Monday, November 19, 2007

Book Fair

PMA hosts this annual book fair at this time of the year. Its usually one of those times when I can just enjoy myself among the literary works of this generation. In my plebe year, the book fair was the first time that I was able to get hold of the book. I practically wanted to buy everything as I was on a "book drought" since April of that year. I spent around three thousand pesos of my savings just to be frustrated a week after because of lack of sleep and money spent on books that I have already read. When I went on my first break in March the year after that, I found "A different kind of Bookstore" and spent five thousand pesos of my break allowance all on books. A few days after I came back to PMA, I returned to my frustration of having spent a huge amount of money over books that I've finished reading.

The book fair in my thirdclass year (that's the second year) came at an appropriate time. It was that time when I was trying to find a good gift for a very beautiful lady that I recently met a week before that. She was to celebrate her birthday and I wanted to make her feel that I did remember her special day even if we were not exactly close. At that time, I already knew better and I was buying books sparingly. I was still able to enjoy the bounty of reading many books as other cadets bought books which I can borrow. My problem was no longer because of my depleted savings but it was more of lack of sleep wanting to finish a certain book despite of my cadet schedule.

In my secondclass year, the book fair had lesser books on display most of which I have already read. I, instead, started to hunt down old books inside the PMA library. I did not know that there was fiction in the collection but I found a whole shelf of it. A couple of years ago, I was caught by the way Judith Krantz described his characters. How there was so much emotion when she wrote about events in her novels. In a short span of time I just love her, believe me one would never imagine that someone from the military will actually appreciate the works of this author whose characters where mostly those from the rich and famous. The greater surprise is to find these types of books on the shelf of the library of the country's premier military school.

In another incident, I remembered reading something about the latest book of another author I idolized. I scoured bookstores for it. When I was finally able to find it, I realized that it was a good gift for the same girl I gave a gift to a year ago whose birthday was just around the corner. I bought the book at Gateway Mall and just to prevent myself from being frustrated again, I read the entire book on the bus going up to Baguio and then sending it to her upon my arrival.

Today, the book fair begins. A while ago I was reading Emarrah's blog about her addiction to reading. That was the reason why I suddenly had this thought about books in general. At the same time, I remembered that the girl that mesmerized me a few years back will again be celebrating her birthday. In her blog, she wished for things that she want and one of it is a book that will stimulate her brain. Is the book fair the answer to that? Or I'm just trying to interpret things that are not supposed to be interpreted?

This entry took one day to compose with thoughts ranging from excitement, conflicting ideas, hopeful imaginings and others just to get this done with and publish it on the blog. But I think the point is, reading or books in general has a way of connecting to me in areas that are not even that related. I am now reading Paulo Coelho's the Witch of Portobello and again I am amazed by the vastness of emotions I derive from reading. When I finally click the button that will publish this post, other ideas will come into play inside my head but I'm sure I will always see reading as one of those past times that captures the very essence of my person.

4 comments:

graxa said...

Your last entry here in 2007 under this label.. what happened to her? Did you send her another book?

Alex Cabales said...

We parted ways when I was assigned in Davao for my deployment as an officer. I would like to think that we are still friends. Anyway, I think she is getting married soon...

graxa said...

Hi! i was so inspired by your blog to the point that i looked for an somebody that i can also call myself a hero. Right now, I am here in Fort magsaysay nueva ecija just outside the camp in a small barrio, i met an officer also a PMA grad who i met in surigao over a year ago. I looked for him after seeing half of his face ( naka side view ) in a cemetery. 3 months of searching passed and i finally found him, i came here in fort magsaysay from north cotabato to meet him but he didnt like me. I waited 2 months for him to change his mind, his decision is final. For whatever fairytale story we thought will happened ended to be the saddest and tragic story i can tell. im just glad yours is a great one, happy 4th wedding anniversary to you and to your wife.

Alex Cabales said...

I hope I am not to blame for your experience. If you read more of this blog you would find that I wrote so many things about that girl. She was basically the leading lady of my cadetship. The story about my wife is somehow not that told much in this blog, but the thing is, the stories here are mere stories and what we experience in our lovelife are entirely different things. Have I been given the luxury of writing more when I met my wife I could have given justice to what I really feel about her in relation to this blog. Just the same, I hope that you get to experience what I have experienced and enjoy it as I do even with our distant situation. Thanks for reading my blog hope you can share it to others.