Blog Bomb!

Ok, that is a ridiculous title but you know how when you say 'photo bomb' when someone invade into your photo space? So, this blog is called Blog bomb cause you are about to get invasion of Poochy!!

I got so much of her pics and videos lately that I had to clear some space in my Iphone. Hubby told me grudgingly that I am being too obsessed with her. Whenever I take out my Iphone to snap a shot of Poochy, he would roll his eyes now. I told him in a whisper that it is because I am secretly scared that he would quietly sell her off or send her away behind my back so I need to have more solid memories of her (apart from chewed up useless laptop adapter, my broken blinds' chord, my broken necklace and etc etc). Bahh... Excuses, he said. But that didn't stop me!

But it is not always Rainbow-farting-cyan-cat days with her. There are days when she kissed me a few times a day as opposed to days where she bit me every chance she got. Or the time she very obediently pee and poo outside whereas today she suddenly choose to do it all inside. Funny thing with pet is that they always know how to wriggle into your heart.

Poochy in her play pen which she now knows how to climb over. Sigh... Proud of her but worried because now she is free to run out and probably get hit by a passing car.

Poochy begging to let into the house

Poochy bringing me out for a walk

Poochy 'helping out' with gardening

Poochy playing with her toy (mighty sturdy to withstand her playing)! 

Poochy and her new bed

Extremely happy mousey...

'What? There's chicken wings for dinner?!?' 

That's all photo bombing session from Poochy for 2012!! Have a happy new year~! 

My happily ever after

I have come to wonder this question ever since I got married:

How do you comment or asked your newly wed friends? Or in other words for fear of lost in translation, how do you 问候 your newly wed friends?

Do you ask:

How is wedding life treating you? or do you ask how is he/she treating you?

Marriage is an important step in two person's life and our lives undergo tremendous change whether we realize it or not. But somehow when my friends treat me anything different from how they used to treat me, it felt really weird. 

Like previously, I had a bad day (as mentioned in this post here) and I called up a friend. I told her that I was feeling unhappy and before I could say another word, she asked me really seriously, 'before you say any further, I need to ask you... are you pregnant?' 

My response had to be somewhere along the line of  '.........' I guess she'd taken my comments that I am not into childbirth in the near near future VERY seriously. 

Or the other day, I mentioned to my friend that I didn't get a good night rest since my hubby came back. She glanced back at me with her enlarged eyes and barely concealed laughter. *Sigh... Roll my eyes* I guess she must have thought something along the line of crazy monkey sex. So I had to clarify that I wasn't used to having someone sleeping beside me and since I was a light sleeper, his tosses and turns woke me up incessantly throughout the night. I was so annoyed that I sat up during the night and screamed 'Enough already!' and then fall back down to sleep. The next day I asked hubby whether he heard it, and he said no... lucky for me... And boy, was my friend disappointed. Rotfl... 

Truth is life is pretty... for want of a better word ... normal and boring. Yet, I hate to think and imagine of a different life. Yes, we are happily married and days with the right person is way better than years with someone wrong. Yes, it is more comfortable since we do not need to be alone when we are sick. Yes, we enjoy each other's companionship and hence we have more adventures out there together. Note: Out there! Don't you perverts go ruin my romance now ya! 

A dollar for my Christmas thoughts

Just kidding... I give it freely... 

2 years ago Christmas, I made a wish list and honestly I got everything on the list. Apart from thinking that I should have wished for more things and maybe more expensive stuff too, I also decided that this Christmas should be a time to give back.

Recently I started watching a show call 非诚勿扰 (because I was toilet training Poochy and it gets boring outside). It is a matchmaking show where they set up a panel of about 20 single females and then bring in a single male contestant. The male contestant would have 3 videos to showcase anything about his life, love and friend's comments about his personality and the female contestants would have chance to ask him questions along the way. There was one that stood out for me; this one contestant mentioned about his painful past and how it inspired him to help those in similar conditions after he got a job. Although in the show, he mentioned he gave 40% of his pay per month as scholarship to poor struggling students, apparently none of the girls wanted him in the end and he left the show alone. 

I didn't pity him that day, I just felt immensely touched by his gesture even though I am not too sure the authenticity of what he said. 40% is a lot of money, especially when you are living alone in a big city. If you ask someone to even save 40% of what he earned every month for himself, a spendthrift would even find that near impossible. He or she would probably like to indulge in branded stuff just to emphasize their status difference in the society. He or she would probably stand out momentarily in their community during their life time on earth, but they make no impact in the world. He or she would probably end up like thousands or millions before them madly chasing after worldly pleasures; blinded by worldly possessions that they did not realize they are but another face in the worldly chase. 

Growing up, life wasn't easy. At the age of 13, I recognized that education was my escape from that awful life. Having a goal in life helped me through a lot of hard times like bullying and peer pressure. I know not a lot of people would understand and I do not look to them for understanding, even relatives alike. They can fool around; they can waste their money and their time in meaningless pursuit of pleasures because if they lose their way, their parents and family would help them out if not emotionally then financially. I didn't know that option and for a time when I only had the chance to see my dad once a year, I didn't HAVE that option. But life wasn't that hard. I still had a fighting chance and with that realization in mind, life was much easier. 

