Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Reading!

Hi people, how is it going?
My holidays have been going alright, they're fun of course. Wasting time is still enjoyable. I mean I know sometimes it gets to the point where nothingness becomes annoying. Well, it still hasn't. Which is fantabulous.
I watched Oprah yesterday. The show was wonderful. It was about people having ideas on how to change the world. The first was a lady starting a programme called 'The Pajama Project' or something like that. Her project aims to collect new pajamas for kids who live in orphanages and such.
The second was a man who gave up his job in Microsoft to help provide books for kids in Nepal. His org 'Room to read' has built hundreds of schools and librarys around the world.
Third was that a lady started a project helping provide food by coupons. I didn't really get that since we don't do coupons here but it's great how she managed to do that.

Now, when I watched this show, I sort of thought about something I want to do in my life time. I want to start up a public library someday.
Reading is something I appreciate. I mean I may not be the most passionate person about reading but I truly appreciate it. And the thing is, reading is being forgotten day by day here. People around me don't read much anymore, except that my dad gives me hope about it. Regardless the fact that he reads books I will never understand in my life-time unless I major in Arabic which is very unlikely. But anyways, he loves to read. And he encourages me to read as well.
But with my friends, and people around me, they hardly read. I mean books! Not gossip magazines, I'm not saying it's wrong to read them, but you have to read other things too.
Here where I live, there's only one public library. To be honest I haven't been in there because where it's located and how it looks isn't at all encouraging. We don't have any store to buy books from. In Muscat it's a bit different. I know three places to get books from. The big store, Borders, in City Centre, and the one I mentioned earlier selling used books, and some bookstore which used to have more books than it has now.
That is all I know. There may be other places that I still don't know about but books need to be more avaliable. Cheaper, and more. Arabic books need to be provided more. I have to admit that I hardly read any Arabic books, I just don't know what to read.
I know it would mean so much to me if I could start a little public library, putting the books I have and books I get by... I don't know, friends and such. I don't know where it will be, maybe when I actually have the means to do it I won't be in Nizwa, who knows? But I think I have to do it.

Well, that's something to add to my to-do-list. I mean how hard could it be? If I could get a few people who are interested in reading. Of course it has to offer books with cheap prices. No room for buying because I've learned from Paulo Coelho that a book has it's journey and needs to be passed on to other's. Maybe I can get those who read to review the books and rate them (optional).
That's what I can think of write now. I've been thinking about it since I watched that show and I really really hope someday it will come true. Inshallah it will. :)
I may have been carried away but I seriously think it's not hard to accomplish if will and means are there.
Thank you!

2 comments:

Waed S. said...

DO it and u have me as ur partner ;)

This is a great Idea ! the problem with me is that I can't let go of my books! I am emotionally attached to them :P


u do think big :P

Dhrid said...

Wow that's seriously a noble venture! good luck and i'm sure u'll accomplish it! thinking about that. i really should donate my books....but i can't even think of one that i am willing to part with.