It's been six months, since I took the licensure exam for electronics engineer. It was a tough journey, but in the end, all worth it. A few more weeks, and it's the board exam again. I thought of sharing everything that I've been through.
It was a struggle in trying to regain my study momentum. February 2016 is the last time when I actually studied for academics. This is the "review" subject, in which passing this is required to graduate. All that remains is the thesis, which took us a lot of tries before passing.
We finished our thesis around March 2017, and were set to graduate on August 2017. Thinking that we can take the October 2017 board exam, we started reviewing on late April. That is more than a year of no studying. Regaining my study momentum after more than a year of not studying is quite difficult, but as the weeks passed, I'm getting the hang of it again. Then came the month of June, when we found out we can't take the board exam, because our TOR won't make it in time for the application deadline. Say goodbye to the study momentum that I just got back. We had our review moved to the next exam period, which starts on November.
Because of not doing anything for many months, and no funds for my hobby, I decided to look for a temporary job, until the review season starts. On September, I started working in a BPO industry, as a a technical support representative. I'm still working when November came, because I can only resign on January, four months after starting.
It's one big challenge, as I am at work during midnight, until the morning, and I have to go straight to the review center after my shift. After class, upon going home, I would go to sleep, and the same cycle happens until the weekend. Thankfully, with the help of my supervisor, I was able to have my schedule accommodated, with my shift only landing on weekdays, and on fixed times too.
January came, and I'm able to focus on reviewing after I had resigned, or so I did. On this month, I hosted an event, a birthday celebration for an anime character that we love so much. Some of my rest days were spent in meetings to make this event successful. Only after this event, I was able to start focusing on studying. I announced to my friends that I would go on a hiatus, and focus on studying, and to make a return on April.
The days went by, but I'm still not very serious on studying. After class, we would go on the nearby internet café, and play Rules of Survival, as it is one of the popular games at that time. I'm also an active player of Fire Emblem Heroes. I'm still living my daily routine, but with more time allotted in studying.
I only started studying seriously around 45 days before the exam dates. I'm still living my daily routine, but with less time playing and much more time studying. When Holy Week came, I was not able to do our usual activities, because I was studying. We even have classes during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, as the exam is just days away.
The day before the exam, a mass was sponsored by the review center, and I volunteered for the choir, saying that this would be what I would do in place of the Holy Thursday and Good Friday activities that I missed.
The days of the exam came. Among all the exams, I'm pretty confident, with having sure answers of at least 60% of the items. The next week, the results came out, and I am among those who passed.
Of course, the exams are difficult. Even I have items in which I just guessed the answers. Like what some of our professors said, no matter how prepared you are, there might still be items that you cannot answer. But don't let these affect your confidence. If you lose confidence on the first exam, it would affect the other exams. Do not let the spent months of studying go to nothing.
It was a tough journey. Now I'm on the next chapter of life, which is finding a job.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
April Feels 2nd Anniversary - The Road to Become a Full-Fledged Knight of the Rice Goddess
I've been in the Love Live! fandom since October 2016. Not much happened in the first few months, until April Feels first anniversary, just more on focusing on expanding my Hanayo collection, more on the smaller items, back then.
After the first April feels anniversary, that is where I stepped up my game. A lot of events happened which became my road to become a full-fledged "Knight of the Rice Goddess". These are the events that happened between April 2, 2017 to April 1, 2018
Here are my memories with Hanayo:
1. The Meeting
During the first few months in the fandom, I have not met fellow Hanayo fans during conventions, except for a cosplayer / performer during Cosplay Carnival 2017. Maybe it's just by chance that I'm not present when the others are, and vice versa.
Last Ozine 2017, at the food court, I met someone who is wearing the same Hanayo jacket as me. Imagine the feeling that you are not alone in supporting your best girl / waifu. Rice Cult was already founded, and this is when we slowly expanded it.
2. Getting the name "Kanin Primus"
A few days after Ozine, some friends asked me to post all of my Hanayo collection online.
We made an exhibit dedicated to Hanayo. Most of the stuff here are mine. That is how much I am dedicated to my collection of her.
We invited cosplayers, requested that they come in Hanayo costumes. We also had a Printemps group here, who performed Love Marginal.
We also have cake for her. A birthday is not complete without the cake.
After the first April feels anniversary, that is where I stepped up my game. A lot of events happened which became my road to become a full-fledged "Knight of the Rice Goddess". These are the events that happened between April 2, 2017 to April 1, 2018
1. The Meeting
During the first few months in the fandom, I have not met fellow Hanayo fans during conventions, except for a cosplayer / performer during Cosplay Carnival 2017. Maybe it's just by chance that I'm not present when the others are, and vice versa.
Last Ozine 2017, at the food court, I met someone who is wearing the same Hanayo jacket as me. Imagine the feeling that you are not alone in supporting your best girl / waifu. Rice Cult was already founded, and this is when we slowly expanded it.
2. Getting the name "Kanin Primus"
A few days after Ozine, some friends asked me to post all of my Hanayo collection online.
If you already think that this is a lot, then think again. The amount that I currently have is much more than that.
Upon seeing these pictures, my friends commented Kanin Primus, and that is when I decided to live up to the name that they gave me (and doing it until now). I think it's by chance that the title Primus is trending around these days. It's actually my dream, to become the one to have the biggest Hanayo collection, here in the Philippines.
