More Harry Potter Ravings

So I passed by National Bookstore today and I saw a sign saying that they'll be open at 7 am on Saturday for the release of Harry Potter. In a way, I think that's a godsend to fans. Because no one will wake up earlier than 7 am and drive all the way to National Bookstore (or PowerBooks, or Fully Booked, or -insert favorite bookstore here-) only to end up in a line and shelling out more than a thousand bucks for a book. Unless you're a Harry Potter fan. It's probably going to be a pain in the ass, with all the waiting and the sun (or rain, depending on how the weather pans out) above you. But nothing brings people closer than adversity and so you can bond with your fellow fans, talk about how you're all waiting in line, and then scream when the bookstore doors open and then scream again when you finally hold in your hands an actual copy of the book and then people will probably congratulate you as you head towards the exit (it's better than graduation!).

For a brief moment, I was tempted to be one of those people. Just goes to show that there's something comforting in participating in the latest "in thing". I mean can you imagine yourself putting up with all that but it's only you lining up and no one else is interested in the book? No one else in front of you waiting in line, no one else waiting with you for the doors to open, no one hearing you scream and understanding the joy of buying the first edition of a series you really really love? (Oh, and waking up really early in the morning.)

The first (and only) time I lined up for the worldwide release of Harry Potter was a few years ago, when book four just came out. Books one to three, no one really knew it was going to make it big and so bookstores didn't have that big a book launch (if any). I walked to Mega Mall and lined up in front of the PowerBooks entrance and it was a relatively long line (but not as long as, say, the Neil Gaiman line). It would have been the perfect time to insinuate my stalker presence and talk to my fellow fans but I was surrounded by old people (me being barely out of high school at the time and the woman in front of me a mom of x number of children which was obvious when she bought nearly half a dozen copies). I did manage to catch Vin in his shorts, but he didn't know me at the time.

On a side note, I'm tempted to purchase a Moleskine notebook after reading Banzai Cat's post, but you know, I don't write on notebooks (not lately at least).