My 4th No Smoking Anniversary (Thank you Jesus!)

Today I'm celebrating my 4th No Smoking anniversary. Funny how time flies, I can't believe it has already been 4 years since I stopped smoking. 

I honestly believe that it was Jesus who helped me stop the addiction back in 2008. I also believe that He was cleansing my body and was preparing my whole being until the day that I will receive Him back into my life, and that's exactly what happened. I received Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and personal Savior 3 years later, in July 2011, after a huge problem I had during my short vacation in the Philippines, when He used POEA as a tool to draw me back towards Him. 

Thank you Lord Jesus for healing me, not just my body, but my soul. You comforted me whenever I'm troubled, You are my peace of mind. You give me courage whenever I'm in fear, You are my strength. You answers my every prayer like a string of pearls. Thank you for opening my eyes. You  are truly the one and only, all powerful  living God. The name above all other names. JESUS! 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29: 11

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

Alice's Rabbit?

Today while I was walking toward home with a friend coming from a nearby department store, I can't believe my eyes with what  I saw - a stray white baby rabbit running along the side of the street, right in front of my apartment building. It was so elusive and was obviously afraid of me. It tried to run away from me and eventually it found a small hole that leads inside the perimeter of our building where I cornered it by the wall. It's now inside my apartment in a small box eating slices of apples and carrot. 

This was so Alice in Wonderland. Of the legions of cats in the streets of Jeddah, I ended up chasing down a rabbit. Wow, this could really be Alice's rabbit! By the way, I decided to name it, 'Ginger' The Conejo (though I'm not sure yet as to its gender), which sounds  rather familiar to Kapamilyas.

My dilemma is I already have 8 cats at home so I run the risk of finding it one day from work in a gruesome state. Not to mention those 8 eating machines find almost everything else edible. So I decided to give Ginger away, where I'm sure she can be properly taken cared of. She will not be staying with me for more than 12 hours so I've prepared a video of hers and hopefully I will be keeping track of her progress.

Good News On Camera Ni Cabrera!

Recently, I added a new feature in my 'Camera Ni Cabrera'. I know this would sound corny or perhaps even cheesy to some of you, but  I incorporated Bible verses on every post on my photoblog. This new feature came about as my way of giving back the glory to Jesus Christ who did amazing things for me  more than 5 months ago, just weeks after that life changing circumstances that happened to me during my vacation in the Philippines in May - June 2011.

I realized that in everything I do, I should do it for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10: 31), and that I should take away the "Me" factor (Pride) in the equation because it is the Lord who made it all possible for me.  He is the wind beneath my wings, the light that lights my way and without Him I'm nothing and I can do nothing.

This is also a way for me to share and spread the word of God to those who haven't got a personal relationship with Jesus yet. I know that not a lot of people would understand this, most especially the unbelievers, and actually, I already had one visitor who questioned me about the Bible verse in one of my posts and that's quite alright. So, every time you pass by my photoblog, expect some Good News to make (or break) your day. God bless you all! :-)

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 
~ 2 Corinthians 10: 17

Visit 'Camera Ni Cabrera'

My Justin Ng's Photo Contest Entry

This is my entry on Justin Ng's Thousand Dollar International Photo Competition. October's theme is Sunrise/ Sunset. You can show your support by liking this photo on Facebook, click HERE. God bless!

She's Wicked (But Love Is A Healer)

See the black & white version of 'Wicked' on 'Camera Ni Cabrera'.

Way back in August when I first heard through the bathroom window of our apartment what seems to be a crying kitten and sure enough, when I looked at the window, I saw a little black kitten looking back at me and it seemed to be asking for food. The kitten has no way of getting out from a cave-like basement storeroom because the door of that small space which is under the staircase of our building is always locked, so it must have been born there and  neither have any interactions with other kittens nor people (aside from hearing them while they go up and down the stairs). It was basically a 'cave kitten'.

