Live in the Philippines

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Akong kauban ug akong kalaban

Animals, Expats / by

It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for me to share my weekly column from SunStar Davao, Davao City’s largest circulation newspaper.

Since living in the Philippines, I have a lot of different kinds of friends or companions (kauban), different than I had in the USA.  Friends from many nations.  Of course, a lot of Filipinos, and also expats from countries all over the world.  My list of friends is like a veritable meeting of the United Nations, it seems!  I also have a few enemies (kalaban) here too.  Today, there is one kauban and one kalaban that I want to focus in on.

My kauban is a new friend, I just came to know him a week or so ago, but we seem to be best of buddies.  I would have never had this friend when I was living in the USA, that is certain.  They don’t have this kind of friend in the US.  My kauban is a butiki, or a small lizard!  Ha ha…  yes, it’s true.  I have a new friend who is really a small lizard.  It started about a week ago when I was sitting at my desk in my office and I noticed this little lizard running across my desk.  Bata pa sya (he’s still a baby).  This little fellow is about 1 inch and a half long.  He seems to be my constant companion, though.  I don’t know where his Mom is… I’m not even sure if mother lizards take care of their young after birth.

This little fellow (or is it a little girl? I’m really not educated in how to determine the sex of a lizard!) has been hanging around on my desk for a week already.  He’s not afraid of me anymore either!  Even if I put my hand right over next to him, he just stays there, kind of checking me out.  If I get a drink and put it on my desk, little butiki goes over and runs around the glass to see what it is.  Maybe he’s thirsty, I don’t know for sure!  But, one thing I do know is that he is curious.  As I said, he is also unafraid!  Despite seeing many butiki every day since living in the Philippines, I never saw one like this!  He is my first butiki friend!

Now, what about my kalaban?  Well, that’s an Iring (cat).  I’ve been a cat lover all of my life, and for some reason, cats have always been comfortable around me.  Usually, with any cat, we become fast friends.  But, this cat…  well, I don’t think it’s going to happen.  It all happened more than three years ago when my kids wanted a new cat, so we got one.  It was just a kitten, only a few weeks old.  At first, she (yes, I know how to determine the sex of a cat!) was friendly to me.  After she started getting a little bigger, though, she came to hate me!  I’ve never known why she hated me, though.

If I go anywhere near this cat, she stares at me, looking like she is about to pounce on me anytime!  It’s like her mortal enemy just walked into the room.  If I reach out to give her an affectionate touch, she will hiss at me, and reach out to claw me!  I’ve been injured by this cat on more than one occasion.  She hates me.  In my heart, I still want her to love me, though, because I’ve never had a cat in my life that didn’t like me!  But, what can I do?  She seems to be unable to ever befriend me!

Hey, cat… don’t you know who is buying your cat food?

So, well, those are my current friends and enemies at this moment.  I have to say that I never expected either a lizard friend, or a cat enemy!

Hmm… where is that little lizard?  I’m looking around my desk and I don’t see him.

Fleeting friends…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. OMG, Paul!! Why couldn’t you have posted your comment an hour earlier? I was just downstairs roasting some coffee beans. When I passed through the dining area there was a dead lizard on the floor that had been killed by the cat! Whew! I was luck, though, it wasn’t my kauban, this lizard was too big to be him! My eyes will now be peeled, though! 😯

  9. Hi brian – 😯 I had not thought of that. This could get serious! I predict some time will have to pass before he gets big enough to do serious damage, though! 😉

  10. One thing I noticed here is that there is alot of wild cats in the neighborhood. I give them food but, they are still leery of me. I also found it interesting about dogs here, they are regarded as watch dogs and not much more. Is this true everywhere here? Very different from USA….Your little buddy, he looks "cool".. maybe you can teach him a few tricks heeeee…

  11. Hi lenny – Yeah, I agree. The other day, I went for a walk around the neighborhood, and I saw several cats along the way. As a cat lover, of course, I tried to lure each of these cats to come over to me so I could play with it a bit. They were all very scared of me, though. And, have you noticed how thin the cats here are?

    Dogs… yes, most dogs here are "noise makers" and not much more. They are kept in small cages, don't get an opportunity to run around and play. I find it sad.

