It's getting quite challenging to please all the women in my household. Today, Q-tip is a very happy girl. But June would probably want to kill me 'cos while she was out at work, I took Q-tip on a road-trip and visited some spots that were quite breathtakingly different from the usual built-up places in Singapore.
It all began last week when I foolishly accepted an invitation by the Library Board to let the Drama Club do another public reading. This time, we drew the 'Tangerine' assignment and this book by local author, C Cheong, is a difficult one to dramatize. The problem is, most of the drama in the book happens in the narrator's head while his interactions with people are quite prosaic and mundane. If there's going to be any dramatization, it's going to be quite abstract, and the kids again won't have much time to rehearse as the show date is quite close to the end of their mid-year exam which they should be studying for right now -- June hols notwithstanding. I needed some inspiration and Q-tip needed an outing so off we went.
Our first stop: Upper Peirce Reservoir. Unfortunately, just as we arrived the heavens opened up and poured buckets on our heads. Or would have if we arrived 5 minutes earlier and had got out of the car. Trapped inside M2, we waited a bit for the rain to abate, but that prospect grew less and less likely with thunder rolling in.
Plan B then. Taking the chance that bad weather would confine itself to the north, we drove south to the Botanic Gardens. The main attraction was Cafe les Amis, a dog-friendly establishment where, I remember reading recently, we could get some outstanding burgers.
Squeezing our way through a bunch of MGS girls on CIP entertaining some old folks, we managed to find an empty table for ourselves. One of the staff obligingly looked after Q-tip while I placed my order at the counter. I settled for a Mushroom 'n Swiss ($12) and wasn't disappointed. Forget the 'shrooms and cheese, the burger patty didn't need the embellishment. It tasted meaty, full of beefy goodness (and none of that fast-food nonsense -- ground up cows' ears and noses filled out with flour). It was juicy too, every bite dripping over my fingers into the plate below. Guys, if you're ever on a date here, only order the burger if your sweetheart is already used to Your Sloppyness. A most inelegant, though gastronomically rewarding dish to order. Oh, and it comes with a side of crispy golden french fries and a green salad so fresh it looks like it had just been picked from the gardens there and then.
A brief stroll around the central pond to work off the calories then we were off again. I still hadn't done any reading of 'Tangerine' so I still needed to find somewhere quiet and not crowded with people. Heading home, I remembered that I haven't been to Upper Seletar Reservoir in decades so I made a small detour and parked in the most picturesque, quiet spot on the island. No one around apart from a few dudes trying their luck at fishing, or enjoying a quiet read or polishing off a box lunch. I settled on a bench facing the water's edge and absorbed myself in a contemporary travelogue of Vietnam, my little dog patiently keeping me company.
After a chapter, wanderlust overtook me. I dumped the book in M2 then took a walk with Q-tip towards the rocket-shaped lookout tower overlooking the reservoir. Nearby, I discovered a little refreshment kiosk where I purchased an ice-cream. The elderly couple who ran the kiosk turned out to be very dog-friendly. The man offered Q-tip a bowl of water, though she was too shy to take more than a tiny lick from it. The lady was a little disappointed that I had lunch already. The kiosk seems to have a nice selection from both western and local dishes. It's good to keep this place in mind as there aren't many eating places that would welcome Q-tip like this. And it's great to walk around the grounds too. Nothing but the green of forest and cultivated gardens, the tranquil of a large expanse of water (relatively speaking, of course), and blue sky. Lovely, if you like quiet places just to get away from it all.
A brilliant afternoon. Should'a brought my cam though. *kicks self.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Yesterday's events were hardly worth recording. A wasted trip back to college getting absolutely nothing accomplished, and I would have been better off spending my time elsewhere. Anywhere. Oh, and a seperate note to myself: Avoid driving onto campus until term starts again, or at least until they do up the road properly or risk damaging M2's transmission, road wheels, undercarriage, etc.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Needed a change of scenery. Needed to go far, far away and soak up some kind of different atmosphere. Furthest place I could think of was ECP, but it rained quite terribly in the morning -- not particularly conducive for a beach outing.
Fortunately, by noon the weather looked like it was clearing up a bit, so I took the chance and drove east. Dropped in for a quick bite at McD's while waiting for the weather to improve, and it did indeed. It was still cloudy, but sunshine came out in spots; good enough for me.
