‘Fidelity’

I’m not sure if I can be a perfect example of fidelity. I decided to resurrect my old blog because I’m having a hard time adjusting to this new one even if the templates are extremely better.

So do check out this blog for new posts.

Kastigo’s 1st album ‘Our Daily Riot’

  Through the invitation of rock icon, Wolf Gemora, I tagged along my friend R to watch the new band Kastigo’s first album launch. I first heard about this band from Wolf himself when I interviewed Lokomotiv a few months back.  

This morning, Wolf asked me through text what do I think of the band? Here’s the long version of my reply to him, I had the chance to interview guitarist Josh Montecillo and bass Sans Fojas. They seem to be good kids. Good meaning nice. I hope they stay that way. During the brief chat with them, I found out that unlike the others they are not airheads. Sans for example gives sensible answers to my questions so does Josh. They know what they’re talking about, they know their music, and they know where they’re heading to.  

The reason I brought R along is because she’s a musician. Like Sans, she plays bass. I asked her about what she thinks of the band, if they sound truly hard rock, etc. She said they seem to be a good band and will survive the unforgiving world of the music industry if they stick to making real good music. 

What I think of them: Their music is the real thing. I thought that there could never be another Wolfgang or Razorback. Well, they are not W or G but they create rock music in the real sense of it. As one of my friends said who have seen them play: Malupit talaga yang mga yan. It may not be fair to compare them to W or G but that is the only way to describe them. The vocalist is a cross between a real rocker and choir boy Masyadong buo ang boses niya to the point that there are times during the live performance when some songs sounded pop but thank God, it was salvaged by the prolific drummer with his awesome talent. We’re looking for the raspy voices of Basti Artadi and Chris Cornell, or as R said, even Bon Jovi. But hey, it doesn’t mean he is a bad singer. Well, he’s way better than the other lead vocals out there who only know how to scream and couldn’t even carry a tune. And what’s more, he has that distinct sound. Yes, he may sometimes sound Basti or Jett Pangan of The Dawn, according to Wolf, but this early, he is able to create a style of his own. They are serious “musicians” not just band members. I hope that they’ll help redefine real rock music which is badly bastardized these days.   

The music: Shades of Wolfgang, that’s my first comment when I heard Track No. 7 (my player is on shuffle mode). It strongly reminds me of one Wolfgang’s songs I just couldn’t recall which one. As I said, it’s the real thing. Josh revealed that W & G are two of their strong musical influences so it’s no surprise that few of the songs may sound like them. Few more albums and they’ll have their signature sound. It’s not just because Wolf recommends (or endorses them) but I think the band has all the recipes for success whether it’d be gauged on mainstream or underground. They already have a following me included. I’m just glad that I will no longer be limited to W, G, but K also.  

Kastigo is the band to watch out for. They’re not the “usual.” I just hope that as years go by they’ll find their true identity and create their “own” style and music. At least, they are not Kamikazee! Thank God!   

Traveler C

Traveling was not in my agenda while I was growing up. Yes, I dreamed of going to Europe and other places, I still do, but going around the Philippines was not planned.

I had the opportunity of visiting wonderful places in my Lupang Hinirang when Ms C, when she was still the Travel editor, asked me to cover something for her page in Vigan. That’s how I started my short-lived career as a travel writer.

These days, I travel only when I want to and when I can. I would love to visit the south but sometimes the fare is just too steep. Others would say that it’s cheaper to go to Bangkok than to Palawan. Although local airlines are coming up with promos of cheaper fares so more people can travel to different places in the country.

Next year, I’ll ask my sis M if we can travel to her province in Leyte. Or maybe in Cebu. Or Dumaguete. or Bohol. The farthest I’ve gone to the south is Boracay  

As far as traveling around the Philippines is concerned, this Lakbayan site gives me a grade of…

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited?

Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Someday, I’ll have the map of the world here

A life that has gone to the dogs

Philippine Daily Inquirer
June 10, 2007
Page A21

WITH HIS DETERMINATION AND dedication to improving animal welfare, Luis Buenaflor Jr.’s declaration of “I am not an animal lover, by the way” is often met with disbelief.

“Even if my upbringing taught me to respect nature and animals, I cannot call myself an animal lover,” he explained. “I respect animals and all forms of life but there is a difference between love and respect.”

