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Rizal’s Travels
Rizal had his 1st travel to Europe in 1885 at the age of 24, mainly to pursue his career as an ophthalmologist. Here’s the summary of what he did during his first travel:
- Studied music, solfeggio, piano and voice.
- Studied at Central University of Madrid, where he graduated in July 19, 1885.
- Started writing his novel Noli Me Tangere.
- Worked as an assistant to Dr. Louis de Weckert, an ophthalmologist.
- Went to Heilderberg and stayed with Karl Ullmer, a Lutheran Pastor. He worked then with Dr. Javier Galezowsky and Dr. Otto Becker as an assistant. He also written in this place his poem A Las Flores de Heidelberg (To the Flowers of Heidelberg) and started his long-distance friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt.
- Traveled to Leipzig and attended lectures at its University.
- Traveled to Berlin for further studies in Ophthalmology and foreign languages. It is also in that place where he finally finished his novel, Noli Me Tangere.
His travels in Europe are fruitful because from there he continued the struggle for equality and independence together with the Filipinos living in Europe, with most of them located at Spain. Aside from finishing Medicine, he also finished his studies in Literature and Philosophy. Also, during his travel, he started writing Noli Me Tangere, finishing it at Berlin, Germany. Although in the unfortunate side of his travel, he is struck with financial problems as he was short of allowance from Calamba.
Despite the good nature and the kind of education that he’s receiving at Europe, he insisted in going back to the Philippines for the following reasons:
- To operate his mother who is suffering from cataract for many years.
- To defend his oppressed countrymen more effectively.
- To find out how Noli Me Tanger is received by the Filipinos and Spaniards and
- To know the reason for Leonor Rivera’s long silence.
Six months after his return, he decided to sail back to Europe after he realized that his family and friends’ safety is at risk. His second travel started from February 3, 1888. From that travel, he started writing his second novel El Filibusterismo (finishing it at Brussels). He also traveled East Asia (mainly in Hong Kong and Japan) and the West (United States, England, France, Belgium, Spain). He also practiced medicine at Hong Kong and established some romantic relationship as some places where he went (for instance: Usui Seiko of Japan and Gertrude Beckett of Great Britain).
He has also many misadventures, for instance when he challenged Antonio Luna and Wenceslao Retana in a duel. With Luna, it was the latter’s frustration with his unsuccessful “love affair” with Nellie Boustead (another woman in the life of Rizal), and so gave a negative remark which Rizal didn’t tolerated (Luna was drunk by that time.)
BUHAYRIZAL 