Writer's Block: 3 Unofficial Rules on Romance

I would like to talk about the most important and most life-changing subject that affects the way we live today. And that is love. Well, romance, to be more exact. Stories have it. Media capitalizes on it. And as humans, we go gaga over it. I’ve met people who only live to search for love, people who dream that their love life would be a combination of all the most romantic chick flicks, literature, songs, and Tumblr posts. But no worries, I also met a lot of people who get nausea at the thought of love and romance (Mga halaman o may pinaghuhugutan, my fellow countrymen would like to call it). But yeah, I don’t know if you’re aware about it, but my country is obsessed with the idea of love, whether one detests or glorifies it. I mean, ever since I learned that the Filipinos can get easily persuaded with random love pairings like Aldub or even Lizquen, I became more than convinced that love is something we worship.

Romance has become almost like an essential in something we have to do in everyday life. Can’t wait in life? Give them a love quote. It’ll make them laugh. Politics is not making sense? Relate it to romance and post it on Facebook.

I’m not really hating on the idea of romance. It’s just that there are times when I don’t understand it. It’s supposed to be the most wonderful thing in the world, because it comes with no prejudice nor anything harsh. But thanks to the internet, it looks…no offense, stupid. We came up with these unofficial rules and expectations for romances, and no matter what we say, we exercise these ridiculous unofficial rules and expectations in daily life. Surprisingly, we based this on the fandoms we all love. So what are these unofficial rules? Let’s find out.

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Lizquen

1.) You both need to be attractive

Well you don’t need to be just attractive. You need to be considered attractive by…well, everyone. In the Philippines, we also have this thing called Love Teams, where we simply pair two major celebrities together and that alone is enough to make big bucks. People love them. People wish they have their glamorized life. And since the love teams comprises of two celebrities, expect them to be drop-dead gorgeous. If not one of them is attractive, then anticipate for a gradual makeover. Because of this, looks has become a major standard that is required in a significant other. Now this is a mindset that has been discussed ever since revolution started, but let’s not lie; almost everyone wants a girlfriend with great breasts and a fine gluteus maximus or a boyfriend with at least six-pack abs and a sharp jawline. I’m not saying that wishing for your future lover to be hot is a bad thing. Remember, pretty is a mindset. Whatever suits your fancy, I’d say go for it. However, it becomes bad—even insensible—if you think that being in love means being with someone who looks like a model that you can easily compare to the gods. It completely affects the way you would perceive the opposite sex (or even the same sex). It even makes us freakin’ judgmental, hence the terms like slut, f*ckboy, or desperada. Believe me, I’ve seen this happen and we all do it. So if you’re one of those people who judge other people for being with someone who doesn’t seem to fit your definition of pretty or hot, I’d say you keep those thoughts to yourself or better yet, don’t even question it.

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2.) Sex is needed (???)

Almost every romantic film or literature ever made, now has sex or—for a rated PG audience—an intense make-out session. This kind of practice is somewhat glorified and even encouraged in relationships. However, I don’t understand why is that the case. And no, this is not going to be one of those “oh-sex-is-for-married-couples” topics. I just don’t get why we need sex for the relationship to be deemed as something as romantic or sweet. Because psychology says that relationships that rely heavily on sex don’t work out (that’s right, Christian Grey. They don’t). So why can’t playing video games, be something romantic? Why can’t talking about deep and random stuff be something romantic? Yes, there are films challenging this idea, but in the end, sex still prevails for some reason. Why is that?

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3.) Obligations need to be followed, otherwise life won’t be perfect.