Buenaflor is the external affairs director of Animal Kingdom Foundation Inc., a nongovernment organization. He started out as the lone researcher and writer for AKF six years ago. For a time, he retired from the challenging world of animal welfare but the brief hiatus from what he considers his vocation and avocation only proved one thing: That helpless animals need his expertise and objectivity in dealing with issues that concern them.

Environmental advocate

It was during his college years that Buenaflor became involved in environmental advocacy. He once joined the spiritual movement Ananda Marga and became a vegetarian. He almost donned saffron robes just to show his dedication to espousing the protection of animals and the environment.

A graduate of the Colegio de San Agustin in Iloilo with a degree in English, major in Comparative Literature, he grew up surrounded by animals in his family’s farms in Cotabato, Davao and Iloilo. However, Buenaflor’s interest in animal welfare only began when he started working for AKF.

The group’s main mission is to eliminate dog meat trade in the Philippines and Buenaflor’s first assignment was to investigate the illegal trade. Like other contractual jobs, he expected to finish his task in three months which he did.

Unexpectedly, he was later sent to South Korea to do the same job. Some restaurants in Seoul openly serve dog and cat meat.

“It felt good when I got the job because I’m doing something that is in line with what I believe in,” Buenaflor said.

As a researcher, he followed up tips from informants about suspected dog meat traders in different parts of the country.

One of the longest investigations he conducted was in Negros where it took him almost a year to gather information about a person who shipped dog meat to Manila.

“We were given no name and no location,” he said. But eventually, he was able to identify the trader.

“The guy was a municipal councilor shipping around 500 kilos to one ton of slaughtered dogs twice a week to Metro Manila which are then sold in Quinta Market and Divisoria,” Buenaflor recalled.

Suspect charged

The suspect was later charged and the case is still pending in court.

If surveillance is a long, tedious and dangerous process, the raid which AKF conducts together with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police is even more so.

Buenaflor related that in some instances, they would be confronted by a group of armed men. In cases like this, he and other AKF members step aside and leave everything to the police.

“I always believe that we are here to save—but not die for—the animals,” he said, “If we die, then who’s going to save them?”

Death threats He admitted that he has changed his cell phone number many times due to death threats.

Still, despite the dangers, Buenaflor considers every successful operation a victory for him and the animals.

However, he considers the passage of the anti-rabies bill authored by Sen. Pia Cayetano one of the highlights of his career. Together with members of other animal rights organizations, he lobbied for the passage of the bill in Congress.

The sanctions in the bill are much stiffer compared to those in Republic Act No. 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998. Under the new bill, convicted dog traders would be meted out a penalty of P5,000 per dog in addition to spending time in jail.

“It will no longer be profitable for them because if they get caught transporting 100 dogs, that is already half a million pesos,” he explains.

Buenaflor also considers a personal victory the creation of a marine sanctuary in Albuquerque, Bohol. News of a python being fed with live dogs in the area prompted him to conduct an investigation. He was concerned not just about the dogs but also about the welfare of the python.

When he got there, he found out that the python lived in such a small cage that it could not even stretch out its body. After months of negotiating with the snake owner and coordinating with the local government, the place was converted into an animal sanctuary. It now houses other reptiles and two lemurs smuggled from Madagascar which were intercepted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Buenaflor, who once taught Social Sciences at Angelicum and Assumption schools in Iloilo, said he would like to concentrate on wildlife issues once AKF is able to stop the illegal trade in dog meat.

Minimum level

“We are focused on this issue because we want to see it end,” he said, “If we can reduce it to a minimum level, I can say that we have succeeded in doing our job.”

According to Buenaflor, it was his parents and two brothers who taught him to respect all living beings. He grew up seeing his mother taking care of dogs.

He has an adopted Rottweiler named Strongky in his house in Quezon City. His other dog, a German Shepherd, lives in their farm in Iloilo. Buenaflor explained that he decided to bring the dog there because “it is impossible to live with a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler who both think they are alpha males in one house.”

Why did he pick Strongky? “He is the gentler one,” he said.

Warning signs of job burnout

This article on CNN website caught my attention. I experienced (and still experiencing) all these signs weeks ago. But I’m trying to get back the enthusiasm. I need to work. It’s the job that pays the rent so I need to find a reason to like, if not love, it.

