* Fei tut tut ~ part two *

Remember Fei tut tut aka killer aka cute-cute aka sonny aka dow....well he just turned two months old on the 21st of March. And he is still with us...yes. The family he was due to stay with were too impatient to wait for him and they took another pup instead! I was crushed. Not because I want to get rid of him but I felt he had the right home to go to.

A shame really, I was all set to send him over this weekend but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I was quite upset after the phone call and I had to get away. Called a friend and packed up, Sonny and I left the house!

Believe me, if I had the opportunity, I'd keep him in a flash! He's such a darling when he's not biting. Haha! And he is so smart. He learnt to sit just after a month and knew what he could and could not do with his teeth.

Alas, as he is still so young, he now contradicts my early praises every once in awhile but I don't expect perfection and with his occasional defiance and cheekiness,

your days are never boring in his company. Then he has those moments when he would sidle up beside you and lay his head on your arm or tummy and look at you as if you're his whole world or gives a dreamy look and sleep right there.

I do hope we will be able to find him a good home with people who will love him unconditionally like us. The day he turned two months, he was in his element, playful and so full of energy!
You will see from the pics I am posting in here. Enjoy them....:)

What happens when a puppy runs out of steam??

Doggie Zzzzzsss.......! :)

* Fei tut tut *

This tiny newcomer…very, very tiny and so, so fragile…was nestled on a folded towel in a box resting on its side beside Sayang. When I came home, I was astonished at the sight!

“Sayang! You sneaky one. I didn’t even know you were pregnant.” I said to her as I dropped everything in my hands and picked up the little fella. “Just one, girl?” I rallied on while checking him out in my hands. She wagged her tail like a proud mum.

He wriggled a bit before settling comfortably in my palms, emitting little sounds. His eyes were tightly closed and I realised… so were his ears. My nephew then told me he had brought him home the day before from school. It was crawling in the carpark area with another and were being attacked by red ants.

So with one free hand left, he brought this fella home whilst his friend took the other. I looked him in the eye and said, “You know we can’t keep him right?”
“Why not?”
“Cos we have too many to handle and you are no help eventually.”
“But I have been taking care…” he spluttered.
“ I know but for how long?” he gave me a sheepish smile after I quoted an earlier example.
“ I am sorry” I said and he nodded as he understood what I was trying to say.

A dirty black he was with patch of white across his chest. He also wore whitish socks and carried a tiny white flag….much to the dismay of those superstitious chinese. Yet to us, he’s been a gem and everyone at home has taken a liking to him immediately.

Gauging from his unopened ears, eyes and size…he was about three days old when he came to us. That same evening I went to get a bottle and milk. They were feeding him with a syringe before then. I gave my nephews lessons in caring for such a young pup and how to make it do its ‘businesses’ as it had no mother to do so. Also, it is all part of hygiene and keeping it free from unwanted problems.

They were quite appalled at the whole thing at first but soon gave in to delight and the teasings they received as proud ‘father’ and ‘uncle’! I took it home with me whenever I was home long enough, more to relieve the maid and also not to let the boys get too attached to it as it had to go to a new home eventually.

True to their personalities, the boys soon left the feeding and cleaning up to the maid and only played with him as when they were off their real passion….computer games and PS2! Yet they still want to keep him but as we all know, ALL puppies are adorable but will you still adore them when they grow up?

This little fella is a definite mongrel but he has developed some very nice colouring likening it to the sled dogs, huskies. Pity we can’t keep him as we have too many here but Thank God, we have found him a home not far from us. A friend says they love dogs and had just lost their own recently, thus the eagerness to have this little one when they heard he needed a good home.

It’s about 7 weeks now since ‘cute cute’ (my nephew) aka ‘fei-tut-tut’, ‘killer’, ‘dow - david oliver wilshire’ (my crazy friends) aka ‘sonny boy’ as in a son to me; has come into our lives and he’s taken hearts wherever he has gone with me.

Yes, he’s a regular traveler whenever he is with me and has played with many different size dogs too. A friend’s cat had actually found his basket irresistibly tempting to jump into for some investigative confirmation that it was not the same species.

He’s grown out of his basket now and today I took him to the vet for a check up. He’d been poked and fed with meds and verdict…healthy and will grow to be a big fella. Got him puppy biscuits and chewable bones to try keep his teething to himself and not on our ankles, pants and us!

