What makes me sick with anger...

...Is that we can't extend our sympathy and compassion to animals other than human beings.

We live in a third world country but we are still human beings, "superior" to other creatures. All I can say is... what bullshit.

Last year CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals), a local animal welfare group found 29 massacred cats and kittens that were kept in a shelter in Dasmarinas Village, Makati. For those who don't know, Dasmarinas is essentially the Beverley Hills of the Philippines. CARA had trapped, spayed and neutered 29 cats and kittens that were kept in cages outdoors to recuperate after the surgery. According to this article when CARA came to check on them, they were all found shot by air guns and none survived. No one claimed responsibility.

This slaughter happened a few days before Christmas 2007.

And we call ourselves a Catholic country.

This other article recalls of how stray cats are treated by us humans. Some crazy people actually throw boiling water or oil on stray cats. One compassionate lady would give food and water to stray cats in her area in Urdaneta (another wealthy village) but some crazier people put poison in the water. Let's just say that... drinking insecticide-laced water will make you die a slow and painful death, both for humans and non-humans.

FYI, all these terrible acts are against Republic Act 8485, or the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.

If you recall, I blogged about having to give up my cats a few posts back. I'm really having a difficult time finding them homes. Seriously, there is no one who can take them in. It's not like in Northern America / Australia where it's so pet friendly and so rescued animal friendly. The Philippines has issues with animals, specifically cats, specifically non-purebreds. People would rather have dogs over cats, purebreds over non-purebreds, it's heartbreaking...

People keep telling me that I'm sure to find good homes for them but deep down I know the future isn't looking so bright for the cats. I know only of a few who are sympathetic to animal welfare (none can't take cats in as of the moment -- thank you for your efforts though). Everyone else hates animals, or hates cats, or only wants purebreds. It really makes me sick with anger. No one gives a shit about animals.

It (cat and dog overpopulation) is such a BIG problem here and I hate that my own family can't even support me with trying to solve it (completely unrelated to the whole allergies issue). I told my family last night that what I really wanted to do was to cage stray cats in the area, spay and neuter them, then release them back into the streets to stop the cat overpopulation. I'm trying to do some good in this world and all they could tell me is "Instead of trying to take care of animals why don't you take care of your fellow human beings?" EVERYONE is doing something for people but NO ONE is doing anything for animals. We're not the only creatures God created. I'm sure God is sick with anger too when he sees how we treat his animals.

This is why I'm the crazy vegan cat lady.

To think that we're supposed to be the "superior" beings. I've heard true stories of animals willing to risk their lives to protect humans (whether the humans are their owners or are strangers) but for humans willing to risk their lives for animals, nil.

PS Please don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against people who can't have pets - it isn't for everyone due to certain circumstances like allergies or lack of money or whatever. I just have something against people who would directly and indirectly cause harm to them... like caging them for life, or poisoning them, or neglecting to take them to the vet, or abandoning them because they realize that they never wanted a pet in the first place. I have issues with buying pets from breeders and mills too - this is such a sad industry.

SF is vegan haven / heaven

Wow. All I can say is, wow.

San Francisco and the Bay area = nirvana for vegans.

I guess trying to be vegan in the Philippines makes trying to be vegan anywhere else a LOT easier. Seriously, it was too easy.

Most of the regular restaurants had veg options. For instance...

This is a VEGAN sandwich. And it was awesome. French baguette with tomato sauce, bell peppers, pepperoncini, mushrooms, olives, and SOY cheese. Check out Goat Hill Pizza at 715 Harrison at 3rd St, SF -- any dish with dairy cheese can be substituted with soy cheese.

This establishment is so-so when it comes to vegan-friendliness. 21st Amendment at 563 2nd St, SF has a veggie burger that contains egg so I opted for their garden salad with beans. One thing I've noticed in American restaurants is that garden salad does not necessarily = leaves + tomatoes. This one had shaved fennel, sliced radish and cherry tomatoes.

Spending time with my American cousins has made me more appreciative of non-Tequila-and-Kahlua-liquor. Here is 21st Amendment's Pomegranate Cider. It looks like liquid gold here, but it's actually a light pink. Nice.

I'm not much of a photographer 'cept when I'm in a kitchen hence the lack of restaurant food photos. I am a HUGE fan of Mexican food (cilantro / wansoy is my herb of choice and I can eat guacamole all day every day) and any Mexican restaurant has a veggie burrito with beans. I think I ate Mexican every 2 or 3 days.


There are 2 restaurant memories that I will treasure forever as a vegan.

I think I just about died and went to heaven when I visited Maggie Mudd at 903 Cortland Ave, SF. It isn't 100% vegan but it has a menu of vegan ice cream, soy- and coconut milk-based. SUNDAES CAN BE MADE VEGAN.















I got to go to this place thanks to Janine, a former high school classmate of mine who is now based in San Francisco. I think I bugged her to death to take me to Maggie Mudd (and bribed her with free ice cream too) and it did not disappoint. The photos look like crap because it's all white, but let me explain. On the left is Janine's choice: 1 scoop of oatmeal cookie dough ice cream in a waffle bowl (which they make in the premises as you wait!) with marshmallow sauce and whipped cream. Take note that Janine couldn't finish her 1 scoop because it was about 3/4-1 cup worth of ice cream.

On the right is my choice which I consumed on my own with no traces left whatsoever. It was a fudge brownie with 2 huge scoops of ice cream (oatmeal cookie dough and The Dubliner -- coffee ice cream with Irish Whiskey), with marshmallow sauce, whipped cream, and almonds.

OMG is all I can say. Since I turned vegetarian I have only had 5 vegan ice cream experiences.

