I wish I had a more creative title, but I can’t think of any, so yeah, that’ll have to do.

Saturday! I went to the anime/comics/gaming convention at the World Trade Center’s East Pavillon. And it was COLD. Somebody should’ve told me to bring a jacket. Ok, somebody did. But somebody should’ve told me to definitely bring a jacket. Anyway, temperature issues aside, it was some kind of a lot of fun.

To those who aren’t privy to the geek world, what happens on these conventions is, there are booths selling comics, action figures, anime DVDs and other geeky stuff, there are some arcade games, and on stage there are bands performing, and maybe Q&A forums with renowned authors/artists, plus autograph sessions. There’s also cosplay, which explains why there are people who look like characters from anime/manga series or video games. Anyway, I’m saying this to let you know that all anime/comic/toy/whatever-related conventions here are like this. The differences are very small, e.g. if it’s a Toy Convention, there’s just going to be more abundant toys for sale, but the rest are pretty much the same, which is why, I think, one of my friends said that he’s sort of sick of going to these kinds of events and might stop going altogether. I told him that that’s why I only go once in a while (maximum of 3 times a year), so I wouldn’t easily get tired of all of it. Besides, the real reason I go there, is for the company.

The Kagaws at Mangaholix ‘09

As if I haven’t mentioned it a million times before, I’m saying again that some of the people behind Mangaholix are my friends from high school. We’re really not that close anymore, I think one of them even hates me (as in really hates me — case in point: he deleted me as contact from Multiply and Friendster), but I still like to support them. I’m also friends with one of the bands that played at the event, The Kagaws, and one of the event hosts, and a bunch of volunteers/marshalls. Both my best friend E and my friend’s boyfriend A are marshalls. I spent most of my time with them, and The Kagaws’ girlfriends. So my attendance is really more of a social thing, than a hobby/interest thing. But I’m sure that most of the people who go to these things would tell you the same.

Anyway, like I said, I spent most of my time w/ A and E who were assigned to the door — to check if the people who went in had tickets. So yeah, we acted pretty much like bad guys, always asking to see everyone’s ticket, and having to check the ID of the VIP’s and exhibitors, etc. But you see, it’s because we found out (too late) that some exhibitors passed their IDs to their friends who weren’t exhibitors, so there was some hullabaloo regarding the ticket sales. But I think they eventually sorted it out.

Actually, the convention is for 2 days, but I didn’t get to go today because I woke up at 5:30PM. Yes, you read that right. I woke up at 5:30PM. And it’s all because of a movie, that I didn’t really want to watch, but what the heck.

Firstly, I checked on the internet to see the screening schedules and noted that the last was 9PM. We got to Mall of Asia at around 8:30PM and I thought that there would be plenty of time to buy tickets for 9PM showing, but when we got to the ticket counter, they announced that the only tickets left for Twilight (Yes, they didn’t make the distinction between Twilight and New Moon. Even the ticket said “Twilight”.) was for the 11:30PM screening. I think they actually only added that screening to accommodate the piles of people who still wanted to see it. Us included. So we bought tickets for the 11:30PM show (and they were quite expensive, too — P180 each), bought some popcorn, and was thinking about what to do for the next 2 hours when—

we saw that outside the Premier Cinema, there was already a line. It was 9:30PM and already people were lined up for the 11:30PM show. So it’s nothing as drastic as the people who camped outside cinemas in the U.S. to see Star Wars Episode I, but still, lining up that early just seems ridiculous. But, despite the ridiculousness of it all, we lined up as well, and just waited. We sat on the floor, because everyone was already sitting. By 10:30PM, the line was already up to the other side of the cinemas. And that’s saying a lot, considering that Mall of Asia is the 4th largest mall in the world.  Anyway, when the doors opened at 11PM, the people actually applauded and hooted and made other kinds of noise. From the excitement maybe, or they’re just thankful that we’ll finally get to sit on proper chairs. The cinema wasn’t full, but it was more than half full, which is really something, for a screening that wasn’t even supposed to happen. The movie ended at 1:30AM and it would’ve been really hard to get home if my dad hadn’t had a dinner that ran late and so was able to pick me up. Still, it’s an awful lot of trouble for something I didn’t even really want to see in the first place. Oh, who am I kidding? My curiosity trumps practicality all the time. And I have to admit, despite not really liking the Twilight series, it has made me curious enough, so I actually really did want to see it. I mean, it’s got a gazillion fans. Surely, there’s something that makes them love it, right?

