bury me in this dress

I’ve never been to ToyCon, ComicCon, or whatever Con in the Philippines. You know, the ones with otakus, cosplayers, etc. The size of the crowd just turns me off. I made a decision to finally attend one this year because I’ve always been curious about those events and I have a fondness for toys (remember my Gloomy Bear and Nyan Nyan Nyanko obsessions?). When I was expressing my hesitation on Plurk, Azrael who is one of the organizers of the event said he will include me in the guest list. How can I say no after that? So I braved the traffic and headed to Megatrade Hall last Saturday afternoon. I was expecting a big crowd but it was still a shock to see and be next to so many bodies, sweaty bodies at that.

Collectibles Unlimited Association is the brain behind the annual ToyCon, a convention to promote interest in the collection and display of all types of comics, toys, movies, animation, games and related childhood memorabilia. Collectible Unlimited was formed in 2002 and they have been organizing comics and anime related events in Manila. They pioneered the customized action figure contest, cosplay group contest, Inter school Animation contest, Inter school comics creation contest, Toy Photography contest, Toy shows and exhibits, character creation contest, Battle of the tribute band contest, Fan film contest, Toy Designer contest, Cosplay Photography Contest, and Artists awards. The group is composed of 5 people: Vic Yap, Cholo Mallillin, Albert Lee, Lou Garcia and Azrael Coladilla. The other members of the association are composed of collectors, hobby shop owners, community groups and clubs.

This year’s two-day event is the penultimate gathering of true fans of everything related to comics, toys, pop culture, movies, cartoons, cosplay and gaming. This year, DC Comics took center stage with an abundance of DC character merchandising, guest artist panel and autograph-signing, fan trivia games and contests and a DC Comics 75th Year Power-Up! Superhero Challenge extreme sport area. Also this year, the new Animax Channel was launched, Mindstyle launched the exclusive Toycon Disney Toy Story Alien, there was Maxi Collector’s Otacool book signing with Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao, cosplay competition, and of course, the exhibition floor filled with toys, collectibles, and pop-culture memorabilia.

It was a mind-blowing event for me. I was supposed to meet Fritz and Keysi but I gave up looking for them because of too many people. I still had fun browsing the exhibition floor alone. I couldn’t resist not buying some items there so I gave in and it was a blow to my budget. I was decided on not going back to an event like that next year but after writing this and looking at the photos I took, I am now thinking of going back.

To see the photos individually, visit my Toycon 2010 album on Flickr.

Last June 17, I was invited to the launch of Globe’s flagship store. The celebration was held at Ayala Museum and attended by some of the country’s movers and shakers. Over hor d’oeuvres, the night’s lovely host presented to us the idea behind the flagship store.

Globe aims to bring digital lifestyle closer to the people and with the flagship store dubbed as The Store, they are doing just that. No longer do we have to look at dummy phones on display and just guess if a phone’s performance is good or not. At the flagship store, customers can actually try the working demo units to gage if a particular cellphone fits his lifestyle. Besides cellphones, the flagship store has other gadgets and accessories on display and retail. Products by well-known international brands such as Skullcandy, Ed Hardy, iFrogz, Golla, XtremeMac, and Golla are available there. (more…)

Last May 29, 2010, I went to McKinley Hills to watch the Tiffany Power Kids Run. I wasn’t expecting the turnout to be huge but McKinley Hills was packed! There must have been a hundred bodies there of different shapes and sizes, all in their sports attire and ready for the competition. It was a scorching day but the crowd didn’t seem to mind at all. I surveyed the various booths in the vicinity. The ones I can remember are McDonald’s, TimeZone, Evian, Pampanga’s Best, and Purefoods. Various games for kids were set up. There was a small golf putting mat set up by KidsGolf, basketball hoops by Purefoods, table top games by Strings of Fun, a kiddy pool filled with balls by Tiffany and arcade games by TimeZone. The kids were very much engaged with the various activities and the parents were there to cheer them on.

