tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23480730483500920752024-03-14T01:43:33.003+08:00The Story of My Life (or Lack Thereof)It's the unexpected that makes life BEAUTIFULKasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-13698051924670481532013-08-13T16:04:00.000+08:002013-08-13T16:04:59.759+08:00Reno(vate) or Relo(cate)?<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's one of the few shows I watch on the boob tube and I'm applying that question to my blog.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I have a 17-year history with keeping an online journal. I was blogging before it was called "blogging". I also have a long history of packing up and moving house... not unlike my online blogging history. Somewhere out there is another blog I've abandoned.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>While I don't treat my personal relationships this way, I do have a reason for the repeated jumping of ships. You see, a blog is an online extension of myself. It presents a real, albeit very incomplete, part of me. When I evolve (so Pokemon-ish), I stop being the person who used to write the entries. Her struggles are no longer mine. I have moved on, and I think so must the blog.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Staying on, for me, is like wearing a pair of old jeans - they are comfy, but they have ceased to represent your old style.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>That said, I am at a point in my life when I seek some semblance of permanence. Moving away is too taxing on the body, mind, and spirit.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So, after that long attention-seeking intro that is so typical of me, I now face my latest choice: do I renovate this blog to match my current evolution (still homo sapiens), or do I do as I usually do: pack up and run?</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Waiter, I'll have another beer, please. Thanks.</b></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-12945136252077685932013-04-17T20:31:00.000+08:002013-04-17T21:50:24.254+08:00The Dogs of Bangkok<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><em>Soi</em> dogs. <em>Soi</em> means "street" so these gentle creatures are literally street dogs.<br /><br />Most look like mixes - Husky meets Labrador meets Poodle meets Shar-pei. There is also an occasional pure-breed. There is one common thing: they are all (among those I've seen anyway) well-fed.<br /><br />Street carts and hole-in-the-wall eateries are everywhere - they line the main roads, populate the narrowest <em>soi</em>s, and exist even under stairs leading to the BTS stations.<br /><br />Where there are carts, there is food. Where there is food, there are customers. At the end of the day, there are leftovers, and - in the case of the <em>gai tom</em> (chicken soup - actually like HCR) stalls - lots of leftovers. These leftovers inevitably find their way to the dogs.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsn8Bk4CBv9EvEbzfWL3YEccj7XhvpvHRgKVZlLHU272i1E0cwWdhhW-vVPuO8hsuRyS6PX32bA9LVWhGh90uYaqbBIOREYtvBm4BG5f4yPkcfwjSaBTi_UXZaFSkwQPYAyPK4VcgDdK0/s1600/DSC08138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsn8Bk4CBv9EvEbzfWL3YEccj7XhvpvHRgKVZlLHU272i1E0cwWdhhW-vVPuO8hsuRyS6PX32bA9LVWhGh90uYaqbBIOREYtvBm4BG5f4yPkcfwjSaBTi_UXZaFSkwQPYAyPK4VcgDdK0/s320/DSC08138.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A short-snouted medium-sized brown dog at the Sathorn Pier (near Saphan Taksin BTS station) <br />eats out of a plastic bag</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the dogs (and a few cats as well) actually have collars. These are usually put on by the people who become the primary caregivers for the animals.<br /><br />They are simple folk. There is a large dog near Popsie's condo who lies in front of his master, a security guard for a condo building under construction. His master speaks no English; I speak no Thai (yet) but I understand in the way that he (the security guard) coaxes the dog to get up and look at my camera (he doesn't) that he loves the animal. He has another one under his care, a lush-haired black medium dog that looks like a Husky-Labrador cross.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mZaME2Ygv7kafMuqX708WLU_-AJcON60-E7tuC3jO8LvT5ADutxM9ml6dr7Gn-uueWW_vaJcGfYBKTEOPI6ba5KfY7FwP8bMAWPLqcuGMZqLpMH_kR6oSDwt-_Ogoy1Mbp2PX-9IByE/s1600/041720132060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mZaME2Ygv7kafMuqX708WLU_-AJcON60-E7tuC3jO8LvT5ADutxM9ml6dr7Gn-uueWW_vaJcGfYBKTEOPI6ba5KfY7FwP8bMAWPLqcuGMZqLpMH_kR6oSDwt-_Ogoy1Mbp2PX-9IByE/s320/041720132060.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">He lives on soi Anuman Radjamon with another dog; they both have collars <br />and are cared for by a security guard</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside a shop across Naradhiwas lies a medium-sized black dog. He looks like a mix of Rottie and Lab. It was almost dusk and he is taking a nap on the warm concrete. His guardian owns the <em>gai tom</em> stall a few meters from where he reposes. With my broken Thai and the stall owner's broken English (and a lot of mutual hand-gestures), I discover this dog found his way here a couple of years prior - with a broken leg and ticks. He is healthy now and gets as much leftover rice and chicken as he wants at the end of the business day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ64xA1ec_CpMtS9s9uEFM-zJiqE534PQxx3b5IOWCNshf7VVsubzgAovy8sdlKu8MVfmMGfC2aUnOq3hWSB3gtz7H9h2J6CiYlGKoBpUGEvFcAkCdIYca1M4VCzZxDdkDWy_Ze2_D1w/s1600/041720132061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ64xA1ec_CpMtS9s9uEFM-zJiqE534PQxx3b5IOWCNshf7VVsubzgAovy8sdlKu8MVfmMGfC2aUnOq3hWSB3gtz7H9h2J6CiYlGKoBpUGEvFcAkCdIYca1M4VCzZxDdkDWy_Ze2_D1w/s320/041720132061.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The darling black dog who raised his head to look at me while I took his picture</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't help but think how much better off our homeless animals could be if we Pinoys could be as compassionate and care about life as much as Thais. Sure, the Thai guardians may not give adequate vet care. The dogs may not have the concept of "home" that the Western world does, but they do have a home. They do have owners.<br /><br />They do have good lives - and it is SO much better than the lives of the dogs I see in Metro Manila.<br /><br />What we Pinoys need to feel is not merely pity, but to be moved to do something. Anything.<br /><br />What we need is compassion, and to </span><a href="http://caraphil.org/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">be the spark that ignites the flame of change.</span></a></div>
Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-78992118053743620322013-04-14T22:50:00.000+08:002013-04-14T22:50:03.708+08:00How to get wet safely during Songkran<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the year 2556! Hurray!<br /><br />Thais celebrate the new year in style: getting soaked head to foot and plastering gooey flesh-colored paste on people's faces.<br /><br />No one is exempted. Everyone gets wet and gets flesh-colored warpaint on their faces. Whether you are on foot, in a van, in a <em>tuktuk</em>, or just going to 7-Eleven to buy ice.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKi5yiGUScAl5f2x1_q_g2NHD0Kg6VN590dDxHPx4X0Cn9iyTSiPKPVhrgcsu96q1JkiYGDYQ7Cgsa-m5loPYTXjFmqnCox_Ex5lEc9_aXxXmFEKM4BAcYZCyiuVTPWDeGNDyRURQoAI/s1600/Songkran+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKi5yiGUScAl5f2x1_q_g2NHD0Kg6VN590dDxHPx4X0Cn9iyTSiPKPVhrgcsu96q1JkiYGDYQ7Cgsa-m5loPYTXjFmqnCox_Ex5lEc9_aXxXmFEKM4BAcYZCyiuVTPWDeGNDyRURQoAI/s320/Songkran+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">You look like you need a cold shower!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Your camera won't save you!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is extremely crowded so be very mindful of your possessions - even the ones attached to your body (harhar). The crowds are massive. Think of it as EDSA Dos...but with water. Lots of it. Mostly icy.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The crowd on Thanon Silom corner Thanon Naradiwas - this is the thinnest part, trust me!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you do decide to join the craziness, come prepared. We did!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Don't mess with the Pinoy Songkran Warriors!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I skipped today's craziness and went to Nichada Thani for another face-stuffing of Pinoy food.<br />There's still tomorrow - the last and most <em>bonggaceous</em> day of Songkran.<br /><br />Sawasdee Pi Mai Kha!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">All pictures courtesy of Larry Castro</span></span></span></div>
Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0Bangkok, Thailand13.7522222 100.493888913.2586212 99.8484419 14.2458232 101.1393359tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-33164133068979692412013-04-14T21:03:00.000+08:002013-04-14T22:04:28.341+08:00Khai Thoon, my four-legged Thai friend<span style="color: lime; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I made a new friend.<br /><br />This is Khai Thoon. He is a 2-year old Rhodesian Ridgeback owned by a Caucasian couple two houses down from my dad's boss' place in Nichada Thani.<br /><br />He is lovely, rambunctious... and left outside when his people are not home. Just like today.<br /><br />It made me very sad and a bit angry at his owners, frankly, but he is so cute and friendly that I could not help but warm up to him.<br /><br />He is, after all, the first Ridger I've seen in person (in dog?)<br /><br />Just look at him!</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think he's a mix, though - his ears are too small and his coat a bit too lush but what the heck. He was affectionate... and hungry! I think it's no accident his name translates to "tender chicken"... or at least that's what it sounds like.<br /><br />Good thing a group of 20+ Pinoys and Thais were having a feast in the same courtyard he was frolicking in. He was well fed today.<br /><br />Now... if I could only have a word with his owners...</span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-89744844450929185672013-04-13T11:52:00.000+08:002013-04-13T20:29:13.136+08:00Never say "hoy" in Thailand and other useful (less) information<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HELLO Bangkok!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Me, my Momsie, Tito Nico, and his son Joel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a 45-minute delay, a gate change, a short bus ride on the tarmac, a thunderstorm (complete with lots of lightning) viewed from above, a bit of turbulence, a chatty German fellow for a seatmate, a nice Taiwanese guy offering me his dinner (he claimed he was full, but I think he thought I was starving), and 3 and quarter hours in the air 5J 931 made it to Suvarnabhumi.<br /><br />I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am to be here. For one, I've missed my Dad... and I missed the food. Hey, at least I'm honest!<br /><br />Pop had a feast waiting for us back at the condo. I was too hungry to take more pictures. The shrimp was succulent and sweet, the <i>lumpia</i>-thing refreshingly herby, and the crab sticks firm and crabby (eh?).</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Boiled shrimp, crab sticks, fresh lumpia reminiscent of <i>popiah</i> and fiery dips</span></div>
