So last December 2018 I attended the Philippine Hamster Keepers Christmas Party. It was October or November that I joined PHK and what sets it apart from other hamster groups out there is its strong commitment to Quality Hamster Keeping, and for me it’s one of the best (if not the best) hamster group here in the Philippines.
I was supposed to post this entry 2nd week of December pa, yes last month pa sana but because of the Gutenberg update nag-eerror yung sa photo galleries. Naloka ang lola niyo sa bagong editor buti na lang na-revert ko sa Classic with the help of a plugin!
Moreover, my son got hospitalized due to Bronchitis. We half-celebrated his birthday in the hospital.. I thought we were also gonna spend Christmas Day there. That time it was my hubby’s arrival din from Down Under after finishing a Java training/project.
On top of all that, I was doing my usual routine — homemaking, scheduling, freelance writing (and more raket on the side), gift-buying, etc. In a nutshell, LIFE HAPPENED.
So there, enough of my excuses haha. FYI, the photos below are not mine; I grabbed them from JL and KRS — members of PHK. 🙂
Philippine Hamster Keepers Christmas Party 2018
So the party was held somewhere in Mandaluyong. Eh sa Winterfell (north) pa ako galing kaya medyo hindi makatarungan ang Grab fee ko LOL. Buti na lang sinabay kami ni CC pabalik ng QC. 🙂
But attending the party was super worth it, sulit ang PhP 100 entrance ticket. 🙂
My son accompanied me and he was greeted by thehamsterguy. Z was able to FINALLY touch a dwarf hamster (Syrian kasi hammie namin) and personally check out some custom bin cages.
When we got home he was telling me that he wants a DH and a bin cage. Sabi ko not now! 🙂
Actually, it was a first for me, attending an FB group event. I was skeptical nung una because I will be meeting strangers and if you know me, I’m not friendly (in fact I’m shy, which translates to me looking like a total snob). But I bought a ticket anyway and reminded myself that it’s always a good thing to try new experiences and go out of my comfort zone once in a while.
Raffle Prizes
The party started with a bang. It may sound cliche but it’s true! Winners were called out one by one, and the grand prize was a fully set-up 58L bin with 2 dwarf hamsters. Simula pa lang ng event may food mix na kaagad ako!
The group’s fave pet shops also sponsored the party kaya we were so happy 🙂 — I Love My Pets PH, Dexae’s Petshop, and Pet Lovers Centre.
CritterCare, Chipsi bedding, hamster wheels, hamster food, hides, and even custom hamster bins! Ang dami talagang pa-raffle. Bawat isa may take home! Favorite ko yung PHK pins and stickers. 🙂
Game: Hamster Quiz
The first game was a question and answer type. Challenging yet fun! Kasali ako sa Group 3 and we won hahaha.
Buti na lang my groupmates are well-informed about the basics of hamster care. Ang gagaling nila!
My mom brain, aka momnesia, wouldn’t let me remember all the stuff that I’ve read about hamsters, including the care sheets from the group. 🙂 Ang nacontribute ko lang yata sa group eh yung sagot sa “Ano ang pinakamagastos alagaan [na hamster]? Of course, si Junkrat namin! SYRIAN! 🙂 Right in the feels, yo!
Amber Party Food
Food was really good. Pwede pang mag-unli balik! I remember when I was still a corporate slave parating may Amber tuwing may office events.
May lechon pa raw eh……….. nawala nga lang bigla! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Game: Hamster Race
They had this racing game for Syrian hamsters. We were all excited pero natawa na lang kami kasi the hammies won’t run. May nakatulog, may umihi, may nagduyan, may tumakbo pabalik sa starting line. 🙂
It took us 10 years to wait for a winner — Luna (hamster ni Lei) — at para siyang si the Flash sa bilis, hahaha. Luna took home a 21cm wheel plus more hamster stuff. 🙂
I think if we entered Junkrat sa contest, we’ll be the winner. Whenever we play with him laging gusto mag-roam eh. Pero ewan ko lang din if he’s inside a hamster ball.
Game: Hamster Maze
A-maze-zing! Ang ganda nung maze na ginamit, and I wish I can DIY something like it for my hammie. I don’t know lang kung na-stress yung mga hammies na kasali kasi cheer kami ng cheer, ang ingay hahaha.
One hammie made it to the finish line and took home a cool prize.
TLC from PLC
Pet Lovers Centre was there to show their support and to distribute pre-ordered goods by PHK members. It was a convenient time for those who don’t frequent PLC (including me!). I purchased SmartHeart lab blocks and Versele-Laga Crispy Muesli. I was tempted to get CritterCare ’cause they offer it at a pretty competitive price but I’d like to try making DIY paper bedding muna and check if I can really save money from it.
Maraming natutunan, maraming nakilala, maraming napanalunan, at maraming nakain. Yesssshhhh!
Thank you PHK, especially to the admins (commendable talaga) and to all PHK members who made the event possible! I never expected it to be funfilled and rewarding. 🙂
Published: 2019-01-02 21:42:42
ang cute naman ng event na’to…. naalala ko ang hedgehog namin tuloy. Kaso after 3 years, nawala na sya 🙁
I’m not fond of pets so I’m really surprised na may PHK. The party looks fun and ang dami activities. Agree sa Amber, lagi rin ito food namin nung nagwork pa ko.
Ako rin, I don’t even own dogs/cats 🙂 Pero mas okay sakin yung hindi lagi hinahawakan like fishes, turtles, hammies 🙂
Wow! Never heard of such org pero parang ang saya!
Medyo konti pa lang members compared to other hamster groups 🙂 Yep super happy lahat kaming umattend 🙂
Wow, I didn’t know there are events like this for hamsters. My daughters had hamsters years ago when they were still young. Now I’m actually considering getting some again for my boys. So cute!
I didn’t know too, until I joined PHK. 🙂 Hamsters are so cute at hindi masyadong mahirap alagaan.
Hahaha. Such cute event. Sometimes, events like that make us somehow forget the bad things that happen to us. So sorry about your son’s hospitalization. Good thing Christmas was spent at home and not at the hospital.
True. Fun events like this one is a ‘breath of fresh air’, lalo na in times when I really get overwhelmed with you know, LIFE. 🙂