#Awesome weekend

[the-togepi-man]

[crumb-crumblet-s-crumbington]

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: September 14, 2024]

Keihancarl here. The weather feels kind of unpredictable, as there’s the possibility of rainfall during the weekend. Well then, I’m heading to the SMX Convention Center for this year’s Manila International Book Fair, the sixth MIBF event I’ve attended since 2017. And of course, if the weather cooperates, there’s a chance I’ll get to visit Ayala Malls Manila Bay for the second time, as well as the Parqal Mall, both located in the nearby Aseana City.

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I’m going all-black for this weekend. Not that unusual, right? Well, I have to make sure to make the most out of this day so I really have to leave the house early. I'll probably have to deal with traffic along the way, but I guess it's pretty normal nowadays. Anyway, it was still sunny when I left, and (luckily) traffic was light along Commonwealth Avenue, well, except for North Fairview. I managed to reach North Avenue about an hour later.

On the way to North Avenue, I was having a hard time deciding between riding the MRT-3 to Taft (with a short jeepney/bus ride to SM Mall Of Asia) or taking the EDSA Bus Carousel all the way there (and save me the trouble of switching transport later). I ended up taking the MRT anyway.

I load up my Beep card and head inside the train. Looks like there's rain in the Ortigas area, but only for a bit. Well, the weather report says that there’ll be a chance of scattered rainfall throughout the day. I was hoping it wouldn’t rain in the Pasay and Parañaque areas, since I’m planning to visit a couple of malls at the Aseana City after the MIBF.

Reaching MRT Taft Station, I took a short bus ride (EDSA Carousel) to the Mall Of Asia Complex. Oh, and I happened to see the LRT-1 Gen 4 trains while passing by the overpass to the EDSA Bus Carousel. Would love to ride these new trains soon, well, probably on my 34th birthday.

I reached SMX about 10 minutes past twelve. As soon as I got inside, I decided to have a hotdog (on a stick) at one of the stands. Although I’m starting to get hungry, I don’t feel like having lunch just yet… well maybe later. 

I decided to check some of the booths on the first floor, including Fully Booked, National Book Store, and the Precious Pages Group (including Black Ink Comics). I bought a copy of The Restaurant Of Many Orders (at 20 percent off) at the Fully Booked booth, and three bargain-priced manga books at the NBS booth.

Heading to the second level, I passed by a couple of booths, Komiket and Tankobonbon. I bought a couple of books at the Komiket booth.

This is the first time since 2019 that the MIBF occupied two floors of the SMX Convention Center, excluding Function Rooms 4 and 5 (which are closed). And yes, this is the first time that I actually had a large haul of books from the event.

National Book Store finally made a comeback to the MIBF for the first time since 2019. Tuttle Publishing, however, was not among the list of exhibitors. The latter is one of the exhibitors I always visited at most of the previous MIBF events. But at least I bought one of the publisher’s books (the manga version of The Restaurant Of Many Orders) at the Fully Booked booth.

It was already 2:00 in the afternoon, but there was a lot of time left so I decided to leave the event (and the Mall Of Asia Complex) to visit Ayala Malls Manila Bay. It’s been more than 4 years since I last visited that mall (exactly a month before the COVID lockdown), but I knew that it was doing well since then. Might as well visit Parqal Mall while I’m there.

It only took me 10 minutes to walk to Parqal Mall, which is actually a strip mall with a large roof above it. The area was breezy when I got there, not to mention that it is close to the bay. Since I didn't have anything to drink since leaving the house, I stopped by The Marketplace Supermarket to buy something to drink (it's just a bottle of C2) and consumed it along the way.

From the Parqal Mall, it took me less than 5 minutes to reach Ayala Malls Manila Bay. I visited several shops inside the mall, including Flying Tiger Copenhagen (probably the Danish version of the Japanese brand Daiso) and Biblio. There was an event by Foot Locker at the mall’s atrium.

I was getting hungry, considering that I didn’t have anything but a hotdog for lunch. I suppose it’s time for Pepper Lunch (after noticing it from the other side of the balcony). Besides, it’s already 3:00 PM and I’m only at the mall’s second level.

