I'll be leaving the Philippines on Thursday. Part of me is sad since I will miss Tacloban, the volunteers, my home-stay parents, and just the general feeling of having a "home". However, I have to be honest and say that I won't miss some things, one of which is the annoying fact that everything here seems to take forever. Everything takes more time than anticipated, from travelling to waiting in line for a cashier to getting laundry done to buying stamps...
Today my mission was to sell back some of the books that I've finished while staying here so that I don't need to schlep them around the Pacific. In anticipation of this mission I ask at my favorite second-hand shop whether they bought back books during a recent visit there. The cashier said that they did with great enthusiasm, which gave me a false sense of confidence in the easiness of the mission.
Unfortunately, when I arrived there early this afternoon with my six books in tow this same cashier looked at my blankly and said that she couldn't buy them back. When asked why she replied that I'd have to wait for her boss, who was due to arrive 2 hours later. So I asked if I could just donate them to the store -- free of charge, to which she replied that she wasn't sure! So then I asked what to do with them and she suggested to "just try" at another used books store, Booksale.
Somewhat annoyed I got on a tricycle and made my way to Booksale. Once there the same scenario occurred. The employees would not buy the books and told me that they were not allowed to accept donations! (what kind of used book business doesn't accept a bag of free used books?!?) After a long discussion they told me to try my luck at the local public library, near Sto. Nino shrine.
Slightly more annoyed I got on a jeepeney asking for Sto. Nino shrine. Once there I had to ask for directions. The locals all answered me with vague hand-wavings which made me even more exasperated. Finally after wandering around and around a big white building I realized that the library was on it's second floor. I made my way up the stairs (by then I was very warm and more than slightly annoyed -- I'd been wandering all over town for over an hour and a half) and the site that greeted me took my breath away: floor to celling bookshelves, bursting full, amid huge windows. The librarian was friendly and my donations were enthusiastically received!
The popular Filipino bumper sticker says it all: "Always late, but worth the wait".
but did they take your books?
ReplyDelete