Rain and Tears
by John Howe
We wish for rain to pour and put a stop the unbearable heat this summer. I, on the other hand, have been getting a torrential rain of bad luck in the office. It’s just one disappointment after another and it’s getting more painful in the ass. They say when it rains, it pours. It is indeed pouring like a hurricane alright. I’ve been lacking sleep, missing periods and showing stress pimples on my face. I’m about to breakdown.
Damn the need for money! If not for that I wouldn’t have stayed in a job don’t have any passion for.
They say every cloud has a silver lining and after the rain there’s a rainbow. Maybe it’ll come. I hope it’ll come before I fully decide to pack up and leave. I am seriously entertaining that thought now.
The Philippine Tolkien Society has released artsy bookplates. One has Frodo Baggins on it (Ringbearer artwork by Gary Mayoralgo) and another has Tom Bombadil (artwork by Isabel Montes). These are also shown on Tolkien Guide. We are currently selling 10 pieces per pack for Php100. Five pieces of each style per pack.
Tom Bombadil artwork by Isabel Montes
Ringbearer artwork by Gary Mayoralgo
If you want to purchase a pack of your own, please post a comment here, send me a message or email me.
It was one of the most memorable Saturdays I’ve ever had. It made me long to attend another NWA convention and July seems like a long time from now.
Yesterday at noon we attended the memorial service in Santuario de San Jose for our friend, Ricky, who passed away a few days ago. Some people came in costumes and it was really cool. I promised not to cry but I still did and I couldn’t help it, especially when I saw how sad my friends were. We all miss him.(Read touching messages from Ricky’s friends or write your testimonials for Ricky here.)
After the service, close friends and family went to the cremation service in Manila Memorial. Some of us decided to grab a quick bite in Pancake House nearby and it was fun. Despite the tears a few moments before, nothing can dampen the spirits of a few friends who have more things in common than just being touched by Ricky’s life. After lunch, we separated ways. Some people went straight to Fandom Cafe to hang out and wait for the others who would be attending a party to honor Ricky. It was called "NWA 4.5: The Ricky Convention". 4.5 because it’s actually between the 4th and the 5th sci-fi fantasy convention. My sis and I went home first because I have to get a few hours’ sleep since my energy was running low. I just came from my shift at work. I had 3 hours of sleep and woke up again to prepare for the gathering of geeks. The location was a long way from home so we got there at quarter to 10. I missed some people who left early but many of my friends and those I only see during the con were there and were already having a blast. Bar was open and some people were happily drunk. There was music, books, posters, internet and a viewing room (that time some were watching Battlestar Galactica). No, it was not just intellectually stimulating talk. It was the camaraderie that bonded us together. We toasted and cheered for Ricky. Most of the time, my sis and I were just on one corner getting entertained by watching people around us and sometimes singing along with the music. It was fun! Ricky would have had a great time watching us there.
Who says geeks don’t know how to party?
Click for pictures.
Our very own TPTS ringbearer, Ricardo "Ricky" Sunico, finally sailed to the West. He will be missed.
I was in denial at first coz I was thinking of all the NWA activities, sci-fi fantasy conventions and Gaiman events we are still going to go to. His copy of Terry Pratchett’s and Neil Gaiman’s "Good Omens" is still with me. I haven’t even seen his notorious lap dances yet! I racked my brains thinking of the last time I saw him and memorable moments just kept flashing in my head. I couldn’t believe it.
He was the brave soul who volunteered to shoulder the burdens of TPTS and kept it from falling apart. He was always a kid at heart. He was smart and never failed to show and share his passion and enthusiasm for all things geeky/sci-fi/fantasy. He was loving, thoughtful and caring. My first impression of Ricky was he was a really cool dad. I was right. He was really a cool person and a great friend.
I am not used to the past tense yet. It was all so sudden. I didn’t even get to personally say goodbye. We lost a dear friend. He may be gone but he’s always in our hearts.
Namárië, Ricky. Farewell. May you rest in peace.
Updates!
Pinoy Harry Potter is now accepting reservations for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (Scholastic U.S. editions only)! Potter fans who reserve Book 7 through us will get a 10% discount off the final retail price, which is PhP1175. That means you will only have to pay PhP1057.50!
Ensure that you will have a copy of the final book in J.K. Rowling’s record-breaking series on July 21st. More info here:
Hogwarts Philippines
I can’t wait! 
It’s a sizzling hot summer day and I had an awful day at work. If it wasn’t for the money, I’d quit a long time ago. I just think of my family and swallow my pride and tears. The family is worth sacrificing for. It may be easy sometimes but it can also be stressful and I’m near my breaking point. Good thing I have a a few "breathers" to look forward to in the coming weeks. I’ll be joining some officemates and my college buddies in 2 separate of out-of-town trips and yes, almost-broke me will be freeloading most of the time. Thank God for birthdays and balikbayans. I just hope I’ll last til then. I have been trying to earn bonuses to save up money for a summer vacation for my family, despite deductions from that friggin’ headset that got lost (stolen!). It is always different to spend out-of-town trips with the family. But circumstances just have this knack of happening at the wrong time. The month is halfway through and I might not get my quality bonus because of a power-tripping, overworked quality analyst. Sheesh! I’m burning out.
Pardon the bad vibes. Just to change things and make it more positive, here are a few doses of sanity:
- Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.
- Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.
- If you can’t solve it, it is not a problem– it’s reality.
- Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It’s only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy.
- Happiness is like perfume; you can’t pour on others without getting a few drops yourself.
Hope your day turns out better than mine!
ordinary people with extraordinary powers
I’ve been hearing a buzz online about this relatively new TV program for the past few weeks. As a curious geek, I don’t think I’m gonna let this die away without seeing for myself what the buzz is about. Before the Holy Week ended, my family and I already started watching Heroes and ended on the 17th episode. We even had marathons during weekends. We have our own favorite hero and I’m sure a lot of girls would agree that some heroes can be cute too.Hahaha! My sister even changed her Blogger layout and I changed my moodthemes because of this. Just goes to show, we like what they’re showing and we can’t wait to see more of what happens next.
They say a lot of unlucky things will happen today because it’s Friday the 13th.
I hope it won’t have something to do with me getting sick because I like to hang out with a friend who recently got chicken pox. I told myself, if I’m meant to have it, I would.
I also hope it doesn’t mean there won’t be any rooms available on the dates when my college buddies and I will book a 3-day/2-night vacation package in Puerto Galera. I really hope not because it’s been about 5 years since we got together and my dear friend will be coming from halfway around the world. I told myself, if we have the will to make this work, we’ll find a way.
I guess the date, Friday the 13th, has nothing to do with our fates. Sometimes we think that some people just have all the luck but today I believe it is just all in our hands.
I browsed through my old and dusty books and saw 3 specially covered notebooks. They are my diaries written since I was about 11 til I was about 15. I have read them over and over and laughed and cried. They were supposed to be my secrets. A few years ago, I let my sister read them. She was actually hesitant at first but I didn’t want us to keep secrets from each other. Maybe if she read my thoughts when I was in early adolescence, she’ll get to understand why I am as crazy as she thinks I am now. Haha!
I found out that my mother arranged the books in the cabinet and they were not in the same place I kept them. I got nervous and thought maybe she already read them. I know I shouldn’t feel any different and make it a big deal because she’s my mother but I feel like some pieces of me were taken away. My parents have always respected our privacy. They don’t open our cellphones and read our messages or view our pictures (I think) and I am grateful for that. Who knows? She has probably seen and known all of my supposed secrets, but something in me still longs for privacy. I guess I am just getting old.
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