It's almost hundred percent certain that I can stave off going to the library in the next 6 months, unless I need to do some reference research. Given my line of work and reports I sometimes need to write, I doubt very much that those books in libraries can help much in this sense.
There shouldn't be a question of why I won't be needing to go to the library. The answer is obvious just by looking at the new stack of books that appeared in my room over the past one month.
When I went Cambodia, I bought no souvenir back but instead five books :-
1. Life of Pi
2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
3. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
4. The Geography of Thought
5. The Simpsons and Philosophy
I'd completed the first two books and a third through the Simpsons book. Prior to Cambodia, I had borrowed '50 Psychology Classics' from the library and like it so much though I yet to finished reading it that I shot off to Kinokuniya and bought one. I'm now three quarter through it.
Back home, when I visited the neighbourhood comic shop, I noticed that the detective comic 'Kindaichi' has made a comeback with five books. Being a fan of this smart comic series, I picked all five up with haste.
Then came the Bookfest two weekends ago. Walking along rows upon rows of books, my itchy hands picked up 'Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook' and 'Raise Your Fist (Chinese)'. Subsequently last week, my workplace held our quarterly internal flea market. Don't have to be Einstein to know what I picked up.
Yes, books. Two novels by Lee Child, one by Dean Koontz, 'The God Delusion' and 'The 3 Signs of a Miserable Job'. For Christmas, my Department Head gave each of us assistant managers 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad', and my senior assistant manager gave me a travelouge 'Lost Japan' (well, better than the gifts some received from her).
Tallying up, I have 20 new books in my possession. Ignoring the comics which I'd consumed (read, not eaten), I've 11 full and 2 partial books to go through. That's going to take up a mightly load of time, if I may say.
To make things worse, I haven't got a hint why, but I'm having a persistent urge to run to the major bookstores and swipe more books off the shelves still. While I used to be contented with just borrowing from the library, now I seems to be suffering from a compulsion to not only read, but own books.
Am I having a neurological addiction to books? A underlying syndrome that I long to escape from reality? Hmm...maybe I need to buy more books to find out.
PS: Photos from Siem Reap uploaded at myFlickr.
posted by Cylee at
10:25 pm I
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Ta Prohm
Ahh…finally an off day. Actually, yesterday was my first off day for weeks. However, was pulled out by friends to meet up etc and ended up shoving my plans to tidy up my room till today (yet to do it).
It had been a tiring 19 days, sometimes averaging just 3-4 hours of sleep daily. Yet, I can’t really complain. Looking at how my room attendants work day and night, coming back to work on their off days, and especially those who lived in Malaysia, having to traverse to and fro (probably getting just 5-6 hours of sleep daily on a long term basis), I just got to admire them. Don’t forget, they’re doing manual, physical work. These people deserved better.
Well, now that the transition’s over, and the late December period is relatively low occupancy, everyone can finally lift our feet from the pedal for a while after a busy year. Hopefully, when they announce the bonus next year, it won’t disappoint us (cross fingers and toes).
Getting back to my Cambodia trip, which was like one month ago (time sure flies!), my third day was again another round of temple exploring. This time, instead of cycling left towards Angkor Wat, I took the much longer right route which leads to other ancient temples.
The highlight temple of this route goes to Ta Prohm without a doubt. Why, because this is where Tomb Raider was filmed and everyone wants their Tomb Raider moment.
It had been a tiring 19 days, sometimes averaging just 3-4 hours of sleep daily. Yet, I can’t really complain. Looking at how my room attendants work day and night, coming back to work on their off days, and especially those who lived in Malaysia, having to traverse to and fro (probably getting just 5-6 hours of sleep daily on a long term basis), I just got to admire them. Don’t forget, they’re doing manual, physical work. These people deserved better.
Well, now that the transition’s over, and the late December period is relatively low occupancy, everyone can finally lift our feet from the pedal for a while after a busy year. Hopefully, when they announce the bonus next year, it won’t disappoint us (cross fingers and toes).
Getting back to my Cambodia trip, which was like one month ago (time sure flies!), my third day was again another round of temple exploring. This time, instead of cycling left towards Angkor Wat, I took the much longer right route which leads to other ancient temples.
The highlight temple of this route goes to Ta Prohm without a doubt. Why, because this is where Tomb Raider was filmed and everyone wants their Tomb Raider moment.
We are Tomb Raiders wannabes
Apparently, many hundreds of years ago, the ancestors of birds, birds, picked up seeds of a species of tree called spung. Then, of all temples in Siem Reap region, they dropped it all over Ta Prohm temple only. On its roofs, ledges, walls, leading to them growing like the beanstalk Jack planted. Over time, the trees grew and grew with no one cutting them down as the temple was either abandoned, destroyed or the monks weren’t much of gardeners.
Smooth bark of Spung tree
Eventually, the trees grew on top of the temple and their roots spilled down the façade and walls. Some roofs tumbled under the weight of the spung trees, some under the weight of its own stone blocks making up the roofs.
Collapse
That late afternoon, I got back to Siem Reap town, experiencing some temple fatigue already. After a short rest in my room, I ventured out to explore the old market area and some local snacks.
Fried veg bun (delicious!), eggs, sugared pancakes
Asadid?
Don't ask where your chicken comes from
Bubble T
As was the previous night, I spent an hour reading at the quiet bubble tea shop before retiring back to my bed.
posted by Cylee at
2:58 pm I
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Thanks
It had been a good day yesterday.
Usually, it's a day that I'll take leave from work, simply to avoid the many colleagues I have (simply because I don't like getting attention). This year, work commitment had me working and I was pleasantly surprised. Many colleagues came up to me with well wishes. Majority of them I didn't expect, as I wasn't really that sociable at work, especially to the rank and file (I think my unsmiling look actually scares them off, haha).
One of them told me some of them had planned to sing to me, but didn't do it because they were shy. Them just having that thought warmed my heart. Presents were also given, again, something I didn't really expect as I myself don't place any significance to this date.
After work, I met up with Ying and Shahrin and Shahrin brought us to Fitness First to break a couple of sweat. Thereafter, we had dinner at Bambu which was treated by them. Again, something unexpected as I had seen it as a normal gathering. Well, thanks guys for remembering. And thanks to those who sent well wishes through sms.
The night was ended with a drink at the roof top bar of the Screening Room. I believe both of us guys caused Ying to burst a couple of blood vessels haa.
On my way home, I took the normal route by cutting through a park. For some reason, the lights weren't on. I looked up into the clear sky and saw it filled with stars, a view I don't see often in our lighted skyline.
Seeing the stars, suddenly I just feel very contented. Despite a few bumps faced over the past couple of years, to know regardless of the person I'm, I have a very good bunch of people surrounding me. The dark park and the stars. Who to say there are no such things as signs? Haha..
Well, on another note, in case those few squirrels who actually read my blog are wondering why the posts on my Cambodia trip stopped at day 2, it's because I'm busy with work. Will definitely update once I get my off day. Promise!
posted by Cylee at
8:33 pm I
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