BOOKSES! And about buying books.
BOOKSES!
Honestly, I'll probably find more to buy before the Times Warehouse Sale is over. RM8 for a mass paperback. This is how much books should cost if they want to encourage reading. At the standard market price, it's as though they want to keep reading a luxury only the rich can afford.
The main thing I notice about cheap books (i.e. Popular's usual best buy, or warehouse sales) is that you get stuff that you usually don't notice on a normal day at the book store. This is great if you're looking for authors that are usually not available here or like me, just go around picking up stuff that sounds interesting.
This is also not great because you are not likely to pick up a marked down version of that bestseller you've been eyeing. I'd love to complete my James Patterson or Harry Potter collection, but there's not a single one of those to be seen at the warehouse sale. As I can recall from conversations with book store managers/supervisors, the store is only allowed to put certain titles on sale like that.
I'm still not pleased that KL get the best pickings and send their leftovers to us, but to be fair, we don't have enough buying power to demand a better selection of books. Those with more discerning taste in reading material usually can afford to order online or travel to KL/Singapore and get it there.
I've so far not been desperate enough to order anything online. Doing that takes the thrill out of the hunt anyway.
If anyone wants to collect David Eddings, Robert Jordan or Danielle Steele, Yahya at Sarawak Plaza has massive amounts of them at the secondhand books shelf because someone sold off their entire collection. It's been there for weeks.
“LOOK AT THE BIG MONKEY!”
I'm slacking on Tarlia Daily because of a combination of late nights out and Maple Story. I kept taking self-portraits anyway; I just haven't posted them. Maybe later, if my current book doesn't lure me away.
I'm not too sure about Maple Story at this time. I love the graphics and the fact that I can get these top-up cards at Popular or authorised cyber cafes in this town, but if all you do there is kill mushrooms (alone or with a party) and level up so you can kill bigger mushrooms (alone or with a party), then I doubt if I'll be sticking with it for long. At least Puzzle Pirates had variety, but it's a little expensive and I've had entire weekends that disappeared when I played that. I think that the main reason why I didn't resubscribe is because I can't afford the distraction.
FH2O reposted my article about our Krokong-Wind Cave kayaking trip. Another version of this photo was on the cover of PostMag. I'm terribly proud of it.
Another worthy mention is that last week, I had drinks with a bunch of strangers I met on the Internet. It was hella fun and I'm glad I was in a mingling mood that night.
I was at the Royal London Circus last night for the second time since they started performing, and it actually started to feel a little too long for me. Still wanna run away and join the circus though.
I ended up sitting next to this man who is a fine example of how some people turn into utter morons when they have kids. He had two very young girls and he spent most of the time running a commentary so that his kids would keep their eyes on the ring. Meanwhile, he was ruining it for people within earshot with things like:
"LOOK AT THE BIG MONKEY! BIG MONKEY! LOOK! BIG MONKEY! LOOK! LOOK AT THE BIG MONKEY FLY! LOOK! SEE? BIG MONKEY! THERE'S ANOTHER BIG MONKEY! LOOK! LOOK AT THE BIG MONKEY! BIG MONKEY FLY BACK!"
If I haven't already seen the show, I'd have smacked him in the face with my neon green terry cloth Fila handbag. On hindsight, I probably should have anyway, but my dad was around and he'd probably feel obligated to stop me.
The "BIG MONKEYS" were the Flying Ciobanus, the resident trapeze group. I find it very undignified that they are referred to as BIG MONKEYS.
I forgot what he called the real monkeys when they were brought out. Oh wait… he already left by then. THANK GOD.
When another pair were up in the air doing The Cradle act (similar to trapeze but stationary), Moron Man was holding one of his kids and I think she was biting him but I'm not sure. Anyway, Moron Man was going "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA" in a creepy manner.
By the time he left, I was quite sure that the only thing going on there was a passionate love affair between Moron Man and his own voice. The commentary doesn't stop even if the kid is paying full attention to the show or is face down in her mother's lap.
I've driven down to MJC so often the last two weeks that it doesn't feel far anymore. I'll still be popping by the circus quite a bit in the coming weeks.
Bubble Day
This afternoon, I stood in my driveway and blew bubbles down my lorong. The wind carried them away pretty quickly. I soon realised that I didn't need to blow it myself; I held the bubble ring tool over my head and the wind did the rest.
I have a bubble gun – one of those contraptions that's like a hair dryer with a bubble tool attachment – but doing it the old-fashioned way is quicker and more satisfying.
I meant to take photos but making bubbles was more fun.