He’s become more curious and he’s learning how far he can ignore and barge on with his antics before receiving a tap from his teacher…the paper roll. He’s pretty good considering after his 10-30minutes of mucking about, he goes off to a cool spot and sleeps without bothering you. Frankly, we love to bug him when he’s asleep cos he’s so cute!

He’d groan and stretch and turn away but there we will be picking him up into laps and arms and hugging him, showering him with kisses…..my mum would tell us off but I guess that’s the only time you can do these without being chewed!

Guzz too enjoys playing with him cos he gets to finish Sonny's leftovers and now kindly allows the little fella to nibble into his chomp bowl!

Well, this is Sonny boy aka Fei tut tut ('fatty' in chinese) aka dow aka killer and this is his story of how God sent him to us to love and nurture before his next home. He is a lucky and well loved pup and we hope he will be as loved in his new home.

Wuf!

* hello *

Mmmm..........it's been just over two months since my last entry and this means

1. Been very very busy
2. Been quite busy and partly lazy
3. Procrastinating

I think I'll opt for 2! Hahah....yes, there's a male in my life, keeping me pretty occupied with my days off. I do so want to share what's been going on but....he's pretty demanding, keeping me too tired to type actually.

I will try and post in asap when I can. I must confess.....he is absolutely adorable. Everyone can't resist his charms.

Yes, I am definitely besotted and am missing him when i am away.
I will also post some pics. He's simply gorgeous.

Later........

* Su-Ee *



Well, I did intend to write about dog stories when I started this blog and been straying quite a bit lately. So today, this is about a little dog whose owner decided to give her a makeover!

Su Ee is a three year old shitzu. She stole my friend’s heart in a pet shop who bought her for her daughter. She had dark hair colourings on her head and of course, as all puppies are…simply adorable!

I have only seen Su Ee lately since last year and she is a cutie. Her owner claims she thinks she is a human as she is always in the house and sleeps with her daughter every night. She welcomes you with her charm and next thing you know, she is enjoying a good rub or stroking session with you.

My exasperated friend says she is a hopeless guard dog. Errr….well, she is basically a toy dog. No? She’d run away from the two wooden elephant statuettes that now stand the same height as her when she was younger!

Adorable as she is, I find her quite independent and very attached to her little friend, my friend’s daughter. She would come sit with me whenever I visit as I give her the attention she wants.

Last night, after having spent the whole day out with my friend, we settled down to long gossips in her house. Su Ee as usual was lying in the center and the conversation turned to dogs and my friend began talking about the schnauzers she’d seen at a recent pet show.

She had been toying with the idea of trimming dear Su Ee’s coat to liken the schnauzers! And I guess last night was when it all happened. The poor dog had no chance. Within minutes, the little girl whipped out the scissors and comb and Su Ee found herself being groomed for the second time that day! Yes. My friend’s husband had just spent the afternoon combing her hair out and trimming off her knots etc and I bet the both of them must have been quite tired at the end of it.

Using a picture on the notebook nearby, she began cutting off her hair whilst I brushed another dog’s coat. Snip snip snip and soon it was time to do her head. After an hour of trimming and holding and adjusting and figuring….. they finally have a pseudo schnauzer!

I would say her head has a little likeness to the actual schnauzers, not her body but the idea had been achieved and I doubt Su Ee would actually mind the short coat on her back with the weather being so hot these days.

End of day, although she is the pseudo schnauzer, Su Ee the shitzu still manages to keep that charm she rightly owns. But first…..a nap. It’s been a long day. Heh heh!

Woof! Woof!

* Kgs pile up! *

~ 28th December 2005 ~

Help! The kilos are doing a pile up and I am in trouble. I used to be able to 'slip' into my clothes with ease but these days... it's like fighting gravity as you raise your arms to fit through the sleeves. Shall I use the excuse 'frozen shoulder' ? Trying to slip into my clothes is fast becoming a myth and quite breath taking at the same time. I now have a bluish hue about me as I titter about in my 'fitting' clothes.

Blame it on Christmas I'd say. All those dinner invitations beginning from the eve or even before and right up to the impending new year..... I must admit, the food were good and in utter abundance. Even doggie packed some home so as to help the hosts not have the same leftovers till new year! Poor things.
Though after two consecutive dinners are enough to tell me that I need to take a break - a long healthy one that is; but truth be told, I am out the next day gorging on lunch and desserts and more food.