I was tempted to rent a bike or a pair of 'blades but the sky being temperamental as it was I didn't want to get tied down to a contract for an hour or two. BTW, the bike rental shops now have a rent 1 hour, get 1 additional hour free, but only on weekdays.
Forgoing rented wheels, I just strolled the footpaths taking in the breeze and looking out into the sea. People were camping out at the BBQ pits and having fun in the water. Me, I had the company of my i-Pod mini as I sought out the sun.
If the weather was better, I might have brought Q-tip. She would have enjoyed the airing.
Fortunately, by noon the weather looked like it was clearing up a bit, so I took the chance and drove east. Dropped in for a quick bite at McD's while waiting for the weather to improve, and it did indeed. It was still cloudy, but sunshine came out in spots; good enough for me.
I was tempted to rent a bike or a pair of 'blades but the sky being temperamental as it was I didn't want to get tied down to a contract for an hour or two. BTW, the bike rental shops now have a rent 1 hour, get 1 additional hour free, but only on weekdays.
Forgoing rented wheels, I just strolled the footpaths taking in the breeze and looking out into the sea. People were camping out at the BBQ pits and having fun in the water. Me, I had the company of my i-Pod mini as I sought out the sun.
If the weather was better, I might have brought Q-tip. She would have enjoyed the airing.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Picked up a copy of the new Battlestar Galactica mini-series on DVD. The series is premiering on Cinemax later this month and I was seriously considering adding this channel to my cable subscription just so I could relive my childhood Galactica-mania. Now I don't have to.
The series opens with humanity's total and complete defeat in a war we never had even a fighting chance in. The objective for the survivors is not to win this war, but how they, who are left with basically nothing but a small fleet of civilian ships, dwindling supplies, outdated ordnance and just a glimmer of hope, can avoid extinction at the hands of an enemy which wants nothing less.
The new Galactica upset a number of purist fans when it came out in the states last year. One of the most controversial decisions was to change the gender of fan favourite, Starbuck -- the dashing hero who attracts women everywhere he goes -- to that of a woman. So while she is still an ace pilot and total kick-ass fighter, her actions are less altruistic than the Starbuck of old. They are more like an outlet for her pent up frustrations and possibly a desire for vengeance.
Each character now has a solid backstory explaining their angst and their motivations for the choices they make. For example, the warm father-son relationship between Cmdr Adama and Apollo in the 1978 series gives way to that of a guilt-ridden father whose son bitterly blames for the death of his younger brother. The new Adama is more soldier than father, a military tactician rather than the shepherd of his flock. That task falls to a new mother-figure, that of President Roslin, who assumes political leadership being the highest-ranking civil servant amongst the 50+ thousand survivors of the Cylon genocide. She is the equivalent of our perm. sec. of Education becoming PM because the entire cabinet, MPs, and other senior civil servants have been wiped out. Moreover, she's dealing with her own case of terminal cancer on top of seeing to the welfare of what's left of the human species as far as she knows.
The women in this series are strong, decisive, independent and are very good at what they do, whether in leadership, combat/tactical skills, and they also figure very prominently in the enemy's camp as well. If not for the women, their rationality, compassion and survival instinct, humanity would have been extinct within the first few waves of the Cylon attack.
What works for this series is that decisions made by the characters come with consequences. People die, their bodies are collected and lie row upon row in a makeshift morgue. They don't get vaporized into space-dust where out of sight equals out of mind. Tough choices for the greater good mean that lives have to be lost, even those of innocents, and these sacrifices weigh heavily on the conscience of the decision-maker. How they respond to these consequences make them grow either stronger or weaker, so characters develop as the series progresses.
There are also some NE ideas that the series reinforces. Just because there has been 49 years of peace doesn't mean the enemy isn't planning something nasty to happen in the 50th year. After "home" has been destroyed, what does it take to make a new home elsewhere? What exactly constitutes "home," anyway? And, of course, the same concern regardless of where in the world we come from: if we want to survive as a species, we gotta have more babies. As it turns out, the very first victim of the Cylon attack on the colonies is a baby in its stroller in a cynical, non-military strike. It was infanticide, pure and simple though the perpetrator, a Cylon infiltrator, may have seen it as a mercy-killing.
