Conversation with dogs

I spent last night talking to Cola, my Schnoodle. I know it might sound weird, but ask any pet lover and they will tell you that talking to someone (even if its your dog), will do a lot of good.
Perhaps I needed to be heard. Perhaps I needed someone to listen — just listen.
Now, Cola is a good listener... but after five minutes of trying to keep her eyes open, she fell asleep.
Not very interesting I guess.... but then again, at least I know she is on my side.

Kois for the big boys

Say Koi: Koi-lover Mikee Romero

                                                  

“Watching the Koi relaxes me,” said Mikee Romero, Koi-lover, CEO of Harbour
Centre Port Terminal, Inc. and Manila North Harbour Port Inc. “I have been into  the Koi since 1998.”
I admit that I don’t know much about Koi — but when I was growing up we did have a fishpond in the house where I lived. The pond was filled with what we called carps. I read up a bit and found out that carps are the more common varieties (cheaper) of Koi. 

“How are the Koi judged?” I asked Devin Swanson, son-in-law of Koi show organizer Michael Hernandez. 

“By the way they look from the top,” said Devin. “For Flowerhorn fish, since they are in an aquarium, they are judged by their side markings,” added Michael. “Since Koi are in ponds, it is the way their top 
markings come together.” 

Both Michael and Devin shared the opinion that judging a Koi show is much like judging an art show. 

“The Koi are very beautiful,” added Micheal. “And if one takes the time to watch the Koi  swim, they relax, even for a while.”
It was the 2011 Philippine Koi Show and the 3rd Tategoi Grow Out Contest at Perlie’s Garden in Quezon City. The Tategoi Grow Out Contest was the competition between the smaller Koi. The Koi Show is the show where the big boys in Koi compete. 

The big boys in Koi include Sen. Gringo Honasan, Mayor JV Ejercito, Noli de Castro, Dennis Sytin and Mikee Romero, to name a few. 

And, yes these boys take their Koi competition seriously. 
Although I did not get to see the other big boys of Koi, I did get to see what 
kind of Koi they have.
“I started JV on Koi,” added Mikee. “And look how nice his Koi are now.” Mikee admitted that one of his biggest competitors in Koi is Dennis Sytin. He showed me the pool where Dennis’ Koi were and gave me a heads up about just how beautiful Dennis’ Koi are.
“It is just like collecting art or judging an art contest,” added Mikee. “One can see real beauty and know that a Koi is truly beautiful after years of being in the hobby.”
How did Mikee get into Koi?
“I noticed that the businessmen in Japan were into Koi,” smiled Mikee. “The Koi hobbyists in Japan are the top businessmen.” 

Does Mikee consider the Koi good luck?
“Yes, it is what the Chinese believe,” he added. “And, I have been quite lucky, too.” When a fish dies Mikee believes that the fish sucks out the bad luck when it goes, so losing a fish is not a bad thing.

BACK TO THE SHOW

I was curious as to why all the judges in this “beauty” show were men.
“It traces it’s roots to Japan,” is what I was told. “Matter of fact, the best Koi in the world are still bred in Japan.” 

I walk around the over 12 pools in the restaurant and looked at the Koi. I watched them swim about.  It was quite relaxing — they were right. Although, I still don’t think that I would go out and buy a Koi, I have this thing that fish should swim free. But that’s just me. 

Mikee told me that owning and watching beautiful Koi is like looking at beautiful paintings. He is a lover of art as much as he is a lover of Koi. 

Matter of fact, Mikee has a Koi pond in his house, one in his office and another one in Japan. 

“The one in Japan is where my Koi won the 2007 Kokugyo Award,” he quipped. “That is the emperor’s award in Japan. I am the only Filipino to win that award.”
Yet, there is still one more award that Mikee hopes to bag in Japan, the All-Japan Award.
“That would be like winning the Kentucky Derby,” he added.
It took the judges the whole afternoon to judge what seemed like over  a hundred Koi. 

The smaller ones in plastic bags; and the bigger Kois in their own pools. Judging of the smaller Koi was done first. There were eight awards and three winners per award. The same set of awards went  to the bigger Koi. 

The judges took their judging very seriously and did not rush — they studied each Koi as if each one was a winner. 

Needles to say, it took lots of time.
“I want to see more people get into Koi,” added Mikee. “It would make the hobby grow.”
So, we ask him what should one do if he was interested in Koi?
“They should start small,” he added. “Take it one Koi at a time. There is a lot that goes into keeping and growing a good Koi. The rewards are truly great.”
It was early evening  by the time the judges announced which Koi was the first Philippine Grand Champion. Mikee also won nine other awards; that’s a lot considering he only had five Koi in the competition. His other awards are mature champion, jumbo champion, best in size 6 Koi, best in variety, Kohaku, dainichi choice, first place Kohaku size 6, first place Sanke size 6 first place Utsurimono size 6 and second place Kohaku size 6. 