Now this is one of the most important things discussed in the romance sphere. Obligations are like, sending cute text messages every now and then, or giving flowers, or celebrating a monthsary—not anniversary, monthsary because apparently, couples can’t wait for a year to waste their money. I know, obligations are ways to assure yourself that your lover still has feelings for you. But for me, they’re no longer romantic. They’ve become the roots of unnecessary arguments. People nowadays—no matter how much they will deny it—get easily angry when one doesn’t immediately reply back or even remember a monthsary. Becoming unromantic is now an issue amongst couples. In the end, we’re humans and if there’s one thing true about human nature, we eventually get tired of things. Romantic obligations and gestures is sadly one of them. I know a couple who used to do a lot of romantic stuff at the beginning of their relationship, but now they’re no longer doing that but they are still steady and in deeply in love. Of course, there is the issue of drifting apart but that’s a sure sign that what you had was only romance. Not love. One of the most painful things people in love learn that romance and love are not always the same. Romance only lasts for perhaps ten monthsaries, but love lasts a lifetime. If you know that your boyfriend or girlfriend loves you without the need for a flash mob to remind you every anniversary, then congratulations; you have earned true love. You just know, because honesty and all the other good things are present in the relationship. I’m not disregarding romantic gestures or your “lover” duties, though. You can still do those things, if you’re willing and able. After all, obligations are based on your choices. And your choices depend on you.

Remember, love comes naturally and with no prerequisites. If someone loves you for who you are at the right time and place, then that person is a keeper. Till the next post~

7 Fandom Etiquettes To Follow

As we become more involved in our fandoms, we develop a certain behavior. And I'm not just talking about the squealing and yelling part. We do other habits as well. Habits that may seem normal to your friends, but peculiar to others who don't have the time to understand you. So here are 10 things people in Fandoms tend to follow.

1.) Stalking- For most people, this skill is considered "research". You open your computer and the first thing you type on a search engine bar is the name of your Fandom. If you're a tumblr user, you would naturally follow blogs who cater to your interests and then you would reblog all the pictures and texts to your hearts' content. Initially this would take hours and sometimes, you will be able to tell that you are spending that much time on your computer when an adult starts telling you stop. I would like to call this type of action, "taking some vitamins". Because the main course called, "watching, listening, or reading your fandom" is still not enough. You just need more of it and you thank the heavens for the progression of technology.

2.) Buying the merchandise- If you are blessed with a disposable income or a great amount of allowance, then you have every right to buy whatever nook and cranny that has the logo of your fandom imprinted. When you get this fandom, you tend to identify with it or it becomes a part of you. It helps when you to buy something you use everyday that has the face of your favorite book or actor. Sometimes it feels like you need to let the whole world you love this fandom, and it can also be a signal or magnet for other people who could possibly relate to you, as well.

3.) Explaining Things- One thing we need to constantly remind ourselves when we join a fandom; not everyone will understand us. Not everyone will get the inside jokes or the feels we get whenever we see a specific characters. So there will be times--if you have the patience to do so--to explain what the fandom is, what is about, and what's in it, to other people. But it can be quite a chore, because it's hard to explain it to someone who has no intention to convert at all. In the end, they just don't get it. Why we love fandoms.

4.) Getting the feels reaction- We all get this a lot. Whenever our fandoms does….well, anything… we tend to get "feels". No matter what they do, they tend to hit our hearts with wonder and sorrow. It's a science that cannot be fully comprehended. If someone can do a full study on this, please let me know in the comments.

5.) Being Defensive- As told by my Mean Girls post, we get all defensive when someone says something off about our fandoms. You think Dean is not hot? Then you are in trouble. You don't like what you watched? Then you have bad taste. You don't like J.K. Rowling's writing technique? Then you're the spawn of Satan. When you say something inaccurate about a book or movie, the job of a fandom member is to correct you in a way that will make you feel that you are the most idiotic person in the world. I guess people who are in fandoms have the tendency to be mean. Really mean. So don't take their hatred, personally. The love is too much to handle.

6.) Adapting the Fandom Linggo- Sometimes you tend to copy whatever a character or a member in a Fandom mentions, and it becomes part of the unofficial Fandom dictionary. As our vocabulary grows, a fandom becomes even more incomprehensible to the outside world. However it becomes part of the identity thing. When it gradually becomes a part of you, you adapt to the language too. So fandom can also be considered a culture. Like that of the Kpop fandom.

7.) Creating Inside Jokes- It becomes ten times more amusing when fandoms create inside jokes. It's a sign that everyone who have the same interests are slowly becoming closer together like a family. And whenever someone else mentions it, other fandom members would exchange looks and they would try their best not to laugh out loud like lunatics. But having someone to easily to relate through inside jokes can be one of the best feelings in the world.

