my books

the sandman: dream hunters (signed by neil gaiman)

This is the very first Sandman novel that I got. When I had to choose from which one of my books would get signed, this one was on top of the list. Neil Gaiman signed it when he came over for the opening of Fullybooked Gateway last '05. I was in line for more than 9 hours! Good thing the people there were really nice, and we all became fast friends. Aside from this, Neil also signed my copy of The Kindly Ones, but it was just a squiggle so I didn't bother taking a picture of it.

creatures of the night (signed by neil gaiman)

The Price is the very first Gaiman story that I have read. Our professor in Humanities is a big Gaiman fan, and we discussed this short story in one of our classes. I remember sobbing like a little girl when I first read it at home. When I got this limited illustrated edition, I promised myself to have it signed. So when I heard that Neil was one of the special guests of the Ad Congress last '07, I went to Subic and attended the conference. He read the first chapter of the then unpublished Graveyard Book - and I found out that I was one of the very few who already knew about the story of Nobody Owens (I had a copy of the fourth chapter from M is for Magic). Afterwards, he encouraged all the attendees to write, and gave helpful tips on how we could improve our styles. I was able to ask him a lot of questions, and he answered all of them. At the end, we all fell in line to have our books signed - but it only took me roughly around 15 minutes and I was already in front. Aside from Creatures of the Night, he also signed Good Omens, the screenplay of Beowulf, and Expeditions: Prose. On top of that, he gave me a couple of big hugs and a kiss! I have a picture of me rubbing faces with him lying around somewhere. I'll post it when I find it. ^_^

the absolute sandman: volumes 1-4

These are my most expensive books to date. Combined, I would already be able to buy a DSLR with these guys. I know, I already have the trade edition of the Sandman but I just couldn't resist completing the set. Also, these books are roughly 4 kilos each. I tried lifting all of them together, but I wasn't able to. I think I might need to use a stroller to have them signed when Neil comes back here in Manila. T_T

more on pens...

parker urban: london cab black rollerball

i'm thinking of getting this pen...maybe on my rd, i'll drop by cutting edge in trinoma to get one. i know, i know. i said that i didn't want a parker because i thought it's mainstream. but who wouldn't fall in love with the design of the parker urban? it's so sleek and sexy! *sighs*

update on my pilot pen: no, it's not missing. it's still safely tucked inside its special case in my pedestal. i just want to share that i found one that looks almost the same in edsa shang over the

weekend. how much are they selling it for? drumroll please. php 7,500! odk! i'm so lucky i got mine for a measly php750! thank goodness for connections!

The Art of Getting Lost

Something I'm looking forward to this January. Everyone's invited!

wabaaa!

jack and wobbuffet

i had the hardest time in trying to find a wobbuffet plush. for two years, i had my friends scour the big cities in the us but they couldn't find any. i guess pokemon isn't big in the states anymore.

and where did i find the lil bugger? it was just hanging in a small toy kingdom kiosk in megamall! it was on sale because nobody wanted it! good grief!

author's note: i bought wobuffet in TOY KINGDOM, not TOYS R US. i'm sorry if i caused you any undue inconvenience (if you want to go to toys r us, it's in trinoma)

sorry lemon!

my pen!!!

my uber rare pilot pen

when i found out that i was going to be sent to cali for training last '07, i decided to treat myself by getting an expensive pen. i'm not really a fan of fancy pens - mainly because i'm not used to writing anymore. i guess i just wanted to have something flashy to use when i needed to take down notes or sign documents and stuff. (chuckles evilly)

i didn't want to get a parker or a cross (mainstream! lame!) so i immediately asked my father if he had something in mind that fits my criteria. he pointed me to different spots and i found myself in binondo, talking to an old chinese guy who happened to be the local distributor of both parker and pilot pens. i didn't think i'd be getting a pen at his store but my interest was piqued when he mentioned that he had something from pilot that's never going to be released in the local market. when he told me the reason why (people found it too expensive), my heart dropped. i didn't think i'd be able to afford it. but the gods smiled at me that day and he offered me the pen at presyong puhunan! i'm not sure how much it would have cost if it did hit the market, but from what i've heard, the mark-up for these items usually range from 300-500%, sometimes even more!

so yeah. i love this pen. if i can't take it where i'm going, i keep it locked inside my pedestal. but i have lost this pen a lot of times already - more than i can count! last time i did, i almost gave up and even scouted for a suitable replacement. i almost got a parker urban - london cab rollerball! ODK! good thing it turned up again in my workstation last saturday morning. i guess my relationship with this pen is almost the same as what orpheus has with his earring: no matter how many times we lose them, they keep on turning right up. thank the gods! thank the gods!