    Maybe if my lizard friend gets big enough, I can get a leash for him and take him when I go for a walk! 😉

  12. Kamusta ka Bob,

    You gave me a great chuckle today Bob, is funny…the new house I have moved into, I too have made "friends" with a lizard or geko they call here in Florida (yes we have lizards here in USA, not necessarily as friends). But fortunately, he is outside of my window (because if he stays inside too long, he will die, no food, no moisture), next to where I keep my computer in the Florida room. So he gladly watches me during the day on the screen,also I assume he is waiting for unsuspecting bugs to come by and eat….love the article..and as for cats…they have very strange ways of deciding who there friends are.

    Take care Bob,
    Danny 🙂

  13. Hi Danny – Yeah, down south in the States there are lizards, but I came from the cold north! 😉 My lizard friend is not around today, but I saw him last night, though. Sometimes he likes to hang out underneath my router because it's very warm under there! Ha ha… maybe your friend and mine are relatives!

  14. Now, now, Bob, Philippine dogs are more than noise makers, you know. They serve other purpose as well, if you get my drift. Come to think of it, I just came back from viewing your videos on "Bizarre Foods". Funny, I didn't see any dish there called, "Kalderetang Aso". You don't know Tagalog, you say? Please ask Feyma what that means. Hahaha

  15. Hi John – Here in the south… it's an Iro (dog). 😉 Actually, eating dogs is rare here anymore. It is actually illegal to eat dog. Yes, it happens, but not often, and not openly.

  16. Hi Bob – Volatile situation alert!

    You'll have to check the kalaban's mouth for the kauban's feet regularly. That type of "foot in mouth" isn't desired, I'm sure. 😆

  17. The first time I saw one of those house lizzards, it was on the ceiling of someones front porch. There were 3 of them and they did not move so I thought they were some kind of decoration. After a while they started moving around. I have also heard that at sunset or sunrise, they will come down the wall and walk around on the floor or ground and then go back up the walls again. Sounds like an interesting and useful creature as they help in controlling the mosquitoe population.

  19. Hi Bob, I like your little friend. House lizards are cute and fun to have around. Did you ever see when sometimes they're up on the ceiling and all of a sudden they just let go and flop down onto something or someone? I like the sound they make "tiki" "tiki"
    Too bad about your enemy–another Visayan word could be kaaway. Isn't that Tutti the other half of Frutti that we met on your house tour video? I hope you'll be friends some day.

  21. Hi queenie – Yeah, a friend already got me on Facebook – "Bob, kalaban is tagalog…" Ha ha.. but here in Davao Kalaban is more widely used! 😆

    Yes, Tutti is the other half of the combo of Tutti and Fruity. Fruity is very nice, but Tutti hates me! Maldita ug dautan sya, queenie! 😉 I don't think it's possible that we will ever be friends. Tutti is friendly to everybody in the house except for Feyma and I!

  22. Bob,

    We are in the same predicament. I have since childhood a giant lizard (a gecko) as a house mate here. I'm not so sure its the same one we had more than 20 years ago, but I see this housemate hovering over my desk and ceilings since I've been living here for 2 decades. and it was as harmless as ever (except for the poops). No one ever tried to bust that housemate ever.

    Uh, we recently adopted (actually forced) two baby kittens, one with an eye cataract and another with a deformed leg after their mom gave birth to them in our porch. Now these two are naughtily scratching everything, from toy balls, to car tyres!

  23. Hi Doc Remo – Kumusta ka? Yeah… the poops… I see plenty of those around my office! Ha ha… oh well, I can live with it. 😆

    Once the cats grow up a bit, they probably will stop scratching stuff up… you'll have to live with it for a few months, though!

    Hey, I still have your Bobok Coffee beans here! When you gonna stop by?

  24. Well I think you were ok on "kalaban" as I've heard it used in Cebu too. Tutti must just love kids.

  25. Hey Bob,
    You may not have to worry about the sex of your lizard, as there are alot of species of lizards and geko's that are A-sexual…Just more un-important info 😀

  30. Not to worry, Bob. The breeding stock on my gecko farm is working overtime to insure everyone in the Phils who wants one can have one!
    😆

    (If I could only monetize the concept, similar to the "pet rock"!)

