Kwentong Batangueño

Dine sa Tuklong ay may puno ng kape na arogang-aroga pa ng Mamay. Sadyang pinapugadan sa hantik na guyam at pinabantayan sa bilot. Naulutang ngatain ng Mamay ang bubot na parang sinturis. Pasal na pasal. Nang bigla na laang siyang napaumis, humirindat at tuluyan ng nabang-aw. Bigla na lang nagpatikar, lumiban ng karsada kahit umaambon naglulupagi sa gabokan kaya puro libag, tubal na tubal, talipa ang sipit at gura.

Napadpad ang Mamay sa masukal na balinghuyan at doon naulutang gamitin ang kawot para garutihin ang mga bangkalang. Pero liyo at parang barik na barik pa rin ang Mamay kaya naghamon pa ng panumbi. Wala naming kumana kaya pagerper na lang ang napagdiskitahan. Pagkatapos ng barokbokan, lungkuyin at hapong-hapo ang Mamay. Naging matalute ang usapan sa bayaran dahil mulay lang gustong ibayad ng Mamay. Nagkaribok na, nagwasang ang pagerper at tinangkab ang Mamay. Nagligalig ang Mamay dahil sa marami daw kato, amoy hawot at makati pa sa iladong tulingan. Dapat kitse lang daw ang bayad.

Sa pagkabanas ay napaingles ang Mamay "I'm entitled for senior citizen discount". Wala kang galang sa matanda, dapat kang ipabarangay. Siguro hindi ka taga Batangas ano? Naglabas na ng balisong ang Mamay. Oops......awat na.(anonymous writer, but most probably a native batangueño)

akala ko eh kending hubad..

vintage candy memory lane para sa mga kababata ko..aaminin ko na biktima rin ako ng kalokohang tangay ng matatamis na sandali sa pagnguya nito..guilty pleasures ito ng mga paslit na batang katulad namin noon..hindi ko alam kun sino ang sumulat nito pero natuwa ako rito at medyo style din ng idol ko na si bob ong..pero kending hubad talaga sa amin yun, hindi kending hubo (mahalay kasi pag hubo)..

1. KENDI MINT - eto ang kending kanunu-nunuan pa ng dynamite.ang official
na kendi ng mga taong may tinatagong puot sa knilang kaloob looban.mint
candy sya(malamang? !) na may lamang chocolate o kokwang mamasa masa sa
pinakagitna. kulay green ang wrapper nya na may nakaimprentang eskimo na
nakangite at parang gustong magpasubo na.(paborito ito ng daddy at madalas e nagpapabili xa sa'kin nito tuwing gabi nung nagyoyosi pa siya..)

2. LIPPS - ang kendi ng mga batang malalande,mapa nene man yan o
tukling.cherry flavor na kendi na gawa sa benadryl(ayun sa pakilasa ko yan
ha,mapait kase) at sandamakmak na pulang food coloring.sobrang makulay sa
bibig,kadalasang ginagawang panghalili sa lipstik ng mga bata o di kaya
dugo effect sa larung aswang aswangan.payak lang ang wrapper,kulay puti at
pula tapos nakalagay lipps.(meron pa ga nito ngayon?)

3. VIVA! - ang kendi na ayaw na ayaw ni mother lily.caramel candy sya na
mukang tae at mukang hindi masarap bilhin lalu na ang kainin.kulay tae din
ang wrapper nya at mas mamatamisin mo pa cgurong ikendi ang naptalina kesa
sa kending toh. (oki lng sa'kin ang lasa nito..)

