After a year and a half of New Worlds events, I finally got my chance to be part of the spotlight last Saturday at New Worlds 5: The 5th Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. In the past, I've always just been the person snapping the photos of people who can't do it themselves or helping them out (I hear "It must've been cold there in my shadow...").

Last Saturday, I came as one of the "Heroes" of Heroes Phils. Actually, I was the villain - Gabriel Gray aka Sylar. To think I didn't assemble that costume before nor made any announcements in the mailing list. I also asked help from very few people. Since I've never been known to dress up for any NWA event, not a lot of people anticipated me coming in any costume at all! The closest I got was a Star Trek dress white uniform, which I got and wore for a totally different reason.

Talk about commitment and persistence! I combed through the ukay-ukays of Santa Mesa to find the right Gabriel Gray garb (3g's?) and the stalls of Recto to find grade-less, geeky thick-rimmed glasses (finding rubber roaches at 5 bucks a pop was a bonus!) Not to mention I got a hair cut a few days before the con and learned how to do my hair a certain way! Sadly, after everything, I didn't have budget for a trenchcoat anymore - regardless of its ukay-ukay origins. Thankfully, Tanya and Pablo of Cosplay.ph lent me one! I AM FOREVER THANKFUL!

Then Oct. 27 comes and I slip on the Gabriel Gray ensemble in the morning not even confident that anyone would recognize the character without the other Heroes. But voila! As soon as I step into the Activity Center, people started calling me "Sylar"! Man! That was good!

Even better in the afternoon when I put on the trenchcoat and assembled with the other heroes (Isaac, Jessica, Pater, Claire, Hiro, Matt, even Maya and Takezo Kensei). Then, I felt like a star! Now I know what it feels like when Via Astris, Star Wars Phils., Hogwarts Phils., Black Pearl Phils. have their events. People were snapping photos of us like we were the actual cast of "Heroes" - we had photos in the Heroes booth (which was made to look like Isaac's loft), the Heroes exhibit, the stage! We even had requests over at the Cosplay.ph booth and there was this photographer who wanted specifically pictures of me with Rej (Jessica) and Ianna (Claire)!
It was just amazing!

Bittesweet that I couldn't snap pics from my own cam but a lot of people's photos popped up anyway so I'm good!

Of course, I got to put on a Battlestar Galactica engineer's outfit as well (Thanks, Ron) but it's really different when it's a costume you worked hard on and feel strongly about. Sure, it's not as hot as a Stormtrooper armor or an Enterprise uniform, but it feels right portraying a character - even if it meant no smilies from me for most of the shots!

All in all, the whole thing added a new layer to my New Worlds experience. Finally, I was parto of something that was the center of attention and oh! Does it ever feel so good!

"I THINK I KNOW HOW TO FIX YOU!"
(Thanks to Icheb, Shey, Rej and Mark for these photos)

Start:	Oct 27, '07 10:00a
Location:	Glorietta Activity Center

Get your costumes ready! Be part of New Worlds 5!

For more information go to http://www.newworlds.ph.

Fandom Café is a project by members of the New Worlds Alliance, aka The NWA, an umbrella organization of groups that, collectively, organizes the annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in the Philippines. The venue has been adopted as the Headquarters of the NWA, and will also cater to other related fandoms.

Our Mission: To create a venue catering to the needs of local television, movie and literary fandom communities; a haven for discovery and celebration of their hobbies and interests, catering to a steadily growing number of patrons who seek alternative venues for entertainment, social interaction and activities; it will be for the fan, a sanctuary where his own uniqueness, his interests and his passions are put first; a home away from home.

Fandom Café is located at Unit G-09 Regalia Park Towers, 150 P. Tuazon St., Cubao Q.C.. Click here for a map to the place. You may also contact us at telephone no. 439-65-86 or email at info@fandomcafe.com. See you soon!

Start:	Aug 11, '07 6:00p
Location:	Serendra

5th Gathering and Book Discussion
A Different Bookstore
Serendra
6 PM
Aug 11, Saturday

Aug. 6, 2007
12:20pm

This morning, I was watching what I presume is an old episode of the Ellen Degeneres Show on Star World. Her guest was Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy, Roswell) who was talking about how she used to have a crush on Grey's co-star Patrick Dempsey and now she's working with him. I guess everyone has such stories.