What I have is a DVD of the pilot 3 episodes. 3 hours long, a bit slow-moving with lots of focus on character interactions and developing relationships and not a lot of fighting. The human fleet doesn't put up much of a fight, anyway. In fact, it's not so much defeated as it is humiliated by it's inability to respond to the threat. What's left is wit, desperation and the will to survive that makes the last remnants of humankind so interesting to watch.
Oh, if I could only boot up the "Wing Commander" series again. It's the closest thing to experiencing a fighter-pilot's life on the Galactica, much of my youth being misspent on this one fantasy.
The series opens with humanity's total and complete defeat in a war we never had even a fighting chance in. The objective for the survivors is not to win this war, but how they, who are left with basically nothing but a small fleet of civilian ships, dwindling supplies, outdated ordnance and just a glimmer of hope, can avoid extinction at the hands of an enemy which wants nothing less.
The new Galactica upset a number of purist fans when it came out in the states last year. One of the most controversial decisions was to change the gender of fan favourite, Starbuck -- the dashing hero who attracts women everywhere he goes -- to that of a woman. So while she is still an ace pilot and total kick-ass fighter, her actions are less altruistic than the Starbuck of old. They are more like an outlet for her pent up frustrations and possibly a desire for vengeance.
Each character now has a solid backstory explaining their angst and their motivations for the choices they make. For example, the warm father-son relationship between Cmdr Adama and Apollo in the 1978 series gives way to that of a guilt-ridden father whose son bitterly blames for the death of his younger brother. The new Adama is more soldier than father, a military tactician rather than the shepherd of his flock. That task falls to a new mother-figure, that of President Roslin, who assumes political leadership being the highest-ranking civil servant amongst the 50+ thousand survivors of the Cylon genocide. She is the equivalent of our perm. sec. of Education becoming PM because the entire cabinet, MPs, and other senior civil servants have been wiped out. Moreover, she's dealing with her own case of terminal cancer on top of seeing to the welfare of what's left of the human species as far as she knows.
The women in this series are strong, decisive, independent and are very good at what they do, whether in leadership, combat/tactical skills, and they also figure very prominently in the enemy's camp as well. If not for the women, their rationality, compassion and survival instinct, humanity would have been extinct within the first few waves of the Cylon attack.
What works for this series is that decisions made by the characters come with consequences. People die, their bodies are collected and lie row upon row in a makeshift morgue. They don't get vaporized into space-dust where out of sight equals out of mind. Tough choices for the greater good mean that lives have to be lost, even those of innocents, and these sacrifices weigh heavily on the conscience of the decision-maker. How they respond to these consequences make them grow either stronger or weaker, so characters develop as the series progresses.
There are also some NE ideas that the series reinforces. Just because there has been 49 years of peace doesn't mean the enemy isn't planning something nasty to happen in the 50th year. After "home" has been destroyed, what does it take to make a new home elsewhere? What exactly constitutes "home," anyway? And, of course, the same concern regardless of where in the world we come from: if we want to survive as a species, we gotta have more babies. As it turns out, the very first victim of the Cylon attack on the colonies is a baby in its stroller in a cynical, non-military strike. It was infanticide, pure and simple though the perpetrator, a Cylon infiltrator, may have seen it as a mercy-killing.
What I have is a DVD of the pilot 3 episodes. 3 hours long, a bit slow-moving with lots of focus on character interactions and developing relationships and not a lot of fighting. The human fleet doesn't put up much of a fight, anyway. In fact, it's not so much defeated as it is humiliated by it's inability to respond to the threat. What's left is wit, desperation and the will to survive that makes the last remnants of humankind so interesting to watch.
Oh, if I could only boot up the "Wing Commander" series again. It's the closest thing to experiencing a fighter-pilot's life on the Galactica, much of my youth being misspent on this one fantasy.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
"Mr & Mrs Smith" begins with a couple seeking marriage counseling. Things between the couple are stale, boring, none of the romance and mystique that they experienced in the first few years of their co-existence in a common household.
Are the Smiths professional assassins in their "real" lives? Or does it really matter? Every married couple will eventually start questioning their marriage after a time. Their story is a metaphor for what happens in a marriage relationship after the fireworks have died down and routine eventually sets in.
