Trip to Recto
I've been told that Recto is a haven for bookworms, for the simple fact that the whole avenue is practically lined with second hand bookstores. For so long, I've considered it as uncharted territory. It's ironic that I work so close to the area and yet I've never even found the time to take a quick peek around. So, yesterday, armed with P500 and psyched to walk the whole afternoon, if need be, I went on a field trip!
I went to La Salle first to submit the grades for C1, as an excuse to go out. (An excuse for myself, because without another purpose, I would've chickened out of the whole thing). Then, at around 11:00, I rode an FX, got down at Morayta, and walked to Recto Avenue.
Boy, they weren't kidding! The streets ARE lined with bookstores. They sell books at the sidewalk! Tambak-tambak lang sila doon. Of course, most of the books are so old that the pages are browned to the spine and in great danger of crumbling to dust. It doesn't matter to me. :) At the first stop I made, I found a copy of A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson with its front cover torn off. Bad condition and all, it just cost me 30 bucks. And to think that I've been searching for that particular volume for three years now. Kind of worth it. After that, I made sure I entered every respectable (and maybe, sometimes, not-so-respectable) book selling place I can find. But even with that piligrimage, i was only able to buy just one other book. A very cheesy copy of War of the Worlds for P100. The woman who sold it to me looked at me as if I was crazy. She asked me if I was buying the book because of the movie. I sheepishly answered yes, because in my world it's embarassing to admit that you saw the movie first before you read the book (it just isn't that way with real geeks!). It felt like she didn't really want me to buy the book, i think "nanghihinayang" siya for me. She even said, "Pero siyempre, mas maganda yung movie, diba?" She hesitated a bit, looking at me as if I might change my mind. So I simply answered that I just wanted to check how true to the book was the screenplay. A nearby book vendor, a man this time, said, "Yung movie ni Tom Cruise? Walang picture dyan si Tom Cruise..."
Uh, yeah... I kinda figured that out, man. I mean, he wasn't even born yet when the book came out, I think. Tayo talagang mga Pinoy. Kailangan may picture muna yung libro bago basahin. At kailangan guwapo o maganda yung picture ng bida. I guess, you can't really erase that. It's too embedded in our psychology. :)
I'm happy to report that i also bought a very practical and very cheap umbrella (probably good for two months, hehe), and two mixed CDs of artists I was really dying to hear (okay, okay, pirata na kung pirata). All that for P400! I even had a hundred bucks spare to buy an internet card. Galing! Went home very happeee...
But I guess, the question is, would I be going back soon? Mmmmm...mebbe not. My feet were so sore! And Last night, pinulikat ako! Shucks. I think, I just really wanted to count it as an adventure already DONE. Something I can do once at least in this lifetime. Maybe next time. When I need a fake diploma, or buy old theses papers, or have my wedding invitiation printed, or in need of a quick CD-fix. :)
FRIENDS OVERLOAD
Back in grade school, I was already a big an of the TV show. But it's only lately I've really been understanding the show, and getting all the jokes, and even relating to the characters. SO I guess, that's what brought on this FRIENDS Fever I've caught. The last few weeks, I've been trying to catch as many episodes on Star and ETC. But I can't always have control over my time, and I usually end up not watching it. It's really, really something out of the WOW, when Ian lent me his DVD copy of Seasopn 9 and 10.
I love that show! And I wanted to grind to dust our fake DVD player when it decided that it was too tired to go through the other 8 CDs, and just gave up on me. I haven't even watched the Finale yet! Waah! But hey, I can still have the CDs til Thursday and maybe, a miracle will happen. Oh please, veritable, noble fake DVD player... just , just, o just let me watch the last CD.
Bugger.
Back to the Prince of Stories
Okay, so I'm signing off now. I look forward to falling asleep. I have a rendevous with the Prince of Stories. Dreams are the best thing since, well, the Creation of Time, I suppose. :)
Tomorrow's another week of work. But that's okay. We still have tonight. :0
I went to La Salle first to submit the grades for C1, as an excuse to go out. (An excuse for myself, because without another purpose, I would've chickened out of the whole thing). Then, at around 11:00, I rode an FX, got down at Morayta, and walked to Recto Avenue.
Boy, they weren't kidding! The streets ARE lined with bookstores. They sell books at the sidewalk! Tambak-tambak lang sila doon. Of course, most of the books are so old that the pages are browned to the spine and in great danger of crumbling to dust. It doesn't matter to me. :) At the first stop I made, I found a copy of A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson with its front cover torn off. Bad condition and all, it just cost me 30 bucks. And to think that I've been searching for that particular volume for three years now. Kind of worth it. After that, I made sure I entered every respectable (and maybe, sometimes, not-so-respectable) book selling place I can find. But even with that piligrimage, i was only able to buy just one other book. A very cheesy copy of War of the Worlds for P100. The woman who sold it to me looked at me as if I was crazy. She asked me if I was buying the book because of the movie. I sheepishly answered yes, because in my world it's embarassing to admit that you saw the movie first before you read the book (it just isn't that way with real geeks!). It felt like she didn't really want me to buy the book, i think "nanghihinayang" siya for me. She even said, "Pero siyempre, mas maganda yung movie, diba?" She hesitated a bit, looking at me as if I might change my mind. So I simply answered that I just wanted to check how true to the book was the screenplay. A nearby book vendor, a man this time, said, "Yung movie ni Tom Cruise? Walang picture dyan si Tom Cruise..."
Uh, yeah... I kinda figured that out, man. I mean, he wasn't even born yet when the book came out, I think. Tayo talagang mga Pinoy. Kailangan may picture muna yung libro bago basahin. At kailangan guwapo o maganda yung picture ng bida. I guess, you can't really erase that. It's too embedded in our psychology. :)
I'm happy to report that i also bought a very practical and very cheap umbrella (probably good for two months, hehe), and two mixed CDs of artists I was really dying to hear (okay, okay, pirata na kung pirata). All that for P400! I even had a hundred bucks spare to buy an internet card. Galing! Went home very happeee...
But I guess, the question is, would I be going back soon? Mmmmm...mebbe not. My feet were so sore! And Last night, pinulikat ako! Shucks. I think, I just really wanted to count it as an adventure already DONE. Something I can do once at least in this lifetime. Maybe next time. When I need a fake diploma, or buy old theses papers, or have my wedding invitiation printed, or in need of a quick CD-fix. :)
FRIENDS OVERLOAD
Back in grade school, I was already a big an of the TV show. But it's only lately I've really been understanding the show, and getting all the jokes, and even relating to the characters. SO I guess, that's what brought on this FRIENDS Fever I've caught. The last few weeks, I've been trying to catch as many episodes on Star and ETC. But I can't always have control over my time, and I usually end up not watching it. It's really, really something out of the WOW, when Ian lent me his DVD copy of Seasopn 9 and 10.
I love that show! And I wanted to grind to dust our fake DVD player when it decided that it was too tired to go through the other 8 CDs, and just gave up on me. I haven't even watched the Finale yet! Waah! But hey, I can still have the CDs til Thursday and maybe, a miracle will happen. Oh please, veritable, noble fake DVD player... just , just, o just let me watch the last CD.
Bugger.
Back to the Prince of Stories
Okay, so I'm signing off now. I look forward to falling asleep. I have a rendevous with the Prince of Stories. Dreams are the best thing since, well, the Creation of Time, I suppose. :)
Tomorrow's another week of work. But that's okay. We still have tonight. :0
30 bucks ?! What are you? An American? :P
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