*kanin - Filipino word for rice
3. Marrying Hanayo
I married Hanayo, not once, not twice, but thrice! Three different wedding styles, and three different partners, but all Hanayo.
3.1. Moment Ring
In a wedding-themed cafe event, this is where my first wedding with Hanayo took place. This is also where my Onigiri Shield first showed up. For our session, I won the Best Armor award. At the wedding ceremony, we also get to say our wedding vows. Here is how mine went by, after cramming it for around 30 minutes.
Hanayo-chan, listen to my heart.
With this ring, I promise to love you forever, in sickness and in health. I love you for your voice, and your cute appearance. But most of all, I love you for your personality.
Let's play nawatobi, as we start:dash into a new chapter in our life. I promise to free you from kodoku na heaven. And with you, I would be freed from my own kodoku na heaven.
No matter what others say, I waanted to shout this out loud. Aishiteru banzai! Just say dareka tasukete, and I will answer chotto matette. With mw, you shall be the happiest lady in the world.
Let's begin by having a sweet&sweet holiday.
3.2. AniMarriage: Traditional Japanese Wedding - BoA 2017
There is a booth where we can experience how the wedding is done, the traditional Japanese way. I have a friend there who is cosplaying Hanayo, so I asked her if it would be okay that she would be Hanayo for the wedding, and she agreed.
The before the ceremony proper, there is a mini procession first. The background music that I chose is Hanayo's solo song, Nawatobi. I think that song is perfect for this kind of scenario. The people who saw us as we pass by are all cheering. It was a very nice experience too!
3.3. Weebs getting married to their waifus in a normie-filled school fair.
In the midst of my hiatus, I still have to do this, as I need to let loose because of some events that happened. There is a school fair in my high school, and where there is a school fair, there is a marriage booth.
Two of us did this kind of marriage, and people are asking what is wrong with us. I replied to them, "What is wrong, is you asking that kind of question." Later that day, I just thought that I gave the wrong reply. I should've quoted Patrick's line, "I don't tell you how to live your life!"
4. Organizing a Birthday Party for Hanayo
Loving Hanayo very much, we organized a birthday celebration for her. I actually celebrated her birthday twice, the first on the actual birthday, and the second one on Rice Party. It's my first time to host a weeb party, so I'm really nervous.
This is also when I kept my promise to Hanayo that I will be getting a nesoberi of her for her birthday.
A lot happened for a span of one year. I can't believe this is how far I would go, since meeting Hanayo. I guess you would do everything for someone who you really love. I'm not sure what would be my next step, but I assure you that this is not the end of my journey, as the Knight of the Rice Goddess.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Post-con Blog Post: Cosplay Mania 2017
Cosplay Mania is the convention that I am looking forward to every year. Being a large event, it is held at SMX Convention Center. Compared to other events such as Ozine and Toycon, I enjoy Cosplay Mania the most.
However, I did not fully enjoy this year's Cosplay Mania. There are some factors which affected the event itself. I'm hoping that the organizers would learn from what happened, so they would be prepared for next year, which would be the 10th Cosplay Mania.
Day 1
I work on graveyard shift, which ends at six in the morning. I could go to the venue directly from work, but I have to get my stuff first, like the camera, and the armor stuff. I decided to go home and take a short rest before going to the venue, only to find out I had to line up for two long hours before I could even enter the event halls. Worse, was the fact that we bought early bird tickets, thinking we wouldn't have to line up for the ticketing booth, but towards the event halls, we fell on the same line as those who bought tickets on that day.
Day 1 line in a nutshell, starting with lining up outside.
"Finally, we got in the venue. Wait, another line towards the escalator?"
"Finally, we got up the escalator. Wait, another line, with a lot of curves, towards the booth where we can get our wrist bands? Come on!"
The event had a lot of attendees, a lot more attendees from previous events, which led to the event halls being difficult to traverse to. In addition, we're guessing that less space was alloted for the main event.
I also pity the artist alley, which was worse than last year. It's so cramped, like the placing was not properly planned, considering the price increase for the area, according to a friend. The artist alley is where I buy most of my souveniers during conventions, but this setup made it difficult to even look through the items, and pass through.
Moving on, we, the Rice Cult, planned to do shameless advertising, so we could get some more members. Rice Cult, by the way, is a group formed which is dedicated to Koizumi Hanayo. Unfortunately, we can't even execute it properly, because the huge number of people. We were also undermanned, and to add, our volunteer photographer went to watch the JAM concert. The two of us who were left decided to give up on the advertising, and continue it on the next day.
This is the time I was actually able to roam around the hall. A bit of advertising was still present, as we are still wearing out Hanayo jacket, and I still have my rice shield on. I was able to meet and do some catching up with some friends, who I only see once or twice a year.
Some favorite shots from Day 1:
With a friend who did a cosplay of Lucina, we did a mini shoot of different poses, from doing battle poses, to doing victory poses.
My friend let me borrow Falchion, to match with the shield. It's pretty heavy, when held only with one hand. I would consider using my Killing Edge for these kinds of shoots.
Being known as Kanin Primus in the Love Live! community (kanin = rice), I wouldn't miss out on any Hanayo cosplay. A friend and member of Rice Cult did a cosplay of Hanayo. I had her bear the shield, and the rice scooper.
I usually stay until closing time, but for Day 1, I did not, since I have to rest up, as I only have an hour of sleep.