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Woke up a couple of hours ago after 6 glorious hours of horizontal sleep (I can never sleep in moving vehicles - can you?) and started eating again. Sliced up a whole honeydew melon and ate it (still am) while surfing the Net.<br /><br />Later on, the water madness of Songkran begins... I got my high-powered water gun and my bikini ready!<br /><br />Oh, and today's lesson? Pinoys, never say "hoy!" around here... It may be the quintessential greeting/beckoning utterance back home but here it refers to the vajayjay. ;-) </span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-82267057856912654432011-07-10T01:54:00.001+08:002011-07-10T02:16:34.554+08:00<h6 style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255); font-weight: normal;font-family:arial;" class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Does everything really happen for a reason or is that just a way for us humans to attempt to comprehend something incomprehensible - the new opiate for the masses?</span></span><br /></span></span></h6>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-64701921905991622482011-06-19T02:22:00.003+08:002011-07-10T01:53:41.224+08:00The Daily (Doggy) Grind: It's a Dog Eat Dog World Part 1 - Taste Test<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">When I felt Nikka has recovered enough to be put on a real carnivore's diet, we dove in head-first. Well, she did anyway. It was into a meal of raw meaty bones (equivalent to 2% of her ideal body weight (not a very active dog to begin with - strange for a Beagle).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We started off with a quarter chicken - also her humans' favorite chicken part - the thigh and leg. The meat was ribboned and the skin scored. The leg was frozen for 24 hours then thawed in the chiller overnight and put on the counter for the ten minutes it took me to scrub her food bowl clean, sanitize her eating space, and put the whole(!) chicken slab in her dish.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">At first, she gave me a look that said "Mom, have you gone insane? Where's my kibble with wet dog food?" before walking away (her siblings had all finished their kibble meals so she had nowhere to forage). A few minutes later, she came back and licked at the skin. A few more licks later, she took the first bite. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">She bit, chewed and chewed and chewed then swallowed. It took her thirty whole minutes to finish her meal - she had plenty of leftovers. I was so proud of her.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I still am!<br /><br />I am happier still that Deedee the Basset Girl and Hunter the Cocker Spaniel lil man have gone the Nikka way and are on RMBs now. The proud momma (yours truly) has started giving them bits of liver with their chicken. Douglas and Lilly have followed suit and I am ecstatic! Soon we're going into the uncharted territory of pork ribs, beef heart and bull pen*ses. Oh yes, you read that right!<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-80220062486089253732011-06-15T23:34:00.002+08:002011-06-15T23:34:00.829+08:00The Daily (Doggy) Grind: How I Rue About The Chew(ies)!<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Because our canines are fed a kibble-based diet (this will change soon - that's a separate post altogether), they need to brush their teeth and chew on various "teeth-cleaning" chewies. And such expensive things they are!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Two "bones" made of compressed rawhide will keep two dogs busy for about half an hour - just enough to alleviate boredom. It costs 80Php or about 2USD. A dollar for each dog for half an hour of teeth-cleaning fun. Ouch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A 6-pack of 3-inch edible chewbones costs 70Php or about 1.80USD. One pack keeps all five canines (Deedee is a chewing machine) busy for another half hour. Double ouch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If I went to Chatuchak (a huge outdoor market in Central Bangkok), I could get both of these things for less than 1USD.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On second thought, if my canines were eating as a wild dog does, they need none of these highly-processed things! What wolf in the wild needs chewthings made with tapioca starch, guar/xantham gum, and possibly even artificial coloring? How do all these contribute to strong, shiny teeth? Heck, I even brush their teeth with enzymatic veterinary toothpaste and their breath is still "doggy"...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I really think it's time for a change!<br /><br />*** Edit: All five canines - Douglas, Nikka, Hunter, Deedee and Lilly - are now on raw meat (chicken like manna from heaven!), and virtually all the deposits on their teeth are gone - except for the little bits on Nikka's and Hunter's back teeth. I still brush them to get them off.<br /></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-3017311822220140532011-06-11T14:01:00.001+08:002011-06-13T01:02:09.258+08:00The Daily (Doggy) Grind: Who Let The Dogs Out?<span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I did. I have to. Twice a day. Everyday - rain or shine, come hell or high water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">(Well, maybe not high water. In that event, I'd have five dogs on leashes and life vests and we'll all be swimming for our lives!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I need to let them out into the fresh air twice a day for their twice-daily P&P session (poo and pee, excuse me, readers who are eating as they read) plus their daily dose of R&R (romp and roam). The consequences of missing this are drastic: imagine five hyperactive dogs pissed off and bored being cooped up in a 30sqm, one-bedroom apartment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Last weekend, the Fantastic Five were due for their afternoon walk when the rain fell hard and fast. What can two puny humans (J and I) do against the forces of nature? Nothing! So the leashes were put on and all seven of us went for a romp in the rain. I wish I had a water-proof camera to capture the moments of canine bliss.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Dogs (mine, at least), need to see the outdoors and gulp fresh air for their well-being and their humans' peace of mind. The skylight in the living room can only do so much.