Purr-ade of Faith and Feathers: Calcifer's First Sinulog Experience

Calcifer the cat believed three things were sacred in life: breakfast, second breakfast, and afternoon naps.

- By Zaida Marie A. Tambis

Everything else: birds, bells, and humans dancing without a laser pointer was highly suspicious.

When the sun rose one morning and the streets outside his window began boom-boom-booming, Calcifer knew something unusual and nap-threatening was happening.

“Boom. Boom-boom.” His tail puffed. His ears flattened. His whiskers twitched.

Calcifer peeked out the window and gasped as much as a cat could gasp. The streets were alive with colors, mostly reds, yellows, and golds. People wore feathers taller than lamp posts. Drums thundered like giant heartbeats. And everyone was moving front to back, side to side.

“SIN-U-LOG! MO SHAGIT UG KUSOG!” the crowd chanted. Calcifer blinked. “Is this a very loud bird convention?” he wondered. Before he could retreat to his emergency hiding spot under the sofa, Ziva scooped him up gently. “Come on, Calcifer,” she said. “You're coming with us. It’s Sinulog!”

Calcifer did not sign up for this.