Promise

We never promised each other much
we were always just kind of touch and go.
as if we knew we'd know that somehow we'd grow differently
so we did and we do
and none of this is to say that it wasn't worth going through
or that i care any less about you
shoulders to lean on are hard to come by.
I know because there were times I would have broken my own neck
just so that I'd have one of my own to cry on.

And I remember when each finger was a pawn 
moving slowly across the chessboard of your body
and we made each game last.
Passed up each avenue of attack because neither one of us were trying to win
So how do we begin again when that feels like now and this feels like then?
When all I can do is tell you 
"if you've got something that needs saying, tonight I'm paying dues."
I've got a pocket full of blues and two pennies to rub together
Which means I'm wealthy enough that I can finally afford to pay attention.
I'm listening.

And I know right now I'm somehow like that kid sitting in math class, 
terribly aware of his first boner.
It's hard. 
But difficulty has never been a good enough reason to describe 
the effort it takes to make the good times and the memories worth having. 
And they were and they are and I wouldn't have come this far 
if you weren't worth the sleepless nights where abandoned appetites of a heart, now rail-thin, because of the constant hunger strikes. 
In your absence, I'm finding value, 
because what starves you carves you, 
and I'm chipping away the rough edges of a statue 
built to memorialize everything we've been through. 
And when I'm done, I'm gonna set it against 
the backdrop of the sun and stare just no matter where I go, 
it'll always be etched into the back of my mind, 
stenciled in behind whatever future I have left to find. 

Maybe we were never meant to last. 
Maybe we're only meant to reflect fondly upon a past where we cast ourselves in the lead role of a one-year sitcom. 
One that had the critics standing, while putting hand to palm, 
in an ovation we're still getting curtain calls for. 
And the stage floor was a graveyard for the 
freshly cut roses that we waded through 
to take our bows and say 
thank you. 
It was beautiful. 
And it was and it is and none of it was ever show-biz. 
But we were waiting for lights to dim on a stage where we set ourselves to music. 
As if the swelling violins could ever 
mimic the hidden moments found in the theatre 
where we kept audiences stapled to their seats. 
And they watched us, looking for vacancies they could occupy in the spaces between our heartbeats, 
as if silence was a room for rent, 
and we both went "shh." 
But the beats themselves: 
they were loud enough to drown out the applause. 
And we laughed at the ushers left looking in the aisles for the dropped jaws of patrons who still can't believe we took time to find beauty in the flaws we possess. 
That there's only something better to be found in allowing our collective damage to coalesce. 
And all we confess of ourselves forever 
is that we will make it through this. 
We're gonna make it through this, 
like a big-ass jug of cool-aid with legs and arms 
busting through a brick wall to quench the thirst of our loneliness and say "fuck yeah." 

Yes, I miss you. 
When I'm not looking, the softest parts of me 
will issue restraining orders. 
Not the kind that define borders or boundaries; 
these are the kind that will keep me in place when I ask 
"please, call me when you get there." 
Because every somewhere I go to, 
is just another place that reminds me I miss you. 

And my broken heart is where I keep the scar-tissue 
that I used to dry my eyes when a tear tries to make a break for it. 
I've built my eyelids into an Alcatraz, 
where every prisoner has a parole board meeting scheduled for yesterday. 
And they played dominoes until time comes full circle, 
like a sun rise, and today tries to set them free 
because they'll be locked up here until I let them go, 
until it's safe to let you know 
you're my best friend. 
And that some things end 
so that other things can begin. 
Sometimes an ending can be an origin.
That history is a resin that can keep 
two people stuck together, 
that change can be a tether if you let it. 

I'll always want to kiss you. 
Or touch you.
Or do that thing that drives you crazy. 
And by that, I mean you literally go crazy when I call you "cranky pants." 
Sorry, but it makes me laugh. 
And that's important to someone 
who's given more than half of their life to tragedy. 
I keep your side of the bed empty with a just-in-case mentality of
that hope's middle name is maybe and maybe you miss me too. 
One day, 
you and I are going to make it through this. 
And we'll look back 
and we'll realize 
that we have, 
and we did, 
promise.

Forgive me, for I shall repent

Having to be born with skin colour a tad darker than Chinese, and having facial features that are a tad different from the large eyed Indians, people often mistake me for a Muslim. Now, this might not be a bad thing for some of you guys, but to me, it has been something that I have a difficult time trying to adapt to.

Before you start jumping to conclusions and begin accusing me of being a racist, let me first tell you that I am in no way against the Muslims and their religion.

It is just that every time Ramadhan approaches, I cringe in fear of being judged by some people. No, it is not because of the 'Mat and Minah' stereotypes that I get, but because of how I have to hide whenever I eat or hide my tattoo during this month.

Why, you say? Well, as mentioned earlier, many have assumed that I am a Muslim and often glare at me when I head out to head to eat before 'Itfar' or the time for breaking fast. I know most might think of not giving a damn to these people because obviously their assumptions of me being a Muslim is wrong. However, ignoring is not really blissful in this situation. This is because I have been hit with an umbrella by an elderly lady while I was having an ice cream at the bus stop. People have also come up to me and scolded me, accusing me of not having any dignity by eating in public when I am supposed to fast.


