Sanrekwang tao, iisang mundo

Alam nyo ba yung “Lumad” ? — Sila yung mga indigenous pipol (ethnic minorities) sa Mindanao na non-Muslims, pero hindi rin naman Kristyano.

E yung “Bagong Lumad” ?

Neo-ethnic music naman ang unang maiisip mo… Eto ’sang sampol mula sa peborit kong album na “Mga Awit ng Tanod-Lupa.”

Pakinggan nyo na lang itong KANTA — pahabol ko sa kararaang post ko kahapon.

Mundong araw

Tuluyan nang bumigay ang internal modem ng laptop namin. Buti na lang ngayon lang! Paano kaya kung nuon pang kasagsagan ng posting ko nasira ito? Laking problema ko siguro?

Kaya eto ako: para lang makapag-post uli dito sa blungga (blog na lungga) at makasilay sa blogosphere, kelangang lumabas uli ng kwarto, bumaba ng building, at maglakad ng may kalahating kilometro patungo sa isang medyo mura-murang internet café na malapit dito.

Kagabi pa sana ito, kasunod nung nakaraang post (How are my hammies?) na ipinaskel ko mula sa bahay ng isang kakilalang naka-SmartBro ang kompyuter (Thanks, Riza!), kaso mga 11:30 ng gabi naman na, mga antok na rin kaming pare-pareho. Eniwey, hindi rin naman ako maka-upload ng powerpoint para kumpletuhin ang link ko diyan sa ibaba (.ppt format ang hinahanap sa IE browser, .pps format ang file na dala ko). At least, nai-upload ko naman nang mas mabilis itong 46-minute YouTube video. 10 minutes lang? Ngayon ko lubusang napagtanto na super-baaaaaaaagal nga palang talaga ang naka-dial-up lang na connection.

By the way… alam nyo bang ang English word na “hamster” ay galing sa isang salita na naglalarawan ng peculiar ‘trait’ o katangian ng hayop na ito? May expandable na “cheek pouches” kasi ang mga hamsters. Para itong supot o ‘bulsa’ sa magkabilang pisngi nila – naiuunat na animo’y gomang lobo (rubber balloon) – at dito nila inilalagay nang minsanan ang mga pagkaing hinahakot nila para dalhin at iimbak sa kanya-kanyang haybol. Sa gayon, may makakain nga naman sila sa mga panahong hindi sila makalabas ng lungga. Watch the video to see what I mean.

Wigwam. How many corn seeds can you count?

The word “hamster” was coined from the German word “hamstern” which means “to hoard.”

Yes, hamsters are natural hoarders – but don’t you despise them for that! Hoarding is their God-given instinct to survive. Ahehe… ewan ko lang sa tao.

Naalala ko lang kasi mukhang nagkakausuhan na naman ang mga lintek na patago-tagong i-yan. Nabanggit ko nga nuon sa post na ito (Kahayupan ng Pilipino), nakaka-turn-off lang naman ang asal-hayop pag in-adapt na ng tao.

Huwag nyo akong tanungin kung tutuo ngang may shortage sa BIGAS; at kung meron nga, bakit nagkaganon – matagal na akong resigned. Kung ibig nyo, rumekta na kayo duon. Tiwala naman akong mas masasagot nila ang inyong mga tanong.

So much about rice-hoarding – masisira lang ang araw ko. Balik tayo sa blog ko…

Hirap palang matagal na hindi sumisilay sa blog – andaming naipong spam. Tsk, tsk, tsk… ito ang maski hindi ka maghakot ay pagkarami-rami! Airline tickets, nude teens video, viagra… ahehe. Aanhin ko ba ang mga ire? Andali sana kung one click na “delete all” lang. Pero dapat isa-isahing ibaraws ang naka-kweweng (queue) mga comments. Ang concern ko lang naman ay yung ibang legitimate comments na napagkakamaliang salain ng akismet – baka mapasamang mabura automatically after 15 days. Nakakahiya naman sa commentor, baka akala minoderate ko.

Tagal na ring wala akong bagong upload sa Flickr; sa YouTube kagabi lang uli. Try ko ngang mag-sign-in sa yahoo mail account… How would you react kung may anonymous sender… na naman! Hindi naman ‘hate mail’ – hindi ko lang ma-gets yung “‘inakay’ na nambabanat” daw? Puzzle ito… hamo na nga.

Mundong araw… anlabo yata? Hindi… nakita ko kasi sa Nat Geo, “Earth day” daw ngayon? Oeditsige – “araw ng mundo.” Nasilip na rin lang e di makapag-post na din.

Earth yang graphics na nasa ibaba. Huwag nyo na ask kumbakit ganyan ang kulay – basta CLICK nyo na lang. This will prompt you to the powerpoint program (sorry about that, mukhang hindi na makapag-upload ng .pps format simula nung mag-upgrade ang WP dashboard). You have to press “F5” to play the presentation.

NOTE (appended 2009 Nov 16) : Pwede na uli ang PPS format —

open nyo lang ang file pagka-download, aandar na sya mag-isa.

Pag nagkataon, may mabilang pa kayang binatog si Wigwam ko? At ang matunog na pagtawa, magagawa ko pa kaya?

