Saturday, June 21, 2003

Harry Potter 5

I arrived at the doorsteps of Powerbooks Megamall only to face three dozen people ahead of me. Suffice to say, there were more than enough copies of the book. Posters of Harry Potter were everywhere, and salesladies had wizard hats on. White boxes containing books with text saying "do not open until June 21st" were stacked below the books themselves. The TV screens were playing scenes from the movie with tunes from the soundtrack. The staff even relocated the case of the Harry Potter DVDs to somewhere closer to the entrance.

At P1345, thank God I have a 10% discount at Powerbooks. Also bought Daimira a copy since she couldn't come today. Coffee was brewed by the Powerbooks people and served until 10 am.

Toy Convention

After killing two and a half hours at Starbucks and McDonalds, it was off to the toy convention.

As expected, conventions never open on time, even if it just the Megatrade Conference Center rather than the Hall.

The place was cramped, hot, and after standing for something around five hours, my legs are tired.

Question of the Day

Honestly, I should start disassociating myself from Elbert. This is the question that a lot of people asked me:

"Where's Elbert?"

The Stalls

It freaks me out that what, I know around one third of the stalls there. First there's Azrael and his comic stall where the comic artists, both indie and professionals, were staying. Then there's Smarty Toys as well as Bankee since Mechapinoy was there. Comic Sale and Jay's Toys (occupying four stalls) since they're from the Greenhills area, as well as Neutral Grounds who were giving away free Hulk Heroclicks. As usual, Level-Up was demoing and giving away free copies of Ragnarok Online, and the Transformers club has some familiar members. Lastly, there's Nabs from Aegis who has a toy stall.

Not that I know all the interesting booths. There's the Coca-cola memorabilia stall for one thing, as well as the Culture Crash booth (Issue 11 is out!). There's the booth that sells boardgames, and a couple of stalls that are derivatives of the others.

The Anime People

Aside from Mechapinoy with their dazzling Gundam model kits (Gundam Wing is debuting soon on Cartoon Network so they must make good with the propaganda, hehehe), Dice was there in her Gundam Girl outfit, now with a purple wig to complete the attire. Paul was also there for his prospect job at Level-Up Games.

The Comics People

Lyndon Gregorio, Carlo Vergara, Gerry Alanguilan, Wilson Tortosa... they managed to pop up there, selling their latest comics and making autographs. Even Lyndon had a video cam handy to interview the occassional indie artist or Culture Crash crew that managed to pass by.

The RPG People

Well, first one I saw was Vic who eventually stayed by Nabs's stall. Then there's Jay who mingled with Level-Up and played Ragnarok Online for free (using their broadband connection) as well as managing to get some of their trading cards. And eventually saw Alex mingling with the rest.

Hey Comics People

Well, I forgot his name but he trades comics with Elbert. Guess who he was looking for?

Also ran into Jaime Bautista who was daunted by the long line.

Honestly, I would have stayed until 9 pm, but I have a prior appointment, and my legs will kill me if the atmosphere at the convention doesn't.

Ninja Turtle

Yes, I carried that well-known heavy bag that apperars to be heavier and bulkier every year. Lugging around two hardcovers of Harry Potter doesn't help.

Rumor Corner

UBE Jam (anime convention at Katipunan) is still in the unknown section. Culture Crash is still trying to acquire the Megatrade Halls since they're fully booked. And there's always the Level Up convention in October at Glorietta.

Weird Text Messages from SMART

Your arms may not reach Me, but you touch Me in your prayers. =) - God. Do you want Him to inspire you? Reply w/ the word YES.

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Friday, June 20, 2003

Seven Hours of Darkness

The storm lasted for only a hour, but unfortunately, the same can't be said for the lack of electricity.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind living without electricity. Except that it happened at 6:30 pm in the evening until 1:30 the next day. I'm not bothered with not being able to use any electronic device more than the fact that it's dark and I can't read.

Maybe if I were in the US, where the sun has been known to set at 9 pm, I'd tolerate this power failure. But honestly, seven hours of darkness?

People, I was trapped in my room because there was no light. I was literally groping to reach the bathroom and prayed that my aim was good when I was peeing.

And how pathetic can you get than using your cellphone as a flashlight?

Sleep Sleep and More Sleep

Last Thursday, I slept at 7:30 pm and had one of those rare 12-hour naps to make up for lost sleep. Hence, no updates.

Guess what I was doing the entire evening of Friday's blackout?

