dual*ities

July 9, 2005; The Tent, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati

He came to “The Gathering” in the midst of political turmoil and in the sweltering heat of Manila, still wearing a leather jacket. He apologized for being late (printer trouble, he says). His (screaming) fans didn’t mind. Everyone was just ecstatic to see him after the looong wait.

He saw just how much Filipinos love and appreciate him. We’re even louder than the Brazilians, he says, what with our “terrifying enthusiasm” and all the “mad noises” we make when we are happy. Hahaha! I’m not quite sure if that’s good or bad, but I’m pretty sure that Filipinos made quite an impression on him. Enough for him to possibly consider portraying a Filipino character in one of his future stories.:)

He conquered. Oh yes, he conquered. Not just with the magical quality of his works, but also with the genuineness of his person. In the word of Anj’s Jan, he is such an affable person! He did, after all, stay for more than 8 hours straight, signing books and refusing to leave until everyone in the room was satisfied and happy. Gosh. If I weren’t already a “fan” going into this event, I would no doubt be a convert right there and then.

That’s Neil Gaiman for you. Story-teller extraordinaire and all around Mr. Nice Guy.:)

And yes, after almost 15 hours of waiting, and 601 (or so) people that came before me...

... I too, was also able to personally meet him...

My turn

...and got this as a souvenir:

I’m really, really glad my friends and I decided to wait, despite almost being convinced by the organizer to throw in the towel and just come back to see him either at Greenhills or Gateway. In the end, we got what we came for.

Just goes to prove that some things in life are just worth the wait.:)