Living toys

Photo Essay : Living Toys

Davao City, Philippines (12th November 2008) --- We love them; we take care of them - but it doesn't change the fact that our pets belong to our motley array of toys. The only difference is that these toys are beings with life on their own.

As living toys our pets give us a different sense of joy playing and taking care of them. We may be delighted with our latest version of our iPod or iPhone or our latest Canon or Nikon digital SLR. But our pets give us a different kind of meaning and happiness.

Unlike our electronic gadgets which we sometimes set aside in our storage bin if they run out of AA batteries, we can't do that with our pets.

Having those wiggly golden fishes in the acquarium meant you have to make occasional runs to the pet store to buy fish food. And of course, your naughty dog which punctually raps your bedroom door every morning at 6:00 am needs regular visit to the vets.

We make sacrifices for them. Maybe in their own world, they also make sacrifices for us. Man and pets tolerate each other, I suppose that's why they both live together in contentment with each other.

And even when they grow old and grumpy like human beings do, we continue to keep them. We don't discard them off for being old like our plasticky electronic toys. There are terms of endearment.

Photo Essay : Soggy All Saints Day

Photo Essay : Soggy All Saints Day

Tagum City, Davao del Norte ( 1st November 2008) - It was a soggy All Saint's Day in Tagum City but it hasn't dampened a bit the enthusiasm of the towns- err(city) folks to visit the resting places of their departed loved ones.

The day started out bright. But past noon time, huge heavy dark clouds quickly loomed and soon unforgivingly spilled a heavy downpour. Strong winds and rain lashed at the makeshift tents people built around the graves of departed kins.

The motley crowd which trooped to the cemeteries and memorial parks scampered towards any semblance of shelter when the rain fell, like roaches in a dark basement stunned by the sudden flood of light.

Came high water, but the devout continued with their prayers to plead the cause of the departed from hell. Trivia abound even as ambulant pay-per-music gypsies offered, for a token, music comprised of incoherent beats from make-do drums resurrected from scrap materials
and gibberish lyrics.

The kids continued in their merry mood of trick-or-treat'en. Yeah, Halloween. The departed folks continue to lie still underneath the tombstones of their subterranean domain oblivious as to what the living do
to bring back memories of them while they were alive.

These all unfolded today on All Saint's Day this year. Next year will mostly be a repeat of what transpired.


Note : Images were taken at the Glorious Resurrection Memorial Park in Tagum City, Davao del Norte using Nikon D60 with Nikkor 18-55 mm VR DX lens and 55-200 mm VR DX.







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