I've been wondering why after a series of trivial dreams -a friend playing Scrabble with my kins, a 5 year old Japanese girl which I don't even know if she exist, a not so possible scene from a popular American TV series, myself waiting for a cab in front of our house at 6:45 AM- ended the week with a very heavy dream -United Nations announced that we're officially having a World War 3! That's not really good for -ahem- a pacifist like me. In the end, I can only associate it with my recurring dreams of apocalypse theme. Dreams that made me pray and repent the moment I wake up. Then last night, as if Mr. Sandman was trying to make ammends with me, I dreamed about a particular scene from Cooking Masterboy which stimulated my appetite for Crab Omelette all day long. As of this moment, I'm still thinking about TRYING to make a Crab Omelette. One of these days I swear...

Don't you think it's amazing how dreams can affect one's behavior for a certain period of time? I've been writing down these dreams in my planner, who knows, they might be pieces of puzzle to my soul searching mission. Right Morpheous?

Manga, manga, manga!!!

I started my otakuness with anime but for the past couple of years, I feel like I am more addicted to manga. It really happens, a lot of fandoms (here) practically started from anime. What about manga, it doesn't really make any difference does it? The thing is, I feel like I can't enjoy an anime based from a manga that i have RECENTLY read. Okay that's exaggerating, not that I can enjoy, but it's not as exciting if I watch anime without a manga background. Or, the new policy would be to give it sometime for me to wash the memory before I watch the anime version. However, there's a big difference if it's the other way around. If I watch the anime version first, I am guaranteed to enjoy the manga version with the same level of reading it for the first time like I have no idea what's gonna happen. Perfect examples are Rurouni Kenshin, Yuyu Hakusho, Card Captor Sakura... I can't remember how many times I watched these animes before I got a hold of their manga version and there are very slight differences in storylines, but damn, when I was reading them, it was as if I never knew what's gonna happen.

Does it make any sense?

What an introduction, when all I wanted to say was that I'm so happy that I finally get to download the recent releases of TRC and XXX Holic... And that I'm so sad that HXH haven't returned from its "NTH" hiatus ='(... It's really depressing because it doesn't feel like the story is near its conclusion yet it had to undergo with so many breaks. It was said that it was due to Yoshihiro Togashi's uncertain illness. Whatever it is, I pray that he recovered completely...

back and ugh!

Now that I finally have time back in my little hands, I suddenly can’t think of anything to talk about. Except that just now I hated my older sister, Pipay, for being such a KJ for changing the radio station and tuned to something that plays contemporary music. C’mon, it’s Sunday afternoon and it ought to be 70’s! And that my brother Oli keeps looking at my monitor. Damn, don’t you hate it when somebody is reading every single word that comes out of your mind? I mean I don’t mind my siblings reading my blog but not when I’m on the process of generating thoughts. It’s annoying that I have to minimize the window whenever he’s at my back!

But anyway, the last weeks were indeed busy for me but it was also a blast that I didn’t notice that Christmas is around the corner… AGAIN! Christmas used to be exciting when I was younger, but now I felt like it’s the time to burn a (BIG) hole in my pocket –sigh- . But it can’t be helped. I loved the feeling of looking forward for presents and celebrating when I was a kid so why won’t I let the kids in my family feel it. After all, I have all the things to be thanked for – a healthy and intact family. AMEN. Money is just a thing that comes, goes and don't worry because it keeps coming back. The smile of a child for this important time of the year is much more important and priceless.
Mom: so why don’t you give your toys to your nephews this Christmas?
Kid: NO! That’s a different issue!!!

Events reports:

The latest one I went to was the 29th Manila International Book Fair. It’s my 4th time in the country’s biggest book fair. Ever since my first attendance I made a pledge to attend every year not because I love books, but because I’m cheap. I’m just after shopping for (good) bargain books and comics which takes less than 2 hours. They have a long program of activities which I never attended because I’m not really onto it.

This year, what do you know, they included cosplay contest and lecture in the program. When I learned of it, all I could ever say in a flat voice was “wow”. My feelings for cosplay have become neutral. I’m still interested in dressing up as an anime character in the future, but I am more than content to be just a spectator by now.

Back to the book fair, aside from manga shopping, what makes this event worth coming are the free bookmarks by exhibitors. I have big use for them I swear. At the SMX lobby, they exhibited popular characters of Philippine literature like Ibong Adarna, Juan Tamad, Tipaklong and Langgam, etc. made of rubber. There are some characters that I didn’t recognize and I suppose that they are from new stories. They are cute though. Too bad my camera is not in good condition anymore. I wish next time there’d be classic komiks on sale, that’d make me feel that “hey, it’s a Phil. Lit. event”.

Eraserheads Reunion Concert:
Okay, I know this is a super late post-facto, but hey, can I say that it’s one of the best concerts I’ve ever been. Honestly, the performance of the group is nothing special to me. In fact, at the onset of the show, it was all over Ely’s face that he’s exhausted and not feeling well. I’m sure a lot of people noticed that. Still I applaud because despite the stress, he still pulled it off. The level of excitement of the people was really moving, it penetrated my bones. The concert was cut short but I do not regret coming. Who knows it might be the last concert of the BEST PINOY BAND ever. The group is very positive for a 2nd round, but will Ely’s medical condition allow it? I’m not being pessimistic here or anything, I just know that heart illness is not something to be taken lightly. Suppose a repeat does happen, I’d still go. My only frustration is that they haven’t performed some of my favorite songs –Maselang Bahaghari, Ang Huling El Bimbo, Magasin, Hard to Believe, Spolarium, Para Sa Masa, Minsan, Tindahan Ni Aling Nena –sigh-

And yeah, I was in the general admission section and we can only rely on big screens to see what's really happening on the stage. But hell, hearing the live performance is enough...

Plays...

I watched an Asian version of Tosca - a Puccini Opera, at PETA Theater last August 29. It's a collaboration of PETA, Black Tent Japan and Nottle Korea. Whenever I'd see operas in movies, they seem old (of course, duh!) and... boring. But I never thought it could be really engaging in live performance or maybe it was because of the modifications -they injected some humor, current issues, pop culture to make it more relevant to Asian audience. I am looking forward to seeing more stage plays, if only it'll be a little cheap.

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And the other things that made me busy... ugh! I'm back to hikkikomori mode...that's all

busy days gone by...

You'll know when a person is busy when he hardly updates his blog hehehe. I've been up to a lot of things and I have a lot of to report. I've been expecting a BREAK sometime soon so chill readers =)