4. WHITE RABBIT - ang bi-sexual na kendi.dalawa kase ang klase ng kending
white rabbit,may tinatawag na local at imported.parang vivang pinahaba lang
ung local version,toffeecaram el ang flavor at bukod dun eh wala ng ibang
misteryong mahihita pa sa knya.kulay puti at super milking nougat naman ung
imported.at bukod dun sa chinese character na nakaimprenta sa wrapper nya
eto ang pinaka pambato ng white rabbit imported,ang kanyang inner wrapper
na pwedeng kainin at pagsaluhan ng buong pamilya.happy fiesta!(tanda nyu ga nung pinabalik sa china ang kending ito at me findings n may )

5. PINYA - hindi ko alam kung anu ba tlaga ang lehitimong tawag sa kendi na
toh,pero dahil hndi tayu masyado sure ay itago na lang natin sya sa
pngalang ?pinya?.sya ang kending pinakafashionista ang wrapper dahil
figuratively muka syang pinya.bagsak lang sya sa itsura ng wrapper dahil
mukang tapeteng mura lang per yarda ang itsura nito.at ang
lasa?..pinya. .malamang..(nakakasugat ito ng gilagid..try mu lang..)

6. VICK'S - ang kendi ng mga batang may kakambal o ng mga batang sadyang
madamot lang tlga at pinalaking dupang?vicks candy.mentholated ang vicks at
dalawang piraso sya ng kendi sa isang maliit na pack na hugis inverted
triangle(kumporme sa paghawak mo).kulay hinog na uhog at pinaniniwalaan ng
mga bata na nakakapagpaluwag ng paghinga.hndi ko alam kung associated tlga
ang nakagisnan naming vicks candy sa vicks na pamahid sa sinisipon.(tanda ko nga ito..mura lang din at dalawahan pa..)

7. BUTTER BALL - ang kendi na mga batang may malalaking bibig.ito ang
peter's butterball,ang pinakamasarap sa lahat ng caramel candies.bilog
syang candy na mejo may kalakihan ang hulma kung sa bata ipapasubo.sosyal
ang wrapper dahil ito ata ang pinakaunang kendi na nasa pillow pack at
kulay peach pa.bsta masarap,husto na yun.(ito ang masnakakasugat ng gilagid..pero nakain pa rin aq..tapos magsisisi pagkatapos..)

8. ORANGE SWITS - ang ina ng mga gummi bears at potchi.malalambot na orange
slices na pinatihaya,pinadapa at pinagulong gulong sa asukal hanggang sa
magtanda.apat na slices per pack at mas madalas na makitang binebenta ngyun
ng mga takatak boys kesa sa sari sari stores.(nakakatikim lng ako nito pg naluwas ng maynila at sakay sa bus..madalas pagkatapos magsuka sa hilo)

9. TOOTSIE ROLL - isa sa pinakasikat ng kendi nung panahon ko,sa sobrang
kasikatan eh nagkaron pa ng dance craze na tribute sa knya nung early
90s.caramel candy din ang tootsie roll na kasing haba ng mongol na
makatatlong beses ng tinasahan.bukod sa pwede syang kainin at sayawin ay
pwede din syang itapal sa ngipen para magmukang bungal at yun ang
pinakamasayang purpose ng tootsie roll.(ito ang isa sa paborito q..ang tsokolate ng mga hampas-lupa..hehehe..)

10. ALMO - ang pinagmulan ng mga ovalteenies. chocolate candies sya na
mukang mga tabletang panlunas sa sipon at lagnat.nakalagay sa makulay at
maliit na foil pack at kadalasang nakasabit sa tindahan dahil dugsong
dugsong sya.masarap ang almo lalu na kung hindi mo sariling pera ang
pinambili.(nakakain na rin ako nito pero parang wala masyado espesyal na impact sa aking buhay)

11. HAW FLAKES - ang buhay na patunay na hindi sa ikatlong baitang sa
elementarya unang nagaganap ang pangungumunyon ng mga bata.ito ang haw
flakes,ang kending galing pa ng tsina at naging saksi sa barter trade
system.mas kilala sa tawag na ?oscha? dahil sa kakatwang itsura
nito.maninipis at kulay maroon na amoy pawisang singit ng
bata(maasim) ,nevertheless may basbas at sagrado.dito nagsisimula ang
damdaming makadiyos at madasalin kaya ibahin nyo ang haw flakes.ang kending
galing sa langit.(hindi ko lam ang itsura nito..hindi ko sure kung nakadaupang palad ko na ang kending ito..)