I forever would remember the encouraging words of a malay teacher who encouraged me in form three. I forever would remember my first scholarship (and how I spent it on something ridiculously expensive for me back then) and how I felt. I am not sure where I would have been if I did not recognize the importance of education, resolve and encouragements along the way. 

So this year, I do not wish for material goodness. Those that I can buy will be bought sooner or later. But at least today, I wish for peace in everyone's heart. Peace from knowing who you are and your purpose in life. Peace from knowing that you are unique and beautiful but so is everybody else but that's ok. Peace to pursue a better life and to build a better place on earth. And enough peace to give back when you still have a chance. 

Merry Christmas~! 

On Bitch Talk

Whole night yesterday and today I felt quite disturbed, couldn't quite put a finger on it. (actually I can put a thumb on it, but probably not my pinkie finger) until I had a more thorough talk with one of my friend.

So yesterday, I went out for a farewell dinner for my friend. There were 7 of us and this one particular person (not really my friend) got on my nerve so bad, I even went to the extend of bear hugging her (a tactic I have always used to stiffle Poochy as in 'shut up, already!'). I didn't know I was doing it until I did, which was actually the extend of how much she upset me.

The problem was that she sorta singled me out for verbal abuse.
And when the following conversation unfold:

Her: You are so stupid and crazy! ( I don't remember what stupid act I did that made her said that, maybe I ate through my nose or something. But I would consider that as a talent lo, not stupid ... not saying I did) How did you cheat that husband of yours to marry you??

I think she repeated that twice cause I would always ignore such crude remarks on the first roll in case they are just too stupid for their own good and just need time to re-track their words. But on the second turn, I got pissed off!

Me: Well, at least such a stupid and crazy person such as I am, I still scored a husband while you are ALONE and SINGLE!! You jealous? (I wish I could have one hand on my hips and waving a finger in the air a.k.a cool mode)

Her: *hesitated a moment before saying* then your husband must be stupid! Stupid and blind!

WTF??

That was my limit, if this was old me... TRUST me I would pounce on her and tackle her head under my armpit and demand that she apologize. Luckily my friend (the one who was going away) kinda defended my husband, that kinda defused the bomb a little.

So I was at home later that evening and I kept wondering why I felt so confused. I was upset (yes, she said things that was hurtful and insulting) but I also felt bad (because even though it was hard to admit it, I had stoop to her level. I have let her get the better of me in that moment of anger.)

I have friends who are still single to this day and I felt their pain when people say that something might be wrong with them that they are still single. I think they are lovely and wonderful and I believe that everyone is entitled to their version of 'happily ever after' if you have faith, have a pure heart and work at it. So, for me to say such a thing to someone (no matter how upset I was) was unacceptable even to myself.

Yes, maybe such an action is acceptable and maybe even expected when someone challenge you to this degree. But this is a measure of my moral compass and not hers. Maybe she can brush it aside as easily as the fly during summertime but then I can't deny that when I utter those words, I meant it to HURT, it was not just a joke. Even though others might think it is alright, I can't deny that what I did wasn't right.

I was at wrong.

God says that He looks at people's intentions and not merely on their actions. It wasn't whether what I did turned disastrous or not, it was that I had wanted it to.

If I had learned anything from training Poochy is that when someone do something you don't like or doesn't approve, punishing them or giving them attention will not make them realize their faults. Ignore them, withdraw your presence and your helping hand would prevent them from obtaining joy from the situation.

So my thought today is that I do not like Bitch Talk at all and I would NOT participate in it at all. I am not there yet, I can't fully walk away yet but everyday is a training ground. The positive thing is I noted and I want to change.

Five gift ideas for Xmas

It is now 17 days to Christmas and while Christmas sale is the best time to get the special someone in your life gifts, don't forget yourself in this time of hustle and bustle.

I have come out with 5 gift ideas just for you! You don't even need to wait for sales to get it going cause that's how awesome they are. ;P

#1 Brunch date
Seriously, who can resist brunch on a lazy saturday or sunday morning? I mean truly, really, unless you have an allergy to eggs or runny egg yolks irks you. If rissoles and pies upsets your mood, then you can still go for good old MacDonald breakfast but that's just sad for me (especially on weekends).

But more than food, it is the lazy gathering of friends over cuppa coffee or tea just chilling it out. Brunch is the ideal meal where you just want light silly talks and none of those heavy where-you-see-yourself-in-10-years-time talk often associated with dinner. Plus, no one goes for brunch for anytime longer than an hour (unlike dinner), so they'll definitely have no time to glossed over their achievements as compared to say 'What's the weather going to be like later?'

And the best thing? (Cause I am not a drinker) You get to skip on those drinking-prone activities most often associated at NIGHT! If someone ask you to drink so early in the day, you can safely scold them for being an alcoholic without being a spoilsport~! (*thumbs up and gleaming teeth*) You get a puke-free time to continue the second stage of rest, afternoon NAP!!