How to Socialize with a 'Fandomized' Friend

As of now, I am convinced that the world's population consist of people who are fandomized. Fandomized meaning, we spend at least half of our time talking about Adventure Time, Sherlock Holmes, or even the upcoming sequel film of the Avengers. We all have our own interests, and the people I know would always go into their fandom phase. Whether they need an outlet or they're bored to death, they will still talk about what's going on with their favorite Kpop group or what just happened in the last episode of Reign. Now if you think you're a very normal person who treats TV and books with average respect and you are trying to talk to someone who will not stop going on about his or her fandoms like its their own limited supply of oxygen, never fear. I am here to help you.

Here are five simple steps on how to interact with a fandomized person. (Note: I decided to come up with the term, 'fandomized' because I am sick of saying fangirls and fanboys at the same time. It's time for equality, yo)

1.) Tolerance. Just like the immortal Gretchen Wieners always says, "You have to be considerate to the rest of the group." When your friend decides that its time for him or her to talk about a John Green book he or she just read, then do what every other normal person would do. Listen. You may not exactly know what Shingeki No Kyojin means in English, but just listen. Surely, a fandomized person would know better and  not pick you to be the listener. However, sometimes when the urge to spazz is too strong, they feel like that they have no choice but to let it out on someone. Irregardless of how fandomized a person is, they just have to scream about why this OTP should get together. And if you're the chosen one, might as well deal with it. You want to socialize with fandom? Then socialize. Learn how to listen.

2.) Ask many questions. When you are especially clueless about the story of Game of Thrones, might as well keep the conversation alive by asking about it. One of the many basic ways of socializing is to keep asking questions. Initially treating your talks like an interview gradually becomes productive and the next thing you know, you two are exchanging numbers and are official friends. I consider myself a fandomized person, but there a lot of fandoms I haven't came across yet. That's when I ask the questions. Who is this character? What is this show about? Why is this fandom awesome for you? Where can I read this? Who wrote this story? How is this romantic? And yes, those questions eventually branch out to many answers and many words exchanged between who I eventually call friend.

3.) Never question. There is a difference between asking what the fandom is all about and asking what can the fandom offer. Never question the taste of a fandomized person. For one thing, it is quite rude. Asking why Arrow is great is like asking why you prefer having this particular calorie-heavy snack every day. And if this person is heavily fandomized, insulting him or her is probably the last thing you want to do. Many say its just all talk, but I'm telling you. The backfire is real.

4.) Be open. For your future conversations to nurture, I suggest you try out this book or movie especially when your friend highly encourages you to do so. That way, you can understand him or her more. Withhold judgment and learn why this person is so fascinated with the world of the Hobbits. It's not exactly a way of wasting time because you are in the midst of discovery. Who knows, maybe you can get a fandom on your list. Beware of the addiction, though. It can get pretty nasty.

5.) Accept. If you can never understand why your friend finds 50 Shades of Grey romantic, then just let it be. Express your opinion about it, but don't try to impose. Humans usually consider this an abomination. This can also ruin friendships because you are basically forcing someone to drop something he or she has been used to. You're simply asking your friend to just move out with no preparation or even a warning. And when it comes to moments like these, there are no warnings or go signals. Telling your friend to stop watching Anime is a major blow or an act of betrayal in your friendship code...unless the fandom life is beginning to engulf her soul. So if she or he she likes this, don't bother to tell her otherwise. It will only cause more complications. And if you can't really deal with him or her talk about the incest sex between the Lannister, might as well back off yourself. Other than that, accept your fandomized friends for who they are because their fandoms actually contributed in constructing his or her well-being.

Till the next post~

Love, according to Fandoms

One of the weirdest things I've ever did while I was going through puberty, was to base my standards for a potential life partner on my fandoms. Mostly anime shows. Back then, I thought it would be really great to just wait and see if I can actually have my very own carbon copy of Gaara of the Sand from Naruto. But you know, life happened and I completely forgot what kind of attributes I look for in a man.