Babay muna uli…

How’re the hammies?

Hamsters’ average lifespan is between 2 and 3 years. Perhaps that explains why they do everything at top speed? They don’t have a long life to live – at least from our point of view.

My 11 hammies, a rundown:

Chiaroscurogang (2 years 27 days). To humans, this is equivalent to more or less 80 years.

My oldest seniors spend most of their time sleeping and less of wheel-turning. Isnobol’s white fur is already thinning and losing its luster. Ispidbol’s movements are now less snappy and much slower.

Panapanagang (1 year 6 months 23 days). New senior citizens (18 months for hamsters are considered seniors years).

Mochahontas is still grumpy at her age, but her bites are ‘moderated.’ Mochawonka is still very active and always wants to get out of his cage, still ‘wiggles’ when handled. Isnohontas is the biggest, and yet my most human-friendly female hamster. She sleeps a lot nowadays, seldom shows an interest to go out for an exercise.

PanapanaIIgang (1 year 4 months 23 days). This litter is only 60 days younger than their parents, Mochawonka and Isnohontas.

Like his father, Wigwam always wants to get out of his cage, jumps from an elevated position without hesitation. Teepee has a rounder but stouter body than her mother. She is not that bitey anymore.

Boolagang (1 year 1 month 16 days). Living offspring of Mochahontas. New ‘record breakers’ (you may want to check this out ►The Lupindilayks.

At more than one year old, Bebong II and Berio II (male counterparts of their late sisters Bebang-girdel and Beria-girdel) are still sharing cage and wheel, showing not any sign of squabble. Until now, they don’t exhibit any mood of hostility – I never hear any one of them clack their teeth. During their active hours, ‘escaping’ from their cages to explore the outside world is their prime obsession.

Chochobebes (10 months 17 days). These youngest hammies are the offspring of my oldest living hamster, Isnobol.

Syma is not that grumpy anymore, though apparently her mood shifts so easily when brought near Amboy whom she can still recognize as the younger brother she used to bully. Amboy remains the nervous type, but being a grown-up male, he is no longer afraid of any female hamster – his elder sister is not an exemption.

“Krus”

Ang Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) sa Mt Samat, Pilar, Bataan. (Narating at naakyat na ni misis ang tuktok ng ‘krus’ na ito, ako hindi pa)

Kung may lolo o lola kang buhay pa, may edad na humigit-kumulang sa otsenta (80) anyos at hindi pa naman ulyanin na, malinaw nilang maisasalaysay sa’yo ang kahalagahan ng araw na ito. Kung ang lolo mo ay beteranong sundalo pa, baka mailang ka pa nga dahil hindi malayong hindi nya maiwasan ang mapaiyak habang ikinukwento ang mga pangyayari sa petsang ito, animnapu’t anim na taon na ang nakararaan.

Abril 9, 1942 – the “Fall of Bataan.” Nuong World War II, bumagsak ang tanggulan ng Bataan sa kamay ng mga Hapones kung kaya’t ang pinagsanib na lakas ng mga natalong Amerikano at Pilipinong sundalo ay napilitang sumuko. Ito’y sinundan ng kalunus-lunos na Bataan Death March – na talaga namang isang kalbaryo.

Sa mga kabataan ngayon:

Miski naman wala kayong lolo na pwedeng magkwento pa nito, siguro naman pahapyaw nyong napag-aralan ito sa inyong Philippine History subjects. But I encourage you to read more – may access naman kayo sa internet. Tayong mga nabubuhay nang matiwasay (?) sa mga panahong ito, huwag nating kalilimutan ang katapangan at pagpapakasakit para sa atin ng ating mga yumaong ninuno.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

– Edmund Burke

Ibang topic naman?

Drowsy Bebang slept for good…

► See Bebang-girdel’s profile

► See all her post stories

‘Celibate’ hamster Bebang-girdel passed away just before 12 noon today.

Bebang-girdel

( 05 Mar 2007 – 06 April 2008 )

Etymology of name: great-great-grandmother’s color + girdle-like orange pattern across her abdomen

Gender: female

Color: banded orange

Parentage: Berio + Mochahontas

Generation: 6th

Litter group: Boolagang

Lifespan: 13 months 1 day (398 days) — exactly double that of Beria-girdel’s (199 days), her banded brown ‘twin’ sister

Cause of death: tumor at right jaw

Bebang-girdel at 4 months 2 days (first part) and 8 months 18 days (last part)

Traits and characteristics: Relaxed and slow-mover; prefers to eat and sleep. Upon waking up in the early evening, climbs at the top floor of her cage and takes short naps. Grooms frequently, yawns a lot. Occasionally plays on her wheel, seldom goes in heat or desires to go outside her cage. Like Isnohontas, she’s a female hamster who doesn’t bite or wiggle when handled.

Bebang-girdel was one of my few ‘unfortunate’ pets to exhibit a susceptibility to illness so common to inbred hamsters (so says my wife’s vet friend). Those who read her life account in the post, “Ang dakilang tita” can know the reason why I decided to keep this she-hamster ‘unmarried’ for the rest of her life.

How ironic… and quite disappointing. Well, I guess this is just a simple reminder of a bigger and more ‘truthful’ reality:

“Man proposes, God disposes.”