Rizal's Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad PDF

# Rizal's Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad ## Overview This Chapter presents Dr. Jose Rizal's life in relation to his higher education in the Philippines, specifically his time at the Ateneo de Municipal University of Santo Tomas and his education abroad. He spent his education in Manila fro...

# Rizal's Life: Higher Education and Life Abroad ## Overview This Chapter presents Dr. Jose Rizal's life in relation to his higher education in the Philippines, specifically his time at the Ateneo de Municipal University of Santo Tomas and his education abroad. He spent his education in Manila from 1872-1882. Ateneo de Municipal is a school run by the Spanish Jesuit Congregation. Following his education at Ateneo, he went on to the University of Santo Tomas. The Spanish Dominican Congregation ran the institution. This Chapter will also discuss his life in other countries, specifically his achievements, higher education and travels. Rizal enrolled and began studying at Ateneo de Municipal when he was eleven years old. He was a member of organizations and had written significant poems. He completed his secondary education while also earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ateneo. The educational system of the Jesuits taught him discipline, character development and religious instruction. As a result, he learned the true value of education in a person's life, as well as the importance of remaining strong in the face of adversity. Rizal studied Philosophy and Letters at UST, as well as a preparatory medical course. Unfortunately, after finishing his fourth year of medical school, Rizal decided to study in Spain. This section will also go over Dr. Jose Rizal's life when he went abroad to further his education. He was able to travel to various parts of Europe in order to complete his mission of observing the various aspects of development in those countries. It also compelled him to join organizations and pen a number of essays and poems. Above all, Rizal was able to write and produce novels such as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which are still significant and relevant to Filipinos today. ## Learning Outcomes At the end of this Chapter, the students should be able to: - examine the educational system that Rizal encountered during his formal education at Ateneo and UST; - explain Rizal's reasons for leaving the Philippines in relation to his mission and secret pact with Paciano; and - discuss Rizal's accomplishments and sacrifices while pursuing his education abroad. ## Summary of the Chapter Dr. Jose Rizal's pursuit of higher education is presented in this Chapter. From 1872 to 1882, he spent nearly ten years in Manila to complete his secondary and tertiary education. His father sent him to Manila to continue schooling after completing his early education in Binan and it was his older brother Paciano who accompanied him. His father's first choice of school was the College of Juan de Letran, but he changed his mind, so he told Paciano to bring Rizal and enrol him instead at the Ateneo de Municipal. Despite the fact that his mother, Teodora, had been imprisoned, Rizal was able to bring honor to his family. He was involved in a variety of curricular and co-curricular activities and was returning home with medals to commemorate his achievements at Ateneo. His skills and talents were honed and he embraced the virtues and values of the Jesuit education. He excelled in all subjects and was recognized as the "Pride of the Jesuits" and the "Most brilliant Atenean of his time." After his graduation in Ateneo, Rizal decided to continue his studies at University of Santo Tomas. He started with Philosophy and Letters as his course then later on proceeded to take up preparatory course for medicine. In addition, he was still preoccupied with joining extracurricular activities. During his first year at UST, he experienced Spanish brutality. He met Leonor Rivera, with whom he immediately fell in love. He won in the literary contest competition and had done several writings. He left UST after four years and went on to study abroad. This Chapter also discussed Rizal's travels and education abroad. He left the country twice and was able to further his education and specialized in medicine in Europe. He also kept himself busy by learning about European sports. He was involved in various organizations that helped the country and Filipinos abroad, such as the Propaganda Movement, the Masonic Lodge, the Kidlat Club, La Solidaridad and many others. He also met and adored a number of women. ## Rizal's Education in Manila (1872-1882) ### Ateneo de Municipal Experience A building with a clock tower is shown in the image, labeled "The Ateneo de