Many of us do this all the time. This fictional character or person is so perfect, you just need someone like this in your life. Let's be real here; as a girl with random cliched thoughts, it would be amazing to wake up every morning to a Ryan Gosling-looking guy who can cook you breakfast every morning and rant about ducks while you read about The Tale of Two Cities. That's basically the effect our fandoms can have on most of us. Fandoms make us go beyond our imagination. We want their reality to become our reality. But let's be more specific and talk about love here.

Every fandom has their own definition of love and romance. And as members of each fandom, we have our own way of interpreting them. So here are my very own lovely interpretations on some of the most famous and cliched romantic fandoms ever! I won't be surprised if you disagree with me, though.

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The Fault in Our Stars- "Love demands to be felt."

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Once Upon A Time- "You know its love when prince charming still chooses you in spite of the Storybrooke amnesia."

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Arrow/The Flash- "Heroes have failed to avoid the friendzone."

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Frozen- "Love is an open door."

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Harry Potter Series- "I will put my life in the line because I love you. Always."

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The Hunger Games Trilogy- "Ain't got no time for love. But love has got time for the press."

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus- "You know a guy is dam serious about you when he gives up the gift of immortality--or at least, a major part of himself, just to be with you."

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Twilight Saga- "You need a super perfect, protective guy and you have to be naive and surprisingly attractive in order to have the best mysterious romance of your life." 

If you haven't really based your ideal girl or guy on the shows and books you love, then wow. I actually admire you. Many would want a girl who can play video games, because of Sword Art Online. Girls dream to meet the man of their dreams in a gloomy courtyard of some academy that they thought they would dread. I'm not saying that's it is abnormal to think that way, because it happens a lot. It somehow irritates me when a character is perceived as too hot or too perfect. It makes me feel conflicted, actually. I love how they're described, but I hate how it tries to ingrain into my mind that I need to marry someone who is almost like this character. In other words, fandoms like that encourages other girls like me that they should pick this mysterious, complicated god-like man with a high disposable income and the ability to come up with romantic gimmicks over a very simple guy who may not have much to offer but only has the sweet intention of getting to know you because to him you're pretty special. If every girl in the world would always chose this god, then yeah...nice guys will end up finishing last, unfortunately.

Whether we like it or not, the realities of our fandoms is so much different from the reality we are currently in.  Because in the end, finding someone who has the hair of Jace Herondale, the kind nature of Peeta Mellark, has the rock-hard abs of any vampire, and the flawless talent of Daniel Grigori, is almost impossible. If you have someone who is as majestic as that, then congratulations. But if you're that frustrated person who thinks they can't have a love life, I say don't fret. I know, who am I--a random person on the internet--to tell you this? Trust me, I used to be that girl who would make those lists about what she wants in a man. So, hang in there. Your man (or girl) will come. And if that person does not have the gorgeous features that you were expecting, then I guess it won't matter once he or she comes along. Which is why, I challenge everyone lurking on the internet to do one task...Don't come up with standards.

Do not raise them, nor lower them. Just come clean and see what kind of partner you will attract. Because every great story every told always has an element of surprise. Yes, even love stories. Bella never expected to have a man like Edward Cullen. Percy Jackson thought he would never amount to anything until he received the best underwater kiss of his life from the girl he's cared about since they were kids. And Felicity Smoak probably just wanted a boyfriend, not two chiseled vigilante businessmen. These characters only did their thing, and love came to them just naturally. They didn't do any sort of voodoo, nor did they bother to wait. They just continued being awesome. And that's something you can also do. Don't spend your precious free time thinking of what your future husband or wife should be like. Be yourself and let the story of your life surprise you.

Till the next post~

The Fandom Formula for the Perfect Boyfriend

Avoiding the Fandom War

When it comes to our beloved fandoms, we are ruthless. 

The love we have for fictional characters can be easily compared to the love a mother has for her children. Anyone who dares to get in the way of that love...is asking for a death wish.

If a person with not much knowledge about fandoms triest to insult us...they can be easily forgiven. Why? Well, they don't know any better. Come on, we're not that heartless.

BUT...if a fellow person with a certain range of fandoms dares to insult any of my fandoms...even if it is just about single strand of Killian's hair ...there will be blood.