I decided on beef pepper rice, which is so far the only item I ordered at Pepper Lunch (I initially thought of trying their salmon pepper rice). I took a moment to write this post while waiting for the food to cool down a bit. The weight of the books I bought at the book fair adds up to the slight feeling of exhaustion, along with the crowd of people at the venue. It was also quite stuffy inside since the air conditioning unit was under maintenance, hence the portable air coolers.

I then continued checking the rest of the upper floors, as well as some of the shops. The Sun Garden on the fifth floor is already open, the last time I was there it was still closed. So far, I believe only Zus Coffee is open.

After checking the rest of the mall, I headed back to the Mall Of Asia Complex and passed by the Neo Chinatown area. It only took me less than fifteen minutes before I reached the SMX Convention Center, though I didn't bother checking the MIBF again. Anyway, it's time to visit the two malls in the complex, starting with the S’Maison Mall. I got inside the mall via the bridgeway from SMX.

I only checked the Fully Booked branch there, which had already relocated to the ground floor from the second floor. Nothing much, considering that I’ve already bought what I wanted at the MIBF. And yes, all of the books are 20 percent off. Also, I didn't bother checking the rest of the shops inside the mall.

I made my way to SM Mall Of Asia using the other bridgeway at the other end of S'Maison. Once I got there, I checked Decathlon first. After that, I immediately head to the esplanade.

Looks like a reclamation project has commenced near the MOA Eye. Some parts of the esplanade were cordoned off as well. Also, I’m not sure when these lamp posts were installed, but they sure brightened up the area.

From the esplanade, I made my way to the other side of the mall, the part near The Galeon. I then checked some of the shops inside.

Feeling parched, I decided to have a drink from ChaTraMue, at the MOA Food Hall. I ordered a plum red tea, with konjac jelly. The drink was kind of sour and salty at the same time, like kiamoy (dried sour plums/prunes covered by some orange powder). Is that how the drink is supposed to taste like?

I took a moment to check some of the shops. Nitori is opening soon, as well as a gashapon shop.

I then checked the Sky Park for a while, and Aperitif (cafe/restaurant) is now open. I decided to skip the Fully Booked x Kinokuniya branch at the mall due to time constraints.

Later on, I dropped by IKEA at the MOA Square. I was taking pics of some amazing displays, but the gamer’s room was the most awesome. And the kitchen.

And it’s time to go home. Unfortunately, there were no more UV Express vans to SM Fairview so I’ll have to find another way to get home. I could’ve probably taken the MRT-3 or the EDSA Bus Carousel to North Avenue, but getting a UV Express ride from Trinoma or SM North is quite a hassle, especially if I’ll have to line up for about 15 to 30 minutes. Instead, I took a jeep to the Taft Avenue-Buendia intersection and took the UV Express van from there. Traffic is mostly light, with slight traffic in North Fairview.

I got home before 11:00 PM. That was the first time I’d been out on a mall-hopping trip for more than 13 hours, and my hips and my left shoulder hurt so much from walking too much and my bag’s weight respectively. Despite this, I had a lot of fun at the event, and I’m quite pleased with this trip, even with some minor problems.

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It sure was a fun weekend, even though I ended up feeling worn out. My all-black outfit sure was kind of ordinary, but it was complimented well with my usual accessories (particularly the black fingerless gloves).

I’m planning another trip for my 34th birthday (it’s less than a month away). When or where it will happen will depend on the situation, but I’m really pushing for it to happen. Manila might be the obvious choice, but I’m considering Ortigas/Greenhills or Alabang as well (the latter two I’ve yet to revisit). Of course, I’m gonna wear all-black on that trip as well.

I suppose this is where I’ll end this post. Until next time! Ciao!

All pics are uploaded to my Instagram account, @kcox_105, and shared to my Threads account.

[raycatzdraws]

Wolfie and Four friendship appreciation doodles! They're shared secrets besties! I hope Four's distrust of the shadow crystal doesn't drive anything between them. Wild found his way into this compilation with a force. It seems I can't draw Wolfie and not include him too!

