#POF 2019: Asobu

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: May 4-5, 2024]

Hi everyone, Keihancarl here. This is the fifth Pinoy Otaku Festival event that I attended, with the first one back in May 2017 (Danketsu), and the third POF event held at Robinson's Novaliches Trade Hall after Asobu (2019) and Shizen (2023).

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This year’s POF theme is Yume (which means dream in Japanese), and the focus of this event is mental health awareness. There are panel discussions about cosplay (as per the schedule), and one of them focuses on its benefits (along with anime and fanfiction) to one’s well-being.

Unlike the previous POF events, I somehow skipped the first day of the three-day event as that falls on a weekday (which is, obviously, Friday) and there won’t be that much crowd there. As usual, the Otaku Choice Awards is held on the first day of the event.

May 4th

And that was the beginning of the amazingly awesome weekend.

I decided to go mostly black on this one, featuring the khaki Naruto shirt from Uniqlo. As I didn’t want to stand out like in the previous POF events I attended, I chose to wear something less fancy, with some of my favorite accessories. Of course, my black fingerless gloves will always be part of my outfit, no matter how special the day is.

I really wanted to go there as early as possible so I did just that. I immediately head to the venue instead of taking a long walk from the adjacent malls first. Reaching the venue, I immediately bought a ticket and headed inside.

The Cosplay Idol Finals were ongoing as soon as I made it inside the venue. I began checking some stalls offering various merchandise, including anime shirts, action figures, collectible cards, stickers, anime and cosplayer prints, and accessories. There's also a booth selling English-language manga and a few other books. I get to see a demonstration of 3D printing at one of the booths, and a retro gaming booth where you can try playing some of the old video games (there's also a Tetris competition). The event’s advocacy partner Angat Buhay had a booth inside as well. And of course, a Godzilla display (like in the previous POF events).

I passed by an interesting stall (40 People In The World) selling cold brew coffee, but the computer keyboard-style packaging intrigued me. I tried a sample of one of their coffee blends. I bought a three-piece box. Kind of pricey, but I think it’s reasonable.

I get to witness some performances (including some of the idol performers for the Aidoru Hour), plus the karaoke battle where one of the contestants perform a Miki Matsubara song (Stay With Me), a Lolita fashion show (plus a discussion), and a SmackDown show (kind of a scripted wrestling type kind of show).

I decided to step out of the event area to have a chicken, Cajun fries, and mashed potato meal at Popeyes (SM Fairview). The mashed potato is finally back on the menu, or I just didn’t notice it earlier.

Going back to the event, I have a few selfie pics with some of the cosplayers. I stayed there for a few more hours until the awarding ceremony. An anime rave party followed soon afterward. I decided to upload the first batch of photos from the second day of the event before moving back to SM Fairview and checking some of the shops there.

Before heading home, I decided to have a cup of caramel ice blend coffee (no whipped cream, unfortunately) at the Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf and work on this TKD post. I stayed there for about 30 minutes.

May 5th

I was really determined to go back for the third and final day of the event. I decided on a wine-red stand-up collar shirt and a black Evangelion shirt.

I arrived around the same time as yesterday and bought a few more items, including pins, stickers, and a small anime figure of Kei Tsukishima (Haikyuu), plus a couple of manga books.

There was a karaoke competition (AniOke Idol), a series of performances by different idol groups and singers (Aidoru Hour Extravaganza), and a cosplay competition (Cosplay Competition League). I also managed to take more selfies with some of the cosplayers. I had an opportunity to take a selfie with AllYellow Joshua, who is one of the event's hosts (the pic is on the last part of the post). And I decided to have my photo taken at the photo booth.

Around 4:30 PM, I decided to leave the venue for a while and had some katsudon and brown sugar milk tea at Tamoya Udon (still in SM Fairview). I previously had an udon dish there two weeks after my birthday.

Heading back, the venue becomes a concert hall with performances by idol groups and singers. One of the special guests Misuru (all the way from Japan) also graced the stage during the Aidoru Hour Extravaganza as well, and she was also at the anime rave party last night.

The Cosplay Championship League (the finals, I think) began around 7:15 PM. Meanwhile, I decided to head to the restroom outside the event and did a little grocery shopping along the way. I headed back to the venue 30 minutes later and stayed until the end of the event. The Lolita Fashion Competition later commenced around past 8:00. The awarding ceremony for both competitions followed after that.

POF 2024: Yume concluded right after the closing message and that ends yet another awesome weekend. The question remains whether the next POF event will be held at the same venue.

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Despite missing the first day of the event and all of the panel discussions, I really enjoyed much of this year's POF event, especially the stage performances. I ended up spending a lot of money on some of the merch, including the manga books. It sure was an awesome weekend.

All right, I'm definitely looking forward to the next POF event next year. But of course, there's also a possibility of attending another otaku event this year. For now, it's back to normal for yours truly, Keihancarl. The upcoming mall-hopping trip will have to wait, though, as Mother's Day is coming up and I really planned on spending it with my mom (I never get to celebrate her birthday, which is a few days prior).

And that's all for the second week of the #TheFourWeekendPlan. Until next time!

P.S.: Choji TV did a Ninong Ry cosplay, too bad I never get to take a selfie pic with him.

All pics are from my Instagram account, @kcox_105.

[conanaltatis]

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Red Cloud Interactive, Naruto Cosplayers PH and Robinsons Novaliches will bring Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu on May 17-19, 2019 at the Trade Hall of Robinsons Novaliches in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The title theme of the event “ASOBU,” which means “Let’s Play,” will focus on interactive experience for all attendee and include the traditional cosplay competition, karaoke and Battle of the Bands.

Pinoy Otaku Festival has been known for its event which focuses on the true Pinoy Otaku identity and Filipino’s dedication as manifested by the current trend in popular culture.   It is a celebration of Japanese pop culture and how Filipinos enrich it, by experience our own culture as well through the latest popular culture as the event combine cosplay, music and the Filipino’s heart of gold for helping people.

The focus of Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu is on giving highlights on the much-awaited on-stage games and the much-awaited Otaku Choice Awards to be held on May 17, 2019 with Tom’s Workstation by Tomas Jefferson Hernandez as the official trophy provider. Nominees will gather and will be given awards for their dedication from the different categories as voted by people thru the online nomination and voting.

Other event highlights are POF 2019: Art Attack, Karaoke Battle Royale, Fantasm: Inter-school, POF 2019: Battle of the Bands, Your Cosplay Sounds Familiar, Cosplay Championship League, Otaku Bazaar and booths and panel discussions. For those who are into interactive games, there can win cash and freebies in activities like Otaku Deal or No Deal, Anime Quiz, Otaku Singtunado, Otaku Singing Bee and Name That Tune.

Across the three-day event, Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu is bringing more interactive panel discussions.  Selected by the community from a voting process, the topics include sexual harassment in cosplay, status of esports in the Philippines, piracy and anime fandom, how to win competitions, how to become a successful game streamer and what it takes to be an idol.

Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu is being made possible in cooperation with CIIT College of Arts and Technology, MC Hotel Fairview, and Hotel Fox with the help of VR Café and Jerry’s Life Size Statues and Collectibles. The event also partnered with various Otaku organizations including Team Oke Gakuen, El Chorizo Cosplay Group, The Otaku Philippines, Z Warriors, Toushin – Ateneo, UP AME, PNU NAMI, JDoramaEiga PH and FurryPinas PH while media partners include Astig.ph, TechKuya, Wazzup Pilipinas, Keepsakes., The Cosplay and Anime Café, OtakuPlay PH, Game Seer, Reverie Wonderland, Ayaldev, Setsu Ani, Sutil Si Isco, Zing – Edge Manila, Mauvish Crimson, AniRadio PH,PopLife TV and Jherzoned.

You can buy tickets online thru the event’s ticket partner, Ticket2Me. Visit https://www.ticket2me.net/e/1607 to purchase your tickets.

For more information visit Pinoy Otaku Festival 2019: Asobu official website at http://pof.narutocosplayers.com/. Use the official hashtag #POF2019 and #POFAsobu and check the event’s official social media channels for more updates.

Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu to feature Otaku Choice Awards; Partners include CIIT College of Arts and Technology, MC Hotel Fairview, Hotel Fox Red Cloud Interactive, Naruto Cosplayers PH and Robinsons Novaliches will bring Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu…

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: May 19-21, 2023]

After four years (and for the first time since the pandemic), the Pinoy Otaku Festival is making a comeback, still at the same venue as the previous one. Hi everyone, Keihancarl here and this weekend looks kind of promising... with a hint of uncertainty (on my part).

Pinoy Otaku Festival 2023: Shizen (An Overview)

It was back during the end of POF 2019: Asobu when the next POF event (initially called Tanoshii Matsuri) was announced. And then the pandemic struck, resulting in the event being postponed. Later on, it was announced as POF 2021: Godai (the logo still showed the year 2020), and the event’s theme is about the five Japanese elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. It was eventually changed to POF 2023: Shizen sometime last year, with the event still held at the Trade Hall of Robinsons Novaliches.

The event’s theme is all about the environment, with the goal of raising awareness and funds for the Bayanihan Para Sa Kalikasan, Inc. There’s also a discussion about Trash To Cashback and other environmental programs by the Quezon City Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department. ADA Straws Philippines, the manufacturer of biodegradable rice straws, was also present at the event as one of the exhibitors.

May 19

And yes, I was actually hoping to visit the first day of the event. The thing is, I’m gonna have a hard time going out and spending the entire weekend outdoors, unlike the pre-pandemic days. What more if I want to go out on a weekday?

I managed to do just that, only that I also have an errand to do that early afternoon. Is it a miracle, or is it just luck? Well, it didn’t took me long enough to finish the job, but of course I can always sneak my way into the event, even if it’s for an hour or two. After all, I can’t really stick around for long since I’m expected to prepare dinner at home.

Anyway, I did get inside the venue (it’s 150 pesos for a one day pass, though there’s also a VIP pass and a 3-day pass, both of which are exclusively available for purchase online) and check out some of the booths. I was looking forward to seeing Pixel Hero’s booth, only that they’re not on the list of exhibitors.

Checking the schedule for the first day, there’s the ConGoer Competition, Your Cosplay Sounds Familiar, and The Otaku Singing Bee. I’m not sure if they followed the schedule, I think there might be some slight changes and some had to be rescheduled to the next day. I wasn’t able to catch any of them since I came later than expected, around 4:00 in the afternoon (I had another errand to run before that). Also, the Otaku Choice Awards was held that evening, and I didn’t catch that as well, since I had to leave the venue early. But I did get to watch some performances during my two hour stay.

I receive some brochures and pamphlets at The Japan Foundation booth. The nice lady complimented my pins, the ones I bought from Pixel Hero during the last POF event. Also, I did get to have selfies with some of the cosplayers.

I check some of the booths for some interesting merch, and I wasn’t able to buy anything. A handful of booths weren’t open yet, maybe they’ll be present during the weekend.

I left the venue early as I need to shop for some groceries for dinner, not to mention that it was still a weekday. I uploaded the pics on my Instagram account at home.

May 20

It’s the second day of POF 2023: Shizen, and I’m raring to go there as early as possible. Well, I still ended up arriving later than expected, as I have to drop by Mr. DIY (Fairview Terraces) to buy a new watch, since my old one’s battery died on me last night. I decided to go all-black, but I didn’t feel like wearing my black fleece coat and my black zipper tie like I did during the previous POF events.

I managed to catch the Chibi Cosplay and Lolita And J-Fashion Competition, as well as HIBANA Wotagei’s performance. And of course, Anime Feud (with Choji as host).

I bought a couple of pins (AXGG) and a small Snorlax plushie (POP!ah Ching’s Collectibles). I was thinking of buying a Hunghang Flashback (Volume 2) book at their booth, but I sort of hold back for now. I’ll try to buy one on the final day of the event, if there are some copies left.

Outside the event, I had a meal at Paotsin, then I immediately head to the supermarket and bought a bottle of Pocari Sweat and a mini Toblerone bar (I consume them on the bench area nearby). I also managed to check some of the shops in the three Fairview malls later that evening, right after leaving the venue once Anime Feud ends.

There’s one more day left, but I’m starting to feel anxious as I actually need to visit someone tomorrow. I’ll figure this one out. What’s more important is that I didn’t want to miss the final part of the event.

May 21

Third day, and I get to go out for the third time in a row. Come to think of it, I haven’t really done this in such a long time. I go for the black baseball shirt and olive yellow shirt combo.

I was really determined to leave home early since I wanted to visit mom and my little sister. It’s been more than three weeks since the last visit, and I never get to celebrate Mother’s Day with her. I left home at around 1:00 PM, reached mom’s house at around 2:15 PM (traffic from SM Fairview to Barangay Mulawin, SJDM is a lot faster than it is going back), and managed to get to the venue just before 6:00 PM. On the way back, I was surprised to find a 100 yen coin inside my purse. I decided to keep the coin as my lucky charm, since everything proceeded as planned in the past couple of days.

By the time I arrived at Robinson’s Novaliches Trade Hall, the Cosplay Championship League had already started. I didn’t waste any more time and buy a few more items: a pin and two stickers from Hunghang Flashbacks booth (I never did buy the book, unfortunately), the Giyu Tomioka plushie from Kaiju Geijitsu, a couple of anime pins from Qaphsiel and TriplexLor, and a set of 2 Pocky wholesome (choco almond and blueberry yogurt) and 2 Pejoy Belgian chocolate pretzels from the Enav Marketing Services Inc./Glico PH booth with amazing freebies (for additional 50 pesos, you get a Pocky mug). I then strike a pose inside the photo booth and got my photos afterward. I also did manage to have a selfie with John Wick, along with some of the cosplayers as well.

