Still Here...

Today marks the first month since that fateful Friday afternoon where I almost met my Maker. 19 October 2007, at around 1:25PM PST (GMT +8), an explosion shook one of the Philippines' premier shopping malls, killing about a dozen innocent civilians and injuring 112 more.

I had included in my itinerary a day before, that I was to go to the bank before lunchtime to inquire why the hell my new debit card did not seem to be working. And, after that, I was supposed to go to that very same mall which eventually blew up, to have my lunch and then check out any new items that would strike my interest.

The night before, I set my mobile phone's alarm at 10:30AM, but for some reason I only shut it off when it activated. I went back to sleep a few hours more, even though I was no longer feeling sleepy. I was also fully aware that I had to haul my lazy ass to the bank before it closes for the day, or end up stuck with a non-functioning debit card until Monday.

But something was trying to tell me that I should take my time that day, and not be in a hurry to go somewhere or do anything. When I finally gathered the energy to pull myself out of the bed, it was already 12:35PM.

I took a slow, lazy shower, and finished at around 1:15PM. I was getting myself dressed when I heard a soft "thud", at around 1:25PM. I initially thought that somebody from the unit upstairs must have dropped a heavy object onto the concrete floor.

Still not in a hurry one bit, I left for the bank at 1:45 and was surprised how there was already a traffic jam on the major thoroughfare by that time. When I got off the jeepney (I only commute), I saw ambulances and fire trucks rushing towards the direction of the mall. Could be a fire or an accident somewhere, so I thought to myself. As I approached the bank, I noticed that its shutters were already partly lowered even though it was around 50 minutes before their scheduled closing time. I hurried in and was the bank's very last customer for the day.

As I was patiently waiting for my debit card issues to be resolved, that was when I got to hear what had "happened". There was an explosion at the mall, so said some of the bank's employees who had just come back in after some Halloween decor shopping. The mall was closing down early because of the explosion which, the employees said, originated from a Chinese restaurant in that mall. Gas explosion, they theorized.

So right after they finally fixed my debit card I went to a smaller shopping center, which was located near the place where I rent, instead.

It was only when I got to the office later that night that I learned the extent of the damage, by watching the evening news on television. I thought to myself, this wasn't just an "LPG explosion" -- I have seen the damage an LPG explosion had done to a restaurant 18 years ago. This one was way larger.

And the explosion did not happen inside a restaurant, unlike the news that had been circulating earlier when I was still inside the bank.

Ground zero was located right where I usually pass through, every time I go to that mall:



It sent a shiver right down my spine. I could have been right there, if I had forced myself to get up and out of bed when the alarm rang.

Was it luck, or was it something else? A friend told me it was providence. But whatever one might think of what it really is, I can only say that it was a close call for me.

Up until now the authorities have not been clear as to what really caused that explosion. Is the public deliberately being misled by certain powerful individuals? Are we all being lied to; being given the runaround? Innocent people got hurt - and several died - that day. No self-serving, power-hungry reason can ever justify the loss of innocent lives.

May God rest the souls of the innocent, and eternally torture those who are responsible. No, wait - God does not do that. May the Devil always hound those who are responsible and make their existence as miserable as can be.

First Post for November

And hopefully, this won't be the last post this month. :) I seem to always get sidetracked with all the things I have to do at work. Though browsing while on duty is still allowed, I spend most of my surfing time nowadays searching for good deals at eBay, trying to snipe some good items at the very last minute and selling some items as well.

Looking back at my younger years, the 31st of October and November 1st were always something I would look forward to. Halloween was kind of a fun day for me and my childhood best buddy, Patrick. We weren't planning to go trick-or-treating in the evening, but more of creating mischief in the neighborhood by trying to scare those who were actually trick-or-treating. Or give them the creeps at the very least.

We would always be dressed up as ninjas - which was our favorite costume back then - and we'd try to sneak into and through the neighbors' lots as much as possible, without getting detected by the homeowner. Or their pets. If we were to do the same thing at our age nowadays, I think it would already be trespassing and we'd most likely get our asses arrested and charged.