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So go ahead and let the dogs out... and burn a few calories in the process. Just don't forget your poop scooper!<br /><br />*** update: all five dogs now eating raw! Tomorrow is their first time eating pork! Keeping fingers and toes crossed!<br /></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-6313185464075210042011-06-05T11:27:00.004+08:002011-06-05T11:27:00.445+08:00The Daily (Doggy) Grind: A Food Matter<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >Who knew the subject of food would bring me, a canine Mommy, so much heartbreak and frustration? Much as any mother in any species would, I want the best nutrition for my children. I want to make sure their chow is made from wholesome ingredients that give them the nutrition they need while making sure it's free of stuff that canines can very much do without. Allergens, sub-standard materials, inferior protein sources (euthanized dogs, dead/diseased/dying/disabled animals, infected sheep placenta and stillborn calves - any takers?), unnecessary carbohydrates - these are things I do not want in my dogs' food.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >So imagine my chagrin when switching my Bea-gurl Nikka (there were only two canines in our home, then) to a grain-free formula with 40% mcp (min crude protein) brought about a spike in her BUN and liver enzymes and seizures that shook the hell out of me and was misdiagnosed as distemper by another vet (NOT Doc Rommel of Pet Cradle Veterinary Clinic - the main man in our canine girls' lives hehehehe)! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >What does a concerned mother do? Why, find another food source! As puppies in their respective breeders' houses, Nikka and Deedee were fed a brand we shall call OP. It is a relatively inexpensive brand (about 60 Php or USD1.50 per kilogram) that was commonly sold in every pet food store in the city. On the package, the declared mcp is anywhere from 25% to 27% - well within the 27% mcp ceiling for maintenance for dogs with liver issues. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >The girls seemed to be OK on the food, until I noticed that Nikka's coat was dull and Deedee was actually losing hair. With that, I started replacing 1/10 of their daily food with a brand we will call ALSO, which has 40% mcp. Their coat condition improved, and Deedee stopped waking up with her blinkers filled with eye boogers.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >As I researched deeper into the ingredients of these dog foods, I realized that most inexpensive brands used cheap grains that no dog in its right mind would consume, let alone need: corn, brewers' rice, wheat feed and all sorts of gluten. More startling, even the more expensive dog food brands contain this stuff too. Wait a minute, aren't dogs carnivores? What are all these carbohydrate sources doing in my dogs' chow? Won't my pups just be pooping this out after the stuff travels their GI tract and probably irritating it too? Carnivores, such as dogs, need glucose as all mammals do but not necessarily from dietary carb sources, yes? They don't really need it in their diet since they can make glucose from fat and protein, right?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >It disturbs me, too, that the veterinary world finds no concensus on whether or not dogs need grain (or carbohydrates from non-grain sources, for that matter) in their diet or not. We have seen generations upon generations of dogs fed grain-based dry kibble and they seem alright. But that doesn't mean these canines really NEED the grain, right? </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >I studied human anatomy back in college for two years. I studied vertebrate anatomy for only one year, so I never got into the nitty-gritty of animal digestion and metabolism beyond the different metabolic cycles (gluconeogenesis is a new word!) and the different types of carnivores. But this is something I have been changing and will continue to change. But I know this for a fact: dogs are carnivores and should be fed carnivore-appropriate food. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >Research, especially in this day and age, can be jump-started by a few mouse clicks. This has led me to many published journal articles on this matter. Let's just say I am 100% more informed now that I was last year, when Nikka started having her seizures.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >In a couple of years, I will further my knowledge in animal (and not just canine) health and nutrition by going back to school. Yes, I will be entering veterinary school in a couple of years at the ripe old age of... =) Hopefully!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >But for now, with the research I have seen and absorbed, I am settling for the middle ground: feeding my dogs food that stays within the recommended 27% mcp<span style="font-family:arial;"> and with a low glycemic index grain.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:arial;" >This will change (very soon), when I feel I have seen all the information there is out there. Only then will I be able to choose what I think is the best for my canine kids. But I will say it again: my furkids are carnivores, plain and simple. Carbs - grain or not - have no place in their diets.<br /><br />** Edit: I bit the bullet and put Nikka, Deedee, and Hunter on RMB's full throttle. Just didn't feed them their usual kibble for two meals (24 hours) then scored three leg-and-thigh chicken quarters and called it breakfast. Proud momma moment once more! Hyuk hyuk hyuk...<br /></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-23465324594497877242011-06-02T23:24:00.002+08:002011-06-04T17:46:49.286+08:00The Daily (Doggy) Grind: The Early-Morning Hours<span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">The cellphone alarm goes off at 5:40AM. I snuggle deeper into my pillow, it's too damn early and the bed is so inviting! Alas, if I don't get up now another louder alarm will wake me up a few minutes later anyway - the sound of five canines who need to go out to pee!