Near the elevator this morning
Just when you thought I had an errand or met a long lost friend, no. This morning as I got off from my flat I hurriedly went to the elevator which is steps away. I woke up 30 minutes late from my usual time so I was trying to offset it by saving a few steps (I hate being late). Before I was able to press the much-coveted arrow down, I noticed a white creature. I thought and oddly presumed it’s a kitten (They say it’s going to bring bad luck if you accidentally crossed paths with a black cat. Anyway, it’s not a cat and it’s white. Okay, forget the superstition.), but gee, it’s a rabbit. And it’s a pretty rabbit!
She looked at me. Heehee, I’m not even sure if it’s femme or not. But it looks like one, isn’t it? To be honest, I wanted to take her and be back to the flat to find her a temporary abode and give her a pink ribbon-necklace, and um ah… cereals?. I almost forgot that I was trying to save time. But I did back off from the idea when I realized that I’m not in the Philippines. Unbelievable but true, in case I was caught holding her, it might be mistaken as I have taken her illegally. I suspect that it escaped from one of my non-Filipino neighbors doors.
So, I didn’t even dare to touch her. I moved towards the door and waited for it to open, and she moved, too. Uhum, maybe she wanted to come with me? If she happened to be a rab-kal (rabbit sa kalye/ street rabbit), I might have had considered taking her inside my bag. Haha. Anyway, I left her there and wanted to report it to the natoor (a local term for a building’s guard/keeper). But he was not around that moment. I was still thinking of her the whole day and as I came back from work, I asked the natoor, “Hi! Did you see the rabbit at __nth floor near the elevator this morning?” He replied, “Huh? No rabbit in this building.”
I hope your master have found you. It must have been so hard (a) to be lost (b) to escape (?) (c) to have encountered someone like me in a gray suit sheepishly staring at you and took advantage to take photos of you.
This post is dedicated to you. I hope you’re in good hands.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
kayni 08.20.08 at 5:16 pm
Pretty rabbit. I really hope he/she managed to find his/her home.
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Yes, high hopes that she’s in good hands.
rhea 08.20.08 at 5:18 pm
gee…you should’ve taken her Miss Jo. I grew up in saudi right? and I don’t think the rabbit is in good hands. Yep, they eat rabbits. I remember seeing one being slaughtered when I was still young…kawawa. and yes very tragic…they even have a cage full of live rabbits and they kill it in front of you para fresh…ayayayay!!!
I guess she was begging inside for you to take her. Yay! I hope I’m wrong…
rheas last blog post..Car hits tree in Makati; 3 hurt; My Lasalle Blockmates to the rescue! GOOD JOB!
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Grabe, Rhe! Super nalungkot ako after reading this comment + our gtalk. Haaay, sana buhay pa sya.
jeanny 08.20.08 at 5:35 pm
She is cute. I wonder who owns her…
jeannys last blog post..Under my Umbrella
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I think it’s from one of my neighbors. I just hope she’s actually a pet and not have been a dish yesterday. I didn’t know that’s possible.
Gracey 08.20.08 at 8:13 pm
Awww, wawa naman! I hope the owner found it. So cute pa naman!
Graceys last blog post..Creative Swap and Fruity Swap - 20 August 2008
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Cuteee. Hanggang tingin na lang ako sa pictures nya.
odette 08.20.08 at 9:14 pm
good thing you took pics of her, she’s so lovely!
hmmm, i think i would have taken her in my bag.
or dashed her back to my room. hehe 
i had 2 white rabbits when i lived in manila before. and poor babies i couldn’t take them home with me to gensan. i left them to my colleagues. i can’t have enough pets so i rescued a dirty kitty in the kanal in manila, at the height of the Tamiya cars craze in 2001. so she’s named tamiya. 
odettes last blog post..ninth month
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I actually thought of putting her in my bag. But the situation here is oddly different. Rabbits are actually not around as pets, as Rhea commented earlier. It’s interesting how you named ‘Tamiya’. Had I taken the rabbit, I should name her ‘Eleevee’ (as in elevator). Heehee, I’m so corny.
sheng 08.21.08 at 12:46 am
ang ganda niya, and she’s super white all over ha, hehehe… I wonder who owns her, if I were you and considering it would not have been somewhere Middle East, I would gladly take her home and keep as pet. My kids would surely love her.
shengs last blog post..Weekend and World Peace
witsandnuts Reply:
August 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Never had a pet rabbit. I could definitely have taken her if yesterday’s incident was back home. But I think it’s a rare chance to have that kind of encounter in Pinas, especially at the elevators. Probably cats.