The event ends with the announcement of winners for the competitions that were held that day, as well as a message from David D’Angelo. I decided to stick around for a bit as most of the event staff and event organizers are taking photos on the stage and some of the exhibitors are packing up their stuff.

After leaving the venue, I decided to have a milk tea drink at Black Scoop Cafe (Fairview Terraces). I then uploaded some of the photos I took that afternoon on my Instagram account, and it took longer than expected for the photos to be uploaded due to the incredibly slow mobile internet connection inside the cafe. After that, I took a leisurely stroll inside the mall before heading home.

Postscript

This year’s POF event is a great improvement compared to the previous one. They finally decided to install actual booths inside the venue, and access to the Trade Hall entrance from the hallway is blocked by the dressing room and meet and greet areas, with the restrooms in the area generally reserved for event participants and cosplayers (as a changing area), therefore discouraging bystanders and passersby from staying in the hallway.

Despite not being able to witness some of the scheduled games, competitions, panel discussions and concerts, I still managed to enjoy the event just like the previous POF events. I had the feeling that they will hold the next POF event on the same venue, but nothing is set in stone yet. Hopefully, I’ll get to attend next year.

With this year’s POF event held on the same weekend as MINI Ozine Fest (SMX Convention Center Manila) and FanFes (Ayala Malls Circuit Makati), the organizers thought that there’ll be a significant decline on the congoers (they’re expecting about 500 walk-in participants, based on their Facebook post), not to mention that Pixel Hero (where I bought my favorite pins from the previous POF event) was present on both aforementioned events. The event turned out to be successful, based on the amount of tickets sold (including the Three Day Pass and the VIP tickets).

And with that, I must say that I hope next year’s POF event will be as successful as the previous ones. I’m looking forward to it!

It sure was a fun event, despite missing out on some of the happenings due to the fact that I always arrived later than expected. That’s okay, since I bought some awesome souvenirs, which are mostly anime pins and a couple of plushies.

I’m not sure if I’ll immediately follow it up with a mall-hopping trip the following week. The typhoon might postpone my plans, as was the case five years ago, but hopefully this will proceed. Anyway, I finally feel motivated once again, and I’m back to writing a bunch of posts, including this one.

[UPDATE] Looks like Ozine Fest will have a two day Halloween special at nearby Fairview Terraces this October. If I manage to go out on both days, this will be my best post-birthday celebration ever. I might even reschedule the planned mall-hopping trip to November, if my plans for that weekend will proceed as planned. (05/29/2023)

Well then, time to wrap this up. Until next time!

The first and third day pics (including the one on the overview) were uploaded to my public Instagram account @kcox_105, while the second day pics and the selfie pic (postscript) were uploaded to my private Instagram account @kcox105.

[twatkcox]

[#TheFourWeekendPlan]

May 11

So the four-weekend plan begins with the usual mall-hopping trip at a mall in Novaliches and the three malls in the Fairview area, plus a sip of cappuccino frappe at a cafe in Lagro and a tempura bowl at a Japanese fast food in SM Fairview. I visited every second-hand bookshop in these malls and checked the shelves for some interesting manga titles. I also checked other shops as well.

I checked SM Novaliches expansion at the former BPO area, and it looks like Macao Imperial Tea will open a branch there. And I find a couple of interesting manga books (one of them is Aldnoah.Zero) at Booksale’s branch in that mall as well, only I can’t spend too much at the moment.

While I had cappuccino frappe and siomai at a cafe in Lagro, I also had a fantastic (early) dinner--a tempura bowl at Karate Kid... and I get to eat with chopsticks too (yup, they actually provide chopsticks upon request). Well, I’m getting better at using chopsticks, and I don’t have to take off my fingerless gloves just so I can eat. Amazing, isn’t it?

Of course, there’s the usual rooftop retreat at the Fairview Terraces roof garden, where I worked on some of the 6+1 stories to be featured on an upcoming literary special. While I initially target to publish the literary special post on the 19th of May, I decided to move it to a later date.

The night ends with just checking a couple of shops in the mall area. I didn’t get to check HMR, though.

May 12

A mother’s day celebration at my mom’s house, with my aunt and cousins. We had a small feast of pancit canton.

It’s been a while since I visit my mom since she had classes on Sundays. She is aiming to be an instructor specializing in tile setting, and I hope she makes it.

Meanwhile, I managed to spend an hour at Fairview Terraces roof garden writing stories and checking the venue of the upcoming event POF 2019: Asobu at the Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall. Regarding the latter, it looks like they’re going to occupy the entire area, which is actually great considering that they need to accommodate a great number of congoers, plus the exhibitors' booths. And they even have an area for press briefings and meet-and-greet activities.

I eventually have the convention map and the schedule of the event, which were posted on their Facebook page. I’m hoping to attend the first day of the event (Friday, May 17th) just to catch the Otaku Choice Awards.

May 17-19

For the post: The Keihancarl Diaries: May 17-19, 2019

Well, it seems like I can go to the first day of the event after all. I get to have selfies with some of the cosplayers and bought some awesome souvenirs as well. And I did catch the first half of the Otaku Choice Awards.

For the rest of the event, I witnessed a variety of competitions, including various cosplay competitions and the battle of the bands. There were featured guests and performances, as well as fan meetups.

Of course, I did wear my favorite black fleece coat, an anime shirt, and black fingerless gloves, but only on the second and third day of the event. For the first day of the event, I opted for a pastel yellow shirt, black knitted vest, and the same black fingerless gloves.

It sure feels weird being at an otaku event all by myself, and I certainly looked like a misfit among the crowd of anime fans, die-hard otakus, and some cosplayers. Even though I’m a casual otaku watching English-dubbed anime, reading English-translated second-hand manga, listening to a few anime soundtracks, and probably collecting various anime merch, I certainly feel out of place there. I don’t know if there are some congoers who feels the same way, maybe some of them are just like me.

Despite this, I’m lucky enough to buy some souvenirs at the event, and I get to my idol Ariel Villasanta (see TKD post). And of course, I had selfies with some of the cosplayers too.

Though not as crowded and exciting as the previous POF events I’ve attended (POF 2017: Danketsu and POF 2018: Ai), I still managed to enjoy the event just the same. I hoped that the next POF event will be held at the same venue next year.

May 25

For the post: The Keihancarl Diaries: May 25, 2019

A mall-hopping trip commenced a week right after POF 2019: Asobu, but things didn’t go as expected. For starters, the heavy traffic in Deparo and Novaliches areas totally disrupted my mood, as well as the (expected) rainfall and some other inconveniences along the way. Also, Baywalk is closed in the meantime due to the desilting operations along the Manila Bay shoreline, from the U.S. Embassy up to the Manila Yacht Club.

