Ah Valentines day, when couples copulate and motels are full, it’s hard to get a taxi, and the rain just makes you want to lie down in bed and read comics (Umbrella Academy). Then you wake up in the morning, thinking about how you should have spent the night with someone dear (just like the rest of society), then you realize someday this will happen to you, and decide you just wait. So you think that the best way to fill that small empty space in your pixelated heart is to play retro games and bask in nostalgia.

The Nintendo DSlite is the best handheld ever. Get one, it’s better than sex.

Anyways, here’s a story for you:

Everytime I go to the mall, after I pay my bills I go to this surplus bookstore to I pick up cheap books and back issues of comics (I got Cybernary #1 for a dollar) and magazines. So yesterday, while I was browsing their comics catalog, I saw a father and his son at the counter. The kid, around 12-13 years old was holding some comics (not really good, but the kid picked it up because the covers were neat), and his dad was somewhat encouraging him to buy it because the kid was somewhat shy (or not sure) if he’s getting the books. The dad was like “If you really want those, I’ll pay for it. Go on, see if you like some more stuff”. I’m a big guy, and it was a small store, so I stepped aside and let the little kid some books (saw him get World of Warcraft, thank you Jim Lee). So anyway, that little scene was touching because one, it reminds me of my dad when he bought me Curse of the Spawn #1-12 for my 18th birthday (at the same store), and two because it’s good to see that some people (and parents) still encourage children to pick up comics, let them admire the art, let their kids’ imaginations run wild, and let their creativity develop. The end.

I know that wasn’t much of a Valentines Day story, but it’s a story that happened during Valentine’s Day. So I still win.

Yes, it’s a list because I’m too lazy to write an actual entry.

1. Watch movies. Four of them in one sitting.
2. Watch Amelie again.
3. Read comics you missed for the past two weeks.
4. Check Facebook every 5 minutes.
5. Struggle to draw something, and end up doing nothing.
6. Surf for artwork.
7. Surf for crazy images.
8. Surf for porn.
9. Read science crap.
10. Read weird news.
11. Cook bad food.
12. Eat bad food.
13. Sleep.
14. Wake up and sleep again.
15. Read other people’s blogs.
16. Laugh at their drama.
17. Read books and not get past 3 pages.
18. Play your old games.
19. Dream.
20. Make a list of what you did before going back to work because it’s what you do in this day and age of internet social interactivity.

It was a pretty productive weekend. I basically stayed home and watched movies. I have no life.

The Big Lebowski - it took 10 years but I finally saw this movie. I like how it’s funny in a weird way, that way not a lot of people will find it funny.

The Jackal - I saw this one years ago. I remember it being an awesome assassin movie. After watching it again, it’s actually shit.

Dark Floors - The only reason I watched it is because the band Lordi is in it. Lordi’s a heavy metal (more like hard rock) Finnish band who wears monster costumes during their performances. They’re pretty big in Finland. But this movie wasn’t that big. Although there’s a pretty cool idea behind the movie, it just wasn’t delivered well.

The Da Vinci Code - Audrey Tautou is <3

The Wrestler - Probably one of the best movies I’ve seen lately. It’s a story about a run-down wrestler, his pains, and his life after all the fame and glory. Mickey Rourke portrayed his character with such accuracy, that you would think the emotions and expressions he shows on the movie are coming from a real place, real pain and anguish. I don’t watch drama movies that much, but I shed a man-tear after watching this one. It’s that awesome.

Last night was the first night I was out on a Saturday night for a long time now, and it was a pretty awesome night. Well, I had dinner with co-workers till around 11 and after that they decided to move to this place where most of the general population prefer to go on Saturday nights, or when they want to “hang out” and “socialize”.  So we went to One Mango (if I got the name right)  and holy crap there were a lot of people! Lots of teenagers, and young adults, hanging around drinking and they have music playing. I don’t know if you call it music, it was basically booming bass and someone talking in the background, or what could pass to most people as “singing”. So there I was, and I was thinking I will not be able to last in a place like this. I told them I’ll check out this other place a walk away and some of my co-workers came with me because they also can’t stand the crowd there.

So a few minutes of walk and we went our separate ways, they went to their bars or wherever and I went to my first metal gig in a year. When I got there it was around 11pm and they said it started around 8pm, so I’m guessing the shitty bands were done. Most of them were playing death metal covers, which is not surprising considering that it’s one of the “easiest” and accessible music in my area, nevertheless it was enjoyable watching them and listening to distorted guitars, blasting drums, and undecipherable growls. I was also able to meet up with old college friends and one was a vocalist for one of the bands playing. I joined the moshpit during their act, and the best part was when they played Slayer’s “Raining Blood” for their encore, everybody in the pit went crazy! I went crazy too singing and shouting along with everybody and doing crazy headbanging and devil hand gestures and stuff. It was great, and I’ve never felt that rush for quite some time now.