Day 2
I went to the venue at around 2:30 in the afternoon. While on the way, I asked my friends regarding the line, and what they did. Finding out that the line for silver ticket holders is still the same, I decided to upgrade mine to gold, to have a peace of mind, since there is almost no line for gold ticket holders. I'd rather spend, than to wait for a long time again.
This time, we had an increase in roster for Rice Cult shameless advertising, including a cosplayer who did Hanayo. My friend also set up camp inside the hall for easier publicity, while waiting for me, and the owner of the flag that will be used as part of advertising. With everything ready, we marched around the halls despite the huge amount of people and the difficulty to traverse. Other flag bearers of Love Live! characters also joined us, and together we rallied for our love of the franchise.
After our rally, we roamed around the hall. I looked forward to taking pictures, as what I would do in every convention. Before, I am the lone wolf during conventions, but with the friends I made throughout the months, because of diving into Love Live hell, I am no longer alone.
Even though I upgraded my ticket to gold, I did not plan on watching JAM Concert, since I did not really know any of the guests, and what I really wanted to do at Cosplay Mania is to take pictures, meet some friends, and do some shopping, like what I would always do.
Here are some of my favorite shots for Day 2:
A cute Hanayo cosplay. I just hope she finds the group of Rice Cult online, as I gave her a flyer.
(I am going to loli jail for this)
Another one who made a literal armor. His armor is for Chika, and he carries the Honoka/Chika flag. He looks forward to more people making this.
Nothing much to say, but I'd say that Rice Cult shameless advertising is a success for Day 2. I enjoyed Cosplay Mania a lot, because of Day 2. I will definitely look forward to next year's Cosplay Mania.
There are some things that I am considering for future conventions that I will be attending:
I need a photographer, who does not vanish when I need him, and does not play around with stolen shots. Skill in photography would also be a great addition, as some of my friends who used the camera needs directions for the good shots. I would be happy to take photos, but I have the shield with me. This Cosplay Mania, our volunteer photographer vanished. Day 1, he watched JAM Concert. Day 2, he's busy with meet & greet, and he also watched JAM concert, because he upgraded his ticket to gold, and does not want to waste the privilege.
Rice Shield upgrade - I'm considering making a shield, despite easy to keep, will be stable and sturdy when used. With the current shield being used every convention since its creation, it's starting to wear out. I'm also planning to make it wearable to the arm, so I can get hold of the camera when I need to, and do the good shots myself.
Rice armor and battle flag - I wanted to have a wardrobe change, something that would go with my armor. As for the flag, I wanted something that would be easy to carry, and can be attached to my clothes. I'm considering a smaller version of the usual flags that my friends use.
With Cosplay Mania done, I can finally have a rest from conventions. The next wave of conventions that I attend will be on December. My wallet can finally rest, and recharge.
However, I did not fully enjoy this year's Cosplay Mania. There are some factors which affected the event itself. I'm hoping that the organizers would learn from what happened, so they would be prepared for next year, which would be the 10th Cosplay Mania.
Day 1
I work on graveyard shift, which ends at six in the morning. I could go to the venue directly from work, but I have to get my stuff first, like the camera, and the armor stuff. I decided to go home and take a short rest before going to the venue, only to find out I had to line up for two long hours before I could even enter the event halls. Worse, was the fact that we bought early bird tickets, thinking we wouldn't have to line up for the ticketing booth, but towards the event halls, we fell on the same line as those who bought tickets on that day.
Day 1 line in a nutshell, starting with lining up outside.
"Finally, we got in the venue. Wait, another line towards the escalator?"
"Finally, we got up the escalator. Wait, another line, with a lot of curves, towards the booth where we can get our wrist bands? Come on!"
The event had a lot of attendees, a lot more attendees from previous events, which led to the event halls being difficult to traverse to. In addition, we're guessing that less space was alloted for the main event.
I also pity the artist alley, which was worse than last year. It's so cramped, like the placing was not properly planned, considering the price increase for the area, according to a friend. The artist alley is where I buy most of my souveniers during conventions, but this setup made it difficult to even look through the items, and pass through.
Moving on, we, the Rice Cult, planned to do shameless advertising, so we could get some more members. Rice Cult, by the way, is a group formed which is dedicated to Koizumi Hanayo. Unfortunately, we can't even execute it properly, because the huge number of people. We were also undermanned, and to add, our volunteer photographer went to watch the JAM concert. The two of us who were left decided to give up on the advertising, and continue it on the next day.
This is the time I was actually able to roam around the hall. A bit of advertising was still present, as we are still wearing out Hanayo jacket, and I still have my rice shield on. I was able to meet and do some catching up with some friends, who I only see once or twice a year.
Some favorite shots from Day 1:
I usually stay until closing time, but for Day 1, I did not, since I have to rest up, as I only have an hour of sleep.
Day 2
I went to the venue at around 2:30 in the afternoon. While on the way, I asked my friends regarding the line, and what they did. Finding out that the line for silver ticket holders is still the same, I decided to upgrade mine to gold, to have a peace of mind, since there is almost no line for gold ticket holders. I'd rather spend, than to wait for a long time again.
