197 Books

That is the number of books in my book collection.

I've been collecting books ever since I could read and 197 is a miserable number. Although I didn't add my encylopedias and reference books to the list, I would have expected it to reach 300 by now.

I discovered this figure after listing down every book I own. I used an Excel spreadsheet to list down the author, year the book was published and publisher, and it came to 197.

I have two libraries in my homes - one in my family house which is already overflowing, and a mini library in my apartment. Since my apartment has more space, I plan to get a bigger bookcase to place my 'babies'. I was planning to get a Billy bookcase from Ikea, but since the stock has ran out (refer to my blog entry 'Disappointed with Ikea'), I might want to get a teak bookcase. Teak furniture are expensive and requires lots of TLC, but I think it would be a worthwhile investment.

My dream would be to allocate an entire room in my apartment as a library. The library would have built-in bookshelves from ceiling to floor. And the shelves would have to be white in colour so that my books can stand out.

Now onwards to building my collection.

Euro 2008 - Germany All The Way!

The curtain will finally come down early this Monday morning (Malaysian time). This means no more sleepless nights and dozing away in the office the next day.

I have always been an avid supporter of Germany in all the World Cups and European Championships. My late father once told me that the Germans are very focused when they play. They also have a fantastic fighting spirit. If they are down by one goal, and the whistle is about to be blown, they will fight till the end for the equaliser. I saw this clearly when they played Turkey in the Semi Finals. When Philipp Lahm slammed in the winning goal that took Germany to the Finals, I knew that my late father was right. Their nerves of steel makes them a remarkable team to watch.

The Germans have won total of 3 World Cups and 3 European Championships, making them one of the most successful football teams. I hope they will lift the Henri Delaunay trophy again this Monday.

So Germany ... give it your best shot!

Disappointed with Ikea

I was at Ikea with my housemate last Thursday to get a bookcase, mattress and quilt. I especially wanted to get a white Billy bookcase with glass door to keep my beloved book collection free from dust.

When we got to Ikea, the bookcase and my housemate's bed were out of stock, or 'Temporarily Out of Stock' as pasted on the display unit. Apparently new stock will arrive next month. Despite my mattress and quilt in stock, we decided to postpone buying everything so that we don't have to pay twice for delivery. But I bought a few non-stick pots and pans to make up for our journey there.

That was not the only disppointment we experienced. There were no customer service staff around to assist us. We finally met one after searching high and low. Maybe because it was late in the evening during a weekday that Ikea decided to trim their workforce. But they don't realise they are losing potential customers.

Well, I hope Ikea will shape up and Billy will come soon ...