However, I have to admit, that this year was not as bad as I thought it would be because I spent most of my time at home. However, I was called an 'Anak Sial', 'Idiot child', and a pig all because I was caught having some candy, and I wore pants that had my tattoo showing, and also because of my piercings, I think. It does not really matter much to me anymore, because I have long forgiven you accusers, for the sake of humanity :)

After all, Hari Raya is about forgiving and repenting right? Anyways, here is just a little note to wish all my Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!


Have a blast reminiscing the past, forgiving each other, and filling your bellies with loads and loads of goodies!


Here's an awesome Petronas video to end this post. Enjoy!

The reason why I hate the world

Because I am a minor.

If you are a person who has skin of another colour; if you are a lady, if you are gay, bisexual, a lesbian, a transgender; if you are someone who has a size, then you are considered a minor as well. Being in a world where gossip, fashion and skinny people (who claim that they are fat) are everywhere, it is difficult to sustain our diminishing confidence because of their perfection. Therefore it makes us uncomfortable and deep down, we are unsettled. This is because of the need to find the answer as to why we not able to be up to standard with them. However, as one slowly begins one’s journey to unravel the clues to the answer, one’s wall of confidence slowly fades away as one suddenly feels the humiliation of being incompetent, or rather, imperfect. And in time to come, lose one’s self-esteem and all forms of self belief because of one’s very own imperfect conditions.

But is it all worth it?

Sometimes when I catch myself comparing my imperfections with other people’s perfection, I remind myself that I need to love and support myself more because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty to me is not measured by how much your body jiggles, nor is it measured based on the type of clothes you put on. No, beauty is not measured with a label. Yeah, I shop at Giant, Carrefour, and even Daiso, and I am proud to say that I don’t spend unnecessarily on things that cost more than a MacDonald meal. Why should I waste on buying things that other people already have, when I can actually improvise and create my own and still feel comfortable and good in them? After all, beauty is not about the latest fashion, but the authenticity in you which would make you feel good.

There are tones of products, magazines and advertisements that would make you feel that you’re ugly, old and pathetic. And if you are not proud of being who you are, you will give in and waste your hard earned money on products that barely make a different to how you look. But truth to be told, cosmetics are supposed to enhance your beauty, so don’t hide it under layers and layers of unnecessary foundation. It not only makes you look like a wax doll, but it makes you fake.

But at the end of the day, it is not about beauty anymore. It is about your confidence. Without confidence, you are not able to live on in life because of your fear and hesitation. You would hesitate about every single thing that you should do. You would hesitate fighting against discrimination on your looks, gender, size, race and even rights. You would be afraid to ask for a pay raise. You would also hesitate on falling in love, and even hesitate on dreaming, or having a goal. Why? Because you feel that ‘imperfect’ people like you deserve this hellish world. But for how long can you go on like this?

Some say you can never be beautiful if you’re fat, ugly, or poor. I say being beautiful is about how much you love yourself, trust your own judgment, and believe in yourself. You are not worthless. In fact, you are beautiful and you should be proud of that.

Happy Women's Day

A moving story

When it comes to domestic animals, most of us just treat them as well... PETS. However, some of us may not cherish them as much as others as many find it bothersome to train them, clean them, and feed them. Many of us would prefer to throw them/disown them and even send them away, to be euthanized because you simply can't understand them.

But did you know that you mean the world to them?


Pets are one of a kind, because of their undying love and affection, protection and comfort. So would you bear to leave your pet behind?

I wish I had their talents

Ever since I was a baby, I was exposed to music and arts. My mum was a fan of the Oldies and so, the kitchen's radio was always playing Oldies that ranged from Elvis Presley to Rod Stewart, from Johnny Cash to Pat Boone.

Despite the early exposure to music, I never really tried singing (not even karaoke). I don't know if it's the fear, or simply disliking my voice.

However, my brothers and I did pick up a few instruments here and there. The love for music has and will always be in us. And singers, till this very day, never fail to amaze me. The beautiful voice that changes words into harmonious melody.


And today, I will be sharing a few new videos that simply takes my breath away.


The first one is done by PS 22 Chorus. I know I've shown this before, but it's just so awesome.







The next one is a must see, especially if you think that Acapella is awesome. This group of boys perform at graduation ceremonies. Click Here to see one of their performances where they add their own unique styles to the song.

You can click on "Green Day - Basket Case" to see how they transform from one song to the other.




Other than singers, beat boxers are on my top charts in the music industry. Check this guy out as he beat boxes like a pro! My lips go numb even by simply watching him go like that!









All the sound effects (above video) are from him.





I just feel like adding this one because I like his facial expressions as he beat box.








Listen to the speed of his beat boxing!









Yuri Lane is the first to introduce beat boxing while playing the Harmonica.








This guy's pretty cool too. He uses the recording machine to aid him in his song, just like how KT Tunstall does it. The tune is pretty similar to that of Yuri Lane.








See how this guy brings beat boxing to a whole new level when he does it while playing the flute! Though not as great as Yuri Lane, but still talented!






I actually have a Didgeridoo at home (one of my dad's impulse shopping). After watching this video, I think I shall try to learn it soon!








