Part 2 of our blog series exploring the creativity and interesting life stories shared by a diverse group of Zenwaro customers. A quick note if you have not read part 1 of this blog series, consider taking a moment.
In a moment where it's important to acknowledge that the past 13 months have not been "life as usual" it is also important to acknowledge that we are not the only humans dealing with adapting to life during a pandemic. It's hard to think of any community in the U.S. that has not been largely affected by the wrath of this novel corona virus, some profoundly more than others. It is important to keep in mind that the rest of the world is dealing with "pandemic life" and many regions of the world are doing so without the comforts we share here in the United States. So, with the theme of being mindful towards those individuals / families / communities from around the world attempting to enjoy life on Covid's terms we bring you a glimpse into the creative life of one Zenwaro patron, native to the Philippines.
Amanda Pelino her 2 dogs (Ash and Iggy) and husband Enzo reside in Pasig, a city situated along the eastern border of Metro Manila area of the Philippines. Despite the social distancing measures enacted by the government of the Philippines, Amanda and Enzo were married this past summer, proving that even during a once in a 100 year pandemic it is still possible to enjoy a humble, practical, socially distant yet very beautiful celebration. Amanda is a self described entrepreneur and when not fulfilling her entrepreneurial duties she Ash, Iggy, and Enzo love to travel around the Philippines exploring the endless beautiful beaches that are within the roughly 7,600 archipelagos that make up the Philippines. She explains that "their dogs make the best travel companions besides enjoying long car rides, Iggy is an Aspin(street dog or stray) who loves to run and seek out adventures while Ash, our Rottweiler is addicted to swimming." Once the adventures are experienced and the laps are swam as a family they enjoy the simplicity of lounging by the beach or chilling out by a river.
01 Dog siblings Ash(left) and Iggy(right) rest under shade from the sun in a traditional bamboo thatched palapa after a long day filled swimming and exploring at the beach. | 02. Iggy looks out over one of the many rivers that stream through the countryside near Pasig. PH. | 03. Mom and Ash pose for a family photo during a recent get away to Ligpo Island, Batangas PH. Photo credit: @ohhmandyyy
The Matias-Pelino home is very cozy yet filled with character. Amanda feels that the heart of their home is both the living room and family lounges. "We love to just sit around and enjoy each other’s company". Each room of their little town house has its own look, personality and charm to it. Amanda believes that "a home is a free space where each room is a canvas to express our personal style and character". Any budding entrepreneur comes with a healthy dose of obsessive compulsive qualities, and is never ashamed to self diagnose these tendencies. Amanda shares that she is a tad bit O.C., "I have a very very clean home where order is quite important as are aesthetics too". Living within a metropolis that is planted (pun intended) on an archipelago, life finds a way to grow from every crack in the cement therefore incorporating a lot of plants into their home is necessary.
This is a fundamental attribute that many of our Zenwaro customers share when designing and decorating their homes. Amanda perfectly describes it this way, "Its our home and we love to fill it with as much light and positivity as possible".
Most of our rooms are filled with colorful decorations we collect from our travels or unique items I find online". Amanda is exuberant when she describes her love for the Talavera pet bowls that she purchased from Zenwaro, "they are unique with colorful bold hand painted designs, yet elegantly designed with a classic shape and high gloss finish." Amanda and Enzo prefer to support both local and artisans from around the world adding that "artisans and craftspeople not only work with their hands they have a passion for what they create which usually ensures top quality products and the very best finishes". Amanda's love for her pups knows no end so her artisan made pet bowls are nestled atop handmade wooden stands custom created by @tresgatosmanila.
01. Talavera Dog Bowl Bella Hacienda pattern size: medium, the Rescued edition is available at Zenwaro.com in 2 different patterns. | 02. Two Large Talavera dog bowls Azules pattern rest perfectly side x side in Amanda's tranquil outdoor environment. | 03 Iggy the rescue dog is lucky enough to have not one but two bowls all his own. The stands that these bowls are resting on were custom made for Amanda by @tresgatosmanila and can be ordered online. Photo credit: @ohhmandyyy
The story of a former street dog named Iggy and giving back to the community.
