My 'reportage' on the bookshelf-building project seems to have hit the (book-)mark with quite a few people.
My old friend Renate in Berlin who used to own an 'Antiquariat' (which is a fancy name for a second-hand bookshop) and whose stream of parcels over the years probably accounts for half a bookshelf, offered me her heartfelt condolences.
Others drew on their alcohol-induced wealth of psychological knowledge and suggested that all this has something to do with a severely deprived childhood. What with having grown up in post-war Germany and being deprived of virtually everything, including food, I consider this a cheap shot.
Which leaves my good friend Chris in Canada. He and I had our lives shaped by the Bougainville Copper Project where he drank deeply from the fountain of human knowledge while I just gargled. Here are his winning comments:
"It's not madness it's just that you are approaching this from the wrong direction. Your library should be wall to wall floor to ceiling hand carved mahogany and rosewood cases with the extended ladders on wheels for reaching the highest shelves. There should also be a huge rosewood and camphor reading desk with a highback leather easy chair both strategically placed in front of a monstrous river stone and granite sheet fireplace with pot racks and tungsten firedogs with lions rampant on the ends. The whole place should be bathed in very subtle indirect lighting with a more bright area around the desk. Persian carpets should be liberally placed to alleviate noise and to give a warm and cozy feel to the whole room. The ambience should be very men's clubby with a very very subtle aroma of good cigars and excellent sherry.
No need to thank me for this help; always a pleasure."
Thank you all the same, Chris! It takes one to know one! ☺
 A drunk woman, stark naked, jumped into a taxi. The Indian driver opened his eyes wide and stared at the woman. He made no attempt to start the Cab. "What's wrong with you, haven't you ever seen a naked woman before?" "I'll not be staring at you lady, I am telling you, that would not be proper, where I am coming from." "Well if you're not bloody staring at me, what are you doing then?" "Well, I am looking and looking, and I am thinking to myself, where is this lady keeping the money to be paying me with?"
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