Book buffet

This is a word that starts me salivating the moment I think about it. Book buffet.. for a bookaholic like me there is nothing like it, especially since there are still very few bookstores here. Heavenly, that is what it is.

It is of course also:

• hard work
• sweaty work
• dirty work
• frustrating at times (when someone takes a book you had your eye on)
• much more expensive than I budget for
• addictive (terribly so)
• dehydrating work (I often forget to drinkenough even though water is readily available. And lunch I always skip. The word doesn't even register...)

So what is the book buffet? The Myanamr Book Center (one of our few bookstores) organises it twice a year. It lasts for 5 days. One one side of their compound they have discount books. Stacks of books for set prices. One the other side, and, my personal favorite, there are 5 huge tables full of books. You buy a 10,000 or 20,000 ks, bag ($12, $23) and start filling the bag with whatever takes your fancy. Most books are children's books and you have to sift through them carefully since their usually donated. You have very good, almost brand new books but for example also colouring books that have been done already. Most of the books are for younger kids, but every so often you find gold. A while ago I found a fantastic book on Autism for kids there. That was worth the 10,000 ks. bag it went in and much more. This time, I found 7 good novels for me. For KK I  found a wonderful 8 in 1, extremely heavy cookbook (in a 10,000 ks. bag with space left for books for Eaindra. Luckily the bags aren't sold on weight...). Xenne got stacks and stacks of extra books. He helped both on Saturday and Sunday to fill his bags (Saturday from 9 to 5:30. I'm doing my best to turn him into a book addict). Thandar had some trouble at first finding books she liked but she went home with 2 bags. She even found 2 Artemis Fowl books.

On Monday I tool my Grade 4 there on a field trip. I do that every year. In the weekend I put books aside that I think they will like. On Monday morning, they fill up their bags. It is always a huge success. Especially when we get back to school and they have the time to see what they and everyone else found.

Xenne and my books. KK's cookbook and most of Eaindra's books are not on the picture

The book buffet was last weekend. My muscles have recovered. I'm ready for the next one. Unfortunately it won't be until the end of march or early April. *sigh*