The movie follows a pattern of behaviour that generally begins 5 or 6 years after the honeymoon. Whether it's career or hobbies or personal interest, 2 people though pledged to each other can drift apart. After 5 or 6 years of talking to each other, can there be anything left to talk about? As communication breaks down, suspicion creeps into the picture. Suspicion causes a search for "evidence" of wrongdoing, though sometimes the search isn't an active one but rather a putting together of 1 + 1 = 3. Interpreting "evidence" leads to the conclusion of betrayal and here's where the bullets start flying hard and fast. Bullets not necessarily composed of lead and powered by gunpowder, but spiteful words powered by anger which are designed specifically to hurt as much as buckshot. And hurt they do.
The marriage is in a major crisis at this stage. Whether the 2 survive as a couple depends on how fast they recognize that the enemy isn't each other, it's the situation around them. It's essential that they identify what is tearing them apart and they agree to work together to deal with it. Remember that in this movie, the survival of either husband or wife is not in question; rather, we worry about whether the marriage remains intact regardless of the eventual fate of either party.
The climactic battle is purely a dance, set to the staccato rhythms of gunfire. The way the Smiths coordinate with each other, anticipating each other's moves and always, always, watching each other's backs shows a couple that has gone past the vagaries of the communication-interpretation stage (the messy part of a relationship) to the understanding-without-words stage where thought and knowledge are instantaneously shared between the two. That is truly transcendent.
Interestingly enough, like the Smiths, June and I have already been married for 5 or 6 years. Wonder what she's hiding in the oven, I mean besides the Thirsty Hippo?
Are the Smiths professional assassins in their "real" lives? Or does it really matter? Every married couple will eventually start questioning their marriage after a time. Their story is a metaphor for what happens in a marriage relationship after the fireworks have died down and routine eventually sets in.
The movie follows a pattern of behaviour that generally begins 5 or 6 years after the honeymoon. Whether it's career or hobbies or personal interest, 2 people though pledged to each other can drift apart. After 5 or 6 years of talking to each other, can there be anything left to talk about? As communication breaks down, suspicion creeps into the picture. Suspicion causes a search for "evidence" of wrongdoing, though sometimes the search isn't an active one but rather a putting together of 1 + 1 = 3. Interpreting "evidence" leads to the conclusion of betrayal and here's where the bullets start flying hard and fast. Bullets not necessarily composed of lead and powered by gunpowder, but spiteful words powered by anger which are designed specifically to hurt as much as buckshot. And hurt they do.
The marriage is in a major crisis at this stage. Whether the 2 survive as a couple depends on how fast they recognize that the enemy isn't each other, it's the situation around them. It's essential that they identify what is tearing them apart and they agree to work together to deal with it. Remember that in this movie, the survival of either husband or wife is not in question; rather, we worry about whether the marriage remains intact regardless of the eventual fate of either party.
The climactic battle is purely a dance, set to the staccato rhythms of gunfire. The way the Smiths coordinate with each other, anticipating each other's moves and always, always, watching each other's backs shows a couple that has gone past the vagaries of the communication-interpretation stage (the messy part of a relationship) to the understanding-without-words stage where thought and knowledge are instantaneously shared between the two. That is truly transcendent.
Interestingly enough, like the Smiths, June and I have already been married for 5 or 6 years. Wonder what she's hiding in the oven, I mean besides the Thirsty Hippo?
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Belle's condition seems to have stabilized. Most of the time she's just lying down in one position or another, then she'll get bored and go find some other place to lie down in. So more or less she's back to normal. Except that her hind right foot she's still dragging; and the fact that she's not eating like she used to any more. A few nibbles of her meal seems enough for her, though she's started to like drinking milk in the morning. It's almost like she knows Dr Casey will put her on a weight-loss programme as soon as she's walking properly and she's pre-empting the process. Smart girl. Meantime, her treatment still goes on: a syringe dose of meds followed by frequent leg massages throughout the day in the hope that she'll start feeling that right foot of hers again.
Other than that, there are still a few kinks to work out with FM broadcasting my i-Pod mini to the M2's radio. I need to find an FM band that's completely free of any traffic whatsoever. This is turning out to be harder than I expected. It's easy to avoid known local radio channels, but it still depends on which part of the island you travel to. A band that's clear in the north may pick up a broadcaster, say in Indonesia, when you travel east or south. North, you pick up transmissions from Malaysia. All this interference causes so much distortion that the music from the i-Pod becomes unlistenable. I'm sure there must be a frequency I can claim for myself somewhere out there; I just have to take time to find it. I wonder what frequency Amy's is tuned to?