It's the spirit of christmas where everyone cooks their finest and wants to feed you cos it's christmas! It's the perfect excuse for getting together and catching up on the past year and enjoying each other's company. Hosts either cook or as the norm these days, cater.

We've been catering for a few years and everyone loves to come because of the lamb pit. These guys will set up the pit at our place and by the time the party is about to start, the lamb is ready to be cut up and presented to the now familiar lamb loving crowd. A plate will be piled with the juicy meat and placed in the center of the table by the respective table's self elected hosts. Within minutes you will be able to tell if the plate was white or blue in colour and made of melamine or paper!

Mum said some actually parked themselves next to the lamb table waiting patiently while the man cuts the pieces, one person hardly moved from the area until he had filled his tummy insatiably with the prized dish of the evening. *cheek!*

I wouldn't talk about other countries but Malaysians have evolved and many are learning that there's more than the usual chicken and fish dishes. What with international trading and visitors, the variety of food is endless and you can find almost a bit of many countries' cuisines right in Kuala Lumpur.

However, due to commercial reasons many cannot be endorsed authentic enough by those who do know the actual tastes and flavours arising from these cuisines and claim disgrace to their country. Yet the smarter ones do fusion of their country and ours and surprises have delighted many instead.

Sigh.....talking about food has started the juices in my stomach and this means I have to go look for... you got it! How did I get into this subject anyway?

Well, with the kgs piling on and another eight more days of christmas to go through and new year sneaking in between...... it's been another year and soon into another one. Happy christmas again everyone and merry merry new year to you too!

Let's not forget the unfortunates during these times especially and count the blessings we are having compared to them. May 2006 be a motivated year for all of us to be wealthy in life, health, happiness and love so that we are able to help the unfortunate ones whenever we can.

God Bless.....Shalom.

* Christmas *

~ December 21st 2005 ~


Christmas is almost here! Everywhere is crazy, the mad rush is on and I am almost done with my pressies and cards for this year! Yippee!!
Every year is one big dash to do my letters and ready the list on the naughty and nice. Brain storming with catalogues and malls on what to get who what and not... *smile* But I managed to complete 95% and that is an achievement, given my hectic schedule.
Rome at this time is cold and it looks like a cloudy day today. It's a wednesday and I heard the pope says mass on wednesdays and sundays. Maybe we will get some Christmas blessings later.....confessions before Christmas, mmm.....
Anyway, I would love to wish everyone who drops in here a very Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Maybe I shall blog one of these days while I am sleepless in Roma and not in the company of two gentlemen engaged in a very intense discussion in french seated two feet in front of me! I am trying to be polite by not disturbing them with my clikkety clak on the keys. Also, am controlling myself from blurting out my colourful accompaniments when i make mistakes! Don't think they will approve, a petite cutie swearing at 100 words per second! * chuckle *
So have fun during these festive seasons and a prosperous 2006 to all of us! Ciao...:)

* mandi bunga *

~ 09th November 2005 ~

Malaysia has a rich fusion of a wide variety of ethnic and religious beliefs and cultures. So it is not uncommon for its people to seek help from other races if they believe it can help benefit them in their lives.

‘Mandi bunga‘ loosely translated ‘floral bath’ in english, is a practice many use here. There are variations in some places but it is mainly to do with the cleansing of bad luck and impurities of oneself so as to be able to be more receptive of the well desired wishes. Some ladies take this bath so as to attract a suitable partner or some to hopefully better their life course.

The concoction of the bath that I know consists of a mixture of seven different kinds of flowers ( preferably more fragrant, the better ) and three numbers of ‘limau perut’ - citrus hystrix  or lime may substitute. Quarter the limau perut and mix them with the flower petals in a bath.

One of the girls at the party mentioned she was gonna do this and since I had always wanted to do this as I felt my luck with men and money quite unfortunate…. *smile*

So we met up the next morning, went to market to get the flowers. I guess you have to be in the right frame of mind when you set yourself to undertake such a ritual and we were picking our flowers instinctively. We couldn’t get the limau perut so had to settle on limes.

We went to her place and began chatting…what else? She taught me how to cut the limes and place them in, squeezing them at the same time. The flowers were separated from the stems and the petals were peeled off their centers. As I continued, the water looked so colourful and the mixing scents of the flowers and limes was very refreshing in the air.

