Monday, September 26, 2011

Mendicancy


Saturday was a productive day. I went to a furniture shop in the town proper of Sta. Rosa, one of my father’s childhood friends owns the shop and informed my father that he will be retiring soon. My father told me that there aren’t a lot of great furniture workers in Sta. Rosa as the new comers are nothing more than “Dayuhans” or outsiders and don't know a rat's ass about wood. We went there since I’m working on my sewing frame.

After that I went to DLSU Manila to attend the World Poetry for Peace event and meet an online friend, I also get to meet interesting people, where we shared ideas at McDonald’s.

Stitched shots


The Ffff exhibit will be opening tonight so when evening fell I went to Mandaluyong and see the exhibit where my friend Zeus Bascon was included in the lineup of artists exhibiting their works.
It was an interactive show where guests can write on Zeus’s hand-bound book in Japanese method.
The exhibit is open until October 14th, take a look and interact with the other works available so I don’t have to write about what the other works are like. See it for yourself!

Zeus and I went back to Laguna together and perhaps it was a stressing day for him. On the way he was bothered by an event that happened recently that involved a lady beggar and them in eating in a restaurant. The lady beggar was asking for food.
He said he wanted to give the food because they’re not eating it anymore but a friend of his said that people should work hard if they want to eat. A friend of his who are known to be quite penurious and mean to beggars also wanted to give it to poor woman. He was so bothered that he asked me what he should have done or what was the right thing he should have done. 
So their left overs remained on the table and the beggar remained hungry, happy ending.

Mendicancy is prevalent in the Philippines, that is why there is a law “Anti-Mendicancy” PD 1563, prohibiting and penalizing anyone caught begging and giving alms to beggars. Please people, know the law of your country. Ignorance will only make a bigot out of you, read, go to lectures and explore new grounds.

If you want to follow the law and be a good citizen then by all means be stingy to these poverty stricken creatures. Otherwise, follow what your instinct tells you, help a person in need – if it’s perhaps the thing that makes you human.
There are many reasons and issues why Mendicants are prevalent in the country and yes we want to put an end to poverty and giving them food won't help much in their situation but there are many ways on how we can help put an end to poverty. Support organizations that builds communities, build homes or helps to educate children.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Forlorn Felines


I came across a pet psychology article a few months back and confirmed that animals too have several behaviors similar to man. They can be depressed as well and lose a sense of reality and may even commit suicide.
Laguna is my hometown and I see to it that I get to visit the place several times in a month, I currently own three cats, two kitties and a really old one. 


 
Marius has lost a claw and it was just recently that I realized he’s depressed. Over his feline life he had his stomach punctured so awfully he had a hole on his belly for a month and I covered it up with cloth from an old shirt my mom bought from Thailand that I hated so much and packing tape. Eventually it healed. I thought of going to the vet, I asked my cousin’s husband who was a vet and said that since time has passed and the wound lining the hole of my cat’s stomach has dried up, I should get a razor, re-new the wound and glue it up with mighty bond or super glue. 

 
He doesn’t have a hole anymore but he has lost a claw, leaving a wound that never seemed to heal. 

 
Almasy on the other hand was a kitten that my dad took from my grandmother's place. He said that Marius is dying, I told him to take back the cat because I don’t have time to take care of them and Marius wasn’t dying. Eventually two kitties were added, the last one was Luca.

Luca was the smallest and since I wasn’t home all the time, my dog Cinnamon out of jealousy has murdered Luca in front of Almasy. When I came back, I heard the news and saw Almasy who seem to have lost all hopes in life. He used to be playful and frisky but when I saw him, he was just lying on a rug staring into the cosmos. He hasn’t eaten in days and despite a pile of sardines prepared for him he didn’t dare move. After that he disappeared for a time and came back with the same behavior, he did start to eat a little but he still seemed unhappy. I bought him a catnip for P10, a genius toy that moves on the ground with the help of a thread and a spinner. He just looked at it and gave out a hopeless breath. He has stopped meowing and has stopped doing other activities such as climbing on the car’s roof.

My dad on the other hand took another kitty from my grandmother’s place and again, we named it Luca. Hopefully he would get over his mental illness and soon resume to normal behavior. Otherwise, I might just take him to the vet and have him take prescribed anti-depressants. I wonder how much it is to get a cat to be put to sleep… 

Almasy
According to this article about cat depression, owners should give cats lots of attention and reassurance so they can regain their normal behaviors. The main reason I liked cats is because they aren't as demanding as dogs... I guess I thought wrong.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Waking by Veronica Laurel


My poem “Waking” is included in the Dream Pop Issue of Paper Monster Press, a small press zine that originated in Cavite staffed by talented young individuals.
The zine includes short stories, poetry and even music, enclosing a music cd in every issue.
Get your copy now! Available in Espasyo Siningdikato.

Meet me at the MIBF!


I will be at the Manila International Book Fair on September 17, 2011 to see what is happening and attend the general assembly of Filcols. For the occasion, I would also be selling the limited edition copy of my poetry collection “Sorrow is the Romanticist’s Necessary Affliction of the Soul”, a ten poem collection I wrote in the span of 6 years.
See you there!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Yes, you too can be VEGETARIAN!

Train your brain to crave healthy foods

 

This article discuss how the environment can tempt you into eating unhealthy food and re-programming your instinct when it comes to eating healthy. When you think about it, it can also be done with vegetarianism, all you have to do is surround yourself with vegetables and stray from meat. 

 

That is why it is hard for individuals who wish to go vegetarian when his or her family are meat-eaters. Being vegetarian takes determination and enormous will-power but it's worth it.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

My Two Super Dads Out on September

Families come in all different shapes, sizes and makeup these days. This family has two dads and shares the story of day to day life: cooking, games and fun all around!

I am swamped this month with so many things to do and build, not to mention running low on cash...
On other sides of the world there's a nice little children's book for gay families coming out this September. Unfortunately, it's not available in the Philippines but online orders are available, I believe it's only available in Australia...

Excerpt:
“I’ve got two Dads
We make a family
We’ve got a cat and a dog
And a garden with a big oak tree”