A one-live cat’s life

From my previous post, I did say my farewells to one of my best travel buddies for more than 8 years, my blue luggage whom I bought in Landmark in Makati.

I was with a bf, now my ex, that time I bought it. Anyway, so 2 days before my departure back to my Sydney, I did my last minute shopping to get the replacement. So I was accompanied by my family to go get a new luggage at SM Baguio Department store.

Aisle after aisle of luggages i went through. Finally stopping at one aisle as the shade of brown/greenish earth/profesionally looking color luggages caught my attention.

One by one i went through them, nope I do not like red. I do not like luggages with lots of pockets outside. No I do not like luggages with small wheels or wheels that are potruding. Not a luggage that is hard case. If its not expandable i do not like it. I need one that is 25-35KLS capacity. I want one that is durable and waterproof.

One by one, I needed to check the color and if the luggage fits my budget and the criteria above. I kept on asking the sales attendants to bring down the bag, explain its feature open it then let it stand side by side by the options i wanted. Then few minutes I look around and point another luggage and goes through the same process of inspection. Maybe it took 30 minutes.

My sisters already had gone through the shopping area twice but I haven’t chosen the luggage i wanted.

Then suddenly while i was looking at my choices, my mom was looking at one of the bags i set aside, the sales attendant who is a male then commented and talking to my mom “Siguro si ma’am (referring to me), nde pa yan nakapili, pihikan siguro yan sa pagpili sa lalaki” (”Maybe, ma’am, she has chosen someone yet, she probably be too choosy too with men.”).

Wow this guy did hit the nail on its head. I was just shaking my head and pretended not to have heard what him and my mom was exchanging ideas about.

Maybe he is right, looking for the right men in life is like shopping.

It was really difficult having to just choose one bag as I only needed one bag plus that’s the only willing budget i wanted to spend. Not one luggage in that area do have all of the qualities I am looking for a bag. I needed to think really well if I was happy on the looks, the functionality, warranty and durability.

And Oh, I did ask my sisters and mom’s opinion which luggage they did think is better. My mom pointed 3 and can’t decide and asked me to decide, my sister pointed one. The one where i get to have a free tote bag, a bonus.

Funny, that’s right. No man is perfect. Its nearly perfect, some qualities that are good you are not asking for but is there is a bonus. Someone’s perspective does help too. I wonder when do I do my men shopping.

I’ve been using this word as far as I can remember when I was allowed to ride a jeep alone when I was young.

Jeep or Jeepneys are common public transpo in the Philippines.They are an evolution of the jeep – Jitneys that were left by the American when they left the bases years ago.

So when you ride a jeep and you want the transpo to come to a halt when you have reached your destination you say “Para.”

That is one of the most important things I teach my foreign visitors or friends who are very willing adventurers of the life and culture of the Filipinos.Even that sometimes it does sound funny when they pronounce the word.And these friends ask me why Para? And I just tell them it’s telling the driver to stop.

So I am 29 now and probably I have been using the word for almost 18 years now and I just learned from the book I am reading that Para means stop.Stop for Spanish.Why didn’t I ever think of that. I thought it was a Filipino term.I told my mom why didn’t she tell me that it’s a Spanish word for Stop.And she herself didn’t know! Having had Spanish lessons in her education! And she said they were never taught what it means.

Well now I know, what Para means.

It has been years if I can remember, Maybe when I was in High school when this verge of anger coming from the Filipinos where the Miriam Dictionary once printed that the definition of a Filipina is equivalent to a Domestic Helper.

Being a domestic helper is not bad.The outrage is because Filipinas are more than to being a Domestic Helper.And I wonder, does Mexicana means the same?

I remember that there was once a Fil-Am beauty queen competing for Miss Hawaii if I can remember, she was asked what does a True Filipina means to her. She said that a Filipina is the mother, sister, grandmother, helper, nurse, care giver of other people who can not or unable to provice care and love for their loved ones.I admit that is one of the most wittiest answers I’ve heard in a beauty contest.It is very true.

