Rizal

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Life in Madrid

* November 3, 1882- Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid (Central University of Madrid) in two courses- Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.

* Academy of fine arts of San Fernando- Rizal studied painting and sculpture.

* Rizals only extravagance was investing a few pesetas for a lottery ticket in every draw of the Madrid lottery.

* Rizal spent his leisure time reading and writing at his boarding house, attending reunions of Filipino students at the house of the Paterno brothers (Antonio, Maximo and Pedro) and practicing Fencing and shooting at the gymnasium.

* Antigua café de Levante-during the summer twilights, this is where Rizal sipped coffee and fraternized with the students from Cuba, Mexico, Argentina , etc.

* On Saturday evenings, Rizal visited the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey who lived with his son (Rafael) and daughter (Consuelo).

* Circulo Hispano-Filipino (Hispano-Philippine Circle)- a society of Spaniards and Filipinos which Rizal joined shortly after his arrival in Madrid in 1882.

* Me Piden Versos (They Ask Me For Verses)- upon the request of the members of this society, Rizal’s wrote this poem which he personally declaimed during the New Year’s Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of December 31, 1882

-in this sad poem, rizal poured out the cry of his agonizing heart

* Rizal economized on his living expenses, and with the money he saved, he purchased books from a second-hand book store owned by a certain Senor Roses

* Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin an Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew- these two books aroused Rizal’s sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate people.

First visit to Paris (1883)

-during his first summer vacation in Madrid, Rizal went to Paris, gay capital of France

-the prices of food, drinks, theatre, tickets, laundry, hotel accommodations, and transportation were too high for rizal’s slender purse so that he commented in a...