And on the morning of November 1, me and my "family" (long and different story, those quotation marks) would go to my grandma's grave at the memorial park. A couple of times, best buddy Patrick was also there to join us. We'd put up a tarpaulin tent early and spend the rest of the day there. It was pretty much like a picnic, and also served as some sort of a "pre-Christmas reunion" for me and my relatives. It was fun way back then, though I don't know now. Is it just me, or is the sun hotter today than it was during my younger days? Must be all the pollutants mankind has dumped into this sorry planet that's wreaking havoc with the environment.

Times have definitely changed, and I spent Halloween and November 1st this year - and last year, and the years before that - at work. Patrick now lives at the southern end of the country with his very own family, I've moved to a rented room near the business district (I still haven't a family of my own), and we're both too old to be roaming around the neighborhood dressed as ninjas. I also lost my patience to wade through a mass of living human flesh at the memorial park and yes, I do think the sun has gotten much hotter than it used to.

And when the day was over , we'd be heading home and my thoughts would then be on...

December!

What?! Almost November Already?!!

...And I promised myself to post in this blog more often, now that the Wallaby/Kiwi training at work has ended.

But now we have some extra "chores" at work -- they call it "testing", I'd like to call it "proofreading".

Which goes to show how the Universe seems to conspire against you, by throwing more activities to keep you preoccupied and prevent you from doing something creative. Bugger it. Why does this seem to always happen to me? Or does this also happen to anybody else?

There now is an accumulation of toys that have yet to be reviewed. My dorm closet has now been filled with toys, and has displaced all my clothes. And because of this I need to buy one of those large Tupperware-type tubs soon, which will be a pain in the arse to transport from the store, back to the dorm. Ah well, at least those tubs will make moving my stuff to a new residence easier when the time finally comes.

Speaking of residences, I miss all those years living inside a subdivision -- everything seemed to feel more secure (well, at least in Ayala Alabang), the air was cleaner (dust used to accumulate in the electric fan's grilles - now I see soot in the grilles), and the neighbors were generally, uhmm, more attractive (hey, I'm now renting space in a boarding house near Washington Street in Makati, which can partly be classified as living in the dumps. Can you really blame me?).

Going back to the toys, I wish I had a decent cellphone with a decent digital camera to take pics with. One that's got a macro function at least. My fucky-sucky Sony Ericsson k610i doesn't have that. Nor does it have a built-in flash. Which explains the poor quality of most of my toy photos in this blog. This also explains why I decided to postpone any further action figure review in this blog. Postponed at least until I get a decent cellphone which has a decent camera - say a Sony Ericsson k750i - I don't really have the need or use for my k610i's 3G connection because using it is rather costly and still useless for me anyway.

Or miraculously get the money to buy myself a Canon S2 IS at the very least.

Ahhhh, money. It's always the factor that prevents me from doing the things I need, like, and want to; and getting the things to have them done. Just like this gallbladder removal -- it has been seven years, and I still haven't had it removed. Surgery costs a fortune nowadays, and being unable to go to work post-op isn't going to be of any help either.

And while we're now in the subject of money, banks here do not seem to give anyone a loan unless he or she has money in the first place. Which means that if you don't have any cash to start with, there ain't any chance that anyone will help you earn more of it. This means that my plans of venturing into the toy retailing business, by partnering with a friend and his toy shop, is just like aiming for the moon. And so does getting this buggered gallbladder removed.

What next? Train of thought just got derailed by the sudden influx of questions here at work. Damn it. Could be Murphy's Law. Or the Universe messing with me again.

I Can't Believe It's Already Mid-October

Time flies so fast, I never realised (yes, that is spelled with an "s") that almost half of October has already passed by.

Funny how I promised myself that I will try to keep my posting to a faithful, constant schedule. But I kept on getting sidetracked to other activities, both at work and otherwise.

My eBay sales are doing fine. It would have been better, if I could finally get a bank loan approved. Then I would partner with a friend's hobby shop, and start making some serious money and not just depend on reselling used stuff on the 'Bay.