[cayliecoltrane]

quick lil ETHOwO redraw

[timethehobo]

On the verge of knocking out so just a chicken scratch doodle. Soon…

[feketeribizli]

dabbled in video editing just to put this stupid thing together so i get to post it here too

[sen-ya]

First off, I love ur art so much. Ur style is so amazing and the stories u come up with are so fun (or sad) and I think they're incredible.

Second, Law and Luffy at the pool headcanon bc it's over 100 degrees where I am rn. Luffy cannonballs in before they even set up their chairs and Law just stares at him. He refuses to get in, so Luffy has to surprise him and push him in. He's mad, but then Luffy laughs and all is forgiven because he is the sucker for Luffy's laugh/smile.

Ahhh hello!! Tysm for the kind words! 😭❤️ funny story it is ALSO 100 degrees where I am and I have spent today recovering from dehydration and heat exhaustion 🫠🫠

[thismommyisforreal]

I wish you a nice day and looking forward to the weekend fun 🤩

[ccrisntok]

drew @talkativeanonymous's Whit mastermind design... this might be a trend chat!

i... dont think theres spoilers in this, actually... but cw for very, very bright colors, glitch effects, and vaugely creepy imagery!

Do NOT ask me why my brain immediately went to creepy. he seems like a silly guy... but glitching computers... and the colorbars references...

anywho, this next section was both to fulfill a request I got, and for my own entertainment. a little crossover with @acethehorseishere's mastermind ACE au! this is very obviously not cannon to either of these guys universes, I am simply fucking around (also not a comic, just kinda looks like one)

[queenlucythevaliant]

What if we took all the knights and made them do rodeo? And all the cowboys had to do medieval tourneys? What then?

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: September 16, 2023]

Hi everyone, Keihancarl here. This will be my second time at the Manila International Book Fair/MIBF post-pandemic (my fifth overall since 2017), plus my first time attending the Best Of Anime/BoA (if I manage to get there before the onsite tickets run out). And so, let’s begin!

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I’m wearing all-black with a splash of red. Well, except for the shirt, since I decided to wear the Kei Tsukishima shirt (a black shirt with an orange and white print) that I bought online more than a month ago. I decided to wear the black fleece coat and black fingerless gloves as well, hoping that I wouldn’t be mistaken as a cosplayer (as was the case back in 2018, during Pinoy Otaku Festival: Ai, though it only happened once). I was initially planning to wear my red plaid scarf, but I decided to ditch it at the last minute.

I decided to leave the house around 9:45 AM (supposedly 9:00 AM), knowing that I’d be dealing with heavy traffic (particularly along Commonwealth Avenue) later.

I reached the MRT North Avenue station within an hour from SM Fairview. Surprisingly, the travel time was a bit faster than expected. Traffic was incredibly light in most parts of Commonwealth Avenue. Along the way, some of the MRT-7 stations are being constructed, with a few of them nearing completion.

The entire MRT ride took me 45 minutes. Getting off at Taft Avenue station, I rode the EDSA Bus Carousel to the Mall Of Asia Complex. Reaching the area, I immediately head to SMX Convention Center (via the elevated bridgeway, coming from MOA Square/IKEA area) to check out Best Of Anime 2023: The Reunion (the event is only for one day, as opposed to two days). It took me 20 minutes to buy the ticket and get inside the venue.

Inside, it feels different. The venue is quite large and there are awesome stalls selling various anime merch. There are food stalls on the side, offering a variety of snacks and meals.

And speaking of which, I treat myself to a serving of gyoza (4 pieces). I didn't buy any drinks, though.

I get to see performances by Starmarie and Chicken Blow The Idol, plus a cosplay talk with AC Hernandez. There was also the official launch of Ani-One Philippines, but I never got to witness it as I already left the venue by then.

I stayed inside the venue for about two hours and bought a couple of souvenirs: a small Domo plushie from Splat.MNL (I used to see their store at Trinoma several years back) and a couple of magnetic bookmarks from Khel_Gotcha (I couldn't remember which stall). I also had a couple of selfies with the cosplayers as well outside the venue.

I head down to the ground floor where the Manila International Book Fair was held. As soon as I got in, I checked some of the booths, including Tuttle, Black Ink Comics, Tankobonbon, and Psicom, among others.