What I like about metal shows is that although people who go there look all bad-ass and look like “GRR I’LL EAT YOUR BABIES” pretending to be evil and deadly, they’re actually very polite and respectful (unlike the people you see in bars and clubs), they say sorry when you bump into them, and when I was in the moshpit people were like headbanging and all then this guy steps on my foot and he was like “on man, I’m really sorry!” then goes back to headbanging. Pretty cool.  Although what I didn’t like were the posers who were everywhere, I don’t know how to describe them but I’m pretty sure you’ll know a poser when you see one.

Cebu’s underground metal scene is pretty small, basically almost everyone knows each other, which is not bad. I hope these bands get more recognition since there’s some great talent here. It’s hard to see people who have great technical music skills, and all these people need is some support and recognition for all their hard work. I know how they feel since I was once part of a band. Anyway, it was a great night, and I can’t wait to join the next metal show available.

And I need to get a black shirt next time.

For more about Cebu’s metal underground scene, visit http://forum.cebumetal.org/index.php

I was supposed to leave home earlier than usual (1 PM) to meet some local nerds and have a sketch session. I woke up late (1 PM). And on my way to the big city, it appears that my little town has hosting a sports meet of sorts, so there was this long parade with sweaty high schoolers under the searing tropic heat (1 PM). There’s the teachers too, as sweaty as their younger counterparts. Who ever organizes this stuff sure can sleep soundly at night, thinking that they let these people endure that kind of torture. Also, traffic came with the parade. So I arrive at the mall around 4 PM. Nerds left. No biggie, I then checked out the new bookstore in town.

Fullybooked! at Ayala Cebu is now open! As expected, it was full of books. And people. They do have a wide selection of books, I’m not sure if it’s as many as Powerbooks at SM Cebu, but they do have a lot of comics! (which was first area I checked, obviously). There’s 4 rows of comics ranging from Annihilation to Watchmen to Emily the Strange to How to Draw books. It was pretty awesome! This is probably the biggest collection of comics (for sale) that we have here in Cebu. Of course, the manga section was full of anime/manga nerds, and the ones browsing the comics area were a little noisy english speaking rich kids flocking over Iron Man trades, fat chinese nerds, and 3 guys who were talking about how there will be a Watchmen movie next year. The highlights for me would be the Alex Nino artbook, the Daredevil hardcovers DD: Father and the DD Visionaries Vol 1: Guardian Devil, and “Baltimore, Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire” which I will probably get when our bonus arrives. I did buy Joe Hill’s (Locke & Key) novel, “Heart-Shaped Box”.

At work, some guy who recognized me back in college wasted 15 minutes talking about how he’s such a bad-ass back in college, and his adventures when he was still in college. Whatever you say, man.

Work was pretty quiet. So I did studies on doing profile sketches. Check my sketch blog here.

On the way home, this lady on the street handed me a pamphlet titled “HELLFIRE: Is it Part of Divine Justice?” and told me to read it. Sure lady, anything you say. Although I admire what they’re doing. Standing in the wee hours of the morning handing over pieces of paper to spread their beliefs to potential converts. Now that’s dedication. Or maybe they’re just forced to do it?

That’s a lot of stuff happening for a Sunday. I was planning on taking pictures. Maybe next time.

On my our way home (I was riding the motorcycle with my friend) we stopped for a bottle of beer, and when we arrived we saw this guy (didn’t recognize him, probably from another part of the town) getting his ass owned by this other guy who my friend recognized. It was this group of local guys, one’s actually a relative, and they were all pretty drunk. Two of their companions are beating each other’s face, the beaten up guy yelling about how he’s been in town for so long and to fight with a guy from their “group” and how they’re fighting over who broke the glass (with beer). It was a pretty silly fight, we were like “this shit happens all the time”. When all of a sudden the beaten up guy reaches for a gun (it was carried by another dude)! I wasn’t expecting that. That was some scary shit. Good thing his “friends” were able to stop him and the owner took the bullets out of the gun. Crazy morning. Who the fuck carries a gun when you’re going out drinking anyway? And they’re gonna shoot each other over a broken glass of beer?

Crazy motherfuckers.