And just as I was about to gather new ideas for my blog stuff, I, along with most of my colleagues at work, had to attend a week-long training session in *gasp!* the morning shift, which started last Friday. This training was for the company's upcoming New Zealand / Australia account (which accounts for my fancy spelling a few paragraphs back). Well, I'm glad to say that training session is now officially over, and I can go back to gathering my thoughts and material for this blog.

Wrong!

I'm now doing overtime at work, because the office seems to have been undermanned by their scheduling decisions. Oh, well. This helps me earn more pay by doing overtime, anyway. And to think it's Ramadan, so there's some additional holiday pay in for me as well.

It's just that I cannot get on my train of thought when all these questions begin to pour in, and usually it's when I'm just about to get into the groove in writing down my thoughts. Aaargh! Frickin' Murphy's Law!

Blimey. Ah well. No worries, mate.

A Confusion of Terms

Those who have been faithfully reading my blog posts would have known by now that I am a collector. I have been collecting stuff even before I realized I had this "obsession" as a hobby. It started with Matchboxes, Legos (which I haven't written about yet), comicbooks (a traumatic ending which has also yet to be divulged in this blog), Mini4WD's and once again, action figures.

And though I have always wished I was financially capable to collect each and every item (in the collectors' circle, they call such a person a "completist") in a product series, it isn't really the case. I have to settle with purchasing items which I really, really like, and feel would be my hard-earned money's worth. The good thing to come out of this is that I only have (in my opinion) the best ones in my collection.

But getting the best of the lot isn't always that easy. Especially when one starts out late and most of the items are no longer in production. Which goes to say that late starters - or should I say, "late bloomers" - like me would have to settle for trade forums and auction sites such as eBay to find the items we're looking for. And by that time, items either start to (1) become pricey, or (2) would only be found cheap halfway around the world. So if it, perchance, happens to be case number 2, it's the shipping and Customs fees that can put a huge dent in one's wallet.

In addition, what makes things harder for me is my lack of a credit card for PayPal verification purposes, so I'm not capable of selling or bidding on auctions overseas and will just have to settle with trading locally. For now, at least.

Joybidders, scammers, shill bidders, and bogus accounts are universal and has become a natural part of the eBay experience. Not necessarily just eBay, but online trade and auction sites in general. I just have to be very careful of who I trade with. And for the ten months I have been trading on the 'Bay, I have managed to have two accounts requested to be shut down because they won the bids for my auctions but never paid up nor communicated with me at all.

And now, my ranting begins.

What gets me irritated is the fact that local merchants do not seem to know the difference between what is "rare", and what is "hard to find". Oftentimes, some capitalizing individuals deliberately hoard an item in the hopes that stocks will run out and they will have a huge share of the market and as a result, end up with a huge amount of money by jacking up the prices to ridiculous and impractical amounts.

Such was recently the case with the Transformers Movie 2008 Camaro Bumblebee which disappeared from the toy stores' shelves all too quickly. And when such an incident happens, one can be assured that the items will start appearing on auction sites such as eBay. But I guess that's how business is here in this country. Unlike some toy store chains in the US where they limit a customer's purchase of a hot item to one or two pieces maximum. I've even heard of an incident during the initial local release of the Transformers Movie Leader Class Optimus Prime and people had waited in line at a popular toy store before opening hours, only to be greeted by a sales clerk as the shutters were finally opened and be told that someone had already bought all fifteen of the items in stock.

Why in the world would somebody bloody need fifteen Optimus Primes in the first place?!! Ahhh... the Filipino "entrepreneurial spirit" of course. He, or she, hoards every single item available on the stockroom and then manipulates the law of supply and demand to his/her favor. By limiting the supply and creating demand, the price for the item will now be at his/her mercy.

And now, the real ranting starts.

So what would be the most probable venue to sell these hoarded items if the hoarder does not a store of his/her own? Why, the 'Bay of course.

One can easily guess the title header of the item in the auction: "*Name of Hoarded Toy* RARE!!!"

