We're Just Friends

Me: She's not my crush anymore.

Paula: So ano kayo, friends na lang?

Somehow, that response doesn't seem comforting.

I mean for one thing, whether I'm courting the other person or not, I'd like to think relationships begin with friendship more than anything else. Unlike some people who "court first" and "get to know the person later", I think it should be the other way around. I mean the chances of finding a good match with the next cute person that passes by is as unlikely as winning the sweepstakes.

Second, while it's nice to have a significant other, friendship isn't a lower level of affection. Different, yes, but just as important. =)

And of course, it's discomforting because it's been several months since I got over my crush and people are figuring this out only now (well, they didn't want to take my word for it).

There's Something Wrong...

Bought some brownies at KFC for the people at CCHQ. I'm also feeling generous.

To some, this might seem I'm in a jovial mood. But me being generous is actually a bad sign. I'm sad. Some people eat a lot. Or go shopping. Or drive a really fast car. As for me, I spend my time cheering other people up. Because what I lack in myself, hopefully I can induce in others.

Strangely

While I do like to loan out my SF&F books (with a slight hesitancy when it comes to hardcover books because not only are they more expensive but have a higher risk of getting ruined as well), it dawned on me that I don't have the same attitude when it comes to loaning out my RPG books. Mainly because other people tend to ruin those books in a short span of time (and the fact that they're hardcovers also) and with the exception of the Player's Handbook, gamers don't really need to see the other books (it'll ruin the surprise!), although it does provide interesting reads.

If I Wanted to Be Popular

I'd ride on the band wagon and claim I'm one of those Meteor Garden fans. I mean me and Elbert were in the Comm. Dept. the other day and somehow, Meteor Garden came into the conversation and this cute girl (probably one of those Chinese girls Marcel has a prospect on) joined in the conversation. Of course I met this girl in first year, when she was looking for notes to study for the Math 12 exams, but apparently, she forgot about me (of course I could always use the "I'm a stalker" gimmick for people to remember me but honestly, I don't want to freak people out... at least those who take me too literally).

And of course, I realized that Hana Yori Dango has lasted for what, 34 volumes, and so not only is it using elements of soap opera, it's probably using ALL the elements. I mean all the techniques are probably being used, from filial conflict to having, ugh, amnesia.

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CCHQ Restocks Again

Well, more Japanese stuff like the Hikago Sai artbook and restock of Hikaru no Go #21. Latest stuff includes #17 of Hunter x Hunter, #34 of Hana Yori Dango, as well as the latest release of Initial D and DNAngel.

Creativity Draining Away

Juggling between watching my daily two-hour dose of television (which consists of Shaman King, Crush Gear, and Digimon Frontiers), schoolwork and sleep occupy my time as well. Oh yeah, spent three hours editing the other day... (let's not forget reading email and blog-hopping)

What's Cool

The fact that there's a printer setting which enables you to print the equivalent of four (or two, or six, but anything more might be unreadable) pages on just one page.

Amidst Rain, Mud, and Heat

Thank God I have a carpool. At least on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Tuesdays I have someone pick me up since commuting at 7:30 pm, when I'm already exhausted, seems impossible. Which leaves me Thursdays to familiarize myself with jeeps and buses.

Honestly

There should be more blog entries (and more than just the trivialties of what new stuff is out and what's on TV), but I seem to have forgotten what I was going to write.

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Why Me

Trust it for Ateneo to give me one of the unluckiest computers here in their computer lab. The computer monitor has a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 and that's with 16-bit color (only)!

No More Internet

Actually, since I'm using dial-up, my computer uses the phone line whenever I go online. Of course for the past month, my brother went to Australia giving me free rein with the phone lines (and driving up my Internet bill for the month to P2200 when it would otherwise be half that much).

Of course last night, he's back, so I don't have that privilege anymore.

At the Chem Lab

Scrawled on the blackboard were Chinese characters. Upon closer inspection, they're the names of two characters from Meteor Garden. *sigh*

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The Quest

If there's one thing I desperately want, it's sleep. Sleep sleep sleep. Obtaining eight straight hours of it seems to be a rarity these days.

Troubled Dreams

Not a nightmare, although I did spend fifteen minutes recuperating from the dream.

Dreamt of my crush, or should I say ex-crush.

It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that I've been dreaming about her for the past two days. Also, if this happened three months ago, when I was beginning to get over her, I wouldn't be surprised. But why now? Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Should I not get over her?

Of course there's another rational explanation for all of this, but that possibility I am dreading.

Fame for a Day

As I was walking Colayco, the building that houses most of the accredited school orgs, a friend passed by carrying a box of Chinoy, the publication of the Chinese-Filipino org Celadon (no, I'm not part of it, especially in light of the fact that people there talk in Chi-Tag-Lish). And since I have an article there (since the editor stumbled upon my other blog), I said I'll have one when I would have otherwise declined.

Of course aside from soothing my ego, actually got the mag to see how much editing and cutting my work suffered (yes, lots of editing and cutting).