#2   Dance to a song
Turn up the music and shake that booty! If you are confident, just rock to the music in public. If you need something simpler, you can always fall back on to Gangnam style. Whatever. Although I much prefer it if anyone wants to dance to Gangnam, please warn me beforehand. I need my noise cancelling earphones and an ice cream.

#3   Buy a happy book
When I say happy book, I mean a book that makes you laugh and feel good. I don't mean those lusty romance novels dripping with sexy love. Those books often leave people lusty, wanting and generally unsatisfied. After you read those books, you'd probably salivate in your sleep dreaming of Edward Cullen or Jacob. Then your pillow will probably be stained with your saliva and that'll probably be an excellent breeding ground for germs. Then those germs and the combination of your dandruff resulting from sexual frustration will probably cause acne, blackhead and pimples on your face. Probably, not definitely. But I was just being nice. :P

So if you want a good and relax time aim for something comedy and light heart, maybe like the book Ellen Degeneres wrote or Caithlin Moran's How to be a woman.

If you are one of those who felt happy reading theoretical book, then by all means go buy the book by Stephen Hawking on space and have fun with that! Let it blow your mind away so whatever you say when you are done, it has to be something along the line of 'wow'.

#4   Go for a walk in the park
I love walks in the park as much as a dog pulling on its leash, partly because so far parks in Australia has yet to disappoint me. There is no flasher behind some trees, red ants crawling up my legs or litters all over the place. The natural scene just soothes my frayed nerves after a frustrating week, and with nice songs blasting down my ears courtesy of my iPhone, everything is in place and AWESOME!

#5   Try something new - and make some mistakes!!
And more importantly, while you are still young try something new! You don't know what secret talent and loves you might have if you don't explore them. So what if you make mistakes, I personally think that it is totally excusable to make mistakes while you are still young. Imagine when you are older and you have kids of your own looking up to you, it would be way harder!

I am not talking about unprotected sex ya. I know the media is just blasting that down every hole they could, most notably my eye hole and my ear hole, that just shows how desperate they are. I am talking about that idea you have putting on hold and some dreams you wanted to pursue. I hope you all the best of luck with it.

And most importantly, Merry Christmas in advance!

Poochy lessons

Hi all!

I have been pretty preoccupied since Poochy, my little pup joined my family. She got sick recently and I had to bring her to see a vet and when I saw the nurse wrote her name as Poochy Liaw, it just dawned on me that she is legally part of my family now! (And that my hubby is probably gonna ask me why I didn't use his surname. If you are reading this, sorry. I thought the nurse wanted my surname so she can call me into the vet's office but it turned out she called out Poochy). 

Ever since I have Poochy around the house, there has not been a dull day but it is definitely tiring at times. She is like this hyperactive little furball that looks like a mouse, a beaver and a rabbit sometimes (that's what I call value for money). Having her around also made me realise a few life lessons, example...

#1 If you are cute, you'd probably be able to get away with most things. Even public urination!

'I am a walking poo poo and pee pee machine!' 

She is so cute but she has yet to be properly toilet trained so I had to clean up her poo poo and pee pee. 

Some more, she was sick last few days and she suffered diarrhea and vomit so it was very tedious to clean up. But while she was sick, I realised how much she had wedged herself into my heart that I couldn't bear to have her die. 

#2 But even if you are cute, there is one thing that you'd probably couldn't get away with (apart from murder, I think) like whining and complaining.

'Hold me please'

For the first few days, she kept whining every time I leave her alone to sleep. She was so good at it that she could get it going for 3 hours straight. *headache and heartache* Honestly, I couldn't much tolerate it even though she could be so cute when she does it. So, I am training her to be alone by herself with her toys at the moment. Now, when she wants me to hold her, she sits down right infront of me and give me THAT face. I don't think anyone could resist that look. Much improvement! 

#3 How to encourage good behavior!

So I enrolled her in puppy pre-school last week and I really felt that it was very beneficial for both of us. The main lesson that I learnt and I think can be brought forward to many aspects of our lives (mainly motherhood) would be how to encourage good behaviors. I guess coming from a strict asian family, my parents (mostly dad, anyway) have always resorted to punishing bad behaviors while good behaviors are often ignored (maybe a nod of approval but definitely no nice spicy chicken wings as reward). But during this class, I learnt that in order to encourage good behavior, always use the reward system. When the puppy is misbehaving, break eye contact to indicate disapproval and turn around to ignore. When the puppy does something good, make eye contact, compliment, and reward it. Puppy is such an attention seeker that sooner or later they will catch on to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. 

Using this method, I will tend to notice when she is behaving correctly to reward her and honestly that feels much better than trying to find out when she is misbehaving and then punishing her. It is a more positive experience and helps bring us together. 

Ok, that is all from Poochy and me. Looking forward to Xmas! 

Take care and wish you score all the good xmas deals you dream of!