Wednesday, July 13, 2005

I'm writing this straight off the crest of several high waves. Oldest news (pun intended), yay, I'm 23 now, and still stuck in college. I got me a new pair of rubber shoes out of it. They're a vibrant blue, and I love 'em.

Not as much as I love the copy of Neverwhere which Neil Gaiman signed. On the title page, he scrawled, "Mind the gap!" and emphasized it by encircling the cryptic remark. Help me out here! If a British author tells you to mind the gap, what is he really saying? I'm all for it being a Neverwhere reference, but what if it isn't? What if in his uniquely British-author way telling me that I talk to much?

Here's a transcript of our conversation (which came about after waiting for seven hours in a line).

Me: Good evening, Mr. Gaiman. I hope we haven't tired you too much.
NG: It's been what, three bloody days?
NG: The next time I hold one of these things here, I should do it over a week, and not a weekend. But I have this feeling that this bunch - you'll be there every single day!
Me: Oh yes we would, Mr. Gaiman, yes we would!

I know, I know, after waiting all that time, I should have had some more memorable dialogue. But, hey, it has been eight hours for me, and three nights of this book-signing for him. Neither of us were up for witty banter - besides, I didn't want to hog his time for the other 400 or so people waiting downstairs.

It was a real long line. We started outside the mall (1:30 PM) and seven hours later, we were two floors up. My girlfriend and I were numbered 398 and 399. And there were more people trailing after us; with each passing hour the lines grew longer still.

And lastly, just earlier today, I watched Pinoy Blonde with my girlfriend. All I can say is that the director has had one heck of a great time shooting it - how many people get to order greats like Eddie Garcia and Jaime Fabregas to sing on a film? How many directors get to cast popular names in showbiz in bit roles? I bow to Peque Gallaga!