Unfortunately, I still got bored with the movie. So Taylor Lautner was hot, but even his hotness could not save the movie. (Not like Matt Lanter in Cutting Edge 3 haha!) Anyway, here are some random thoughts:

• Not enough Charlie Swan. – Really, he was my favorite character in Twilight, and I don’t know why they didn’t make use of him a lot in this one. Or okay, maybe he really doesn’t have much to do at this point, but, you know, I love Charlie Swan.
• Too much Jacob Black. – Right. I’m not saying I didn’t like him. Truthfully, I like him more than Edward. Say what?!?! I don’t know, I just never really warmed up to the fact Edward only likes Bella for her blood. I mean sure, he says he loves her, but he’s never said why he loves her, he’s never said what little things about her that he likes, or what it is about her personality that he admires. On the other hand, with Jacob, you kind of see what he likes about Bella— because they have things in common (like the truck, and the motorcycle), and they have things they laugh about and stuff. But still, there was just too much of Taylor Lautner being shirtless, and all his shirtless friends. Oh, but the part where he first took his shirt off, actually surprised me so much that it kept me awake for the rest of the movie. So yeah, if it weren’t for Jacob, I might’ve slept through the whole thing. Thanks, Jacob!
• Soundtrack was a bust. – I mean, the soundtrack was the only thing I really liked in the first movie, so how come there were hardly any songs in this one?
• Dakota Fanning! - I probably wouldn’t have watched this if it weren’t for her. Wala lang, I just really wanted to see how she would look and sound now that’s she’s no longer a “child star”. And her part was actually kind of cool. Although it was a bit too “pa-cool”, and so ended up being lame. Oh well. The entire Volturi thing is lame anyway.
• Not enough people from Forks / School Stuff - I think one of the reasons Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell are great series because they juxtapose supernatural stuff with the normalcy of “high school life”. I mean, there are episodes where Buffy’s more worried about what she’s going to wear to a date, rather than what kind of monster is killing Sunnydale residents. So when Bella is alienated from everyone and is just in vampire/werewolf world, well, it just seems like she’s not going through a whole lot. And that makes the story boring.
• First and last scene was WIN. – No spoilers here, but I have to say that the opening (even in the book) was actually pretty cool, which proves my theory, that the idea for the Twilight series, is actually really good. But the execution is just… Blah. I really wish Stephenie Meyer wasn’t such a bad writer (and same goes to whoever wrote the screenplay. I’m not even going to learn his/her name). Anyway, the last scene (or the last line of dialogue, I should say) was also WIN. And not just because it meant that the movie was over. Really, what Edward said, was the perfect way to end the movie, and to leave the audience wanting more.

My brother asked me if it was a good movie and I said that it’s sort of fine, except that the beginning was boring. And then I said, “And when I say beginning, I mean the first hour.” And he said, “Ha!? Isang oras ang boring? Ok, hindi na worth it panoorin.”

So, yeah… That’s it for my weekend. What about yours?

I still miss you.

Of course, I knew I was going to miss you. It’s not like I haven’t been missing you every minute of every day that we’re not together. To tell you the truth, from the moment we part ways and I see you disappear around the corner, I already miss you a little bit. Or maybe not just a little bit. Actually, it’s when I miss you the most— when I can still feel a little bit of your warmth, slowly fading away, to be replaced by the cold air of the night that is my only companion when I’m walking back to my house.

And upon returning, I sit on my bed and recall the events of the evening. It is both a curse and a blessing to have such good memory— that every expression on your face is imprinted on to my thoughts, every word you say, every topic that we debate on over and over and end up laughing about, every embarrassing detail that we accidentally share to each other, only to find the other more endearing… I store the moments in my memory with a smile, and the thought that I had just once again been part of something magical, and I wonder, how I got to be so lucky, to be one of the people in the world to know such happiness.

I have long since stopped denying that I am in love with you. I will probably say a bunch of things to distract you if you ask it, but I know that you know, as well as anyone who has ever seen me with you, or has heard me talk about you, that this is how I feel. That although we fight and we fight, and we fight and we fight, and you say that you never want to see me again, and I say that I never want to see you again, after a few days, weeks, or months, we will suddenly find ourselves back on that corner, promising each other the world, and soon, and forever.