And Anthony's invited us to his wedding in July. The venue is in KL, so he's promised to put us up for a night at the Ritz Carlton. That's something to look forward to! More on this thread as we get closer to his big day!
Other than that, there are still a few kinks to work out with FM broadcasting my i-Pod mini to the M2's radio. I need to find an FM band that's completely free of any traffic whatsoever. This is turning out to be harder than I expected. It's easy to avoid known local radio channels, but it still depends on which part of the island you travel to. A band that's clear in the north may pick up a broadcaster, say in Indonesia, when you travel east or south. North, you pick up transmissions from Malaysia. All this interference causes so much distortion that the music from the i-Pod becomes unlistenable. I'm sure there must be a frequency I can claim for myself somewhere out there; I just have to take time to find it. I wonder what frequency Amy's is tuned to?
And Anthony's invited us to his wedding in July. The venue is in KL, so he's promised to put us up for a night at the Ritz Carlton. That's something to look forward to! More on this thread as we get closer to his big day!
Friday, June 10, 2005
It's quite dangerous to leave the house with the intention to spend money. I got the urge to splurge and went to a once-favourite hangout where much of my disposable income in the past disappeared into -- Funan Centre.
After much internal debate and dramatic hand-wringing (no, not to June, but to myself) I succumbed to temptation and picked up a beautiful metallic blue 4GB i-Pod mini! This, despite my crusade against greedy record companies who won't compete against file-sharing technology. Guess they won after all.
What do I want an i-Pod for? Inspired by Amy who has a similar set-up, I intend to connect it to an i-Trip accessory and play my own song selections on the M2's stereo. After all, I was getting bored with the limitations of the CD player. You hear the same songs over and over again and it's kinda' troublesome to keep changing CDs all the time just to stay fresh.
The i-Trip attaches to the headphone jack and broadcasts the music files via FM band for the car radio to pick up and play. I just have to set one of my radio channels to FM87.9 and it's all my own music, baby! Now to let it charge overnight, then put it to the test tomorrow!
After much internal debate and dramatic hand-wringing (no, not to June, but to myself) I succumbed to temptation and picked up a beautiful metallic blue 4GB i-Pod mini! This, despite my crusade against greedy record companies who won't compete against file-sharing technology. Guess they won after all.
What do I want an i-Pod for? Inspired by Amy who has a similar set-up, I intend to connect it to an i-Trip accessory and play my own song selections on the M2's stereo. After all, I was getting bored with the limitations of the CD player. You hear the same songs over and over again and it's kinda' troublesome to keep changing CDs all the time just to stay fresh.
The i-Trip attaches to the headphone jack and broadcasts the music files via FM band for the car radio to pick up and play. I just have to set one of my radio channels to FM87.9 and it's all my own music, baby! Now to let it charge overnight, then put it to the test tomorrow!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Belle continues to convalesce. Her right leg is still a major problem, but emotionally and psychologically she seems much happier. We don't need to confine her to quarters anymore, and she comes and goes as she pleases, with frequent rest stops in between. One new behaviour that she's developed is that she now likes to sit with us on the living room carpet while we watch TV, at least in the early evening. She usually kept her distance before, so all the pampering we've been indulging her with may have made her a bit more manja with us.
Meantime, we've been trying to live our lives as per normal. I went back on campus today to sort out the last few details of our Drama Night accounts, and I'm really glad I didn't pursue my 'opportunity' to study accounting when I was younger. Making every dollar and cent count is such a painful, tedious process, especially when doing it with someone who is professionally trained in accountancy. Doing it once in a while is frustrating enough; imagine building your whole life around this mind-numbing task.
There's still some outstanding matters in terms of payments yet to be made, awaiting receipt of official invoice from vendor; so I called him to mail us (fax invoices are not acceptable for payment). And so pending this important postal delivery, there wasn't much left for me to do today so I went out to lunch.
I have a car. I am mobile. I can go anywhere I want. The only limitations are within my imagination. So I went to Northpoint -- a short 10-minute bus ride from home. Doh, what's wrong with me? Had fish 'n' chips at the newly renovated food court. Fish was breaded, not battered; not bad, though neither was it outstanding. Chips could have been more generous in terms of size and quantity. Stay away from the coleslaw unless you like it sour.
