I'm half conscious of what my body was doing since my friends insisted I hang out with them, considering the fact where we're going to later is father south from where I live. And since majority of them are from Quezon City and I wouldn't want to bother them going to Alabang just to hang out I was open to the option of going to Quezon City, even though my knowledge of streets in Quezon City was close to nil. To make the long story short, these friends of mine have always wanted to go to cons together and be there from the opening to the closing. And guess who was always there from the opening to the beginning? 'Nuff said. In fact they weren't there!
Let's put all this rubbish bitterness aside and go on with the post event report. It began last year when some event organizers thought of having cosplayers in Enchanted Kingdom take the alleyways to entertain the cosplayers themselves and the non-cosplayers. In other words, it's con event minus hitting your elbows on other people plus the rides. I've only started attending cons just this year. As much as this sounds sad, I don't have any friends who are as big of an anime or manga fan as me. With that, I haven't even heard of Otakingdom 2008. Last Sunday however, alone or not alone, riding the space shuttle while seeing cosplayers walk around the grounds was something I'd like to see.
I rode a jeepney from Alabang to Santa Rosa and happening to meet one of my college schoolmate there. We talked throughout the ride. I got off the jeepney in Walter Mart Santa Rosa, where you'd have to take a tricycle ride to the frot outskirts of Enchanted Kingdom for a silly price of P40. Hearing that from the tricycle driver was nostalgic, since I studied college and even lived in a dormitory in Santa Rosa. So what the heck, 40 bucks it is. Soon as I got off the tricycle, already some cosplayers are getting their names checked for the guest listing in the event. The guest lists FYI will have free entrance with ride-all-you-can privileges throughout the day. Then I remember, I was suppose to cosplay, but due to the fact my friends don't show up to these events (since they'll also cosplay too), I ditched the idea. I only get to cosplay when I get to cosplay with someone or if I'm really drunk.
As I was about to get myself a ticket, there was a chap who waved his hands at me. He was sporting a skinhead cut and someone quite big. Big enough to carry me around like a frisbee disc. It was Ed. He's a forum member of Cosplay Circle of Japinoy.com. We asked each other if he's heard of other CC members coming to the event. We both didn't know who were going. So we shrugged it off, but I happen to see some people with Ed at that time. So I texted my SOBs to see if they said something about going to EK. Then it happened...
"Repapip dehins ako makakapunta diyan. Tinatamad ako eh."
"Uy tol sensya na, mukhang malabo ako..."
"Nautusan lang ni ermats"
Reading those, I texted them with the same message...
"You are all dead to me. Che!"
After that I put my cigarettes, lighter, cellphone in a zip bag. I was prepared. I learnd a lot during college where our physics professor, would take us to Enchanted Kingdom as a requirement for the subject. That's a jolly good requirement for most of us. We even get a discount of about P140 or P150. As I was about to pay for my ticket, Ed tapped me on the shoulder and said that Space Shuttle was closed for the day. I thought he was playing with me, then he pointed to a placard that says "Space Shuttle is closed for maintenance". Mierda! Fiddlesticks!
I let that one go and we're in to EK. Quite a mixed feeling of nostalgia and excitement I was having there. I had a sudden flashback of my dormmate and some of our friends riding with 25 rounds of Anchor's Away after a really wet ride (wat??) of Rio Grande. We were all seated on both ends of the ride. The operator at that time was smiling like he was saying, "Where are you getting this kind of energy?". Then we finished the day with a round of Space Shuttle. I was confident enough to ride it since 25 rounds of Anchor's Away reinforced my nerves...I was dead wrong. In the duration of the ride, I was screaming with my Regine Velasquez voice. Much to the delight of the other riders and my friends. Giant Pansy point + 9000.
With some walks, some rides and some pictures taken with statues, it was time to get lunch. It was just noon so there were only some few dozens of cosplayers. We turned ourselves over to McDonald's in Walter Mart. We exchanged laughters and some stories over lunch. The group chilled for about an hour and a half and went back to EK for the same god damned price of P40.
As I was getting nearer the entrance to the park, I happen to see this tall chap looking like Carlos J. Caparas. It was Moks, my college buddy! And with him was Gilbert, one of my college buddies too! Things were just getting brighter. I was screaming, "MOKS!!" loud enough it would put a Spartan roar to shame. I shoutedin the same madness as the first shout I did, then finally Gilbert finally approached me. He said Moks went in to check things up inside, to see if the event was worth the stay. I told him we'll have to meet up later, 'cause I was with a group. Then when I turned around, they were gone. Zounds!! I went around the park to look for them, I finally tried looking for them at the auditorium some tired cosplayers were gathering. No luck.
Along the way looking for the group, I happen to see Zell there. He was patiently waiting for other photographers taking pictures of a group of K On cosplayers to finish with their thing. I guess that's what it takes to get those good shots. I didn't know if he recognize me since, we exchanged looks with each other, though we haven't been formally acquainted.
As I was going back to the entrance, I came across a cosplayer wearing a Haruhi Suzumiya-ish headband. With her was a quiet looking lass, in which obviously was cosplaying Alice. We both glanced and pointed each other and said, "Oy! Andito ka pala!". It was Jarouka and her younger sister, Minami. She's also a Cosplay Circle member. As we were talking, it suddenly poured down. Just my luck. So the three of us seek refuge to a nearby tent. Jarouka and I talked for some minutes, dodging photographer flashes in almost between sentences. After some time, I excused myself as I was still looking for Ed and the rest of the Japinoy.com members.
I went back to my intended destination, when not far from where me and Jarouka had our conversation, Moks and Gilbert found me.
The trio went around the grounds of Kingdom, taking some pictures of cosplayers. It was still raining so we have to tactically choose our spots in taking photos. Just when I thought I met enough schoolmate comes another schoolmate, Joanne. She went there along with some of her friends back in Otaku Taiiki and Cosplay Mania. One of her friends was cosplaying Hei of "Darker than Black". He mentioned that EK officials didn't allow him to carry around the "weapon" which was made out of foam, which bugged me for a bit.
The trio seated themselves at one of tables surrounding the stage in the auditorium. After several minutes, we circled around the auditorium to make our way to Anchors Away, when we were distracted by a man with two young boys, who were wearing exceptionally crafted. One was a Robocop with his wrist rocket launcher and a T-600 Terminator. I was most impressed with the T-600 one. I asked the man who was with them, obviously the craftsman of the costumes, where the battery source of the LEDs in the costume was? He replied back with a gratified look on his face, "It's inside the head piece at the top". I thought of that for a moment and soon enough nodded with comprehension.
Overall, the event was great fun, though it would've been more if we got ourselves into more rides.