Municipal." Jose was sent to Manila to study at the Ateneo de Municipal, a school run by Spanish Jesuits, four months after the martyrdom of GOM-BUR-ZA and while his mother was still in prison. This school was later renamed Ateneo de Manila and was run by highly qualified educators. It had a good reputation as an excellent school for boys. On his first day in Manila, Jose was accompanied by his brother, Paciano. The first school where he took the entrance examination was the College of San Juan de Letran. He passed all subjects. Following that, he and his brother returned to Calamba to participate in the town fiesta. Don Francisco, who had originally planned for Jose to attend Letran, changed his mind and enrolled his son at Ateneo. So, when Jose and his brother returned to Manila, they enrolled at Ateneo de Municipal. He was initially denied admission to the said school for two reasons: (1) he was already late for registration and (2) he was frail and sickly, in addition to being too small for his age (Bagolong 2018, p 28). However, Jose was finally admitted because of the intervention of Manuel Xeres Burgos, the nephew of one of the martyred priests. The Jesuits were regarded as the best educators in Spain and when they were allowed to return to the Philippines their power to administer parishes was limited except in the remote regions of Mindanao. Their privilege of founding colleges was limited and they had to apply to the City of Manila for subsidies. As a result, when they were granted permission to build a school, they named it the Ateneo Municipal and it first opened its doors in 1865. A candidate for admission to the Ateneo had to pass an entrance examination in Christian doctrine, reading, writing, grammar and elementary arithmetic. When Jose enrolled in Ateneo, he took the surname Rizal because the family name Mercado had raised suspicions among authorities. Paciano used the surname Mercado while studying and working with Father Burgos, in whose house he lived. Father Jose Burgos was one of the priests that was executed through a garrotte at Bagumbayan on February 17, 1872. Paciano accompanied Jose and found him a house in the Walled City of Manila, but Jose was reluctant to stay there because of its cheerless atmosphere, so they looked for a lodging house outside of Intramuros. They found a house on Calle Carballo in Sta Cruz. He became acquainted in that house with various students who were mestizos. The Jesuit educational system was thought to be more advanced than that of other colleges at the time. Its discipline was strict and its methods were more mechanical. It incorporated physical culture, as well as the cultivation of the arts such as music, drawing and painting into its program. As a religious institute, it also established vocational courses in agriculture, commerce and mechanics. Its main goal was to shape the character and will of the boys so that they could more easily comply with the Church's teachings. Prior to the start of class, the students heard mass. Classes opened and closed with prayers. The classes were divided into internos and externos for the first two terms, with the first representing the Roman Empire and the second representing the Carthaginian Empire. Emperor, Tribune, Decurion, Centurion, and Standard-Bearer were the five dignitaries of each empire (Balotol 2018 p 31-32). Individual competitions were used to win these honours, in which one had to catch one's opponent in error three times. When an individual from one empire was caught in error by one from the opposing empire, a point was awarded to the latter. At the end of each week or two, the points in favour of each empire were added, and the empire with the most points was declared the winner. Only those who distinguished themselves in the class for their piety and diligence could join the fraternity of Mary and Saint Louis Gonzaga. This fraternity met on Sundays and held public programs after mass, such as poetry recitations or debates. With all of these incentives, it was only natural that there would be a spirit of emulation, a striving to outperform one's colleague. Jose took private Spanish lessons during recess at Santa Isabel College to improve his knowledge and fluency. Despite being the class's brightest student. Jose had Fr. Bech as his first teacher. Jose Bech is described as a tall man with a lean body and a quick gait; ascetic physiognomy, severe and inspired; small, sunken eyes; sharp Grecian nose; thin lips forming an arch with its sides directed toward the chin. He was a bit of a lunatic with a sporadic sense of humour; at times he was harsh and intolerant, and at others he was gay and playful as a child (Craig 1918, p 21). The sons of Peninsulares were among Jose's classmates. Jose learned to systematize his work from the