A week ago, my mom sent me on a perilous mission into the streets of Colon. I was tasked to locate a shop of dubious contents and talk to the menacing old ladies who tend it. From them, I needed to extract information of a highly classified nature. Of course, I was pumped up. Nothing like the thrill of adventure and possible danger to get me going.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. There’s nothing really “dangerous” about Colon now. But still, it’s downtown and I rarely venture anywhere near there because I am paranoid about getting held up (which actually happened once during my college years), but I digress. Also, my mom just wanted me to ask the owners of Cebu Thrift House about some items she wanted to buy.
I’ve actually been to the store a couple of times in the past and all I can say is that it’s heaven for bargain hunters. They sell used furniture, appliances, clothes, everything at amazingly low prices. But what really turns me on about the place is the sight of hundreds of books that fill up their shelves. The best part is that the books there cost less than a dollar. For a bookworm like me, going to the store is always a treat, and I always walk away with a dozen books or so.
However, the tricky part is finding good books. Although the books are segregated, the categories are limited to three: Romance, Fiction, and Non-Fiction, and more often than not, you’ll find some books are not where they’re supposed to be. So, patience, a lot of free time, and a seriously good nose (because it’s dusty in there, and I launch into a sneezing attack within minutes) is needed. Last week, I had none of the prerequisites, because one: Patience has never been my strong suit, Two: I was there on my lunch break at work so I had to hurry, and Three: I only have to think about “dust” in general and I start sneezing and having a psychosomatic asthma attack.
But I was not to be deterred. After I spoke to the kind (not menacing at all) ladies, I immediately went to the bookshelves and scanned the titles, hoping that I’ll find something really good. When I saw the book below, I actually shrieked. Here’s what I got for 40 pesos:
Isn’t it amazing? And to think, I was planning on buying the very same book at National Bookstore and I would’ve paid six times the price! The book was in great condition, too. A few minutes of scanning brought me another surprise. This time, it was this book’s title that jumped at me from the shelves. Price? 18 pesos:
My boi has been nagging me about this books for months. He says it’s really good. For 18 pesos, why not, right? And at bookstores, the price of the book is still around 300 pesos. So I saved a LOT. I also bought a book (30 pesos! Ha!) from one of my favorite authors, Dominick Dunne.
Dominick Dunne writes about the uber rich. He’s a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, and I’m really addicted to his books. They’re my guilty pleasure, I guess. I also bought my sister a romance novel, so that makes my total purchase to four.
My short trip to Colon wasn’t a waste at all. I got four awesome books without making a dent on my pocket. So, if you’re as addicted to books as I am, or you love bargains more than anything else, I suggest you head to the store right away. You’ll definitely love what you’ll find there.
i eat ♥♥♥s for breakfast. 