'The X-Files: The Official Archives' is a must-have for fans!

I never planned on buying The X-Files: The Official Archives. In fact, I was not excited. I usually am when it comes to X-Files collectibles, but I was not.

Was it because of the pandemic? Or, was it because of my slight tampo with the actress--the one portraying Dana Scully? After all, she ended Season 11 even before it started. Feel the huff? It MUST be the latter. Ha ha ha!

Fortunately, I gave in. I bought it.

I bought it even without any idea what it was really all about other than the fact that it's a collection of X-Files case reports. It also turned out as one of the best purchases I have made this year. This is a must-have for every X-Philes out there.

When I started reading it, I noticed how the book smelled like archived folders--like actual case/file folders. The book's texture made me feel like I was going through case files. Hearing Mulder and Scully's voices when reading their reports, even hearing other characters' voices when reading their notes.

I'm not done reading half of it, but the first few pages were pretty convincing. I was thankful to have this book--all the memories I have of the show came back, all the episodes recalled while reading these case folders. Best of all, it's like you are part of the show you love and cherish.

The X-Files: The Official Archives made me feel like I was in The X-Files universe--an agent uncovering the truth about The X-Files, Mulder and Scully, and all the conspiracies they uncovered.

Like most X-Philes, spoilers are a no-no. Hence, this sense-based review--all limited to what I see, hear, or feel.

To The X-Files and the people behind this book, especially the author, Paul Terry, THANK YOU!

Yay!

YAY!

I guess that sums up this entry.

Well, this awesome gift came when I needed it the most--hope, inspiration, and a bit of happiness. Thank you, @hellokris for this wonderful gift! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Gillian Anderson, The X-Files and inspiring words to live by.

"Whatever your truth is, stay true to yourself. But be a good person while you're at it." -Gillian Anderson

The beginning of the end of the beginning has begun. Here's to the new semester!

Focus. Fight. Finish.

I’m a Rafa!

First entry for the new year. Happy 2014, y’all! Hope you all started the year right. Hahaha! :)

I did. I think.

I was able to finish a book—a non-academic book. A memoir, to be exact. It’s a Christmas gift from Papa (as an exchange gift, of course. He’s not a gift-giving person e.). If it interests me, there’s a huge chance I’ll finish it at the soonest possible time, which I did. Started reading daaays after Christmas and finished before classes resumed. Rather, it was before I resumed studying. Hehe!

The book? It’s RAFA by Rafael Nadal and John Carlin. And, it’s A+MAZING! I am inspired by it and I got to know Rafa more as a person. I connect to his story and even his struggles not as an athlete, but as a person. Like him, I see myself as an ordinary person who is capable of something great with all the hard work, determination, and the unparalleled support of family, but fears ‘greatness’, or in his words, “the fear of winning”—it is what lets us down. This book, his story, shows us how a person can overcome this fear and how powerful ones mind can be. His mind is. The way he sets his mind into something is power. His focus is out of this world. It is his strength. It could be ours mine too. ‘Could be’.

Another highlight from the book is Rafa’s relationship with his family. His family is everything. It’s what keeps him grounded and yes, he was raised a good person. As what he said, that’s important to him. This is definitely something I can relate to because family is everything to me. A close-knit family is a blessing. A real blessing! Like him, I am blessed with one. True, problems will always be there but a strong family can overcome any problem. Also, having read his book, I understood the role of his family, particularly that of Uncle Toni’s and his team. Believe me, it’s interesting. It is very interesting (in a positive way). Well, that’s just me.