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Six critically-acclaimed films will be shown in Manila and Cebu during the 7th Australian Film Festival. The Manila leg will be held at the Greenbelt Cinema from November 5 to 8, 2009. The featured films are the following:

The Black Balloon
Follows the story of 15-year old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) who tries to fit in his new life as his family moves to a new home while taking care of his autistic older brother Charlie (Luke Ford, The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) and nurturing a budding romance with new girlfriend Jackie (Australian supermodel and actress Gemma Ward). Charlie takes Thomas on an emotional journey in a story that is funny, confronting and ultimately heart-warming. This film also stars Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Toni Collette (Sixth Sense, About A Boy).  The Black Balloon was awarded the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival Crystal Bear for Best Feature-Length film in the Generation 14plus category and Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing.

Unfinished Sky

When Tahmeena stumbles onto John’s isolated farm, he has no choice but to take her in. An illegal refugee, she’s been badly beaten and speaks no English. While John’s not inclined to welcome visitors, he’s even less inclined to involve the police. As they communicate through signs, pictures and a gradual understanding of each other’s language, John and Tahmeena both begin to recover their faith in themselves and their trust in humanity. Tahmeena brings the homestead back to life, reopening John’s eyes to the beauty of his land. In return, John tries to track down the daughter Tahmeena sent ahead from war-ravaged Afghanistan. With renewed confidence they step out of the sanctuary of the farm, but in doing so, reveal themselves to the violent criminals who’ve been looking for Tahmeena. Unfinished Sky is a powerful, poetic and sensual love story that peels away layers of hurt and mistrust to reveal the beauty of freedom, hope and choice.
The Bank

A political thriller set in the world of high finance.

Danny Deckchair

Based on a true story, the tale of a cement truck driver named Danny, whose long awaited vacation is cancelled thanks to his scheming girlfriend, Trudy. Danny escapes his grim life in suburban Australia and blasts into the skies in a chair tied with helium balloons. A mighty thunderstorm blows him clean off the map, and spits him out far away over the lush green town of Clarence. In this new town, he rockets into the world of Glenda, the town’s only parking cop. While the media back home becomes obsessed with the story of his disappearance, Danny gets to reinvent himself in this new town, and in his great adventure, he discovers a true soulmate in Glenda. Fate catches up with him eventually, as Danny’s true identity is revealed and Trudy–now a tabloid celebrity–comes to the idyllic town to claim Danny and drag him back to Sydney. Danny, however, is a changed man; he’s discovered what it means to be happy and has found a new self-worth. Saying farewell to Trudy, Danny makes a dynamic re-entry to the town of Clarence–determined to win Glenda back again and embrace his newfound zest for life.
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I want a free trip to attend the Youth Engagement Summit 2009 in Kuala Lumpur. It’s a 4 days 3 nights trip which includes airfare. Those who win will get to meet Biz Stone, Sir Bob Geldof, Amitabh Bachchan, Nando Parrado and more! I already joined but I want you to go with me. Just fill up the form here and increase chances of winning by inviting more friends.

Eligibility

• 18 to 35 years old
• Permanent resident of Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam

Please please please join using my link. I really want to go.

etonAPOtalaga!

I was there! In fact, I liveblogged and livetweeted the event. The concert started at 7:30 PM and only half the capacity of UP Theater was filled. I was disappointed but after 30 minutes or so, the seats were almost full. I and Marck had our own table and chairs on the right side of the theater so we were kind of detached from the event. Still, there were times when I sang and clapped and cheered. I really had fun. Of course, the highlight for me is seeing Noynoy. I squealed when he entered the theater. *blush*

After the concert, I was hesitant to approach Noy but Phoebe dragged me. I was too shy to have our photo taken so I just took one of him and Phoebe. I had a picture with Mar Roxas though. Hrhrhrhr. I’m sure there will be other opportunities for photos but right now, I am content with just seeing Noy. *blush*

Another blessing I received, Noy began following me on Twitter. I have to thank Helga, Sparks, Elena, and Ederic for tweeting that he should follow me. I don’t know if it’s really him but I don’t care much. I’m just really happy.

