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A Rogue in our home

there’s a new member of the paul-plazo household. she’s five months old, covered in sleek black fur with lovely white streaks from each of her eyes up to her ears, and a long hooked tail. her name is rogue, and she is a beauty. 

the cat idea had been floating around since late last year, when i realized that moving out of our askal-populated home in mandaluyong meant that i could have a cat again. though marlon has always been a dog person, he warmed to the idea of a cat when he took into account our busy schedules (cats are way more low-maintenance) and living space (70 sqm is not enough for an active pooch). so we both agreed to get a cat at some undefined point in time, but never really put any work into getting it done. 
then i got really bored at work. with my two big pitches and a couple of promo projects all finished last friday, monday was the first day ever that i actually spent a full day at work without actually doing anything related to work. after making the rounds of my usual online haunts (chuvaness, pep, , et al) there was nothing left for me to do except… google “singapore cat adoption.” patay!
the days that followed were completely cat-crazy. i looked at the spca and cat welfare society, learned about the horrifying tale of the cat hoarder,  sent links to marlon and discussed many a prospective pet over yahoo messenger with him. i must have emailed and texted over 10 cat rescuers and “fosters”, mostly asking about pure black kittens aged 3 months to over a year old. 
hello charcoal
i got a couple of encouraging responses, but the one i really wanted to hear from was davis, foster daddy to a beautiful pure black cat named charcoal. to see the adorable-ness that sucked me in big time, check out the last cat posted on august 12 here.
and when i finally heard from charcoal’s foster, boy was it a whopper of a reply. for a brief moment, i knew what it was like to be angelina jolie, or even madonna. because the adoption requirements and screening process was just… 
basta. as my boss james would say: “have a look.”
Name : Charcoal
Age : 3 months
Sex : Female
Type : Mixed black tabby

Note : Needs patience & time to get her warmed up to you as she was a stray kitten and has no contact with human before at very young age. Near missed by a vehicle & rescued. Traumatized due to siblings knocked down by a vehicle. Probably weeks or months to get her warmed up. Once warmed up, she will be very friendly and will stick to you very closely and follow you where ever you go. Very nosy (kay po) & curious, and would like to follow you & see what you do everyday.

Favourites
1. Enjoys running around & playing with you or toys.
2. Loves to be cleaned on her head and face with your wet fingers.
3. Loves to be bottle-fed with milk before going to bed at about mid-nite.
4. Loves to sleep on a hammock.

Dos (Her Routine)
1. Litterbox / toilet trained but need to guide her initially before each meals to familiarize your place.
2. Litterbox : A tray with newspaper and sand (preferred brand : Fussie Cat – Lemon @$7.00 per 10litres pack).
3. Clumps to be removed from the sand (otherwise she will play with the clumps).
4. Clean her feets & bottom with wet serviettes after using the litterbox.
5. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Supper with dry food & water.
6. Dry Food (Science Diet or Eagle – Chicken Flavour) or whichever you can introduce.
7. Play with her after each meals as a reward.
8. After supper, clean her with your wet hands (with very little cat shampoo and anti-flea spray on your hands).
9. Feed her with milk in bottle max: 15ml at least once a day (Preferred Milk : Animalac Milk Powder)

Don’ts
1. Open windows and open doors that she will jump out as she’s very nosy and curious.
2. Toilet bowls and plug holes to covered as she’s very curious to jump in.

cue tumbling! may brand preference ang hitad. saan ka pa? pero siyempre feeling ko hindi na yan routine nung pusa kundi ng taong umampon sa kanya. 
at kung tumumbling ako sa listahan na yan, nag-nastia liukin floor routine ako sa listahan na sumunod.
I would like to know a little more about you as the caregiver to check if you’re suitable to love & care for Charcoal. 1. Do you want the kitten for yourself or is it for a gift?
2. Do you have any experience with cat / kitten?
3. Are you above 21 year old? Are your working or studying?
5. Do you live with your parents, landlords or do you own or rent your apartment?
6. What’s your working hours? Do you spend most of your time at home and how long?
7. How many adults & children live in your apartment?
8. Who will be responsible for the kitten & how long you or whoever will responsible will look after the kitten?
9. Do you have any pets now or in the past?
10. What are they and how long did you have your pets?
11. Will this kitten be an indoor or outdoor pet?
12. Do you plan on having the kitten de-clawed?
13. If you moved, what would you do with the kitten?
14. Does everybody in your family want an adopted cat / kitten?
15. Is anyone in your household allergic to cat / kitten?
16. Do you have carrier, harness & leash, enclosed yard, cat-proof fencing or enclosure?
17. Do you have the financial resources to pay for the kitten – food, litter, medical fees, incidentals & etc?
18. Do you plan to sponsor the kitten for vaccination (asap) & sterilization (6 month old) and regular vet checkups?
19. May I visit your home to see how and where the kitten would be living?
20. Will we or CWS members to visit the kitten / cat from time to time within reasonable limits to see if it is well-taken care of?

