Saturday, June 28, 2003
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The Harry Potter Lexicon never fails to deliver. :D Just a week after the book was launched, it now has a listing of interesting facts gleaned from Order of the Phoenix.

Some of the more intriguing ones are:

• James Potter's way of torturing Snape, making him float in the air and turning him over? Why is that so much like how the Death Eaters tortured the Muggles during the Quidditch World Cup incident in Goblet of Fire?
  
• In the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic, you will have to dial a number in the phone booth. The number? 62442. That spells M-A-G-I-C if you look at the alpha-numeric keys on your phone. :D
  
• Hermione's Patronus is an otter. JKR said in an interview before that if she were to have a Patronus, it would be an Otter. :)
  
• Harry never used to see Thestrals pulling the carriages of the school before. But now he does. In the recent Royal Albert Hall event with JKR, she said that it takes a while before a death is processed. Harry has witnessed 2. The first was his mother's. But he was too young for that to truly make an impression on him. The 2nd was Cedric's. But it took a while for him to come to terms with that, and so by the start of the school term in book 5, he starts to see those strange magical creatures.
  
• And this was noticed by Steve Vander Ark's (webmaster of the Lexicon) kid: Grimmauld Place is another of JKR's clever play on words. Grimmauld Place is actually a grim, old place. ;) Cool.

I think my Patronus would be a Phoenix. :D What would your Patronus be?

Back to rereading. :D

Thursday, June 26, 2003
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Blame it on the doofus MIS people who took away my Yahoo Messenger and browser capabilities... I am bored and so... I filked again. Second Order of the Phoenix filk in two days. Again, don't look if you don't want Book 5 spoilers....

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Pics from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Launch Party are up at my Imagestation album. :)

Tuesday, June 24, 2003
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That was a quick death. Not entirely unceremonious, but still... quick. But I guess it was necessary. Not in the context of the story itself, but more because of Harry's characterization. I'm still sad. :(

Don't know how else to mourn. So I guess I'll filk. Don't click on that link if you don't want spoilers. :)


 

Wow. I just finished the book, and.... wow. I think I'll need some time to digest all this. But it's definite. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is now my favorite Harry Potter book. Wow....

 

I just got through a harrowing time reading about the death. I never suspected it would be that character. Something freaky happened though. I fell asleep last night reading about Grawp. But this morning, the first thought that hit me as my eyes fell upon the book was "Oh shit. It's gonna be Sirius.". And I was right. I wish I wasn't right. *sigh* Just a few more pages to go....

Word for the day: Occlumency - the study of the ability to block external elements from accessing one's thoughts and feelings.

Sunday, June 22, 2003
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It's taking me quite some time to read Book 5 as I've been plagued by a bad headache (probably carrying over from yesterday) all afternoon. That's the only thing keeping me from going full speed at reading. But it's been FANTASTIC so far, I swear all this has been worth the wait. Three years. Wow. I am on a self-imposed exile from all my HP groups for a few days. I wouldn't be able to bear spoilers now that I actually have the book in my hands.

I am very happy with what I've read so far though. One of the indicators of a good series writer for me is if he or she can keep the readers guessing. And I swear, JKR is keeping my brain racing. I haven't been able to peg one pre-Book 5 guess correctly. Well, except for what the Order of the Phoenix is, but other than that.... Wooo.

Word for the day: Metamorphmagus - a witch/wizard who can change appearances at will, no need to use wands or spells.

Back to reading....

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Saturday, June 21, 2003

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Very appropriate for the launching of a book that starts with: "The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large square houses of Privet Drive... "

It's been a really really tiring day, but it was all worth it.



Fully Booked opened at 7AM to a short line of eager Potter fans who want to read Book 5 first thing this morning. One or two people have taken to staying at Press Cafe immediately after purchasing the book, and I even saw a girl who immediately turned to the last few pages! Wow. Talk about typical fan behavior. LOL.

Sign-ups for the games started when some kids started trickling in later in the morning. People had quite a ball being sorted. Hey, we even have a new celebrity Gryffindor in the person of local diva, Lani Misalucha.