On the brighter side, however, I really enjoyed taking selfies at the Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, and these are the only selfie pics I took during the entire trip. And of course, the shrimp-chorizo fried rice at Habeat is really good. I somehow managed to check a few shops along the way, most of them are bookshops.

Anyway, while heading down the escalator at a mall in Binondo, an elderly man took notice of the red anime shirt I’m wearing, which says “People are my playthings”. He appeared to be a little wary of the shirt’s design, but I guess he didn’t really care much about it. Also, at a mall in San Lazaro area in Manila, a guy about my age (who probably works as a sales representative for a bank) apparently tried to approach me, thinking that my shirt and/or the pins are cool, and may probably be wondering where I got them. I simply didn’t pay him attention and walked off. Besides, I’m not really expecting some random stranger to approach me for whatever reason. As I ride the escalator to the upper level, I was kind of wondering if I actually encountered that guy during the otaku event exactly a week prior, probably as a cosplayer, but that’s just a 100% speculation and nothing else. Maybe he’s just curious, that’s all.

Just as I thought that my mall-hopping trip probably sucked, I happened to score another manga book at a Booksale branch in SM Fairview. Of course, I bought it immediately, seeing that it’s a popular title (Full Metal Alchemist) and I’m not gonna let this opportunity pass me by, so there!

It was quite an adventure... more like a misadventure, to be honest. But I somehow managed to enjoy the trip in a different way. I’m planning to wear the same outfit again on my next mall-hopping trip down south.

May 26

I visited my mom that day and assisted her with the module she’s working on. She didn’t have classes that day, so that means I can come over for a visit. While I initially have other plans for that day, I’ll just reserve it for the following week. Besides, I haven’t visited her in a while since her classes (which is on weekends, particularly Sundays) started last January.

June 1-2

The final week of the four-weekend plan didn't turn out great as expected. My Saturday afternoon plans began rather late, and the strap of my watch was torn along the way. I have to deal with it for a while until I either had the strap fixed or buy a new one.

I decided to wear my red anime shirt again and decided to head to Starmall San Jose Del Monte for a mall-hopping trip outside the Lagro-Fairview area. And then I had matcha cheesecake at a dessert shop in Lagro. My favorite cafe is already closed during that time, as it is past 5:00 PM when I arrived.

I then went on a mall-hopping trip in the Fairview malls and bought myself a gray shirt with a cool graphic print (a pumpkin holding a banner that says “I am not a latte”). I also checked the venue where POF 2019: Asobu was held two weeks ago, and it sure feels a little quiet there.

I was thinking of buying a new watch, even if that means I have to spend a lot of money just for that. I simply can't go out without wearing one. I had a donburi bowl at Tokyo Tokyo, this time it is chicken oyakodon. It was really good.

The following day, I decided to wear the gray shirt I bought yesterday and just focused on the three malls. I bought a Rockman mug at a bargain department store (Robinsons Novaliches) and had an early dinner of dumplings with laksa soup and Hainanese rice (Paotsin) at the Fairview Terraces food court.

The entire weekend ends with story writing up at the Fairview Terraces rooftop garden and a visit to some shops. And that concludes the four-weekend plan.

Postscript

In the past four weekends, I had cappuccino frappe, jasmine tea with rock salt and cheese, and matcha cheesecake, dined in Japanese fast food restos, attended a three-day otaku event, bought some cool stuff (especially the T-shirts and the pins), went on a problematic mall-hopping trip, wrote snippets of the stories and articles I’m currently working on, and don cool-looking outfits (especially the ones featuring my black fleece coat and black fingerless gloves).

Despite my excitement on these four weekends, I had mixed feelings about it, especially on the second and third week (the otaku event and the mall-hopping trip). Nevertheless, I did manage to enjoy the good things that happened and I might replicate this next year. I am so looking forward to the next POF event and a mall-hopping trip right after that.

Right now, I’m looking forward to the Manila International Book Fair 2019 and my 29th birthday celebration. And hopefully, another otaku event (probably Best Of Anime 2019) at the SMX Convention Center. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for these events... and my plans.

All pics are from my private Instagram account, @kcox105.

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: May 17-19, 2019]

It’s me, Keihancarl. And here comes another awesome weekend, the Pinoy Otaku Festival 2019: Asobu at Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall.

May 17

It sure feels weird going out on a weekday, but I did it anyway. After all, I really can't afford to miss the first day of the event.

I decided on a pastel yellow polo shirt and a black knitted vest, as well as my black fingerless gloves. I was initially thinking of wearing my black fleece coat (again), but I’ll just reserve it for the weekend.

I left home right after lunch, but I didn’t head straight to the event just yet. I checked a few shops in Fairview Terraces and SM Fairview, mostly bookshops, before heading to the venue.

I then bought a ticket (a one-day pass) at the entrance. Alternatively, you can purchase a three-day pass or a VIP pass online, but they won’t be available onsite on the day of the event.

Anyway, I got inside the venue and checked some of the stalls. At Japan All-Stars stall, I bought a red anime T-shirt featuring Izaya Orihara of Durarara!!, the one I’ve been eyeing since last year’s POF event, as well as a couple of awesome pins. I initially wanted to buy an anime T-shirt featuring White Blood Cell of Cells At Work, but they don’t have large sized ones. And I did take selfies with some of the cosplayers.

There weren’t a lot of congoers on the first day of the event, The venue is expected to be jampacked on the second and third day (18th and 19th, respectively), as some of the biggest competitions (Battle Of The Bands, Fantasm Inter-School, Cosplay Championship League, and a few others) are held on these dates.

There were a couple of panel discussions: The Status Of E-sports In The Philippines and Sexual Harassment In Cosplay. There’s also a short video feature on the Japanese-Filipino anime, Barangay 143.

On the Otaku Singing Bee, the contestants must rearrange the words that appear on the screen, that is actually part of the lyrics that will follow soon afterward, as well as guessing the missing part of the song’s lyrics. The game features theme songs from Maid Sama!, The Prince Of Tennis, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and a few others.

From time to time, auctions of various anime merch were held, ranging from posters, stuffed plushies, even soundtrack CDs. There are people playing board games on the Game Detective booth. And there’s the display of Godzilla figures, too.

I had an early dinner at Jollibee, which is not far from the venue. I immediately head back to the event after that.

And then there’s the Otaku Choice Award, where they award a nominee from each different categories. In addition, there’s also the general awards for non-Filipino and non-local things, such as anime shows, movie/adaptations, Japanese bands, console and online games, and seiyuus (Japanese voice actors). There were performances in between.

I decided to go home midway through the end of the awarding ceremony, even though I really wanted to stick around and catch the rest of it. And that’s how my first day at the event went.

May 18

It sure was a sunny day, perfect for a nice tall cup of cappuccino frappe. However, I decided to skip going to the café for now and head straight to the venue instead. I arrived at exactly 2:00 in the afternoon.

