engineered jabberjays, all-male spying birds that were capable of memorizing conversations and bringing the information back, able to repeat it in a human voice to crush down the rebels. However, once the rebels realized their conversations were being transmitted, they used the jabberjays against the Capitol, sending back false information to lead them astray and fooled. Knowing, they were used against it, the Capitol abandoned the breed and left them in the wild to die. Yet, it was commonly known that extraordinary wildlife almost never doing what we expect, male jabberjays bred with female mockingbirds, giving birth to the mockingjay. This new breeds could repeat both human melodies and birdsong and were thus better able to protect themselves. Mockingjay, then, was perceived as a symbol of hope and survival among the people of Panem. When Madge Undersee gave Katniss a mockingjay pin, she merely saw it as a symbol of solidarity across economic lines (she’s the District 12 Mayor’s daughter, Katniss is the daughter of a coal miner) in a thankless struggle. It’s what Katniss did with that image over the course of the three books that was important and elevated the mockingjay from passive to active symbol, and it’s Katniss herself as the Mockingjay that inspired people. From the moment, she held up the ‘berries’ (nightlock), President Snow saw her as really ‘the girl on fire’, a girl who could ignite fire who might inflame widespread inferno in the nation if not tamed and controlled.



"Mockingjay" begins with Katniss Everdeen rambling through the wreckage of her district 12 hometown during the dreary aftermath of "Catching Fire”, tripping over skulls and breathing in the ashes of the incinerated bodies that used to be her neighbors. More than 90% of those neighbors were dead; the rest have been relocated to district 13, an area that was thought to be abandoned but was very much alive led by President Coin. Katniss was in desperate need to revisit the place to hold on to something that made her intact after the grievous Quarter Quell. The Capitol had destroyed her life, carving endless nightmares and terrible ache in her soul. She was rescued from the arena of Hunger Games along with Finnick Odair under the instruction of President Coin because she wanted to use her as a human symbol for rebellion to unite the 12 districts with 13. For people in other districts, from the moment she sang the song for the dying Rue and defied the Gamemaker to have double winners, she became their mockingjay. Rue trusted her once she saw a mockingjay pin she wore. However, Katniss was sick of being constantly used as pawns in a chess game. Her only desire was to be left alone with her family, resuming her normal life. Meanwhile, Peeta was taken captive by President Snow along with other tributes in Quarter Quell. He was tortured and hijacked so that he looked at Katniss as his greatest nemesis. The uncertainty of his fate devastated her more that she thought. She was still torn by her feeling for Gale and Peeta. Unsure of her role and feelings, she kept weighing her options in district 13. Forced to live underground for 75 years, district 13's residents have spurred the present uprising. They see Katniss as symbol of their Mockingjay who had power to rile up the rest of the districts and overthrow the pale-skinned President Snow.



Desperate to save Peeta, Katniss willingly took on the role of Media Darling under the condition that all victors from the Hunger Games be granted immunity, and that she got to kill President Snow herself. As always, Katniss was not much of media type of a person. She came to life only after involving herself in real life actions, not just a mere human symbol who read texts/footages dictated by Coin. She showed no interest in being a poster girl. She simply wanted to be part of the work of rebellion in organizing and fighting. She came to life on camera once she resumed such real role in real action and continued to inspire rebel news footage because of her genuine care for others, and her desire to kill President Snow herself. Such media influence showed how accurate portrayal of how propaganda could be used by either (or both) sides of a conflict to further their cause, as well as the importance of a charismatic spokesperson, or a human symbol, to a movement.



As the story progressed, readers saw from Katniss’ eyes, that Coin’ rebel against Snow wasn’t as simple as Good v.s. Evil. There were always the shades of grey. Both sides of a conflict could use or misuse their symbols, and Katniss Everdeen was used. President Coin might have started out with Panem’s best interests at heart, but she was damaged and corrupted when her objectives outweigh humanity. Her methods of using any means necessary, including killing the innocents to secure greater victory, lost integrity along the way. Coin and Snow was two sides of a coin. Unlike them, Katniss always put humanity above others. It was the foundation that shaped her intentions, motivations, and actions. Any action she took based on her sound conscience. She wanted people to live in freedom, free of any coercion and fear. There would never be victory without humanity. When Prim was tragically killed, she was on the verge of madness and despair. It was a finale to decide of who her true nemesis was, Coin or Snow.



All in all, I absolutely love Mockingjay, love the three dystopian saga, and Suzanne Collins is really a genius. I love Katnis Everdeen, the memorable heroine struggling to do the right thing in the public gaze. I love Prim and Prue. The trilogy keeps me thinking of situation in my surroundings, including working place. Once, a leader is corrupted, weighing objectives more than humanity, taking any means necessary to gain his/her goal, then there will only be chaos.



Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Song of Remorse

The skies paled in the absence of the moon,
The stars were just a mist of golden ray,
The wind shrieked in eerie melancholy,
The air was damp in wretched agony,
Unfathomable of profound darkness suffocated the atmosphere,
As the night remembered the pain of a goodbye,



O, Bird of Light…
In shadows, he called out the name with heartache,
With a voice of remorseful guilt,
Tears of sorrow ruefully cascading down the earth,
Grief-stricken in an abhorred loath,
Of his Achilles' heel to surrender in disgraceful demise,



O, Bird of Light…
He wailed in the dead of sinister night,
To beseech mercy of forgiveness,
In seeking The Light to enter the heart,
To bring an end to his eclipse, banish evil lurking inside,
that once again he would embrace peace



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Hunger Games


Have you ever imagined to be put into a prison with other 23 people and to win your freedom you have to kill the others? Only one survivor will be declared a victor and gets abundant and generous rewards at the expense of those deaths. It will be easier to kill in self defense but to kill an innocent and unarmed child is definitely brutal. Yet, when it is deemed a necessary price to gain such liberty from what it seems to be an endless agony and misery, it is likely most people will pretend to be deaf and blind and just go for the killing. I think that’s what occurs in such places like in the huge slum prison such as Gaza. In fact, reading the book in a way reminds me of people in Gaza who are imprisoned by the authoritarian governments, and divided into so many humiliating check points. Often, when people are being pushed into the most extreme circumstances in which the only visible hope for freedom is to kill, people tend to be blind of the other options or alternatives. It’s the most basic survival instincts in the predatory world, “to kill or to be killed.” After two days of absorbing the book, I would say it’s quite a great book to read. Reading The Hunger Games can lead to interesting discussions about our own world and how reality shows, threats of war, fights to get justice, authoritarian governments and obsession with fashion trends influence us daily. Such game can be easily related to today’s present situation, let’s say in the third world countries, where such game is prevailing because of the superpower dominance over the overall economic system and politics. Or you can easily relate this game to your workplace context when some employees compete for the one and only available job opening in higher rank position. If you pay close attention, you can identify and relate them with the characters in The Hunger Games J. Due to the darkness of the story, it is best suited for adults rather than teens. The book is rich in discussion points not only about governments, personal freedom, and sacrifice, but also about what it means to be yourself and not submit to society’s expectations.


Among the characters I like best in this first novel of Suzanne Collins’ Trilogy is Rue, a twelve year old girl who is defenseless and her only main purpose is to stay alive by hiding out, staying away from the other tributes (those who are selected by the Capitol in the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television in Panem). I love the main heroine, Katniss Everdeen, but I like Rue best. Tears well up in my eyes to learn Rue’s most heartbreaking death. She doesn’t want to kill. She just wants to stay alive and makes friends like any other normal kids. Yet, the Gamemakers in their cruelest ways force these children fight to the death solely for the amusement of the Capitol. The people of Capitol, the capital of Panem, are immune to such barbaric show mainly because they are accustomed to watch such horrors. It's like watching repeated horrors, and when you get used to it, gradually you will think it as normal. They get entertainment from it. They are the rulers and the twelve districts are their prisoners, inferior and weak. They should always be reminded of their place, that they have no control over their life. What is more agonizing that seeing your children age 12-18 fight to the death for the bread and butter for their districts? The most heartbreaking scene is when Katniss fails to rescue Rue from a tragic death, a spear piercing through her body by the boy from District 1. The readers feel a suffocating emotion to hear Rue screaming in agony and how Katniss in the end makes her first direct kill by shooting arrow at the boy’s neck in futile attempt to save Rue. We shed tears to see how Katniss gently takes Rue in her arms and sing the melody until she slips away. To show her rebellion Katniss puts some flowers over Rue’s body. When they are supposed to kill one another, Katniss and Rue, on the other hand develop friendship and tenderness. It is regarded as action of defiance, an act of rebellion. No such thing goes unpunished.



The Hunger Games is the first novel of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy followed by Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem after the destruction of North America by a horrible apocalyptic disaster during the Dark Days. Panem consists of twelve surrounding, poor and deprived districts under the rule of the authoritarian government in the wealthy Capitol. Each district has its own specialty that benefits the Capitol, such as coal mining, agriculture, fishing, explosives, etc which function to sustain the Capitol. Each district stands isolated by electrified high fences, and therefore people in each are unable to communicate. It’s the way the Capitol controls their life in maintaining its hegemony. While the people in these districts are in constant hunger due to the strict control of the government, the people in the Capitol contribute little to their own sustenance and are concerned mainly with the latest fashions and amusements. Hunger, fear, and total surrender are the main bread and butter in these deprived districts. Peacekeepers and a local government are instituted in each district, but the rulers in the Capitol have strict control over everything and everyone in each district. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.