beginning and he devised a plan for what he needed to do during the twenty-four hours of the day and did not deviate from it in the least. As a result, he disciplined his will and subjected it to the dictates of his reason. As a newcomer, Jose was placed at the back of the class at first, but he was quickly promoted and continued to be promoted until, at the end of one month, he had attained the rank of Emperor. At the end of the semester, he received excellent grades in all subjects and - examinations. Rizal had reason to be pleased with his advancement, so when he returned home for the summer vacation in March of 1873, he went alone to visit Dona Teodora in prison and inform her of the good news. He must have said this after learning from his mother that the prosecutor of the charge against her had played a cruel joke on her. The judge, who had been a domestic for the friars, told her that if she confessed to her guilt, he would immediately release her. She pleaded guilty in order to see her children again, but instead of releasing her, the judge convicted her. After a few months, the judge begged her forgiveness for what he had done, claiming that it had hurt his conscience, but the case was already on appeal, so there was no recourse. The second year, Jose had the same professor as in the previous year; but instead of lodging outside the City, he resided at No. 6 Calle Magallanes. At the end of the term he obtained a medal, and upon returning to his town, he again visited his mother in jail alone. This was three months before her release. The joy that her release caused in his spirit had a significant impact on the outcome of his studies in the third year, as he began to win prizes in the quarterly examinations. Around that time, he began reading novels, and one of his favourites was Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The first foreign book read by Rizal, in a Spanish translation, was Dumas's great novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo," and the story of the wrongs suffered by the prisoner of the Château d'lf recalled the injustice done his mother. Then came the book which had greatest influence upon the young man's career; this was a Spanish translation of Feodor Jagor's "Travels in the Philippines," the observations of a German naturalist who had visited the Islands some fifteen years before. This latter book, among other comments, suggested that it was the fate of the North American republic to develop and bring to their highest prosperity the lands which Spain had conquered and Christianized with sword and cross. Sooner or later, this German writer believed, the Philippine Islands could no more escape this American influence than had the countries on the mainland, and expressed the hope that one day the Philippines would succumb to the same influence; he felt, however, that it was desirable first for the Islanders to become better able to meet the strong competition of the vigorous young people of the New World, for under Spain the Philippines had dreamed away its past (Craig 1913, p 95). Jose's family, seeing in him a natural ability to learn, decided to enrol him as an intern or boarding student in college the following year. Jose completed his two years of internship in a corner of the dormitory facing the sea and the pier. Father Francisco Paula de Sanchez was his professor in the fourth year of his studies. Jose describes him as a model of decency, solicitude, and love for the student, and he studied mathematics, rhetoric, and Greek, and he must have made significant progress, as he received five medals at the end of the year. His talent for poetry was evident from an early age, and he never stopped cultivating it. He majored in philosophy, physics, chemistry, and natural history, but his love for poetry was so strong that his philosophy professor once advised him to abandon it, which made him cry. In his spare time, however, he continued to cultivate the Muses with the help of his old professor, Father de Sanchez. Jose was considered short in stature, and he attempted to correct this flaw by participating in gymnastics on a regular basis. He also did other physical activities, such as fencing. Following his baccalaureate, he surprised his family with his sword-handling ability when he competed in an exhibition bout with the town's best swordsman. He also devoted time to painting and sculpture. In drawing and painting he was under the guidance and direction of the Ateneo professor, the Peninsula Don Augustin Saez, who honoured him with his affection and consideration because of his progress. In sculpture his instructor was a Filipino, Romualdo de Jesus, who felt proud in the last years of his life of having had such an excellent pupil. Besides the interest he took in clay modelling, to