I decided on an all-black outfit consisting of my black fleece coat and my black Tokyo Ghoul shirt. I only decided to wear my black fingerless gloves later that afternoon.

There were more cosplayers at the venue compared to the first day of the event. There's also a slight increase in congoers as well. The event area will probably be filled later during the Battle Of The Bands segment, but for now, it is kind of spacious in here.

I didn’t catch Your Cosplay Sounds Familiar (I think it already ended by the time I arrived), but I did catch Fantasm Interschool Cosplay, where contestants from three schools perform a scene from anime series or movies.

There were performances by Hiro and Kazuki and aidoru (idol) group CH4U, as well as Gekitora and Yohgen. There's also a panel talk on piracy and anime fandom, as well as a guest appearance by Xavier Ray of January 24 Productions.

At around 5:30 PM, the Battle Of The Bands commenced. Around that time, I decided to have an early dinner of beef misono bowl (with a pair of chopsticks) at Yoshinoya SM Fairview. Back at Robinsons Novaliches, I bought a drink from OTeaHamaru (a cup of jasmine tea with rock salt and cheese) before heading back inside the venue.

I finished the drink inside while checking some of the stalls and watching some of the performances by competing bands. The winners of earlier competitions were later announced as well.

I bought four pins from Pixel Hero and took additional selfie pics with some of the cosplayers. I uploaded some of the pics to my Instagram account.

Last night, I left the venue early since someone's expecting me at home. This time, however, I decided to stay until the second day of the event ends. There's one more day left before POF Asobu wraps up.

May 19

And welcome to the final day of POF Asobu. I decided to wear the same outfit, but featuring my striped brown and white polo shirt instead.

I left home at exactly 1:00 PM and went straight to the venue without checking any of the shops. There were a lot of congoers at the event, as well as the cosplayers. Of course, I took selfies with some of them.

By the time I got there, Karaoke Battle Royale is still ongoing. There were also performances by Sofia The Artist, Aidoru Sozai, Pepper Keibu, Ivy! Musume, and a few others. There's a panel talk about how to become a successful game streamer.

Around 4:30 PM, there was a special guest appearance by Ariel Villasanta of the comedic duo Maverick and Ariel, promoting the upcoming first reality movie “Kings Of Reality Shows”. He also served as one of the judges of the Cosplay Championship League, which commenced right after showing a teaser of the said reality movie.

I decided to leave the venue in the meantime and crossed the footbridge to SM Fairview to check a few shops and had an early dinner at Tokyo Tokyo (which is now located at Annex 3, a.k.a. The Parkway). I had a donburi bowl, a pork katsudon, which is really good.

Heading back to the event, the cosplay competition is still ongoing. I get to see some awesome performances by some of the contestants. Later on, there’s another panel talk on what it takes to be an idol.

There’s actually a meet-and-greet event behind the stage, but I think it’s exclusively for VIP ticket holders. For a while, I stick around to watch the panel discussion until I saw Ariel heading out of the venue. I quickly head out of the venue and managed to catch up just to take a selfie with him. He was really nice. I immediately upload the pic to my Instagram account and head back inside the venue, in time for Poly-V’s performance.

I also posted some of the pictures to my Instagram account and had a few more selfies with the cosplayers. There were a few more performances (including Ivy! Musume) before the announcement of winners and the closing ceremony. They also teased next year’s POF event.

And yes, I bought just one more souvenir, a cute green dinosaur as my bag’s charm. A perfect match for the awesome pins I’ve bought from Pixel Hero during the first and second day of the event.

By the time the event finished, it started raining outside. I had to wait for the rain to gradually weaken before heading to Fairview Terraces to check a couple of shops, and then head home. And that’s how my awesome weekend went.

Postscript

Compared to the previous POF events, this one is satisfactory in terms of the number of congoers and time management, among others. The lighting is okay, but the event’s (rented) sound system isn’t at par with the ones at Fairview Terraces. The air conditioning at the event area is okay, though at times it does get a little stuffy, especially on the third day of the event. Also, there are some bystanders watching the event for free by the elevated hallway, blocking access to the restaurants and restrooms. This prompted the event organizer to tell the congregating non-paying bystanders to leave the area and even asked the guards for help in keeping the elevated access free from obstructing crowds.

Despite the problems, the entire event went pretty well and they somehow managed to stick to the intended schedule. The event area is incredibly spacious, and the crowd is somewhat controlled compared to the previous POF events. It actually feels more secure and comfortable in there. I also loved the booths and the choice of merchandises available. There’s also a dedicated area for meet-and-greet events at the back of the stage.

I really get to enjoy the event, and I bought some nice souvenirs too. I had fun taking selfies with some of the awesome cosplayers as well. I hope they’ll consider Robinsons Novaliches as the venue for the next POF event since this is very convenient for those coming from Northern Metro Manila and Bulacan areas.

It sure was a pretty exhausting weekend, but I actually had a great time there. Right now, I’m considering attending a similar event later this year, most probably Cosplay Mania 2019 at the SMX Convention Center. I’ll probably need to save up if I really want to go there.

All right, it’s time to wrap this up. Until next time!

All pics are from my private Instagram account, @kcox105.

[twatkcox]

[#2020]

All right, so another year has passed. Despite the anticipation of the (supposedly) good things to happen, most of them are satisfactory. This year is nothing short of expectation versus reality.

All right, so I’m here to round up the things that happened in 2019. This can be a pretty lengthy read.

I’ve published a total of 36 posts on TWATKcox-WP this year, down from 58 last year.

Celebrating TWATKcox-WP’s sixth year in the cyberspace, a special post about me and my interests was written, revised, and published by none other than your host, Keihancarl. Despite feeling sick and lethargic at the time, I managed to finish this one as I’m already way behind my schedule and may soon become overdue if I didn’t work on it as fast as I could.

I bought a lot of books this year, which consist primarily of second-hand and discounted manga books. I also bought all three books in The Doppel Ganger Chronicles series by G.P. Taylor, as well as Adeline Yen Mah’s Falling Leaves, a more complete version of her autobiography and a compelling read as well.

Switching to fiber optic internet back in February, I managed to do a lot of downloads at a much faster speed. I began discovering some awesome anime series like Amagi Brilliant Park, Orange, and Tsurune, among others. Of course, I can finally enjoy music streaming via Spotify without having to deal with slow and/or intermittent internet connection most of the time.

I went on a lengthy hiatus from publishing new posts twice: a planned six-week break from February to March and an unplanned break from July to December. These lengthy breaks are necessary since I really need to focus on finishing the seven stories for a literary special, which is originally due for publishing last May but ultimately moved to either April or May next year. As for the unplanned break, I was completely pissed off at the dummy Gravatar accounts (PLR and cryptocurrency accounts) liking my posts, hence the need to move away from WordPress for a while.

