Now that's something I wasn't expecting

Like many writers, I can probably safely say that I work nearly entirely on a computer at this stage of the writing game. Heck, I bought my netbook Hamster for pretty much that specific purpose.

I use my notebooks to plan stories, to do sketches and outlines of what I'm going to write, to make lists of what's in the hopper, to try and write out ideas before I decide to commit to them in a piece of fiction.

But imagine my surprise when yesterday morning I found myself compelled to start on THIS:



That's my moleskine-type notebook and that's my strange handwriting and that's my fountain pen. At the time when I took the photo, very early on Thursday morning, I'd actually managed to do about ten pages of actual WRITING in my notebook. Yes, there are parts where I've crossed out entire lines because, after all, there are no backspace keys when you're actually doing it all in longhand.

You have no idea how much my left hand hurts. I used to be a dedicated pencil-pusher [and I mean that almost literally] and now my hand hurts when I try to put together a grocery list that's about six items long. O how the mighty have fallen! XD

Keeping in Touch

It's been a strange year for me in terms of my fandoms. This 2010 has been the year in which I've finally winnowed my fandoms down to pretty much a bare handful:

> the Takarazuka Kagekidan
> the film Inception
> the modern Doctor Who [to be specific, this would be from Nine till Eleven]
> the 2010 BBC miniseries Sherlock

And it's been so inspiring, particularly the whole Inception thing. I got in on that one on pretty much the ground floor and it's been a wild ride ever since. December will see the release of the DVD, so that will probably mean an explosion of fannishness. And of course there's also the fact that the fic exchanges are all going to start posting around the Christmas and New Year holidays. So you can bet I'm pretty excited about that.

I've had a lot of firsts with this fandom, and so I guess it's only fitting that I do something else for the first time this year. The thing about my fandoms is that the fans are scattered widely, all over the world. It's fun to meet them in cyberspace, but it's just as amazing to try and contact them for real.

So I'm going to try and kick off another first for me this year: send holiday postcards all over the world.

One of the Google April Fools' Day jokes: a Google search, run by postcard.

The nice thing is that when I asked around my fandoms lists for people who'd like to receive a postcard from me, a few of them "demanded" my own address, so that they could also send me something in return.

I'm looking forward to writing out my messages and mailing the postcards out. I really am. Not to mention I can't wait to deploy my beloved pens! THIS is why I collect pens - this is the very occasion I've been saving them up for. *grin*

"Harry Potter is the best hope we have. Trust him."

Since this post will contain some hits and some misses in the first part of the final film installment of the Harry Potter series, PLEASE EXPECT SPOILERS FOR BOTH. Fair warning, okay?

Together with my parents, my sister, and my partner, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 last night. It was almost like a midnight screening, as the show started at about 10:30pm and ended just before 1:00am.

The first impressive thing I learned: the show was sold out. And this was a midnight screening, on a weekend, two whole days after the movie had opened. In hindsight, this was probably only to be expected. As the trailers advertise, it IS the beginning of the end, not only in-story but also for those who read the books. [At this point I'm not discriminating between the kids for whom the books were originally meant, and all the others - adults, families, parents, and readers - who fell in love with the books.]

The second impressive thing shows up as soon as the movie starts: the logos roll up in complete silence, and they are dark and grim, setting the tone for the whole film. Characters fall like flies, or reveal their hidden facets, and every single person in the film is pushed to their very limits. Voldemort plumbs the depths of evil, and of stupidity; the Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange find out what desperation is like; the Ministry of Magic falls to pieces.

Many commentators have already said their piece about the MoM sequences, and I can only add, "Damn right." There are SERIOUS World War II overtones in the story, from the puppet politician in charge to the security force with red armbands.

As for the good characters, well, just look at that film poster to begin with. Harry, Hermione, and Ron go on the run, abandoning families and friends and school and everyone who cares except for each other. This is not an idyll by any means. Things go horribly wrong before they start going right - and what little hope we have at the ending is squashed, hard, by the knowledge that the entirety of the Hogwarts sequences - including the climactic battle - is yet to come.

So many deaths. So many sacrifices. And we have to begin with the trio in flight.



Hits and misses after the jump:

T is for Troll

Just a warning to you all.