And lastly, my favourite video of the lot. My brother thinks they're creepy but I really like how they do it. Acapella is simply mind blowing. And I am in love with the first song that they did. It gives you the 'creepy old church with creaky doors and parquet floors, and an organ placed in the center of the church ' type of feeling.

But all the other songs are good too! Hilarious as well!





Want to know more about them?

Then Click Here!
Then Click Here!
Then Click Here!
Then Click Here!
Then Click Here!



Till then!

Home

Someone once told me that true love is hard to find. And once you find it, you'll never ever let it go because it practically fills the gaps that were missing all along, in your life.

I may be too young and may never experience true love, but I sure do know how similar it is to finding 'The Ideal Home' (coincidentally, Micheal Buble's 'Home' is playing on my Itunes).





When someone asks you, "What's your ideal home?", how would you respond?


Many would shoot away at the location of their house, then go into the details; from the exterior structure to the interior structure; from the exterior design to the interior designs; from the basic necessities to the decorative preferences.


Now with this image of your future home set in your mind, most of you would set sail, to go in search for it. But many never get to see the finishing line. Why? It's either they gave up halfway, or because they are not satisfied with what they found.


But what exactly is an Ideal Home? Just walk by the streets one day and try to spot a homeless person (just watch some clips/videos from the net if you can't find any). Ask him/her where his/her home is and they might even show it to you.






True enough, it may be a plain old cardboard to you. But to them, it means the world. Because it not only provides cushion (although very little) when they sleep, but it also shields them from the Sun and rain.


So what is you Ideal Home again? To me, an ideal home is all about feeling it. It does not even have to be an infrastructure. Just like in this the homeless person's case, it was his/her cardboard.


So what exactly do I mean by 'feeling it'? Well, I believe that an ideal home is about the welcoming feeling once you step into it. It is about belonging to it. And don't you want to head to bed knowing that you're safe from robbers/crooks/thieves/boogeyman?



Home is the place where you grow and learn. To me, an ideal home should feel like the love from my mum, the one who nurtured me. That is how my ideal home is.


So people, the next time someone asks you what your ideal home is, close your eyes, and envision the love from your family and friends. That is what your ideal home should be like. So don't let the materialistic world brainwash you into slogging and then spending tonnes of money buying houses just because the majority population wants their home to be like that. Stay true to your heart and no matter what type of home you get, cherish it and love it with all your heart, just like how your mum took care of you.


Because you never when the world turn their backs against you. Who will take you in? Your home of course.



Loves.

I am young, so.. I will say NO to teenage dating violence

Click on the picture!


Visit this site to know more about the competition! (yzone.omy.sg/ybloggist)




In a modern world like ours, technology allows us to follow the lives of our idols.

Fashion becomes a religion, and celebrities become the "Gods".

Celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton, Kanye West set the trends and we follow. Come on, who have not heard of Kanye's specs? And who have not wanted Paris Hilton bod?

Girls go anorexic, and many splurge tonnes of money just to look as good as the "Gods". (Click Here to read about my post on Vanity and perfection.)

We feel unsatisfied with what we have, and we feel insecure looking how we are, because the "Gods" are always a level or two ahead of us.


Now not only do we follow the trends of the "Gods", but we follow the things that they introduce into our world. From diet pills or any other aesthetic products, to the 'light-heartedness'of marriage. No, I'm not saying that all celebrities who get divorce are wicked, nor do they not have the right to get a divorce.

What I'm saying is that people, majority of us,despite teaching kids to never learn "Monkey see, Monkey do", we often fall into this puddle of misinterpretation that 'the "Gods" did it, so can I'.


Through the media and paparazzi, we learn about celebs drunk driving, fighting, going to jail. And which, I might add, they make it sound so simple and easy. Kids, adolescence think that by imitating how their celebs behave or dress in public, they would instantaneously be cool.


Again, I am not saying that media and celebrities are to blame for all the happenings around the world. I'm just speaking of the Influence it has caused.


Speaking Influence, I believe that the whole "Chris Brown 'Beat Her Down' with Rihanna" would not be at peace. For one, Rihanna's face was bruised all over. Secondly, she decided to get back together with him, despite family, friends and fans, encouraging her to leave Chris Brown. And lastly, they're actually married now.(Click Here to read about my post on Chris Brown and Rihanna.)


Now this whole issue with Chris Brown allegedly hitting Rihanna has definitely brought Teenage Dating Violence under the limelight.


"Chris Brown did it and Rihanna still married him, so can I".
"Rihanna loves Chris Brown despite him beating her. I love my Bf too, so I'll stay with him, despite him beating me".

These are the misconceptions that kids in relationships would have.

I do believe that more and more cases of abusive relationships would come to surface in a matter of time.



Did you know that 1 out of 5 teens have reportedly been physically and sexually abused by their partners? And girls ageing from 16 to 24 are the majority of the victims in these abusive relationships. As said by Katie Couric.








This is no laughing matter.


Abusive relationship is indeed a crime. Love should not hurt, and if it does, ask for help or tell it to someone else.


If he hits you once, he'll hit you again. As said by Oprah Winfrey.