Fully Booked made a comeback at this year's MIBF. National Book Store is notably absent in this event.

There were long lines in some of the booths. Also, there are numerous book signings as well.

As with the previous MIBF visits (except 2018), I never bought anything. I was actually interested in the book No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (the one I saw at the Tuttle booth), which also had a manga version. Both the novel and the manga are not available in the country yet, the one managing the booth told me. That would've been an awesome souvenir from the event, but… oh well.

At this point, I was starting to get hungry so I decided to leave SMX and head directly to the Mall Of Asia. It took me a while to find a restaurant. Fast food chains are always full of diners and with long lines at the counter.

I initially chose Greenwich, but the long line to the counter made me decide against it. And then there's Pepper Lunch, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I finally decided on Classic Savory.

I chose a solo meal with buttered fried chicken and salt-and-peppered ribs. The buttered fried chicken is okay, but five pieces? I almost had to take out the remaining chicken since I couldn't eat anymore, but I managed to consume them anyway.

Moving on, I checked some of the shops inside the mall, including Muji and Fully Booked. I even passed by ChaTraMue, an original Thai tea shop, but I never got to try any of their drinks.

The heavy rainfall that afternoon made it impossible for me to go to the Esplanade. Instead, the rooftop garden, with the view of Manila Bay and the MOA Eye, became my outdoor setting for some selfies. It was already dark when I got there, though, and the rain had already stopped by then.

The two sculptures are yet to be revealed.

Oh look, there’s a nun by the stairs.

Afterward, it's time for IKEA. Well, I could've visited it right after the MIBF, but I was starting to get hungry at that point, hence the need for a late lunch (more like an early dinner).

Anyway, it was already quarter to seven when I got there, so I had to check much of the area as fast as I could. It took me almost an hour to check out some of the furniture and some home furnishings and even took some wacky selfies.

I could've bought something there, but I hold off for now.

These would make awesome containers, especially for fruit salads.

The LED screen at the MOA Arena was finally fixed. The last time I checked, it looked kind of glitchy. Also, the MOA Globe is lit. Too bad I never get to take a pic.

And it's time to go home. It didn't take me long enough to catch the UV Express ride to SM Fairview. Traffic is light in most parts of the route, but there's heavy traffic past the Batasan portion of Commonwealth Avenue northbound. I even witnessed a traffic accident in that area.

I reached SM Fairview around 9:20 PM. The mall was still open so I took some time to check the area. I couldn't check Booksale though, as they are already closed for the day (though the lights were still on). I got home about 30 minutes later.

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Two events in one awesome Saturday afternoon. An anime convention and a book fair? That was an awesome match. I thought I wouldn't be able to check out the first one since there'll be a potential amount of visitors coming from the book fair. And it's a one-day event too. But the event wasn't jampacked, unlike the book fair below.

I'm so glad I finally get to see another anime convention, and the second for this year after Pinoy Otaku Festival 2023: Shizen (I never got to attend Coshabatsu last July, so that obviously didn't count). Next month, there's the Ozine event at the Fairview Terraces, which will happen a few days after my birthday. My next mall-hopping trip should take me to the BGC and Makati areas, and I'm already planning it. Looking forward to visiting Mitsukoshi BGC, perhaps?

And that concludes everything that happened on that awesome day. Arigato and sayonara! Until next time!

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Most of the pics featured in this post are from my Instagram account, @kcox_105. The first and last photos are from my private Instagram account, @kcox105.

[xxrainydazexx]

pico drinking from a straw will never not be silly to me

[sentientstump]

For requests: mayhaps your tc deity au? I really liked it :D

Or, if you wish, some of your ocs?

39. tfw river didn't like your fort

also wanted to congratulate everyone with belated new years/summer solstice festival :D yippee!!!

got costumes from these photos of Yhyakh of Olonkho 2024 (i think currently its down or something, site worked two seconds ago lol)

from this post

[groenendaze]

what a superb frisbee dog

[starks-anthony]

jodie whittaker serving gender at awesome con 2023 in washington, d.c.

please don’t repost