Next I took a shower, a cleansing of the body before the actual ritual floral bath. I soaped, scrubbed every inch of me from head to toes, same time clearing my mind of my troubles and fears. It is all in the mind I must say, whether you want to believe or not or have faith that it’ll work. I was 98%  there and I was ready.

I did not want to do it in the bath so I had prepared mine in a pail and after listening carefully to what she told me, I took the pail in and set it on the floor. I finished peeling the balance petals off the centers and squeezed the limes harder.

Satisfied, I scooped some of the water and floral mixture in both hands; quietly making my wish just before I doused my face gently with it and moving my hands upwards towards my head and down my hair. I did this three times, each time wishing for something different. Then, using a small bucket, I scooped the water and started pouring from the top of my head, feeling the petals running down my hair and body. I went on till I had petals sticking to me all over and till the pail of water had finished. I used a towel, pat myself dry, leaving whatever flowers on myself as they were. It was quite funny as petals were falling off me every where I moved.

Now, I can’t describe what I felt actually, probably refreshed cos after two showers. Then my friend told me I had to throw the used petals and limes into running water, preferably a river. That kinda spoilt it for me. Right…here I have just cleansed myself but I have to go pollute the environment with my bad mojo so to speak! Not that I am such an active ‘save the world!’ person. More like the fear of being caught and given a summons was more like it!

I went to see another friend to pass some stuff and we got to talking and I told her I was a bit stressed out at having to rid the ‘bag’ into a river. She started thinking of any nearby and soon we were heading along a river but it had a wide embankment running along it and I’d have to really swing the ‘bag’ hard so that it would land in the river. Sigh….i drove further along and we came upon a small bridge. Excitedly we saw the huge drain running to meet the river. Environment or not, the mojo had to go and I threw it quickly before anybody came nearer. We shrieked a bit when we saw the ‘bag’ hit the divider wall and ‘phew’ as it was taken away by the fast currents…straight into the river.

I guess I won’t do it again, considering that last bit was quite a hassle and made me feel guilty at breaking the law and spoiling mother nature. Yet it was an experience I will remember and especially the hilarious little scurrying adventure I had with my friend in ridding the ’bad  mojo bag’ and praying  we would not be caught by the law! *chuckle*

By the way, that floral bath…. It did work! Let’s just say, some things happened the next day. Good things.
To learn more about mandi bunga, check out this address below. Enjoy…

http://www.best-of-langkawi.com/CULTURE-floral-bath.php

* schoolgirls round-up *

~ 08th November 2005 ~

Three days ago, I met up with the usual gang. A reasonably big group of women who have known each other from school, some as far as kindergarten days! Yes, quite a number of moons ago…

It was the Indian Festival of lights –DIWALI or Deepavali as we know it better here and our friend had a separate do for our group a few days after the main day.

Needless to say, once we got around the table, it felt smaller and the conversations got louder mixed with long ago schoolgirl giggles and cackles as we caught up in each other’s lives and anecdotes. Our few parents at the party seemed not to notice as it was a normal scene for them. They had to get used to this since we were young! There was a point we were kinda quiet and I noticed they were staring at our table, faces comical as they wondered at the silence. I guess we were taking a ‘small’ break!

Many have commented at how we all still looked the same but better from school days and were mainly surprised at our camaraderie after all these years. ( Yes, yes…..quite a number of moons since! ) The laughs and old ways never seemed to have left us whenever we gathered. Come to think of it all, even with the careers we have where we have to be on our proper best…we became the same old bunch from those days. All prim and proper etiquettes went out the door. Of course we are not that bad…just a leg tucked under here or there, slapping wrists, animated arms and hands flying about in between narrations, couple of sound effects that can be sold for a song, faces contorting according to tales, etc. You get the picture I’m sure.

Yes, it’s rare to see a group of friends get together at least four times a year since leaving school. We try to get as many in each gathering but distances and work have been many excuses. The average number of regulars among us lately has been five at least. Of course, I missed a few small meets as I was away but hey, they didn’t need my entertainment all the time right? I’d been boring by the time we get old!

This Deepavali, there were seven of us. Some missing due to the long holidays. Though it was a small group, we had so much fun catching up and never stopped laughing. Maybe these meets are part of the secret that has kept us well grounded and young at heart. Not forgetting looking young too!

Whatever it is, I’ll never trade them for a posh dinner with the rich for these gatherings have been truly rich enough for me. They make the best memories. Three cheers to the old girls with young hearts!

Muah, muah muah!