Even Tyra Banks has stepped in on the action.
Click Here to Watch The Video On The Tyra Banks Show



So girls, don't be a fool to go on with the relationship just because you love him. If he hit you, he doesn't love you. Leave him because he just isn't worth your love.

Come on, say it with me now...


I am so young, so... I will say NO to Teenage Dating Violence!


One more time now!


I am so young, so... I will say NO to Teenage Dating Violence!



Take your stand. Do the right thing. Love yourself for who you are, and never let yourself or your body be a victim to any abuse. If you need help, there are many websites that you can go to, to seek help. You can even sign yourself through counselling, or even tell your closest kin about it. Anyone can help, if you are willing to open up.


Here are some sites to visit:

http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/
http://www.thatsnotcool.com/


Credits: Perezhilton.com (Don't we all love him?)


PS: I do not stereotype people and I never said that all guys are abusive.
And I would have this post up even if I did not take part in this competition. I saw this opportunity, and so I thought, why not merge the two ideas. And hey, this post came about.



Do support me! If you want to, that is.


Loves.


Visit this site to know more about the competition! (yzone.omy.sg/ybloggist)



Click on the Picture!

If mother's were flowers, my mum would be the most beautiful one

When I went for the interview at TP, I was asked "What inspires you to be a teacher?"

My answer was, "My mother. Believe it or not, my mother is the most versatile person that I know. When I was little, I would tag along as she taught in her child care class. I would see that for hours and hours as I watched her in admiration. She taught phonics, art, music and movement, and about anything you needed her to do. She pushed a van that had broken down when she was having me in her tummy. She fixed pipes, climbed rooftops, and with her creativity, built or made things that were useful as tools around the house. She showed me that one had to be very patient when dealing with children. And I loved how the kids felt so comfortable around her. Adding the fact that my mum would talk about games, and ask them about themselves. Can you imagine how the kids felt, eyes all sparkly when they told their tales in excitement. My mum built a firm foundation for the kids, and that was not only through education, but by also making them into responsible and well mannered kids. Through her, I learned to love kids, and through her, I want to be there for the kids, and guide them through their journey in life. You don't have to be a mother to teach, but to teach, you have to be like a mother to the kids. And I want to be just that, just like my mum, to aid kids towards their success in the future".


I of course, exceeded the 1 minute limit that was given. But I guess, I made it a point to them that I did not look up to someone who was distances away, but someone who is just a few steps away, someone I love, and who loves me back.



Well, when I was younger, I never understood why my mother would always stand by the window to watch us as we make our way to the MRT or Bus. When we were away in camps or when my brother was in NS, she would check her phone every five minutes to wait for our calls. She always stayed up late to wait for us to return home, and there were many times where we came home and found her snoozing on the chair.

And sometimes, even though she was unwell, she would wake up early just to make breakfast for us. She would sit with us as we ate, and only go back to sleep after she saw us off.

Even when she was in Thailand or Malacca, she would call back every now and then to check in on us.



But all that, would of course be accompanied by nags. She would nag at us if we did things last minute. Sometimes she scolded us for not being independent enough, but when we did do things on our own, she would come in and do it for us. Then she would scold us again for doing things too slowly, or last minute. She always busied herself with out things, even when we could do fine on our own.

In an obvious way, my brothers and I are really pampered by her.


Sometimes, it annoys(it's not that we don't want her around, but she's a busy woman, and needs her rest!) us that she would rather stay up just to make sure that we have had our meals, rather than have an early sleep. And she would peep to check on whether we were doing fine, and would jump at the chance when we needed help. And how she always eat last so that there's enough food for us all. And how she'll eat the "not so nice" food, and let us have the nice ones. I guess that's what mothers are like, huh.


And the countless times she defended us against our dad (he's not the bad guy. It's just that having Commando parents is pretty tough sometimes. But it's a miracle my mum is brain washed at all.) And the times when she felt eh urge to slap someone else for bragging about their kids. She always treated us as the best of the lot. And she too, is the best of the lot.

She may nag alot, but then again, it's funny to see her kalang kabut around the house. And then when she realizes that we're laughing at her, she'll scold us and then have her revenge! Well, we treat her pretty much like our friend rather than mom. We'll tumble on top of her, hit her (jokingly), do things to make her ter pranjat, or just make fun of her. She too has her moments where she makes fun or imitates us.

Her "in" word right now? 'So gross', 'so lame', 'duh', 'whatever'. Hahaha, it's funny when she does it because she practically imitates me or my brother Vernon when we say it.



Anyway, a while back, more like many years ago, my brother and I bought a book for my mother, for her birthday.


You must be thinking " wah lao.. birthday leh. Treat her go spa or buy something she wants lah. Buy book, somemore both of you share... Damn gonndu man".


What can I say! I was only 8! And before you stomp to my home to smack me on the head, let me say that the book that we bought was actually SPECIAL.





Yes, that is the book.

It's about the size of your palm, and well, that's not the only special part.


What's the most special is the content inside. This mini book is actually a book of 43 quotes for mothers, be it quotes with heartwarming effect, or cheeky ones. And to those who still don't understand and love your moms enough, read, understand, then read these quotes to your mom. I'm sure it'll make a difference.