MerryCherry 08.22.08 at 12:18 am
Thanks for the book suggestion
I thought, at first, it was a mouse. Hope she was finally found by her/his master.
MerryCherrys last blog post..Barrio 101
witsandnuts Reply:
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 pm
You’re welcome. Thanks for visiting.
I never thought that was a mouse because I’ve never seen mouse and cockroaches, etc. since I came in this country. Such a clean place.
rhea 08.22.08 at 4:11 pm
i just had to post this…told you they eat rabbits in middle east…
http://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/bbcGF/recipes/Default.aspx?v=1&rID=4810
and i just found out that even the cats are now banned in saudi arabia. when i was still there, i know dogs are not allowed to be pets. just recently, they had this law implemented na bawal na din ang cats…
http://climate.weather.com/articles/saudianimalban8808.html
rheas last blog post..Car hits tree in Makati; 3 hurt; My Lasalle Blockmates to the rescue! GOOD JOB!
witsandnuts 08.22.08 at 5:15 pm
I’ve checked the links. The rabbit and mushroom hotpot looks delicious. Haha. I mentioned about my encounter with this rabbit to a pioneer blogger in the Philippines. She told me that her friend is actually considering to do a business of having rabbits to be served as food in the Philippines. Since these are fed by grasses, they are said to taste like chicken. I think if I happened to taste one from the restos back home, I wouldn’t know if that’s rabbit or chicken I’m munching.
Remember the fried frogs I had in Exotik Restaurant in Laguna? They definitely tasted like (better) than chicken.
I have no idea if pets (and which ones) are relatively maintained in Abu Dhabi. So far, I’ve never seen one walking a dog, cat or anything at the park or malls.
rhea 08.22.08 at 5:31 pm
It does look good. But seeing that cute innocent look on the rabbit’s face, I can’t help but feel sorry for her. Probably she was served as dinner yesterday. Hay.
Wawa naman yung rabbit. I’m so close to becoming a vegetarian na. I’ve started giving up pork consumption when I heard pigs being slaughtered (illegaly) in our neigborhood back in Manila. Naawa talaga ako. Well of course, I despise those who eat dogs and cats. And yes, I can’t take the sight of frogs so I’m not really into that.
Maybe if i see a chicken being slaughtered, i’d give up eating that as well.
I’m not sure if UAE is part of the religious law that was recently implemented in Saudi.
rheas last blog post..Car hits tree in Makati; 3 hurt; My Lasalle Blockmates to the rescue! GOOD JOB!
witsandnuts Reply:
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I’ve been a vegetarian for awhile after reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. I’d love to revive that phase. It’s really healthy. I think I’m not yet open to the idea of eating rabbits even if I’ve eaten fried frogs already and other exotic stuff. Gladly my pork consumption significantly decreased since I came here.
toni 08.22.08 at 5:39 pm
Awww poor lost bunny. What if he took the elevator? What if he were from a neighboring building? This lil rabbit is just doing a little sightseeing!
tonis last blog post..A blissful lunch at Pho Hoa
witsandnuts Reply:
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I think rabbits are not meant (and allowed) to be pets here. I suspect ’she’ was served for dinner already.
glenville 08.24.08 at 8:18 am
awwww. i hope her owner found ‘her’. i have a soft spot for cuddlywuddly wabbits.
glenvilles last blog post..Quote of The Day
witsandnuts 08.24.08 at 4:00 pm
Such a pretty rabbit, ‘no?
caryn 08.25.08 at 3:04 am
hey, where did that critter come from?
hahaha! i once saw a turtle on the road, but that comparison pales next to your experience 
caryns last blog post..Peko chan
witsandnuts 08.25.08 at 5:07 pm
Maybe from one of my neighbors’ door. Heehee, where did you see the turtle? It’s not everyday that we have encounters with these lovely creatures.