This is a KFC Double Down. THIS IS NOT FOOD.

In the interests of science, I ate one of these for my last meal of the day. [Remember, I work on the night shift - my last meal of the day was at 6am.]

And it turns out that despite my sister's surprised endorsement and encouragement this is pretty much blech all over the place. Who on EARTH thought that it was a good idea to sandwich bacon, mayo, and processed cheese between two KFC Original Recipe fillets?

And the stores that I visit, pass by, or otherwise have access to routinely show this item as sold out, which means that yes, other people are actually willingly eating this stuff.

I shudder to think that some people are actually coming back for more.

So, yeah, PSA for everyone reading this blog. Please, think of your tummy. Please do not eat this stuff because as it turns out, it is terrible. I had to force myself to finish mine, and I had to eat something else immediately afterward to get the idea of it out and away. Do yourself a favor, DON'T take a leaf from my book. Just don't eat this.

[And that title? Grading system at Hogwarts. I don't care if Gred and Forge were pulling Harry and Ron's legs when they said T was the lowest possible grade a Hogwarts student could get. This stuff deserves that abysmal rating.]

Lest We Forget.

Spare a thought for veterans all over the world, and especially the veterans, those who remain, of the First World War.

A final salute to NU107.5

Last night, at about 9 or 10 in the evening, my partner and I tuned in to the radio station NU107.5, which had billed itself as the home of Pinoy [Philippine] rock and roll.

The live video feed showed a shit-ton of people crammed inside the booth, a huge crowd outside the windows. The broadcast booth being on the ground floor of a building, and the building being on a corner, you can imagine how it was - the DJs could look out in two directions and see people in black, drinking, holding candles, holding cameras.

Last night was the last night in existence of this major and important radio station.

Adding poignancy to our tuning in was the fact that one of the DJs was a friend of ours. She joined many of the station's key personnel in playing final songs and giving final speeches.

I had to cry because the song she picked was this:


"Don't You [Forget About Me]", Simple Minds. From the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club.

As the clock's hands crept toward midnight, my Twitter started flooding with emotions over the radio station. Knowing that the station was mandated to play the Philippine National Anthem at the very end of its final sign-off, there was much speculation on what the final song would be.

The livestream, unfortunately, cut off just before 12 midnight. Luckily, my mobile phone had an FM radio function - so I hurriedly plugged us in, just as DJ Francis Brew cued up the last song the station would ever play.


"Ang Huling El Bimbo" [The Last El Bimbo], Eraserheads. From the album "Cutterpillow".

And at THAT, well, there was nothing for it but to turn away and start sniffling. Had to cling on to my partner for dear life. I think I won't be alone now in saying that I will never listen to this song the same way again.

I look forward to hearing the news that NU107 lives again, maybe as a pirate radio station, maybe as an Internet outfit. Stations come and go, technology marches on, but the music lives forever.

Rakenrol, dudes. \m/

Music to NaNo to

The special live performance of "Mombasa", a track from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the movie Inception. Hans Zimmer and Johnny Marr lead the performers.

If that's not music to write to, well, hell, I must be deaf, mute, and a moron.

I'm really not NaNo'ing this year, I swear, although I've been writing nonstop for the past few days.

It occurs to me, though, that with the amount of words I've chalked up I should probably have crossed my fingers and done one of those "rebel" NaNo things, you know, signed up to write a bunch of related short stories with the goal of eventually creating a 'verse in 50,000 words. I'd hardly be the only person who'd tried to do something like a novel in a series of short stories.....

I've just had my paycheck, so I think it's time for me to rejig the personal budget a bit and try to see if I can pitch in for my now-going-to-be-a-November-habit of a donation to the Office of Letters and Light. They're the folks behind NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy [and their respective Young Writers' Programs]. Ten dollars a year is not too much to give to a wonderful organization that keeps the spirit of writing and creating alive.

Turning "japonais": kimono dreams

Because these days I've been writing out this entire universe of stories that are set in a fantastical swords-and-sorcery Japanese setting - you know, people in hakama casting magical spells or wielding traditional weaponry in epic duels - I've had kimono on the brain lately.