I was once in Malaysia with a wealthy friend we were talking about house helps and she was saying that there are more of Indonesians in Malaysia because they are cheaper.Filipinos are a bit expensive, and I agree and told her most of them are in Singapore and Hong Kong talking Asia alone.And she said, she have a friend who have a Filipina house help and her friend loves her house help because she was a University graduate of Education and that her kids have an instant tutor when they come back to school and she treats the kids as once of her own.She also does this friend’s pedicure and manicure.

It is the same with a Spanish friend he says a lot of DH in Spain and they do take care the needs of the family very differently than any other as they serve with love and care.So whenever this topic comes up I do not feel offended instead of being proud that Filipinas as one of the best DH in the world, yet sad that this women and some of them are mothers leave their family and kids back home to earn more money to lift the family from poverty.

Just lately on my stay in Sydney, oh how much I was delighted to learn that I’ve met some people who’ve become my friends that they work in Sydney as nanny.

Guess what? They ain’t Filipinas.So far I’ve met a Canadian, a French and Koreans.

When I told this to my mom and my sister they were surprised.Well I guess a lot of Filipinos will be as well.They will never think that the more superior race would do a job of being a nanny.They are more of our masters than being the “slaves” of somebody else’s home.

Anyway, I reckon Miriam Dictionary should be more open minded and am glad it did change its definition of the word Filipina.

One of the good things that when you get older is when you get wiser, for most at least, and it donned me that I am so blessed and lucky to have been born and lived most of my life so far in a third world country, The Philippines.

Unlike a number of Filipinos who despise their country, hearing them whine how poor the country is, how ugly it is, I am not one of them.

So why am I writing about this today?  As how the news depicts, there is a global economic crisis, worse in 35 years or so where a lot of workers globally, in the first world countries laying off workers like Japan and US.  Our company alone is laying off 8000 employees globally, hoping that when I get back from this Christmas holidays here in my home country that I  still have my desk back when I get back to Oz.

Before I left Sydney, friends and I were talking bout the Australian government encouraging consumer population to spend to help the economy of the country specially this Holidays.

When I arrived Philippines, the news says that the Philippines is very least affected on laying off of workers in companies, but then a lot of the consumers complain that it would be a very different Christmas celebration for them as prices has gone up and life this year has been tough financially. 

But then when my sisters and me went shopping for gifts for our Godchildren you still see a lot of Filipinos buying, the market is really packed.  The malls are packed with shoppers and not just window shoppers but people buying stuff as you see 90% of the people walking in and out of the stores have their shopping bags.

Here in the Philippines you see is very Spanish influenced on religion as we do have the Noche Buena or Midnight dinner after the Misa Aguinaldo – the traditional Midnight Mass.

Where most of the Filipino families do keep a tradition of preparing a Noche Buena, this year a lot of mothers are complaining that they need to spend wisely and change their menus just to put up the midnight dinner.  It is because noche Buena for most of the families is an opportunity for the family to get together this year, complete at least.  And I am glad that I am spending my Christmas with my family this year.  Having heard from SMS hours ago from Sydney from a Filipino friend telling me that Christmas there is very lonely.

This cases it makes me appreciate that even how little or simple the food we prepare for the midnight dinner we forget and set aside the global economic crisis in our minds, not allowing the family to think we really are going to suffer badly or let depression affect the real meaning of the season of sharing, love and peace of mind with the family.

Filipinos are commonly have sunny and positive disposition, even how poor they are they always tend to smile everyday and make jokes out of life’s cruelty.  I reckon this is common in most people who lived in poor countries.