1. When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. - Sophia Loren
2. Mothers are the most incisive philosophers. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
3. Instant availability without continuous presence is probably the best role a mother can play. - Lotte Bailyn
4. A mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. - Peter De Vries
5. Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. - Sophocles
6. Moter is the name for God in the lips and hearts for children. - William Makepeace Thackarey
7. There's no such thing as a non-working mother. - Hester Mundis
8. Now, as always, the most automated appliance in the house is the Mother. - Beverly Jones
9. If dreams were born where gardens grow, and mums were flowers, I'd pick you.
10. Whatever you would have your children become, strive to exhibit in your own lives and conversation. - Lydia H Sigourney
11. The quickest way for a mother to get her children's attention is to sit down and loo comfortable. (This is so true! I guess, it's become a habit (I'm sure for you guys too) for my brothers and I to disturb her whenever she's comfy. But we do know when to draw the line.)
12. A mother's love is a garden where the Sun always shines and the season is always spring.
13. No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement. - Florida Scott-Maxwell
14. A mother's love and tender care, makes happiness bloom everywhere.
15. Who ran to help me when I fell, and would some pretty story tell, or make it well? My Mother. - Ann & Jane Taylor
16. Who takes the children by the hand, takes the mother by the heart. - German Proverb
17. The more people study different methods of bringing up children, the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all. - Dr. Benjamin Spock
18. It's a wise child that knows its own father, but its one child in a million who knows its mother.
19. This would be a better world for children if parents had to eat the spinach. - Groucho Marx 'Animal Crackers'
20. I have reached the age when a woman starts to percieve that she is growing into the person she least plans to resemble: her mother. - Anita Brookner
21. Motherhood is the most emotional experience of one's life. One joins a kind of women's mafia. - Janet Suzman 'Observer'
22. To become a mother is not hard, to be a mother is.
23. Children aren't happy with nothing to ignore. And that's what parents are created for. - Ogden Nash
24. The are of being a parent consist of sleeping when the baby isn't looking. - American Proverb
25. A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. - Dorothy Canfield Fisher
26. A mother's patience is like a tube of toothpaste - it's never quite all gone.
27. The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents and the second half, by our children. - Clarence S Darrow
28. Sweet little old lady wishes to correspond with six-foot student with brown eyes and answering the initials J.D.B - His mother (Advert in a student magazine)
29. A mother's first gift is Life, the second is Love and the third is understanding.
30. We never know the love of our parents for us until we have become parents. - Henry Ward Beecher
31. There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him alseep. - Emmerson 'Journals' 1836
32. A mother knows all about children. She knows abour dentist appointments and footbal games and romances and best friends and favourite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A father is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
    
33. For the hand that rocks the cradle id the hand that rules the world. - William Ros Wallace 'What Rules The World'
34. Parents are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don't fulfill the promise of their early years. -Anthony Powell.
35. They're a mysterious mob, mothers. - Robert Davies 'What's Bred In The Bone' 1986
36. A baby is an alimentary canal with a loud voice at one end and no responsibility at the other. - E Adamson
37. Even when freshly washed and relieved od all obvious infections, children tend to be sticky. - Fran Lebowitz
38. A mother's love trancends time and circumstances and endures forever.
39. Mother is another word for love.
40. The most difficult thing for a mother to remember is that other people have perfect children too.
41. Parents are the bone on which children cut their teeth. - Peter Ustinov
42. Parenthood remains the greatest single preserve of the amateur. - Alvin Toffler.
43. The joys are never fully experienced until all the children are in bed.

Which quote do you like? Mine are : 6, 9, 11, 22, 25, 26, 29 and 33.



I hope this had made a difference, because it sure has to me.


Loves.

Animals

One word to describe the pictures above? That's right. Cute.

They're so adorable, that you feel like going up to one of them, pinch them on the cheeks, or tickle them on the nose and behind the ear, or even give them a great big hug, don't you?

No one can not smile at a cute kitten that is playing with a ball of yarn, or a puppy trying to climb up the stairs. Admit it, if you saw a puppy pee on your door and then run away, you wouldn't beat the hell out of him. Instead, you would go "Aww, so cute!".


If you still don't get it, let me break the news to you. We are at the mercy of these animals. Especially the cute ones. They have us in their palms, or rather, paws. Make a mistake, it's okay, just flash an innocent face to them, the humans will fall for it.


Well, I was one of the victims. My dog, Junior, is cute. Come on, who has the heart to discipline a dog that has feet shorter than your forefinger, a body longer than your lower arm, and a face so CUTE?!? Junior has the "What am I supposed to do? I'm lost!!" face. In other words, a very 'goondu' face.



My family and I adore him very much, and we pamper him a lot too. He loves to eat Chicken, even though he's allergic to it. We tried substituting chicken for sardine, and he seems to be fine with it. He doesn't eat sausages unless it's fried. And he doesn't eat soup with rice, there has to be meat in there! And if the rice isn't stirred properly and covered with gravy, he'll leave the rice alone. And he loves sun tanning. He would find a spot at home that has the hot sun shining on the floor, and lay there till the sun is gone. He perspires alot, but he hates bathes And he loves the hair dryer ALOT. I made pillows for him, and it has been his chew toy. Other than that, he spends his day hunting for lizards and cockroaches. When he's in the living room, he sleeps with his head leaned against the leg of the chair. And the irritating bit is that, once he's there, he'll never move. And so, we have to move instead. It's the same when he's on the bed. He'll stretch out covering the bottom part of the bed. Tapping him or calling him wouldn't work, and so we have to curl our feet.


