The Sanctuary Named Booksale

I came down from a bus one Wednesday afternoon, arriving in Walter Mart here in Santa Rosa, Laguna right from Manila. As usual, I welcomed the coldness of the small mall, walked on the clean, white-tiled floor, and went right away to my favorite place there—Booksale.

I did my usual peeking into the shelves. I started amusing myself with the books at the front (which are mostly Christian literature). I continued with looking into the pocketbooks at the box beside the shelves. Then, I entered inside the stall, towards the books inside a skimpy spot there, where I bent my knees to see the spines of those books piled together at one side. These have been the usual things I do whenever I arrive at Walter—to look into Booksale, to saunter and take a break inside that secondhand bookstore.

Even a cashier there has known me for a long time. We usually converse, and at those times—of course—he begins the talking. But at that particular time, he informed me of something that I almost thought of before: the bookstore will pack up and close. This month will be their last, and maybe at the time this is published it is clearing up its area.

The Booksale in Walter Mart is the nearest I could get to a bookstore, but sooner it would not be anymore. I just have to take a tricycle or two, then a jeep to the nearest Booksale, in SM Santa Rosa. The cashier and I will most likely get to see there once I no longer see the Booksale in Walter.

I will do miss that place. I don't know if another store will replace it, though that would be good. But I will miss it for one simple reason: It was my sanctuary. It's the place where I encountered and bought books on my own for the first time, thanks to my commuting as a high school student.

It was there where an interest in books bloomed, and sprouted out. I remember the first books I purchased there—three Reader's Digest condensed books (which I haven't completed yet!), and the first books I purchased and finished—a non-fiction about former US President Jimmy Carter. Since then, I have bought a lot of books there; until I realized I cannot read them all anymore, mostly due to my 1) decreasing interest in science fiction, 2) my increasing interest in Christian literature, and 3) my lack of willingness to read what I bought and to control how many I buy.

And out of this interest in books, combined with inclination to newspapers and inspiration from authors and people around me, I gained an interest in writing.

Booksale, this bookstore that offers good finds (if you're willing to "hunt") for very affordable prices, has been a part of my adolescence, and—at the risk of sounding corny—my life.

So long, Booksale. Thanks, and see you in SM and—hopefully—in Times Plaza (at UN Ave.) and Mall of Asia.

A Brief Guide to Buying and Reading Books

I've been into constant reading since second year, thanks to my so-called sanctuary—a secondhand bookstore with branches at a mall near my house and a mall near my high school campus.

My interest for books and literature greatly increased throughout high school. I've discovered prominent authors and brilliant works. I unearthed old books that I consider as treasures.

This great inclination made me hunt for more books. I became attracted by the stories and ideas inside the thick and thin stacks of print, bounded by either a thick material or a thin carton. I've been amused whenever I saw a good book that I thought interesting or essential to read.

So from time to time, I have purchased many books. These books formed a small library in my room. I've even counted them before, and they amounted to around hundreds.

The books I've bought stacked up, and, overtime, are left unread.

I've realized lately that I've collected a lot of books, and for years, I haven't read all of them. I've decided to let go of many of them, giving them to friends who like to read like I do.

Indeed, I like to read a lot of books, to dwell into different avenues of literature. I find it hard, however, to read all that remains in my shelves. I started, nonetheless, to get into these books this summer.

I may find it nice that I can have a lot of literature in my hands, but I reckon I miss a lot on books. I got myself out-of-control. I miss the chance to read new worth-reading books, or even good finds at the secondhand bookstore.

Dear reader, are you an avid reader too? A bookworm? If so, I hope you also think of your book consumption and purchase.

Credit to carmenyamigos.blogspot.com

I realize that reading will be more money-saving and satisfactory if we read what we buy once we already have it (that's why for now I have to refrain from buying books for myself).

Most probably, you've thought much about what you chose to buy, especially when under tight budget. You're attracted by the story, or whatever's inside the book, and even read the back cover or the overleaf several times. Don't waste your money buying books then have them piled up, left unattended. Have self-control.

After that, read the book constantly. Don't stunt your reading progress. Get through the book daily, in as many pages as possible—as much as you can—until you've finished it.