My beautiful seatmate in Theology (the, errr, female one) was looking for a copy of Chinoy (who happened to have an feature article on, guess what, Meteor Garden) and then after browsing through it, points to my article. Then we actually talk. ^_^

And then later in the afternoon, Elbert sends me a text message saying he finally understood what I meant for da ben niu (big stupid cow), the name students fill up on their test papers when they didn't know any better (which I was fortunately spared from).

Stalking Marco

Sorry got your name wrong. The fact that you collaborated with Jason Banico got me confused, especially when Elbert's throwing all these famous people's names around. =)

Searching the stalker database, I think the first time I saw you was several years ago, at Ora Cafe (when the place was still doing business). Anima Anime (when they were still in business) was having one of their regular monthly anime screenings and they had you as a special guest as you had just released Angel Ace #2, I think.

My God, these short "stalker excerpts" are starting to become a regular thing...

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Bookstore...in Paranaque

Libris. They have Coraline going for P390. *sniff* *sniff* Why isn't there SF&F in their categories?

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The Stalker Strikes Again!

Here's a link to entries of some acquaintances: Lin and Gabby.

Ain't it amazing what blog hopping can do? Of course it's eerie when I effortlessly sift through the aliases. I do hope they don't mind (it wouldn't be the first time someone got mad at me for using people's real names).

They Feed Me Soup

I went with two male friends to have lunch. Or rather to watch them eat lunch. And of course, in pity, they give me soup.

And then half an hour later, I meet up with two friends again, this time female. Same routine, accompanying them to watch them eventually eat lunch, and "pity food" is soup.

I remember the days in high school when the pity food I get is coins from batchmates around the table which I use to purchase either donuts or pizza bread (which is actually nothing other than pandesal with ketchup and cheese on top).

I Had Courage

For I went to Comic Quest and introduced myself to Vin. Had a quick chat about SF&F and I think I saw a Jason lurking in the shop...

Launch!

For my class in writing for children, ended up at the Crucible exhibit in Megamall. Jason Moss was there showcasing his artworks as well as the books for children he illustrated ( various stories taken from Aesop's Fables).

Of course since I came before the teacher arrived and some of my classmates were there, I ended up introducing them to the exhibit ("these are the artwork of Jason, that's the book which he illustrated, you can buy books there, he's over there and he's doing some signings", etc.). And again, my "stalker powers" must have been working overtime considering the fact that I don't really know Jason (although I was there when he ran into Elbert in school).

There was also lovely catering, c/o Jason's mom.

Chi: I like this food.

*lady with food comes to the table*

Chi: Do you cater?

Lady: *hesitates* I used to... I'm Jason's mom.

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Defragmenting

The higher the capacity of your hard drive, the longer it takes to defrag it. There goes two hours of my life...

Children's Books!

I was surprised last week to find Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums under the children's section of Powerbooks. Then again, I just finished reading a handout on children's lit and it's also listed as a children's book.

So I guess that's one point for the SF/F genre?

Telebabad

While it's a known fact that people love to gossip on the phone, today was the first time I actually saw a person do it on a payphone. It helps that there were benches in the area, and that she had a phone card. But still, that was around thirty minutes of blathering about nothing. In a public area.

Then again, it's Ateneo, so it really shouldn't surprise me.

Class at Megamall

Apparently, my writing for children's lit class tomorrow is scheduled to be held in Megamall at 6 pm (instead of 4:30 pm at school).

Of course if I didn't run into Elbert, I wouldn't know that fact. And I'm sure a lot of my classmates don't know about it as well.

So should I use my stalker powers for good and track each one of them down and tell about the revised schedule?

Speaking of Stalking

So there I was, attending the theo meeting with my group at the chem department when Oui appears at the stairs and shouts "Charles! What are you doing here?"

Me of course playing on her paranoia, told her I was stalking her.

Also met up with Mia, Mavis, Benj, and Lindsay at CCHQ (too bad Mars wasn't there to complete the alliteration). I could claim I was waiting for them like a good stalker should, but common sense would tell anyone that it was more of happenstance rather than planned.

Or so one might think.

On a side note, a lot of people for PO have changed drastically. You should have seen the expression on Benj's face when I told him that Chev was bar hopping last I talked to her.

And of course, there's also the fact that I know about people whom for all intents and purposes I shouldn't know. Like Tobie. And everyone seems to know Vin, although I did see him purchase Harry Potter 5 at 7:30 in the morning two Saturdays ago.

Insight for the Day

People try to pass off lies as the truth. How about the reverse, passing off truth as lies?

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Happy Birthday!

Honestly, it's surprising how many people have their birthdays on June 29, two of which I have links to.

So instead of embarassing myself and greeting them personally, let me just say happy birthday to all those June 29 celebrants.

It was also tempting to follow the strange and annoying Filipino habit of sending text messages to people at 12 am greeting them happy birthday.

The Multiverse

You don't know how difficult it is to track down the order in which to read Michael Moorcock's The Eternal Guardian series.

Aside from the fact that the stories aren't in chronological order and published in various formats like novels and short stories, they're also OUT OF PRINT.

I mean White Wolf came out with beautiful Omnibus trades of the series, but they're out of stock hence not orderable.

For all the miracles Kazaa can do for me, this is not one of them.

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