Junior has his own spot in the kitchen, near the toilet, where he pees. Since the day we got him, he never pees properly. It's always out of the newspaper. And he knows. Because whenever he pees, and it's out of the paper, he'll dash out of the kitchen.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, what he's trying to do is to "stealthily run away as quick as possible so that no one knows he was the culprit". It was cute at first, but over the years, it's becoming real irritating, having to pick up the papers and then mop it. My mum threatens to tie his "whistle" and would always scold him, literally asking him why he can't pee right.


My dad pampers him alot too, flooding him with hugs and kisses. My brother and I carry him around and whenever we do, he'll fall asleep on us. He's actually a pretty lazy dog. He doesn't bark, but instead makes friends with the Karang Guni Man. I wonder who will protect who when the burglar comes.


And as adorable as he is, he's actually getting pretty smart. He's becoming more and more picky on his food.


Since last month, I have been at home. And one day, my mum came into my room and said "Later when I call your name, don't have to come". I found it odd, but I nodded, and then resumed my game of Harvest Moon.

As predicted, my mum called my name. And sure enough, I didn't come to her. Now, this continued for a couple of days, weeks in fact. I was curious as to why she was always calling my name and one day, I decided to go to the kitchen, where she was calling my name.


I stood at the bar counter, and watched in amazement as Junior ran to the bowl whenever my name was called.

"Wah lao, use my name to ask Junior to eat?"

"See, it actually works. Junior's very naughty. Never call your name, he never eat. Besides, I've been using your name for a long time. And only your name works."

And true enough, as I observed, Junior dashes to his bowl whenever my name is called.



But sadly, this trick doesn't work anymore. I guess he realized that he too can play the game. And so whenever my name is called, he dashes to his bowl, and touched the food with his nose. Then he'll sit there and stare at my mum.


So now I have to be there to watch him as he eats, if not he'll skip his meal and start vomitting.



See how smart animals are?


I have to do my 'round' of spot-checking now.




And watch this!



Loves.

Puppies

I have a packed schedule from now till the New Year, and so I wouldn't be able to update that often. But fret not because last night, I actually stayed up all night to do up a few posts which ideas have been etched in my head for a long time. Of course, the posts won't be released all at once. Instead, I have scheduled them to be released at different times of different days. This way, my blog wouldn't be that dead, would it? Hahah.




Pardon me for being monotonous in my posts. It's just that sometimes, I just loose the power to blog. You know, it's frustrating when you have these ideas and topics to blog about. But when you sit infront of the computer, everything on your mind just disappears. You lose the ideas, or sometimes just have little jigsaw puzzles of them. The words, that completes the puzzle just doesn't fit right. And so, you feel down and angry that an idea you had seconds ago, just disappears. My mum thinks I need to find some inner peace or something like that. An somehow, I do agree. It's been awhile since I visited the SPCA, the library, or simply just heading to East Coast for some breeze. Maybe then, the inspiration to do things would come back again. Just maybe....





Anyway, moving on to today's topic. Well, as the title suggests, it is about puppies. Now most friends would know that I am an animal lover. And dogs especially are liek a part of me. The mere sight of seeing friends spank their dogs or keep them in cages would infuriate me. I feel that humans have no right to be placed as superior just because we are bigger than the dogs, and we have guns and tools to deal with them. Dogs should be respected as how we respect the other humans, because there isn't any rule that states that dogs or any other humans should be treated differently from humans.


My home used to be like a zoo itself. We had quails, lovebirds, tonnes of rabbits and hamsters(because they kept breeding), and dogs. And everytime my parents saw an injured animal on the road, they would bring it home, and we would nurse it back to health before releasing it back. Most of the time, they were baby birds, and we had to feed them with straws just like how their mothers inserted their beaks into theirs so as to vomit the food into their mouths. But of course we didn't vomit food into their mouths.

Well, as time went by, there were so many animals that we had to give them away. All of them were given away for free, and we only kept the dogs. I loved my dogs. The one that was closest to me was Shandy.









A companion for 11 years. A beautiful animal who was a tad bit overweight. She was so lazy that a mere walk to the rubbish bin near my lift and back home, required the owner to carry her instead of she walking on her own. Like her owner, she was very stubborn. She wanted things her way, and would growl at any other pet or human who wanted to take her food or pillow away from her.

She was huge for a silky terrier mix breed. And neighbours called her a "Hairy Pig". Well, if you saw her, you would agree with them.


Her favourite room was her owner's. There were pillows for her, and her owner carried her wherever she went, just like a baby.

She loved eating rice, and am by far the messiest dog her owner has ever seen. Whenever she ate, she would have rice all over her face, nose and hair. She hated whenever her owner tied her fringe up because she loved how she looked with her fringe covering her face. But her owner couldn't stand the messy look on her dog.