Got the M2 a long overdue wash and wax at the Wash 'n' Run, so that was my justification for coming home early today.
Meantime, we've been trying to live our lives as per normal. I went back on campus today to sort out the last few details of our Drama Night accounts, and I'm really glad I didn't pursue my 'opportunity' to study accounting when I was younger. Making every dollar and cent count is such a painful, tedious process, especially when doing it with someone who is professionally trained in accountancy. Doing it once in a while is frustrating enough; imagine building your whole life around this mind-numbing task.
There's still some outstanding matters in terms of payments yet to be made, awaiting receipt of official invoice from vendor; so I called him to mail us (fax invoices are not acceptable for payment). And so pending this important postal delivery, there wasn't much left for me to do today so I went out to lunch.
I have a car. I am mobile. I can go anywhere I want. The only limitations are within my imagination. So I went to Northpoint -- a short 10-minute bus ride from home. Doh, what's wrong with me? Had fish 'n' chips at the newly renovated food court. Fish was breaded, not battered; not bad, though neither was it outstanding. Chips could have been more generous in terms of size and quantity. Stay away from the coleslaw unless you like it sour.
Got the M2 a long overdue wash and wax at the Wash 'n' Run, so that was my justification for coming home early today.
More good news. Belle is improving in stages. She finally got fed up with her confinement in the guest room and actually walked -- limped, rather -- into the living room to rest on the carpet. That was the furthest she had walked since Saturday. She even had the motivation to put her forepaws on my stomach, the way she does when she is asking for a snack. I picked out a couple of snack sticks and she ate them. The bowl in her room was also empty, so I suspect she had also eaten her breakfast kibble this morning, though I didn't actually see her do it. There was also poop near her sand-box. I guess she couldn't make it in time, but in this case, seeing poop is a good sign. I did see her grooming herself again, which shows her morale is starting to come up. She purrs again when I stroke her, and Dr Casey was happy to hear this report from us when we went to see him this evening.
When we came home, Belle refused to go back to her guest room, but instead returned to her routine of sleeping in her basket under our bed. She's been there ever since.
Dr Casey is helping us restore mobility to her draggy leg. He reminded us to continue the massage and physiotherapy for her and suggested that we try alternating hot and cold compresses on her weak leg to improve circulation. Apparently, the blood vessels expand and contract according to temperature (we learned about this in Sec School physics) and this movement encourages blood to flow. If the heart isn't pumping hard enough, another kind of pump will have to do.
Belle still has a lot of recovering to do, but today's progress has really been amazing. Good girl! Keep it up!
When we came home, Belle refused to go back to her guest room, but instead returned to her routine of sleeping in her basket under our bed. She's been there ever since.
Dr Casey is helping us restore mobility to her draggy leg. He reminded us to continue the massage and physiotherapy for her and suggested that we try alternating hot and cold compresses on her weak leg to improve circulation. Apparently, the blood vessels expand and contract according to temperature (we learned about this in Sec School physics) and this movement encourages blood to flow. If the heart isn't pumping hard enough, another kind of pump will have to do.
Belle still has a lot of recovering to do, but today's progress has really been amazing. Good girl! Keep it up!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Belle's 3-legged walk is a little stronger today. She can now lift her body completely off the ground and move short distances, and her tail is getting twitchier, though she gets tired very easily. We're still syringing water into her mouth 'cos she still refuses to eat. We're trying her out with milk as a food substitute, also having to deliver it through the syringe. That should give her at least some nourishment and keep her hydrated at the same time. Let's see what happens tomorrow.
Meantime, I caught "Episode III" for the second time. We went to Great World City just to remind ourselves that we were on vacation, so why the heck were we still meeting on campus working? Guess "vacation" is just a technical term. It means "working without having to follow a fixed schedule." I can live with that.
What new insight did I gain from a 2nd viewing? Well, if Anakin Skywalker became a Dark Lord of a fried food franchise, he could serve chicken in 3 different styles: mild 'n' tender; hot 'n' spicy; and extra crispy. Haha.
Meantime, I caught "Episode III" for the second time. We went to Great World City just to remind ourselves that we were on vacation, so why the heck were we still meeting on campus working? Guess "vacation" is just a technical term. It means "working without having to follow a fixed schedule." I can live with that.