which reference has already been made, Rizal was expert in carving. When he was in the Ateneo he had carved an image of the Virgin of such grace and beauty that one of the Fathers asked him to try an image of the Sacred Heart. Rizal complied, and produced the carving that played so important a part in his future life. The Jesuit Father had intended to take the image with him to Spain, but in some way it was left behind and the schoolboys put it up on the door of their dormitory (Craig 1913, p100). A picture is shown of a carved image of the Sacred Heart. Under the guidance of Professor Father Francisco Paula de Sanchez, Rizal honed his poetic language in his fourth year at Ateneo, leading him to write numerous poerns on the themes of history, childhood memories, religion, education, and the war. They were all pro-Spanish. Felicitacion (Felicitation); El Embarque: Himno a la Flota de Magallanes (The Departure: Hymn to Magellan's Fleet); Y Es Espanyol: Elcano, El Primero en dar la Vuelta del Mundo (And He is Spanish: Elcano, the First to Circumnavigate the World); El Combate: Urbiztondo, Terror de Jolo; Por la Educacion Recibe Lustre de Patria (Through Education, the Motherland Receives Enlightenment); Alianza Intima Entra la Religion y la Buena Educacion (Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education); (In Memory of My Town) (Balotol, et al., p 32). A picture is shown of a man in a suit and tie, labeled "Rizal's favorite Ateneo teacher. Father de Sanchez paid a visit to Rizal in exile in Dapitan and assisted him in establishing a school for the Dapitan boys." ## Segunda Katigbak Segunda Katigbak is a Lipa girl from a wealthy clan who was sent to La Concordia at a young age by her parents. She has a close friendship with Olimpia, Jose Rizal's sister, and he has a friendship with Mariano Katigbak, Segunda's brother. She was 14 years old when she met Pepe, who was 16 at the time. They first met at Rizal's grandmother's house in Trozo, Manila, which is now known as Tutuban. Infatuation grew, and they were both unaware that love was already enveloping them. They saw each other frequently, and Rizal, who was smitten by her, would sketch her and write poems about her. But, even before he could make a move, he was aware that Segunda had been promised to marry Manuel Luz Y Metra, a tall and wealthy man from Lipa. He couldn't muster the courage to label them because she was bound to marry someone. He had several chances, but his immature heart and mind let it all slip through his fingers. A image of Segunda Katigbak is shown. ## University of Santo Tomas Experience A building with a high tower and multiple large windows is shown, labeled "University of Santo Tomas." Rizal enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas in April 1877, when he was nearly 16 years old, to study Philosophy and Letters. He enrolled in this course for two reasons: first, his father liked it, and second, he was still "unsure of what career to pursue." He wrote to Father Pablo Ramon, the Rector of Ateneo, who had been kind to him during his time as a student there, seeking advice on a career choice. Unfortunately, the Father Rector was in Mindanao, and it took several months for a letter to travel from Manila to Mindanao in those days. As a result, he studied Cosmology, Metaphysics, Theodicy, and Philosophy History during his first year at the UST (1877-1879). Rizal began studying medicine the following school year (1878-1879), enrolling in both the preparatory medical course and the regular first year medical course. He pursued medicine for the following reasons: (1) He desired to be a physician in order to cure his mother's failing eyesight, and (2) Father Pablo Ramon, Rector of Ateneo, whom he consulted for a career choice, finally responded to his letter, recommending medicine. He enrolled in the Ateneo vocational course perito agrimensor (expert in surveying) while studying at the University of Santo Tomas (Obias 2018, p 46). A picture of a young Rizal, labeled "Rizal at 18," is shown. ## Relationships with Other Women Rizal had plenty of time for love despite his academic studies at the University of Santo Tomas and extracurricular activities at the Ateneo. He was a romantic daydreamer who sipped the "nectar of love." His painful experience with his first love had taught him a valuable lesson in the ways of romance. He paid court to a young woman in Calamba shortly after losing Segunda Katigbak. In his memoirs, he simply referred to her as Miss L, describing her as "fair with seductive and attractive eyes." After several visits to her home, he abruptly ceased his wooing, and the romance died of natural causes. He boarded at Dona Concha Leyva's house in Intramuros a few months later, during his sophomore year at the University of Santo