You see, I can easily forget about their greed and shrug it off because all of us have been greedy at one point in our lives. What royally pisses me off is their utterly ignorant play of words by deciding which is RARE and which are not. Fuck!!! A limited edition numbered release (e.g., 1000 worldwide) can be called RARE. A manufacturing / packaging error can be called RARE. A mint condition Transformers Movie 2008 Camaro Bumblebee, after 30 or so years when 90 or so percent of them have been broken / discarded / forgotten into obscurity would then have the right to be called RARE. A Treskilling Yellow postage stamp is RARE. Being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis is RARE. But HOARDING EVERY SINGLE ITEM IN THE STOCKROOM THEN SELLING IT OFF ONE BY ONE DOES NOT MAKE AN ITEM BLOODY RARE.

Folks, it's as simple as this:

* RARE - Explained above.
* VERY HARD TO FIND (VHTF) - 1. When all the greedy entrepreneurs have successfully hoarded every single item, and the stores have attempted but failed to replenish stocks. 2. When the item has been out in the market for a couple of years and all production have ceased (discontinued), and there is only a very limited number available visible in the market.
* HARD TO FIND (HTF) - 1. When the very same entrepreneurs have hoarded the item, but never realized that the stores have replenished the stocks somewhat. 2. When the item has recently run out, but production has not been officially discontinued.

Sometimes I wish I could just send all these merchants a message and cuss at them for their stupidity without having my account shut down and be banned from the 'Bay.

Busy Month

Time goes by so fast, I never realized that September is about to come to an end.

It has been a pretty busy month, as evidenced by the sparse posting in this blog.

It all started when a longtime friend visited the country (she's now based in Germany) and I had to act as "tour guide/bodyguard" for her. *lol* Met some of her friends, too. Well, she's now back in Germany. Good for her. This country's such a crappy place to live in nowadays.

Then, some audio equipment sales and eBay transactions. And attempting to find out where I could get a loan so I could finally start this business I have in mind. Hopefully before December comes. But then again, with all these banks being so tight-assed about approving my loan application, I begin to wonder if only the rich deserve to earn more money. This country is SO fucked up.

I just wish that this long uphill battle will come to an end. Soon. I only have about thirty more years to enjoy my existence in this world, and I've already wasted most of it coping up with living in a broken family and all the crap that went along with it, and working my ass off just so I could stand on my own two feet. I know I deserve a break sometime, somehow -- and I'm not talking about being confined in the hospital again.

But, will that big break really ever come?

Fuck. How the hell should I know?

There Is No Cure For Stupidity

So there I was, grabbing some food to eat at my favorite pizza place, just a few hours before writing this. I placed an order for a slice of Supreme Pan pizza and half a spaghetti in tomato sauce.

As I was about to approach the counter to pay for my order, a crew asked what drink I would like to go with my food.

Crew (smiling): "Sir, what drink would you like?"

Me (smiling back): "Uhm... Iced tea, please."

Crew: "Large?"

Me: "Uhm... Regular."

Crew: "Large only, sir."

Me: "SO WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HAVE TO ASK ME FOR THE SIZE, WHEN THERE IS ONLY ONE FUCKING SIZE AVAILABLE?!!"

And the restaurant stood still.

Actually, that last sentence was just in my imagination. I did not yell at the poor crew, but I honestly almost snapped with that stupid remark/question. I cannot see the need to ask for options when there is actually no other option available. It just wastes time. My time. Their time. And the other people in line.

Just like the saying goes, "common sense is not so common."

PERSONAL COLLECTION #6: Night Ranger Quad with Duke

"At ease, boys and girls. As per blog author's orders, today I will give a review of... well, I will review a bit of myself, and pretty much this "Night Ranger Quad" ATV for all those who give a damn about Sigma 6 and the many versions of yours truly that Hasbro has released during the recent years of this toy line."

"First of all, you have to pardon the rather grainy quality of the images, since the photographer (and author of this blog review) is still ill-equipped with the necessary equipment to take decent, professional-quality photos... Other than a crummy 2-megapixel Sony Ericsson k610i cellphone. Lemme just place this helmet on the rack and, if all is fine with you readers, then let us proceed."

