Mario Feir Private Library, BGC

BGC has always struck me as an inconvenient place for meetups and dates so when volunteers of a Wiki project were to meet there to do a mini edit-a-thon, I was hesitant but ultimately decided to show up. How can I say no to libraries? Besides, this one being private means that you have to have the necessary connections to access the collection.

So one day I found myself riding the MRT again. It's only on weekends when you can truly appreciate the value of the MRT system. And because it's been ages since I last stepped in BGC, I was surprised to find that they have a small bus similar to those in other countries. These mini buses stop only at designated stops. One day I wish the government will just take over the transportation system in the country to eliminate unruly bus and jeepney drivers. They are one of the two major reasons why traffic is BAD in the Philippines, the other being that there are just too many vehicles on the road.

The library houses a LOT of old, rare, and out-of-print books. I was able to find Florentino Hornedo's book "Taming the Wind" about the ethnocultural history of Batanes. I searched hard for that book after I came back from Batanes last May but in vain.

I was also very much impressed to see archaeology-related books on the shelves. Later on, I would learn from a fellow volunteer that the Mario Feir Library is actually a friend of ASP. Really nice! (Now I would love to go back to school as this library is getting me excited to do research on just about anything!!!)

So last month found me in that place. Lucky me to have had gotten more out of the difficult commute because a friend wanted to see a Korean performance and she invited me to go with her. I naturally said yes since it means bonding time for us. 

After the performance I took her to the weekend food market at Mercato, which was a long walk but we chatted a lot anyway so it didn't seem too far. We talked about our immediate and long-term plans, where we plan to go to next, how we could spend time together before she flies to Japan next year.

It was a pretty evening. More so because I truly enjoyed her company. Sharing a lot of similarities certainly helped cement our friendship. To think that we were only introduced by a common friend and have been looking out for each other ever since then. Just the kind of friendship I deeply appreciate and treasure.