A Bookworm in Cebu
I didn’t have any posts up last weekend because I had to fly to Cebu on Friday night on a business trip, to cover the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival hosted by the provincial government at the Cebu International Convention Center.
I’ve been to Cebu at least once a year in the past four years (second time this year), but always for work, with a bit of leisure crammed in. Always hopeful for some reading time, I packed three books, although to no avail. For some reason, when I have several books with me I never find the time to read, and when I don’t have any books with me I end up with absolutely nothing to do!
I didn’t have much time to go around because our activities were packed (I wish I can go to Cebu for fun next time!), but I managed to squeeze in some bookish time– finished one book, went to a couple of Book Sale branches and got a bunch of books, scoped out some bookish items at the trade fair, and met up with a Flipper friend!
Here, my (bookish) weekend in photos:
I brought three paperbacks along, but I was only able to finish A Company of Swans (will post review within the next few weeks). On Saturday night the group went out for a bit after dinner, and I sorely wanted to go straight to the hotel to get some rest and read some more but I didn’t want to be a killjoy
Got back to the hotel around 10pm so still had some time to go online for the moochfest over at BookMoochers Pilipinas and read a few chapters.
in my suitcase: The Remedy by Michelle Lovric, A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans, A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
Speaking of moochfest, our favorite moocher Triccie had another one of her famous moochfests. The first night, I had just landed in Cebu and was having a very late dinner, when Czar texted that there was an ongoing moochfest. I sped back to the hotel and thanked my lucky stars that my suite (at the awesome Alpa City Suites) had unlimited LAN so I was able to go online. There was a second moochfest on the next night, and another one the day after, which I missed because I was on the flight home. There was another one last night too, haha.
My BM points took quite a beating, which is actually fine because I needed motivation to build up BM points again. It was getting boring out there for a while.

Moochfest! Aieee!
The next day I went to the One Cebu Expo, a trade fair also organized by the provincial government at the Cebu International Convention Center. I found a bookish chest of drawers, which went for P1,100 (around $20), although I didn’t buy it because it was heavy, and I didn’t like the crude lettering on the books. I would’ve repainted the spines if it was light enough to tote back on my flight home.

bookish chest of drawers
I did get a couple magazine racks (below, right, for P300 each – around $6), for my boss, though, because she’s been looking for some for her newly renovated house. I knew she’d love them so I took a photo with my phone and sent her an MMS. They originally cost P350 but I haggled for P300
rocking rattan craft!
From the CICC I crossed the road over to ParkMall, where my bookish friends in Cebu said I could find the biggest book sale branch in Cebu. It indeed had a great selection, but I had to stop myself because I might go over my baggage allowance.
I ended up buying three books: The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Urdry (ill. by Maurice Sendak) for P45 (less than $1) ; a hardcover first edition of The 21 Balloons by William Pene Du Bois, which is one of my favorite books of all time, for P20 (less than $0.50); and a copy of The Penguin Classics, the Complete Annotated Listing, also P45, which is great because it lists capsule information about each book.
my loot!
I then met with Flipper friend Mauie! Earlier this week I also met with another Flipper friend from Cebu — Maydayeve — back in Manila, when I had no idea I was going to be in Cebu for the weekend. I wasn’t able to met Maydayeve again in Cebu, so I’m glad we already met in Manila. Mauie and I met at Parkmall and she walked me back over to CICC, where we had time for a quick photo before I had to get back to work.
It was great meeting you, Mauie! Let’s go book hunting next time!
Mauie and me!
I then had to get back to work — I interviewed Cebu governor Gwen Garcia, and then settled down to watch festival performances.
Bantayan's Palawod festival, which took home the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival crown
I then returned to the hotel to pack my bags for the flight the next day. I discovered a book in our token kits — a guidebook to Cebu! I love that I have one now, because I’ve been meaning to go to Cebu just for fun the next time around.
finally, a guidebook!
That was my exhausting but fun (and bookish!) weekend in Cebu. My next stop (I think) is Singapore by end September, and I’ll have a bookish post for that trip too
Tags: book hunting, bookish, bookish chest of drawers, Cebu, Cebu City, Cebu International Convention Center, magazine rack, Mandaue, One Cebu Expo, Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival, rattan, trip






August 20th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Blooey! Im glad you had fun here in Cebu! My flight was delayed for 35 minutes and i was already tired when i get home that Saturday! I will email you, marie and czar of the photos we had at Bigby’s. I hope you will visit Cebu again soon! Meanwhile i will wait till MayD will get here by end of the month
August 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Hi Chloe! I hope so too so we can go book hunting!
August 20th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
How lucky! I wish I could visit the Philippines as much as you do. What a great place to read a book. Thanks for sharing.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Hi MaryS, I’m a Filipina, blogging from Makati City, Philippines
But I do love to travel across the country, and I look forward to extra reading time while traveling
August 20th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
oui! ganda ng cebu guidebook! babalik ako sa cebu ths september! ahehe
August 20th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hi eric! Nagrequest na ako ng copy. Sayo na yung copy na to
August 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
ahaha yey! thanks! babalik ako dun for another round of food trip and heritage tour! ahehe
August 21st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
It seems you get to travel a lot. You’re so lucky!
August 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
[...] 22, 2009 by pachuvachuva Pachuvachuva is happy to have met for the first time the talent behind sumthinblue.com, Blooey Singson, on one sunny weekend in [...]
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Hey, lucky girl! Nice meeting you. As in pinagsabi ko talaga sa mga friends ko that I finally met you. Hehe
Sorry, ngayon ko lang na-upload yung pics sa cicc. Midterm week is such a blah. Hehe
http://pachuvachuva.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/one-snap-happy-weekend/
Til next time!
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Hahaha, talaga pinagsabi mo pa sa friends mo? Kilala na nila ako?
September 8th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
[...] she would take on a more exotic environment such as the Amazon. I took A Company of Swans with me on the trip to Cebu, while Journey to the River Sea was one of the books that kept me company during my hospital stay [...]
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 am
when deciding on buying new books (not the 2nd hand kind from bookfairs) do choose the one you’ve read a good review of, the book everyone is talking about or the book that personally find interesting just by basing on the synopsis at the back cover?
October 5th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Hi Dominic. I rarely pick up a book when everyone is talking about it. I usually base it on the synopsis, sometimes on the book design and sometimes on a good review.
October 8th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
[...] book club friend and fellow book blogger, Mauie, whom I finally met on my last Cebu sojourn, is also up for a Blogger’s Choice Award, and I’m glad for her — it’s a fun [...]