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So it goes every morning. Mommy K needs to get up and put on requisite outside clothing (boxer shorts and sando does not an outdoor outfit make). She then needs to struggle with getting only the chosen dogs - if the girls go first, then the boys need to be made to stay inside. Vise versa if the boys go first, which is usually the (harder) case.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After a walk around the block, a few deposits of P&P have been made - scooped up, bagged, and disposed off - and Mommy K is ready to head back to get the next batch of canines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">She then needs to measure out five portions of dog food - each of a different weight and food combination (in case of the youngest, who still eats puppy chow) - into five different food bowls, top with a dollop of warmed canned dog food and mixed like Beef Pepper Rice. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Each bowl on the floor, the struggle is an old one - how to ensure no dog eats off his brothers' or sisters' share. It's madness; it's chaos - exacerbated by times when the youngest boy or the middle girl refuse to eat - the need to hand-feed is imminent!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After the Great Chow-scapade, Mommy K washes the gravity waterer and refills with another 1.5gallons of agua . That's just enough to last these five bundles of energy about ten hours - the time between Mommies leaving for work and returning home.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While Mommy K attends to the kids' (pups' ?) nutrition, Mommy J sets about making sure the floor is clean of any drool, spilled food or misplaced pee (yes, that does NOT belong on the floor, dear canine).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a snapshot of our Early Morning Hours... and while we do this 7 days a week, we Mommies would never trade it for anything in the world.<br /><br />*** Edit: That's just two bowls of dog food now. Nikka, Deedee and Hunter are now on RMB's (raw meaty bones) starting with chicken quarters. Yum! You should see them crunching on them chickies like it was their job! Proud momma moment!<br /></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-34494046317086671072011-05-28T09:00:00.001+08:002011-05-28T09:00:01.492+08:00Meet our Fantastic Five: Lilly<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBqbbaHc_yv50HRzGIc9UUBj8mB6rxrRaI9nowcKrSkn3VqHdx2qjOsPKgiy0f1Eqnkx1czWtwOaNGRTIqI_sQ93bZQLDt5k_v0XfHXP9h0XqGQVpPrifQUOyIsGiPANNcqoRdF-4m0Q/s1600/ID+Picture+-+Lilly.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBqbbaHc_yv50HRzGIc9UUBj8mB6rxrRaI9nowcKrSkn3VqHdx2qjOsPKgiy0f1Eqnkx1czWtwOaNGRTIqI_sQ93bZQLDt5k_v0XfHXP9h0XqGQVpPrifQUOyIsGiPANNcqoRdF-4m0Q/s200/ID+Picture+-+Lilly.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605072381159688898" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Allyson Natasha was the last of five siblings who were born three days shy of Christmas in 2010. The smallest of the litter, she also has the most distinctive look - as if she'd been sparring with Manny Pacquiao and he got one on her. A true-blue <span style="font-style: italic;">aspin</span> (short for <span style="font-style: italic;">asong Pinoy</span> - literally Filipino Dog), she is most of the time mistaken to be a mix of bulldog, fox hound, Jack Russel Terrier and Beagle! Wha....?</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Our </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >bunso</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> (youngest child) is her own dog, with a sweet shyness and a spark of mischief in her hazel eyes. She bullies her <span style="font-style: italic;">ate</span>s (older sisters) and <span style="font-style: italic;">kuya</span>s (older brothers) when the fancy strikes her - and I'm not sure if it's her age or her cuteness that lets her get away with it.<br /><br />She learned the command "sit" at warp speed at just three months of age. Though she lacks self-confidence and would rather not go out on walks with her mommies and siblings, she has the time of her life when loafing around the house with her canine siblings.</span></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-21803097648300150242011-05-24T09:01:00.003+08:002011-05-27T23:30:25.076+08:00Meet our Fantastic Five: Deedee<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stargazer15/5706400297/" title="Deedee asks Doug to share by kasseopeia112, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/5706400297_406b4f2bc6_m.jpg" alt="Deedee asks Doug to share" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Aiesha Nadyne, our 19kg Basset Hound who thinks she is a 9lb lapdog, forced her way out of Pin (her dam) on the same date my parents got married in church - May 24. Today, this huge clown of a dog is one year old and is as naughty as ever.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A true alpha female she, who dominates even her ate Nikka, has no qualms about stealing attention from the canine we are currently cuddling. Like a true hound, she chows on anything in sight - plastic bags are not an exception. Despite this, she is the healthiest of our five furbabies.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Her energentic tailwag and loud voice are the first to greet any new arrivals into our home - followed a split-second later by soft but huge paws on the upper thighs (or knees, depending on the newcomer's height) and frenzied face-licks as soon as one leans down to pet her.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Soft and cuddly, this living stuffed toy is a joy to snuggle up to if one doesn't mind the confetti of hair left on every available body surface.