What new insight did I gain from a 2nd viewing? Well, if Anakin Skywalker became a Dark Lord of a fried food franchise, he could serve chicken in 3 different styles: mild 'n' tender; hot 'n' spicy; and extra crispy. Haha.
Belle is grouchy. Not violent, so maybe coming home did help her disposition somewhat. She still makes unhappy noises, but at least she allows us to pet her and massage her legs for her and carry her between bed and sand-box. She even let us bathe her without attempting to claw our eyes out. She growled and protested but that was it.
For brief periods, she actually tried to walk, supporting herself on a stiff back leg but, sadly, dragging the other behind like deadweight. But in her current condition, 3 legs are still better than 2. Small blessings.
The worrying thing about her is that she isn't eating or drinking. She's still too distressed and probably depressed as well to indulge in this, her favourite pastime. Dr Casey prescribed a Flower Essence rubbing oil, the fragrance of which is supposed to help calm her down and hopefully put her back in the mood for food again. Hasn't worked so far. Belle needs to eat and keep herself hydrated or she might develop complications.
We'll have to take her back to Dr Casey if things don't improve by tomorrow.
For brief periods, she actually tried to walk, supporting herself on a stiff back leg but, sadly, dragging the other behind like deadweight. But in her current condition, 3 legs are still better than 2. Small blessings.
The worrying thing about her is that she isn't eating or drinking. She's still too distressed and probably depressed as well to indulge in this, her favourite pastime. Dr Casey prescribed a Flower Essence rubbing oil, the fragrance of which is supposed to help calm her down and hopefully put her back in the mood for food again. Hasn't worked so far. Belle needs to eat and keep herself hydrated or she might develop complications.
We'll have to take her back to Dr Casey if things don't improve by tomorrow.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Dr Casey called us into the clinic this morning. Belle had refused any sort of treatment and charged and swatted at anyone who came close to her cage. Dr Casey hoped that with our presence she would calm down so they could continue her therapy.
When we arrived, we saw Belle crouched in a corner of her cage. She wore a lampshade to prevent her from ripping out the drip like she had the previous night. Within the lampshade was the head of a vicious, hissing, spitting, growling feline; quite a different cat from the one we knew with the always-gentle disposition. Obviously she was incredibly stressed with her large canine neighbours, the unfamiliar surroundings and people, and the fact that she's still immobile just makes it worse for her. Even we were a bit intimidated by her demeanour but I opened the door and stuck my head inside the cage anyway to stroke her and reassure her that everything was still fine.
She relaxed, just a bit, and let me pet her head, though growling with every breath. Things remained like this for a while but when the big dog in the lower cage stirred a bit, Belle reared up and slammed her forepaw onto the floor of her stainless steel cage with shocking force. If not for my reflexes her claws might have ripped my forearm open, but it was clear she wasn't happy where she was and there was no way she was going to get any treatment like that.
Plan B then. Home nursing. We brought Belle home and prepared our guest-room for her. Her personal bed, dining area and sand-box. She is still immobile from the waist down so we have to regularly carry her into the sand-box so she can take a leak or a crap. In her condition, it's a messy process but we hope it will only be a temporary situation.
My main concern is when we have to give her her meds tomorrow. She's off her food tonight -- no appetite -- so maybe she'll be hungry enough in the morning to eat her pills along with her breakfast, else we'll have to syringe it down and I'm not looking forward to this potentially hazardous procedure one bit. And Dr Casey recommends we give her some physiotherapy too just to keep the circulation flowing back into her legs. Sweet as Belle is, she's a scary mother when she's riled. She's strong too, so we're expecting to be shredded quite often this week. Yikes.
Poor Belle. Get well soon. Please.
When we arrived, we saw Belle crouched in a corner of her cage. She wore a lampshade to prevent her from ripping out the drip like she had the previous night. Within the lampshade was the head of a vicious, hissing, spitting, growling feline; quite a different cat from the one we knew with the always-gentle disposition. Obviously she was incredibly stressed with her large canine neighbours, the unfamiliar surroundings and people, and the fact that she's still immobile just makes it worse for her. Even we were a bit intimidated by her demeanour but I opened the door and stuck my head inside the cage anyway to stroke her and reassure her that everything was still fine.