Harry Potter 5

Great, there's a rumor that National Bookstore can't supply enough copies of Harry Potter 5 and not even able to refund those who made reservations.

Oh yeah, Powerbooks also has a promo of opening at 7:01 am so that they can sell copies of Harry Potter. P1345.00 in hardcover. You also get free coffee. Did I mention they just emailed this to me at 5 pm today... *looks at time* errrr, yesterday.

Interview with J.K. Rowling

Popular with Freshmen

Honestly, I never thought I'd be popular with them.

I mean I did stalk, errr, meet up with Mia and Mavis last Thursday and accompanied them for an hour or so, impressing them with my stalker powers.

Apparently, Ateneo is now Pinoy Otaku Central. It used to be DLSU since a lot of Pinoy Otaku members were enrolled there but now, considering that Mia is in ADMU and Mavis has transferred...

Instead of getting home early, waited at the shed with Tchan for her mother to fetch her. I wanted to hitch a ride but declined to do so. Of course when I was in Cubao, Tchan sends me a text message saying that they went to Greenhills. >.<

Mavis: Benj showing up at the airport when Mia arrived is actually a blessing in disguise.

Me: Why? So that you had someone to carry the bags?

Mia: Yup!

Cinonovelas

Yeah, that's the new term for the Chinese soap operas like Meteor Garden, My MTV Valentine, and The Poor Prince.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2003

New Chinese Soap Opera

Let's face it, GMA ain't winning viewers with its My MVP Valentine. So they got a new soap opera featuring one of the guys from Meteor Garden's F4. The show's entitled "The Poor Prince" or something like that.

On a side note, I'd like to clarify that anime fans watch Meteor Garden not because it's a soap, but because it's based on anime/manga. Yes, we're ahead of our time, but we do it for different reasons. =)

1/2 of My Wish

Has been fulfilled. Got to see Mia today. I wish I could claim it's my stalker powers activating but nah, it was just coincidence as I was accompanying a cute friend of mine to Faura.

And of course, Mia coming from abroad now has an accent. And abroad means Indonesia.

Tchan

Tchan: I'm in CTC. In the Internet rooms.

I'd just like to inform people that ever since the library underwent renovation, technically, there are THREE rooms in the CTC that are used as public areas for Internet usage.

I'm also amazed at how the first floor of the School of Management (SOM) has been turned into the "temporary rooms" since a few months ago, it was used as the replacement rooms for the faculty of the Filipino and Philo department. Now it's acting as the library away from the library.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Exhausted

Wading through the rain (getting wet wet wet!) and spending 12 hours at school isn't my idea of relaxing, especially not on the second day of school.

It hurts that I haven't eaten for twenty or so hours (well, I'm living proof that you can survive not eating for a day). The reason for this is just as I was about to eat breakfast, my sandwich was crawling with insects which the cook didn't see when she made it. Pressed for time, I drank my glass of water and went to school.

Oh yeah, horrible traffic at 7 am and still horrible traffic at 7 pm.

Theology

I forgot to mention last monday that my Theology teacher loves to say this one phrase: "please say yes". Ha! And he calls it a democracy. =)

My Not-So-Expected Classes

Managed to sit-in Mr. Sunico's class on book publishing and he agreed that I can sit-in regularly. Yey, that's a virtual 3 units additional class for me.

And apparently, my class in writing for children is in Filipino ;_; But thankfully Ms. Belen is willing to let us write in English, although our subject matter must deal with children's lit in the Philippines, which is what I originally intended.

The Library

With the school's library undergoing renovation, this is not the best time to be a student of the Ateneo. It doesn't help that the library is essentially scatted all around the campus, like the reserve section in the management building but the circulation section at the steps of the library (*sniff*, I don't have any place to hang out anymore).

Enlisting Comicol Members

Me: Join Comicol!

Liana: Only if you join LitSoc.

Me: Join Comicol!

Alen: Only if you join LitSoc.

Me: Join Comicol!

Jamie: Only if you join Litsoc.

Hmmm, a three for one trade ain't bad.

More Books

More books were being returned today, and a friend asked me if I'm going to purchase Harry Potter 5 so that I can loan it to her.

Suddenly, purchasing Harry Potter 5 on Saturday became so tempting...

Harry Potter 5

The launch will be this Saturday, June 21, at the Fully Booked (a.k.a. Page One) bookstore at Rockwell Powerplant. It's going to be from 10 am - 11 pm and the entrance fee is P300, which covers the raffle, reserves you a copy of the book, and is deductible from the final price (P1399).

