The HBS or Book Hoarding Syndrome, and undemocratically listening to people belting out of tune songs

I really don’t update my blog as often as I want to because I’m finding it increasingly more difficult to have the time to write.  However, from time to time when I stare blankly at my blog site, I tell myself, “Hey bud, you better write something or you’re gonna get rusty soon.” Today is that time.

As a writer, I read a lot. So because I read a lot, I have a lot (of books).

However, most of my books have been gathering dust.

I probably have what I call the book hoarding syndrome (HBS), especially when I see books on bargain. Unlike stocks, you aren’t catching a falling knife when you get something that’s 50% off its original price. And mind you, there are a lot on sale these coming weeks at the National Bookstore due to their annual September sale. I also can’t wait for the upcoming Book Fair.

I’m glad that there are now a lot of people flocking to bookstores, probably because of how Fully Booked redefined book reading and book selling. It’s also probably due to the proliferation of books to movies like Harry Potter and Twilight. I saw how teens save up money just to buy copies of the said series. At least people respect intellectual property rights when it comes to the printed media.

Going back to HBS, I found myself in book heaven recently due to the ongoing sale in National (Powerbooks recently ended theirs). I loitered around looking for great bargains.

I am especially drawn to hardbound business books that have lost half or more of its value. Business books are expensive and getting them at dirt cheap prices comes only once a year. So now I have a pile of books sitting on the floor just waiting for my curious eyes to take notice of their words.

During a recent trip to the Robinsons Ermita branch of National, I couldn’t help (actually, you really cannot) noticing (actually, hearing) a girl singing to her heart’s content at the Magic Sing kiosk. She belted one out out-of-tune song after another. I wanted to approach her and ask her if it was really part of her job description.

It’s one of the biggest mysteries of the universe. How do you attract people to buy something when the live testimonial for it is soooo bad? Maybe that explains why there are more people buying Magic Sing at Odyssey Record Bars than in National Bookstore. Or, it can just be a simple case of bad distribution strategy. I could be wrong.

The Title is not Eric Clapton.

The school season was supposed to have started last week, but due to the flu pandemic (as the WHO is labeling it now), most private schools will start this Monday. Traffic will certainly be bad as there will be a convergence of students on their way to school, families back from vacation, and the usual Monday traffic snarl.

I hope come Monday, it wouldn’t be as bad as I imagine.

It’s not as bad as say, the tuition fee most schools charge. I was talking to somebody today and I learned that high schools charge from as low as 30K to almost 100K per year. Imagine that. Is knowledge that expensive?

That amount does not include the books, school supplies, and your child’s snacks for the next 9 to 10 months. It’s amazing how we Filipinos still survive in this country with the level of wages we receive.

Pambihira.

What about public schools? While I never studied in a public school, I would assume that the quality is not that good. It is not my intention to demean people who came from public schools as I am knowledgeable of the fact that there are achievers in Philippine society who come from the public education system.

But this afternoon, a personal experience forced me to recall an old post of mine regarding our public education. This experience was anecdotal and worrisome.

I was at the Gateway Mall and entered a record bar there. I had been looking for a CD copy of a collaborative album featuring Eric Clapton and BB King. I approached a comely saleslady (SL), and asked this question:

Moi: Miss, meron po ba kayong Eric Clapton?

SL   : Yun po ba title ng kanta?

It might not be due to her schooling but just innocent ignorance; but, there’s no denying that her answer is up there with the best one liners in the world.

Ciao and enjoy the rest of the week. I will be back soon