National Bookstore, Greenbelt 1
I'm just happy. As simple as that. I've added to my ever-towering, ever-leaning-precariously-like-Pisa pile of books (some of which I've not read completely).
I was in the vicinity of the bookstore to have a special order made for a book on trading, when I noticed they were on sale. All books with white dots were marked 20% off...and even if my penchant for travel books leaves my wallet groaning, I still could not resist.
I grabbed the books I wanted, but realized I had to leave at least half of them behind as I was already juggling other bags and I still had to go to the grocery to get my prosciutto and salami milano, and whatever fruit I could find to pair with them. The ones I picked were all thick and heavy tomes, save for one.
So I only got four, because I'm thinking I may be traveling again next year or this December, and what could be better than to be a girl scout and be prepared. Goodbye books on Italy, France and Greece!
1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List by Patricia SchultzAlthough there aren't very many pictures, and whatever there were scattered between the book's covers, were all in black and white, it may be nice to have a checklist of where to go. It is at least 2 inches thick though...sheesh! some checklist eh?
Under the Philippines, they placed Banaue Rice Terraces (no check), Taal Volcano (check) and Amanpulo (super no check).
Lonely Planet's Tokyo: City Guide by Andrew Bender and Wendy YanagiharaI'm planning a collection of city guides...and even if I have been to Tokyo, I felt I had only scratched the surface. One never knows, I may visit Tokyo again before I reach the golden age of 50 :-)
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: China by Staff of DK Publishing Inc.I dithered between Frommer's China and this book. The lovely photographs won out in the end. I resolved to come back later for Frommer's version.
Some people may prefer Lonely Planet, but I liked my experience with Frommer's details on how to get from one place to another, but it doesn't have the beautiful photographs (which can serve as one's album too) which I see in DK.
Frommer's Southeast Asia 5th edition by Jason Armbrecht, Brian Calvert, Jennifer Eveland and Jen Lin-LiuHmm...I was expecting it to have an entry on the Philippines....but it did not. Why? Bakit? Ngano? Porque?
Isn't my country in SE Asia? Was there a mistake? Maybe its classified somewhere else? Grrrr....
Oh well, if my trip to Vietnam pushes through before the end of the year, this will be handy.
oh you go girl! travel as much as you can....and bring us with you!
ReplyDeletedid you know Cebu Pac has Osaka flights already? hehe
ReplyDeletereally Mela? Osaka is nice to visit again..I only spent one night, but the food was good, and entertainment is good too...they say most of the comedians in Japan hail from Osaka...
ReplyDeleteano? taralets!
kaso lang, baka naman super delayed flights ng Ceb Pac to Osaka, we could speak Japanese already by the time we get there...hehehe...
haha tara! okay lng late! hehe magtrain rin tayo papuntang TOkyo. My gosh, kelangan ko muna magipon! =)) expensive ba tlga sa Japan super?
ReplyDeleteI've visited Tokyo 16 times, and I've not seen the half of it yet.
ReplyDeletewell, I was telling my clubmates sa J-club to save at least 100K (PHP) if they want to stay in Japan for 2 weeks and visit places like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka to name a few...that would include hotels, meals, spending money (and you betcha you will be tempted to buy), probably airfare too...
ReplyDeleteit really depends on where you want to go...but I was thinking, if you are already there, what a waste if its only 3 days you will stay...there are ways to cut costs, but I cannot claim that Japan can be a cheap country to visit :-)
okidoki..but...
ReplyDeletemag solicit muna ako ng pera for the travel funds....hahaha!
although its in the top 3 of my fave things to do, its a penchant which does put a dent on the wallet...
"1,000 Places ..." could be interesting. Cat, you still have a heck lot of time. Just do it!
ReplyDeleteremember what they say -
ReplyDeletewhen you are young, you have time and energy but no money
when you are employed/working, you have energy and money but no time
when you are old, you have money and time but no energy...
I have the energy, but no time and not much money...so am stuck :-)
16 times? and how long on the average (days), was your Tokyo visit?
ReplyDeleteI didn't even plan to go to Akihabara, only Harajuku, but I got ensnared, and it wasn't enough. I only visited two bookstores selling manga.
While my Kyoto visit was something which I felt I could crow about, the Tokyo leg was entirely too short :-(
i am sure there is a way! just go go go!!!
ReplyDeletecge, ipon to the max ulit! *gets life-size-pig-size piggy bank*
ReplyDeleteay, may chat kami ni Oselle before...yung Europe nga sana...hope it pushes through and magkasama kami ni Oselle and who else may be interested...mygolly, another thing to save for...
14 times were only 1 week each, 1 was for 14 days and 1 for a whole month.
ReplyDeleteam in awe....really...and you say you haven't even seen half of Tokyo yet...
ReplyDeletewell, its nice to savour visits too...so my style of cramming anything in a trip like this, is only good for a first time trip with no sure plans of attempting another...
gambatte on your trip this month!
Thanks. only 12 days to wait.
ReplyDeleteHi Cat. Based on your theory therefore, this means you are young and have a job. That's not so bad, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteit is, when one's job forces the person to spend more than 48 hours a week on one's job..but since its the IT industry...
ReplyDeletethat message to me singing/humming...12 days of Christmas...*happy grin*
ReplyDeleteYou are still better off than many in your industry - the inventor of the term 24 by 7.
ReplyDeletesamahan kita..:)
ReplyDeleteLast year, some friends, Gwiz and I thought of putting out a travel book on the Philippines precisely because of how unjustly the so-called authoritative books on travel treat our country. It is not because of patriotic pride when I say there is a whole lot more to see and visit in the Philippines. I hope we would be able to do it but it is taking quite a long time.
ReplyDeleteEven twenty times is not enough when visiting a place like Tokyo where there is a myriad of strong traditions and dazzling modern developments. What's more, the level of intensity of seeing and experiencing varies in our lifetime. So that each visit could always be fresh and joyous.
ReplyDeleteWorking at night could really skew your daytime sked and make you feel that you don't have enough time. I am sure you have enough money and I am sure you can do more travelling if you set your mind to it. You have strong will power Cat. Flex it a bit. : )
ReplyDeleteits not will power I fear that I have to flex...its the financial muscle that I need to exercise.....but its all financial fat..but thats just for now...*grin*
ReplyDeleteyes, I was expecting to have at least 5 more entries for Philippines in the book 1000 Places...but only three?
ReplyDeletefor you and Ms G - I say hip-hip-hurray! yes, go-go-go...hay naku...Philippines is not marketed properly..and even if may marketing na ayos, some foreigners get turned off by how it is when they arrive here...remember Helene's anecdote?
I rue the minute that I bought the Frommer's SE Asia Guide without taking off its plastic cover...I was slack-jawed as to why it didn't have my country...
come to think of it is there a Frommer's Philippines? *runs off to google*
Kyoto is still my fave though *wink*
ReplyDeleteNonz, wo sollen wir gehen?
ReplyDeleteEurope or Asia? (thinking big na to!)
or maybe..Europe AND Asia...hehehe..
cge, why don't we have Jack (where is he, I vote him as manager) do the project mgt work on a trip with Oselle and sino pang pwede...
Ang sarap balikan!
ReplyDeleteit would be nice to have a geisha perform a tea ceremony and serve me personally my green tea...
ReplyDeleteor to be part of a party which arranged for a geisha to entertain them....even if only the part wherein I hear her and see her playing a shamisen up close and personal...
A geisha entertaining a man definitely is of a different level because, always, there will be sexual undertones.
ReplyDeleterats.....wala bang geisha na male version? LOL...
ReplyDeleteTotoo! But you know what? The foreigners I've met during my last trip was happy with traveling in the Philippines. Nakakainggit nga na alam nila yung mga non-touristy spots. Grrrr.
ReplyDeleteBakit po natatagalan?
sometimes I feel its more like 25 by 8...
ReplyDeleteIt pays a lot! Pa-cheesburger ka naman! (Uhm, fillet-of-fish na lang para sa akin!)
ReplyDeletebanana-q na lang....or camote-q baka mas healthy pa..cheap din..
ReplyDeletehmph...I don't know if you heard about yung sa EDS and HP...dami ding mwalan ng trabaho..being in IT is not all roses...di rin ayos sa US ngayon..so...the usual...
How about turon with langka with queso ice cream?
ReplyDeletehmm...pwede rin...saarap!
ReplyDeleteMarie and I were tentatively planning to meet up with each other either don sa sunday market sa lung center sa qc, and after baka yung classical music concert sa salcedo..pero kc nga sunday, I don't know if any of you would be able to make it too...
si Che yata may lakad tmrw...you would be in Tagaytay or saang exotic country :-) the rest shempre family day...
If you're planning to see Europe someday, guide books on Europe by Rick Steves are very useful. Check him out at: www.ricksteves.com
ReplyDeletethanks BNK for that tip...:-) I've bookmarked it after reading your post...
ReplyDelete