"Aside from my cool-looking blue helmet, I am also issued with this nifty-looking NV - or to those unfamiliar with military tech jargon, "night vision" - goggles. Granted that it's not as cool as Snake Eyes' Night Ops headgear, but it still does the job."

"And, with a gentle push of the handlebars, up comes this night vision camera sensor HUD - that's "heads up display" for you military tech jargon noobs - at the front of the ATV..."

"...And by pressing on the gas tank cap..."

*ka-chakk!* "...The ATV's hood armor opens up to reveal more of the rocket launchers underneath it."

"Looking closer underneath the front hood, you can see a simulated suspension system for the front wheels. Hey, notice that the Quad has real rubber tires! But uh, if you ask me, I would've preferred that Hasbro made real spring suspension and steering system rather than that spring-action NV HUD camera and rocket launcher pop-up armor gimmick."

"But it still simulates "real" suspension and steering... Somehow. As you can see as I demonstrate how the front wheels adapt as I lean myself, along with the bike, to my right..."

"...And now to my left. Cool! Ain't it?! Whoopee..."

"OOPSIES!!!"

*THUD!* "Ehnn..."

*BOF!* "Ooooooh... My... ...Family jewels..."

"...There goes... ...my hopes for... ...Conrad Hauser Junior."

"Moving on to the front of the Quad, we have a grappling hook attachmed to a faux-winch system..."

"...And some bright green spring-launched rockets, reminiscent of G.I. Joe's neon-colored weapons during the '90's, which contributed to the blog author's decision to quit collecting 3.75-inch G.I. Joe figures."

"Now if you could help me prop the Quad up a bit... Okay, now... At least, we can see that there is REAL suspension for the Quad's rear wheels. Though the suspension travel ain't all that far, it's still a cool addition to this vehicle."

"Now on the equipment rack, the Quad comes equipped with a pickaxe, a shovel, and some extra rockets. As one can clearly see, this Quad is well-equipped for a mission. Except for an extra tire and a tire pump in case of a flat. And some extra fuel."

"There is also a knife and my trusty ol' Switchfire pistol. Kii-yahhh! Yo soy mucho macho! Ayiyiyiyiyi!!!"

"Uhmmm... Dunno where I'll put these, though. I wasn't equipped with a holster and a scabbard."

"Aha. I can see that the knife can be placed onto the slot on my thighs. Kinda dangerous for me, though -- carrying an unprotected knife on my leg like this."

"Well, I guess that concludes this review. As you can see, this Quad fits well for its intended night ops theme, especially the color scheme (hey, I made a rhyme). This is still a cool vehicle for the Sigma 6 line, though it could've been a bit better."

"Oh, hi there, Timber. What have you and the Silent One have been up to lately?"

"Hey, waitaminnit... You're not thinking what I'm..."

"Oh, no you DON'T. You're not gonna pee on those new tires, you mangy mutt!"

"Now scram! Vamoose!! Before I chop you into itty bitty pieces like your namesake!!!"

"And don't ya ever think of sprayin' your fluids onto this Quad, ya hear?!"

"Dogs and their masters..." *Tappity tap* "???"

"Er..."

"Oh, hi there, Snakes! I see you're heavily equipped right now. So... Uhm... How did the mission go?"

"This axe? Uh... I was uh... Just demonstrating the uhhh... By the way: nice shiny swords you have there!"

*chomp* "?!! Uhhhmmm..."

"Okay, hafta go now. See you in the bridge in 10 minutes SHARP... For a mission debrief. Noooneeenooonneeenooo..."

Mall Security Is A Joke

I recently borrowed an acquaintance's Marui Colt MkIV Centimeter Master Airsoft pistol, to try and see if I can help him sell it (and gain a little profit on the side). It came with a carrying case and looked pretty much like a legit gun.

But before I could go to the office, I had to go to the nearby mall because they were having a midnight sale event. I wanted to see how much of a discount they were giving on G.I. Joe Sigma 6 that night (which was a bit of a disappointment, since they only gave 10%).

Then I remembered I was carrying this gun inside my bag.

