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 :D 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.

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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!

I then had to get back to work — I interviewed Cebu governor Gwen Garcia, and then settled down to watch festival performances.

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.

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 :)