Anyone who has a love for anything that's not real, getsinto fandom wars. It happens all the time. There was the war of the directioners and directionators; A war between DC and Marvel (Team DC for layf); A war between bookworms about Pro-John Green and Anti-John Green; A war between Team Jacob, Team Edward, Team Peeta, and Team Gale deciding who rules the YA fiction world; even Stephen King and George R.R. Martin are creating their own wars. And sadly, their war is something that not even the great Gandalf himself can pass through.

We all want to prove that our fandoms are the best. That our taste in books, movies, music, and TV series are superb than anyone else's. Waging war against other fandoms though is ironically, like a double-edged sword. It creates both harm and good. Up till now, I am not sure if it is generating more harm than good, or vice versa. These wars, exercises our minds. I thought I would forever be the girl who can't speak her mind. But when it comes to fandom wars, I go full-on Amazonian mode for the books and series that I love. And as much as possible, I try to do it in a healthy way. I end up explaining why this show is good, why the characters are not what they seem. I am not only using voice via social media, I am developing a critical mind. Yes, believe me, there are plenty of other ways of being intelligent other than trying to get straight A's on college algebra. That's what makes Fandom Wars good. Our right to express anything we want, is being used at its best advantage.

However, you know what they say. Too much of something can also be a bad thing. Now, the bad thing about Fandom Wars is that they can get so out of hand, to the point we become demons. We terrorize others by swearing, insults, and even cyberbullying others. All because we want to rub it in everyone's faces that Game of Thrones is the best TV show, that One Direction is the best boy band, that no novel series can ever compare to what John Green writes, and that this character is the worst.

I am not saying we should all stop being mean to each other, because that can't be done right away. We are all very convinced that social media can help us take advantage of the opinions and inner voices we thought we never had in the first place. And for now, we do not want to let go of that very idea. Social media has somehow made us feel powerful. We can easily criticize one thing and get away with it. We can bash this celebrity and there's nothing anyone can do about it because it is your opinion. Same goes in fandom wars. I can easily say that Tyrion Lannister is the worst character ever, and you can easily tell me that Arrow is the worst DC-adapted show in history. We can go on and on about what we want to believe in. But in the end, nothing much is going to change. No fandom will win. Will that very idea give us a reason to stop fighting?

Till the next post~

How Fangirls Deal with Hiatus

Do you know that feeling when you finish this book or TV series that you love and then you learn that the next installment comes in a year or two? I hate it when that happens.

As people with fandoms, dealing with hiatus is something that we have to see through in the end. Writers and creators do this for fun so they can build up the suspense and this will make us want more of what they're producing. And don't get me wrong, I appreciate the idea of holding on to the edge of my seat; I just don't like experiencing it because it can kill me. For years and years, I spend every year anticipating for the next book, the next season, or even a brand new release. Wow, Tama. What the heck are you doing with your life?

Surprisingly, we can deal with hiatus. The itching impatience is still there, but fangirls and fanboys can definitely hold out for a year (unless you're part of the Game of Thrones fandom). Assuming we need at least a year to wait for the next big thing, there are stages in a fan's year as to how they keep themselves busy. Luckily, we can measure that in months. Yes my fellow fandom-crazed freaks. We wait in months. Not in decades. Months.

If the art of fangirling needs math (oh no, not this again), we only need to remember five numbers: 2, 3,4,2,1.

Obviously, it takes a lot of time for us to take in a series of unfortunate events. People working on our fandoms nowadays know how to tug on our feels, to the point it becomes unacceptable. So yes, it takes time for one to let things sink in. But that is far from over. We need to keep talking about it until we run out of saliva. In these five months, we do headcanons, probably fanfiction, lurk in Tumblr, and devise theories. We do this...just to feel something.

But we are human too and we get tired. So we take a break, and being the inner lazy people we all are....a week is not enough. We need four months. Hopefully during this time, we try to keep up with our boring lives. Then at a certain point in time, our fandoms will randomly announce that they're going to arrive really soon and this is means that the hiatus is almost drawing to a close. We wake up from our realities and become reckless once again. We lurk in the internet, talk about it some more, come up with wild theories that can pierce our hearts--we do all of this... just to feel something. It also takes a lot of time for us to emotionally prepare ourselves for the worst, of course.