Shandy had huge doe-like eyes. She had golden brown fur on her legs, black fur on her back, and grey as her crown. She was gorgeous, lovable and cuddly. But she had an attitude with it. She would ignore her owner if she was too busy for her, with her head turning away whenever her owner came towards her.

But after a few days, the love between them was so strong that they would always forgive each other, and soon enough, you would see them cuddling up, with her owner hugging her and carrying her around the house.

Shandy couldn't talk to her owner. But she made a great listener. She was always there to hear her owner's problems. And always knew when to go up to her owner to cuddle up to her, telling her that deep inside, she cared and would always be there for her.


Friends like Shandy would never be forgotten, because she taught me so many things that people couldn't teach. Well, as much as we loved to, we can't control death. And Shandy had to leave me this year. It was pretty hard for me, being that this year was the most sickening one I've ever had. It was too overwhelming to see her suffer, but I had to stay strong, because I knew she wanted me to. And so we bid farewell.


No dog can ever replace her, but I do hope that I will meet more dogs like her.


Well, after knowing the love one can share with animals, I am sure you would find it quite sickening to know of places that keeps dogs as though they are livestocks. Well, there are, and in America, they are called Puppy Mills.


Click Here to read more about Puppy Mills.


Well, in short, puppy mills are places where dogs are kept for mere breeding purposes. They are placed in cages so small that they have to crawl in order to move about. They do not have enough food, water and are not bathed. I caught an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show and she showed the Life of the dogs in the puppy mills.


I don't have the complete episodes, so here is Episode One and Three.









Not all dogs there are stray dogs. There are pure breed Labradors, Cocker Spanials and so on. I am glad that there are ongoing rescues at the Puppy Mills and I am glad that Singapore doesn't have puppy mills. Dogs do not deserve to be kept in cages. Did you see how hard it was for the dogs to walk normally when they were released from the cages?

And the dogs that were covered in their own urine. And the dogs who were suffering from open wounds and so on.


Well, my aim in this post isn't to bad mouth the Puppy Mills. Because just like Chickens, Pigs, Cows and Sheeps, Dogs are animals, and have every right to used as livestock. They do have a point.

I, of course do not support them. But what I am trying to say is to support the SPCA. You see, every rescued dog would go to the SPCA. But with the increase in dogs being rescued, there wouldn't be enough space for the dogs, and so, those that aren't adopted, would be put to sleep.

If you are a dog lover and want to buy a dog, I suggest going to the SPCA to help these animals and prevent them from being put to sleep. These dogs deserve a chance to be loved and of course, they would grateful, as you gave them a chance to live.


If more people get their pets from SPCAs, then the puppy mills would stop breeding these animals for sale in pet shops.


And for those who still plan on buying a pet, I suggest you think twice. The fate of these animals is determined by you, their owner. Would you have time for them? Shower them with love? Care for them when they have illnesses?


Please don't abandom them.





Loves.

Are You Happy?

I got the two topics for today's post, off today's New Paper.


The first one that I am going to talk about is Quality Time.


Most families in Singapore hardly have time together. And one of the reasons why there isn't family time is because both of your parents are busy working. Holiday trips may be cancelled, they may chase us away when we ask them for help. But what can I say, do you know how annoying it is to know that someone needs your help the moment you trudge back to home? Despite all the hard work that they put in, I don't expect them to be the slightest bit happy to help us immediately after work. In a simpler term, use your brain lah. Ask at the right time mah. Ask wrong time and you might as well get your head bitten off.



But this misunderstanding often leads to us kids pushing all the blame on our parents, accusing them of not wanting the family to be united. And on top of that, we add on unnecessary stuff like 'you hate us', 'we were shot-gun babies and that is why you don't care about us', 'you are so selfish that you work and think for yourself, not caring about us at all'. And this would be accompanied by door-slams, meals skipping and throwing of tantrums.


But my friends, what we fail to notice about our parents is that they are actually working their asses off for the future of us, their kids. Some may still be thinking "They never buy for me the stuff I want, means they don't love me". but have you bought for them the things they wanted? No? Does that mean you don't love them too?

My family and I seldom go on family trips together. We seldome talk at home because everyone's awake and out at different timings. In fact, we rarely see each other. And to make matters worst, I don't really get along that well with one of my kin.


Up till now, I never questioned my parents to why we never really went overseas. But instead I thank them for bringing me up in this world, to see both the good and bad of people, and of course to feel loved by your very own blood.


This brings me to the next topic: TV


No place was as special than spending quality time at home, watching TV.




When I was younger, I was really idiotic. There were numerous times when I would simply walk away while the whole family was watching tv, just because it was too noisy. There were also times when I walked away while my dad and I were watching TV, just because my dad had the habit of making the "tsk tsk tsk" sound whenever a car exploded or someone got killed. He would also (being musically talented) tap the chairs and drums that we have near the TV, to the beat of the music on TV. I found it irritating.

But what I failed to realise was the hurt that my family members had, seeing me, the youngest, peeved about everything.


And so, over the years, I tried to change. There are still times where I couldn't take the noise, but instead of walking away rudely, I would increase the volume, so much that they would take a hint. In fact, this has worked out so well, that all my family members are adopting the same method, doing it to whoever who is talking loudly. Hahaha.