This time, we had an increase in roster for Rice Cult shameless advertising, including a cosplayer who did Hanayo. My friend also set up camp inside the hall for easier publicity, while waiting for me, and the owner of the flag that will be used as part of advertising. With everything ready, we marched around the halls despite the huge amount of people and the difficulty to traverse. Other flag bearers of Love Live! characters also joined us, and together we rallied for our love of the franchise.
 |
| Gun from a soldier of Ruby, Cyaron flag, Maki flag, Honoka/Chika flag, and Rice Cult flag |
 |
| The best picture that I can find, and not the full roster of Rice Cult who did advertising |
Even though I upgraded my ticket to gold, I did not plan on watching JAM Concert, since I did not really know any of the guests, and what I really wanted to do at Cosplay Mania is to take pictures, meet some friends, and do some shopping, like what I would always do.
Here are some of my favorite shots for Day 2:
(I am going to loli jail for this)
Nothing much to say, but I'd say that Rice Cult shameless advertising is a success for Day 2. I enjoyed Cosplay Mania a lot, because of Day 2. I will definitely look forward to next year's Cosplay Mania.
There are some things that I am considering for future conventions that I will be attending:
I need a photographer, who does not vanish when I need him, and does not play around with stolen shots. Skill in photography would also be a great addition, as some of my friends who used the camera needs directions for the good shots. I would be happy to take photos, but I have the shield with me. This Cosplay Mania, our volunteer photographer vanished. Day 1, he watched JAM Concert. Day 2, he's busy with meet & greet, and he also watched JAM concert, because he upgraded his ticket to gold, and does not want to waste the privilege.
Rice Shield upgrade - I'm considering making a shield, despite easy to keep, will be stable and sturdy when used. With the current shield being used every convention since its creation, it's starting to wear out. I'm also planning to make it wearable to the arm, so I can get hold of the camera when I need to, and do the good shots myself.
Rice armor and battle flag - I wanted to have a wardrobe change, something that would go with my armor. As for the flag, I wanted something that would be easy to carry, and can be attached to my clothes. I'm considering a smaller version of the usual flags that my friends use.
With Cosplay Mania done, I can finally have a rest from conventions. The next wave of conventions that I attend will be on December. My wallet can finally rest, and recharge.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Toycon 2017 - Debut of the Rice Armor
Toycon would still be one of my most awaited conventions of the year, if not for the ticket price increase caused by it being a joint event with Poplife FanXperience. This Toycon, I have no intentions of actually attending the event, because of the ticket price. I also don't have enough funds, because of my collector hobby, and because some people haven't paid me their debts. We planned to have a gathering outside of the convention halls. This is the so called Team Labas.
Toycon x Poplife FanXperience Day 2 - July 1, 2017
SMX Convention Center
Team Labas
Weeb stuff present: Rice Armor, Hanayo jacket, Hanayo mini nesoberi
This is the first time I did Team Labas for Toycon, since my first Toycon last 2014. I'm gonna miss the toy exhibit area, in which our our collector group is one of the exhibitors. Aside from that, there is really no surprising exhibit, unlike last year, where there is the 20-ft Voltes V statue.
This convention is the debut of my Rice Armor, which first appeared during the Moment Ring event. Some people showed their appreciation, and took pictures of my armor.
One of the reasons I went to Toycon even though I'm Team Labas, is to get my Hanayo mini Nesoberi, from a group order which my friend took care of.
With the K.F.C. group, we roamed SMX convention center, but not the convention halls. I even brought a camera, so we could take clear pictures of cosplayers that we find. We even met people of the same Love Live! fandom, like in every convention.
Something different in this Toycon, is even though we're Team Labas, we get a photo with an artist. First, I saw someone dressed as Bathalumang Ether from Encantadia (2016). I thought she was a ccosplayer, so I approached her, and asked for a photo. Then her companion told us to tag Janice Hung in social media sites. At first, I'm not sure with the name, then it was mentioned that Janice Hung is the actress who portrayed Ether.
That feeling when you think she is a cosplayer, then turns out that she is the real deal...
For the whole day, we roamed around SMX, taking pictures, chatting with other people. When you think about it, team labas is not really that bad, for Toycon. SMX is large, and it's easy to find a spot to hang out.
Here are some of my favorite shots from Day 2:
A rematch. We had our first encounter on O-kun Fiesta 3, and I have no shield at that time. Instead, we have our Rice Cult banner. We found someone who has a green lightsaber, so I borrowed it for a while, because Hanayo's color is light green. The lightsaber is just perfect. What's funny is we unintentionally rode the same bus going home.
Picture with Hanayo = favorite. Yes, kinda biased. I also do heart poses with Hanayo cosplayers I find, showing how much I love Hanayo.
Another reason of attending Day 2, is because I have a gathering with Pinoy Square Enix Collectors (PSEC) group. Every Toycon and Xmas Toycon, we have a gathering, usually dinner.
Day 2 Team Labas is not so bad. I still got a lot of photos.
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Toycon x Poplife FanXperience Day 3 - July 2, 2017
SMX Convention Center
Team Loob
Weeb stuff present: Rice Armor, Hanayo jacket, Hanayo mini nesoberi (same as Day 2)
For Day 3, I was planning to do Team Labas again with K.F.C. group. I planned on going again, since more my friends are going, and there are more people, meaning more photos. An unexpected turn of events, my mom gave me money for entrance ticket. Some more unexpected events, I was able to get hold of an entrance ticket, for free, thanks to a friend. I owe him big time. He's also responsible for searching Hanayo's solo CD in Japan. Yes, I definitely owe him big time.
So I got extra cash for merchandise, if I find some to buy. What a great day.
