3rd Anime Toycon

After attending church and eating dinner with my family, both nuclear and extended, I rushed to the Anime Toycon at the Megatrade Hall of Megamall.

I love browsing through loads and loads of toys, gadgets and comic books. Every toycon, I pick up the double-packed Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man 2099 figures. I'm a big fan of Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider. In fact, I can relate to him more than I can to Peter Parker. Maybe because Ben has lost so much, and yet he has risen to reclaim his life. I also like Miguel O' Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099. I don't buy the figs tho, 'coz they're priced at P4,500. Not a practical purchase. So I just make it a point to look at these unsold figures everytime a toycon hits Pasig.

In other news, my sister performed in this Minimoni/Morning Musume song and dance number, so I had to get this on film for blackmail purposes :)

Anyways, my first purchases included classic Legion of Super-Heroes issues: The Sensor Girl Mystery (I only have these in reprint form) and The Universo Project. I also got the New Warriors/Punisher 2-parter and the last issue of the Micronauts. I also purchased the locally-produced magazine, Seeker. I'm a sucker for glossy pages hehe. My biggest purchases included tons of Spider-Man issues, mostly those set during the Ben Reilly era! I've been looking for these stuff for years! I also had some trade paperbacks reserved (the salesgirl, Joann, was cute!), like Wolverine: Typhoid's Kiss (been looking for this too for ages) and Prime Time Hardcover. I also saw this really cool X-Men/Avengers Anniversary Book with a Hologram Cover, but it's P800.00 for such a slim comic book. Once again, not a practical purchase.

While looking at some DVDs, I noticed a glasses-wearing cutie beside me while asking the saleslday if she wuz selling Robotech DVDs. It made me yearn to be committed again. To have someone to share these moments with. To have someone to call and invite whenever, wherever.

I looked back at the 2 years that I was attached. Most of the time, my ex and my best friend Cathy would accompany me to those big comic sales held in Greenhills. They'd nag at me to hurry up and I'd smile and plead for 5 additional minutes. Then we'd buy pizza and just hang out at the food court, or just go to Cathy's place to chill. I'd excitedly open the new comics that I bought, sometimes encouraging them to take a look and see what I got. They'd politely patronize me and we'd all have a good laugh because of it. Now my ex and I will never be as close as we once were, and Cathy's still in the States. 'Till December.

=)

Balisong by River Maya

Never in my life have I been more sure,
So come on up to me and close the door.
Nobody's made me feel this way before;
You're everything I wanted and more.


s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s

Renewal

What a cool blog title!

A few hours ago, I just renewed my driver's license at the Pasig branch of LTO. I got there at about 10:30 am. A lot has changed since I last renewed three years ago. For one, there's now a parking fee of 20 pesos. After parking, a guy (fixer) approached me. Funny, as I just came across some signs saying NOT to go through fixers, and to just approach any LTO staff that can be recognized by the LTO IDs that they wore. Impressive, I thought to myself. The signs were so many, that you wouldn't miss 'em. It's cool that there is an info campaign to make people aware that there are LTO staff persons around to help.

Anyway, "my fixer" said that he wuz there to "guide" me throughout the renewal process. I politely declined, saying (in Tagalog of course) that I've been doing this for years, but he wouldn't hear any of it. Like a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, he brought me to the clinic for drug testing. I entered cheerfully, saying good morning to the expressionless faces of the clinic staff. I asked how much the test was and holy batman, it wuz TWO HUNDRED FIFTY BUCKS!!! I smiled, asking if there was a discount since I was Pinoy. I don't think they found my joke funny.

After paying, I was led to the "lab," which wuz nuthin' more than a makeshift receiving area along a corridor leading to gender-specific comfort rooms. I just finished weeweeing before leaving the house, so I told the "lab assistant" (naks) if I could proceed to the other steps 1st as I still didn't feel the "urge." She told me to take my "medical exam" first. Brrrrrrrrr.

Having come from our company's physical exam some months back, I prepared myself for a grueling day of testing and extensive check-ups. I shouldn't have worried. Following cute explicit little signs posted on the walls of the mazelike center that reminded me of a morgue ("diretso hanggang dulo, kaliwa tapos kanan"), I found myself ready to take my medical exam. Of course the very first question I asked was "how much?"

I entered the doctor's room and she asked me to read the last line of the eye chart with one eye closed. I covered my right eye 1st (the one that's nearsighted) and read the letters perfectly. Then having memorized that line, I "read" the letters again, this time with my left eye covered. Perfect! 20/20 vision hehehe. Once again, I am happy to say that I could have my license picture taken without my dorky glasses.

I thanked her sweetly and proceeded to pay. 50 bucks for a medical certificate, stating that I took this-and-that test (Short term memory loss? I don't remember having my ears checked).

Going back to the drug testing clinic, I took a minor detour to a small (and this is an overstatement) sari-sari store and bought a bottle of mineral water that suspiciously looked like it was just refilled from the gripo. After buying my 2nd bottle (10 pesos each by the way for chilled tap water from the pipes of Pasig), my suspicions were confirmed. I saw a few plastic coke bottles containing water in her cooler. Amused, I smiled and said thanks as I handed her my money.

Soon after, I went back to the clinic and stayed in the "air-conditioned waiting area" (which was indiscreetly advertised by the way, outside the door) while willing my _ _ _ _ _ to pee. I'm glad I did, as the conversation between the clinic staff more than made up for the wait.

