the one with the books i did NOT buy

Last September 15 was the 33rd Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) in SMX Convention Center. Ang araw na sumusugod ang mga book geeks este lovers para sa isang convention center na puno ng libro.

Natuto lang akong pumunta sa MIBF nung 2010 dahil sa social marketing project namin sa isang class. Maliban sa isang convention center na puno ng libro, karamihan ng libro ay on-sale or may kung anu-anong kasamang promo.

Kung ano pa man, sumugod ako kasama si Mel; si Mel na mas marami pa ang libro kesa damit nya. Kaya sya ang tamang isama sa mga ganitong ganap.

I'm not posting any photos of what's inside the MIBF. I'm not KJ, it's just that I was so overwhelmed I  felt like a little kid running around seeing candy in every corner, I forgot to take pictures (again... such a lazy lazy girl..). 

Just like the previous years, National Bookstore (NBS) is part of the MIBF. Usually. NBS is my last stop well because I can always go to NBS on a regular day. Last Saturday, a few minutes after Mel and I got in, we see ourselves lost in NBS books stacks. This was not a good move for me. Will tell you later why.

Mel was looking for books for her dear mudra at sistah. I was looking for some chic-lit books. Laugh all you want but chic lit and flicks are my guilty pleasures.. but I ended up with non chic-lit titles.

What I got from NBS:

• What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell - I was intrigued actually. My professor in Public Policy and Administration included one article in this book in our reading list. Ever since then, I want to get a copy. Since I could be chipangga at times, I tried to look for copies in book sales but I was unfortunate. I did not want to get a copy in its regular price reason why I waited for this book fair instead so I could still get a discount. #kuripotlang?
• Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard - as Marian Superstar would explain, ODK! as in Oh Diyos Ko. I wanted to get a copy of this ever since I saw the video of the same title in youtube. As usual, I want "medyo mababang" price of foreign books that I buy. Happy that I finally got a copy.
• My Life in France by Julia Child - Such a fan of the Julie and Julia movie and book, I did not have second thoughts of buying this one. Honestly I did not know there's a book of this title about Julia Child's life in Paris. This one costs 167.50php only! Partida, wala pa ang 20% discount dito.

I was only planning to get Gladwell's 4 titles - Tipping point, Blink, Outliers and What the Dog Saw but when I saw Story of Stuff and My Life in France , I decided to get What the Dog Saw and drop the other 3 titles.

I was very happy with my purchase. Mel can see the glisten in my eyes. I was that happy.

Pero nabasag ako ng tumungtong kami sa Anvil Publishing.

I forgot that I wanted to get books written by Filipino authors. 

• Fruitcake by Eraserheads - Finished this when I was in college  by just borrowing a copy in UP Baguio libray. Yes it was in our Filipiniana section. Pop culture is in the library. Actually, I also remember borrowing a Yoko Ono's biography as well, but that one is in the circulation section naman. Anyway, I want to get a copy just because I am an Eraserheads fan.
• Filipina Artists in Diaspora - Just so you know, I am months away in starting my thesis. Oh I dread that day. My thesis topic is very close to my heart; it's about OFWs, labor, migration, home, diaspora and others. Reason why I am on the look for books I can use as reference for my study. Well just because the book had a diaspora in the title that is why I am interested. Hehe.
• F_l_p_no ng mga  F_l_p_no: Mga Problema ng  Ispeling, Retorika, at Pagpapayaman ng Wikang Pambansa - if I am going to be a teacher, I think I will be teaching Filipino. For some reason, the Filipino language hits my soft spot. Mas madali sa akin ang magsulat sa Filipino kesa sa Ingles. Reason why this blog is mostly in Filipino and not English.

I am a Ricky Lee fan as well. My first book was Trip to Quiapo which helped me a lot in my scriptwriting class back in college; has been my inspiration for writing in Filipino. Then I had Para kay B then Si Amapola sa 65 na kabanata. Missing is Si Tatang at Mga Himala ng Ating Panahon. I love the new covers of the books. Nagsisimula na talaga ang lungkot ko sa mga libro. 

Ang Huling Dalagang Bukid at ang Autobiography na Mali by Jun Cruz Reyes. It was 2 years ago when I saw this book and yes I told myself again - get this book. Ikaw ang target audience ng librong ito. I should have bought this one instead of Malcolm Gladwell. Bakit ba laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi?! 0_o

We left the Anvil booth and I saw the Ateneo de Manila Publishing book. Oh no, I am pretty sure that the UP Press booth was next to the Ateneo's. Ayokong madagdagan pa ang lungkot ko.

There was nothing in the Ateneo booth that interest me, well the books on Migrations studies maybe, but other than that.. Hohummm. #butinalang

And then the UP Press booth.

I saw books that I want but I could not afford them even if I have not purchased the 3 books in NBS.

My love of Filipino Language and Literature - Cultural Dictionary for Filipinos, Looking for the Philippines Travel Essays and Gramatikang Filipino: Balangkasan.

Nakakainis. I know.

I am sorry UP press but will not be taking anything from you this year..

Para maka-get over sa panghihinayang with the books that I did not buy, lumibot pa kami ni Mel kahit wala na kaming intensyong dagdagan pa ang aming mga binili.

And then we were in front of one of the most popular booths in the fair..

You know what this is?

Yes it's an ebook, I can see that. But does the title sound familiar?

The Precious Hearts Romance Books in ebook! Haha. Mel could not take it. Hindi sya makapaniwala. I told her - Akala mo si Sun Tzu lang ang may ebook ha! Panis! Nyahahaha

I read the Kristine Series of the Precious Heart Romance (Again one of my guilty pleasures.. ) but please don't ask for my opinion on this.. Hehe..

I can't get my mind of those Filipino books. But I told Mel that for the mean time I would abstain from reading literatures in Filipino as I want to practice thinking in English - in preparation for my thesis writing. 

You see, all my thoughts are in Filipino, words, metaphors, syntax etc are in Filipino. Thus, some of my classmates were encouraging me to write my thesis in Filipino as most of the thesis and dissertation in our college is written in English. Of course I would love to write it in Filipino but I realized that I am not living my comfort zone if I did. One of the things I challenge myself since I went fulltime studying is to go out of my safe zone. I still undecided what to do. But just in case, I am preparing myself now. So no Kikomachine komix and other FIl-lit books for the meantime.

So happy with the books period 

#OkFinePilitinAngSarili

merci merci