Aside from my favorite cafes near my high school, I also found a perfect writing spot at the Fairview Terraces rooftop garden where I can write (on my smartphone) comfortably under a clear, moonlit night. I just happened to visit a couple of rooftop parks at Circuit Makati and Glorietta malls, complete with fake grass and some nice shade that the tall buildings can offer. Unfortunately, Fairview Terraces doesn’t have fake grass on its rooftop garden or some tall buildings to provide shade, but at least I’ve found a relaxing place to write.

I’ve found my very own cross stitch masterpiece from eighteen years ago. This small piece I created back when I was in fourth-grade (which is not a school project) is currently displayed in my room.

In late March, some reddish-orange ants have invaded my books on the shelves, forcing me to take an entire afternoon just to clean the shelves, rearrange the books, and get rid of these pests. Aside from that, I noticed that most of the books in my collection are showing brown spots, possibly due to exposure to light and dust. Among those affected are my treasured books Battle Royale (Koushun Takami) and Sadako And The Thousand Cranes (Eleanor Coerr). I was initially planning to divest two-thirds of the books in my collection (most of them unread), but I decided to hold off for now.

In April. a strong earthquake hits Central Luzon and is felt in nearby areas, including Metro Manila. Both my brother and I felt the intensity of the earthquake at work and at home, respectively. More earthquakes occurred in various areas in the country, mostly in Mindanao.

A series of concept posts, All In The Books series, was published on TWATKcox-WP from April to May, along with a throwback post about my reading habits. The aforementioned series is all about books, being a bibliophile, and being a bookworm. It also includes some informative stuff about book hunting, e-books and audiobooks, and the things that can ruin your precious book collection. Of course, I’ve also listed down some of my favorite books as well.

I get to see MNL48 at a mall tour in Starmall San Jose Del Monte back in March, and I get to have a selfie with Ariel Villasanta of Maverick and Ariel at Pinoy Otaku Festival: Asobu 2019 in May.

Of course, I get to enjoy the three-day Pinoy Otaku Festival: Asobu 2019 which is held at Robinsons Novaliches. I did save up a lot just for this. I bought some awesome pins from Pixel Hero (especially the otaku pin), a red anime shirt featuring Izaya Orihara of Durarara!! (a.k.a. the red “People Are My Play Things” shirt), and a small dinosaur plushie. I actually get to dine in at Yoshinoya SM Fairview one last time before it closed down. And I get to enjoy my salty cream jasmine tea from OTeaHamaru while watching the bands compete in the Battle of the Bands segment.

#TheFourWeekendPlan, which includes the POF: Asobu 2019 and the Quezon City-Manila mall-hopping trip, went well, despite some disappointments and inconveniences.

I bought another shirt (the gray I Am Not A Latte shirt) and a Rockman mug during the final week of #TFWP, which serves as an addition to the merch bought at the otaku event.

TWATKcox-WP and its Tumblr blogs had a makeover. The main blog initially chose the Lodestar theme, which is actually a good-looking theme, but the missing categories on every blog post become one of my biggest headaches. I eventually switched to the Twenty Seventeen theme, though I’m not completely satisfied with it no matter how much I customize it. That should do for now. TWATKcox-Tumblr uses the Black Rabbit theme (its preview shows Ayato Kirishima of Tokyo Ghoul), and The Quirk Concept (QuirkCon) uses the Astralis theme (some of the latter theme’s fonts didn’t look good when viewed on Firefox). Both my Tumblr blogs’ themes are from Glenthemes.

I created my public Instagram account, @kcox_105, where I post some of my awesome, non-selfie pics. The pictures featured on The Keihancarl Diaries posts are still sourced from my private Instagram account, though, as not all of the pics uploaded there are worthy of being called awesome.

June 2019: My tenth year on Facebook... like I really care about it, anyway.

In July, I’m starting to get fed up with all the spam likes from dummy Gravatar accounts which are associated with WordPress-hosted PLR (Private Label Rights) sites, so I’m considering moving out of WordPress. I was thinking of hosting my blog to Weebly (as TWATKcox-Main), but the process of transferring every blog post manually is stressing me out so I gave up. I set my WordPress blog to private in the meantime, but I eventually reopened it and resumed posting new content there in December. From September to November, there were no blog posts on either my WordPress or Weebly sites.

I was thinking of creating spin-off blogs, all within the Weebly site. These are The Otaku Diaries (focusing on anime, manga, the otaku culture, and everything Japanese), The Literary Corner (focusing on my own literary works, including my upcoming literary special), and The New Quirk Concept (focusing mostly on edited cellphone and smartphone pics, as well as some of my notable selfies). None of these materialized as of this writing, however.

I created a new set of post banners for both the WordPress, Tumblr, and Weebly sites. I already updated all of TWATKcox-WP’s post banners, but I haven’t updated the ones on its Tumblr counterpart yet.

I attended the 40th Manila International Book Fair 2019 last September. While I never bought anything there, I did saw a lot of interesting books (original Japanese manga, vintage Filipiniana books, and Wattpad novels), check out Pop X Hub and The Bazket, and saw Pol Medina Jr. in person (I didn’t get to have a selfie with him, unfortunately). There are a lot of people inside the venue, but it didn’t take me long to get in.

I celebrated my 29th birthday (XXIX In MMXIX) with a Red Ribbon Black Forest cake, which isn’t really that good, with an extreme amount of sweetness and all that. I had a mall-hopping trip a few days later as well, but it didn’t go smoothly as planned.

In October LRT Line 2 temporarily suspends operations from Cubao/Anonas to Santolan stations due to a rectifier fire in Katipunan Station. I decided not to push through with the intended mall-hopping trip in UP-Marikina-Masinag areas for November and opted for Eastwood-East Ortigas instead. Right now, only the Cubao-Recto portion of the line is operational, with the affected portion of the line to be operational again by July.

A surprisingly feel-good announcement: Automattic acquired Tumblr from Verizon Media. Sorry porn trolls, but they’ll maintain the lewdness ban in hurr.

The follow up to The Noir Project is still in the works, with the first set of pics expected to be published on QuirkCon by January 2020. It is originally slated for November this year, supposedly the debut post for the scrapped The New Quirk Concept on TWATKcox-Main, but I had to postpone it due to an extreme case of procrastination and lethargy due to stress.

For the first time in three years, I decided on a graham cake as the official dessert for the Christmas and New Year’s Eve feasts, which is topped with sliced peach halves. To be honest, I kinda missed making a cheesecake, which is actually more of an ice cream cake since it only sets when frozen or chilled.

All right, so a lot of interesting things happened this year. So what should I look forward to next year?

Chinese New Year (January 2020)

TWATKcox’s 7th year (January 2020)

The Noir Project II (January or February 2020)*

The Otaku Diaries on TWATKcox-WP (February 2020)*

TWATKcox’s 300th Post (February or March 2020)*

TWATKcox’s Special Literary Post (May 2020)*

Pinoy Otaku Festival: Godai (originally Tanoshii Matsuri) (May 2020)

#TheFourWeekendPlanY2 (May to June 2020)

41st Manila International Book Fair (September 2020)

My Autobiography In 5000+ Words (TWATKcox’s 350th Post) (October 2020)*

My 30th birthday celebration in all-black (October 2020)

Project:Upgrade (2020)*

My first novel (2020/2021)*

(* Tentative, subject to change without prior notice)

And what are my plans for 2020?