Tomas. Capitan Juan and Capitana Senday Valenzuela, the parents of a lovely girl named Leonor, lived next door to Dona Concha. Rizal, a medical student from Calamba, was a welcome visitor at the Valenzuela home, where his devious sleight-of-hand tricks made him the life of the party. He courted Leonor Valenzuela, a tall girl with a regal bearing who was “almost as tall as Jose himself." He wrote her love letters in invisible ink and sent them to her. Water and common table salt were used to make this ink. There was no trace of it on the paper. Rizal, who was well-versed in chemistry, taught Orang (Leonor Valenzuela's pet name) how to read any note written in invisible ink by heating it over a candle or lamp until the lettering appeared. He did not, however, propose marriage to Orang, as he did to Segunda. Rizal's next relationship was with Leonor Rivera, his cousin from Camiling. In 1879, when he began his junior year at the University, he resided at No. 6 Calle Santo Tomas, Intramuros, in “Casa Tomasina," a boarding house run by his uncle, Antonio Rivera. His landlord's uncle had a lovely daughter, Leonor, who was a student at La Concordia College at the time, where Soledad (Rizal's younger sister) was enrolled. Leonor, who was born on April 11, 1876, in Camiling, Tarlac, was a frail, beautiful woman described as “tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful eyes.” A tenderly beautiful romance blossomed between Jose and Leonor. They decided to get married. To keep their intimate relationship hidden from their parents and friends, Leonor signed her letters to Rizal as "Taimis.” An image of Leonor Rivera is shown. ## Victim of Brutality by a Spanish Officer Rizal first encountered Spanish brutality as a freshman medical student at the University of Santo Tomas. During his summer vacation in Calamba in 1880, he was walking down the street on a dark night. While passing him, he vaguely noticed the figure of a man. Because he didn't recognize the person due to the darkness, he didn't salute or say a polite "Good Evening." The enigmatic figure was a Guardia Civil lieutenant. With a snarl, he turned on Rizal, drew his sword, and slashed the latter on the back. Although the wound was not serious, it was painful. When Rizal recovered, he informed General Primo de Rivera, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines at the time, about the incident. But because he was an Indio and the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard, his complaint went nowhere. "I went to the Captain-General but I could not obtain any Justice; my wound lasted two weeks," he wrote to Blumentritt in a letter dated March 21, 1887. ## Prize won by Rizal in his poem _A La Juventud Filipina_ at the age of in a public competition open to "Indians and Mestizos.” In the year 1879, Rizal, entered a literary contest sponsored by Artistico-Literario (Artisitic-Literary Lyceum) and submitted his poem _A La Juventud Filipina_ (To the Filipino Youth). Fortunately, he won first place and was presented with a feather-shaped and gold ribbon-decorated silver pen. In the poem, Rizal implored the Filipinos to rise from their slumber, to let their genius fly faster than the wind, and to descend with art science to break the chains that had long bound the people's spirit. For two reasons, the poem is considered a classic: 1. It was the first great poem written in Spanish by a Filipino whose worth was recognized by Spanish literary authorities. 2. It articulated for the first time the nationalistic notion that Filipinos, not foreigners, were the "true hope of the Fatherland.” The Artistic-Literary Lyceum held another literary contest to commemorate the fourth centennial of the death of Cervantes, Spanish author of Don Quixote, to which Rizal submitted an allegorical drama, _El Consejo de los Dioses_ (The Council of the Gods). The allegory was inspired by Greek mythology. When Rizal entered the competition, Father Rector of the Ateneo assisted him in obtaining the necessary reference materials. The contest had a number of competitors. It was attended by priests, laymen, UST professors, newspapermen, and scholars. Fortunately, Rizal received the first prize, a gold ring engraved with a bust of Cervantes. Rizal published other works, including _Abd-el-Azis y Mahoma_ in 1879. _Junto al Pasig_ (Beside the Pasig), a zarzuela performed by the Ateneans on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the Ateneo, on December 8, 1880. It was written by Rizal while he was President of the Academy of Spanish Literature. Rizal wrote _A Filipinas_, a sonnet, for the album of the Society of Sculptors in 1880. Rizal urged all Filipino artists to glorify the country. Finally, in 1881, he wrote _Al M.R.P. Pablo Ramon_, a poem in tribute to the Ateneo's rector, Father