This kind of hiatus does not really feel like you're living the hobo life. You still communicate, you do not just twiddle your thumbs, sometimes you eat out your feelings, and you learn how to prepare especially when it comes to purchasing issues! It doesn't really sound that bad, at all. And during our 4-month break, we explore other things due to our boredom. And again, that's not bad. Discovery is part of life, after all. See what hiatuses can do to us?

Now if you think you cannot survive a hiatus, never fear. I repeat, discovery is part of life. So here's what you can do during your year of hiatus:

1.) Don't just stick to the internet. Join a group. Or at least, find friends you can talk to about it. It's like therapy only better.
2.) Look for other fandoms to annoy. Trying a new fandom may sound like a forbidden temptation, but it never hurts to expand your interests.

and finally...

3.) Evaluate your life. Usually, when we succumb ourselves to something that is totally addicting, we forget what is really going on. I know it sucks but...wake up. Life can be beautiful if you change up your perspective, which is something that fandoms teach us.

Till the next post~

Fangirl Ego: Things Fangirl Students Should Never Do!

It is normal to fangirl urges when you become a student. I mean, as young (foolish) folks, students need some inspiration or entertainment while subjects and deadlines try to mess up their minds. Trust me, I've been there. I know the feeling when a book I read is much more exciting than the book report (but don't get me wrong, I enjoyed many reading assignments back in my day). Even if the "Fangirl Ego" (which I would like to call) seems like a very powerful entity that somehow controls every inch of your body and free will, that doesn't mean there are no limitations. Of course there are, and as humans we need to put extra effort into stopping our fandoms from completely ruining our lives. Yes, it is not the intention of the Doctor to ruin your life. The only person who gets in our way is us; our Fangirl Ego. The question is, how do we stop it?

Now these steps do not guarantee success. Consider them as suggestions that you may attempt to do. Always remember that fighting the Fangirl Ego is never easy.

1.) Never personalize your school stuff!
It may seem like the most fun part to look forward to when you prepare for school, but believe me...it will ruin your life. If all your stuff has the face of Tom Hiddleston, then kiss your concentration goodbye! Also, school materials don't last forever. You end up throwing them away or they deteriorate on their own and at their own time. So it is pretty much a waste of cut-out magazines and effort, as well as money. No offense. If you must personalize your school things, I suggest to stick to minimal fandom references (such as a logo) and make all the color schemes and design show your personality. But if you must have something to stare at while you need some motivation in studying, then a a few photos inside your binder won't hurt. Actually, make that one.

2.) Never touch anything fandom-related during busy periods!
When you have an exam or a pile of major projects to finish...then put away those series and books. I'm sorry, but the only way to get rid of Fangirl Ego (even if it is just for a very short while) is to keep that girl in the closet alongside all your guilty pleasures. I know a lot of people who nearly did not graduate because of fandoms. Yes, those situations exist, especially if you're the type who lacks self-control. If you do need a substance of some self-control pill, then I suggest to consider keeping them away for a short period. Then once all your responsibilities are dealt with, then you can binge watch or read to your heart's content.

3.) Never expect everyone to understand you!
Each fandom contains a whole new set of extensive vocabulary. Eventually you will adapt it and only 1 out of 10 people will be able to comprehend what you are trying to say. You can't expect the muggles to keep up with your thang.

4.) Never assume that conversion is easy!
Everyone has their own different tastes, and chances of you having similar interests (or fandoms, in our case) with the classmate next to you is one in a million. However, it is not bad to share to them what you like. But you cannot expect them to have an interest, right away. Converting a fellow person into a certain fandom is a hit or miss; either they like it or they don't. It would seem exciting when someone develops a liking to your all-time favorite shows, but you can't expect something like this to happen all the time. Unless, you are really persuasive.