It was quite disappointing being limited to the activities on the Scholastic Event Planner, but everyone seemed to have fun, just the prospect of being able to read the book when they got home was enough to keep everyone going. And it all turned out to be one big EB for the group as well as other Potter fans, the little kids seemed to enjoy the Name Game and Mugglephone and people seemed to have gotten the hang of making their own wands and wizard hats. :)

Me, Oneal, Niccah, Aids, Rain and Rain's bro scurried off to the 2nd Philippine Toys and Collectibles Convention for a few hours for the Stormballs performance. A performance I initially had some misgivings about considering Moulin Rogue Squadron Pilot Earl Wedgie's reports that the Megamall Conference Center was jampacked with collectors and there wasn't much space to move. At least the performance was well received, some of the people in the crowd were asking for pictures even before the dance number commenced. The Stormballs took the ToyCon by storm alright. On to the next event!

We got back to the wizarding world a little past 8pm and by then, it looked like a different kind of storm swept the bookstore. By the end of the day, Fully Booked's initial 2000+ available copies was reduced to about 300 or so. Wow. I guess Phoenix is bound to become the fastest selling book in history, and the best selling Potter book ever!

Friday, June 20, 2003
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Just got word that most major bookstores will open at 7:01AM tomorrow in conjunction with the 12:01AM BDT release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Wow. Man, that is early!

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I was reading the transcript of JK Rowling's interview with Jeremy Paxman on BBC and she's revealed some very intriguing Harry Potter facts. Excerpts below....

JEREMY PAXMAN: Unlikely pairings? Not Hermione and Draco Malfoy or anything like that?

JK ROWLING: I don't really want to say as it will ruin all the fan sites. They have such fun with their theories ... and it is fun, it is fun. And some of them even get quite close. No-one has ever - I have gone and looked at some of it and no-one's ever ... There is one thing that if anyone guessed I would be really annoyed as it is kind of the heart of it all. And it kind of explains everything and no-one's quite got there but a couple of people have skirted it. So you know, I would be pretty miffed after thirteen or fourteen years of writing the books if someone just came along and said I think this will happen in book seven. Because it is too late, I couldn't divert now, everything has been building up to it, and I've laid all my clues.

ginnyskywalker: oh man. well at least i hope it's not a draco-harry pairing. hehehh.

JEREMY PAXMAN: Is Harry going to become a bolshy teenager?

JK ROWLING: He's a lot, lot, lot angrier in this book. He really is quite angry a lot of the time and I think justifiably so, look at what he has gone through. It is about time he started feeling a little bit miffed at the hand life has dealt him.

ginnyskywalker: anger leads to hate. hate leads to suffering. hrmmm....

===

JEREMY PAXMAN: Are we going to discover in book 5, why Voldemort has such an animus against Harry's parents?

JK ROWLING: Yes.

JEREMY PAXMAN: What else are you willing to tell us about what's in book 5?

JK ROWLING: Obviously a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

JEREMY PAXMAN: Is that going to be a woman?

JK ROWLING: Yes. And it's not Fleur which everyone on the internet speculates about. And it's not ...Who's the other one they keep asking about? Mrs Figg. It's not Mrs. Figg. I've read both of those.

ginnyskywalker: oh great! there goes my bet that it's mrs. figg! now who else could it be.... mrs. weasley, perhaps?

JEREMY PAXMAN: Are we going to discover anything more about Snape ?

JK ROWLING: Yes.

JEREMY PAXMAN: And Harry's mother? Did he have a crush on Harry's mother or unrequited love or anything like that?

JK ROWLING: Hence his animosity to Harry?

JEREMY PAXMAN: Yes.

JK ROWLING: You speculate?

JEREMY PAXMAN: I speculate, yes, I'm just asking whether you can tell us.

JK ROWLING: No I can't tell you. But you do find out a lot more about Snape and quite a lot more about him actually.

JEREMY PAXMAN: And is there going to be a death in this book?