The Philippines has a population of nearly 110 million yet has a land mass of only 115,831 mile², over crowding and poverty are among a few of the big problems that the Philippines faces. Amanda and her husband are innately aware of the struggles their country faces, Amanda acknowledges this by stating that "we live in a country that has a heavy population still in poverty and where both humans and aspins (street dogs) don’t always have the best reputation." In the Philippines stray dogs are so common that they have been given a term in the Filipino language to describe them, Aspins is the name for indigenous mixed-breed street dogs of the Philippines. Both Amanda and her husband are avid supporters of local NGOs that provide programs for the poor like feeding, sheltering, and even providing scholarships. One of the regular non-profit groups that they are both active with and donate to is @projectpearls. It is not hard to tell that these Aspins and dogs in general hold a very special place in Amanda's heart. She knows that her country has a problem with both poverty and the way that many people inhumanely treat animals are connected, "In our country street dogs are still seen as filthy mongrels who carry diseases and are rabid temperamental dogs". Many are impounded and killed after a few days if not claimed or adopted, others are left to wander the streets alone and most end up injured from accidents sadly some injuries are carried out by humans within these various communities. These inhumane sometimes sick and unfortunate realities are reminiscent of situations that we too have experienced while working and living in Mexico throughout the years.
We are in agreement that these problems do not fix themselves and often it is not too difficult to get involved, to be the change you want see in your community and in the world. Amanda and her family have taken the time in their personal lives to get involved with the organizations that aim to rid their community of these ongoing problems. In addition to community outreach within Pasig, Amanda has donated thousands of dollars to various organizations @barkmission, @theaspinproject, @straysworthsaving, @hopeforstrays_cebuthat to name a few. These non-profit groups do the very difficult and grass roots level of work to help strays find homes, veterinarian work including free spay and neuter clinics, and are constantly educating the community. Her direct involvement with these not for profit groups potentially saved the life of one dog in particular, while introducing a new furry companion into her beloved home. Here is how she tells the story of how Iggy their rescue dog found his way into his furever home. "One day I came across a shop called @rufftradingco and saw they had a partnership program with rescue organizations. One of them was called SNIP (Spay-Neuter-Inform-Project) which was a local organization that saves and fosters stray cats and dogs. I was scrolling through their feed and found this strikingly elegant yet soulful white Aspin(street dog or stay). After seeing that little pink birthmark on his eye I knew I had to have him. The rest was history. These are short stories we affectionally call "When the dog hit the lottery."
01. Amanda's wedding ceremony this past summer, post ceremony Amanda and her bridesmaids got together in order to donate all of their wedding gifts to @projectpearls an organization that helps the poorest children throughout the Philippines. Providing access to medical care, food, shelter, clothing, education, and more. Visit www.projectpearls.com to find out more. | 02 Volunteers from @barkmission hit the streets of Quezon City PH, feeding several stray dogs, seven of these strays were previously spayed / neutered then released back on to the streets a common situation when there is lack of shelters or homes to foster the.. These volunteers work very hard to educate the public on the positives of spay / neutering pets. Follow @barkmission or to donate visit www.paypal.com/paypalme/barkmission.
To find out more about the creative and thoughtful life of Amanda Pelino and her two pups you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook by searching @ohhmandyyy, @getjiggywith_iggy, @ashtherottstar. To know more about the NGO's and non profits mentioned in this story who are saving lives and making real change in their community their handles for both Insta and FB are once again listed below. We urge you to read their stories follow their efforts and get involved within your community.
@rufftradingco @barkmission, @theaspinproject, @straysworthsaving, @hopeforstrays_cebuthat, @projectpearls