I have actually had the pleasure of wearing one of these very stately garments, but admittedly it was more like a yukata-type. It's been something like 11 years. I really would like to repeat the experience some time.

Anyway, here are some reference photos I've dug up from around the web. This first kimono has a gorgeous flower-and-tree motif. Aren't the colors just magnificent?



And this next one seems to be a compilation image of modern-day furisode kimono. If any one of the girls in the photo held out her arms to the sides, the sleeves would hang nearly all the way to the ground.

Granted, I'm a bit too old to wear furisode. These kimono are only suited for young women, and anyone over the age of 20, except a bride, is probably supposed to switch over to the tomesode type [of which the previous kimono is an example].

But I love the colors and patterns in these kimono and were I able to commission a tomesode kimono for myself, I would probably go for the pattern shown in the first / upper "furisode de invierno" [winter furisode].



Kirei na~, as the Japanese would say....

Chronicle of fandom work

I think I've mentioned the idea of a fandom exchange here before, but having achieved something of a minor Crowning Moment of Awesome in my fandom life, I hope you don't mind if I take you through it again....

Fandom Gift Exchange Fest
When a participant signs up for one of these, he or she agrees to create a piece of fanfiction or fanart for someone else who has signed up for the fest. In return, the participant will also receive a piece of fanfiction or fanart from another participant. As the key word is EXCHANGE, participants who drop out or fail to turn in their pieces will not get any gifts.

To make sure that everyone gets a gift that they will like, each participant fills in a form that details what they like and don't like in fanfiction or fanart in that fandom. Usually the form will ask for preferred or vetoed pairings, some prompts, things that the participant likes and doesn't like, etc. The form thus serves as a sort of blueprint for the person who's creating a gift for them.

Many fests are anonymous and reveals are scheduled for after the time when the gifts have been posted, in order to increase anticipation, participation, and excitement. Also, I think it's really fun that way.

Some exchange fests are limited to one fandom only: every piece of fanfiction or fanart is keyed to characters/situations from that fandom. Crossovers are allowed as long as the main fandom is the featured exchange fest fandom.

On the other hand, some exchange fests are geared specifically towards crossovers of all kinds.

Fandom Big Bang Challenge
I'll take the definition here straight from the FAQs of the one I signed up for:

A big bang challenge is a collaborative project between authors and artists. Authors sign up to write long fanfiction within a predetermined time frame, and artists sign up to create art based on these stories.

The idea of the fandom big bang challenge apparently originated in a specific challenge that grew out of a specific branch of Harry Potter fandom.

Now back to the aforementioned very minor CMoA.

For all my years in various fandoms I'd never even heard of these terms until 2010. Since it turned out that people liked how I wrote in my current fandom, I decided, okay, to hell with it, never know till I try - and thus I signed up to write three stories: one for a one-fandom gift exchange fest, a crossover fandom gift exchange fest, and a fandom big bang challenge.

As of yesterday I've just turned in all the completed drafts to the three challenges.

And now I am keyed up for posting and reveals over the holidays.

You guys. Like I said. FIRST TIME EVER. And now I know I CAN DO THIS SORT OF THING. I took on three successive challenges and didn't flake out, didn't drop out, and didn't quit.

Each challenge had a specific word count: the first one I completed had to meet a minimum of 2000 words, the second a minimum of 1500 words, and the big bang had a minimum of 15,000 words. I'm happy to say I went over every one of those deadlines. [Wow, self, overcompensating much....]

I almost feel like I should have enough time to actually tackle National Novel Writing Month next, but, as I am grossly NOT prepared at all for that this year, I will wait until November 2011 for my next attempt. That will not stop me from mailing in a donation to the Office of Letters and Light, though!

Woo hoo!

This year, I am carrying two swords

Previous Halloween entry: Trick/Treat/Trip



The first picture taken of me tonight, as the office braces for its Halloween party. I am carrying two types of swords and I intend to run around and pose some more with the damn things, as I am quite happy with them and I have never had a chance to do something like this. XD

There should be more later, or I will try to get someone to take other photos, I don't know.....

Scenes from my university

I recently found cause to write about UP-Diliman, the university that I attended for a few years, in rather elegiac terms in a story.

As that story is supposed to be part of a project where both words and images come together, I took it upon myself to add some references for the artist who will draw my story, and to this end I went out last Sunday to photograph my uni.