The Hulk

It's going to air tomorrow although Gio has premier tickets for the movie tonight.

Toy Con

It doesn't help that it falls under the same day as the Harry Potter book launch, and it's in a different mall. I cannot emphasize that it is in the Conference Room rather than the Hall of the Megatrade. P20 entrance fee, and I hear several comic artists are droppping by such as Gerry Alanguilan, Lyndon Gregorio, Wilson Tortoso, Carlo Pagulayan, etc.

Currenlty Reading...

Regina's Song by David & Leigh Edddings. Definitely something new and vastly different from their other books, which I can't say the same for their previous book, Redemption of Althalus, which is just a rehash of The Belgariad and Mallorean.

On Fantasy Books

Did mention it to Ms. Belen that a lot of fantasy books nowadays are getting either the chidren's book treatment or young adult treatment. Novels have been split apart into two (such as the Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Eye of the World) or three (Sword of Shanarra) books. I think Ender's Game also got the children's book treatment.

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Monday, June 16, 2003

New Anime

In the merchandise-driven line that is Toonami (at least here in Asia), the shows that are going to premier next month is Gundam Wing (so will they suddenly jack up the prices on model kits?) and Digimon Tamers (fourth season of the franchise).

Oh yeah, Ranma 1/2 should be airing on AXN one of these days...

TV

Looking forward to C.S.I. Miami. And they're now showing Meteor Garden every single day, twice even on Saturdays I think.

School School School

First day of classes and I see... tons and tons of freshmen.

Both the students and teachers are even alluding to Meteor Garden. >.<

Also found out we don't have classes on Friday!

Reaction of the Day

Charles! You're wearing bright colors today!

And that is what people have been telling me.

I'd like to clarify the reason for this is that two years ago, my grandfather died and it's Chinese tradition not to wear bright colors until two years has passed. Well, two years has passed so I can finally utilize the other half of my wardrobe.

A Philo to Remember

Since my teacher is Mr. Bulaong once again, he was surprised that a lot of his former students signed up for his class. I guess I'll be classmates with Marcel, who'll be posting his philo insights in his blog. And I guess the reading material will be recycled somewhat, which'll save me money when it comes to readings (damn, I'll have to look for it in the mess that is my room). Oh yeah, we're cramped in the room, even if it is air conditioned.

Cute Girls

Well, that's what I love about first days. You see a lot of old acquaintances and make new friends. Of course of all the days, people started returning their stuff to me today.

I mean what, I was carrying some George R. R. Martin novels (one in trade even), A LOT of Laurel K. Hamilton books, and the Fellowship of the Ring DVD. And I'm meeting Izza tomorrow to get my Wheel of Time and Dune books which I loaned to Anna.

Rain Rain

Commuting in the rain isn't my idea of fun. I'll have to look for a carpool one of these days.

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Sunday, June 15, 2003

What's Bishoujo Manga?!?!

Elbert forwarded me an article regarding bishoujo manga. At first, I thought it was just shoujo (girl) manga but upon checking, I found out it was bishoujo (beautiful girl) manga. Of course since the comic where the article is supposed to be published is claiming to be bishoujo manga, I suddenly started doubting myself. Several text messages and phone calls later, I get replies like "isn't it just shoujo manga?" or "I'm not sure but I think its ***".

Capitalism

In the anime community, it's usual for people to be selling VCDs and stuff, including Meteor Garden. Of course I've seen prices ranging from P750 ~ P1000 for a subtitled set of the first season. For someone just pirating the damn thing, P250 is a huge margin.

Stalker

As I was asking Tchan what bishoujo manga was (she also doesn't know), the following conversation came up:

Tchan: Guess where I am?

Me: At the Podium.

Tchan: Paano mo alam (how do you know)?

Me: Stalker ako eh (I'm a stalker).

Tchan: Sus, nanghula ka lang (You just guessed).

Why I Never Learned Fookien

I was dwelling on the fact why I never learned fookien despite my parents and siblings speaking it all the time. And then I remembered the following circumstances:

-mom speaks in Chinese-

Me: What does *insert chinese phrase* mean?

Mom: You should learn Chinese in order to understand!

or

Mom: You don't understand? You're a disgrace!

(that's why I'm asking, idiots, to understand what you're saying)

-mom and aunt laughs at a joke told in Chinese-

Me: What did she say?

Aunt: If you don't know Chinese, then we won't translate the joke.

-dad orders me to do something, except it's in Chinese-

Me: What did you say?

Dad: Ah, don't you know anything?

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