If you are a fan, you’d definitely appreciate this book. I think non-fans would too. There are a lot of sections in his memoir that are worth reading—his first Wimbledon title, the Australian Open, the French Open, Roger Federer and just everything about tennis and even football (‘soccer’). Lots of inspiring moments. A lot to learn. Novak might have read this already and even learned something from it. Hahaha! Read the book and you’ll figure it out. :)

So far, that has been the last few days of 2013 and the first few days of 2014—the realization that I am indeed a ‘Rafa’. :)

Celebrating 20 Years of The X-Files

2013 would not be complete without my little tribute to the best TV series that changed my life, The X-Files. I’ve always wanted to pay tribute to The X-Files not only as a series which helped revolutionized TV, but also one which have greatly influenced me. The truth is, The X-Files helped shaped the person who I am now. Although this may not be that entry, it would still give you a glimpse of what I have been wanting to write about as a tribute to my favorite show. I want it to be perfect, yet I know that this would not be as perfect as I want it to be. But hey, this year marked the 20th Anniversary of The X-Files and this blog would not be complete without this entry.

Cheers to 20 years!

This is just the beginning.

My real ‘journey’ with The X-Files began during my teenage years. I was probably thirteen at that time. I can’t remember my exact age but I remember the episode I first saw—‘The Musings of the Cigarette Smoking Man’. I say ‘real’ because it was the first time I had actually seen an episode—in full. I had seen clips thanks to several award shows. Yes, I did watch the Globes, the Emmys and the SAGs. I still do. Let’s just say The X-Files sweeping the Globes by winning Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Drama got me curious. And, I must say, it did not disappoint. I finally found a show that I would watch. Let’s be real, ‘Musings’ was intriguing. Although it was Mulder-less and Scully-less, it had JFK. It had the element of conspiracy theory. The execution? It’s flawless. I just knew from that moment on that I would like the show. I mean, REALLY like the show. I did not expect the magnitude of me liking it; but, as time went by, I grew up loving the show even more. The rest, as the say, is history.

It became more that just a TV show. The X-Files made a huge impact in my life. It sure did.

The Revolution.

September 10, 1993 marked the beginning of a revolution. A TV revolution. It was the birth of The X-Files. An uncanny show premiered on the FOX network. Two FBI agents—one a believer and the other a skeptic. Together, they explored the existence of the ‘little green men’, government conspiracies, and the paranormal. There was nothing like it on TV. It’s probably one of the reasons why it became a cultural phenomenon. The writing’s just brilliant.  Plus, there’s Mulder and Scully. Pop culture at its finest.

It was also the beginning of the X-Files fandom—the mother of all fandoms, the group that started it all—the Shippers, the NoRomos, the USTs and everything about fandoms. This is not just a mere claim. It is a fact. Heh.

The internet might have just been a baby during that time, but with The X-Files, its emergence was undeniable. Internet forums and message boards were on fire with episode and series discussions. X-Philes can be very passionate. I learned how to gather my thoughts, share my opinions and even argue with fellow fans through the FOX forums. Oh, how I miss those times!

Who could forget the fan fiction? I’ve never read one but I am quite aware of the stories fans write—some are really awesome, others can be hilarious but all of them equally good. I think. Hahaha. I guess, the viewers were inspired by the brilliant X-Files writers to write their own stories, following (or not) The X-Files storyline. These would show how a television series can actually influence people—individually, creatively, or even emotionally.

The X-Files clearly revolutionized the internet landscape. They did so, too, on TV with their monster-of-the-week episodes, the mythology episodes and of course, the scary and controversial ones (uhm, does ‘Home’ ring a bell?). As creator Chris Carter would say, it’s all about timing. Luckily for The X-Files, they had what other shows did not have, TIMING. Alien and government conspiracies were quite a thing during the 90s. A number of people were interested with a show that would give them the creeps. Plus, they had (still have) the fans—the ever supportive and rabid ones. And, they (WE!) are smart too. Ha!

Lastly, The X-Files have Mulder & Scully. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The best duo ever with the best chemistry forever. A lot of shows today have patterned their lead characters/actors after Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson). I won’t name names. It’s nice that they do/did because the formula has certainly been a hit in most shows. That says a lot. As a fan, I am proud of that. Sure, it pisses us off sometimes (considering the fandom clashes lol) but there’s that sense of legacy—a continuing X-Files legacy—that it has remained relevant for 20 years now (and counting). That’s something! That, my friends, is THE X-FILES.