JK ROWLING: Yes. A horrible, horrible

JEREMY PAXMAN: A horrible death of a significant figure.

JK ROWLING: Yeah. I went into the kitchen having done it....

ginnyskywalker: aha. does that mean ginny and colin creevey are exempt from getting killed off this time 'cause they aren't that significant? what if it's dumbledore, or mcgonagall, or mrs. weasley. hagrid? snape?

JEREMY PAXMAN: Is it going to upset people?

JK ROWLING: Yes. It upset me. I always knew it was coming, but I managed to live in denial, and carry on with the character and not think about it.

ginnyskywalker: just how upsetting is upsetting? oh dear....

JEREMY PAXMAN: Why stop when they grow up? Might be interesting to know what becomes of Harry as an adult.

JK ROWLING: How do you know he'll still be alive?

ginnyskywalker: is that a clue and a half????

===

JEREMY PAXMAN: And these scraps of paper which you've filed elegantly in a carrier, they're plot ideas or ...

JK ROWLING: Well some of them are totally redundant now because its been written and I keep them out of sentimentality's sake, I suppose. But some of it has backstory in it like this - in here is the history of the Death Eaters and I don't know that I'll ever actually need it - but at some point - which were once called something different - they were called the Knights of Walpurgis. I don't know if I'll need it. But I like knowing it. I like to keep that sort of stuff on hand.

===

Oh man. less than 12 hours to go. The excitement is killing me....


 

Demain, demain, je t'aime, demain!

Meep. In my excitement, I'm singing in French. Let's do that again.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you, tomorrow! You're only a day away!!!!

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" arrives TOMORROW!!!! Whopeeee!!!!

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It's been a while since I've encountered a bus driver who drives like he was battling Sebulba at the Boonta Eve Classic. Ended up getting to work about 6 minutes before the actual time we have to log in. LOL.

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Thursday, June 19, 2003

Went to Fully Booked to check on our preparations for our "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Party. And then I saw the boxes and boxes of books which say "Do not open until June 21, 2003". Everyone so had the urge to carry one of the boxes off home. Or even just take a peek at the precious books. Anyhoo, preparations are going well... or as well as they could go considering our activities are limited to Scholastic's Event Planner. *sigh* My nice plans for an Amazing Race cum Eco-Challenge type of game called the Enchanting Race has been junked. Oh man. It sounded like a lot of fun on paper too. :)

Wednesday, June 18, 2003
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Since updating is becoming a pain, decided to change the format of my filks site. Magical Melodies is on to version 3 and it now uses frames. The downside though is that the pop-up ads will appear more often and some browsers may not be frames capable. Meep. But what the hey. On with the filking!

Saturday, June 14, 2003
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SWP Tambay Day lasted until... oh, 12 midnight of today? Hahahah! 'Twas fun even though it was just the usual gang. It's always fun being with the usual gang. :) But really, I think the highlight of the day for me is the inception of... Mulletboy! The greatest hero who will ever try to save the galaxy. :)

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Exactly one week until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hits the stores. *bounce skip jump*


Monday, June 09, 2003
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Hayden Christensen's Ideal Girlfriend is.... ME

Heeheee. Rain directed me to a Hayden quiz, and I took it just for kicks. (Wait a minute, why would RAIN be taking a Hayden dating quiz?!?!!? Hrmmmm.). Here are my results:

The Ideal Girlfriend - nice, trusting, honest, compromising, compassionate and understanding

You're exactly the kind of girl who would make an ideal girlfriend for Hayden Christensen. You understand his busy schedule and are willing to make sacrifices for it, but you're not afraid to voice your feelings when he lets you down. Your feelings for Hayden definitely go beneath the surface--you would love him regardless of what he does for a living, whether he is an entertainer or a construction worker or a tennis player--something that would be very important to a person who lives in the spotlight all the time. On the other hand, you can be a bit naive and a little too trusting when it comes to relationships. Although Hayden would never break your heart, there are many out there who will take advantage of your sweet and trusting nature. You have a lot to offer in a relationship. Just remember to choose that special person with caution.