</span><br /></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-2902689584057877632011-05-22T20:57:00.001+08:002011-05-22T20:57:00.274+08:00Meet our Fantastic Five: Hunter<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stargazer15/5706400899/" title="Hunter by kasseopeia112, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/5706400899_068ed2d032_m.jpg" alt="Hunter" width="240" height="179" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">This buff hairball breathed his first on the first of August 2009. My memories of him as a puppy are his soft paws, riotous fur and his near-death experience due to Parvo.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Our little survivor is now a big bully at home, daring to hump his kuya Douglas who is 25% heavier than he is. He is our all-in-one alarm clock, cuddly toy, burglar alarm, and baying machine. One bark from a dog within earshot and he is off joining the chorus.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">This small dog with great looks walks like a dog on a mission, which my brother calls a "mad dash". Solitary walking (just me and Hunt) has curbed his mad-dash tendecies and we can enjoy our twice-daily walks at a leisurely pace.</span></span><br /></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-85950370628742655062011-05-20T08:52:00.000+08:002011-05-20T08:52:00.404+08:00Meet our Fantastic Five: Nikka<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stargazer15/5706967434/" title="Waking up sleeping beauty by kasseopeia112, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/5706967434_6b6c61b439_m.jpg" alt="Waking up sleeping beauty" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Annikka Nicolette came into the human world on June 24, 2009. J and I decided to have her after a phone conversation. She was at home; I was in High Street with Douglas.<br /><br />I came home to the cutest Bea-gurl I have ever laid my eyes on. This mischievous prima donna quickly won us over, depsite her sharp puppy teeth and noisy baying. Admittedly, J and I never got to enjoy her puppyhood, something we are still making up for.<br /><br />Nikka is the ultimate VelcroDog. She goes where the humans are and would nudge us with her muzzle until we either scold her or give in to her demands for a head-scratching. While she does not enjoy the boar-bristle brush as much as her <span style="font-style: italic;">kuya,</span> she will never say no to a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears.<br /><br />She is the most aloof Beagle I have ever met. While she is a bundle of energy, there are times when I'm convinced she is almost feline. Also, she is not the typical chowhound that most dogs her breed are. She is extremely picky with her food... and she eats the strangest things. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sampaloc</span>-eating dog, anyone?<br /><br />This sweet little Bea-gurl is one of the reasons why J and I are celebrating our 5th year as a couple this year =)</span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-43095184538032677702011-05-16T20:49:00.000+08:002011-05-16T20:49:00.299+08:00Meet our Fantastic Five: Douglas<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stargazer15/5706966294/" title="Douglas loves his chew toy by kasseopeia112, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/5706966294_edb78e2ce0_m.jpg" alt="Douglas loves his chew toy" width="180" height="240" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Douglas was whelped March 13, 2009 - which makes him our eldest child. Before he came into our household, he was pretty much my baby too, as I would tag along to take him walking at High Street whenever I can. It was also because of his adorable face that I decided I wanted a Bea-gurl as my eldest dog (hence, Nikka - but that's a separate story).</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Doug, Douglas, Dugam, Dayam, Progs, Prugam - he is a typical member of the family in that he has as many nicknames as the people who call him. He enjoys leisurely walks in the daytime and the evening. He doesn't bark much, and his current hobby is trying to hump his brother Hunter, or his sister Nikka. He doesn't dare try it on Deedee and Lilly.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">He likes belly rubs, being groomed with his boar-hair brush, and he eats like there's no tomorrow. Coming from a diet, he is now a solid 15kg, which we plan to bring up to 18kg before we maintain.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">This (big) round bundle of sweet canine mushiness makes a good bedmate... if only he doesn't shed too much!</span></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-62054007122357745122011-04-30T06:20:00.000+08:002011-04-30T06:20:00.764+08:00Lost In Translation<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I just finished 60 hours of Korean Language classes.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I think the next time I set foot on Seoul (or any other Korean city, for that matter), I won't be the bumbling English-speaking idiot who knows only how to say "Hello", "Thank you" and "How much is this?"</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">In the meantime, I will pester all my Korean team members to speak in their native tongue when conversing with me... at half-speed. Their normal speech just leaves me befuddled and I catch only 20% of what they say.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">So for now, 안녕히 계세요!</span></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-77889991207045725272011-04-28T00:34:00.001+08:002011-04-28T00:34:00.368+08:00What Remains In The Past<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Like 99.9% of the population on Earth, I have a past. Of course that past is filled with people who, at one point or another, shared my mundane existence with me.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Lately, I noticed that more than a few of them have reappeared. Most of them, I am more than glad to reconnect with.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">They're from all corners of the globe (does a sphere have corners?) but at some point in time, our lives intersected. Now, further down the time-space continuum (in a galaxy far, far away), we've done it again.