It also made me think that we are not unlucky to have Philippines included inside the Asia’s Ring of fire were all of disasters strike.  Think, not all people experience earthquake, typhoons, floods and volcanic eruption.  Not even just experiencing it.  Most of the Filipinos survived more than 1 of this Nature’s disaster.  These things, poverty and calamities did make us stronger and whenever we get out of the country, it makes us brush off simple hardship in life because we have been in some of the worse conditions in life.  It makes Filipinos survivors.

Did you also wonder why in other countries when you go to a Church the audience or goers is not comparable to what we have here back home in the Philippines.  I reckon it is because of poverty, the people are more likely to have “faith” and rely on this faith to help them get past of the hardships.  I don’t mean it as a bad or good thing.

Sometimes, people of the 1^st world should stop complaining and whining about what-they-think-hardships-in-life (including ungrateful 3^rd world country citizens), as if they look around there are far more worse country than theirs.  Think of Somalia and North Korea for example…Thanks God I was born on a third world country.

By the 3rd week of November, I thought of putting a few Christmas Ornaments in my flat in Rozelle as even I will be spending my Christmas Holidays with my Family in the Philippines.  That at least 2 weeks before I leave for Philippines, there’s this Christmas feeling in my “home” in Oz.

It just seem that it has been 4 years that I have been always overseas whenever the December or Christmas season begins.  That I always do look forward seeing the festive, Christmasy feeling back in the Philippines.  Lights, Christmas Carols, Family and school friend Reunions, food which i can not describe the feeling to anyone abroad who asks me how Philippine Christmas is. It does feel Christmassy minus the snow.

Last year of 2007, 12 days before the Christmas eve I was on my own backpacking around the South East Asia met a lot of wonderful people.  And brought two travellers with me back to my parents house, whom I think became my good friends.  Went to Sagada and these Dutch and English friends of mine seem to have enjoyed the Holidays here, which is very different from the winter Christmas Holidays back in their homes.

Now I am back home again.  It was a very sad/happy feeling or melancholic for me.  Very different from what I felt from the past whenever I come back overseas.  Arriving at the airport, seeing old friends immediately at the airport, seeing my family, days after going back to Makati, my former work area and home, visited my flat, meeting with my friends, shopping at the malls just walking at the place where I used to be at, and running at my former highschool/elementary University campus.  It has not been too long for 8 months but i think i did miss a lot of people, the enviroment and the place a lot.  I am sure it is going to be the same when i go back to Oz.

So far, I have just been lazing around, waking up late, eating lots at least still able to do runs at my old school oval, shopping for my God children, wrapping gifts.

I thought of cooking something healthy for the Christmas lunch/dinner and the family Reunion on my father’s side that the family always do celebrate on the 28th of December.   Do a few more shopping of clothes and shoes as I do not have the small size aside from the kid size when i get back home in Oz.  Just right now, I am enjoying the Christmassy feeling while it last.  As I know it is always supposed to be different if i opted to stay back in Sydney and celebrate the holidays alone.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

3 more days and I am off for my Holidays! part of this is a tradition of getting my Deli from a friend every Christmas. This has been going on like 7 or 6 years. Wow i did not even think it was that long! My good friend is already in US and trying her luck with a career she is happy with and left with the business are her sons whom are my friends too, Dx and Mekong. This business has been there for quite sometime i think, and its a backyard business, what i mean is its not very commercial and it does taste very good. My Family always look forward to it every time i come home from Manila. Now that I am coming home for holidays I will not break the tradition and I am looking forward to it. I sent Mekong an email telling him my orders and I am surprised they already set up a website for the business and I am very pleased with the good work they put into it.

Anyway anyone in Metro Manila should give this a try and you’ll take my word for it :). And they do deliver and gift package as giveaways for the Holidays And they renamed it as Sankt Anton Swiss Deli

Its been like 2 months preparation that the activity has been posted by James in Couchsurfing that he is keen to do a Caving and Abseiling trip in Bungonia sometime in November. At last, November 29-30 the activity pushed through.

James is a caving and abseiling instructor aside from his normal job as a teacher. there were more or less 18 couchsurfers and 3 guests or so who joined the trip.