Go here to take the test!



Sunday, June 08, 2003
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13 days and counting!

... until the release of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"! Preparations for the Launch Party are picking up, and all I seem to want to do is... errrr... bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce in excitement. :) How in the world am I supposed to get through the next hectic week? Dream of Harry, I guess. *grin*

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Been hanging out at Disney Channel, as usual and watched the version of Cinderella which starred Brandy and my boyfriend, Paolo Montalban. Oops. *blush* Did I really say that? Heeheee. Well, he IS my boyfriend, but he doesn't know it. Hahahhah!!! *erase, erase* I'm kidding. :D It's just that I've long had a crush on the guy. Teehee. *grin and blush*

Do I want you because you're wonderful? Or are you wonderful because I want you? Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream? Or are you truly as wonderful as you seem....

Meep. Last song syndrome from the movie. :)

Friday, June 06, 2003
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The SWP Holocron

My humble personal project for Star Wars Philippines is a blog that chronicles the events of the group. Details of meetings and assemblies, as well as events, contests, etc. can be found here for the sake of newbies who would like to know more about what happened before they joined, and for the others to reminisce and to help the Jedi Council keep track. :) I initially named it the SWP Diaries, but Bace has suggested it be called the SWP Holocron. As can be seen in one of the entries there, I researched more about holocrons and found that it is an interestingly appropriate name. :) The template hasn't been changed to reflect the new name, but the blog is updated and the comments feature installed. :)

Thursday, June 05, 2003
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Why is my hair looking like it's from Meteor Garden?!?!?

Yeah, it is. All fly-aways and wanting to go their own way. Heeheeee. Ah, well. I guess it goes with the Meteor Garden fad? Although I may end up looking like one of them F4 boys. LOL. But I don't want to cut it just yet. Want a nice Jedi Padawan hairstyle come the next convention. :) Will just pretend am Ginny Weasley like that little adoptee up there. :)


Tuesday, June 03, 2003
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My movie star double is Cate Blanchett?!? *faints*

I occasionally get an interesting online test link in my mailbox from Emode. Today's online test: "Who is your movie star double?" I almost shouted in suprise when it turned out that my movie star double is my second favorite actress, Cate Blanchett! Here's what my test results say:

An intellectual like you needs to be played by someone who understands how to be deep without being boring, someone who can grasp complicated subjects and make them seem clear cut, someone like Cate Blanchett. Whether bringing to life Elizabethan stories or playing an undercover WWII courier in Charlotte Gray, Cate has shown the world that being smart can be sexy.

Were you sometimes the kid in class who realized when the teacher made a mistake — even if you didn't always point it out? Now that you're grown up, it wouldn't surprise us if you still liked the challenge of banter or enjoyed staying up late talking about the latest in political, social, or celebrity circles. Your glamour comes from your head first and radiates out through your looks. Cate's a natural to star as you because she, like you, has a good head on her shoulders. And she isn't afraid to use it.

How positively cool. :) Go take the test, and please, do tell me who your movie star double is. :)



 

Mythology Overload

Decided to expand my horizons a little, so I went and joined another group called the Joseph Campbell Mythology Group. There is a barrage of messages, but it's all cool and I'm learning a lot. I've always been fascinated by Campbell's ideas, and this seems to be a great starting point to start learning about him and his works.

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... and it's like flying without wings
'cause you're my special thing
i'm flying without wings...
and you're the place my life begins
and you'll be where it ends
i'm flying without wings
and that's the joy you bring
i'm flying without wings..."
--- "Flying Without Wings" by Westlife


Sunday, June 01, 2003
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Lazy Sunday afternoon........

Heeey, what am I doing online? I should go take a rest. Next week is looking like it's going to be worse than overcoming a thousand or so battle droids on the Geonosis arena. Oh sheep.

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Saturday, May 31, 2003

Vader has ruined the day. *sigh* Why can't I have just a little joy! Sheesh.

On second thought, I had a little joy.....

But Vader owes me lunch.