And then, again you will disappear, and again, I will miss you, but more than I have ever missed you before. And I will wonder just how much a person can miss another, that every time you’re gone, my feelings only increase. So much so that I want nothing else than to hear my heart beating in time with yours. That I think of nothing else except that perhaps, I will never get used to the cold, no matter how many times I walk myself home.

When I called my own cellphone to locate where it was (I left it in the car -_- forgetful me), I remembered that I have a ring back tune, and it’s Bangon by Rico Blanco. And then when I found my cellphone, it was still Rico Blanco singing, because my ring tone is the song Come Closer, also by him.

At hindi ko ‘to sinasadya ‘ah. I mean, Come Closer has been my ringtone for ages (dati pa nauso ‘yung kantang ‘yun, right?), and I only availed of the Bangon ringback recently. Ngayon ko lang na-realize na pareho pala silang kanta ni Rico Blanco. Haha. Hindi naman ako masyadong fan.

Anyway, tawagan n’yo naman ako! Promise hindi ko sasagutin ‘yung call para hindi mabawasan ‘yung load n’yo. Makinig lang kayo ‘dun sa song Hehehe. Hindi pa kasi pinapatugtog sa radyo ‘eh.

So, I don’t want to be all girly girly on account of this being a movie about the end of the world, and people are going to see it mainly for its special effects, but there’s sure to be about a million reviews on the net about said effects and the movie’s story and direction and cinematography and all that jazz (musicians), so can I just say that whoa— there were so many cute guys in this movie!

Seriously, I expected to fangirl only for John Cusack (whom I’ve loved since his Lloyd Dobler days), but then you got the pilot and the Chinese/Tibetan (??) worker and some extras and well, Hollywood is full of good-looking people, what can I say? Well, I’m not going to be saying anything about the story. It’s an apocalypse film, after all — world reknowned sites crash and burn (in a way that looks really cool (although totally improbable — what are the chances of the cracks on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to be in that exact spot?!)), people die, you know the drill. Not that I want to be insensitive about the apocalypse, just that the Mayan prediction really creeps me out so… yeah, let’s talk about the cute guys now.

John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, the main protagonist who represents the “average person”, although he’s a published author, too, so to me that makes him accomplished and not at all “average” but anyway… His character actually reminded me a lot of Tom Cruise’s character in War of the Worlds. I mean, he’s separated from his wife, and he found out about the end of the world while he’s spending the weekend with his kids. And then he ends up saving their lives and thereby earning their trust and love (trust me, this isn’t a spoiler, or were you under the impression that nobody survives at the end of the movie?). Pretty ok, though since this character has been played before, I guess it’s not really all that notable. But I love John Cusack (come on, who doesn’t?) so I felt for Jackson Curtis and rooted for him all throughout.

Jackson Curtis and daughter Lily. John Cusack isn’t very cute in this photo, but I chose it because it totally reminds me of War of the Worlds.

See what I mean? They even both have snow. (Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds)

Johann Urb plays Sasha. The pilot. And I guess pilots in movies are usually extras, but he had his moment of heroism. And that just made him way way cuter than he already is.

Johann Urb apparently started out as a model. Go figure.

So, as I watched the movie, I’d been thinking and thinking where I first saw him, and couldn’t remember, so I looked it up and according to IMDb, he’s in The Hottie and the Nottie. He plays the “seemingly perfect but turns out to be an a**hole” guy. And I had to think twice about putting this reference because it meant admitting to seeing The Hottie and the Nottie, but what the hey. Honesty is the best policy, and I have to say that the ending of that movie wasn’t so bad. Of course, the hour and a half before it didn’t make sense at all, but you know, a lot of movies are crap. At least this one had a cute guy in it.