  32. Paul you obviously don't understand the close attachment that my lizard friend and I have formed. There could be no replacement in the event of his demise! 😉

  33. Hi Bob,

    Katawa lagi ko sa imo article, abi nako ug kinsa imo kalaban, iring ra diay… hahahaha

    Between, cat & lizard, I choose iring kay ang butiki hadluk ko mura ug bitin. 🙂

  36. He has plenty of barkada already, Paul… those lizards are all over the house! 😆

    You need to look for a different money making opportunity! Have you thought about quality control for the balut factory? 😯

  37. My cat is only affectionate when she wants fed (which is mostly all the time) or to go outdoors.

    She just tolerates me otherwise. And in a weird mood yeah she will hiss or claw.

    She is strange.

  38. Hi Bob, Cute story. You never saw salamanders (type of lizard) where you lived? We had them in British Columbia. No geckos though. They are so cute the way they scurry around the walls. Have you ever heard them calling at night? They make quite a noise.

  39. Hi John – Actually… sorry to disagree, but salamanders are not a type of lizards. Salamanders are amphibious animals, lizards are not. According to Wikipedia:

    Any resemblance to lizards is the result of convergence of the basic tetrapod body plan, as they are no more closely related to lizards than they are to mammals. Their nearest relatives are the frogs and toads, within Batrachia.

    Yeah, they look alike, but are entirely different species. But, yes, we did have salamanders in Washington State where I came from.

  42. Lizards and Bats, any creature that will eat mosquito's is my friend for life! Cat’s, not so much.

  43. Hi Paul – You are up early, my friend! Me too. I got up at 2am, couldn't sleep! Oh well, I am starting to feel I am ready to head back to bed. I hear a few of those bats swirling around outside, eating a few mosquitoes!

  44. Hi Bob – The liitle ants that bite in Dumaguete are my enemies. They are everywhere and have an nice after sting and leave marks for days. It’s surprising how such a little animal can make one paranoid.

      • Hi Bob – Ant chalk works ok around the house now. They are still everywhere else though. When we moved here, they would bite almost everywhere in any situation. The children would get attacked big time. My wife asked how they get on us so easy. I was trying to convince her they climbed on the ceiling and would drop on us. Ha ha. A new breed of ant called the Drop Ant!. I don’t think she was convinced of my theory.

  45. male cats are more friendly. female cats can be somewhat crazy. just like people, sometimes . . . at lease that is my experience.

  46. May duha ka tiki (budaki) sa akong desk. Mga kauban pud nako! Dili sila mahadlok sa ako. Ako silang ipakaon sa cookie and cracker crumbs, ug motilap nila ang tubig sa gawas sa akong vaso. Usahay, magaway silang duha! Lingaw kaayo!

  49. Oie Sir Bob,

    Nibalik na diay ka sa SUNSTAR?? hahaha! awon nako sa current newspaper.
    Regards, ko anang cute nemu nga PET.. hahahaha!!

    🙂

          • Hi Sir Bob,

            You mean this article is from the article you originally wrote in your SunStar? i thought your back in Sunstar with new article.. hehehe. sorry i guess i missunderstood you. Anyway nice article. 😀 By the way, since we’re talking about Lizards here. Mind if I ask, if you ever seen a Flying Lizards?? They Definitely Have a wings its like a glider i guess as i remembered. I Forgot the Local Name but in Calinan, Davao City where my Lolo and Lola Lives, there are such thing like that in there and usually lives in coconut trees and according to them, you can make it a tea or a coffee and it heals a Cough etc. The sized is like as a House lizard too, I Havent try it yet though but i seen some people doing it there, the lizard( Die one) they put it in their cofee.. Very weird 😀

  50. Bob,
    The best experience I ever had with a lizard was in Florida. There was a lizard on my hood hanging on for dear life while I was driving down the road. He was able to hang on. Also I’ve never seen cats so skinny as i’ve seen here compared to the fat cats in the US. Bob you could get your cat declawed if it is a house cat and it would become less of an enemy lol.

  51. Hi Bob,
    You might want to get a jar or a cage for your new friend. I commented about watching cute lizards on the wall on one of Feyma’s articles and she said she did not have lizards on her walls, because of her cats. She said the lizards were not very cute after the cats got to them.