I’m spending too much money on second-hand manga books, so I’ll probably have to restrict myself to just buying one or two books a month. Of course, I need to save up for the upcoming otaku event (POF: Godai 2020) and the MIBF 2019. And hopefully, a third one.

I’m planning to update the post banners in Tumblr posts.

I’m also planning to edit some of the earlier blog posts, the ones published between 2013 to 2015. It’ll be an exhausting and extensive editing job so I’ll only do this in phases.

A new header for my blog, plus some customizations in my Tumblr blogs.

I need to finish writing the seven stories for a special literary post, to be published (tentatively) in May. And then I’ll treat myself to a bowl of ramen after that, probably within #TheFourWeekendPlanY2.

I’m planning to write a novel, I’ll probably just start from scratch. I’m aiming to finish it by the end of 2020 or by mid-2021.

I need to read more books especially manga and graphic novels. I’ve bought and collected about 20 books this year, but I only read a handful of them.

I’m planning to organize everything inside my room, as well as the files on my PC. I hope I can persuade my brother to buy a new hard drive to replace the failing one, which is already long overdue.

I’ll probably start eating something healthy, but I can’t just ditch meat (especially pork and chicken) just yet since I’m pretty much obsessed with consuming a lot of protein. Oh well...

An artistic concept + handmade posters. I’ll get these done within the year.

I’ll probably invest in some black clothing, from shirts (plain or graphic tees) to pants (preferably slacks). I’ve already owned some black jackets, cardigans, and coats, but I’ll probably need more. And I’ve got to have a pair of black sneakers as an alternative to my dark olive green Converse.

I might need a new pair of eyeglasses since I’m having a hard time seeing everything clearly with my current pair as of the moment. I’m already thinking of switching back to wire-framed glasses, preferably round ones. I had a feeling I’ll look good on it.

More importantly, I should brace myself for a hectic life ahead. Of course, I’m not willing to give up my coffee frappe and mall-hopping weekend, which is becoming a ritual for my loner self.

As with 2018, the year 2019 isn’t really the best year for me. I somehow managed to get through this crazy, chaotic year, but at least I enjoy every bit of it. All right, now time to move on to a brighter new year ahead and make it awesome!

From Keihancarl in Manila, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

[conanaltatis]

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Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu will take place at the Trade Hall of Robinsons Novaliches in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on May 17-19, 2019. The event will feature special guests from both Japan and the Philippines.

Among the guests are Yohgen, Gekitora, Hiro Saeki, Kazuki, Gloco Gaming and Yu-En Cosplay. The event will also feature Filipino bands which are also into both Philippine and Japanese pop cultures namely FREETIX, Kanjiru, Neko Hunter Band and Kulaspiro.

Ariel Villasanta will grace Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu, as well. He is the other half of the comedy duo Ariel and Maverick with Maverick Relova.

The duo that pioneered the comedy reality-show in Philippine TV has an upcoming movie titled “The Untold Story of the Kings of Reality Shows.” Villasanta  stars in “Totoo TV,” “Mommy Elvie’s Problematic Show” and “Pinoy Meets World.”

Moreover, Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu will highlight the world of idols as it rises in the Philippines with Aidoru Sozai, AOS49, CH4U, IVY! Musume, JAPHDOLLS PH, Pepper Keibu, Poly V, Sophia the Artist, Tanchikon and Ureshii-san Tomodachi. The event hosts include Kiel from Choji PH, Tessa Carbonell, Justin Villaseran, Geneva Cabading and Fatima Jongco.

Event Tickets and Charity

Ticket price is set at 100 pesos per day.  If you will be attending for 3 days, then get the 3-DAY PASS at 300 pesos (3 Days access to the convention and includes participation in the raffles).

For those who want to have more perks at the event, you can avail the 3-DAY VIP ACCESS for Php 500 (3 days access to the convention only, participation in Animazing Race, Premium Raffles, and many more).

You can get tickets online via Ticket2Me.

Pinoy Otaku Festival is partnering with House of Light and Hands of God Charity Works, by giving part of the proceeds (ticket sales) to help support them in their various activities.  House of Light is a support group and help them create more awareness regarding HIV/AIDS, and Hands of God Charity Works provides care for less privileged children.

About Pinoy Otaku Festival

The annual event of Naruto Cosplayers PH (NCPH) which promotes cosplay, anime, pop culture, and more. Held annually every May. Celebrate Japanese Culture and how Pinoys enrich it. Experience our own culture as well through the latest popular culture as we combine cosplay, music and the Filipino’s heart of gold for helping people.

About Naruto Cosplayers PH

Naruto Cosplayers PH (NCPH) is one of the largest cosplay and Japanese culture based organization in the Philippines with a background in events organizing and cosplay for a cause/charity works. The organization was featured several times in mainstream media and new media for its various activities. The organization is founded on October 10, 2010 which is the birthday of the anime character Uzumaki Naruto.

About Red Cloud Interactive

Red Cloud Interactive Marketing Service (or Red Cloud Interactive) began as an informal freelance team in 2010 brought about by the need to organize events usually related to cosplay and music. In 2018, the value of the portfolio accumulated by the group leader to its formalization as a business managed by a group of friends.

Pinoy Otaku Festival 2019: Asobu to feature Ariel Villasanta, Yohgen, Gekitora, Hiro Saeki, Kazuki, Gloco Gaming, Yu-En Cosplay Pinoy Otaku Festival (POF) 2019: Asobu will take place at the Trade Hall of Robinsons Novaliches in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on May 17-19, 2019.

[twatkcox]

[My Four-Weekend Plan: May-June 2019]

All right, this is going to be an awesome four-weekend plan for this time of the year! Yay!

If all goes well as planned, then I’ve just created a wonderful memory that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, along with countless others.

##########

May 11-12: A typical weekend of mall-hopping (Fairview area), cappuccino/caramel frappe, story writing, and donning cool outfits. Will probably check out the venue for the upcoming POF 2019: Asobu (Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall), which will be a three-day event. I had a feeling the entire venue will be jam-packed with con-goers and otakus, just like the previous two POF events (POF 2017: Danketsu and POF 2018: Ai) that were held at Fairview Terraces.

May 17-19: POF 2019: Asobu will be a three-day event, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to visit the first day of the event, as it falls on a Friday (I don’t generally go out on weekdays). Still, I’ll make sure to drop by. As for the second and third day of the event, I’ll be there for sure. On the second day of the event (Saturday), I might swing by the café near my high school for a tall cup of cappuccino or caramel frappe before going to the venue. And yes, I’ll definitely buy a souvenir or two. I’m thinking of replacing my black fleece coat with a black knitted cardigan, but in the end, I should be able to come up with an awesome outfit without being mistaken for a cosplayer. And yeah, the 6+1 stories will be published on the 19th of that month, but there’s a possibility of it moving to a later date in case I can’t finish everything on time.

