Evie

Looking for the bookshop on the base. Approached two soldiers and had the following conversation:

"Can you guys tell me if there's a bookshop on this base, or if I need to go to the one on Mildenhall?"

"A what?"

"A bookshop."

"...Do you mean a library? Because there's a library. You can borrow books and return them a few days later."


This conversation astounded me for a few reasons:

Firstly, I clearly don't come from a country (OR PLANET?) that has no libraries if such a place even exists. Which it doesn't. Even Kiribati - the country with the lowest GDP - has a library. There is no fathomable reason for them to feel the need to tell me what libraries are. Given that I am an adult American who has at some point had an education in the United States, it is safe to assume that I (a) have been within fifty miles of a library and (b) know how to use it.

Failing that, you can assume that I have at least seen a library on television.

Secondly, how the fuck do you not know what a bookshop is? You are grown men. You must have seen a Barnes and Noble somewhere, even if you never set foot in one.

I don't...even know, guys. Help me out with this one. Am I getting so old that bookshops are as outdated and obscure as gramophones and I just didn't notice?



[Disclaimer: No, I don't think they were screwing with me. They were actually very helpful, if...baffling.]