My recent one happened a week ago.

It all started in 2000 when I got hooked on "The Avengers" (the comic books, not the '60's British TV show turned '90's American movie).Anyway, I was turned into a major fan and started collecting anything related to the comics. At some point, my brother brought home a copy of MTV Ink magazine. Lo and behold! There was an article there about "The Avengers" and their DC counterpart, the JLA, and what-was-at-the-time the upcoming Avengers/JLA crossover.  God bless Kurt Busiek and George Perez! The article and its accompanying artwork was done by someone by the name of Oliver Pulumbarit. I cut out that article and up until now, it's inserted in my Avengers folder at home.

Every now and then, I flip open that folder and marvel (pardon the pun) at Oliver's artwork. I actually spend time naming the Avengers he had drawn in there. I still do it until now.

Last March, I decided to form a Friendster group about... what else? The Avengers. I invited everyone on Friendster who listed "The Avengers" among their favorite books and called the group "Avengers Mansion Philippines".

*Can you honestly say you don't see where I'm going with this?*

I discovered Oliver on Friendster because of the invites. Thankfully, he accepted and joined the group. I sent him a message about how I kept the clipping and he responded with a link to his blog where an updated, higher resolution version of the same image was posted. I was in fanboy heaven! Having taken out the JLA using Photoshop, Oliver's Avengers now sits as a wallpaper on my desktop PC and my Palm E2!

*On a similar note, I've had a letter I sent to Marvel printed on Kurt Busiek's farewell issue and I've had one of my X-men comics signed by current New Avengers artist Leinil Yu!*

Having visited his blog, I found out that Oliver was actually at New Worlds: Transformed - the event me and my friends at the New Worlds Alliance organized. I responded to his blog and told him had I known, I could've met him. Small world! He was there to support his friend Benedict who I knew from Alec - both are part of Cybertron Phils.  Ben was cosplaying as Bumblebee (for the nth time). Oliver responded by saying he's sure we'll meet one of these days. That was three weeks ago.

Talk about surreal. Two weeks later, I was at a Fandom Inc. meeting at Fandom Cafe - the dream me and my friends at the NWA built. Ben dropped by to pick up a few prizes for winning 3rd place in the Cosplay competition and he brings along who else? Oliver! The heart of the geek boy in me started racing double-time! I mean, here I was shaking hands and talking to the person whose article and artwork I cut up years ago! I felt exactly the same way in that minute or so when I was having Leinil sign my book. I didn't know where to begin shooting my mouth off with geeky references to this and that!

Nevertheless I tried to play it cool.

*Sighs*

It's a small world after all!

New Worlds: Transformed
http://www.newworlds.ph
July 9-15, 2007
Power Plant Mall, Rockwell

Stouthearted Men - for Paolo

Start:	Jul 9, '07 01:00a
End:	Jul 15, '07
Location:	Power Plant Mall

It's here!

New Worlds: Transformed brings you all the costumes, the games, the
books, the toys, and all the science fiction and fantasy that was
missing from your life, for a whole week! Celebrate being a fan of
your favorite show, books or authors at New Worlds: Transformed on
July 9 to 15, 2007, at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell.

But wait, there's more! Stay tuned to http://www.newworld s.ph for news
about New Worlds 5: the 5th Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy
Convention in October.

Afterwards, it was time to return to Fandom Cafe for the Battlestar Galactica Thon, Jon's birthday party and Ricky's tribute. I left in Jon's car with Tybalt, Paolo, Gigi, Mike, Igme, Emil and Lyndon. When we got to the cafe, Mika, Mara, Altariel, Francis, Martin, Beejay, Meann and Ron were there already. Lyndom made a nice artwork depicting Ricky wearing a Starfleet uniform and holding a Storm Trooper helmet with a saying right from the pages of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It's still at the cafe now and it represented Ricky's part in the NWA really well.


(Pic c/o AJ Apilis)

Sure, we had to say our final goodbyes to one of our own that day. Yet, the night dragged on with booze, food and music. It was a party. To think Jon had considered postponing his 40th bday party a few days earlier. Thankfully, he realized that Ricky wouldn't have wanted that to happen.