After a few weeks, my friend and I decided to rescue the kitten by climbing over the door (it has a wide open space above it where you could climb to get to the other side). When my friend got there, he just couldn't find the kitten because it was dark and the room was full of clutters. There is also a small door that leads to an open space which is the back of our bathroom where I first saw the kitten; he can't find it there either. And so we decided to stop the search and call it a day. The cat was just too scared to show itself. 

From that day on, for it to be able to survive, everyday we give the kitten water and cat food placed inside a loose plastic bag, by way of the small (bigger than a fist size) hole at the side of the stairs. We've been doing that for weeks, until the caretaker of the building called and said that he had found the key to the small room. That evening we decided to give it a second try and search for it again.

A few minutes after we opened the door, the terrified kitten just leaped out of nowhere and ran frantically  without direction until I cornered it by the door of my neighbor. I can't even touch the kitten for it was so fierce and I was scared that it might scratch my hands. I asked my friend to get me the rag and I used it to cover the entire body of the kitten so that it doesn't scratch me and then I quickly took it to my apartment.

For three days I can't even touch the cat. I have to feed it cautiously and quietly or else it might freak out, but then as the days passed, the kitten learned to trust me eventually. While feeding it, I always sneak my other hand towards its back and gently pet it. It was during that time also that I realized that it's a she and I thought it's also appropriate to give her a name. Since she's entirely black and fierce, I thought why not call her 'Wicked', like the witch in The Wizard of Oz.

Now I think she's already settled-in in my apartment with 8 other similarly curious cats and two weird-looking people (at least in her perspective). What can I say? There's nothing in this world that love can't change. She's Wicked, but love is a healer. Thank you Lord Jesus that we were able to save her. The only question now is, how long can we keep it up with them? They will not be kittens forever, you know, not to mention that their subsistence costs dwarf that of our own (green peas thankfully make us get by, lol). I know it's sad and heartbreaking but one of these days, some of them will have to go. We simply can't handle them all. So sad really.

Our daily routine with all 9 of them (cats)!

Three Days With PEBA And TFC

Recently, I had an amazing week with some amazing people of  PEBA (Pinoy Expat/ OFW Blog Awards). I went to 3 different occasions - some of them included the interviews of my friends and of myself which will be shown on 'Balitang Middle East on ABS-CBN (The Filipino Channel). I feel bad though that I will never be able to watch them, now that we've shifted from TFC to GMA Pinoy TV, but that's alright, I took a lot of photos from those events and that's enough for me, but it would be cool to see myself on TV though.

September 23, 2011, Seminar With Patnubay . 

Last September 23 (Friday), we had a mini seminar with Patnubay, an NGO headed by Mr. Joseph Espiritu which helps Filipino OFWs with their labor problems  in Saudi Arabia. I really learned a lot that day especially about our rights as an expat in this country. I also became aware of the plight of the not-so-lucky Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia.

Together with us in the seminar were Charles Tabbu, the TV reporter of TFC Jeddah, Delia Sevandra of 'Ganap Guardians', blogger and journalist of Saudi Gazette, Casiano Mayor, Nereus Jethro Abad, the  president of PEBA, one of the winners of PEBA last year, Nelson Bedayo  and Kenjie Solis, the founder of PEBA. If you want to know more about Patnubay, you can go to their website HERE.

September 27, 2011, NPC (Robian) Filipino Cultural Presentation in Al Laith, KSA.

This was one of the most exciting highlights of my week because I became a cameraman for a night for TFC in lieu of Charles Tabbu, the TFC reporter for Jeddah who wasn't able to make it because he had to fly to Riyadh that day. He was supposed to come with us to cover an event hosted by the town of Al Laith, but because he couldn't come, he just gave me a quick lesson on how to handle the camera before leaving for Riyadh. Regarding the interviews,  I told him that I will just ask the help of my colleagues from PEBA who were with me. He left me his camera and all the accessories that go with it, and mind you even his ABS-CBN (TFC) Identification Card.