The winner was Sultana, the Koi of Mikee Romero. 
“I am so happy to know that Sultana is the best Koi in the country,” quipped Mikee. “But more important to me is knowing that I made the right choice when I picked Sultana.”

In the mail

Special thanks to author Victoria Rico Costina for this book.
I promise to read it to my three cats Pepsi, Jack and Jill.
While I am at it I will let Gorby, Yuri, Nik, Tasha and Cola, the doggies in on the stories.
I am sure they will learn a lot.

Be koi

Today it was Koi day.
I grew up with a fishpond in our house which had lots of carps... that's what we called them back then.
Today, if you have a few thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of pesos you could own a koi that can join a competition.
Mind you these Koi are not the fish store variety. These are koi that serious lovers of Koi go far to buy  travel to other countries, like Japan in search of.
The things I learn as an adult never stop.
More on being Koi and loving it....soon

Let's care for the ocean

What's in a name?: Dancing starfish stars Shooting Star, Falling Star and Rising. 

 I spent Chinese New Year watching the water and light show at the Ocean Park in Manila Manila Oceanarium, near Quirino Grandstand.
"I want to watch the light show," says V to me.
"How much does it cost?" I ask.
"P99," V says.
The show is actually P200, I found out when I was paying. It's P99 if you buy your ticket thought text.
But I am not complaining, it was actually quite interesting, since I had never watched a laser, light and water show in the past.
Although I did not have high expectations of the show, I was not disappointed.
The show had already started when we arrived and there was a good-sized crowd watching. My estimate is about 200 people. Not bad for a weekday.
I was glad I agreed to watch because I did not realize what a good water fountain show we have there. The dancing light, the many fountains are really worth watching.  The water fountain also serves as the screen for the 3D graphics which come out intermittently.
Being an animal lover I am truly against any show that uses animals to entertain people. So, I have kept a good distance away from the Oceanarium because it is a giant aquarium.
Let's just say that I believe that fish should swim free and not be kept in aquariums.
I did not enter the aquarium at the Oceanarium.
But, I did like the message of the fountain and light show — be good to the ocean because it is our friend.
The show is a combination of fish mascots acting on stage — and then 3D show on the water screen.
Although the show was a bit cheesy  — what with two lion fish falling in love and then having lion fish cubs.  It had its entertaining aspects, too.  There is the lobster that got away from the two chefs trying to catch him to cook him. In the end, the lobster has the knife and chases the chefs.
And the three star fish starts — Shooting, Falling and Rising — providing the audience the needed dance numbers which were synchronized with the lights and the fountains.
I must not forget the singing dolphin...
On the 3D water screen I saw Nemo and other fish, too. There was also an octopus who plays piano.
You get the picture.
 The audience is asked to participate.
"Let's wave for bounty for our Ocean," was the first request.
"Let's wave for blessings for our ocean," was the second.
And, guess what, the audience did raise their hands and wave  — both times.
Lesson learned.
It's an entertaining way to get people to appreciate the ocean. More importantly with no animal getting exploited to get the message through.
Would I watch it again?
If I had kids with me....sure.

Cats got my heart

Someone once asked me how i could trust anyone who did not own a pet.  I smiled and replied, "He may not know he likes pets yet. But he will soon find out."
Another common question I get is how can anyone like cats. I always answer, "Don't knock owning any pet until you've really owned one."
In the recent past I have picked up three stray cats from the village where I live. The first stray cat to catch my heart is the one whom we fondly call Pepsi (after my youngest doggie, Cola). She was about to cross the giant street across ULTRA and I thought that if she did that she would get run over for sure.
I picked her up and brought her home. She has since been spayed and lives n her own little space in our house.
Dogs will be dogs so it seems to me that they can't wait for the day that they can chase her away.
Not going to happen. Pepsi has my heart wrapped in her cute paws.
We recently came upon another two kittens who were dumped in an empty lot. Since I am sucker for puppies or kittens crying -- they now have a little house in the garden. When they are better ( some skin problems n them) they will share the space of  Pepsi. They are called Jack and Jill.
Living with animals is a joy only those who have ever done it will understand -- and those who have never done it will only understand when they do.
 I wish everyone had a pet -- it would make us all a little more patient, a little more kind.

Animals are it

I have been reading lots of graphic novels lately.
I like the ones on zombies and swamp things. I also like Ex Machina, Y: The last Man and Animal Man.
I am not that young... actually I am already in my late 40s.
But, I am surprised about how much more I have learned from these graphic novels than I have from life itself.

But my all time favorite is Walking Dead. It's about how living people try to cope with life when they are being attacked by zombies.  Imagine a world where there are no laws... only the law of survival — you get the picture.
But if there is one thing that I have learned from all my reading of zombie graphic novels it's that there are no zombie animals.
So, I have started to create an animal army to keep me company should the zombies attack.
The count so far... five dogs, three cats and a tortoise.