Turns out it was perfect weather to take pictures: a blue sky overhead, a sun that was not overwhelming in its light and in fact was a bit moody and muted. There were also not a lot of people on the grounds, which my SO and I attributed to that weekend being the first of the semester break, meaning, everyone might have gone home for a couple of weeks.

He and I took turns with the camera. I'm pretty sure that the third photo is his.

The facade of Ang Bahay ng Alumni features a striking stained-glass half-circle window, which unfortunately is not that obvious in this light. [Hint: it's that massive window with the iron traceries.] The name of the building roughly translates to "The Home of the Alumni".

A look up, up, up the UP Carillon. When we were at uni together we used to spend afternoons listening to the distant songs of the bells as they were rung in this tower. Recently the whole thing has undergone a facelift and it now looks much better than it did ten years ago.

The facade of Palma Hall, also known as AS [Arts and Sciences] and LA [Liberal Arts], depending on your generation, as seen through some of the acacia trees planted along the Academic Oval. Photo by my partner.

A photo of one side of the Academic Oval, taken by me while sitting on the sidewalk opposite Palma Hall. I really like the atmosphere in this photo: it makes us look as though we were the only people in the area. In fact there were a few bicyclists making the rounds - I just got lucky; I took the photo while they were still far away.

For all its flaws and strange idiosyncrasies I still think my uni is gorgeous and a joy to be in. I hope these pictures help convey that.

Read this one only in the daylight

[WARNING: this entry may contain possible spoilers for the novel and the film Let the Right One In.]

title: Låt den rätte komma in
author: John Ajvide Lindqvist. His debut novel.

But first, before the review, have a listen to the song that's extensively quoted throughout the book: "Let the Right One Slip In" by Morrissey. [Yes, THAT Morrissey.]



There is a bit of vampire lore that does not quite get remembered as often as the whole bloodsucking/infection/undead thing: vampires need to be invited to enter a place.

If you've read the Artemis Fowl books you know that this concept has also applied to fairies. Only fitting, in a way....

Anyway. Over the weekend I treated myself to a new book: a copy of Let the Right One In. My edition has the cover that also says "The inspiration behind Let Me In" - which is the 2010 American remake of the 2008 Swedish film.

I read the novel in three big gulps over the weekend and let me tell you, this is one of the best vampire novels out there. It really is. The whole atmosphere is cold and forbidding, the characters are all too human and weak [yes, that includes Eli], and the whole idea is of this strange and twisted love that forms between a boy and an androgynous bloodsucker.

[If you prefer to have your characters STAY the gender they're introduced as, you're SOL with Eli, as the pronouns referring to the character actually change from paragraph to paragraph.]

Oskar, the main character, comes off as someone really believable, and it's on him that the narrative of the book is centered, even though there are several POV characters and their stories intertwine throughout the pages. If you cannot stomach/believe/accept the terrible experiences he goes through, you'll have a hard time understanding the relationship he eventually forms with Eli, the character that the title refers to.


A famous still from the 2008 movie shows a bloody Eli. I think I now know which part of the book this comes from.

Have I mentioned that this novel is scary? And only partly because of Eli, believe it or not. One of the important things to note in this novel is that some of the human characters are portrayed as being even more monstrous than the obviously undead ones - and it's really one of the major sources of the horror. You've met them, or I hope you haven't: the bully, the pedophile, the druggie, the shut-in, the isolated, the serial killer groupie. Each character is beautifully and frighteningly described.

[Guess which one of those is the actual PROTAGONIST. Yes, even Oskar has major flaws.]

In short: READ THIS WITH THE LIGHTS ON.

Martin Freeman's Life Just Could Not Get Any Better

Because he's been cast as BILBO BAGGINS!

His already impressive resume of beloved roles gets EVEN LONGER: from Tim Canterbury in The Office (UK), to Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and most recently Dr. John Watson in Sherlock.


Martin Freeman on the right, as Arthur Dent in his bathrobe, pyjamas, and towel. [Still from, of course, H2G2.]

All shall love him and SQUEE!

I know it was Spirit Day yesterday

But "It gets better" is a message that deserves to be out there every day of the year.

