Our Decade Old Cat

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And just like that, Miso turned 10!

We had at least 2 scares now regarding Miso: one in September, while the other during New Year. It was scary how each time, I feel like we are fighting against time to make sure her health concerns were addressed. The vet even explicitly mentioned the most recent one as a near miss.

Somehow, she is a survivor.

All for our senior cat? =)

Of course, she cannot eat these, as it is more symbolic more than anything else. Nevertheless, we got her (and Milky) a couple of why-are-you-so-expensive cans of Fancy Feast. After that, we had to go back to our special diet so her liver and kidneys do not overwork. (She is eating hepatic dry food from Royal Canin, now).

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Before 18

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Nine years ago, I had posted a trip in Palawan with Mon’s family, and a Halloween Party where kids dressed up. Then the years flew by, and youngest in Mon’s family is now turning 18! She’s now turning 18! *insert shocked face*

Now I feel old.

I am not sure what the trend with their generation, Gen Z, is (now I sound real old, having to refer to another generation after mine), but she did not want to have any of those elaborate birthdays. Just a simple gathering with few of her friends and family members would do.

At the Salcedo Park

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The Beginning

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We have long decided that Mon and I were to spend New Year’s Eve at home after spending Christmas with his family. His family went north to Laoag to spend the New Year there. One thing we had to take note, though, was the logistics with our 3 cats.

We had some practice two Christmases ago, when we traveled to Marikina with the 3. It was not the most perfect set-up, but we managed to eventually get there in the end.

This time, the ride up the mountains was very smooth. There were also a lot of motorists who looked clearly amazed with the cats peeking through the window during the travel.

No joke traveling with 3 kitties

Bam at the veranda

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Full Blown Christmas, Finally

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It’s Christmas! Yay! I always look forward to the end of the year festivities.

Mon and I had discussed weeks ago what our holiday festivities would look like. For Christmas Eve, we’ll have to spend it with his family and spend Christmas day with my family. Then for New Year’s Eve, it would be with my family as his family would be spending it in Laoag.

Christmas games

It was the first time that we’d be spending Christmas with his family, and it was a lot different than what we normally do. They had a lot of games leading up to midnight and had a mandatory coordinated outfit.

They also eat Noche Buena before 12:00 am, unlike us who eat exactly as it becomes 25.

After eating and as they open their gifts, I took the opportunity to call my family as well. I’d be spending the day after with them anyway.

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2022 BC: 2022 Before Christmas

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I hazard to guess that this year’s Christmas will be full blown and all out compared to the last two Christmases. The atmosphere leading up to December was so euphoric. Malls had even foregone their usual Halloween decors in favor of the holiday ones.

For us, it would be our second Christmas in our new house. We, however, had to do away with the Christmas tree because we have a new cat who may likely go excited with the sight of glittery ornaments.

Few decors at home

I just took out some of the garlands and wreaths, and some more ornaments that were (hopefully) out of reach of Milky. At least this year’s decors would not be a glitter explosion.

In our apartment, we did not even remove last year’s small wooden Christmas trees as we have three cats. Worse, two days ago, they ran after a small lizard that left one of the trees devoid of balls. Poor tree.

At least the three of them managed to wear these souvenirs from the pet clothing store in front of Yoogane from Seoul. It was a challenge to get them all in one shot. This year, we’ll have to manage with this collage.

The three kitties with their gifts from Seoul

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F&F&F: Family & Friends & Fall

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Yet again, the whole of Metro Manila was a bit gloomy this weekend. No typhoon nor any tropical depression, but there had been scattered rain showers since Friday evening. Nevertheless, I had a lot of things to look forward to for Saturday and Sunday – a lot of people to catch up with, and a lot of things to catch up on.

It has been almost a year since I left the humanitarian sector. I got the happy surprise mid-week that one of our colleagues from work was going to visit Manila from Nepal on a whim. I was very excited because she joined and I left the organization without seeing each other in person. Yes, pandemic woes.