Chin Han is Tenzin, one of the workers who built the ships (you know, to save humanity). And he’s really sort of an extra, I mean, his time on the movie is probably only 15 minutes (cumulative) and he barely had lines, and he lost a leg (I’m not telling you how he lost it so this doesn’t count as a spoiler either), but he really did look very good, and next to John Cusack, I’d say that’s hard to do, but he pulled it off, and made me more interested. Unfortunately he hasn’t done a lot of films yet. He was apparently in The Dark Knight but seriously, you can’t notice anyone else in that movie except for Christian Bale and Heath Ledger (and Edison Chen haha! but maybe that’s just me), so yeah, I hope he makes more Hollywood films, or even Chinese romantic comedies w/ maybe a little action movie stuff (like Love Undercover) because you know, I think he could play a nice romantic leading man role but with fight scenes, like Kyle Reese in Terminator 1.

Chin Han – Image from here

So, haha, shallow me only cares about the cute guys while the tectonic plates are shifting and tsunamis are bringing about the end of the world. It’s just a movie anyway, and the message is pretty much the same as all disaster movies (because really, what else can you say when the world is about to end?) — Don’t take life and the people you love forgranted, because we can all die in a matter of minutes. Not that you didn’t already know that.

I have decided to be angry today.

So I will tell you about this analogy which I think is just stupid (x100). And if you’ve ever told it to any of your friends, shame on you! And if your friends have ever said it to you, don’t ever believe them.

I hear this a lot, when people ask others what their opinion is on getting back together with an ex-boy/girlfriend:

Hindi na sinusubo ulit ang niluwa na.

SERIOUSLY.

I tend to hate analogies (except for maybe mathematical and scientific ones) because I’m just against equating something with another thing, as if they’re the same thing, when they’re really not. (This is probably why I suck at poetry.) Especially when it comes to human relationships. I believe that in relating to people, everything depends on someone’s personality, and experience, and the combination of about a million other things. And so using food that made you nauseated, as a metaphor for an ex-boy/girlfriend, just really doesn’t make sense to me. And I hate it so much because it cheapens the past relationship that you’ve had. So yeah, maybe that past relationship was all kinds of bad, and it would be a mistake to go back to it and go through the same problems and stuff, but I still don’t think it’s fair to say that a person you used to love (and I’m assuming that he/she is someone you used to love, because otherwise why would you want to get back together with him/her?), is just like something you ate that left a bad taste in your mouth. And honestly, if you have to use such disgusting analogies to describe a relationship, it just goes to show how bitter you are.

Right. Can you tell that I’m angry? It’s not because someone has said this to me personally, though. I just hear it a lot on the radio and from friends’ stories, and now I’m just really annoyed to know that some people actually believe this and agree with it. You can’t, can’t, can’t, can’t ever equate a person with an object. (Or maybe you can, but you really shouldn’t). No matter how bad you think that person is. The worst human being in the world is still a human being.

I’m not saying that it’s okay to be the worst human being in the world. Believe you me, there are a lot of human beings I hate and sometimes wish had never been born, but you know, they’re just people, like you and me, and well, I just don’t think it’s right to think they’re animals or garbage, just because they hurt you.

“These are people, Jane! NOT cows!!” – Eddie, Someone Like You (2001)

Bago ang lahat, disclaimer muna: Kung may mabasa kayo dito na hindi kayo nag-aagree, ok lang na sabihin n’yong mali ako. Pero walang murahan ‘ah. Iyakin ako ‘eh.

Actually, naisip ko lang naman ‘to kasi nagkaroon kami ng munting debate kanina ng ka-opisina ko tungkol sa isang term. Hindi na namin natapos ang usapan dahil after a while pareho na kaming tumahimik, marahil dahil na-realize naming wala nang patutunguhan ang pag-uusap namin at mabuti pa ‘eh magtrabaho na lang kami. Pero ito kasi ‘yung nangyari…

Sabi ng isa kong ka-opisina, para sa Christmas party ng kumpanya, mag-costume daw kami ng “Indian”. Specifically, ang example niya ay si Pocahontas. At dahil know-it-all ako, sinabi ko na hindi dapat tawaging Indian si Pocahontas, dahil hindi naman siya taga-India, at Native American dapat ang tawag sa kanya dahil ito ang “politcally correct” term. Pero sabi ng officemate ko, mula pa mga bata kami ‘eh Indian na ang tawag sa indigenous peoples of the Americas* kaya ok lang daw na tawagin silang Indians. I didn’t agree at the time, and so we both shut up.

*O, nabasa ko lang sa Wikipedia ‘yan.

