Manila International Book Fair

Went first thing upon opening yesterday. Runs from Sept. 12-14 only. It's at the Convention Center building of SM Mall of Asia.

First things first:

1. Bring enough cash because there is NO ATM inside this building. You have to walk outside to the supermarket area and withdraw there, so make sure you bring an umbrella.

2. Visit the loo before entering the fair. Otherwise, there are conveniently located toilets outside the trade halls and also inside, in the middle back.

3. Also, if you want to conserve your money for books instead of food, eat beforehand. Or you can buy from Albergus Catering, which does offer really good value for money food, with tables and waiters! You line up and pay, self-service. The waiters clear your table so the turnover is quite efficient.

We chose from the "Guest Menu" where, for P130 (exclusive of drinks), I recommend either the Roast Beef+Pancit+Rice meal or the Fish in Basil Cream Sauce+Pancit+Rice meal. Drinks are around PhP 40/can softdrinks or C2 iced tea.

Now, to the books:

1. If you went to the National Bookstore booksale last month, it continues here, with 20% off on all regular priced items, and bigger discounts for selected items. Cash and credit transactions. You can use your Laking National card here too. Promo items for every PhP 1000 purchase. I got a Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" promo messenger bag! Quite useful for putting all your purchases in.

2. Same discount structure at Powerbooks. Some books you are looking for in National but can't find in that booth might be available here. You can also avail of an outright purchase Powerbooks Powercard for PhP 100 and claim the discount card after 3 weeks at the Powerbooks branch nearest you. Cash and credit accepted, as well as BPI Express Payment.

3. Goodwill has lots of lovely children's books! Lovely discounted prices as well! Cash and credit too!

4. Anvil Publications has imported and local publications on display, also with wonderful discounts. Local publications are available in bookpaper or newsprint. Cash and credit accepted.

Please watch out for my friend Jag Garcia's book (written with colleagues Melanie Casul and Michael Kho Lim) "Media Kit" volumes 1 and 2. Great basic textbook for people who want to learn how to make effective audiovisual presentations or have ambitions to become scriptwriters or filmmakers. Well-written, simple and concise. In this age of digital information, this is one affordable information resource to always have by your side.

Another recommendation: This is the time to take advantage of adding to your Ambeth Ocampo popular history collection! Start with "Rizal Without His Overcoat" and go through each of the national heroes in Ambeth's list. If you buy his books you get a bottle of Claude Tayag's "Claude 9" brand sauce free (random flavor)!

Yet another: The late Doreen G. Fernandez's book of food essays, "Tikim".

5. Best Value For Money Filipiniana booth: Bookmark.

I got a "Field Guide to the Common Mangroves, Sea Grasses and Algae of the Philippines" by Hilconida Calumpong and the Smithsonian's Ernani Menez for my uncle Joey who is the barangay captain of a tiny Negros coastal town featuring a DENR-recognized mangrove sanctuary. It has glossy full-color photography, which sold for an unbelievable discount price of PhP 250 (regular price: PhP 400). Super sulit geeky Pinoy science book for an international audience.

Also available: "Marine Reserves in the Philippines: Historical Development, Effects and Influence on Marine Conservation Policy" by former DENR Sec. Angel Alcala for an even more unbelievable sale price of PhP 100!!!

Splendid selection of Filipiniana available. Fantastic pictures and paper quality. The coffeetable book "Philippine Ancestral Houses" edited by Gilda Cordero-Fernando is available in paperback for PhP 1000!!! (That's actually reasonable, folks, because the hardcover edition is worth at least PhP 3-4000 and is a collector's item.) I thought it was out of print.

6. Check out other university press favorites, University of the Philippines Press and Ateneo de Manila University Press.

7. Other booths are specialty books and feature some seriously scary prices so just think that they are actually targeted at school libraries and not the ordinary consumer.

8. Not books, but next to the stage there is a booth for Pilot pens and pencils. I recommend for all those with an office supplies fetish like myself the Pilot ENO 0.7mm mechanical pencil which has erasable colored pencil refills!!! I got one, plus red, green and blue refills (3 colors, one pack). Other refill colors are light blue, lavender, pink, apple green... so yes... indulge...

Honestly, one day is not enough. If someone offers you a free pass valid until Sunday (tomorrow), get them! Only your wallet limits you.

Why Is This Girl Laughing?

People have their pictures taken with celebrities. One night, tipsy at a friend's mom's bienvenida party near Don Antonio, I met Boggart. I couldn't resist having my picture taken with him.

Yes, the name matched this huge dog but only in appearance. The demon-incarnate-looking Boggart stuck next to me like a KITTEN all night, of all things. When my friends and I first met Boggart, we were wary. "Boggart likes to run. So don't run," Harold's mom said. Beside me Ana and Jopet sort of laughed nervously.

She should have said, "Boggart likes to run outside if he finds the front gate is open."

She should have added, "Boggart the 3-year-old Doberman thinks he's a Labrador puppy." Dober-marshmallow is more like it. Boggart was overjoyed to meet new friends! Good thing he wasn't the sort who jumped on you and murdered your clothes with muddy paws. He actually went to obedience school. And graduated.

Boggart wasn't actually Harold's mom's dog. Let's say the house came with the dog when they bought it. Alas, I must say Boggart is useless as a guard dog. He loves being petted and having his ears scratched and back stroked. I like that he doesn't sneak food from your plate when you're not looking, because his head already comes up to the height of the table. He does beg and put his paws on your knees. And look at you with meaningfully while the following thought runs through his head: *barbecue! o dearest master's friend! be kind and generous to your little Boggart!*

Harold was amazed that Boggart and I got along so well. I've always loved dogs, although it depended on their personality. Boggart is quite... affectionate. Ana and Jopet were quite happy to sit on the far side of the gazebo.

National Bookstore Mid-Year Book Sale

Last weekend Tristan, Joy and I decided to have lunch in Galleria and visit Bestsellers, National Bookstore's "books only, no school supplies" outlet. Joy was hunting for those Japanese magazines with the cute crochet and crafting designs. On an earlier foray to the National side of the mall, she saw the magazines went for PhP 85 each. At Bestsellers, they were also PhP 85 each, only some had further discounts if you looked really closely. Then the very helpful staff there suggested that we look for stuff we wanted because when the Mid-Year Book Sale started, trade books would be from 20-40% off! She also said we could RESERVE books and get them the first morning of the sale (ie., Aug. 28, Thursday). Now isn't that just great.

We returned to Bestsellers as promised Thursday morning, when Galleria was still clear of shoppers. The discounts were amazing! Joy got the Japanese magazines at PhP 65 each, and I got a couple of hardcover trade books for 40% off! So we decided to visit National's main branch in Gateway (near the Bread Talk entrance) yesterday. The entire top floor was 50% off!!! Some trade books I got were priced at PhP 300 and lower!!! Some books marked "POB" were marked PhP 100 and even then were scanned in at PhP 50!!! Okay, that's a lot of exclamation points, and I meant every bit of them.

I think it'll run till Sept. 15 weekend. You know what that means :) More muscles from weightlifting, and a lighter wallet...