Here’s an excerpt of the article.

Consider these five warning signs of burnout:

 Sign No. 1: Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.

If you find yourself becoming cranky and irritable with co-workers you used to get along with, it may be more than just typical interpersonal dynamics.

 Sign No. 2: You come in late and want to leave earlier.

You used to wake up in the morning excited for another day, but now every day you dread heading into the office. Once lunch passes you start watching the clock, counting the minutes to the end of the day.

 Sign No. 3: Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.

You feel no motivation, no sense of accomplishment and have no desire to be challenged. Those who have burnout lose their motivation to perform, as well as their feelings of pride for a job well done.

 Sign No. 4: You’ve lost camaraderie with co-workers.

You’re no longer interested in the company network. You used to go to lunch, go out for drinks and participate in other company functions but now have no desire in socializing in or out of the office.

 Sign No. 5: You’re feeling physically sick.

You always feel exhausted, have headaches, feel tension in all of your muscles and are having trouble sleeping. These physical signs are common indicators of job stress, and demonstrate that this can turn into a physical problem.If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to make some changes.

First sale!

Okay, so I just made my first official sale on ebay today. I already sent the book via 2GO. It’s more than just earning but the fun of doing transactions online and on mobile. I saw some really cheap books in Booksale that I find popular on ebay customers so I will check them out later after office.

 Just when I made this “momentous” first sale, I stumbled upon this Associated Press news story on CNN website about a bookshop owner who burned his books because nobody wants them when he tried to donate them in a library. The news dated May 28 also note the decline on book readership.  Tsk, tsk, if he donated those books here, I’m sure it would’ve been a hit for readers and book lovers out there.

Rewards in meeting people

The past weeks have been pretty sluggish. Not that there’s not much work to do, actually I have quite a number of interviews to write out add to that is this side job of well, transcribing other people’s interviews. I loathed transcribing. I’ve always wished I could pay someone to transcribe my interviews but when this job offer came along, who can refuse 3K just transcribing one tape even if it’s only 25 minutes? So, I took the job to heart and found a way to enjoy it. 3k is 3k.

With my experience meeting people from all walks of life, of different nationalities, and of course of different attitudes, I found talking to foreigners more relaxing than talking with fellow Filipinos.

Last week, I interviewed a French guy whose company sells luxury watches in France. Pequignet is a French brand but Swiss-made. I could say that that was my favorite interview ever. Monsieur Jean-Paul Suchel is one of the most pleasant persons and interviewees I’ve ever met. With the huge number of people I met in my entire “career”, I know when somebody is genuinely happy to see you or not; or when they’re just doing it for PR.

Although we’re talking about watches, I never felt intimidated at all asking questions in-between his replies and injecting some humor whenever I found the chance. There were times when I was able to casually talk to him about something and I was somewhat surprised at how at ease I was.

Today, I get to interview the British CEO of an ad agency at the Enterprise Building in Ayala Avenue, Makati. It was also fun but not as fun as that with Monsieur Suchel. I mean today, their Filipino counterparts are not that warm. There’s always that feeling of…I dunno. I always felt cautious. I don’t discriminate, okay? Later I’ll relate my experience with the PNB bankers and how wonderful interviewees they are.
There is something about some Filipino people in ad agencies that intimidates me. I just couldn’t pinpoint what it is. They have this air of superiority over you especially when they see you’re young or if you’re not the editor. Most, and not all, Filipinos in advertising put me off.

Now, the PNB bankers are the best people to talk to. Not just because they speak well but they are also very nice. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview them twice and I’ve always looked forward to talking to them. Even if they know they know all, they won’t let you feel that. And like boys, they goofed around, joked with each other and just made the press really comfortable.

I’ve been contemplating changing careers since forever but everytime I think about it, the thought of not being able to interview brilliant minds in various industries and ordinary people in the streets scares me, really. I enjoy meeting them, listening to them, asking questions, etc. Sometimes, those in higher positions are kinder than their subordinates.
Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy the good things my job has to offer for as long as I can. I’m not that jolly about the whole environment that’s why I try to get out as often as I can. Meeting and talking with people is much more rewarding than being cooped up in the hole.