And since there wasn't any place where I could leave my bag other than the package counters located INSIDE the department stores - which were, in turn, INSIDE the mall itself - I decided to just go on in and see if mall security would notice (I must be rather bored with my life that night).

Turns out that after all those detectors and security frisking me and inspecting my bag (I was going in and coming out of the mall several times), they were either too lazy and/or stupid to notice that I had a rather noticeably heavy pistol case inside my bag. That, or they trust my smile too much.

Now, what if I had a real gun and decided to shoot people inside the mall or hold up a store or a group of people? What would have been the consequence for all the shoppers inside the mall during that crowded Friday night?

Could Be Engrish

I was about to log into the 'Net in a nearby cafe during my recent off day, and found this pasted on the computer monitor:

They could be having more than their fair share of cybersex in there. *LOL*

NOSTALGIA: The A-Team Action Figures

Back in 1984 (I feel so old), toy maker Galoob released the A-Team action figure line to coincide with the television series which was popular at the time. And, naturally, me and my friends had to get our hands on these. My neighbor had one first, then I had mine a few weeks after Christmas.

We both purchased the 3.75" Soldiers Of Fortune 4-pack, since none of us really cared about the Bad Guys 4-pack that was also available. Oh well. The more, the merrier.

Each figure came with 10 articulation points (could actually be 12, if one considers that the arms can also swing from side to side in addition to rotating up and down), and some weapons and accessories:

Hannibal included a demolition backpack, detonator, and a rifle (plus that grin on his face).

The Face came with a flamethrower and a rifle (plus a grin on his face also).

Aside from the grin and the rifle, Murdock came with a mortar launcher with a stand.

B.A. Baracus came with an ammo backpack, and that rifle again (they say it's an M-16 but I think it looks different). It's also interesting to note that B.A. is the only action figure in this set who is not wearing a grin on his face (he does look a bit catatonic, though).







Me and my friends had tons of fun with these. One of them would always use Hannibal, since he feels like he was the leader of our group; his younger brother was a pretty face and would always use The Face. My best friend was the tough one in our group, and so would use B.A. Baracus. Me? I'm a nutcase.

These toys were on the brittle part, though. Their thumbs snapped off rather quickly, and we were left with mostly thumbless figures. Notice also their jaundiced hands (except for B.A.), owing to the fact that the flesh color were only painted on. This also chipped off in no time.

And so, after the summer of 1985, G.I Joe came into our world. What happened to these figures? I guess my Joes buried them somewhere in the yard, along with my Matchbox collection, Action Jack/M.A.C., and Star Wars action figures.


Images courtesy of toymania.com.

The Audition

There's much to say when somebody holds an audition and isn't clear as to the details of the audition itself.

I am not pissed that I did not get the part, but perhaps I am pissed as to WHY I did not get the part.

But before I delve into that...

I did not find it pleasant, nor amusing, that the "organizer" made us wait only under the trees and a few tarpaulin tents that were barely enough to protect everyone from the elements on a hot and humid day while waiting for their turn to be auditioned. From 9am to 5pm, most of us waited, under the heat.

This is one of the main reasons why I never visit my grandparents' grave on All Saints' and All Souls' Day anymore: sitting under the cover of a tarpaulin tent all afternoon under the elements. I enjoyed the sun when I was younger. But all the pollutants that mankind has stuffed into this forsaken planet has somehow screwed up the weather -- I do not remember the sun being as painful to my skin as it is nowadays. Nor do I remember spitting out gray-colored phlegm the morning after I've been out in the city, either -- there is also much to say about this country's fucking government still allowing the open use of diesel fuel, but that's for some other future blog post.

And while the auditions were held inside a university's campus, there wasn't any place nearby to get something to eat or drink. At least somewhere near enough that whenever the numbers are being called, it would be audible -- there wasn't any P.A. system set up outside, just some girly man shouting out the numbers. Adding to this, is the fact that one has only 15 minutes to respond when his/her number is up. Miss it and kiss your audition goodbye.

