Treasure troves

Libraries are underrated places. I realised this when I visited the Jurong Regional Library last weekend. When most people would enjoy a night out socialising with friends, I was thrilled to tuck into a cozy corner in the library with a cup of coffee and my laptop and delve into deep levels of thought. The interior of this massive 4-storey building was designed with a fountain and next to the absence of human chatter, it was the noise of running water that filled the ears. I didn't notice the hours pass by while I productively did my work, until I heard the 9:00 pm closing announcement.

For a membership fee that costs next to nothing, the public gets access to an enormous collection of reference books, magazines, microfilm, documentaries and movies. Not only that, there there are plenty of places to sit and read or study in silence. There's a small cafe inside the library for short breaks. The library even provides wireless internet and power outlets for charging laptops and phones! Another interesting concept I noticed about libraries here (compared to my time as a child) is that books borrowed from one library can be returned at any other library branch and the location of specific books can be tracked online. 

While going around in circles trying to locate the toilets in this large building, I accidentally discovered a section on movies! And this month, they had doubled the number of movies that can be loaned in one go to SIX!!

I came home with a good haul of movies, including "Ramona and Beezus" for a trip down memory lane

When I was in secondary school, the library had several books by the author Beverly Clearly which I enjoyed reading. One memorable character was Ramona Quimby who is portrayed as a very curious, imaginative and mischievous little girl who causes a lot of trouble (mostly unintentionally) to the ones around her, especially her elder sister Beezus. Efforts to rectify things often makes things worse and the author takes us on an entertaining journey through it all.

The collection of  Ramona's stories by Beverly Clearly

Another well loved series which this reminds me was The Littles by John Peterson. This series features a family of tiny, intelligent humanoid creatures with mouse-like features living in a house owned by the Bigg family (who are humans). The stories consist of colourful characters and many gripping adventures which brought me a lot of joy.

Image Source: netbys.com

Speaking of treasure troves, I found this noteworthy link on The 46 Most Brilliant Life Hacks Every Human Being Needs To Make Life Easier. My favourite was the one below *evil grin* :

How to stop people from stealing your pens at work