1. Strawberry soy ice cream at Chimara, a "neo vegan" cafe in Greenbelt (neo vegan in quotations because they serve fish -- wtf indeed) which sucked. If you are a vegan based in Manila or are just plain curious about non-dairy ice cream, please do not try Chimara's because it will dash your hopes and dreams of what delicious soy ice cream is supposed to taste like. If you need an ice cream fix I suggest you puree a frozen banana or two -- this is a good sub.
   
2. Coconut "tofu" ice cream at a vegan grocery store in Sydney, Australia. Really good.
3. Vanilla soy ice cream at Janine's apartment -- sadly she's not vegan but she's lactose intolerant. Soo... sorry for her food insensitivities, but yey for saving cow's milk for the calves?
   
4. Maggie Mudd -- to be treasured forever. and ever.
   
5. Vanilla soy ice cream at my aunt's place, acquired from Trader Joe's.

And...

I dragged my 3 brothers (well 1 was vegan, so I dragged 2) to Herbivore at 531 Divisadero, SF (between Fell and Hayes) and it was amazing. The restaurant had a FULLY VEGAN menu from appetizer to entree to dessert. I almost cried stepping into the place (I almost cried when my rental was in the process of being towed in front of the restaurant, but that's another story for another post).

Actually, I'll leave my Herbivore raves for another post. It deserves its own post. :D Let me just say that... I wish I could open a Manila version of Maggie Mudd and Herbivore. One day... some day... Hopefully in 5-10 years.

Michael, if you're reading this, you open a vegan ice cream parlor and I'll open a vegan restaurant. Together we can rule the world -- er, take over the Manila restaurant scene -- and convince omnivores to move over to the vegan dark side.

Hope everyone had a happy cruelty-free holiday!

Away for the holidays + sad news about my cats

Hmmm so I guess my weekly blog posts turned out to be a bust... but it's the holidays, so I should be excused, right?

I miss blogging! But everything's been so busy and crazy and I haven't been able to upload photos to my laptop. Right now I am in the United States spending the holidays with my family in the Bay area. I really should blog about it because: it. seriously. is. a. legendary. Christmas. It's been the best holiday so far, meeting up with my 2 (out of 6) brothers that have been living on other sides of the earth the past year as well as spending time with my cousins from my mom's side who live in California. My whole family hasn't been in the States in 6 1/2 years, hence the legendary status.

Here's a rundown of issues about this trip so far:

1. Finding a vegan winter coat was almost impossible (vegan = not wool, not containing down or feathers, not leather)
2. How we were able to surprise my 2 brothers with our visit -- while wearing graphic tees with their faces on them!
3. First trip to Lake Tahoe, first time to see snow, first time to sleep in a cabin that had the temperature of 40 deg F (5 deg C) because of broken heater, first time to snowboard
4. How San Francisco is so Goddamn easy to be vegan... I'm jealous of all you Northern Californians, seriously
5. First time to eat at a fully vegan restaurant
6. First time to eat a Tofurky roast for Christmas dinner and Tofurky sausages for breakfast

I expect to be visiting a VEGAN ICE CREAM PARLOR soon and I am so excited! Will definitely have to mention that one.

Will be back home by the 7th of January! You will find my next blog post shortly after I arrive.

Happy holidays everyone!

PS I miss Pinoy weather where it's sunny year round and you can go out in tsinelas... My Pinoy skin is not used to North American coldness.

PPS I just remembered: today is my vegan anniversary! I have been vegan for exactly 1 year today! I turned vegetarian on October 8 2007 and vegan on December 31 2008.

PPPS I have sad news about my cats :( We recently found out that my youngest brother is allergic to the cats we adopted. He gets violently sick every month and apparently it's because of the cats. My mom is putting her foot down and is demanding that they all (I have 3) have to leave the house. Either find them new homes or turn them to the streets. This saddens me immensely as I consider these cats my babies. I rescued them from a cruel world and now I'm forced in a position to give up on them and be like any other cruel human they have faced. The thing is, Manila is very unfriendly to moggies / non-purebreed cats. Actually Manila is unfriendly to cats in general. I have no idea how to find them good homes. 

My mom said one option is for them to live outdoors. My first cat Lucky has been human-raised since he was 7 days old and is completely unaccustomed to the outdoors. He goes out sometimes to play in the garden but always under human supervision. He has no means to survive in the outdoors... He may run into the road and get into an accident... he may get into fights with other cats... I think I would get a heart attack if I come home to the roadkill remains of one of my cats...

Velma is our only female cat. She is unspayed because of her leg deformity -- her right front leg is unusable and is a 3-legged cat wonder (see a cute picture of her here). Turning her to the streets would be disastrous... Because of her deformity the vet said she can't be spayed (something about her immune system or the risk of the surgery) and mustn't get pregnant. I'll be consulting with the vet again regarding the spaying issue. I can't turn an unspayed female cat into the streets in full conscience.

I haven't blogged yet about my 3rd cat, Francis. I will dedicate a whole post on him soon. He is an orange tabby like Lucky and he came into our lives in October. He lives in our garage right now because my mom didn't want any more cats. He is completely street smart and will do fine as an outdoor cat... When he first arrived we tried to get him, Lucky and Velma to be playmates but Lucky and Velma thought they were too cool to play with him. They'd hiss at and ignore each other. Now they are all BFF's especially Lucky. I think Lucky enjoys playing with another male who's not as good as wrestling as he is (believe it or not Velma is an awesome wrestler and runner, despite her 3 leggedness). Francis is just about 3-4 months old while Lucky and Velma are 9 months old.

Anyway, I ask for your prayers regarding the cats... When I go back home I will be forced to address this issue. Have the cats live outdoors, subject to other street cats, cruel humans, and cruel drivers, or find them permanent homes and have them separated from me completely? What would you do in my position?

Would you have the courage to give up your own babies?