Reading Club 2000

"A book should be used and reused.

It has a life, it has a message."

-Nanie Guanlao

In my search of my plan B for this weekend, my browser landed to this interesting page. I searched how to get there and here’s the map:

The Reading Club 2000 is located at 1454 Balagtas Street, Brgy La Paz, Makati City. It is an informal library set-up where books are assembled in side-walk and in a free open space of the house owned by Mang Nanie. In writings online, it was said that reading and borrowing books here is free.

As I arrived there, an old man welcomed me and pointed me to the way where the books are gathered. He was talking to another visitor. The space is little, may be an old garage is where the treasure is to be found. It looks like an old warehouse where everything you touch has dust.

Most of the books are old, though you may find few prints which are almost new. The collection has wide variety of genre. There are novels, health, psychology, accounting, engineering, nursing, encyclopedias, and other references. I also saw Chinese print books. There are also magazines. The books mostly come from donations from people everywhere in the world.

After I picked my choice of books, I got out of the gold mine, and as courtesy I still asked the old man if I could take them with me. Of course the answer is yes, But with condition that I have to share it with anyone before I return it. From there, our small talk started. I’m not the talking type, but this opportunity is so rare that I cannot refuse. Plus I need to rest a bit, for the sun has exhausted my energy going in here.

Mostly, it his him who’s talking. He is a good example of an experienced man, who is passing on his knowledge to the young ones. He is like an inspirational book talking to me live and face to face. He’s like giving me a lecture about life.

He told me about a short history of his library. He was an accountant and had his glorious days as a professional. In this profession there will be times that you have to make things up to survive the corporate world. And a time came when he became unhappy doing this. Then he found serving others in a different way through his books, that he found more fulfilling and he become happier.

He said, most of us are raised to give priority to ourselves. We often have knowledge, but we keep it to ourselves and not share them with others. We read a lot, but do not apply our learning in real life. Corporations we are working for have missions and visions documented but become meaningless in actual operations, because there are goals needed to be achieved. Those are few things I remembered. I wish to make it more engaging, but my mind was blank and incapable of asking back. He’s too intellectual being, I can smell and I may not be able to go in with stupid question. I tried to ask him where he would place his books during flood, and he said “your mind has to find answer for that”, wow! Okay, so I guess I have to prepare questions when I come back here. Of course I would come back; I have to return the books I borrowed and may be donate some.

The conversation become very serious, yet it’s very enjoyable. I like the idea of sharing for free. Free as in nothing in return is expected from you. You can actually own a book from here, just ask politely and be honest. I believe that kind of act and thinking attracts more blessings in life. I hope this will continue and more people will re-consider serving others in little or big ways.

P.S. No actual photos taken, I get shy. I don’t like to get the impression that I just want to tell something online. I want the experience and share them to the world.