Anyway I did some research and found out that actually, the people in question, don’t like either term. Because “Indian” has a derogatory connotation, but “Native American” seems like something assigned to them by the “white” government. So they actually would prefer to be called by their nation/tribe name (which I assume they gave themselves), e.g. Cherokee, Navajo, etc. But then, that just makes things more complicated, doesn’t it? I mean, how are you supposed to know what tribe a person comes from?

Anyway, hindi naman talaga tungkol diyan ito. Pero dahil diyan kaya napa-isip tuloy ako tungkol sa discrimination and political correctness, or even politeness/impoliteness. I know, so broad naman the topic! So maybe ‘pag sipagin ako ‘eh gagawa ako ng part 2 and stuff, but as of now, ito muna:

I don’t want to say that it’s because of my college education and that’s why I think this way. But I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t. You see, my undergrad degree is International Studies. (Pang-mayaman na course daw, sabi ng tito ko — yet another somewhat judgemental comment.) In studying it, emphasis is placed on thinking of things on an international (kung posible lang ‘eh universal pa nga) scale.

Example: Tungkol sa ‘bayanihan’ nung Ondoy.

Of course I’m proud that Filipinos helped each other out, pero ’pag sinabi ko kasing “Mababait talaga ang mga Pinoy,” parang feeling ko sinasabi kong hindi mabait ang mga tao ng ibang bansa. But as we all know, mababait rin naman sila, diba ang dami ngang nagpadala ng donations, etc.?

Sorry na kung malabo ang explanation. But anyway, that’s the reason why I’m so particular about using politically correct terms and so careful about not offending anyone and all that (and not just when it comes to races, but also gender, “social status”, etc.). Kung kilala n’yo ko personally, you’ll know that I always do the “air quote hand gesture” when I’m speaking (and use quotation marks when I’m writing), and this is the reason. Because I think that when you’re talking about people, everything’s relative. Walang exact definitions. Walang irrefutable answers. Lahat depende sa context. Kaya sa totoo lang, nahihirapan na’ko kaka-conform sa ganitong philosophy — ‘yung dapat hindi ka nakaka-offend ng certain ethnic group or subculture or kung ano pa. Hindi mo pwedeng sabihing lahat ng mahilig magsuot ng black ay emo, dahil hindi mo rin gugustuhing matawag kang matapobre just because minsan mong sinabing “I want to make tusok tusok the fishballs.“

Nasabihan na’kong “You can’t please everyone”, at naniniwala akong totoo ‘yan. (Pero ayoko rin ‘yan sabihin palagi kasi marami akong nariringgan na ginagawa ‘yang excuse para sa masama nilang ugali.) Pero despite that truth, I still want to be as least offensive as I can. Maski mabaliw-baliw na’ko sa kaka-isip kung ano ba ang tamang term. I figure, it’s just being polite. And who doesn’t want politeness in a person? So far, ‘yung kasabihang “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything.” has worked well for me. Pero minsan, nakaka-frustrate na talaga at kailangang ilabas ang saloobin. Hence, this post.

(GRABE. Ang haba ng intro ko. Inabot ako ng isang oras, explanation pa lang kung bakit ko ito sinusulat.)

I think that, the most offensive/insensitive comments are those that weren’t meant to be offensive, and are actually sometimes part of everyday conversations. Maybe I’m too prissy for noticing these things, but I do believe that little bad things eventually become big things,  and nobody likes big bad things. So for now, I’ll be enumerating the “small” everyday things na ‘pag naririnig ko ‘eh parang gusto kong mang-sermon (but of course I don’t because I’m a scaredy cat, so dito na lang sa blog).

1. “Para tayong nasa ibang bansa!”

Madalas ko ‘to naririnig kapag nagtra-travel sa tourist site sa Pilipinas. ‘Pag maganda ang view, or malinis ang paligid, or “high class” ang resort, may nagsasabi nito palagi. And honestly, I feel really sad when I hear this. I mean, hindi ba nakakalungkot that the common thought is that other countries are beautiful, while our own is not? Kaya kapag may lugar na maganda, parang hindi makapaniwalang nasa Pilipinas pa rin sila. I’m not saying other countries are ugly, but why say that a beautiful sight is “like another country”? Why not just praise the Philippines for its own beauty?

I mean, I know a lot of places in the Philippines are really bad-looking (and when I say bad-looking, I mostly mean polluted). But I think we should acknowledge that a lot of parts of the country is really just as beautiful as any other tropical paradise.

