The Joys Of Having A Public Library

"There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the Earth as the FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY...where neither rank, office, nor wealth receive the slightest consideration."

- Andrew Carnegie

Reading, as much as writing, has been a major part of my life.  I am in honesty, very much in love with reading.  I don't know when it started but for as long as I can remember, I've been hogging books at my nightstand.  Assiduously exploring the different worlds offered by each books - every new word expanding the territories of my imaginative mind.  However, in the twenty years of my life, I never knew of the bliss of visiting a public library.  A free, totally updated, no padlocked encyclopedias, public library. Well, that is, until now.

I grew up in the Philippines, a third world country where more often than not books get washed away by yearly floods.  Coming from a middle class family, I was one of those lucky kids whose books don't get washed away and even if they did, my family has the money to buy them back.  The earliest books I remembered having were those Disney colored books - the ones with the golden spines.  I had them at the age of 3 and re-read them a lot.  Who doesn't fancy those happy ending stories eh?  I'm proud to say that a decade later, they've been in good condition as both my little sisters were able to use them as well.  At the start of pre-school, my mom provided me a lot of reading comprehension books and math worksheet books.  Quite the "Kumon" training really, as my elementary days were full of those books.  I enjoyed them so much that my mom decided that I was ready to read novels.  Really mom?  Buying "Moby Dick" and "The Swiss Family Robinson" for a seven year old?  I tried reading it for a bit but I didn't last a page!  Five years after, I would find out that Moby Dick was one of the hardest read novels in history.  Fancy that!

What I was most fascinated with most though, among the ton of books mom bought for us was the Britannica Encyclopedia set.  Ah...those golden edges and the crispy smell of that special paper they printed it on. It was just amazing beyond words!  I woke up to the Nara bookshelf filled with large black books and with all three layers of the two-meter long furniture, occupied.  Mind you, they seemed endless for a kid like me!  You know how Belle reacted when Beast showed her his magnificent library?  That's how it felt.

Wow!  Much amaze!  Such Books!  Wow!

Looks very much like the City Centre Library at Surrey Central (well, to me that is ^-^)

Naturally, having grown in a house where I can open all the books I want, I was excited with our school's library.  Since I was the lucky first born, I was enrolled in private schools.  They have libraries! Public schools as I reckon, rarely have one or even if they did, the books aren't updated as much as private ones; even for some, they constantly rebuild their libraries everytime the books get soaked with mud after great floods.  So, I was really lucky.  The libraries at school not only had textbooks for gradeschool, they had encyclopedia sets as well.  Much like the ones at home.  It saddened me though, that the school keeps them out of reach.  They have the encyclopedia sets and other "expensive" prints padlocked.  The school staff have it displayed on lacquered furniture and they dust it off regularly but, they wouldn't let us touch it so freely.  The only way to have them opened is to ask permission from the principal!  In a formal letter with parent's signature. Seriously? Why would I do that?  It was a really troublesome feat for a youngster like me back then (and maybe to some of my classmates but I never really asked.) I wouldn't want my mom to constantly tell me that it was too much of a hassle to borrow the books I like.  It was already hard convincing them to buy me books that were unrelated to school. 

All I wanted to do was to read the encyclopedia.  I'm tired of the kiddie books and textbooks similar to what I use in school.  My mom already bought extra ones I read after school.  All I wanted to do is to compare them - to find out if they had a picture of the Great Wall of China like the ones we have at home. If they have cool DIY experiments I could do as well.  If the Hittites really were the first ones to temper iron. Or if they have a different story about Pocahontas's life - like the Disney one. (Yeah, I was kind of disappointed when I knew of the real story of Pocahontas) My school library treated the books like they were cursed jewels - never to be touched.   If you don't read them, what use will those words be?  Treasure was to be found there but they let the years pass as the information becomes stale.

Friends, let me tell you, a book unopened is as good as a blank paper.   

Just last month, I remember my big brother posting in his Facebook status, a commentary made by Ambeth Ocampo - a historian and great writer.  It went like this:

"FILIPINOS ARE NOT A READING PEOPLE, and despite the compulsory course on the life and works of Rizal today, from the elementary to the university levels, it is accepted that the 'Noli me Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo' are highly regarded but seldom read (if not totally ignored). Therefore one asks, how can unread novels exert any influence?”