5.) Never hide your fandoms from anyone!
Come as you are. The third tip may imply that you should not reveal your fandoms to class, but that is not the case. In fact, let anyone know what you like. Do not shame your fandoms, because it looks weird to other mundanes. Let them judge! It will not kill you! Back in high school, I would initially hide my obsession for anime from basically, everyone. I did that because I wanted to look pleasing and hopefully, appealing.  However, that gave me a hard time to look for friends I can totally relate to. When I brought out my interests, then bam! I got new friends just like that. So don't keep them in the dark. Never keep your fandoms to yourself. It's more fun and exciting with a good friend who can understand all your feels.

Till the next post~

How to Fangirl and Live Your Life

Most of us would develop our love for certain fandoms at an early age, and we end up blaming books, TV series, video games, and many other medium for this kind of feeling. But at the same time, we end up loving them. Having your very own fandom is like being in a love-hate relationship, only we experience it a tenfold (and if not, probably more. May God forbid). Loving your fandoms, that's not a problem. But making it a top priority? Now that's an issue that we cannot easily avoid, especially when the story of the Supernatural Brothers seems a hundred times more interesting than yours.

I'm sure you know where I am going with this; just like screwed-up relationships we see on drama series, fandoms have the tendency to ruin our lives. And we can turn everything backwards all we want, but we know that we give those fandoms the power to rule our lives. We just tend to deny it, most of the time. We give so much love and attention to this Television series and the next thing you know, you end up watching four seasons in less than three days. Not only that, you get slapped by the realization that you got other "important" things to do like schoolwork or actual work, or saving your relationship from drowning (but then it becomes too late, because your girlfriend/boyfriend sees what a total bum you are). I guess that fundamental question is, can we really focus on our fandoms and reality at the same time?

The answer is yes. Believe it or not, you can have your Hogwarts Life and your Career Life at the same time. It's just a matter of balancing your time. I know that is easier said than done, but there are plenty of healthy ways to do so without trying to put too much focus into one thing. And this is based on my experience. My life  story may not be exactly the same as yours, but I guess it is something you can learn from.

Distribute your priorities, equallyNow this is the first and most difficult step, and don't say you don't know why. Dividing your time for life and your fandoms...? That's not easy! If you're one of those people who keep saying, "One More Episode" then I wish you luck as you take on this step. Give each of your priorities the same weight. Don't give this thing more importance than the other, or else you will go mad. I'm sure I am not the only who has experienced such turmoil. There is nothing wrong in planning out how many hours or days you want to dedicate yourself to something. It does not automatically make you a control freak, I'm sure. Besides, it is a whole lot better to plan ahead rather than pressuring yourself to do something last minute. As much as it is difficult to do, don't give all your attention to your fandoms. Do not give all your attention to certain aspects of your life, either. Get a planner of your own and pan out all the things you have to do and want to do. At least, that's what I did. Call me a nerd for saying this, but having a planner is a total life saver.

Fandom as an inspiration
I'll admit. There were many times I would prefer to bury my head into an nonexistent, fictitious, fantastic world rather than burying it into my textbooks. I just get really annoyed by the fact that reading about Shadowhunters and Demigods are much more interesting than figuring out the puzzling (and unnerving) sorcery called Trigonometry. Admit it, you underwent this, too. But what really would fascinate me aside from the stories, are the characters themselves. People like Hermione Granger, Annabeth Chase, and Tessa Gray....they impressed me. From that, that feeling turned into admiration. Then I aspired to become a very diverse, independent, and headstrong individual. So in a way, my fandoms became apart of my life in such a way that they served as inspiration for the way I live my life and how I deliver myself. And it turned out really good. You could say I have books to thank for my very own character development.

Go beyond Fandoms and explore Life
Afterwards, I decided to step out my comfort zone and become acquainted with the real world. Now how did I incorporate my fandoms, you ask? Well, let's face one fact here; we can learn a lot of things from our fandoms and if you dig a little deeper, we realize how much of these discoveries can still be applied in real life. So the first thing to do is close that book or turn off that television or computer (but certainly not now, You gotta read till the end before you can do so), and look at real life in such a way you see your fandoms. Real life can be an adventure and all you have to do is look. The next thing you know, you met the Edward Cullen of your life or you're in the place where they shot the scenes of  Lord of the Rings, living your own Hobbit-like journey. Basically, life is just as interesting as your fandoms. So try to look at your school, work, or family in a completely different angle. Along the way, you will learn and try new things, and sometimes they end up twice as exciting as the book you are currently reading because you are actually doing it.