Then, when you're done with it, that's the only time you can choose another book to read at the bookstore, or instantly go to another book you've already bought. Isn't that exciting visiting the bookstore to get to read another book you might like?

Read what you've bought and read it constantly, until you're done with it. This habit will be much helpful for you to enjoy reading further, as well as to invest money wisely.

So far... (Part 2)

Author's Note: The post was written before classes started. Due to lack of time, it was posted lately.

Cyberspace

The Buggles, featuring Trevor Horn(right)

and Geoff Downes(left). Famous for 

"Video Killed The Radio Star"

A part of this summer leave were simple days in the four corners of the house, in the pages of books, and in front of the TV and computer, No, not playing online games of fantasy or war that many adolescents get absorbed to. But I spent those times discovering new music, reading opinion articles, stumbling upon different things, and of course, blogging.

I went back to my bookmarked tracks from The Buggles, and I searched for their other songs.

Yellow Magic Orchestra, a pioneer 

electronic band in Japan. "Firecracker"

is their first single.

I also uncovered the electronic band from Japan, Yellow Magic
Orchestra, and I liked them and their compositions very much.

I also listened to OPM bands like Daydream Cycle and Techy Romantics, both also specializing in synths, beats, riffs and loops.

All of them are great in their music. They serve as inspirations for me to create music someday...electronic music.

In addition, I read opinion articles on Inquirer.net and I came to realize
that it wasn't bad ( I really like to read newspapers in print in the first place and I still prefer reading them that way, in fresh press paper), just make the brightness of the monitor suitable and not too bright. I started reading "Pinoy Kasi" by Michael Tan more often, as well as the column "Looking Back" from Ambeth Ocampo. Nevertheless, I still continued patronizing and waiting for every column of "Young Blood".

I also played Boggle and Scrabble online in preparation for some game with other fellow churches ( I only played Scrabble for the game). I got back to playing these games that I've forgotten and neglected for a long time. Now, I want to play them more, especially Scrabble, but I want to play it one time with real tiles and with friends.

Nevertheless, I admit that sometimes cyberspace strikes boredom on me.

Stacks of books

One of my goals this passed summer was to read many books. And throughout my summer, I finished some books that were in my stack of books.

Here's the reading list:

• The Myrmidon Project by Chuck Scarborough and William Murray
• A biography of Eric Lidell, the runner turned missionary
• Time Machine:World War II Code Breaker, an adventure/game-like book taking you back to World War II
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 and 3/4 by Sue Townsend
• 2 books from The Cat Who... series namely The Cat Who Played Brahms and The Cat Who Went Underground written by Lillian Jackson Brown
• Idoru by William Gibson
• Then Again Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
• A collection of comic strip from B.C. by Johnny Hart, and 
• Short stories from anthologies Emperor of the Air by Etahn Canin and Tangents by Greg Bear.

I also started The Day I Became An Autodidact by Kendall Hailey, Insomnia by Stephen King, and Fools by Pat Cadigan. However, I still didn't finish the earlier two yet, while I discontinued reading Fools to lessen my reading list and focus on other books.

And now, I continue reading Crimson Joy by Robert B. Parker

Did I enjoy this summer leave?

After all these getaways and strolling, after those episodes of Adventure Time and Everybody Loves Raymond, after those stories I read in books, after those adventures of Jim Qwilleran, after the virtual realities of Idoru, after a marathon of Word of The Lourd, after many books bought at affordable prices, after all of these summer leave, did I enjoy it?

Before that, there are such "should haves". I should have read more. I should have learned more. I should have got along more...But all in all, I could say that even at the least I enjoyed this rest and refreshment the long vacation gave me.

I have envied others, thinking they have better ways of spending vacation, knowing they have more savings...

But then I think as I wrote these happenings that I should be happy and thankful that I had this long enough time after the tiring and challenging second year to relax and revive.

I enjoyed it in my own way.

Sooner, I would welcome myself to third year. I think and feel it would be a more challenging, more busying journey since there's Physics, Chemistry, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry, World History, etc...I think that as it is an upgraded experience, it would be a long and struggling school year, but with God's help, I could do it.

In fact, I'm even excited.

I'm ready.