I already know about that saying, but I never took it seriously...

...Until now.

Last Saturday, I went to SMX Convention Center for the Mangaholix Manga Mania II. My alibi was that I was going to attend an art exhibit. I was even so modest about the details (German Expressionism stuff) that's why I was permitted to go.

And so I spent my Saturday frolicking around the venue, meeting and reuniting with cosplay friends (Gibs, Pat, Sachi, Jose, Iji, Sachi, Chasa, Loon, Luna, Jyoan, Kuro, Weebz, Nadine, Jit, Jeff, et. al.) while at the same time taking pictures with them. I also had a chat with Sir Choi the Voicemaster about their next VoiceWorx schedules. (Kung magkakapera ako, pramis mag-e-enrol ako sa inyo. XD)

I even enjoyed myself playing the EyeToy, though it made my arm muscles sore. There were also Kala and Urbandub to perform for rockers out there. Although I wasn't really able to listen hard enough to their music because I was too busy taking pictures. And luckily, I got to save enough money to go home not all broke.

All was well until the night came and I was about to go home. My mom texted me the bad news: four of our computers were infected by viruses! And when I did arrive home, I found out that the infestation was specifically due to Trojans. And what it did was to mess up almost all executable programs on all four computers, including some essential ones (like Adobe Photoshop) and the games I play (Yu-Gi-Oh Power of Chaos trilogy).

So yesterday I tried to fix the problem by installing an updated antivirus program (AVG 8.0), however, for some odd reason, I couldn't install it on this computer! I had to install a different brand instead, and this time, the problem with it is that I couldn't update it.

Anyway, it's about time that I reformat the computers. But I still couldn't do so because I still have to make a backup of my important files (MP3s, PSD files, artworks and installers). I haven't bought blank DVDs for that yet, and I also don't have the installers for the games the customers play here.

Oh well, there really goes that saying. That's a lesson learned for me.

(Well actually, nu'ng Sabado ng gabi lang nag-actualize lahat ng virus problems na yan, pero meron na talaga bago pa'ko pumunta ng M3. Ayun.)

Start:	May 31, '08 10:00a
End:	May 31, '08 8:00p
Location:	SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City

I'll see you there, I hope. And if I do, I'll be tripping as Principal Kuno. LOL

Pero baka hindi rin. XD

Start:	May 31, '08
Location:	SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Manga-making showdown, trivia and drawing contests and cosplay competition. Plus live performances by Urbandub, Kala, Nyctinasty, Fairlight Madison and The Kagaws. And also: Get a chance to take home A Nintendo Wii!

Event and competition details can be found at their DeviantArt page.

It's been five days since I returned in front of our PC. And why not? I have been down with a sickness for the last five days. And I still am. I only just got to sneak my way into this computer room that's why I'm blogging.

Anyway, what has caused me to stay in bed and miss a lot of online activity? Well, it all started on the night of Christmas eve, after I heard the mass and walked home from the church, which was about two to three kilometers away. I was all sweaty and tired when I got home, and the atmosphere was chilly. That's what probably gave me the hard coughs.

Then two days later, it grew serious. I couldn't sleep on that Wednesday night, as I was coughing nonstop. What's worse was that I couldn't get the phlegm out of my system: it was a dry cough. I tried to cough so hard, that my lower abs are aching, and yet I couldn't eject it.

"Aw, man, gross," you say. Bah! If you're in my seat, you'd have any authority to tell everyone about this stuff.

Anyway, so last Thursday, I was able to sleep better, thanks to the calamansi juice and some carbocisteine. I also nebulized using steam from a previously boiled water contained in a glass bottle. It somewhat melted the mucus inside my respiratory tract, so I was somehow able to cough out some.

Then yesterday, I had myself checked up by a neighborhood doctor, and said it possibly is an allergy, or even worse, an attack of asthma. So she prescribed me an antibiotic, a dry cough syrup, and if I could cough easier, she told me to go back to taking carbocisteine. They also had me nebulized, this time with a real nebulizer.

I grew impatient last night about the medicine taking its effect. I couldn't cough up the phlegm last night, yet again. I wasn't even able to attend my high school classmate's birthday celebration because of this stupid illness, and still it tortures me. But when I woke up today, I was surprised that my breathing's gotten better, and I could, if not easily, cough out the phlegm inside my system. Though my lower abs still somewhat hurt while doing so. My medicine's taking its effect after all. I was just really impatient.

So here I am, not fully recovered. It may just be an allergy. It may even be asthma. But I hope I'm better enough for the celebration of the new year.

And speaking of new year, damn! Just two days after the first of January, pasukan na naman! Why are Christmmas vacations so short? Or am I the only one who thinks that way?


Anyway, I watched the H3 TV special earlier, and I wasn't surprised that I was edited out of the footages. Oh well, tough luck for me. So the moral lesson for this is, the next time you cosplay, make sure everyone knows your character, even HERO.

And so, first things first. I wasn't able to attend the org pic for AME earlier yesterday. It's not that I don't want to attend, but I had too many academic stuff to deal with the night prior to that, so I slept at 3AM already. Include to that the reason of my missing AME Gakuen uniform, so it would be inappropriate to attend anyway. I regret not being able to attend that one. But hey, I'm a student before I'm an AME member, right?



I didn't even stay long at the Christmas party at Arirang. The party started at 1, but that was also the starting time of our rappelling at the College of Engineering. So I talk to Sir Jaz if I could just return at around 3PM for my time.

And so I went back to Arirang. The party began, and I believe it lasted until 5. stated, I was there only until 3PM, due to the aforementioned rappelling shit.



And so I went back to Eng'g, and then I hurried straight up the third floor, waited for my turn, and when it was indeed my turn, I never though something bad would happen: my fingers "burned". It's good that the rope still had mercy at my left hand; it left my index finger in good condition. As for the rest of my left fingers, they all suffered from the burn; and the most affected parts are my poor pinky and ring fingers. But enough about that.



And so I also joined the lantern parade. But i didn't stay that long, as my hand is still aching. Good thing our group got our way out of the parade so we could take a rest for the rest of the night. That's when Sir Jaz asked me where I was going home, and gave me P100 so I could buy whatever prescription the doctor at the infirmary gave to me.

And so there I went, to the infirmary. I had my left hand checked up. By the way, that IS my writing AND drawing hand. (In other words, I'm practically crippled. LOL) The doctor gave me her prescription, and the attending nurse gashed up my fingers. Good thing I am a UP student, so I didn't need to pay anything.

Anything, except for the medicine, which I found out was expensive, even if Sir Jaz gave me a hundred bucks for them. Well, I bought the prescribed capsules, but the price of the ointment is just too much. Oh well...



And so classes this year are over. I'm glad they are. I need time for my hand to recuperate. I don't know if I can draw in this condition, nor do I know if I can play my PS2. LOL But what I'm dreading more is that I might not come to the AME Christmas party tomorrow. Of course, I want to come, not just because I am a member, but because it's Christmas, and I'm in a mood for giving. XD I haven't wrapped up my gift for _ _ _ _ _ _ yet. I don't even know for sure if that's what she wants, but I hope she does.

One more problem I'm thinking about is that, will my mom give me money tomorrow? I'm practically broke now after this stinking injury.

And if I can't go, to whom can I entrust my gift? It will be a darn shame if I can't give it to her in any way.



Another two things in my mind are the upcoming TOYCON and MOA events. I want to go, just for the sake of donning my costume and re-meeting the cosplay friends I met at H3. Bah, I just hope that I have money for those.

This is the time of the year when I wish that my birthday was days earlier than Christmas.

And so that's how it goes.