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The Feline Observer - ACHC&SE Copyright 2003-2004 Feedback: silelf@mac.com
26.6.03
Moving Home
By Brindis
The last few days have been hectic: We (Paolo and I) have seen little of our humans that seem to be very busy moving backwards and forwards stuff to our new home in London. We are going to be moved to there at the end of July.
I have taken this move with a philosophical approach: I have lived many lives and in many places since I was born. The C’s are a good – but a bit odd – family group and I will be taken care at all times properly.
Paolo is the problem: he is taking the move badly. He keeps complaining that he finally has settled in Amsterdam and a move to London (where his short stay last year was considered by Silvia a catastrophe as the carpets in the new place where changed after his stay) is not of his desire.
My whiskas feel the pleasure of the idea of Paolo running away and trying to stay here in Amsterdam where our catsitter Marianne could adopt him. But that is too much to wish and hope for my standards!
I have a new Harry Potter book in my reading pile that will keep me going until the re-settling is finished. I love HP and louvre the idea of meeting JK Rowling (she is a neighbour in London) ‘s cat as we can then exchange HP notes.
Paolo is immune to this exciting intellectual challenge, and only wants the sun (is he turning Dutch?) as much as he can get before the winter comes.
I observe the move from the top of my favourite Italian sofa since my art deco chairs are now in London. I can wait to be sitting back in them ASAP.
Tell you more about the move and the visitors from darkest Peru arriving soon to help with the move in my next articles.
Until then,
By Brindis
The last few days have been hectic: We (Paolo and I) have seen little of our humans that seem to be very busy moving backwards and forwards stuff to our new home in London. We are going to be moved to there at the end of July.
I have taken this move with a philosophical approach: I have lived many lives and in many places since I was born. The C’s are a good – but a bit odd – family group and I will be taken care at all times properly.
Paolo is the problem: he is taking the move badly. He keeps complaining that he finally has settled in Amsterdam and a move to London (where his short stay last year was considered by Silvia a catastrophe as the carpets in the new place where changed after his stay) is not of his desire.
My whiskas feel the pleasure of the idea of Paolo running away and trying to stay here in Amsterdam where our catsitter Marianne could adopt him. But that is too much to wish and hope for my standards!
I have a new Harry Potter book in my reading pile that will keep me going until the re-settling is finished. I love HP and louvre the idea of meeting JK Rowling (she is a neighbour in London) ‘s cat as we can then exchange HP notes.
Paolo is immune to this exciting intellectual challenge, and only wants the sun (is he turning Dutch?) as much as he can get before the winter comes.
I observe the move from the top of my favourite Italian sofa since my art deco chairs are now in London. I can wait to be sitting back in them ASAP.
Tell you more about the move and the visitors from darkest Peru arriving soon to help with the move in my next articles.
Until then,
13.6.03
Peter Rabbit
by Paolo
Marlene and I love the stories that her father tells us everynight before we go to bed. Meanwhile I lay my head in the big polar bear - that reminds me of my cat mother - I dream and dream of beautiful farms, where no nasty cats live and where I can run around smelling the flowers, eat lots and have loving and caring humans to take care of me.Of course, this is all I dream on me as I listen to my favourites stories from Alastair. I love Beatrix Potter and the Peter Rabbit sage.
A few days ago, my human mother Silvia, was looking to me very carefully, and started smilling and called the other humans in the household: it seems to be that I look very much like Peter Rabbit, and now they have decided that I will wear a blue coat to make the lookalike more closer.
I am very proud of it. As a cat I love rabbits, and I dont mind seeing dressed up as one.
I am not so sure what Master Brindis will think about this latest fab from Silvia
Will keep you posted
by Paolo
Marlene and I love the stories that her father tells us everynight before we go to bed. Meanwhile I lay my head in the big polar bear - that reminds me of my cat mother - I dream and dream of beautiful farms, where no nasty cats live and where I can run around smelling the flowers, eat lots and have loving and caring humans to take care of me.Of course, this is all I dream on me as I listen to my favourites stories from Alastair. I love Beatrix Potter and the Peter Rabbit sage.
A few days ago, my human mother Silvia, was looking to me very carefully, and started smilling and called the other humans in the household: it seems to be that I look very much like Peter Rabbit, and now they have decided that I will wear a blue coat to make the lookalike more closer.
I am very proud of it. As a cat I love rabbits, and I dont mind seeing dressed up as one.
I am not so sure what Master Brindis will think about this latest fab from Silvia
Will keep you posted
12.6.03
Coffee Trade
By Brindis
Paolo has finally adopted HMPP (Her Majesty Pet Passport). This makes both of us Elizabeth Regina II subjects, and soon we will be relocating in my beloved London. To celebrate this happy event we were taken by our human Alastair to visit the bureaucrats at MVV (These are the initials in Dutch for the Minister of Animals and Meat).
I could go on and on about how much red tape exists about feline migration in Europe, but I prefer not to as I could continue for hours on end.