12. KENDING HUBO - also known as neto,nyan o dutdut motion.pabili nga po
neto,pabili po nyan,o di kaya dutdut na lang dun sa garapon.ganyan ang
kending hubo.ang kending walang sapat na pagkakakilanlan at impormasyon sa
sarili.muka syang holen na iba iba ang kulay at flavor(kadalasan
citrus/fruity) .may budbud syang asukal sa paligid at kadalasang nakalagay
sa malaking garapon ng lady?s choice.(sa amin talaga eh kending hubad ang tawag dito..)

13. LALA - ang pinakamasarap ng tsokolate sa mundo ng pagkabata.mas kilala
sa tawag na ?milo?,ang lala ay gawa sa purong kokwa(cge magmarunong tayu sa
ingredients) na hinulma into small rectangular chocolate bars na may
nakaemboss na parang rehas ng veranda.sobrang masarap at sobrang tindi din
kung magpasakit ng ngipin,nevertheless masarap.un naman ang importante eh.(hindi ko rin ito naabutan, baka 70's ito, late 80's kasi ang kapaslitan ko eh)

14. CHOC-NUT - ang hall of famer sa lahat!sya ang pinakasikat na kendi(o
kung anumang twag sa klase nya) sa balat ng pilipinas.gawa sa natuyong
peanut butter at chocolate na hanggang ngayun ay hndi ko makapa ang lasa na
binalot sa palara.all time favorite ng panghimagas o pampalipas
oras.chocnut is simply the best(naks! parang HBO)?(ito, hanggang nagyon e nagpapasakit ng ngipin ko..nagsimula itong nakilala ko as "dragon"..tus lumabas ang "chokomani", ngayon e "hany" ang uso...pero lahat e chocnut sila)

anti-thesis: behind happiness

somebody wrote me a comment in my multiply guestbook that i’m a pretentious person and betting that i’m unhappy with my life..

he maybe have won the bet if he had said that years ago..when contentment has not been digestively written yet in my database..at least right now i’m trying to..

yes, every once in a while..probably felt that way but i believe everybody has that time of his life asking questions of why and when..but life goes on..maybe the shallow person inside me came to see life in a better perspective..

i admit that i'm a pretentious person..that is what my horoscope and stars always tell me..maybe i just need to hide myself a bit..believe me, i'm not good with tru-to-life drama..escapist in the sense that i don’t wanna feel vulnerable to those kind and level of emotions..maybe i just need more time and trust for a person to understand me as me..

i deserve to be happy..everybody does..i had my ways to get out of that gloomy slice of life and trying my best to improve myself and thus live happily ever after..of course life can be so unpredictable unlike fairy tales..but we can always choose the best option..

i am not afraid to be lonely..if it’s the doorway to happiness..

parallel to sun tzu’s art of war: in happiness, prepare for loneliness..in loneliness, prepare for happiness..

still waiting in vain

maybe 99% of every people's life they spend it waiting..that is what people think when they had reached their time limit in this very stressful task of man..and the worst scenario that may occur is when the subject of waiting would not actually arrive as expected..

infinite frustration indeed..

patience is a virtue..but not always..

until when can we wait..

until we wait again..

i thought I am prepared..

you thought you are prepared..

change is inevitable..you always think that way when something has come surprisingly turned the pages of your life.. if you can't do anything about it..you just have to face reality and life goes on..everything is gonna be alright..

but there are things that you can anticipate that for that long run of time you prepare yourself to be protected from utmost misery or melancholic mood..

then that time would come.. most of the time without prior notice..you are going all the way through a transition period again..the path you are taking may not be the path you intend to pursue..you cannot stop..you just have to go on..and wait for that another life changing experience..hoping for brighter days..

then you’ll wish you’ve done better in the past..then you’ll remember the greatest time of your life..then you’ll see yourself walking backwards..the you’ll see yourself in the mirror..you’ve changed..now you noticed..now you realized..

it’s not about the consequences of not doing well..it’s about how you cope up with the challenges of the changing world..if you’ve done worse then..maybe you could improve tomorrow..if you forgot something then..maybe you could do something about it right now..stop searching for what can’t be found..

yet no matter how you prepared yourself for that moment..it always seems impossible to feel what you feared..you can never deny the fact that everything is not in your control..your option may not be limited but not all may not be on the side of your plan..

you thought you are prepared..

i thought I am prepared..

going back to galera

i really thought last friday that our trip to galera would not materialize because of the intervening bad weather..i dont wanna travel leaving my loved ones worrying..

but God is in our side..the sun perfectly showed its smile last saturday shouting the commencement of our risky escapade..

right after a research presentation, the marketing class where i belong held a meeting for our marketing plan..and finally after the meeting, i went home to hurriedly prepare my things for the outing..i really am not prepared so i just put all the things which i had in mind that spur of time and headed to the terminal..thinking that i'm already late, i headed straight to the ticketing office only to find out that the troop was not still there..spoof..i sat along with the waiting passengers and got a local tabloid dated 2006 beside me to keep myself busy..after reading half the newspaper, finally, there they appeared..judit, roselle, bongz and maureen..ready to go..

about two hours..the boat sailed from batangas port to puerto galera..going to mindoro’s pride..the boracay of south luzon..

the sun was already out of sight when we got our feet on the shore of white beach..the dark hues of the night was already complemented by the lights and smoke from the line of establishment along the shore..but we have to see first the hotel room for a little rest..
after checking the bed, cable tv and the bathroom and having a dietary salad and chicha dinner, we headed to the shopping place to test our bargaining skills for the love of pasalubong..i bet i did well that night..freebies and discounts is inevitable..harhar..
our sunday started with a tapsilog meal..then again to the house of malongs, shirts and rikutitos..pasalubong shopping again..gee thanks i had only a hundred peso bill in my pocket..

the next barkada trip would be the banana boat ride..its a first time for yours truly..it really was a surprise the first fall..i thought it was a joke..but the second fall is even more hilarious for roselle grab my back making the fall unpredictable..you must try it yourself..but prepare a hundred bucks..

after a very heavy lunch, is a heavy rest..just consumed the siesta hours inside our room and a little visit to maureen’s pad..just got hooked with the “extreme makeover” episode..
5pm is our time for our kayak tripping..another 100 bucks..but hey..it’s a challenge..it’s a kayak for two so I teamed up with roselle and bongz with judit..paddling is really an effort..that really put my muscles to the test..but once you’ve reached an awesome place..it’s all worth it..

The night is spent inside for the rain and wind prevailed..tv moments again..ballroom dancing.. soldier..tennis..f1 racing..

monday is preparing to go back home..but of course we’ll not spoil the day..i had a henna tattoo at my back..with the root name of my blogs written..dmax..bongz got a braid..the girls had their shopping again..and then to the boat again..waving goodbye to galera..

relax..breath..calm down..have some time to go to galera..experience the warmth of the sun..the cool breeze..the splash of the waters..have fun with your friends..for you deserve it..

seriously..on grey's anatomy

seriously..i’m getting addicted with this medical drama series..i’m just in the middle of season 3..then, I’m not wondering what is life like if the hospital is your life..what if your world revolve mainly inside the hospital..seriously..i have no clue then..but now everything that is about a hospital fascinates me..

seriously..you might want to take a tour..the ER (they sometimes called this place “the pit”..where the paramedics drops the patient from the ambulance..oh this place can be bloody most of the time and don’t complain if you’ll hear screaming and bones crunching)..the OR (where all the surgeries should take place..where the scrubbin’ takes place)..the trauma room (next to the ER, the special cases goes here)..the waiting room (where the doctor would tell you “we’re doing the best we could” or “it’s a boy” or “please sign the papers” or “please prepare yourself, only a miracle will keep him alive”-those bunch of generic words which you know what you are suppose to expect while you are waiting and of course you’ll always hope for the best)..the locker room (where the hospital people wear their stuffs, eat their apple, and fight a little, or love a little, and fight again, or love again..yes, anything can happen here..did I mention the dog?)..the elevator (everybody’s got a thing in the Seattle Grace’s aphrodisiac elevator..it just heats up the atmosphere..ya’ know..it’s private..no camera..nobody can see the two of you..of course this is where the mc-lovin’ and the mc-drama happens before the bell rings and the door opens)..the hallway (more gossips spread here than any communicable disease)..and let me include the cafeteria (who won’t remember the hotdog contest..who would forget that hospital food is crap!)

seriously..i’m not gonna forget the five interns: meredith grey(most of the time..it’s all about meredith..probably the reason why it’s grey’s anatomy..such an impulsive girl..trying to cope up with the breakdown of his mother from alzheimer’s disease..first day of work tell her that he had slept with her boss, mc-dreamy..a good doctor but affected by chaotic circumstances..a girl who just wanted to happy but everything just keeps getting complicated for her..and she snores), cristina yang (the asian.. the robot intern and very ambitious..a little indifferent but very supportive to meredith..and got a very peculiar relationship with burke..she’s the one who attached “mc” in some words she need to emphasize..actually my favorite among the five..very funny facial reactions..her best episode is her wedding day).. isobel “izzie” stevens(the hot blonde sexy intern..always got attached to the patients she handled..she fell in love with a heart transplant patient but end up wretched with an 8.7million-dollar check..loves to bake..the one who believes in the good side of the moment..optimistic but easily gets affected by the situation), george o’malley (georgie to his family..he’s a very anxious and apprehensive character..got a thing with meredith at first..became torn between callie and izzie, his wife and bestfriend respectively..such a perfectionist but you would not notice..funny and perky but can get really very serious at times) and alex karev (isolated most of the time from his colleagues..he can be the black sheep of the group and one-minute after be the hero of the OR..such a pain in the ass for george..a very unpredictable character..got a talent for addison’s gynecology,what the interns called “vagina club”.. got attached with a preggy jane doe patient)..

seriously..what a very extraordinary cast..yes they have that attitude..they are not just interns..i think they are way out of any real surgeon’s league..not technically I guess but their characters are really intense and very affective..they can really give you that mixed emotion..you can neither love them or hate them..okay..i lied..you’ll love them all..
seriously..there’s more: the chief, the attendings and the residents..completing the web of cast- preston burke (the heart expert, they say the best in the world..yang’s preston burke, they’re a team..very reserved..unusually a mama’s boy..you’ll hate him on their wedding day), derek shepherd (the neurosurgeon..meredith’s mc dreamy..a loner who just lives in a trailer truck..fish and ferry boats..good acting when meredith died), addison montgomery-shepherd (ob-gyne surgeon..ex-wife of derek..derek left her when she’s caught in bed with his bestfriend mark..professional whilst sympathetic..had a thing with karev),mark sloan (plastic surgeon..mc steamy..they call him a male slut..), callie torres (orthopedic..wife of george..extra-size sexy woman..don’t mind nudity..), richard webber (the chief..the hospital is almost all his life..can’t leave the hospital causing his wife to divorce him..respectful but had that kind of ego..had an affair with meredith’s mother) and miranda bailey (my favorite..the nazi..the resident..the general surgeon..grey’s would be very dull without her..best word player..bitchy toungue but funny..a little woman with a huge character..i just love her do the talkin’ and starin’..great, such a great actress)..yes..i did my homework..

seriously..I don’t know really what to tell..take my word for it..you’ll gonna like this one..you have to see the medical cases they encounter and how it is relatively connected to their own life..good screenplay..good stories..you’ll just wanna see the next episode after the other..prepare yourself for every season finale because it’s gonna be one heck of suspension twist and emotional cyclone..seriously

Bugambilya

(inspired by M. I. Garcia's book, Science Solitaire..just wanna make my version of her first title in the book "Bougainvilla", which, by the way, captured my eagerness to write in Tagalog once more..)

imbes na repasuhin ko ang libro, naisipan ko lang n gumawa ako ng sariling kwento ko kakabit ang bulaklak na ito. kakatuwa laang kasi pinahiram lang ito ng tita marlen saken (bespren ng tita lalen)..natripan kong basahin..kakaiba ang istilo at may nakaukit na emosyon at maka-agham na impormasyon sa paglalahad ng isang maikling kwento..
ito ang kwento ko...

pag nakakita ka ng bugambilya..ano naiisip mo? o hindi mo alam kung anu yun? bulaklak yun, tangi! kala mo bastos..

ang bugambilya, bougainvilla sa mga inglesera, ay isang uri ng bulaklak na natubo sa lupa (dyok!)..yung halaman na nagmula pa sa brasil at ngayon ay tipikal na makikita sa timog amerika at sa iba pang tropikal na lugar sa mundo na isa na dito e ang pilipinas..at syempre meron nyan sa batangas..para sa masmagandang tubo at bulaklak, kailangan daw e mayaman ang lugar sa sikat ng araw at may mahabang panahon ng pagtutuyo sa pagitan ng pagdidilig..gets mo..ayaw daw nito ng nilulunod sa tubig..madali itong lumago at matibay kahit tagtuyot..may kulay pula, dilaw, puti, dalandan at maaring maghalo rin depende sa pagkaka-culture dito..

dahil nga mahilig sa paghahalaman ang mga kasama ko sa bahay..natural..may bugambilya sa bahay..lahat ng kulay..ilista mo pa..

tanda ko nga nung bata pa ko at sinasama pa ko ng namayapa kong ama sa batangas high, ginagawa naming cr ang paso ng bugambilya kasi daw maganda daw sa halaman ang ihe..hanggang ngayon naman eh buhay pa siguro yun..e totoo kaya yun?

at sa kadamihan nga ng halaman sa aming bahay..kahit sa bubong namin e naghanay ang mga paso..at dati nga e ako ang katulong ng tita ethel sa pagdidilig ng mga 'to..

tanda mo ga pag flores de mayo? pupunta ang mga bata sa tuklong para makakain ng busa, pande agua, o sopas..parte ng tradisyong ito ang paghahagis ng bulaklak sa santo..hayun ang mga bata..pinuteh na ang mga bugambilya at nagagalit na ang mga lola at hindi na nagtira..

ito ang hindi alam ng lahat..ang totoong bulaklak ng bugambilya e yung mga maliliit na piraso sa gitna ng makukulay na dahon..opo, ang mga makulay na akala mo eh bulaklak e yun e mga dahon..parang ponsetya..may espesyal na dahon na animoy parte ng bulaklak..

kaw? ano kwento mo?

Jollibee’s Quest for Global Growth

Jollibee is the leading fast-food chain in the Philippines. With its very remarkable success in the country and its vision to expand its market to other countries, Jollibee managed to build their establishment in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Dubai and Brunei. Well, of course, their main target will be the Overseas Filipino Workers, and subsequently infiltrating the market of the foreign niche they are entering.

If going global means that you would not only cater Filipinos worldwide but also the world market in general, Jollibee’s main concern would be to make their products and services flexible accordingly to the culture and social preference in every particular place without jeopardizing its brand image. A global company tends to unify strategies that reflect the commonalities of market needs across the countries through global standardization. But it does not imply that Jollibee has to serve only their original Filipino-recipe menu in the foreign country because variation of preferences is inevitable and cannot be ignored, Jollibee’s approach would be to adapt its products to fit the global demand.

Its initial strategy of “targeting OFWs and foreign-based Filipinos” and “planting the flag” might have created the risk of targeting only a narrow segment of the world market, neglect large transaction cost and failure to leverage Jollibee’s competitive advantage on new geographic market. This strategy of Jollibee requires enough market volume of OFW and expatriates in the area which could generate publicity through word-of-mouth and eventually attract walk-in traffic of foreign race. This might be one of the reasons why some ventures abroad did not materialize as successful as its counterparts in the Philippines.

Jollibee ought to consider other strategies that will be applicable to the particular undertaking they will be entering. One alternative would be to target place, state, or country where there are few competitors, say; places not yet fully conquered by McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burger King. With few competitors, they could easily capture the market and set the standard.