Female staff person (who looked like she was the senior of the bunch): Nakakainis talaga ang DOH. Magbubukas na sa kabila. Kokonti na ang makukuha natin.

Lab Assistant: Tinignan ko nga kanina, mukhang bukas na sila.

Female staff person: Ang daya talaga ng DOH! Malakas kse sila sa DOH eh. Nung tayo, ang dami pang tanong!

Lab Assistant: Wala pa silang gamit, typewriter lang.

Female staff person (snootily): Typewriter?!?! Wala man silang computers! At may freezers ba sila para sa samples?

The conversation went on and I tried my best not to show any expression on my face. I was laughing real hard inside of course.

Female staff person (to the Lab Assistant): Tawagan mo nga ang LTO. Kailangan natin magpagawa pa ng mga LTO IDs. Sabihin mo anim!

*Ting*

Ohhhhhh. So it IS all linked together. The fixers are now legitimized thanks to LTO IDs. Now and then, I saw "official" LTO personnel "guiding" other saps like me to this particular clinic. One particular girl who was now in the clinic, I remember being referred to by the LTO guy behind the counter! I remembered her name too, so I guess she wuz surprised when I said "Hi, Ate Brenda!"

Finally, right before lunchtime, I got the urge, so I approached the lab assistant. I engaged her in small talk as at that moment, I still couldn't "go." We talked about her course, and my job ("kaya pala ang pluent mo"), and the difficult people who she deals with who do not fill the bottle completely.

Remembering her pet peeve, I filled my bottle to the brim and even showed it to her before closing the bottle. She sealed the bottle professionally with a tamper-proof seal (aka masking tape) and asked me to sign it (naks, CSI). Then more small talk before I realized that all offices closed at the strike of 12! I asked her sweetly if I had to come back after lunch. She smiled back and said no need, she'd print out the results right away so that I didn't have to come back (yay!).

I left the clinic with all the papers that I needed. Then I proceeded to my fave barber shop (Y2cut) to have a haircut. That license picture was going to be stuck there for the next 3 years, so it HAD to be good.

After a refreshing haircut, I went back to LTO. While walking towards the office, 5 different fixers approached me at varying times. I felt like a celebrity (wehehe)!

There, I had to wait for my name to be called, paid (TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO PESOS AND EIGHTY CENTS, AND I DIDN'T GET BACK MY TWENTY CENTS CHANGE. HMPH), waited to be called again, had my picture taken (it was fun joking around with the lady photographer... bentang-benta hehe), waited to be called again, waited... waited...

AND THEN!!!!!!!

This really cute girl entered the LTO building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything was forgotten. All the hardships and waiting and frowns and heat and sweat and... EVERYTHING was just washed away :)

And I happily stole glances at the cutest person I have ever seen in years (besides my one-and-only S... but no one compares to S).

I'm now smiling goofily as I type this, hehe.

ANYWAYS...

So after talking with the people I was waiting with, I had my picachure taken a 2nd time and then finally got my license!!!! At 2:30 in the afternoon!

Unfortunately, I had to leave :(

So driving home, pleased at my glasses-less inspired by cutie picachure, all is right with the world. I happily let pedestrians cross all the lanes that they want. And then someone rams me from behind.

The girl is apologetic, and even if it was her fault, I felt real sorry for her and I just let it pass. This "awa" is going to cost me some bucks..... sigh.

Anyways, I texted my dad and told him to just charge me as I let the girl go. He understands, but not enough to let me off the hook (and the paying).

And that leads me to this blog entry.

What a long long day, with amusing situations, a depressing car accident, and a meet-up with the girl I'm marrying because S doesn't like me.

I feel renewed :)

Countdown

The countdown to my birthday comes closer with each second that passes. Now I know what happened the past few weeks, why everything was so chaotic, why I was not in control of my life.

The ever-popular, overused quarter-life crisis.

Regardless, at this moment, at this exact point in my life...

I am at peace :)

Birthday Weekend 2004

Pretty good so far.

Supposed to go on leave this Friday and Monday, but the best-laid plans...

The outing was good. Good food, good company, and I enjoyed sleeping under the sun. I'm sunburned and red but 'tis all good.

Friday wuz also good. Tiring, but I wuz able to accomplish a lot. I'm enjoying the company of new teammate Weng. She's so... real! And that's one of the qualities that I value most in a friend. After that sucky meeting last Tuesday, I'm glad things seem to be getting better. Seem. Hehehe.

I also learned my lesson. Don't speak up. Just keep everything inside. This isn't college, I don't know who to trust anymore. I'll just focus on work as well as continue exploring my options. That "light" at the end of the tunnel is getting to be clearer each day. Let's hope it's not coming from a train, we-he-he.

I saw Toi last night. I missed her a lot. And my college buds. Can't wait for the usual July reunion.

Saturday's good. I watched St. Elmo's Fire. Very appropriate. Is it a sign? Nice line, that "I thought we'd all be friends forever." Then I caught up with my comic reading. Squadron Supreme. Astig. After blogging, it's dinner. Then I'm playin' Castlevania 4 (Super Castlevania) c/o Zeki.

I love the weather, the relaxation, this weekend. :)

And my crush texted more than once, so :) Hehe :P