Pablo Ramon. Rizal was widely regarded as a champion of Filipino students. It happened during a period when there were frequent student brawls between Filipino and Spanish students. As a result, in 1880, Rizal established Companerismo (Comradeship), a secret society of Filipino students at UST. The members were known as the "Companions of Jehu." Rizal was the society's chief, and his cousin, Galicano Apacible, was the secretary. Rizal was wounded on the head during one of the skirmishes. His friends took him to Casa Tomasina, where Leonor Rivera cared for him. His triumph made it still more unpleasant for Rizal in the university with whose methods of instruction he had been dissatisfied ever since his first year in physics. His old instructors, the Jesuits, had encouraged their pupils to ask questions, to hold opinions of their own and to defend them, but in the higher institution this was not permitted. Finally one day in a class in medicine the professor made statements directly contrary to the textbooks and then refused to permit discussion or to give any explanation, so Rizal decided he was wasting his time to remain in the university. He made up his mind to go to Europe to study and curiously enough some years later had the pleasure of sending back to Manila a class photograph which showed this instructor and himself, as the teacher had gone to Spain to finish his incomplete medical studies (Craig 1919, p 15). Rizal's academic performance in UST was not as impressive as that in Ateneo. He was a good student in Medicine but not as gifted as he was in Arts and Letters. Despite this, he was still one of the seven students who remained in the course in his last year at UST out of the original batch of twenty four (Obias 2018, p 46). Rizal decided to continue his studies in Spain shortly after finishing his fourth year of medical school. Despite his enormous literary successes, he was dissatisfied with his stay at the Dominican-owned school these reasons: 1. The Dominican professors were hostile to him. 2. The Spaniards discriminated the Filipino students based on their race. 3. The teaching method was antiquated and oppressive. 4. He did not receive high scholastic honors as a result of his professors' attitudes. His decision to continue his education abroad was supported by his brother Paciano, his two sisters Saturnina and Lucia, as well as his uncle Antonio Rivera and some of his close friends. They agreed to keep the decision from his parents' knowledge. Paciano agreed to send a monthly allowance of P35.00, and his Uncle Antonio would seek help from friends for other expenses. And, in addition to studying in Spain, he was on a covert mission. This mission was to closely observe the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself for the monumental task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny. Rizal's journey begins with a travel to Spain. Source: Craig, A. (1913). Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal: Philippine Patriot. Manila: Philippine Education Company. ## RIZAL'S FIRST TRAVELS ABROAD (1882-1887) ### Rizal's journey to Spain To avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars, Rizal's departure for Spain was kept secret. Even his own parents didn't know because his mother wouldn't let him. Only his older brother, uncle, sisters Neneng and Lucia, the Valenzuela family, Pedro Paterno, Mateo Evangelista, the Ateneo Jesuit fathers, and a few close friends were present. The Jesuit priests recommended him to the members of their Society in Barcelona. He went by the name Jose Mercado. Before leaving, he wrote farewell letters to his beloved parents and his sweetheart Leonor Rivera. Rizal boarded the Spanish steamer SS Salvadora bound for Singapore on May 3, 1882. With tears in his eyes and gloom in his heart, he gazed at Manila's receding skyline. At first he was lonely. He was the only Filipino among the ship's thirty seven passengers; the rest, except for a tall thin Englishman who mumbled but otherwise spoke Spanish quite well, were Spaniards returning to the Peninsula with their families (Guerrero 1974, p87). He then grabbed a pencil and paper and sketched it as it faded from view. Throughout the voyage, he paid close attention to the people and things on board the steamer. There were sixteen people on board. He was the only Filipino among a group of Spaniards, Britons, and Indian Negroes. Donato Lecha, the ship's captain, befriended Rizal. Rizal and his fellow passengers played chess to pass the time on the long journey. He then defeated them numerous times because he was an excellent chess player. The SS Salvadora arrived in Singapore on May 9. He then stayed at the Hotel de la Paz for two days and went on a sightseeing tour of the city. He saw the famous Botanical Garden, the