It's nice to see the people from Moment Ring event, again, even though we're going to see each other again on the 22nd of July. I had the coscards which I got from Moment Ring event, signed, well, except for one. This is where I can let out the inner weeb in me, without second thoughts.
I stayed with the K.F.C. group for a few hours, before I decided to enter the convention halls, and roam around. As usual, I find the merchant area cramped up. With my shield, and my backpack, I find it hard to roam around with so many people inside. I went around and looked for stuff which can be added in my Rice Armor.
In the exhibit area, it's nice to see some of the figs, which I haven't acquired yet, and haven't opened yet, not just in pictures, but the actual one. Some figs to mention are: Figma Lucina, Dark Magician Girl, and Shidou Hikaru. This is why I'm hyped the most about though, from the PSEC exhibit.
Dissidia Trading Arts Mini Terra Branford, with the Magitek Armor. I haven't got Terra yet, and I don't know if I have the chance to get the Magitek Armor.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from Day 3.
He is the only person I've seen who did a literal armor, just like me. His armor is a samurai's, decorated with Kanan stuff. Mine is an onigiri shield decorated with Hanayo stuff. Mandatory epic battle pose.
How can I forget the two people, who dragged me into idol heLL? Without them, I would not have gone this far.
With Rin-chan by Kibi. She is one of those who appreciated my armor a lot. She even asked for a picture with it last Moment Ring event. Now, I let her handle my shield again.
Dragon Ball Z - Mr. Hercule Satan, a.k.a. Master Pogi in the Filipino dub.
We even took photos so we could create a meme template, and an actual meme. Here is an example of a Drakeposting meme, with the arresting. I have to put the pics the other way though, because I did not realize we took the pictures the wrong way.
Here's my haul for Toycon 2017:
The pictures are free. I got them from people who were just giving them away. The others were bought inside the convention halls. Thanks to having entrance tickets, I was able to buy them, and at bargain prices for some of them, too.
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Toycon 2017 Thoughts:
I hope the organizers would give an option for tickets. A ticket for the Toycon part of the event, and a ticket for the Poplife FanXperience part of the event. Most of the people I've known just wanted the Toycon half. In fact, I have not explored the Poplife half of the event, for this year. I actually tried going there near the time of the event closing, but I saw that the area is closed already. Really? It's not yet 9 p.m. and you closed off that area already.
Toycon x Poplife FanXperience Day 2 - July 1, 2017
SMX Convention Center
Team Labas
Weeb stuff present: Rice Armor, Hanayo jacket, Hanayo mini nesoberi
This is the first time I did Team Labas for Toycon, since my first Toycon last 2014. I'm gonna miss the toy exhibit area, in which our our collector group is one of the exhibitors. Aside from that, there is really no surprising exhibit, unlike last year, where there is the 20-ft Voltes V statue.
This convention is the debut of my Rice Armor, which first appeared during the Moment Ring event. Some people showed their appreciation, and took pictures of my armor.
One of the reasons I went to Toycon even though I'm Team Labas, is to get my Hanayo mini Nesoberi, from a group order which my friend took care of.
With the K.F.C. group, we roamed SMX convention center, but not the convention halls. I even brought a camera, so we could take clear pictures of cosplayers that we find. We even met people of the same Love Live! fandom, like in every convention.
Something different in this Toycon, is even though we're Team Labas, we get a photo with an artist. First, I saw someone dressed as Bathalumang Ether from Encantadia (2016). I thought she was a ccosplayer, so I approached her, and asked for a photo. Then her companion told us to tag Janice Hung in social media sites. At first, I'm not sure with the name, then it was mentioned that Janice Hung is the actress who portrayed Ether.
That feeling when you think she is a cosplayer, then turns out that she is the real deal...
For the whole day, we roamed around SMX, taking pictures, chatting with other people. When you think about it, team labas is not really that bad, for Toycon. SMX is large, and it's easy to find a spot to hang out.
Here are some of my favorite shots from Day 2:
A rematch. We had our first encounter on O-kun Fiesta 3, and I have no shield at that time. Instead, we have our Rice Cult banner. We found someone who has a green lightsaber, so I borrowed it for a while, because Hanayo's color is light green. The lightsaber is just perfect. What's funny is we unintentionally rode the same bus going home.
Picture with Hanayo = favorite. Yes, kinda biased. I also do heart poses with Hanayo cosplayers I find, showing how much I love Hanayo.
Another reason of attending Day 2, is because I have a gathering with Pinoy Square Enix Collectors (PSEC) group. Every Toycon and Xmas Toycon, we have a gathering, usually dinner.
Day 2 Team Labas is not so bad. I still got a lot of photos.
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Toycon x Poplife FanXperience Day 3 - July 2, 2017
SMX Convention Center
Team Loob
Weeb stuff present: Rice Armor, Hanayo jacket, Hanayo mini nesoberi (same as Day 2)
For Day 3, I was planning to do Team Labas again with K.F.C. group. I planned on going again, since more my friends are going, and there are more people, meaning more photos. An unexpected turn of events, my mom gave me money for entrance ticket. Some more unexpected events, I was able to get hold of an entrance ticket, for free, thanks to a friend. I owe him big time. He's also responsible for searching Hanayo's solo CD in Japan. Yes, I definitely owe him big time.
So I got extra cash for merchandise, if I find some to buy. What a great day.