And so there was I, dry throat and drenched in sweat, stomach growling for some food. I did not foresee it coming. I had the impression, owing to the poster, that this was to be a simple audition: either one gets the part or not. That was my mistake. I did not buy any food or drink before I went to the venue.

My first taste of water since my 8am breakfast before going to the auditions came in at around 4pm, when a vendor dropped by to sell some orange-flavored soda and mineral water. COLD WATER. Bad for anyone's singing voice, but much-needed by my system. I tried swirling it around my mouth for a few moments just to warm it up a bit and not affect my voice, but 7 hours worth of thirst took over and so I gulped the remaining contents down.

As my number was about to be called, somebody set up a hotdog stand. Amazingly idiotic. It has been 8 hours since auditions began and it was just during the final hour that somebody realized to set up some sort of food stand. Must've gone through some thick bureaucracy shit inside the university before being given a permit to set up a food stand inside the premises. And with the oil used to cook them 'dogs, there was barely enough time to remove all that grease from my throat and be able to sing as well. So, against my growling stomach I refused to ingest any food for the meantime. "Meantime"? Shit. I've gone without food for 8 hours already.

So what pissed me off big-time?

I was only informed of this audition, a week before it was to be held. While the poster was accurate as to the details of the venue, time and date of the auditions, there were other essentials that were not expressly mentioned in that poster. There were contact details on the poster, and inquired I did.

My SMS (translated and expanded form, for those who are not familiar with 'abbreviated' SMS language used by Filipinos): "Good evening. Will the auditions push through this Friday?"

Reply: "Yes, it will."

SMS: "How many songs?"

Reply: "2-3 songs, but not whole."

SMS: "Okay. Should it necessarily be (the band's) songs, or would it also be okay to sing other songs? Sorry for asking so many questions."

Reply: "(The band's) songs are not a requirement."

Cool. Not a requirement. I could quickly get the band's songs' lyrics in my head, but it's those nuances in singing the songs that take time, and less than a week is barely enough time for me. So I went to the auditions armed with every song I know, except the band's songs. After all, it wasn't a requirement. 'Bring your own voice', as I recall what was printed on their poster.

I arrive at the venue, to be greeted by a giant tarpaulin of the band and what seems to be a tv schedule for a show. What the hell?! This wasn't a simple audition after all. Was this going to be some kind of reality show type thing? I hate almost every friggin' "reality" show that has been aired on television.

I was handed some sort of pre-audition contract, stating that while this "contest" is ongoing, I am not entitled to any residual stemming from any public or television appearance/event, if ever I'm chosen as one of the finalists. Great. Not only have I figured myself in some sort of contest, I also have to shell out for my own transportation expenses to wherever they want us to show up.

And it wasn't to be just a simple audition. Some genius/es decided to split it into two auditions, as if it was necessary, by having an "initial screening committee" before auditioning in front of the people who are really in the music industry, i.e., musicians. So this was why it was taking us ages to wait for our turn.

I wanted to back out, but since I've already traveled all the way to the audition, I might as well go give it a try.

And so, after 8 fucking hours of waiting under the elements with only a small bottle of water to refresh my throat on the eighth hour it was, finally, my turn.

Having the bad luck of somebody who has been struck by lightning more than twice, they decided to move the initial screening upstairs just as it was supposed to be my turn. So move upstairs we all went, including the equipment. Well, not all the equipment. They were either too lazy to set it all up again upstairs, or too lazy and/or too stupid to figure out how to reconnect a simple P.A. setup (which was obvious, since they could figure out where to put the cable jack in) so they decided that we, the remaining auditionees for the day, sing our songs acapella without the help of any amplification.

After singing my first piece, they asked me to sing one of the band's songs. Just what I needed. Thank you so much to whoever that fucking idiot is, who replied to my SMS inquiry and told me that the band's songs were not a requirement.

And so after all was sung and done, I was told by this 'initial screening committee' that I was not prepared for the audition, and that my image does not fit with the band.

Not prepared for the audition? I've got about a hundred songs inside my head, motherfuckers! I've been learning songs longer than most of you rocker poseurs have ever been in the 'music industry' or thought about getting into it. Too bad for me, that I do not know any of the band's songs because I've never EVER really listened to most of the crap they put out. Too bad for me, that I never really listen to most of the offal played on the radio, nor do I watch stupid MTV nowadays.