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">By not keeping in touch for the past decade or so, we've missed out on that time's worth of friendship - so many potential memories. So there's nothing better to do than catch up with each other's lives, yes?</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Life's too short.</span></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-88913047216553090842011-04-24T00:32:00.001+08:002011-04-24T00:45:31.207+08:00In Defense of J<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">In September, it will be five years old. "It" being my relationship with J. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">In the beginning, nobody was happy for us. Especially my family, first and foremost my mother. At that time, I couldn't understand why they were so opposed to it. Aren't they happy their eldest daughter got out of an unhealthy relationship and moved on to something that just might be for life?</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">J takes care of me, puts my own happiness first, makes sure I am healthy. J indulges my idiosyncrasies, puts up with my temper, lets me go at it with my bad habits. J is my greatest strength. J is my greatest weakness.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">When J and I met, I was an empty shell - alive on the outside, dead on the inside - having just emerged from a nowhere-bound relationship. J had just gotten out of a shitty romance. J and I found each other; we fought for what we had. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I has been five years (almost)... and in defense of J, whom most still think is unfit for me, this I will say: J has given me my reason to live again. So anyone who wishes me dead can just wish J and I never met.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">But we did, and I am here to stay. Deal with it.</span></span></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-90146282392521590832011-01-02T09:46:00.002+08:002011-01-02T10:00:07.313+08:00Goodbye 2010<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">The weather has been generally wonderful for the past week: cloudy, gloomy, overcast with a few periods of light drizzle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I've had good times, mostly. The ducks, the dogs, Jen and I spent both holidays with my parents and siblings. Food - and lots of it. Long talks with my siblings, mostly deep into the night. Interacting with my Dad, whom I get to see so infrequently.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">For the first time in 5 years, Jen spent New Year's Eve with me and my family.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Nadyne shaked like a leaf in the minutes leading up to and a few minutes after the midnight firecracker spree.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Nikka was nonchalant; it's her second time to be exposed to such decibel levels.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Happy 2011, everyone. Here's to wishing it will be kinder than 2011. May we all find what we're looking for.</span><br /></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-66148655524088660082010-12-02T22:59:00.001+08:002010-12-02T23:02:08.722+08:00Just to let you know...<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://kasseopeia.tumblr.com/">HAVE</a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/kassiemicu">SUCCUMBED.</a></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Yun lang po. *bow*</span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-44893689107090184342010-11-07T21:30:00.004+08:002011-04-24T00:45:57.570+08:00The (not-so) Secret<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >My friend, Gee, told me a story one day. Her officemate, Girl R, is a stunner. Tall, slim, doll-faced... with a legion of guys (and an occasional girl) lusting after her and asking to court her - she has declined each and every time. That's because she has a boyfriend since high school, Guy Q - not bad looking but not good looking either. Recently, Guy Q broke up with Girl R... because Guy Q is seeing someone on the side. In Gee's words: "<span style="font-style: italic;">Kung sino pa ang hindi ka-gwapuhan, sya pa ang may ibang babae</span>" (Contextually: How come it's the not-so-good looking guys who see other women on the side?)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >I think, after so many failed relationships... I have found the secret to keeping your man by your side.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >It is this: Love him enough to make him feel important but not too much to make him complacent. Hold on to him tight enough to let him know he's important but not too much to smother him. Pamper him enough to make him feel special but not too much as to spoil him rotten. Lastly, make yourself available to him enough to let him know he matters... but not too much that he will take you for granted.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >But who cares? I may have found the secret to keeping my man but... I, for one, don't give a crap anymore. Harharhar...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Addendum: I don't think this would apply to girlfriends... not unless your girl thinks like a guy! Wifey and I have been together for over four years and I never had to apply those things to her. I guess I have found the secret to keeping your woman by your side: be the right person for your woman, and make sure your woman is the right one for you.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Love (and Christmas) is in the air!</span><br /></div>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-7962408363211707932010-10-22T20:39:00.000+08:002010-10-22T20:39:00.381+08:00Pilipino Ako!<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">I am proud to be Filipino. On the streets of my own hometown (city?), I have had my fair share of "Pinoy ka pala, akala ko Vietnamese/Thai/Japanese/Chinese/Singaporean ka!