Missin' What I Thought I'd Be Glad to Let Go

I miss my old team. I'm just glad that somehow, I became an integral part of their lives, and they became a part of mine. Be safe, team 8.

on sacrifice...(Bantay Baboy '09)

IT

i was tasked to bring lechon for our company's new year celebration. since we're using a common pantry, i had to ward off people from other accounts from getting a piece of it.

and so, i stayed seated beside the pig. for several long hours i did nothing but stare at...ah...um...it. it may be a girl pig, it may be a boy pig. i'm not sure...i wasn't able to flip it over to check its genitals. but it had long eyelashes, so it may have been a girl. but then, i've seen boy camels with long eyelashes, so i'm not quite sure. oh well, to be safe, i'll just use it.

where was i? oh yeah. i was seating in the pantry, staring at the pig. sometimes at its face, most of the time at its butt. a little mist was forming in the room because of the pig's heat, combined with the ac blasting at 15 degrees. the smell of roasted flesh and fresh blood was permeating the air, and i couldn't help zoning off and wonder if the pig realized that it was led away from its pen to be slaughtered; so its meat would be feasted upon by my officemates. and if it had an inkling of its fate, how was it able to continue marching toward its ultimate fate? perhaps, deep in the recesses of its mind, it knew that it was making a sacrifice.

sacrifice. to make sacred. as i sat there, staring at the pig's eyelashes, i began to think about sacrifice; how different cultures offered countless lives and blood to their gods and to their causes.

my thoughts shifted then drifted to hinzelmann, a kobold in german mythology. his was a sad story. for the safety and prosperity of the tribe, a sacrifice is needed to take place. a babe would be taken from his parents and isolated. from infancy, he would be left alone in a darkened hut at the far end of the village. never talked to, never hugged, never kissed, never loved. on his fourth birthday, he would finally be led outside of his hut. the tribe's strongest man would carry him on his back and they would dance towards the village bonfire. he would stand dumbfounded and blinking, light entering his eyes for the first time. they would dress him warmly with red velvet, then fed the finest food and given the strongest drink. a woman would then snatch him from the rest of the crowd. she would hug him and kiss him, and he would sit in her arms wondering why were tears flowing down her cheeks. and then he would be grabbed and spun around by men, and given more drink. not knowing how to express himself, he would cry. but when he sees the people laughing, he too begins to laugh. for the first time in his life, he is happy. and then, his heart is pierced with two burning swords.

the happy tribe would then smoke his remains and put it inside a wooden box. they would carry it around wherever they went, and offer sacrifices to it. he was their god now, and he would protect them and give them prosperity. but as germany became christianized, his role in their mythos morphed, and he was transformed into a ambivalent house spirit: something like the elves, pucks, or brownies. residents would give small offerings of milk and honey for him, so he would continue protecting the household.

but now, since we're in the age of science and rationality, he doesn't have a place left in the world. i can't help but think how sad he must be, little hinzelmann, and if his sacrifice was worth anything at all.

i was sitting in the pantry, staring at the pig, thinking about hinzelmann and about sacrifice. i looked around the room and thought to myself that i also have made a sacrifice. i gave up my time for the long eyelashed pig. and i wondered if my sacrifice would amount to anything at all.

and then my boss arrived and gave me a cup of chocolate ice cream. woohoo!

on death...

my ultimate wish during this lifetime is to die when i decide that i finally want to.

nah, i'm not talking about killing myself. i must admit that thought crossed my mind before, especially during my turbulent teenage years, but that's not what i meant.

i've been an on-and-off practioner of rajah yoga / meditation since college and i want to have the power and self-control to decide not to come back from the higher planes in this incarnation.

well, it's the start of a new year. my resolution is to allot more time in my studies and practice so i would be able to attain my fondest wish.