It's nice to see the people from Moment Ring event, again, even though we're going to see each other again on the 22nd of July. I had the coscards which I got from Moment Ring event, signed, well, except for one. This is where I can let out the inner weeb in me, without second thoughts.
I stayed with the K.F.C. group for a few hours, before I decided to enter the convention halls, and roam around. As usual, I find the merchant area cramped up. With my shield, and my backpack, I find it hard to roam around with so many people inside. I went around and looked for stuff which can be added in my Rice Armor.
In the exhibit area, it's nice to see some of the figs, which I haven't acquired yet, and haven't opened yet, not just in pictures, but the actual one. Some figs to mention are: Figma Lucina, Dark Magician Girl, and Shidou Hikaru. This is why I'm hyped the most about though, from the PSEC exhibit.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from Day 3.
We even took photos so we could create a meme template, and an actual meme. Here is an example of a Drakeposting meme, with the arresting. I have to put the pics the other way though, because I did not realize we took the pictures the wrong way.
Here's my haul for Toycon 2017:
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Toycon 2017 Thoughts:
I hope the organizers would give an option for tickets. A ticket for the Toycon part of the event, and a ticket for the Poplife FanXperience part of the event. Most of the people I've known just wanted the Toycon half. In fact, I have not explored the Poplife half of the event, for this year. I actually tried going there near the time of the event closing, but I saw that the area is closed already. Really? It's not yet 9 p.m. and you closed off that area already.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Rice Armor
Shown above is my Hanayo armor. This armor made its debut on the Love Live! Wedding themed event, held at Red Monster Shop. See previous post for more details. People were amazed on the armor, during the event.
Rice Armor Concept
I've known that for armors, bags are usually used. Since bags are always useful as these carry your stuff during conventions, these are commonly used. Trinkets and button pins are placed in these bags. I did not like placing my button pins or trinkets on my bag, since these tend to fall off. In fact, I've lost some pins before, because of placing them on the bag.
I wanted mine to be something different. For four straight 2017 conventions, I've been using the same Hanayo jacket, namely Otaku Expo, Ozine Fest, Cosplay Carnival, and Okun Fiesta. Since I've amassed a good amount of Hanayo items, I thought of using them already.
Hanayo loves rice, and the onigiri came into mind. The concept of the armor in the form of a shield is different. Because of the unfair treatment of Klab during Hanayo's birthday, and then the spawn of the haters in an online group, I'd thought of being someone who would protect Hanayo from these people. I wanted to be Hanayo's knight in shining armor.
Materials used:
1/8 illustration board x2
black pentel pen
mini drill
resistors
solid wire
eva foam
I used the hardest illustration board that I can find in the bookstore. I just used my imagination, and drew a half onigiri on one board. Then for the hard part, cutting the board. Then I used the half as a guide to draw the other half, and cut.
Thanks to my course (electronics engineering), I have a mini drill which is used for circuit boards. This is what I used for drilling holes on the illustration board. I used the thickest drill bit that I have in stock, so whatever goes through the holes can be done easily.
I used the small resistors, and some solid wires as the attachment guides, where the trinkets will be placed.
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| Resistors |
 |
| Solid wire |
How did I attach the resistors and the wires? Simple, pass them through the holes, then twist-tie them at the back. This is what it looks like at the back.
For the shield handle, I used eva foam, since it is the only one I got which is kinda usable. I don't want to use something really hard, because I might damage the shield. A strip of eva foam is used for each half of the shield, for better support. The resistors in the middle which holds the halves also holds the handle strips. It's not the most stable, but at least it gets the job done.
I could have used a 1/4 illustration board, so I don't need to join them together, but 2x 1/8 boards is better for me. I prefer smaller, for easier storage and transportation. Binding them together is not difficult anyway.
On the left side are the original Love Live! products, bought at bargain prices. On the right, mostly are fan-made stuff, bought at artist booths on conventions. I was asked which of these trinkets is my favorite. To be honest, it's hard to decide, but I think I'll choose the huge Snow Halation Hanayo on the top right corner. It's one of my first Hanayo trinket, and the artwork is so cute.
I still have a lot of button pins, but I don't know where to place them.
This is just my prototype. In the future, maybe I'll replace the illustration board with a light wooden board. Maybe I'll make a sleeve out of plastic cover, to better protect the shield.
When I find the time again, I guess I'll work on the sleeve first. I also have to fix those twisted wires at the back, for better presentation.
Watch out for the shield on my next convention appearance. I will see what name I could call myself as I wear the jacket again, and equip the shield. Maybe a rice scooper as the weapon?
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Married to My Waifu
You read it right. I just got married to my waifu, thanks to a wedding themed cafe event hosted by Red Monster Shop, and the cosplay group Aquarius.
This is not the first time I've been in this shop. I've been here already when I celebrated Hanayo's birthday. But it's still different when it's an event cafe, and not just the cafe on an ordinary day.
So which waifu is this from my list of waifus? She's the one whom I declared the top waifu last April 1. She is Koizumi Hanayo. The theme of the cafe event is Love Live! wedding. Moment Ring: A Forever with µ'sic is the name of the event.
A Love Live! marriage event was announced, and I told myself, why not take the chance? It's not everyday you see these kinds of events. The fact that I know some of the cosplayers in the event is an added bonus. It's also a nice experience to get married to the best girl of all.