May 26: I’m off to a mall-hopping trip in Quezon City (Balintawak-Cloverleaf) and Manila (San Lazaro, Binondo, and Ermita), and probably Valenzuela City (Karuhatan). I’ll definitely have fun sightseeing, book hunting, and maybe shopping in case I haven’t bought anything at the otaku event.

May 27: A Sunday kind of mall-hopping, probably at the two malls in San Jose del Monte and the three malls in the Fairview area. I’ll probably write some stories or articles at Fairview Terraces roof garden.

June 1-2: Back to the typical weekend of mall-hopping (Fairview area), cappuccino frappe, story writing, and donning cool outfits. I’ll focus on writing my first novel at the usual writing spot, either at a café or a dessert place in Lagro... or maybe at the Fairview Terraces roof garden. After this, I’ll probably look forward to the Manila International Book Fair 2019 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia complex this September. And yes, this also marks the end of my four-weekend plan that centers on coffee frappe, otaku event, mall-hopping, and travel writing.

##########

So it’s less than ten days before the awesome four-weekend plan and I am so looking forward to it. I hope that there’ll be no last-minute invites from relatives and I’m expecting the weather to cooperate for the next four weekends (never mind if it rains on a weekday, but certainly not on weekends).

Expect a post featuring the summary of each weekend activities, as well as a couple of TKD posts for the otaku event and the Quezon City-Manila-Valenzuela mall-hopping trip. All right, time to make the most out of these four weekends!

The pic above is taken during the first day of POF 2018: Ai at the Fairview Terraces. Yes, that pic is taken by none other than yours truly, Keihancarl, with the help of my trusty monopod/selfie stick.

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: April 13, 2019]

Last time, it was exactly Friday the 13th. Well then, April 13th falls on a Saturday this year. No bad luck this time.

And yes, Keihancarl here. Right now, I'm off to another excursion (a mall-hopping adventure), from Masinag to Sta. Mesa... a.k.a. the LRT-2 East-West route.

I decided to wear all-black for this trip, save for the socks which are red. I don’t feel like wearing the black fleece coat and the black fingerless gloves for now due to extremely hot weather.

I left home a little early, hoping to reach Cubao before noon (I got there at exactly 11:00 AM). Checking Google Maps, it was light to moderate along the way, except in the Northern Fairview portion of Commonwealth Avenue.

Reaching LRT Araneta Center-Cubao Station, I reloaded my beep card and get inside the platform. The escalators in that station aren't operational due to the ongoing maintenance, as well as in other stations (particularly in Gilmore and Santolan stations).

As usual, there were condom ads in some LRT-2 stations.

I got off at LRT Katipunan station and took a short jeepney ride to my first destination, UP Town Center.

I visited a few shops, including Mumuso, Fully Booked, and Biblio (at the Urban Turf area).

I head back to LRT Katipunan Station, taking the train to LRT Santolan Station. I was greeted by a long queue of people going out of the platform. One of the Beep card machines broke down and is currently being fixed.

Heading to my next stop, Robinsons Metro East.

I just noticed the LRT Emerald Station nearing completion. I took a couple of pictures and went inside the mall.

I then had lunch at Bonchon Chicken, just an order of fried mandu dumplings with rice. I only checked Booksale's branch in that mall.

Next stop, Sta. Lucia Grand East mall. I didn't check any of the shops there.

The upper ground entrance on the Marcos Highway side is being renovated at the moment.

The jungle-themed centerpiece looks awesome. The pink flamingos too.

Next stop, SM City Masinag. Again, I only checked a few shops.

And this is the upcoming LRT Masinag station, as seen from the footbridge. It is higher than the mall beside it. The viaduct is incredibly higher too. Just imagine climbing down the station's fire exit...

Next stop, Ayala Malls Feliz. I checked a few shops and then visited the rooftop park.

The rooftop park looks nice, but there's no fake grass to sit on, unlike the ones in Glorietta and Circuit malls.

One can have a nice view of the Sierra Madre (pictured) and the Eastwood and Ortigas skylines from there.

Next stop, SM City Marikina. Looks like there's a little redevelopment going on in the main entrance, possibly more retail spaces for restaurants.

Outside, there's a road being constructed between the mall and the Marikina River.

And then I visited its neighbor Riverbanks Mall. I was only passing by the area.

The former restaurant and bar remained empty and unoccupied since my first visit in 2012. At least the statue of a drunken man is still there. Quite a lovely sight to behold, I must say.

Entering LRT Katipunan Station for the third time, I then rode the train to LRT Gilmore Station. Getting off, I saw a stall selling computer parts and laptop accessories.

Next stop, Robinsons Magnolia. I didn't check any of the shops there.

There’s a BT21 store by the mall’s entrance, selling various BT21 merchandise. BT21 is a group of cute characters created by Korean boy band BTS.

Looks like the expansion area is nearing completion. Gotta do something about the park, though. Anyway, I decided to have siomai at the mall's food court for a late afternoon snack and then head back to LRT Gilmore station.

For a while, I ditched riding the train to LRT V. Mapa Station in favor of taking a jeep to Gregorio Araneta Avenue. To be honest, it is quite a hassle taking a 5-minute walk between the mall and nearest LRT-2 station (LRT Gilmore Station). Well, I decided to ride the train this time, and it was actually more convenient and comfortable than riding the jeep, even if I have to endure a 5-minute walk...

Yes, that’s where my next destination is. Next stop, SM City Sta. Mesa.

Some parts of the mall's cinema level are currently being renovated. Of course, I checked Booksale’s branch in that mall, and there were a couple of interesting manga books... but I couldn’t buy them due to budget constraints. Quite a shame, that is.

And it's time to head back to Araneta Center. It only took me 10-15 minutes to get there.

I only checked Fully Booked at the Gateway Mall, as well as the three-level National Bookstore beside it.

I checked the mall’s garden area, and it sure looks good with the blue lights.

And yes, Gateway Mall is currently being expanded right now.

After that, I decided to have a hotdog sandwich at 7-11 and it's time to go home. I skipped Ali Mall for now due to time constraints. Traffic is heavy in some parts of Commonwealth, but light in most parts of the road. I managed to get home at around 9:30 PM. It was a 12-hour mall-hopping trip with selfies and pictures on the side.

I managed to get through this entire mall-hopping trip. I mean, visiting ten malls within a 12-hour period on a scorching hot day can be pretty exhausting at times.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to POF 2019: Asobu and the Cloverleaf-Valenzuela-Manila mall-hopping trip, both in May. Until next time!

All pics are uploaded to my private Instagram account, @kcox105.