suddenly makes you wonder what the adoption process for children is like in the philippines and if it’s even half this stringent. 
the next level
mejo nabuwisit ako sa simula, especially since hindi naman talaga kanila yung pusa. pero go lang, kasi ang cuuuuuuute cuuuuuuute cuuuuuuute niya talaga. so sumagot naman ako. and i realized marlon and i have lived with enough pets to open a small zoo. our combined pet history covers: one poodle, six spitzes, five german shepherds, one husky, ten mongrels, three rabbits, four hamsters, god knows how many fish, five turtles, four turkeys, four maya birds, a cage of parakeets, an indian cockatoo, a duck, a chicken, fourteen chicks and generations upon generations of rescued stray cats. 
so this super jologs version of the twelve days of christmas must have impressed charcoal’s foster parent, because he replied quite speedily, revealing the next stage of the adoption process: a house inspection. sa tumbling na ginawa ko, i swear puwedeng-puwede na akong isali sa chinese olympic gymnastics team.
marlon and i hosted a lunch for his officemates today, so it was perfect timing — the house was clean and we were in a rare social mood. at quarter to six (well over an hour after our agreed time of 4.30pm), davis and his wife jennifer brought over our little charcoal. at dahil mukhang pumasa naman kami sa mag-asawang umampon sa kanya, naging “our” little charcoal talaga siya in less than one hour.

in fairness hindi naman sila super lukaret, which i kind of expected after reading their lists. na-attach lang talaga sa pusa, at super concerned. they gave us a “starter kit” of packed kitty litter, food, toys and even lent us their cat carrier with the cutest DIY hammock inside. they even offered to accompany us on the kitty’s visits to the vet. which was nice but a bit strange because i think if marlon and i can relocate, establish careers abroad, furnish our own place and manage our household siguro naman kaya naming magdala ng pusa sa vet diba? 

ewan. inisip ko na lang na super attached sila. after all, they did rescue the poor kitty at 5 weeks old from the middle of a major intersection… after its sibling had been splattered all over the street. they loved her and took care of her until she got over her skittishness and trauma. so i figured a little weirdness is justified. kahit pinapirma pa kami ng adoption contract. sige na.
kitten, thy name is rogue
as our new kitty quickly staked out its favorite spot under our two low, circular coffee tables, marlon and i lay on the living room floor thinking of a new name — charcoal wasn’t quite doing it for us. we went through a couple of names — ash (after aishwarya rai, since the kitty was all eyes), pepper, even the completely silly beyonce, bulbol and kili-kili. then i saw the spine of one of the magazines on our coffee table, and knew we had the perfect name: rogue.
and so the evening has been a quiet one at home, as we let rogue get used to her new digs and to having the two of us around. she’s warmed up quicker than i thought — we had a great time lying on our stomachs on the floor, stroking her back and her jaw as she purred like a motorboat gone mad. she even let marlon carry her into the TV room for a little bit of cuddly while he watched wrestling. now she’s back under the coffee table — kind of an odd spot for a cat, but hey, who are we to complain now that we have her?
later i decided to tack on blair to make a full name — blair after blair waldorf, my favorite character on gossip girl (pretty, snooty, naughty) and after the blair witch project, because this kitty can look absolutely creepy when she stares out at you from under the shadows of the coffee table. 
so her full name is blair rogue paul-plazo (ang landi!), but mostly she’s just rogue. and just perfect. :)
oh and please excuse the crappy photo — i can’t find my digicam cable and we just have our camera phones, and this kitty wriggles like crazy!
1 Comment
Posted on August 30, 2008
Category: House & Spouse, The Singapore Years · Labels: ,

Taka nga muna…

it’s for events like 100 katao, 100 taka that i wish i were back home. after reading about it on carlos celdran’s blog, i went to the website of manlilikha, the organization that’s putting this exhibit together, to learn more.