I agree wholeheartedly with him. It's true that Filipinos are not a reading race. The source of it can be traced out to a lot of political plays and simultaneously ingrained with historical roots. Although, I never considered myself a non-reader, I have to admit that I did not constantly read books.  Partly because, I never really saw my elders do it, but mostly because I was not exposed to different types of books.  You might find it weird but I only really read our Britannica set before I was exposed to other books in my teenage years. (exempting all of the school related books) Totally weird right?  I never read Dr. Seuss's work until I got here in Canada.  I never even touched a newspaper unless I needed it for a crafts project.   I started reading mysteries and classics in highschool and Filipino literature in early college.  The compulsory reading of "Ibong Adarna", "Florante at Laura", "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" during highschool were tad boring for me.  Mainly because the teachers weren't as excited in the literature as they were supposed to.  They were only excited to grade us in questions of identification of characters and their dialogues; to see if who memorized the book and characters.  But they have failed to ask relevant questions on reflection and how those masterpieces relate to our present culture.  How then can we appreciate reading them?  And what more for those who didn't even touch the books?

If you think about it, I am only a part of a small percentage of the Filipinos who do read and keeps themselves informed.  Do you know why?  It's because I'm part of the middle class who can afford books.  I had an early access to them at home that is why I have grown to be this way - grown up to be an informed reader.  The poor don't have this kind of privilege.  They must rely on public libraries, which are few and most probably are protecting the books from the people it must serve.  A paradox of the inherited title - public but not really public. 

Therefore, I am grateful of Canada's public libraries.  Thank you for existing!  I would never have known the joy of visiting the libraries if it weren't for you.  Books are free from being encased in fragile glasses and people are not kept out by iron bars.  You always display the books at the entrance to make me and the other readers feel welcomed.  Thank you for trusting me. I could never bring home the maximum of 50 books at a time but I would like to try that sometime. Hope that I won't lose one of them though, if I bring them home.   Thank you also for always keeping the bookshelves organized and up-to-date.  New books come in everytime to fill the community with new ideas.  Thank you for buying my suggested books!  I was surprised when you called me up and told me that I had a "held" book; it was the "Pathological Altruism" book that I suggested 3 months before. Wow!  I thought the suggested items were never really taken seriously.  Thank you also for encouraging me to suggest more books.  I am happy to know that my "wants" are important to the wonderful collection you keep.  I felt honored - that I actually have the power to shape the community with the books I choose to suggest.  Thank you for not banning books!  The library is a haven for our aspired ideal of faultless democracy - all ideas are welcomed.  And most importantly, all kinds of people are welcomed.  Whether you're rich, poor, newly landed, unstable part-timer or overly worked employee, you are duly welcomed.  Services are the same for everyone. They won't ask for your name or judge you for what books you decide to take. It might as well be paradise.  So, what I suggest everyone do is to go to your public libraries today and thank your librarian!

LONG LIVE LIBRARIES!!!

The Centre City Library in Surrey. Look at that!!!  I could stay in it and never go home

A Letter to My Wendy's Family

Dear My Wendy's Family,

It has been a long ten months since I have been welcomed in your home.  Although it seems to me that, I came as quickly as I had to leave.  I am writing this to all of you- crew members, shift supervisors and managers alike - to express my eternal gratitude for accepting me at Wendy's.  Since I landed in Canada last June 2012, I have been aggressively pursuing a job to fund my transition for occupational therapy practice here in Canada.  I felt hopeless and frustrated with the seemingly unlucky things that happened last year.  My diploma and other credentials were on hold because of my surname, two of my much anticipated volunteer works were pushed back and I literally had no money to invest in things that could start up my career as an occupational therapist here in Canada.  I felt utterly useless at home.  Looking even at the people who were carrying out their daily occupations made me miss my work as an occupational therapist. So when I was called in for an interview along with my little sister, Aiko, I was enthusiastic!  "This is it!", I thought.  I can earn money. Miraculously though, I wasn't just given a job; I was embraced wholly as part of a family.   The My Wendy's family.

And to my dear kin, I want to share the little achievements I have accomplished for the past year.  These are  the things that I proudly got from the opportunity you have given me.  First and foremost, I was able to reserve my spot for the National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination (NOTCE).  I had all my credentials assessed and I took an academic english test (TOEFL) in preparation for that.  Subsequently, I invested in books! Here are some of the books I have longed to own when I was still in med school.  Yep!  I have them now.

Latest editions of OT books I needed

Upper extremity rehab books that I wanted since internship

I was also able to buy myself a cellular phone to connect with my friends from far away.  But, needless to say, I am most proud of my decision to sponsor children from World Vision with my bi-weekly salary.  Much like Dave Thomas's Foundation for Adoption, I advocate for children as well.  My hard earned money is giving children in my parents's hometown a chance to have basic education.  They are given the privilege to have new bags, notepads and pencils that they normally can't afford every academic year.  Their washed away books can be replaced by new ones.  They can play in the fields and be kids as they should.  When Wendy's gave me this job, two kids are given back their childhood.  For that, I am evermore grateful.

Meet little Clarence

My Wendy's Family, I write this to you with heartfelt ardor. You have fostered in me qualities that every parent would be proud of. Each and everyone of you showed me the real light to seemingly jaded words like working hard, kindness and humility.  These are words that are used so casually today that it loses its essence.  You guys made me realize that we don't get paid just for every hour we stay there, we get paid for the value we bring to that hour.  And that surely, if you did your best and strive to improve, you will be rewarded. 

The fruit of hard labor! Yey!

I have learnt the true meaning of Dalai Lama's words, "Be kind whenever possible. It really is possible."  Customers love the service we give because of the kindness that flows in our smiles.  That simple hello with a bright smile is not just for show.  We are nice because we want to be nice.  And oh!  The things we do for even the most unreasonable requests by customers!  But that is real humility there.  Thinking less of how you could avoid getting responsibilities and focusing on giving the guests a positive experience. Everytime I work, I feel my name growing brighter by the second. (reference to 明美 - akemi)

With all that said, I close this letter with another thank you.  For having me, nurturing me to best that I can be and also for letting me go. I am sure that my ephemeral experience at Wendy's will permanently leave a mark on my life.  It will always be there - immutable, unshaken but magnificently resounding.  My time with you guys will be one of the many things that will shape my career; that I firmly believe.  I will be always proud to say that I have started out here in Wendy's Guildford.  Like this guy with a nice smile!

That serene smile catches everything I just wrote hahaha

Love,

Akemi

Tutoring Kids

After four months of staying here in Canada, I have decided to take on a new volunteer experience that is somewhat related to occupational therapy.   Tutoring kids with learning disabilities!  I saw the advertisement made by the Learning Disabilities Association of British Columbia - Fraser South (LDAFS) in the newspaper and decided to call them up a month ago.  Truthfully, I have filed for two (2) volunteer jobs but the other one was pushed back in November and I didn't know the status of my application in Red Cross.  In the end, I decided to go for this one first as Miss Kenny Leung of Red Cross has told me that I could re-apply again when my availability changes.  Red Cross needs two weekdays to make things work but things just didn't work out.  They were very kind to call me after a week (Miss Leung was out of town when I called). They don't plan to give me up and I don't plan to give them up either.  

Day of interview (was too early so I took some pics)

So after the information night, I went for the personal interview and passed!  Yey!  The interviewer told me that I don't have much foreign accent and that that is an asset I certainly can bring to the tutoring.  That perked up my self-esteem.  You know, to have someone tell you your good points is very reassuring.  I told her though that sometimes my Filipino accent does come out when I am really nervous.   After that, she told me to work a little bit on my printing (writing) because I will have to teach kids how to write too!  Hahaha  assertiveness at its finest!  At that moment, I thought to myself, THIS IS MY GOAL!  She has mastered the art of assertiveness.  Anyway, I just laughed internally.

Henceforth, training was conducted once a week every Saturday for three weeks.  Everyone got to introduce themselves again like how we did during the information night.  The people I've acquainted with during that day had varied reasons on why they wanted to volunteer and mysteriously, I felt a sense of belonging.  Kind of funny aye?  Different people from different places with varied stories at their backs come together to advocate literacy.  Upon realization, I almost cried.  Belonging has certainly been a feeling I have not sensed in a long time.  The luxury of friends has yet to come and although I know they are just acquaintances...somehow it just felt right.

(And the free muffins are awesome too!  Hooray for free food!)

Individual guidebooks given to tutors 

My nametag on the left and just a little picture of the guidebook

Last week, I decided to finally get my Criminal Record Check at the police station.  I worried that they might have a body check so I decided to do it at last minute.  That nasty bruise on my right antecubital area has finally receded!  Yes!  Thankfully, they did not have a body check as I imagined they would.  When I told them the story, they laughed  hahaha!  Oh and I also met someone who was jailed for 72 hours when I was waiting for the bus.  He was pretty happy about being let out.  Good for him :)

Getting my Criminal Record Check from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Tomorrow is my first day of tutoring and I certainly hope to make a good impression on the kids.  Preparing some stuff for rapport can never fail you :)  I was thinking of doing magic tricks like Jess would.  Going to pack up on confidence too!

If you have time please do check out their site and learn more about their advocacy!

LDAFS logo (@^-^@)