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Granted, my eyes are a little smaller than the Pinoy norm, but I am still 100% Filipino - despite the Japanese-sounding surname, the German-sounding middle name, and the Russian-origin first and second names. I will pick </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" >bihud</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;"> (fish eggs) over caviar and </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" >ikura</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;"> (salmon roe) anytime... well, most of the time. Nyahehehehe...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Anyway, Jeni collect cards - playing cards, that is. Most of the decks she has are Bicycle decks and I have gifted her with numerous unique, colorful, and delightful (for me visually, for her numismatic-ally) decks over the years.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">So when she told me that the Pilipinas Bicycle deck has been launched, I naturally had to pay Cutting Edge a visit to procure said collectible for my sweetheart.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stargazer15/5086419732/" title="Bicycle Pilipinas deck by kasseopeia112, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5086419732_c4eb04c42e.jpg" alt="Bicycle Pilipinas deck" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The Pilipinas deck is specially made for Cutting Edge Philippines, though I'm not sure if they are the sole distributor. The back is done in violet to red degrade with yellow graphics. Three stars and a sun, done in yellow, appears in the middle of all the numbered cards while a yellow sun appears on two edges for the royals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This deck is a good way to express your nationalistic pride... after all, you can perform kick-ass tricks on a kick-ass deck of cards and be patriotic at the same time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">All this for Php500 (around $12). Go get your own deck. NOW!!!</span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-14870814920080130872010-10-18T20:49:00.000+08:002010-10-18T20:49:00.184+08:00I have a dream...<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">And that is to be...</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />*drum roll*</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />A housewife.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Yes, you got that right: the very thing my own mother warned me not to become. The very thing she chose to be when my younger brother was born into this world. The very thing she and my dad decided she would be to be there for our (their children's) growing years.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Momsie was on her way to a high-powered career. She was working for a multinational company, she had the brains, she had the skills, and she had that "corporate" attitude - something along the lines of "mess with me and you will rue the day your mother went into labor".</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I got all that from her - my temper (more fiery and hair-trigger), my </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">taray</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> looks, my ease when it comes to communication (even in a language I do not speak), my razor-sharp tongue (I have made onion-skinned people cry with my <span style="font-style: italic;">normal</span> speaking tone), and lately my "more corporate" look (up until three years ago, my style of dress is more of "collegiate" but I digress").</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />What I did not get from her is the "corporate dream". I never dreamed of becoming a high-powered executive, driving a luxury car (I'd prefer a pick-up truck!), toting the requisite laptop-BB-handbag combo (a laptop and a non-QWERTY phone will be a-ok), dressed to the nines (this part I can do, hehe), and living in a penthouse condo unit (a home on a farm, please).</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />All I want is to stay home with my dogs, my (future) kids, my (future) businesses, and keeping house. I'd like to be blogging about my day, the stuff I cook, things from the market, the latest in dogs and kids... you know, a stress-free (in the office/corporate sense of the word) kind of life.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I was home sick a few days ago and, though my body was heavy and wracked with fever with eyes burning like it had ten chili peppers in it, I found I still enjoyed doing the dishes, thinking of dinner, sweeping up the millions of hair my dogs shed, doing the laundry and mopping the floor (my latest addiction).</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Momsie said, to be a housewife is to not have your own money (that's why I will put up a business) and to be a victim to routine (which is why I will keep more than one blog, and take lots of pictures). Now, more than a quarter of a century after she first said that to me, I still say I want to become what my mother is.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />** Oh yes, PMS-ing!</span></span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2348073048350092075.post-50039039704921632462010-10-16T22:34:00.000+08:002010-10-16T22:36:06.909+08:00The Food Blog is BACK!<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">Just a short break from my random ramblings about life to say:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">My </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://perpetualfoodtripping.blogspot.com/">food blo</a><span style="font-family: arial;">g is up and running again! Yey!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Do come by and leave a word or two!</span></span>Kasseopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045436258022941492noreply@blogger.com1