Vote Noynoy for President!!!!!!

the loot

Spending all that money for Vivienne Westwood stuff was a good move because my blog post about it won me the Shopaholic contest sponsored by nuffnang. I wasn’t the top winner but I’m in the top 10. I got a couple of Shopaholic goodies which I gave to my sister except for the notepad which I can use for work. I also won me 2 tickets for the premiere of the movie…except that I didn’t know about it and Nuffnang gave the prize on the same night of the premiere. *sigh* So I watched it alone. Good thing I enjoyed the movie. It’s a no-brainer but still entertaining.

I celebrated my birthday with a few friends last November 26. A lot couldn’t come. It’s their loss. Hmmp. Here are some photos taken by Jenny.

great food. ate too much that i became sick afterwards

mmm cakes. but i r annoyed cos i had to buy a slice just to blow a candle

journal from jenny. tickets to london to follow daw

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My Halloween for this year was fun. I had a Medusa costume made. The dress was a big fat failure but the head dress is a winner. The costume is expensive but I don’t care anymore.

Jenny was with me and we had dinner at my uncle’s Figaro franchise in High Street. It was a good meal and even better because it was for free. A couple of my relatives were there, checking out the people and me in costume. I just let them be. Why deprive them of any fun, right?

jenny and me

Jenny and I finally went to Eternal Death Wake a bit past 9pm. Mag:net was packed and we weren’t able to get a table so we just sat on some speakers. The bands could only perform 3 songs each because of the long line-up. We rocked to Scarlet Tears which I am a fan of and Jenny is a convert now. When the noisier goth bands were on stage, we headed outside to smoke and chatter. We met some new people which was neat. I was complaining how the place was so packed and the heat was killing me. I told Jenny we’ll go home already (this was only around 10pm) but when we went down, I talked to Pola and Katrina and then decided to go with them to Cubao-X.

Pola and dementia

me and katrina

me and a drunk luigi

dott with my head piece

Pola and her boyfriend decided not to go to Cubao-X anymore so we dropped them off near Farmer’s Mart. There wasn’t much people in Cubao-X when we got there but we saw old UP college pals at Mogwai and they asked us to join them.

marla, dementia, lyle, and monra

dementia and jun

ianco with my snakes

Pola surprised us by arriving sans boyfriend but it was already late when she got there and we were about to go home. I didn’t get to hang out with Katrina and company because I was busy catching up with college friends. Sorry, Katrina. Jenny and I left around 2:30am because I needed to prepare for my out-of-town trip.

katrina, sam, ayn, jiggy, and me

I had a lot of fun at Cubao-X. It was more fun that Eternal Death Wake actually and I’m glad I went there. This year’s Halloween was a blast and I’m so glad I went out unlike last year.

The photos in this post were taken either by Katrina or Jenny. I couldn’t take photos because of my lashes.

I was lucky enough to get invited by Lorna to view the dress rehearsal of La Boheme last night. The Puccini opera is being brought to life by Floy Quintos and the Philippine Opera Company. Almost everything was retained from the original opera. The names of the characters and the Italian libretto are the same except Mr. Quintos set the opera in Manila with present day problems of lovers and starving artists.

Since I only saw the run-through, I witnessed a lot of technical problems like the distracting/ill-timed spot lights, awkward blockings, and acting mistakes. Hopefully Mr. Quintos and company will be able to perfect everything when the curtain goes up on October 3. I was delighted with the video backdrop which Furball created although I learned that there will be some changes to it during the run itself. 

More information about the cast and the opera can be found here. La Boheme will be on stage from October 3 to 5 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Ticket prices are as follows: P500 (balcony 2), P1,000 (balcony 1 side),  P1,500 (balcony 1 center), P2,000 (orchestra side 2), P2,500 (orchestra side), P3,000 (orchestra center), and 4,000 (opening night orchestra center).