100 katao, 100 taka brings together 100 people (mostly artists, but some writers, politicians, designers and random others as well) who have each painted a taka, or papier-mache figure made by folk craftsmen from paete, laguna. i actually checked out each and every one of the 100 takas (yes, i have nothing to do this week) and was blown away by quite a number of them.


some of my favorites, from left to right: (top row) juan sajid imao, kusina salud (two figures, a woman and a horse), josie sison, arturo sanchez; (bottom row) eugene jarque, ferdz valencia, tado jimenez and karen flores.

then i found out you can bid for them when the exhibit is over! dang, i really wish i was home. thanks to marlon’s promotion, we have a bit of leeway for luho this month, and a bit of art would be just perfect. what particularly draws me to the taka project is its filipino and folk art character. and i loved seeing all the hundred different directions a simple papier-mache figure can go.

i actually emailed manlilikha to see how i can participate in the bidding from way over here, although i am rather dubious about getting an actual response from an “info@…” email address. fingers crossed for this month’s art fix, and for this year’s addition to my wee but growing art collection!

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Posted on August 27, 2008
Category: Manila Girl at Heart · Labels:

Winding up for the pitch

tomorrow morning will mark yet another first in my life as lilian and james have decided to bring me to a big pitch. it’s a pitch for not one, but two channel launches, the culmination of a currr-azy week where i crafted two pitches simultaneously.

i should probably be nervous, but i’m ecstatic — because i know they wouldn’t bring me along without a good reason!
i’ll have more to say about it soon because i should be getting ready for bed, but all i can say for the moment is: i’ve picked out a great outfit that hides my bilbil and involves a vintage dior handbag. what more could a girl need to kick some serious ass?
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Posted on August 21, 2008
Category: The Singapore Years · Labels:

Boy-watching at Beijing

marlon and i spent most of our weekend taking care of the ironing in front of the tv, which was tuned into the beijing olympics. it’s the first time i’ve ever really sat down to watch an olympics and it just blows my mind!

i found myself shrieking out loud when romania’s poor marian dragulescu landed flat on his ass at the very end of his floor routine, and again when he went completely ker-SPLAT on his face on his second vault… after an almost-perfect, gold medal shoo-in first vault. my heart broke for him… and i’m not even really into gymnastics! i mean, we almost expect to be awash in glorious olympic moments that bring us to our knees in awe, but i didn’t know olympians could fuck up so badly either! either way, it’s great tv!

one more reason to shriek: spain’s bad boy hottie gervasio deferr (okay ang bantot ng pangalan), who won a silver for his floor routine.


shet sana ako na lang yung medal.

3 Comments
Posted on August 19, 2008
Category: Uncategorized · Labels:

In the mood for…

i thought of making a mood board to show what my morning at work (and a little bit of last night) has been like.


now that’s what i call a mood board.

working on this new project has reminded me of a lot of things, and i’m glad the references are coming to me so naturally, for something i didn’t think i would take to so well.

some of the things i’m drawing upon: morning classes back in college spent doodling eyes in notebooks with justine. the word malikmata — i’m so frustrated that i can’t find an adequate english translation. manila urban legends and my ghost stories, particularly one involving a keyhole that never fails to elicit the shivers from anyone i tell it to.

what are you in the mood for today?

4 Comments
Posted on August 15, 2008
Category: The Singapore Years · Labels:

Suddenly seeking singing

i don’t know why, but this evening while getting ready for bed, i started telling marlon about john tavener’s “the tyger,” my most recent ultimate favorite acs song of all time. ah, i remember now — i was reading tracy chevalier’s girl with a pearl earring. i had spotted another tracy chevalier novel in the library, which captured my attention with its title: burning bright. yes, as in “tiger tiger” etc etc. which led me to thinking about the tavener piece. and of course once i started trying to describe it, marlon wanted to hear it, which is why i’m still online at two in the morning.

i miss singing that song. i found a clip of the acs singing it on youtube, and wished it could have been a clearer recording — i was hardly satisfied and just wanted to be bowled over by the sound, as i always am.
sana meron akong pwedeng salihan dito na makakakanta nun ng maganda. pero parang wiz eh. 
sadness.
2 Comments
Posted on August 2, 2008
Category: Uncategorized · Labels: