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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 05/27/2012 : 05:06:59
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I'm about as happy as I get.
Today I bought two 2-month-old pups from Sonny, my neighbor, potable water supplier, sometime-handyman, and good friend. A little young for adoption, perhaps, but these are Askals, tough street dogs that shrug off bad news like an afternoon deluge. Plus, they are weaned, and they are going to be spoiled silly. I paid 1,000 pesos for the two.
A few months ago, I unexpectedly lost my beloved and elderly Chihuahua, Missy, overnight. The most likely suspects are dog thieves who supply the horribly cruel dog meant industry, which is at its very worst here in Baguio. I've been mourning Missy's loss ever since, though I've tried to get over it. I did it wrong, mourning as I did. If you lose a beloved dog, respect its memory by getting another dog that needs a home right away! Having these pups, a boisterous male and his runty sister, is a real tonic to my dog-loving heart:
Yet-unnamed Askal pups, male on left, female on right.
Male on left, female on right.
"Askal" is a Tagalog portmanteau word, a contraction of asong kalye, literally "street dog." Despite some mixing over the years with pure-bred domestic dogs, Askals are still essentially what I've called "the original doggy dogs." They are direct descendants of the first dogs that hung around neolithic (or earlier) garbage middens and domesticated themselves. Unlike the "pure" breeds of recent centuries, pariah dogs like the Askals have not been bred under human control, but by their own choices and doggy standards. Like such dogs from the Dingo to the Indian Pariah, to the Canaan Dog, to the Carolina ("Yaller Dog") Hound, these are dogs that can live independently from humanity in a pinch, yet make boon companions when possible. They do not have the huge heap of genetic flaws that we humans have accidentally bred into our pure breeds.
They are freshly shampooed for the first time in their lives, and I've applied flea drops between their shoulder blades. Tomorrow I go to the local barangay vet to get these pups thoroughly vaccinated and de-wormed. I'm hopeful the female runt will have a growth spurt and get spunky after that swollen belly of hers is cleared of parasites. She's a tough little Askal, after all.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/27/2012 06:21:59
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 07:39:48 [Permalink]
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| Cute! Not to worry you, but how will you protect these dogs from the same fate as Missy? (I think I met Missy when I visited you up north.) |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 08:29:21 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Cute! Not to worry you, but how will you protect these dogs from the same fate as Missy? (I think I met Missy when I visited you up north.)
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I can never be certain, is the honest answer. For now, they will not go outdoors by themselves. Later, as they become mature, I will encourage them to guard the enclosure, the house, and themselves from strangers. And to bark when they see a perceived threat. A brother and sister guard team ought to work. And we will check things out when they bark. I hope that helps.
Also, there are a lot more people here now. Three of my mate's nieces are with us, and one of her nephews. After school begins, the 7-year-old niece will remain, and I have already enrolled her in a private, secular Montessori school. One other adult niece is going to be here to help care for her. That means there will nearly always be people both upstairs and downstairs to keep an eye on our yard and the dogs. We also now always have a light on at night. (It's a 2.5 Watt LED flood lamp, and quite bright enough while remaining "green" enough, too.)
Here's most of my impromptu family. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/27/2012 23:45:21 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 09:24:07 [Permalink]
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| Dang Art. I should move there. Look at you! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 09:44:18 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Dang Art. I should move there. Look at you!
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You should, really. I'd help you get settled, and you could stay here until you were relocated comfortably.
I'm happier now and feel healthier than I've been in many years. The culture-based respect that a older foreigner gets here is remarkable -- even sometimes alarming, as when I watch Filipinos ahead of me in line to entering the SM Mall being carefully frisked by armed guards, but when I get to the head of the line, the guards step out of my way and say, "Welcome, Sir!" An elderly, Caucasian-looking Al Qaeda human bomb could waltz right through with a nod and a grin.
In the US, the opposite extreme. People of less than retirement age seem to look right through an older person, as if he or she weren't there. Even the occasional "sir" or ma'am" one hears from salespeople in the US feels like they are reminding you that they recognize you are not a real person anymore. Here, the problem is trying to tone down the respect. That's ultimately impossible. When younger in-laws first meet you, they take your hand and bow down until their foreheads touch the back of your hand. They refuse to call you by name, but only "Uncle" or (with the 7-year-old) "Papa". Kinda cool, kinda creepy. But I can live with it.
I'm re-energized by living here. Everyday is a new adventure. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/27/2012 09:46:20 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 10:13:27 [Permalink]
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| Money is the problem. In that I don't have any. What's access to medication like? I mean the real stuff? |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 10:57:58 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Money is the problem. In that I don't have any. What's access to medication like? I mean the real stuff? |
Access to all my maintenance prescriptions is easy and dirt-cheap. I take five prescriptions for conditions that had led to my stroke 9 years ago: Hydrochlorothiazide, Rosuvastatin, Amlodipine, Clopidogrel and Losartan. (I also take Ranitidine (Zantac) to control stomach acid.) All are available in such cheap generics that they cost much less than the copayment I had to pay in the States for these meds through my rather better-than-average medical insurance plan. And one needs no prescription, just a detailed list of does and numbers to be purchased.
However, when I had some acute pain, it was next to impossible to get opioid painkillers. I normally take Vicodin 250 once a day when I do have pain, which I tolerate well. Most pharmacies don't even carry Vicodin.
A doctor here prescribed me Oxicotin, but had to write up a special report saying I was in the terminal stages of Hodgkin Disease, and sent me to a Catholic university hospital to get a few tabs of the Hillbilly Heroin (which to me was less effective than Vicodin). I never tried that route again. In the US, I was easily prescribed Vicodin or its equivalent, and my doctor monitored this and noted that my consumption was quite low.
Thank goodness I don't have chronic pain! I guess it's Catholicism, and somehow related to the idea we're here to suffer? I think it's weird, especially since some of the drugs I have to take could kill an ox which was unaccustomed to them. And those I get with my own hand-written list.
So if you have chronic pain meds you need, that's something to consider. I could introduce you to that doctor, but even then it's an extra hassle. And people think of Asia as filled with opium dens. . . Hah! As for "recreational drugs," I have no personal idea. Now and then newspapers mention seizure of pot, and shabu (meth) is a problem drug here. But I haven't seen (except for some I saw growing wild across my alley) or sought pot since long before coming here, and would never consider meth.
All meds come in foil or plastic packages, each tab separately sealed from the tropical humidity. Many generics are manufactured here in the Philippines, and I trust these more than those from China or India. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/27/2012 11:04:14 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 11:07:04 [Permalink]
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I'm thinking of Lantus, and other diabetic meds. Hypertension meds and statins. And then there's the alprazolam...
Anyhow, I'm going to get a pretty meager social security check when I'm eligible. Don't know if that's enough to live on. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 11:09:43 [Permalink]
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| Excellent, good for you Mooner. Best wishes with the pups. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 11:14:24 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by sailingsoul
Excellent, good for you Mooner. Best wishes with the pups.
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Thanks much, sailingsoul! BTW, been meaning to ask: Do you read Carl Hiaasen? For me, his novels about Florida are such a delight. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 11:23:19 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
I'm thinking of Lantus, and other diabetic meds. Hypertension meds and statins. And then there's the alprazolam...
Anyhow, I'm going to get a pretty meager social security check when I'm eligible. Don't know if that's enough to live on.
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Those are probably all available here. I can check, though. Each month I get $1400 from Social Security, and just $400 from my IRA (which has been ravaged by both the likes of Mitt Romney and my ex-wife). I live very well on that. If you are eligible for SSI, that's a far better income than the plain Social Security I get. But you have to jump through some hoops to prove your disability, so start your jumping practice right away. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 11:29:11 [Permalink]
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| Alprazolam is indeed available here under the name Xanor. Of the statins and anti-hypertensives, I already get several (my list above), plus one blood thinner and a drug to lower bad cholesterol. Google says: Philippines has Lantus, too. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/27/2012 11:37:51 |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 12:37:21 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by sailingsoul
Excellent, good for you Mooner. Best wishes with the pups.
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Thanks much, sailingsoul! BTW, been meaning to ask: Do you read Carl Hiaasen? For me, his novels about Florida are such a delight.
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Unfortunately can't say that I have. Ever read Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett? I've read almost all of his. Now I read only nonfiction mostly. |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 20:55:12 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by sailingsoul
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by sailingsoul
Excellent, good for you Mooner. Best wishes with the pups.
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Thanks much, sailingsoul! BTW, been meaning to ask: Do you read Carl Hiaasen? For me, his novels about Florida are such a delight.
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Unfortunately can't say that I have. Ever read Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett? I've read almost all of his. Now I read only nonfiction mostly.
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Ah. No, I haven't read any Follett yet, but I'll try to pick that one up.
Hiaasen was a Florida reporter and writes wild and hilarious stories, often with the hero being someone more crazy than sane who is forced/just decides to take the law into his/her own hands. There's usually a theme in the foreground or background about civic corruption, TV evangelists, destruction of wetlands, and real estate over-development. He mentioned Mt. Trashmore, as you have, Okay, I derailed my own thread enough. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2012 : 23:58:29 [Permalink]
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Unlike yesterday, when she mostly kept herself in the kennel and slept, today the still-unnamed (we're waiting for inspirations) female puppy today is running around happily, almost as energetic as her brother. In fact, she's not not just defending herself from her brother's constant playful bullying (he'd dragged her off the bed they share to make himself more room), but doing some quite justifiable bullying herself.
Yesterday: As the male bullies his sister, the sister threatens to bite back.
In my mind, that tends to confirm my suspicions about parasitic worms. The female's eaten more and much better here than she had at Sonny's place, and it seems that the worms now can't handle all of the sudden increase of nutrition, and have to leave some for her to digest. Not going to the vet today, due to the severe inconvenience of a monsoonal downpour. Tomorrow, hopefully. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/28/2012 02:02:31 |
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phil_expat
New Member
Philippines
10 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2012 : 15:20:17 [Permalink]
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Glad to hear about your dogs! I know how much missy meant to you! When they are older they will help with your security. I have a friend with 4 dogs, 2 are house dogs the others are security staying outside. He has his outside dog train only to eat food from him or his wife. Wonder how that training is done?
Nice photo of your family, life in the Philippines has brightened your eyes! You look a lot younger now than you did in the USA!
When my wife and I first met she asked me why the security guard never pat me down, I experience the same respect that you did. One thing that I never experience before is the senior lane at the grocery store. I sit in a very comfortable seat while one clerk unload my cart for the cashier and another bags and put in another cart.
I do disagree on one thing: Three friends of mine on social security retirement that are living in the Philippines applied for and got social security disability. There income has increase a lot. Yes, it is a lot of paper work but worth it!
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Down 1 Chihuahua, Up 2 Askals