20 Years.

‘OMG’. By simply typing "’20 years”, I can’t help the ‘OMG’ feels. Hahaha! A lot happened this 2013. FOX might not have The X-Files Anniversary Special I have been asking all year; nonetheless, the people behind the amazing series, the fans, the lead actors and fellow cast members, made the 20th Anniversary of The X-Files really special. They did it for the show and for the fans. We really are the luckiest bunch out there ha.

We got The X-Files Season 10 comics, which is amazing, by the way. It’s like watching the series, only you’re reading a comic. Hahaha. You visualize it. I mean, you’re reading it like you’re watching it. You’re hearing David and Gillian’s voices and imagine how they may act the scenes out. It’s a Phile thing!

XFilesNews had the tweet-a-thon. It was a worldwide hit. #XF20 brought back a lot of great memories esp. the interactions we had with fellow fans—whether they be the old ones or the baby new ones. The fact that we had a 140 character limit to show our love and support for the greatest TV show ever is a challenge but we managed. It’s amazing how we came up with our sweet little tweet tribute to the cast and crew. They deserve all our love support—be it with or without The X-Files.

THE CONS!!! I can’t even. Many thanks to TV Guide, EW, SDCC, NYCC, reddit and everyone who made the 20 years of The X-Files so special. The David and Gillian moments are priceless. Those moments will forever be cherished—the photos, the conversations, the questions, the answers, the gazing, the smiling, the everything. Again, THE E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. OF. EVERY. MOMENT. So much love and support. ♥

The X-Files Collection.

Me buying X-Files stuffs is not something new. I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager. Hahaha! I save money so I could buy a magazine, a VHS tape, a DVD, a poster, an episode guide or any X-Files collectible. I still have them all. In celebrating the 20 years of this great show, there have been a lot of additions to my collection this year. They can best be shown through photos, as seen below. All I can say is, I have finally completed my DVD series set, thanks to Amazon’s Black Friday sale! :)

The 20th Anniversary is a legitimate excuse! :)

		XF20 Collection VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Certainly, 2013 is the year of The X-Files. I would have loved to have attend any of the cons but I couldn’t. I wanted to. I couldn’t. This, however, did not stop me from celebrating the 20th Anniversary of The X-Files.

A milestone. 20 years. The X-Files.

Kudos!

THANK YOU, 2013!

My GetGlue stickers are here!

It's legit after all.

April 23, 2013. After weeks (a month and a week), my GetGlue stickers finally arrived. I think they are really cool. Heh.

 

I did not really know what GetGlue was until I tried it. I actually thought I could watch TV shows and movies for free. Haha. I mean, who knew!?!! Eventually, I learned what it was about. Great for sticker collectors like me! Yeah, I have bunch of stickers--not as many as the real collectors, of course. I am a normal sticker collector and I think GetGlue stickers are really cool esp. those limited stickers. Yeah, sometimes you just need to check-in even though you're not really watching the show/movie, HA! Well, most of the time I only check-in to shows/movies I currently watch. At least, the 'I am watching' phrase is official when you connect it with Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr. It looks organized and good ha.

Since they're so pretty and cool...and more importantly, they are actually ordered and shipped for free, the second batch is on its way! I do hope I get to receive 'em still! 

Don't get lost in the way, GetGlue stickers!

The X-Files DVDs—almost complete!

January 08, 2013 – The DVDs have arrived!

It’s ‘public knowledge’. I am a huge fan of The X-Files, the best TV series in the whole universe! My time has come. I finally had the chance to purchase and have my very own the X-Files DVDs from Amazon. Remember the Black Friday sale? Yes. It was the best deal yet. Each DVD set cost $10.49 from Seasons 1 to 6. My X-Files DVD Series Collection is almost complete. Two to go! And yes, I am hoping I could purchase Seasons 8 and 9 at the same rate ha.

Finally, Season 7 is no longer alone—the classic packaging and all that. Mix the old with the new. The new sets and the old one—you can clearly see the difference, huh? Huge 7.

There’s a reason to have such a delayed post after all. I just didn’t want to end January with the previous post.

Hooray for The X-Files DVDs!