So us, who have no cars are divided amongst the surfers who have cars and Amy from last week’s trip volunteered to take me. I was having a surfer that week from Thursday and Friday night, Roberto from Spain, that I had to chuck poor thing really early as I was laving the house before 530 to catch the train and bus to Erskenville to Amy’s.

Roberto and I waited for the bus but it did not arrive, waited for 30 minutes and still no bus arrived and so we hitched on a taxi with this lady waiting on the shed with us, I dropped Roberto @ Newtown and just my luck the driver he does not have any sense of direction and do not know where Erskenville is and I am already 5 minutes late.  Eventually after 3 stops of asking directions, we made it through.

I was met by Dorothee waiting at the gates of Amy, then Vallicity and Amy.  We set off around 7am towards south of NSW.  Bungonia is around 58KMs away from Campbelltown.

James and party was waiting at the turn around point to the National park, where we were met by 3 more cars.  Then head off to the campsite.

First activity was setting the camping site. Tents and everything! You see, I never had any camping experience in my life.  My parents did not let me join the scouts when i was younger.  So this is very exciting for me.  But one aim was for me to find who can host me during the night! i did not have any tent but just sleeping bag.  Alas! Michael had a “mother” tent and not hosting anyone and I am lucky that he was accommodating enough to adopt me.  He even had some cots set up that we need not sleep on the ground! I am so lucky!  So i did learn how to pitch a tent (and depitch it on the second day).

After setting like 12 tents in the site, James oriented us the camping rules and activities.  He is only able to take in 8 campers in the cave each time and I was not sure yet as the last time i did caving a year ago i broke my toe.  So I did a bush walk with Tracey.  Did see the canyons and lookouts and geckos and ants and ant hills no major wildlife.

The caving takes at max 2.5 hours and James estimated coming back in two hours.  We waited at the mouth of the cave 15 minutes before they should be coming out as phone signal is bad that if they get distress or we get lost it is going to be challenging.  Right enough, they were back and complete in 2 hours, muddy with smiling faces.  We head back to the camp for lunch!

We had Sandwiches and fruit that lunch and had our picnic at the camp site.  Rested for an hour and James was ready to take the next batch for caving.  There were 11 of us but he took us anyway.

We did the same cave called Grill Cave.  We can go as far as 1.5 kilometer deep.  Its the safest distance we can go as if we go further, high level of Carbon Dioxide is high and so it is not good.  This is more of tourist friendly cave. and an easy one, to James (not for me!).  But I think this is easier than the Sumagiung caves in Sagada.  Just having short legs makes it difficult reaching the steps and careful not to slip.  Fair enough share of stalagmites and stalactites.  We came back at the entrance of the cave ad there was still daylight.  We were less muddy compared to the first batch.

We had our shower, and got ready for dinner time  We had pasta, sausages, grilled veggies, kebabs, and beer and chocolate.  Then we finished the night off with a game of Jengga Michael brought with him.

It was raining when it was time to go back to the tents.  It is good combination that i was tired and the beers and the cot! I was able to sleep well.

Following morning, i woke up wanting to do a run on the trails but i did not have any of my running attire so i just slept in and after I learned that breakfast is ready so I had two pancakes! And then as planned we packed the tents and got ready for the abseiling activity.

Again I was one of the last person to do the activity as I do have a fear for doing free fall activities.  Yet I was happy  I did it.  And now I think I like abseiling better than caving.

We went back to the campsite and had our lunch, left over pasta salad, sandwiches, fruits, chips and chocolate.  Our party went ahead of the group back to Sydney.  The rest of the grup were left at the camp and they did play cricket, frizbee and volleyball.  Before we left we were able to get a glimpse of a monitor lizard.  Some of the campers saw kangaroos while we were on the cave, echidna and we saw a possum.  It was very nice.  The trip was a tiring but fun weekend.