And there you have it. This is how I dealt with my fandom addiction before it could get any worse. Like I said, this is just how I dealt with it, so you don't necessarily have to do everything I did. In the end, it is your choice on how you want to live your life. But if you had a different way of dealing fandom addiction, then feel free to share your story on the comments below! Till the next post~

What to Expect this October!

October is finally here and you know what that means! It's time for Halloween!!!

Well apart from that, we have got a huge line-up of fandom events happening this month! Now what does Tama-chan mean about fandom events? I'm simply talking about the long-awaited premieres and releases of our favorite shows, movies, and books! I'm sure we all know what to expect, but a simple reminder will not hurt anybody, right? So let's get to it!

The majestic poster (source)

Arrow Season 3

A few posts ago, I spazzed over the trailer of the very first episode of Arrow Season 3, which is called the High Speed Chase. And even though I finished the second season of Arrow recently, I am still aching for more episodes! I've been reading a lot of possible theories on what would most likely happen during the third season, and I've received a lot of news on who will be there and who will portray the roles, and just reading about it makes me feel like I need to go to the bathroom (that's the best analogy I can think of, sorry). Now that October is here, I can finally breathe...just a little bit, though. To the fans of Team Arrow, we will be able to see if Ollicity is legit

He will be here in a Flash (source)

Premiere of The Flash

What makes the showing of Arrow Season 3 even more exciting, is the premiere of the Pilot episode of The Flash! We've seen the costume, the trailers, the theories, the cast, now it's time to see the real thing! I am looking forward to Grant's Gustin performance as Barry Allen and I cannot wait for the crossover episodes it will have with Arrow. Flash has been one of my favorite superheroes growing up, so I have really high expectations, as well as very high hopes for this series. I nearly teared up when I heard Flash was going to have his own series. It means that I am close to my ultimate DC dream.

Who will survive? (source)

Rick Riordan's "Blood of Olympus" and "Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard" 

That's right, demigods! The final installment of the Heroes of Olympus is fast approaching. Okay, let me give you guys time to cry, scream, and react violently. For almost a year, internet memes and Riordan's twitter posts about who will survive has definitely left some severe damage to our brains. Now that its release is almost here, I am starting to have second thoughts if finding out the grand finale to this series will be such a good idea. I honestly do not want the reign of Percy Jackson and his Camp Half-Blood friends to end, and I still want more adventure. However, I think Percy would protest against that idea, since he's had enough of near-death experiences already.

Yes, I am actually very sad that the series is about to end. It is like Harry Potter all over again. But Rick Riordan has never failed to make his readers grin. Luckily, Rick has surprised us yet with another demigod-related series, called Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard!!! I believe fans of Thor will be happy to know that Riordan will eventually release his brand new series that revolves around Norse Mythology! I know it's still coming out next year on the same month, but I need to express how overjoyed I am about his announcement. Ever since Rick revealed the title, I started asking myself who Magnus Chase really is. For those who are loyal readers of the past series (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Kane Chronicles, Heroes of Olympus), I am sure that the surname Chase rings a lot of bells. So who is he really? I'm actually too nervous to find out. Right now, I am already thinking of which of the Norse gods or goddesses should claim me. Any suggestions?

The Book of Life

When I first saw the trailer, I didn't feel any excitement or desire to watch the film. But then I noticed that there are a lot of people (particularly my animator friends) who really want to see this film and they are not children, mind you. I have to admit, I do not know what this movie is really about or if it's based on a legendary fairy tale of some sort, but I am suddenly intrigued and I might be willing to give it a shot. I almost felt the same before I watched How to Train Your Dragon, but I ended up loving it with all my heart. So yeah, let's see how this goes.

I know that isn't everything that will happen this month, but let's just say these are the main highlights of this month for me and I will say it again...I am so excited! I have a strong feeling that this will be a great month. So I guess it is time for me to bring out my wallet and remote control and start fangirling all over the place!

Till the next post~