With some friends, we reserved slots for the lunch session. Weeks prior to the event, we were already excited on what would be happening on the event. In fact, I had my outfit and armor planned well. The only one which is not prepared well, is the wedding vow, because I had a busy schedule. It was crammed, but still turned out pretty well, since I got the outline.
My armor was made the day before the event, although I already had the blueprints and the materials prepared beforehand. Usually, armors are done using bags and placing those trinkets on the bags. I thought of doing something different, and unique. The result is the shield, literally an armor, designed like an onigiri, which Hanayo loves a lot. I'll make a separate blog post for the specific details.
The first part of the event are the performances, by Hanayo, Kotori, and Rin. I was about to miss Hanayo's performance, because I have to move the car on the parking area. Thanks to my friend who told everyone to wait for me, I did not miss Hanayo's performance. I guess it's a good thing that she knows how much I'm dedicated to Hanayo.
The next part of the event is the mini games with the members of Aquarius. On games requiring skill, I can manage. But with luck based games, I lost. For these games, we can win cosplayer cards.
My meal for this event is Hanayo themed. Onigiri for the meal, and matcha milk as the beverage. the serving may seem small, but it actually is very filling. The taste is very nice. It's something that I was not expecting It's a must try for rice lovers, especially rice goddess (Hanayo) worshippers.
What made me enjoy it more?
I can actually hold the onigiri, without it crumbling. It's made of not just any rice. It's sticky rice, as I've felt as I held it. It's fun to eat it with hands, just like how Hanayo eats it in Season 2, Episode 7. Am I one step closer to being with the rice goddess?
The best part of the event is the actual wedding. Of course, this is what the event is all about. We all get to say our wedding vows for our best girls. While my friends had simple vows, mine is different. I made mine with puns of song titles from µ's, as much as possible from Hanayo's solo songs, and from Printemps. My friend wanted to cringe as he read my wedding vow. This is how my wedding vow goes (I will put the song titles and Hanayo related lines in all caps):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hanayo-chan, LISTEN TO MY HEART.
With this ring, I promise to love you forever, in sickness and in health. I love you for your voice, and your cute appearance. But most of all, I love you because of your personality.
Let's play NAWA TOBI as we START:DASH into a new chapter in our life. I promise to free you from your KODOKU NA HEAVEN. And I with you, I will be freed from my own KODOKU NA HEAVEN.
No matter what others would say, I wanted to shout this out loud. AISHITERU BANZAI! Just say DAREKA TASUKETE, and I will answer CHOTTO MATTETE.
Let's begin by having a SWEET & SWEET HOLIDAY.
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I can't believe all that lines fit in a minute of wedding vow.
Translations:
Nawa Tobi - Jump Rope
Kodoku Na Heaven - A Lonely Heaven
Dareka Tasukete (Hanayo's line on live show) - Someone help me
Chotto Mattete (answer to Hanayo's line on lives) - Wait a minute
Due to time constraints, the contest winners were not announced for the lunch session. Yes, there are contests for best dressed, best armor, and best wedding vow.
And there will also be a part two of this event, which I'm really excited about, by the way.
This is not the first time I've been in this shop. I've been here already when I celebrated Hanayo's birthday. But it's still different when it's an event cafe, and not just the cafe on an ordinary day.
So which waifu is this from my list of waifus? She's the one whom I declared the top waifu last April 1. She is Koizumi Hanayo. The theme of the cafe event is Love Live! wedding. Moment Ring: A Forever with µ'sic is the name of the event.
A Love Live! marriage event was announced, and I told myself, why not take the chance? It's not everyday you see these kinds of events. The fact that I know some of the cosplayers in the event is an added bonus. It's also a nice experience to get married to the best girl of all.
With some friends, we reserved slots for the lunch session. Weeks prior to the event, we were already excited on what would be happening on the event. In fact, I had my outfit and armor planned well. The only one which is not prepared well, is the wedding vow, because I had a busy schedule. It was crammed, but still turned out pretty well, since I got the outline.
 |
| Hanayo, and her knight in shining armor. |
My armor was made the day before the event, although I already had the blueprints and the materials prepared beforehand. Usually, armors are done using bags and placing those trinkets on the bags. I thought of doing something different, and unique. The result is the shield, literally an armor, designed like an onigiri, which Hanayo loves a lot. I'll make a separate blog post for the specific details.
The first part of the event are the performances, by Hanayo, Kotori, and Rin. I was about to miss Hanayo's performance, because I have to move the car on the parking area. Thanks to my friend who told everyone to wait for me, I did not miss Hanayo's performance. I guess it's a good thing that she knows how much I'm dedicated to Hanayo.
The next part of the event is the mini games with the members of Aquarius. On games requiring skill, I can manage. But with luck based games, I lost. For these games, we can win cosplayer cards.
My meal for this event is Hanayo themed. Onigiri for the meal, and matcha milk as the beverage. the serving may seem small, but it actually is very filling. The taste is very nice. It's something that I was not expecting It's a must try for rice lovers, especially rice goddess (Hanayo) worshippers.
What made me enjoy it more?
 |
| "Jelly-filled donuts" |
I can actually hold the onigiri, without it crumbling. It's made of not just any rice. It's sticky rice, as I've felt as I held it. It's fun to eat it with hands, just like how Hanayo eats it in Season 2, Episode 7. Am I one step closer to being with the rice goddess?
