Today I got some really old orders from Comic Odyssey in Robinsons Place Malate. The owner, Eric, is a pretty nice guy-- he knocked off 200 bucks from what I owed him (don’t ask), and it’s one of the two best comics stores in the HISTORY of the country (the other one being CCHQ on Katipunan). I haven’t been to that mall in ages, and I felt kind of bad about getting my shit only now when it had arrived a while back, possibly around May or June. Anyway, because of the delay my new X-Force shirt is now a little silly and dated: the team (and book) has changed their name to X-Statix, and all but two people on my shirt have died. Somehow, though, it just makes me love my new shirt more. The other two things I got were Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo’s The Castaways and Durwin Talon’s book Panel Discussions. Neva got her Amelia Rules! By Jimmy Gownley, and she finished it so quick it’s now with me.

Then met up with Harvey Hong and Le Sexy Mark Lavin, to do some work for Neva’s family’s farm’s booth in November’s agriculture expo at the World Trade Center. Try saying that three times fast. Checked out some trailers: Jamie Bell, that fucking great actor who played Billy Elliott in the film of the same name is now in some war/horror film, and it actually looks interesting. And he’s taller now, in his teens. What year did Billy Elliott come out anyway? I feel so old. Anyway, this film and Below are both about soldiers in wars coming across some supernatural spooky horrific shit that makes short work of them and doesn’t give a crap about territorial/theological/ideological disputes. There must be something in the air.

The Spanish Film Fest has begun at Greenbelt 1. Do yourself a favor and try to catch Tesis. Oh, and check out Hannah’s hilarious new blog entry, complete with narrative captions.

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Yesterday I was at a recital in UP, for their College of Music’s culminating project. My cousin Ray, who’s been living with us on weekdays since he works in Laguna, has been learning to play the cello. He’s already pretty good, they gave him two solos to perform and he was also in a quartet. He can also play the guitar, the piano, and drums. He practices here at night, so the pieces he played were already a bit familiar to us. Hopefully he’ll be able to do songs from In the Mood for Love or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soon. Requiem for a Dream, too. The first performance was by the violin students, and there were a lot. The first two rows were all kids, and when they started playing, it was just variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but things just went insane. Like a swarm of insect, parents from all corners of the theater swarmed the orchestra pit and front of the stage, flashbulbs popping and videocameras whirring. It was ridiculous. I could hear the shuffling of feet and cameras clicking louder than the dying cats being slaughtered by the children. And then, Weakest Link-style, members of the class would leave the stage when more advanced songs were to be performed next. Most of the time I was asleep, though. I’m not used to waking up so early. Because of all the sleepiness I actually slept later in the day until around 9 PM, and now regret not going to the Ateneo High School Emancipation thing. Quark, Lia, Mich, Goldie, Hannah, Ciudad, and Monsterbot were there, and I wish I got to see Ciudad play, because it’s been a while. Shit, last time I saw them, Meg was still here! But I got up late like I said, didn’t even bother with dinner, just went out with Neva, checked out the new Music One at Greenbelt 3 (it’s depressing to realize there’s a hundred fucking Chumbawumba CDs and not a single album from Girls Against Boys) and then went home to sleep some more.

At Music One:
Neva: Hey, there are two Brittle Stars CDs over there.
Me: (spinning) WHAT?! WHERE?!
Neva: Oops, Trembling Blue Stars pala. Got mixed up.
Me: (shrugging) Eh.

Sorry, indie kids, but they just don’t hold a candle to Sigur Ros.

Friday was Mich’s career talk in Poveda. She talked about it and noted down a lot of the memorable moments herself, so check out her post on that. I’ve never been to Poveda before, and it’s actually a pretty nice campus. We held up cards for Mich to justify our presence there. The cards were drawn by Goldie. A minute before the talk, Chris suddenly started panicking outside the door, going “Shit, I’m suddenly so nervous.” His face was pretty red for the first half of Mich’s talk, hahaha. Alexis, after hearing about the international fashion schools Mich describes: “Damn, those schools must make some sweet bank.” (hope I remembered that right) Later, someone asks Mich what are flat-fronted trousers, and she replies, “You know those trousers, that are flat in front? With no pleats? Those are flat-fronted trousers,” and Alexis again comments, “I could’ve answered that.” Joey is the heartthrob of the school! Girls ask Goldie about him as soon as we leave. Outside a teacher is freaking out in our faces. “Who are you? What are you doing here? What course are you from? Etc.” It’s so tempting to say “I’m Maryo J. De Los Reyes and this is my friend Erik Matti. We’re looking for the next Aubrey Miles. Would you happen to know which of these students is prepared to bare her chest for the sake of art?” Later she asks us how to contact Enrico Villanueva. There’s some posing in the parking lot, and we eat at their cafeteria, which is airconditioned and two floors. I get into an abortion debate with Alexis, which helps one of his friends with her debate (or something). Mich gets saluted at by COCCs, and she interrogates one of them:

Mich: (pointing at Alexis) Do you think he’s gwapo?!
Poor girl: (looks at Alexis, then Mich) Ma’am, I don’t think I’m allowed to answer that, ma’am.

Oh, and before we even went to Poveda, when I showed up at Mich’s house her mom mistook me for the accountant. I guess bright yellow collarless shirts and jeans are all the rage among professional accountants these days.