And through this "Family TV time", we actually learned alot from the channels we watch. My family knows that I love making fun of exaggerated screams and shouts from the Tamil Dramas. They also love leaving the Tv on whenever "America's Funniest Home Videos" was on, and would watch me instead, as I laugh to every single video that was played. Like my brothers, I also enjoy watching Taboo, and all the tattoo shows, like tattoo wars, Miami Ink and so on. They also know that I like watching Naruto and Avatar.


And I also found out more about them. My mum loves romance movies, and prefers the teens genre than the classics.

My dad loves watching movies that has guns, helicopters, army and wars. Whenever there was his movie on, he would switch off all the lights, switch on all the sound systems, amplify them, and cushion up his chair.


My brother Vernon loves nothing more than Cartoon Network. He'll watch PowerPuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog and any other cartoons on screen.


And lastly, my brother Jason. He's pretty unique. Because he loves watchign Documentaries, and can even tell you all the details of the machineries used in war. He loves Bruce Lee and thinks he's the next Hritik Roshan. And he's the one who's always watching my every move when I watch "America's Funniest Home Videos".




Reasearch has shown that people who watch Tv are not as happy as the people who don't. Because the happy people usually busy their life with enjoyable trips, memorable moments and splendid activities.


Well, I don't think my family can be any happier than watching television together. I'm happy enough.



Loves.

Off Day

Was called by my boss last night, and was informed that all four of us OJTs were getting offs! But it does not mean that it is all play and no work, because we have to present all 12 scripts to her by Monday! Luckily I am in token 3, because the token 1 feeders actually have 18 scripts. So that makes me pretty fortunate to be in token 3.

Well, the past few days on the zoo has been rather fruitful. I got to meet more colourful personalities. And also watch how the presentors worked under pressure when there was no soundman and when they slipped wrong information of the animals.

I don't know about the rest, but the shows have been making my days more and more sian. I'm not saying the shows are sian, but watching them over and over again, makes everything so... expected. But I must applaud the presentors who made the shows possible. I mean I've been working for less than two weeks, and I'm pretty bored by the usual routine already. And yet, they who have been working for many many years, always show up and present with so much magnificence, and twinkles in their eyes, never failing to grab the attention of the audience.




Well, I am sure that it's pretty boring for me to rattle on and on about my work in the Zoo right? So, I'll end this post with a short quiz that I got tagged. I love quizzes not only because they help to take up time, but also because they let you think of things that you often never question yourself about. So here goes:



Tagged by: MUS-FI-RAWR!

1) What's your 10 most Favourite Foods.
· Sushi
· Lasagne
· I know it sounds gross, but I love Escargots (Tried it at a French Restaurant in Malaysia. Hahah)
· Tacos (I do miss Taco Bell Alot)
· Takoyaki (I'm addicted to the ones sold near my home, at Admiratly MRT station)
· Terikyaki Chicken (I like the ones sold at TakaShimaya)
· Cream Puffs from Papa Beard
· Cheesecake from DeliFrance
· StingRay Sambal Goreng from Changi Village
· Are chocolates counted?


2) 10 things I love Doing.
· Carrying my dog around the house like a baby
· Nudging my brother's head (the one with the dread locks)
· Reading books by Mitch Albom and other famous people's autobiographies
· Making fun of my mum when she mispronounces words and does funny actions
· Laughing at the exaggerated Indian Films
· Watching the Noose and America's Funniest Home videos
· Laughing, ALOT
· Creating random conversations of people (Whom I do not know) who are talking
· Heading Outdoors
· Sitting in my school's canteen(back then) and do nothing but eat Apollo and crap with the staggerized people.

3) 5 things I love doing when I'm EMO.
· Being near the sea, watching and listening to the waves and breeze. It's really soothing.
· Sleeping
· Zoning Out
· Pull a long face
· Drawing


4) 5 things I love doing when I'm happy.
· Laughing a lot, and sometimes for no apparent reason
· Creating Lame jokes and stuff to do
· Smile to myself as I recall the stuff that made me happy
· Heading outdoors or engage in sports
·Sing to myself, in my room. Hahah

5) 5 things I wish to happen
· For my mum to stop worrying about us kids
· All 3 of us kids help in supporting the family, so that we enjoy and bond as one
· All the killings and cruel abuses of animals to stop. I want to start an Animal Home.
· I want to start an Orphanage for kids too
· Lastly, I want to have decent grades for my O'levels


6) 5 types of a person of another gender I adore

I don't adore anyone right now. So I'll just give the things I observe and like, in a guy whom I don't know yet. It's like a first impressions?

· I have this nasty habit of looking at three things when I look at a guy. The first is his hair.
· The second is his clothes
· And the last is his shoes
· But all that's not important because I'd prefer someone who can talk and listen, someone who is active.
· Someone who really knows how to impress a girl, and that's definitely not by the expensive treats.

7) My 5 most addicted playlist

· Nightwish
· Metallica
· Avenged Sevenfold
· Colbie Caillat
· Matisyahu


8) 5 Person I wish to tag.
· Yiling
· Lena
· Shera
· Syuh
· Raudah




Loves.