Monday, July 18, 2005


In the midst of political demonstrations regarding that damned Hello Garci tape, The Dream King, Neil Gaiman, graced the country with a tight three-day book signing schedule.

It began at the Rockwell Tent last Jul 9 where Donna and countless geeks went to. I decided to go to the last event, Monday at Fully Booked in Gateway, I easily underestimated the other fans because it was the first day of the week. “Hahaha! Everybody else would be at school or slaving in the workspaces!” The thought rattled in my near-empty skull like pebbles in a gourd, and the prospect of meeting the man himself drove me to sleep rather late.

I scampered to Gateway to find a long line waiting outside Fuly Booked. I followed the line to find the end so I could line up myself. I found it near the Aurora Blvd exit- two floors below the venue. Crap! A few minutes later I overheard some of the people in front of me saying that the management was only letting 150 people or so to have their books autographed. Double Crap!

I didn’t care, I came there to have my book autographed and to give Gaiman my Morpheus artwork…or die trying!

***

I lined up at around noon. The guy behind me starts talking to me in a slight heavy Visayan accent and his hands animatedly moving around as he talked.

HIM: This is almost like every comic book convinchun (convention) in the cantry (country).

ME: Except that it’s not really a comic book convention.

HIM: No, I min (mean) that there are a lot of attindes (attendees).

ME: And no cosplay…well, parang meron na din. I’ve seen a lot of girls dressing up as Death, only they end up looking like whores.

HIM: Horses, plural.

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The long line to enlightenment.

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Armed up with American Gods and waiting.

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greyweed and the King Of Dreams

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I will!

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The Autographed artwork.

I was supposedly gonna give him this piece, but I saw his box -filled with stuff from fans- brimming with artwork I decided to just have it signed.