Soon, people started arriving. Everyone from Manila Memorial also returned to the cafe. One by one, Fandom Cafe was filling up as the night progressed. Those who were at the mass also came plus some people who weren't able to come to the hospital, the wake or the funeral. There were people who didn't know Ricky well but knew of him and was part of the group.

Fandom Cafe that night was filled not with sorrow or sadness or melancholy. It was filled with love. That night, tears were not shed - not because we were all cried out but because it wasn't a time to mourn Ricky's passing but to celebrate what he's passed on to us - great memories. If there were tears shed, it was for joy and not sorrow.

I think once again Jonathan Larson had it right when he wrote Love Heals. Rej arrived later in the night from a job that afternoon and she asked me how everything was and I simply said there's too much love in this room and she understood. On separate occasions, Jon and Paul gave a speech. It's a pity I didn't get to hear Paul's.

I can't write about New Worlds 4.5 or the Ricky Convention without mentioning every name I know of who was there at one point or another.

Well, there's me. Then there's Paolo. Gigi. Oneal. Rej. Ron. Nina. Reich. Meann. Victor. Dek. Miao. Mark. Mike. Carlo. Igme. Nelson. Beejay. Penny. Kasuy. Hector. Jon (he can be see most of the time behind the bar). Paul. Dante. Ian R. (apparently it was her first time at the cafe). Gabe (who brought a cute dog). Burt. AJ. Lynn. Sam. Ranulf. Karen Kunawicz. Tatcee (who brought a nice LOTR poster for the cafe). Ava. Karen Kristie. Ruth. Jovan. Aids. Macy (who had just arrived from Palawan). Marge. Rain. Mika. Mara. Altariel. Francis. Martin. Gerold. Emil. Joon (although I've seen him before, we were officially introduced only during the wake). Tybalt. Nabs. Lyndon. JP. My Makro booze run brothers, Alec and Carl (incidentally, both were also found behind the bar at one time or another). So many names - again, my hope is that I didn't forget anybody. I've never seen us assemble in this capacity before. Ricky would have been proud. It was indeed a celebration!

A welcome but surprising addition was Ricky's brother Robbie who arrived at the cafe to thunderous applause, cheers and laughter.

At some point in the night, a lightbulb flashed above my head. In the middle of a funny conversation with the Rosero brothers (about which topic, I can't recall), I asked the question: It's somebody's birthday and nobody's getting a lapdance? Shame!

A few minutes later, words were being passed around. A plan was in action. Paul approached Robbie and whispered something in his ear. I can't imagine what! In the middle of getting a drink from the bar, I heard the cheers and the laughters - it has either begun or I had missed it. Turning to the deafening sound, lo and behold! Jon was on the floor with who I can only imagine as Ron, Rain, Mark, Paul and Oneal on top of him (at this point, they're only a pile of bodies in my memory - the pics help sort it out though). But that's not all, entering from my stage left was Robbie and upon reaching the piled up bodies, he joined in effectively becoming the main topping and continuing Ricky's legacy of the Lap Dance of Death! I had my share of such and would not welcome another one although I fear that maybe out of my hands. I wanted to join but there just wasn't enough space! Hehe!

(Pic c/o Lynn Montejo)

Ah. That was a great night to cap a week that started with a bad news and continued with a terrible one. Thank God it ended with love. Again, Jonathan Larson had it right. If you're gonna measure your life, measure your life in love. Judging from the last few days and that wonderful night, Ricky's would have to have been a long one.

Now, at Fandom Cafe, the wall leading to the viewing room has been dedicated to Ricky. Soon, it will be filled with all sorts of photos taken by various people on different occasions. I'm proud to be a contributor to that collection.

Well, that about wraps it up. Here's to you, Ricky. I've only known you for about a year and it's a pity that I never got to know you better and vice-versa. I always thought there'd be time enough to do such mundane little things like idle chit chat about one another's experience and preferences. Ironically, it's your passing that bonded me closer to my new friends.

Thank you for teaching me this hard lesson.

To my new world of friends (the return of the pun), for the last time I offer you Jonathan Larson:

There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss

No other road
No other way
No day but today

5/3/07 1:55 am

Start:	May 12, '07
Location:	Araneta Expo Center

Toys, Anime, Airsoft, Gaming, Comics, Cosplay, Modeling (Scale), Music and Movies.