Mr. NJ sent us a 4x4 car to fetch the 4 of us (Nel, Kenjie, Mhel and I) from Jeddah. It took us more than 2 hours to get to Al Laith, I never thought it was that far though. When we arrived at the venue, the Filipino employees of NPC were already in their costumes and so we took that opportunity to interview some of them. And when they took to the stage, I was there at the side of the auditorium to shoot some of their performances. Their cultural presentation was magnificent, it was a summarized history of the Philippines, from its pre-colonial era to the modern times.

After the presentation, we interviewed 3 of the high ranking officials of NPC, the Managing Director and one of the stockholders, Engineer Ahmed R. Al Balla, the head of HRD Ali Muhammed Al Shaiki and the Corporate Head - Social Responsibility Mr. Khalid Al Adhal. After that we went to the Planetarium and watched a 3D movie in a small theater all in the same building with the auditorium. It was great, but my head ached after that 3D movie though.

Then we went to a restaurant. All the Filipino employees of NPC who were there at the event were already waiting for their order when we arrived. I can tell they were all hungry and so were we, but they were not just hungry for food, they were also hungry for photo ops. Kenji and Mhel took their pictures and I took  more video clips while we were waiting. And after we had eaten, we rested  a moment, and headed straight back to Jeddah with the same car and driver. We arrived home at around 2AM. It was an awesome experience, something that I will never forget. You can also read a more 'gruesome' account of this trip on my friend's blog, ¡SOY NEGRENSE!

September 30, 2011, TFC Interviews PEBA and the Jeddah Bloggers.

When Nel and I arrived at Kudu restaurant on Paletine street where the  interview was to take place, most of the invited people were already there except for Charles and Mr. NJ, who had a problem with the tire of his car. By the moment Charles and Mr. NJ arrived separately, that was my last feel of a journalist's camera, the one I used for the interview in Al Laith. Good thing I didn't forget to charge the cam's battery a night before because it'll be the same camera that he will be using on that interview . 

Kenji was the first to be interviewed, then Mr. NJ, followed by Nelson and then me the last. On my part of the interview, it was nerve-wracking, I don't know what to say and I feel awkward, may be it's because I 've never been interviewed ever before. I was like talking without knowing what I'm saying. I felt stupid with that interview and I can't even remember now what the question was. LOL!  I'm just hoping now that I will not look stupid when it goes on air. And then after our interviews, Charles asked me to hold the camera for him as he says something for closing remarks about the PEBA interview. Watch the videos below!

It was a great experience with PEBA and Charles Tabbu of TFC. I will never forget it for the rest of my life. I would like to say thank you Lord Jesus for everything and thank you to Kenji and Mr. Nereus Jethro for that wonderful experience with TFC. If not for them there wouldn't be any interviews at all, they are the ones who facilitated it. Thank you also to Charles Tabbu who entrusted me his camera and ID. Thanks PEBA!

Isang Litro ng Liwanag (A Liter Of Light)

"Isang Litro ng Liwanag" (A Liter of Light), is a sustainable lighting project which aims to bring the eco-friendly Solar Bottle Bulb to disprivileged communities nationwide. Designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Solar Bottle Bulb is based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.

"Isang Litro ng Liwanag" campaign headed by philanthropist Illac Diaz (the nephew of 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz) turns plastic soda bottles into nifty light bulbs in small homes, which absorbs sunlight and spreads it out inside a house.

A man from San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines shows how to make an alternative light bulb to be used inside the house. For more information on how to help, click to their website below.

www.isanglitrongliwanag.org

And Three Became Eight (The Rescued Kittens)

I've found 7 cute kittens under a car near the garbage bin in the street just outside our apartment the other day. They turned out to be the kittens of the tabby cat owned by the Indonesian expats from the second floor. The cat regularly waits for us every morning outside the door of our apartment for weeks now, seemingly begging for food, and ever since I see to it that I gave her some cat food whenever I see her by the main door. I even gave her a bath once and shampooed her because she stank and looked underfed. We knew that she has kittens somewhere in the building judging by her rows of teats that sagged, but we never thought that we will see those kittens out in the street and under a flat-tired car. 

