Aspin's Unusual Trip: The Bumpy Ride

Time to relax.

The farthest distance the “Chies” traveled away from our home is when they had anti-rabies vaccination when they are just 3 months old. On October 24 they turned five months old; yesterday they beat their own record when we set out to a journey—to a quiet place—where you’ll unlikely bring your dog—the cemetery. We want to avoid the huge crowd on November 2, 2010 (All Souls Day), so might as well take them with us.

The Swift Journey

The four of us (My sister, I, and the Chies: Chuhie and Buchie) set on a journey at 7 am and arrived at the cemetery a few minutes after. Fortunately, before we left our house they did their messy affairs after they had breakfast. The brief trip is fast and clean—except the drooling, a manifestation of their fear or nervousness. We cuddled and pat them all throughout the trip to relax and assure them that they are not having another vaccination, for now; the touch therapy worked for Chuchie but not to Buchie, especially when the road is too bumpy.

Stroke of Luck

We have to do another strategy upon entering the gate. Why is that so? The truth is we are not sure if they allow dogs inside the cemetery; it's our first time to do this—we only hoped that the guard will ignore or pity our home buddy puppies. Carrying a not so furry creature, my sister and I walked fast till we passed the guard who saw them yet did not stop us nor say anything. In this instance, I can say optimism worked even for dogs.

I have to wonder if it’s really that unusual here in the Philippines to walk inside the cemetery with puppies, because as we went inside, people were looking at us. The Chies must be real head turners. At some point, we even heard a man saying “Di ba bawal ang aso dito?” which means dogs are not allowed. Is that so, well then why did we see pure breed dogs tied just a few steps from the gate manned by the guard kind enough to let us in. My sister and I wanted to stand up for the Aspin; instead we chose to continue to walk with a thought bought playing on our mind “If the Chies is pure breed they wouldn’t say that.” Sigh. Discrimination even in the resting place; when they will give this issue a rest? Asong pinoy (Filipino dog) is entitled to be treated fairly just as the costly pooch from the West. What’s more sad about it is that we heard it from a Filipino, a compatriot or in our vernacular a “kababayan.”

Look so serious?

Before I turn this chronicle into an indignant post, I’ll continue my story to the purpose of our journey. We thought we’re lost but finally we found the grave of our uncle. He is just one of our few uncles whom we are closed with because others live in the province where we rarely have a vacation. I lighted a candle and we say our prayers; thereafter we stay a bit longer and sit on a stair to rest. We were busy feeding our ever-gluttonous pooches with Fita and taking few pictures, but around us are much busier workers cutting high grasses. There are also people like us who visited their departed love ones so as to avoid the crowd. And one of them appreciated our puppies—a guy looked at us and said, “They are cute,” what a pleasing sound to the ears. The Aspin community must be very proud of Chuchie and Buchie—so am I.

This is the first time we visited and took them at a cemetery a few days before All Souls Day. And it differs in many ways: you can pick a spot to rest, there are no sellers, you can pray well without much distraction by the living who eating and chitchatting. I also reflected and prayed for graves with a notice posted on it: “For Exhumation.” What would happen to them? Will they have peace if their remains are disrespected by transferring, perhaps to a cheaper, smaller resting place? Even in death money speaks.

Continue reading the second part on which I dare you read a CREEPY joke.