The best part of the event is the actual wedding. Of course, this is what the event is all about. We all get to say our wedding vows for our best girls. While my friends had simple vows, mine is different. I made mine with puns of song titles from µ's, as much as possible from Hanayo's solo songs, and from Printemps. My friend wanted to cringe as he read my wedding vow. This is how my wedding vow goes (I will put the song titles and Hanayo related lines in all caps):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hanayo-chan, LISTEN TO MY HEART.
With this ring, I promise to love you forever, in sickness and in health. I love you for your voice, and your cute appearance. But most of all, I love you because of your personality.
Let's play NAWA TOBI as we START:DASH into a new chapter in our life. I promise to free you from your KODOKU NA HEAVEN. And I with you, I will be freed from my own KODOKU NA HEAVEN.
No matter what others would say, I wanted to shout this out loud. AISHITERU BANZAI! Just say DAREKA TASUKETE, and I will answer CHOTTO MATTETE.
Let's begin by having a SWEET & SWEET HOLIDAY.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't believe all that lines fit in a minute of wedding vow.
Translations:
Nawa Tobi - Jump Rope
Kodoku Na Heaven - A Lonely Heaven
Dareka Tasukete (Hanayo's line on live show) - Someone help me
Chotto Mattete (answer to Hanayo's line on lives) - Wait a minute
Due to time constraints, the contest winners were not announced for the lunch session. Yes, there are contests for best dressed, best armor, and best wedding vow.
And there will also be a part two of this event, which I'm really excited about, by the way.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Happy Birthday Koizumi Hanayo! (1-17-17)
January 17 is the birthday of my best girl in Love Live! School Idol Project, Koizumi Hanayo a.k.a. Kayo-chin. Like what others do on birthdays of their best girls, I wanted to celebrate Hanayo's birthday. I can't do that at home, or just somewhere, because I would look crazy. So I carefully picked where I would do the celebration.
A friend suggested that I go to Red Monster Shop + Cafe, as it is an anime/k-pop themed cafe. Being anime themed, I find it as the perfect place where I can celebrate Hanayo's birthday.
First part of the celebration is from the game, Love Live! School Idol Festival. Of course, I wanted to see Hanayo's message on her birthday. I had Hanayo Chinese dress version, idolized, as the partnered girl, as Chinese New Year is also close.
I had a busy afternoon, so I arrived at the cafe at around 6:45 pm. Finding the cafe is not that hard, thanks to online guides, and their own map. The challenging part is trying to commute to get to Maginhawa Street.
Along the road, my playlist consist of Hanayo solo songs, from the album Wakakusa no Season.
Here are some of the pictures that were taken inside the cafe:
These can also be found in my Facebook account of my otaku self.
I intentionally ordered omurice, so I can write my birthday message for Hanayo. It's still rice, Hanayo's favorite food, except that it's inside the omelette. I brought my own Nendoroid Hanayo, so it would feel like I'm taking her on a birthdate. I could've brought the training outfit version, but I don't have that yet.
The cafe has a huge TV. The shop attendant asked me if there is a video that I would like to play. I had this episode on my flash drive, so I had it played. Now shoeing: Love Live! School Idol Project Episode 4. This is the episode which is dedicated to Hanayo, showing her story on what she went through before she joined μ's.
A friend suggested that I go to Red Monster Shop + Cafe, as it is an anime/k-pop themed cafe. Being anime themed, I find it as the perfect place where I can celebrate Hanayo's birthday.
First part of the celebration is from the game, Love Live! School Idol Festival. Of course, I wanted to see Hanayo's message on her birthday. I had Hanayo Chinese dress version, idolized, as the partnered girl, as Chinese New Year is also close.
I had a busy afternoon, so I arrived at the cafe at around 6:45 pm. Finding the cafe is not that hard, thanks to online guides, and their own map. The challenging part is trying to commute to get to Maginhawa Street.
Along the road, my playlist consist of Hanayo solo songs, from the album Wakakusa no Season.
Here are some of the pictures that were taken inside the cafe:
These can also be found in my Facebook account of my otaku self.
 |
| Hanayo reminiscing the time she joined μ's. |
After the episode, Love Live! μ's Live Collection was played, featuring all the animated live shows. As that was playing, I opened LLSIF again, this time to do some scouting. Hanayo only scouting was the promotion.
 |
| I always wanted to do this to articulated figs |
A lucky scout for this one, I would say. used 100 gems, and got a 3rd UR Hanayo, Christmas set. Her skill is now level 3. Luck ran out when I did 4x coupon scouting though. Got 4 SRs.
I browsed through the shop's items in stock, and I found this fig on sale. Then the store has a special promotion of discount for their items, so I got this one for a low price. I've also been told that this fig is hard to find nowadays. Behold, a new one for my Hanayo collection. And Nendoroid Hanayo is the first to meet her.
Here I am on the shop / cafe, wearing my Hanayo jacket, and with my two figs currently with me. This is the first time I did something like this by the way. I'm having fun, and at the same time, I'm showing my dedication to Hanayo being the best girl of their group.
The best part? I'm the only customer during my stay there. No conflicts on the tv.
But, I'm not yet done.
In the game, Fire Emblem Fates, I made a file for each path, with the IGN Hanayo. Since birthdays are celebrated in this game, I thought of adding this.
I tried to make her as accurate as possible. Too bad FE Fates has a limited array of hair styles, unlike FE Awakening.
This will always be a wonderful experience. I hope that for next year, I will be able to complete my Hanayo shrine, then it would be a grand birthday celebration.
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