2. “Maganda/Gwapo siya! Maputi kasi!”

So my friend said that what’s scarce in a certain place is always considered more beautiful, e.g. In the U.S., it’s cooler when your skin is tan, because most of the population are fair-skinned. So it follows that in a place like the Philippnes, where brown is the prevalent skin color, those with fair skin are the ones who are considered ‘beautiful’. It’s all to do with the “You always want what you can’t have” theory. Which I guess is why there are so many skin whitening products sold here.

Anyway, I was a bit surprised when I heard an officemate say to another officemate, “Kahit anong sabihin mo, mas-maputi pa rin ako sa’yo!” as if having lighter skin made her a better person. I was surprised because I thought that people who went to school, graduated from college and all that, are supposed to know better than that.

One could argue that that person may have just been joking, and the person she was talking to probably wasn’t offended, but the fact of the matter is that her skin color was something she used as a leverage in an argument. And it’s not just her whom I heard this from anyway. I’ve heard this kind of reasoning from lots of people. I am ashamed to admit that one of my nieces (and I don’t want to say that it’s okay for her to say it because she’s just a kid. The things we’re taught when we’re kids molds our personality forever) actually said, referring to one of her classmates, “Panget siya kasi maitim siya.“

I must admit this is very personal to me because I’m not fair-skinned, and I’ve been teased about it all my life. Even now. And maybe I should let the issue go, because I’m not a kid anymore, but I just really think that there’s something wrong with equating a certain skin color to being beautiful, or being a better person.

Of course, this problem is the least likely to go away. I mean, it’s not like it’s only in the Philippines where skin color is an issue. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t change our outlooks either.

3. “Mayaman naman sila ‘eh.”

Right. Of course money is involved. But for this one, I want to tell you about this house that caught fire. It was a house of a “rich” family. Anyway, it was near a friend’s house so people asked if that friend was okay. I told them that she was fine, but that the house that burned was a mess. Nothing was left except for the cement framing, and it looked like they would have the rebuild the entire thing instead of just make repairs.

I was shocked when one of my friends said, “Ok lang ‘yun, mayaman naman sila ‘eh, kaya nilang ipagawa ‘yun agad.”

So yeah, maybe the situation would’ve been more depressing if what was destroyed was a house of a family that barely makes ends meet, but I don’t think that means that a rich man’s house burning is nothing to be worried about.

—

So there’s only 3 now, but there’s really about a dozen more in my head. I’m just too tired now to think of the words, and this entry is already way too long. But I think that maybe I will make a Part II of this. If only to be able to rant more about you know, everything. Haha.

Not the best time to be in the office working if you ask me. Or anyone. But the stars make me feel a lot better. What stars, you ask? Why, the Halloween decorations, of course!

We had a Trick or Treat Activity in the office last Friday and it was fun. The kids in costume were cute and the candies were delicious. Oh wait, I wasn’t supposed to eat the candies. Hehe. But I also actually really enjoyed decorating our work stations. I got to work with my teammates on that, and I think we all had fun. We always actually have fun when working together on non-work-related stuff, hehe. Like singing contests, and lantern-making, and decorations.

This year, because they didn’t want the kids to get scared, they decided on a fairy land theme. So pastel colors and glitters all around. And there are stars hanging from the ceiling, and pictures of Tinker Bell, too. It’s really cute. I kind of wish our office looked like this everyday, so it wouldn’t be so boring. Especially on Monday. And at 6 in the morning.

But I’m here anyway, because the time difference of our country from Australia requires me to be here, at 6AM. Well, I’m not really complaining all that much. I rather like working during holidays (if you can believe that). Because there’s less people in the office, and less traffic on the roads. And I get to go home earlier than usual.

So I’m posting this because look– it’s the 2nd day of November now! In no time, it’ll be Christmas, and then New Year, and then 2010. WHERE did all that time go? I still haven’t accepted that June has ended, and now it’s November?!?! The Theory of Relativity must be sitting with a pretty girl right now because really, time is just moving so fast. And if you don’t get that statement, well, it’s not really all that intersting anyway.

Happy November Everyone. Finish your Christmas shopping while there aren’t too many people yet. I believe the department stores have already displayed their Christmas stocks.