We talked to the owner of the cats and they said  they threw those kittens because there were too many of them and that they didn't have any choice but to evict them out of their apartment. They could have kept them outside of their apartment or let them  roam freely through flights of stairs but the building watchman does not see it possible for hygienic reason. The owners however took back one of the kittens to be with its mother. So after 2 days of feeding those kittens under the car, we decided to take them all inside our apartment and take care of them 'till they get a little bigger. Seeing them lying on a very hot surface, their tongues sticking out  due to extreme heat and thirst is just not right. Unfortunately, when we were scampering around to catch them, one of the kittens had run like hell it thought it just had a great escape. And we lost sight of it, three days now into our search and rescue episode to no avail, it must have gone with other bigger alley cats. 

Just this afternoon after work, we bought them a few cans of cat foods and a small litter box. I've already bathed and blow-dried all of them and now they are all clean, smelling good and comfortable like little kings and queens. Just a few hours ago before I decided to write this blog, they were all playing like crazy just like  normal healthy kittens do and I don't think they have any idea of what's going on or what  kind  of future will they have. So sad. 

I can't help but wonder how come here in Saudi Arabia they don't have any government programs/agencies or NGOs that  take care of these poor creatures? Seeing them on the street every single day, some flattened and buried under car tires, really breaks my heart. If only I'm as rich as some people here, I would probably buy a patch of land somewhere and rescue all the cats that I see on the street and educate pet owners to neuter or spay their cats, and be responsible pet owners. They should think of these animals as integral part of their families and not as toys like dolls and toy robots that they give to their kids. These are living animals that need TLC. Feline population in Saudi Arabia has soared unabated in the streets because of lack of education  on the part of  pet owners who readily dump them in the streets when confronted with incapabilities to keep them any longer. Lack of compassion is also obvious here for people or citizens who could have thought of something humane for these animals.

Now we have a total of 8 rescued cats (3 of which came from our previous rescues) in our small apartment and they are taking a huge bite out of our monthly salary. Cat foods and cat litters are getting more expensive here in Saudi Arabia. And if anyone out there happens to be an animal lover especially those who live in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, we would appreciate it much if you could share a little in any way you can for us to be able to keep them much longer. Please free to leave your comment below if the predicament of these cute cats moves you. And if it appeals to you that adopting one of them does not bother you that much, feel free to do so. You may send a word by my email at pepecabrera1972@yahoo.com. God bless you all!

I'm Reading: 'The Nine Lives Of Montezuma' by Michael Morpurgo

I wasn't actually looking for something to read when I was at the bookstore yesterday. I was just there to help my friend because he wanted to buy an MP3 player, but when I went up to the second floor to just look around, (that's where all the books are,) I can't help myself but to get closer to a certain book I saw from a distance. The cover of this book really caught my attention, it was an orange cat with green eyes surrounded by bright green leaves. Most of you guys know that I'm an animal lover, especially of cats (and dogs too), and that's one of the reasons why I was attracted to this book aside from it's beautiful bright cover. The title of the book is'The Nine Lives Of Montezuma' by Michael Morpurgo, ooooohh! It was obvious to me that it's a children's book and I was right when I opened it. The prints are much larger and it has drawings inside that depict the characters of the story in some of its pages. It's a story about the dangerous and exciting life of a farmyard cat, from a fiery kitten to a tired old Tom (that's the book description from the net).

I didn't think twice to buy it. It doesn't matter if it's a children's book or an adult book (not the one you think of course you dirty minds), a book is a book, it doesn't matter if the person reading it is 9 or 39 (not my age!). I love children's book. If you can remember I posted here last year about'The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz' by L.Frank Baum after reading it, I never thought it  was so different from the Victor Fleming's 1939 film version starring Judy Garland, amazing!; and'Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat That Change The World'  by Vicki Myron, that book made me cry (but don't tell!).

I've already finished reading the first chapter of ...Montezuma last night which is called The Beginning, tonight I'll start with the second chapter called The Second Life. The book only has 9 chapters. I'm so excited, can't wait to read it! (I only read before going to bed at night, that's the only time I have.) 

Michael Morpurgo.Com

 'The Nine Lives Of Montezuma'