Yesterday evening (While waiting for this storm to happen) I walked my usual 30 meters to my Sorry Sorry store for my couple of bottles of SMB as I do most evenings. To my Surprise I saw something I had not seen in all my time here. Little Girls, maybe 8 to 10 year old, playing with Dolls. Now as a father of 4 girls this site was not new to me in my past situation but here, I have never seen it before. Also new to me was something that well, really astounded me a little. The same age boys, Spider Fighting. YEP! Spider Fighting. They had spiders on twigs, got the spider to spin its cord, then wrap it lightly to the twig, another did the same at the other end and when to 2 spiders met WOW! ferocious battle for 1 or 2 seconds. Never seen this before. Just a trivial Saturday morning thread but has any one else come across these two things here? maybe it is just me but i find this little interest in the local kids is what keeps them happy and not in my face as some type of benefactor. I can also say that these kids do not come knocking at my door for anything other than buying Ice Which I will gladly sell, if we have enough to spare. (and I do mean sell) I find taking some interest in the local kids can make a difference in how the parents treat me. Maybe members will remember when I bought marbles for them sometime ago, they never Forget. Respect has to be earned not demanded I feel. All to many times I think we all, do demand. Sorry for my Trivia today but...............:D life can be good if we go about it the right way. JP
Last Christmas I worked with my helper (she lives 5 houses away) to identify the young kids in the Immediate neighborhood. I purchased a little over 500 P of Christmas small teddy bears. (actually bumped into Broadside buying toys for his charity work in Hypermart a the same time). My helper walked me around the neighborhood and we past out the teddy bears. One young shy girl never would come out of the house to receive her gift. I think it is wise to reach out particularly to the young in your neighborhood. Some, particularly in Bacong, have never seen a person of lighter skin and many times take that second look of wonderment. I always smile and wave, it seem to make their day as I get a positive response back. I think this is better than the rioting I am presently seeing in America... remember we are the minority here. The pay off for me? Well Imp was much more aggressive in exploring the neighborhood every time he escaped, particularly in entering other people houses. Once when he was gone, going across the Bacong-Valencia road, something he especially know he is knows he is not to do, he was returned by a man, who my helper identified as a father of one of the young ladies that received a Christmas Teddy bear. The neighbors have always treated me with respect as I have tried to reach out to them, helping them when I can. It is the best security system I can think of for a person or property. At the same time I have tried to train them not to sing in front of my gate by seldom if ever "donating" to their shakedown efforts. I usually have a quiet Christmas season with happy neighbors at the same time.
Well blow me down, it seems this spider Fighting is more common than I at first thought. Apparently it is a grown mans alternative to Cock Fighting. In the rice fields they take their Spiders to have a bet on at break time and lunchtime. Like most things adults do, our children will copy, Dolls from Mamma and Spider Fighting from Papa. So I learn new things every day JP
I've done the spider fighting one and lost 1k pesos, next time I'm taking the one in the CR that's as big as my fist. It's pretty big in Japan too.....if it's weird, you know the Japs are going to take that sh*t and make it a national past time.
Growing up with boys, dolls were not my cup of tea. I've done a lot of spider fighting in the 1980’s. I could walked several kilometers just to hunt spiders with my boys gang. I didn’t realized it was indeed a very good game to be in the nature most of the time. I had like 6 pcs. real good aggressive fighters, some of them could be poisonous(who knows) I keep them on the matches box with a small fresh leaf inside. I kept them for overnight and fight the next day, and most of the time I won( I think the spiders were so hungry after being in the dark). I think I won 25 cents each game(that was the highest bet we could). Then after a fight I sold my player for 50cents-1peso. Can you imagine I walked and hunt for like more than 10 kilometers and I make like 6pesos for all of them? What a huge amount? Heheheh.. But it was the best childhood memories!
Moving on a little from spiders and dolls and not wanting to clog up the carol singing thread with Kids Trivia which is what this thread was about, I wonder if it was any use the Administration in the RP giving the Kids the right to an Education. The kids in this Barangay either just do not want to learn anything (if there is anything to learn from this dismal Education System) or they would sooner just stay at home and p*ss me off. Since 2 days before the typhoon warning the kids have done nothing but let of fireworks or create mayhem with these homemade Bazooka things. My dogs are tearing there hair out with fright, I am not too sure what either of them ( The Dogs) would do if one went off when I was walking them. Fright is one of the main reasons any dog will bite but I am afraid the kids will have to learn they are confusing me with a man that cares should that happen. I see and understand now why they come at 8.30 to 9.00 am to sing? Then off they go to buy more stuff to play war. I like kids, I was one myself once but in my day if I was told to p*ss off your are upsetting the animals, that is what we did. Move on and annoy someone else. I spoke to the Baringay Captain not an Hour ago. usual Shrug of the Shoulder answer. well Sir, it is up to the Parents that they are not at school. OH! So you are not the local Overseer? (apparently not) You should report it. errrrrrr I am. That is what we are told to do, talk to the BC First. What about all the noise and frightening the Animals. Same smug look and Shoulder shrug. I suggested he showed films of Baghdad, Beirut, and or any other war torn city so the kids can see what war is all about and the bangs that are for real. These bangs can bring back bad memories to some ex-Military men. Many still having Nightmares when hearing these explosions. Not our war Sir! Hmmmmmm nothing is, unless it is free. Then of course he would never understand the phrase " No such thing as a FREE lunch" Yet it is more Fun? Rant over. Sorry but it is the way I felt today JP
Don't be a grumpy old man JP. Go buy some bottle rockets and shoot them back at the little shits. (Or find out where they live and throw a couple hand fulls of black cats in their window when they are sleeping.)
Ahh! That's Good. The beginnings of how to be a good and responsible pet owner (if that is Possible) maybe there is hope for some Said with tongue in cheek but I am sure you all know what I mean?:D JP