Here are some wonderful and kickass Google employees talking about how it gets better.



Love the Android Pride shirts, too.

http://www.glaad.org/spiritday

I may not be NaNo-ing but I might as well be noveling

And consequently I want these items, mrrr.


There is no such thing as having too many pens. If I had money I'd treat myself to three or four of these.


And of course one needs a notebook to write in when one has a kickass pen, and THIS fills the bill quite well. I am also so happy because one of my local bookstores is stocking lovely Korean-made notebooks and they are pretty neat.

I also nearly bought one of those gorgeous sketch pads with acid-free paper - and of course I was going to WRITE in it because I can't draw to save my life.

NaNo merch and related stuff here. At the very least, I want to send in another donation to the OLL....

Home Improvement! We finally get a proper closet

The joke of this Sunday morning was, "I want a sonic screwdriver and I want it now."

We WERE watching a couple of guys assemble the closet we'd purchased last week, after all.

Hard to believe that we've been living in our apartment for close to three years and only now managed to have enough money for a closet. That might have had something to do with the fact that moving in had been expensive all on its own, and I was directing most of my money to just getting by.

Now I have some money stored safely away, so I was able to get something we badly needed.


The nice thing about this closet: lots and lots of space for organizing clothes. There's a mirror in one of the doors, too, so it's now possible for us to do a complete check on our outfits before heading out the door.


The main storage space in the closet.

[Yes, those are our chocobos. I took them back home after a brief stint in the office with me.]

Now I have to spend most of tonight organizing a ton of things. Hope that the Internet holds out and that the storm doesn't hit us very badly.

And now I can really feel the winter creeping in

The final proof of cold weather arrived on my doorstep this morning.

I'm going to pay even LESS for my electricity bill this month than I did last month.

Pretty much the only electrical appliances getting a workout at my flat are the ref and the PC. I don't always use the overhead lights because I'm home during the daytime and I'm out at night. [Same applies for my partner.]

Oh I'm just glad I can save up some money.

BUT.

If the cold months are coming I wish I could spend some money and dress like THESE hot guys.


Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. I cannot wait for the second series and I really cannot wait to see the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The cast will include Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy, and this gentleman.

*starry eyes*


Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, during his special appearance at the Doctor Who 2010 Proms. Here's a sample of the music they played during the concerts, with bonus badass dialogue:



*shivers and squees in equal measure*

There go my NaNoWriMo plans

Inspired by a comment in a recent entry, I guess this is the part where I say that yeah, I'm sorry, I have to skip NaNoWriMo 2010.

It's the busy season coming up at work, and as the work will occupy me eight hours out of a solid nine on shift, I predict more days in which I stagger zombie-like for home and pass out from sheer tired.

I HAVE already written something like 30k words in the past two months, though, so all is not woe and despair.

And I WILL be haunting the NaNo forums to encourage my friends - sheesh, self, noveling vicariously much?

Scenes from a Vacation

I was on hiatus for a couple of weeks. As you might have noticed, the last blog entry had been on my birthday - and then radio silence here and on the Facebook fan page.

Well, that was due to a vacation. Took some time off, which culminated in me and my partner celebrating yesterday [Binary Day, otherwise known as 10-10-10] in a Chinese food marathon with friends and family.

Pics or it didn't happen, so here's some of the food from the past weekend:

Elbert's Cheesesteak - provolone cheesesteak hoagie, fries, iced tea and orange juice, 8-10-10.

Toast Box for breakfast with chocobos, 10-10-10

Conti's cakes for dessert, 10-10-10

I should try to go back to more regular posting from here on out. As it's almost time for the busy season to start at work, not to mention I've a 20k-plus story to write, I'll do my best.

It's National Coming Out Day. All my love to friends and readers and especially to a wonderful queer friend of mine in the US. And here is a possibly relevant video.


Chris Colfer [Glee's Kurt Hummel] for the Trevor Project: "It gets better."

And I'm 28 and a geek.

Well, THIS cake ain't a lie at all.


My frabjous birthday cake, courtesy of my wonderful partner. If you're wondering about the inscription, it's because we've been very amused by the Panda Cheese commercials.

Subtitled versions here:



And now I go to work. [Vacation next week!]