The first photo is the only one I took of my book signing at @mtcloud last weekend. It was a fun and intimate event filled with unexpected and serendipitous occurrences that can only happen in Baguio.

I really had no plan beyond showing up, but then Frank Cimatu arrived and before I knew it, I had a program. He got people to read, one of them Gabe Mercado, whose office is located below the bookshop.

Gabe read a flash fiction piece dedicated to musician Ronnie Dizon. His emotional rendition prompted Lissa de Guia (who took the second and third photos), who was in the crowd, to tell us about she was in a band with Ronnie once, and that she had a dream that was exactly like the story I had written. Later, she asked when I was going to write something like that for her late husband Kidlat and his late best friend, which I felt was a huge honor.

I enjoyed the Q&A portion because for what I think was the first time in my career as a horror writer, I was able to talk about parapsychology and also link it to local folkloric practices, one of which I had literally just experienced that morning!

READ: An Ibaloy Mummy in the Baguio Museum

Speaking about these things out loud made me realize that part of why I write horror is rooted in my interest in finding the science in the supernatural (parapsychology) and finding the supernatural’s place in culture (folklore).

One guy even had a book signed for his friend in QC!

Afterwards, I was whisked away to a Friendsgiving party down the road where I was introduced to educators and cultural advocates, and also where I ran into an old editor who is now based in Baguio.

I went from being scared that no one would come to the launch to being dropped off high from a day filled with unexpected experiences and new friends.

Thank you to everyone at Mt. Cloud, to everyone who attended, and to my Baguio companions for making all of this possible.

Everyone knows that Baguio is a magical place, but few understand that the “magic” goes beyond the cold air and the smell of pine. If you let it, it can lead you on unexpected adventures. It can help you remember that the world we live in is filled with wonder. All you have to do is be open to experiencing it.