She were to arrive Saturday morning, and my former colleagues planned a wonderful evening for her. The AirBnB she was staying in the same city as we were, thus it made sense for me to pick her up, unless she gets caught with the Saturday traffic of NCR.

Met with friends-slash-colleagues from my former humanitarian life

Met with friends-slash-colleagues from my former humanitarian life

We decided to meet early at around 5:00 pm, so we can evade the potential carmageddon 30 minutes after. While everyone was to meet at 7:00 pm in Shangri-La Plaza, arriving early and loitering was much better than just to sit in traffic. We reached the mall a few minutes shy of 6:00 pm.

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Whoa, way too early Christmas!

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It was a weekend and, just like any other weekend, we made our way to either side of our families. Mon wanted to buy some of those Buy 1, Take 1 mirrors and make those DIY paneled mirrors. Naturally, our first stop was All Home.

Upon arriving, we were shocked to see the whole entrance was already full of Christmas decors! While I understand that Christmas season in the country starts way early as soon as September 1, I was just shocked to see THIS much decors more than two weeks before the -ber months.

This one really takes the cake.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pangilinan group has already decided for all of us. Mid-August is the new September 1. =)

Our first view of Christmas decors for 2022

Our first view of Christmas decors for 2022

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Seoul and Water: Flood Memories

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In the last 2 days, I’ve felt so invested reading on the record-breaking rain and subsequent flooding in Seoul. It felt very jarring to see all the videos coming in not only from news outlets, but also social media users regarding the flood. We even watched during breakfast one of the regular walking tour vloggers from Seoul, who veered away from his usual promenades and daringly walked around the city while it was flooded.

We were lost for words. We were heartbroken.

At the same time, it felt really visceral having to read and watch all of these. That was the last thing I’ve immersed myself with (no pun intended) before sleeping last night, and I felt a familiar bodily reaction.

PTSD.

I’ve spoken publicly and also written here several times over the years how I’ve developed trauma from the strong rain and rushing flood waters. Every start of the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof for a potentially heavy rain, or even on vehicles was enough to make my head spin.

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Rainy Sunday

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It was Sunday the 31st of July, and we are a hop and skip away from August 1. We normally visit on Sundays to have lunch with my family in our house in the uplands, as it was unthinkable to even travel on a Saturday.

We did it once 2 weeks ago and the travel time was horrendous. It took 2 hours coming from Makati  and at least 3 hours on the way back. To think that we spent only around 4 hours home, it was, for the lack of better word, traumatic. Thus, I made an arrangement with Mon if we could always just visit on a Sunday unless we can’t help it.

It was a very cloudy day and it was obvious that it would rain hard. It may be because of the continuously rising oil prices that there were not too many vehicles on the road, but it only took us a bit more than an hour to reach home.

Watching my 9-year old cat

Watching my 9-year old cat

Despite being the actual homeowner (as I am still in the process of transferring the title under my name), the guards at the gate of the subdivision still usually ask where I am headed to. They don’t recognize me at all. That was not the case whenever my father would fetch us nearby as they obviously knew him/them, as they are the ones living there.

One of the first things we usually do as soon as we arrive is check on the 2 dogs and the cat. While we were smothered by the dogs, our cat, Miso is the eternal ambivalent lady of the house.

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Craving for Chinese Food

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One great thing about Mon and I’s work set-up is that we are sometimes able to go anywhere on a whim. We had been chatting lately in passing that perhaps, we could drop by Ongpin and just have lunch. And today, we did.

With the rising oil prices, we had been trying to cut back on taking Grab. I think it is one of those conscious choice we had to make that even if we can afford it, it does not mean we had to do it.

We took a jeepney and then the LRT going to Manila.

Old Manila has always fascinated me. If the weather permits or if we have time, we usually just scoot around Manila especially towards dusk. There’s really something that’s very charming about this cityscape in the evening.

With full knowledge that we have a very problematic past as a country, I am still always in awe of Old Manila’s architecture and the what ifs if we were able to maintain its grandeur.

And I also always imagine the stories that these structures could tell. Only if the Intramuros walls could talk!

Hello Ongpin!

Hello Ongpin!

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