When we were at the MVV, we met a respectable Dutch cat named Tijn van der Poes. This huge blonde cat (due to their meat-orientated diet, Dutch cats are the size of a small dog) was also suffering the effect of the bureaucracy as we were. He is also relocating to Edinburgh (Scotland) in due course in the company of his human, also an enormous Dutch man (Alastair is 1.80m but he looked a dwarf next to him). Both are dedicated to the venerable business of coffee trading.
Alastair of course was deeply interested, as he is an addict to coffee, and went on in a very interesting (by human standards) chat with the Dutch businessman. I also did the same with Mr van den Poes. Dutch cats are by nature very straightforward and Mr van der Poes was very direct to Paolo, calling him a not very bright cat, lazy and Italian type. I was enjoying this short speech and waiting for it to finish in order to finally get down to business with Mr van de Poes.
Paolo kept quiet during the rest of the time we spent at the MVV – I love the Dutch – and Tijn – as he asked me to call him – and I had a very interesting time.
It seems to be that more than any other commodity in the world, coffee is the commodity, it is one of the most consumed beverages and somehow the producers price continues going down and down, the markets however keep the price going up. The difference between the producer price and the market price is kept by the traders – who make significant profits – and it is used to finance other industries as weapons factories, nuclear power, etc.
Tijn, kept smiling when he was saying this to me: Can you imagine how many Eco-Cat-Warriors start their protests, demos, with a cup of coffee? Even then they are supporting us!
Tijn is of course a very wealthy cat, in a very Dutch way: trendy clothes, mean when sharing food, very anglophile, and with an odd sense of humour.
As a born and breed English cat, my gracious, gentlecat manner where highly respected by Tijn, which with his Nordic logical analysis, he is aware he will never achieve.
I was however concerned by his comments and I will carefully instruct my human Alastair to make sure he buys coffee from direct traders instead of traditional ones. I am horrified of the idea of hundreds of thousand poor Latin American, African and Asian cats, working in the trade as mouse-catchers and suffering this injustice. Work is an indignity that no cat should be made to endure.
I am a caring cat, embarrassed by my Imperialist past without being a detractor from the system that allows me to have my pied-a-terre in London and country house.
I shall keep in contact with Tijn as a business opportunity might arise in future (no coffee related).
Until next time….
By Brindis
Paolo has finally adopted HMPP (Her Majesty Pet Passport). This makes both of us Elizabeth Regina II subjects, and soon we will be relocating in my beloved London. To celebrate this happy event we were taken by our human Alastair to visit the bureaucrats at MVV (These are the initials in Dutch for the Minister of Animals and Meat).
I could go on and on about how much red tape exists about feline migration in Europe, but I prefer not to as I could continue for hours on end.
When we were at the MVV, we met a respectable Dutch cat named Tijn van der Poes. This huge blonde cat (due to their meat-orientated diet, Dutch cats are the size of a small dog) was also suffering the effect of the bureaucracy as we were. He is also relocating to Edinburgh (Scotland) in due course in the company of his human, also an enormous Dutch man (Alastair is 1.80m but he looked a dwarf next to him). Both are dedicated to the venerable business of coffee trading.
Alastair of course was deeply interested, as he is an addict to coffee, and went on in a very interesting (by human standards) chat with the Dutch businessman. I also did the same with Mr van den Poes. Dutch cats are by nature very straightforward and Mr van der Poes was very direct to Paolo, calling him a not very bright cat, lazy and Italian type. I was enjoying this short speech and waiting for it to finish in order to finally get down to business with Mr van de Poes.
Paolo kept quiet during the rest of the time we spent at the MVV – I love the Dutch – and Tijn – as he asked me to call him – and I had a very interesting time.
It seems to be that more than any other commodity in the world, coffee is the commodity, it is one of the most consumed beverages and somehow the producers price continues going down and down, the markets however keep the price going up. The difference between the producer price and the market price is kept by the traders – who make significant profits – and it is used to finance other industries as weapons factories, nuclear power, etc.
Tijn, kept smiling when he was saying this to me: Can you imagine how many Eco-Cat-Warriors start their protests, demos, with a cup of coffee? Even then they are supporting us!
Tijn is of course a very wealthy cat, in a very Dutch way: trendy clothes, mean when sharing food, very anglophile, and with an odd sense of humour.
As a born and breed English cat, my gracious, gentlecat manner where highly respected by Tijn, which with his Nordic logical analysis, he is aware he will never achieve.
I was however concerned by his comments and I will carefully instruct my human Alastair to make sure he buys coffee from direct traders instead of traditional ones. I am horrified of the idea of hundreds of thousand poor Latin American, African and Asian cats, working in the trade as mouse-catchers and suffering this injustice. Work is an indignity that no cat should be made to endure.
I am a caring cat, embarrassed by my Imperialist past without being a detractor from the system that allows me to have my pied-a-terre in London and country house.
I shall keep in contact with Tijn as a business opportunity might arise in future (no coffee related).
Until next time….