Too bad for me, that I never dress up like most of the emo-wannabe youth nowadays. They got one thing right though: my image does not really fit with most of the local bands nowadays who put image first before any real, original talent. Bands and/or "artists" who need to sound or look like some foreign group, just to get the attention of today's shallow superficial youth.

Maybe they should've stated that it was a "sound-alike, look-alike" contest, instead of just an audition. Then I could've saved time and effort, and did something more productive and intellectual that day.

Third

Saigo no kisu wa
Tabako no flavor ga shita
Nigakute setsunai kaori

Ashita no imagoro ni wa
Anata wa doko ni iru n' darou
Dare wo omotte 'ru n' darou

You are always gonna be my love
Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo
I'll remember to love
You taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
Ima wa mada kanashii love song
Atarashii uta utaeru made

Tachidomaru jikan ga
Ugoki-dasou to shite 'ru
Wasuretaku nai koto bakari

Ashita no imagoro ni wa
Watashi wa kitto naite 'ru
Anata wo omotte 'ru n' darou

You will always be inside my heart
Itsu mo anata dake no basho ga aru kara
I hope that I have a place in your heart too
Now and forever you are still the one
Ima wa mada kanashii love song
Atarashii uta utaeru made

You are always gonna be my love
Itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo
I'll remember to love
You taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
Mada kanashii love song
Now and forever...



"First Love", by Utada Hikaru

NOSTALGIA: Star Wars Action Figures

Here are pictures of what was once my collection: vintage Star Wars action figures. Looking back, it's rather funny how their articulation was so basic during those days: five points (and on some figures, four points) of articulation - neck, arms and legs. So there wasn't much fun in posing these figures, but they were one of the coolest toys back then.

This Hammerhead was my very first Star Wars action figure. I now do not know what came over me, to buy such a horrible looking toy. Ugh. It could likely be my utter desperation to own a Star Wars action figure, just when all the good ones were no longer in stock. Blame it to my folks' "award before reward" b.s., wherein I have to show very good grades at school before they decide to buy me cool toys -- after much begging and pleading at that.

One of my favorites in my Star Wars figure collection was this Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot. I especially liked how this figure looked.

And, strangely, this came with some kind of sweet-smelling citrus scent which stayed on the figure for so many years. I never had an idea what it was. Even up to now.

Third one in my collection was this Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot figure. It was another Boba Fett-less day as I scoured the toy shops, so I had to settle for this one.

This AT-AT Driver was my second favorite Star Wars action figure. It came with a nice-looking rifle but just like the Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot that I had, its head did not turn. Bummer.

After being frustrated for such a long time with that Boba Fett figure, this was the LAST Star Wars figure I bought. I got tired of the limited articulation anyways, so I decided that I might as well stop this obsession and move on to other ones. *lol*

Boba Fett. This is the action figure that was ever so elusive.

I never had one, and I don't think I'll ever do.

PVC Anime Figures -- A New Hobby?

Browsing through pages upon pages of items being sold off eBay as I was pondering the near possibility that I will dispose my whole Mini4WD collection through that website, I ended up on an item which struck my fancy: PVC anime figurines. I have already seen some of these being sold at toy shops but due to the limited selection available here, it never made me curious enough.

Not until now.

Stumbling upon Danny Choo's excellent website by way of Google (ahh, the wonders of being an internet researcher), I saw a very beautiful PVC anime figure: Mirei San. I think this is one of the hottest looking PVC figures I have ever laid my eyes upon, and I knew I had to get one.

I took the liberty of downloading some pictures of Mirei San (my apologies, Mr. Choo), just to help those who read this blog understand what I meant when I said 'beautiful' and 'hot':

Scorchin'. Now if I could only find out where to get one of these. Or two.

I guess I've found a new hobby to take Mini4WD's place.

I just hope my G.I. Joes won't bury these figures again somewhere, someplace. *lol*

Images courtesy of dannychoo.com