The Hunger Games are an annual tradition created by the Capitol rulers to commemorate the annihilation of the rebellious act of District 13. Formerly, there is District 13 in Panem. When this district rebelled against the Capitol, it was wiped out with nuclear bombs. The game is not only to amuse the Capitol citizens, but also to preserve control over the districts by demonstrating the Capitol's dominance. It is a constant reminder what will happen if any district rebels. Each year called as the Reaping, the twelve districts are forced to select two representatives, a girl and a boy, age from 12-18 to participate in the Hunger Games. The first reaping for these kids is when they reach the age of 12. The parents should send their names to the ballot which will be drawn from the box on the Reaping day. A kid can resend their name again to get a teserra to obtain a ration of grain that is given in exchange for placing his/her name in the lottery for the reaping, the ceremony that determines who will be the district’s representative in the Games. Each time a kid exchanges his/her name for the teserra, his/her chances of being the one whose name is called increase. Due to hunger, some kids resend their names each year. Therefore, within each year, their chance to get selected is growing bigger. After passing the age of 18, will any be freed from the games. These representatives are called “tributes” to make people believe that representing their district is an honor, even though parents and children alike live in endless fear that someone they love will be chosen. The entire nation must watch as these 24 tributes battle each other to the death until only one is left as the victor. Having a victor is important to a district because extra food and a few luxuries will be granted to the victor's district. The government has created the ultimate reality show, complete with technological challenges and constant monitoring of the movements of the participants. And each citizen is required to watch the Games until their conclusion, which may take hours or days. It is a cruel game forcing children to hack one another and bleed to death.



Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lived in District 12 with her mother and 12 years old sister, Primrose Everdeen. Since her father got killed in a mining explosion, her mother drawn into a relapse, leaving Katniss alone to provide for her family. She despised her mother for this abandonment, yet she still loved her. When she was 10 and things got worse, she was confronted with most desperate moment in which her family’s survival was at stake. Peeta Mellark (the baker’s son) showed her kindness by throwing her some loaves of breads. For this act, he got bruises all over. It was his kindness that lingered on her mind. It was a favor she would never forget. It was the first time she met him before got reunited when both were selected for the games 6 years later. It was Peeta who inspired her to stand on her feet again to feed her family. With her skills in bow and arrows, she illegally went for hunting beyond the boundaries of District 12 and used the game she killed for food or for barter. In the woods, she met Gale who became her best friend and hunting partner. Gale was also the sole provider for family. He was good at traps and nets. They have also survived because both signed up for the tessera.



When Prim turned 12, the family went for the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. So far, only one victor came from District 12. Consequently, this district was considered a weakling and the most destitute of all. Prim was the only sister Katniss loved above all others. She was only 12, quiet, loving and on her way to being a healer. Despite her scarce chances to get selected, Prim’s name was called. It turned Katniss’ world upside down. Prim would not be able to survive the games and Katniss knew this. To save the one she loved the most, Katniss immediately volunteered to take her place as a tribute from District 12 to the Hunger Games. She knew she had better chance to survive the odds compared to his little sister. The boy who got selected was Peeta which shocked her even more. He made her life as a tribute became more complicated because she knew that now her survival would mean his death. How could she kill the only person in the whole world whom she owned a favor from? Katniss and Peeta must fend for themselves against natural elements, the Gamemakers and the other contestants whose only option is to kill or be killed.



Katniss is whisked away from her family and Gale with Peeta, to the Capitol, where they were prepped and primped to participate in the Games. Before leaving, Madge, the daughter of the councilor of District 12, gave her a mocking jay pin for a good luck token. They were mentored by Haymitch, the only tribute that District 12 has had who was a winner in the Games. But Haymitch was a reluctant and seemingly inadequate mentor at the beginning, so they should rely on their own strengths in order to survive. It was not until they proved their worth, did Haymitch promised to be their reliable mentor. Before, they were air crafted to the game arena; they were prepared by their Prep Tem led by China. They were also got some training where they learnt about their opponents from other districts. Tributes from District 1,2, and 3 (the favorite of the Capitol) were blood lust, others were just like them. One in particular attached to both was a 12 years old, Rue, from District 11 specialized in agriculture. Rue reminded Katniss a lot with her sister. It was during the game; she got to know Rue better and formed an alliance with her. She had the urge to protect her from harms. And the pain stabbed her like a dagger when she failed to save Rue’s life. Katniss’ hatred towards the Capitol accumulated. It was a cruel heartless game. She was determined she would not yield to the Capitol.

Overall, I enjoy reading the book. The language is simple. The characters are drawn in simple black and white type…almost minimum in grey characters that make readers can easily engage with the story line. The constant suspense kept me turning page after page within two days. I love the protagonist – Rue and Katniss – the whole thing about the bow and arrow. I find the love triangle is a bit cliché, but I love how Katniss takes control over her life, not just a girl who is madly deeply in love type of character. She is strong-willed, independent, and smart. Like any good story, I am immersed in the universe built around by the writer. I know it is not real but I can't stop reading. Sadly, yesterday I failed to collect the second novel in my favorite store. The books are sold out L. I have to satisfy myself jumping reading the thirdJ.