11.6.03
Almost Famous
by Brindis
My human Silvia loves the film that gives the title to this article. You see, she is a bit of a rock and roll chick! (The ones with leathers, motorbikes and tattoos). I share her admiration for Miles Davis and other Jazz musicians, but rock and roll is not really my thing (neither the rest of her added gear).
She loves trendy stuff and it was her idea to make this weblog page part of a Cat Ring (by the Tail of the Supreme Cat, having to share the humiliation!). So it you ever read to the end of this page you will see a paw print - from an unknown cat, not Paolo, as some suggested - and links to other Feline sites in the web.
Myself, I rather prefer a more traditional way to pass the Word on to the non-believer. So I was more than pleased that an advert has been put by Alastair in Private Eye (www.private-eye.co.uk) . We appear under the title EYE SAY
PRIVATE CAT: Keep informed, read, smile, laugh and share http:\\brindisandpaolo.blogspot.com
Our Editor is more than happy: nothing better to a hack than to be admired by other hacks.
I am sure we will receive more saucy letters in due course, which we will publish with pleasure in the F.O.
Until next time...
by Brindis
My human Silvia loves the film that gives the title to this article. You see, she is a bit of a rock and roll chick! (The ones with leathers, motorbikes and tattoos). I share her admiration for Miles Davis and other Jazz musicians, but rock and roll is not really my thing (neither the rest of her added gear).
She loves trendy stuff and it was her idea to make this weblog page part of a Cat Ring (by the Tail of the Supreme Cat, having to share the humiliation!). So it you ever read to the end of this page you will see a paw print - from an unknown cat, not Paolo, as some suggested - and links to other Feline sites in the web.
Myself, I rather prefer a more traditional way to pass the Word on to the non-believer. So I was more than pleased that an advert has been put by Alastair in Private Eye (www.private-eye.co.uk) . We appear under the title EYE SAY
PRIVATE CAT: Keep informed, read, smile, laugh and share http:\\brindisandpaolo.blogspot.com
Our Editor is more than happy: nothing better to a hack than to be admired by other hacks.
I am sure we will receive more saucy letters in due course, which we will publish with pleasure in the F.O.
Until next time...
3.6.03
Gourmet taste
By Paolo
My humans confuse me a lot. On the farm inTuscany all cats ate from the same bowl. As I was the latest arrival on the farm I had to wait patiently until the other cats had finished to have supper.
Here, it is different. Master Brindis due to his advanced age and medical condition, eats special meals that I find insipid (he sometimes thinks the same and rejects food and goes to eat supper with our humans). I love plain food. The taste of raw, cheap cat food, is so simple and easy to digest that I can never get full eating it.
My humans insist we must each eat in different bowls. Why? I love sharing with such a great gentlecat as Master Brindis. So I keep eating from the wrong bowl all the time. Oops.
As an Italian this might sound odd: Italy is a land full of delicious meals. But as I said I had to eat last in the farm; for that reason I eat mainly vegetables and little meat. My companions ate rats to compensate for the meat deficiency in their diets.
The look of headless rats was unbearable for me. I couldn’t stand it. So I was a vegetarian. In honour to the truth the food was tasty: mainly risotto and pasta. I was terribly overweight then.
When I arrived here to this my home, one of my humans took advantage of my status (hungry and vegetarian) and gave me some magic mushrooms to eat. I flipped. Life has never been the same.
I won’t eat any vegetables any more. I have lost weight. My tummy doesn’t hang touching the floor! And I started being keen on learning from Master Brindis' long life experience and culture.
I know I am a long way from the Supreme Cat. Some things from the past can't go away as fast as Master Brindis wished, but I am on my way.
Love to all,
-P.C
By Paolo
My humans confuse me a lot. On the farm inTuscany all cats ate from the same bowl. As I was the latest arrival on the farm I had to wait patiently until the other cats had finished to have supper.
Here, it is different. Master Brindis due to his advanced age and medical condition, eats special meals that I find insipid (he sometimes thinks the same and rejects food and goes to eat supper with our humans). I love plain food. The taste of raw, cheap cat food, is so simple and easy to digest that I can never get full eating it.
My humans insist we must each eat in different bowls. Why? I love sharing with such a great gentlecat as Master Brindis. So I keep eating from the wrong bowl all the time. Oops.
As an Italian this might sound odd: Italy is a land full of delicious meals. But as I said I had to eat last in the farm; for that reason I eat mainly vegetables and little meat. My companions ate rats to compensate for the meat deficiency in their diets.
The look of headless rats was unbearable for me. I couldn’t stand it. So I was a vegetarian. In honour to the truth the food was tasty: mainly risotto and pasta. I was terribly overweight then.
When I arrived here to this my home, one of my humans took advantage of my status (hungry and vegetarian) and gave me some magic mushrooms to eat. I flipped. Life has never been the same.
I won’t eat any vegetables any more. I have lost weight. My tummy doesn’t hang touching the floor! And I started being keen on learning from Master Brindis' long life experience and culture.
I know I am a long way from the Supreme Cat. Some things from the past can't go away as fast as Master Brindis wished, but I am on my way.
Love to all,
-P.C