Another option is to team up with a foreign partner who can help Jollibee overcome challenges of operating in the foreign niche and provide viable access to distribution channels, suppliers and strategic store locations.

Innovative promotional strategy is also vital, specifically employing the same approach of capturing the younger segment of the market and continually improving its product lines. They should not also forget to bring the warmth of Filipino hospitality and excellent service. Show them the “At home sa Jollibee” and “Bida ang sarap” spirit.

A concrete feasibility study is essential to determine the best locations and the kind of adaptations Jollibee has to consider. With many options at hand, they could combine these accordingly to the selected area of venture.

bluish fate

tell me..how can a dishwashing liquid make my mother’s mood blue?

it was suppose to be a regular thursday for my mom.. get up early.. go to school and teach those nasty kids some good old 2nd graders learning requirements.. go home after doing a little stop-over at the marketplace.. open the backdoor, which is beside the front door (believe me..our house has only two main doors and they are just beside each other).. and suddenly, after dropping her bags and some packs of guppies (small grayish fish worth one peso per piece in the local pet shops)..a terrifying scene almost dropped her heart to oblivion..Aurora’ death unexpectedly came about putting her mood into a grieving soul..

what had just happened? How did it happen? Why in the world would that happen?

she’s a child.. wild imagination.. quite secretive.. loves to play.. play everything that amuses her.. a dishwashing liquid.. maybe she likes something bubbly.. a single drop.. another drop.. and again.. curious.. a little more drop.. water turning blue and suddy.. joy antibac plus pure water equals deadly water.. bubbles.. more bubbles.. poor being.. so sad.. the substance might have been concentrating in her gills that moment.. poisoning her system.. little by little putting her into death.. poor being.. maybe it feels like breathing in sulfur dioxide.. no choice but to breath in again the toxins.. poor being.. the grim reaper must have been crying for the fate of this soul.. the end is just a little tragic for her.. she’s a child.. she does not know what she was doing.. but she surely will know that it’s wrong..

the guppies are for Aurora.. but we call her Aro for short.. actually we don’t know if it’s a he or a she..what we know is that my mom baptized her with that name so we just agrred that she’s a girl.. guppies, hollies and even gold fish are her favorites.. yes, quite expensive.. but mom make it sure that we does not feed her roaches nor lizards.

just last week, my sister texted me “Ui, bli k dw ng bulb para sa kwr2 mu..”.. reading between the lines.. they stole my fluorescent lamp to replace the busted lamp of the aquarium.. attachment is inevitable.. we even talk to her like she’s understanding the baby talks and stuffs.. harhar.. she’s different from the other fishes we kept pet in our aquarium since my childhood because we gave her a name and that made a big difference..

Aro was a vicious eater.. a natural predator in the wild. . it belong to kingdom animalia, phylum chordate, class actinopterygii, order osteoglossiformes, family osteoglossidae, genus scleropages, species s. formosus (nose bleed..)
Asian arowanas are considered "lucky" by many people, particularly those from Asian cultures. This reputation derives from the species' resemblance to the Chinese dragon, considered an auspicious symbol. The large metallic scales and double barbels are features shared by the Chinese dragon, and the large pectoral fins are said to make the fish resemble "a dragon in full flight."
In addition, positive Feng Shui associations with water and the colours red and gold make these fishes popular for aquariums. One belief is that while water is a place where chi gathers, it is naturally a source of yin energy and must contain an "auspicious" fish such as an arowana in order to have balancing yang energy. Another is that a fish can preserve its owner from death by dying itself. (thanks wikipedia!) so much for that blahs..
She’s a predator there in the wild but at home, she’s our pet.. dependent and vulnerable.. we’ll never forget her..

Ps..
Just a couple of weeks after that incident, my aunt gave us another baby arowana as replacement but tragedy sometimes come unnoticed..not eating for days and guppies intertwining the food chain turning parasitism dominant.. Basty followed Aro’s fate swimming to the ocean of heaven..

Ps2..
right now..we’re keeping a baby flowerhorn..Cinderella..Cindy for short..just hoping she’ll stay with us for eternity..