Urban Adventures: MIBF 2011 (9.18.11)

 

Before this day, I had no plans of ever going because I wasn’t allow to buy any book at all by my boyfriend. He knows I have too many unread books and he insists I finish all of them before I buy new ones. But I was able to have an alibi, all thanks to Alexander Yates.

I have first heard of his book, I think a few weeks back on an NBS newsletter (so what if I’m only subscribed to PB and NBS newsletters?!!) which I now rarely look at due to “the ban” but then he’d do book signing and being his first attempt as a writer, I could not resist being one of his audience while there are still a few of them out there. There is always a pleasure for me to be able to get to be the first one to hear of it so I slightly hinted that I MAY go to the fair if I didn’t get lazy.

So I went there with a plan:

1. Buy Moondogs

2. Have it signed by Mr. Yates

3. Go home.

I was there around around 230 so I had a lot of chance going to and fro elsewhere but I managed to just stay on the NBS Booth. Besides, the machine that reads loyalty cards are busted on the only cashier that has the shortest line so I still have to fall in queue on customer service. I also get to pick a prize since my purchase is around the range; I got bookmarks. While waiting, they came:

 I can’t still figure out how they managed to put a person inside that Doraemon. I’m already ‘tall’ for this mascot.

Kids and moms alike went crazy. Especially the kids who I could only imagine how thrilled they were seeing the cat on TV come alive. They are (mascots I mean not the moms)  the reason why I bought the Doraemon set (I took it as an alibi that I will give it to him as a gift*).

So anyways when the crowd dispersed I stayed on that particular area (if you look behind Doreamon a poster of Moondogs is there) since this is where the signing will take place. A few minutes later, Alexander Yates came. I stood there for awhile until I grew weary of waiting (he and his friend are busy discussing something) so I decided to walk around the booth until 3pm is up.

While I roam around I was able to find collections. It’s probably just me but I enjoy having book collections since the series are uniformed in size and texture. Last time I tried to follow a series which didn’t do well in sales I had a hard time getting the last of the trilogy; much more disappointing that one of them, the very last copy is in hardbound :-(. So to as much as possible I revert to collections. And they are selling it really cheap if you wane the popular demand.

I was able to browse through so many books and I was telling him how I feel so tortured being around so many of them. And unexpectedly, a miracle happened. He told me to buy anything I want!! I got so excited I started thinking how I would be able to carry out my plans of taking a lot of them babies home.

But before I get to buy anything else, I realized I was stripped of all cash. I don’t have a cc and they currently don’t accept debit cards so I was to wait till the book signing was over which happened like 30 minutes after the designated time.

 Alex currently explaining what “moondogs” mean.

After the small talk where Alex basically talked about the book, we finally went to the actual book signing. I was eyeing how many of us there were and all I can see is just me and this woman on my left. Kind of disappointing but at least I know the line won’t be that long. I was surprisingly the first in line (it’s so embarrassing I feel like some stalker) and I was shocked that he talked to me. I’ve never had a foreigner sign a book before but I never experienced it(talking) to signing artists locally so this have shocker have greatly added to his appeal, in my book anyway.

Thanks!!

After the book signing I was off to abuse the privilege. I have proof that he said that I should buy whatever I want so after dumping my bag and the books I recently purchased (Moondogs & Doraemon collection) I went to the nearest ATM machine I could find and went back to roam around.

I remembered a friend told me that when he receives a hefty amount of cash to burn the first thing he does is he fills himself up. I thought I should do the same so I had lunch first at the catering service at MIBF itself. After that I tried going lane by lane to find books of my fancy.

One of the reasons I have piles of books is when I get to a sale/book fair I tend to buy books that are, well, on sale. I (used to, a little bit of it now) rarely buy them because I knew the author or proved that they were good, hence the titles I have are usually unknown. And since I buy them blindly, there really are times that a good synopsis at the back or the more drastic, a beautiful cover (Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto ; Bride Stripped Bare by Anonymous) is all it takes for me to take it home. It was only recently that I tried buying each and every book that has a strong fan base to add to my collection no matter if the audience target are kids (Percy Jackson ; Doraemon) for as long as I have every intention to read it, hence the easy-to-read-ones (which is why I still can’t get myself in buying the Devil Wears Prada books housed in a cute shoebox—the only reason why I want to have it, while every nerve in my body telling me I won’t be enjoying the books themselves).

I already have my eyes on the Percy Jackson and Hunger Games Set but it was only after I came back that I also bought Trash, Numbers and the 60th Anniversary Edition of LOTR in one thick paperback. What also appealed to me is it’s the very last copy in the booth and in really good condition. Good thing I haven’t read it yet. Ilustrado wasn’t also in my plans but the synopsis so far is interesting enough to buy.

Walking around, I was able to find a shelf of leather bound books in small sizes of different literature. I was about to get a handful of them (price is only 250 but actual payment ha less 50 pesos) but it’s a dismay that the ribbon bookmarks aren’t all in a good condition. I only got the Lewis Carroll 2 in 1 (Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass) and Hans Andersen Classics. I was thinking how this would look cool in my shelf when I get to own  many of it (plan to hoard next year when good book condition exists).

There were also a few celebrities who came this day to sign books, Tado, Lourd De Vera (extremely long line I didn’t bother) and David Pomeranz are those few I was able to spot. Yes you read it right. David Pomeranz. You’d be surprised on what he’s currently promoting. No, it’s not a new album or a music related book, not even an autobiography. He’s now a Dianetics guy. No way you say. My reaction is the same. I know right?

No university press books this time (I still have most of them unread in my shelf) and nothing out of the ordinary. No Filipino authors from the old days (yes to The Woman with 2 Navels, No to Catch Me a Firefly (really dreadful)) but I still think I have a good haul this time. It would have been perfect if I was able to spot the Coelho collection I don’t see in PB Mega anymore.  Better be prepared for next year when I think is the only time I can buy new books. Goodluck to me finishing it all haha!!**

 

 

*Not. I won’t be discussing it here but there’s no need for me to give it to him. :-)

**So far I’m still finishing Watchmen XD