beautiful Buddhist templates, the bustling shopping district, and the statue of Singapore's founder, Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. After he embarked for Singapore on the mail steamer SS Salvadora and after the six days of the journey then he transferred to a foreign passenger ship which carried him to Barcelona (Craig 1909, p 12). Rizal boarded the ship Djemnah, a French steamer, and set sail for Europe. It was a bigger, cleaner ship that carried more passengers. On board, French was spoken, and Rizal attempted to converse with his fellow passengers in French. However, he discovered that his words on French could not be understood, so he spoke a mix of Spanish and Latin. He was able to improve his French by conversing with the French passengers on a daily basis. The Djemnah arrived in Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon, on May 17. This town did not impress Rizal. The next day, the ship set sail for Colombo, Ceylon's capital. Rizal arrived in the city after a few hours of sailing. Rizal was awestruck by Colombo's scenic beauty and elegant architecture. From Colombo, the Djemnah continued its journey across the Indian Ocean to the African coast. For the first time, Rizal saw Africa's barren coast, which he described as a “inhospitable but famous land." The following stopover was in Aden. He found the city to be hotter than Manila, and he was amused to see camels for the first time. The ship sailed from Aden to Suez, the Red Sea terminal of the Suez Canal. Rizal disembarked and went sightseeing upon arrival. What struck him the most was the lovely moonlight, which reminded him of Calamba and his family. The Suez Canal was traversed by the Djemnah in five days. Rizal was overjoyed because it was his first trip through the canal, which Ferdinand de Lasseps had built. Rizal arrived in Port Said to see the interesting sights. He was enthralled to hear multi-racial residents speak in a variety of languages. The ship left Port Said on its way to Europe. Rizal arrived in Naples on June 11. Rizal was impressed by this city's business activity, lively people, and scenic beauty. He was captivated by the Vesuvius Mouth, the Castle of St. Telmo, and other historic sites in the city. The steamer arrived in Marseilles, France, on the night of June 12, 1882. Rizal disembarked at Marseilles, saw a little of that famous port, and then went by rail to Barcelona, crossing the Pyrenees, the desolate ruggedness of which contrasted with the picturesque luxuriance of his tropical home, and remained a day at the frontier town of Port-Bou. The customary Spanish disregard of tourists compared very unfavourably with the courteous attention which he had remarked on his arrival at Marseilles, for the custom house officers on the Spanish frontier rather reminded him of the class of employees found in Manila (Craig 1913, p 117). Rizal said his goodbyes to his fellow passengers. He went to the fabled Chateau d'lf, where Dantes was imprisoned. He stayed in Marseilles for two and a half days. ### Barcelona, Spain Rizal left Marseilles Rizal and continued his journey by rail, arriving in Barcelona on June 16, 1882. His initial impression of Barcelona was negative. He regarded it as unsightly and filthy, and its inhabitants as unwelcoming. Later, he changed his mind and came to like the city. He discovered it to be a wonderful city with a libertarian and free-spirited atmosphere. He also discovered its people to be open-hearted, hospitable, and brave. He enjoyed promenading down Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas street. Filipinos in Barcelona, including some of his Ateneo classmates, welcomed him. They threw a party for him at Café Plaza de Cataluna. Following the toasts, Rizal updated them on the latest news and gossip in the Philippines.. Rizal wrote his first written article on Spanish soil, a nationalistic essay called "El Amor Patrio," in Barcelona. El Amor Patrio clearly signals a qualitative shift in Rizal's nationalism. From anthropological perspective, Rizal's voyage to a new world can be seen as bringing about displacement and the experience of otherness (Dumul 2018, p 48). He then sent his article to Diariong Tagalog publisher Basilio Teodoro Moran. Basilio was so taken with the article that he congratulated Rizal and asked him to publish more. Rizal received bad news about the cholera outbreak ravaging Manila and the provinces while living in Barcelona. Many people died, and more died every day. The bad news was that his beloved Leonor Rivera was becoming thinner as a result of her loved one's absence. Paciano also advised Rizal to continue his medical studies in Madrid. Rizal followed his advice and left Barcelona in the fall of 1882. ### Madrid *Fair *Portiga Y. Perez *Engage *Leonor Rivera*