She relaxed, just a bit, and let me pet her head, though growling with every breath. Things remained like this for a while but when the big dog in the lower cage stirred a bit, Belle reared up and slammed her forepaw onto the floor of her stainless steel cage with shocking force. If not for my reflexes her claws might have ripped my forearm open, but it was clear she wasn't happy where she was and there was no way she was going to get any treatment like that.
Plan B then. Home nursing. We brought Belle home and prepared our guest-room for her. Her personal bed, dining area and sand-box. She is still immobile from the waist down so we have to regularly carry her into the sand-box so she can take a leak or a crap. In her condition, it's a messy process but we hope it will only be a temporary situation.
My main concern is when we have to give her her meds tomorrow. She's off her food tonight -- no appetite -- so maybe she'll be hungry enough in the morning to eat her pills along with her breakfast, else we'll have to syringe it down and I'm not looking forward to this potentially hazardous procedure one bit. And Dr Casey recommends we give her some physiotherapy too just to keep the circulation flowing back into her legs. Sweet as Belle is, she's a scary mother when she's riled. She's strong too, so we're expecting to be shredded quite often this week. Yikes.
Poor Belle. Get well soon. Please.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Today was supposed to be a normal, boring, ho-hum day. One I was looking forward to. We brought Mimi back to stay with us last night and we took her and Q-tip for our usual Saturday morning breakfast walk. As we walked past the far end coffee shop, their harness bells (yes, they sound like reindeer when they go walkies) attracted Lung-Lung, a stray we haven't seen for quite a while.
The last time we saw Lung-Lung, she was a scrawny little thing who had lost most of her fur, though for reasons we couldn't fathom. She's a toughie, though. She had been attacked by a stray dog when she was a kitten, and till today the scars near her neck are still quite apparent. Today, she looked well-fed and she has recovered her lost fur. Her progress towards good health has been quite remarkable.
Here's the irony. Mid-day, Belle suddenly began miaowing in her panicked voice. She only miaows like this when we pack her in a travel cage and take her to the vet. She says, "miAO," emphasis on the last syllable, in this state. We went to see what was wrong and it was quite sad. She suddenly seemed to have lost the use of her hind legs. She was panting and the lower part of her body was cold. This didn't seem like normal cat behaviour so we called Dr Casey, who agreed to see her after 1400 though she didn't have a prior appointment.
Dr Casey didn't have good news for us. Belle had suffered a stroke and the resulting blood clot had cut off circulation to her hind legs. She didn't respond to the pain test and there was no pulse in her legs, so that's very worrying. What's hopeful is that so far she still has control over her bowels and that her general body temperature (she responded quite violently to the rectal thermometer -- she bit me) is still normal.
She'll be hospitalized for a few days while they try to dissolve the blood clot with medication and in the meantime she'll undergo further testing to see if there are other complications to her current problem. At least Dr Casey didn't say her condition was terminal, but how much use of her legs she recovers depends on how well she can respond to the treatment. Hopefully, we had brought her in early enough to be a factor in her recovery. Thankfully we hadn't left for Ikea yet, like we planned to do; else there'd be a major crisis when we got home in the evening.
Don't feel like going out right now. Apologies to Jordan for not being able to catch his last performance at Centrestage tonight before he leaves for the UK.
This is an unusual request, but say a prayer for Belle, ok?
The last time we saw Lung-Lung, she was a scrawny little thing who had lost most of her fur, though for reasons we couldn't fathom. She's a toughie, though. She had been attacked by a stray dog when she was a kitten, and till today the scars near her neck are still quite apparent. Today, she looked well-fed and she has recovered her lost fur. Her progress towards good health has been quite remarkable.
Here's the irony. Mid-day, Belle suddenly began miaowing in her panicked voice. She only miaows like this when we pack her in a travel cage and take her to the vet. She says, "miAO," emphasis on the last syllable, in this state. We went to see what was wrong and it was quite sad. She suddenly seemed to have lost the use of her hind legs. She was panting and the lower part of her body was cold. This didn't seem like normal cat behaviour so we called Dr Casey, who agreed to see her after 1400 though she didn't have a prior appointment.
Dr Casey didn't have good news for us. Belle had suffered a stroke and the resulting blood clot had cut off circulation to her hind legs. She didn't respond to the pain test and there was no pulse in her legs, so that's very worrying. What's hopeful is that so far she still has control over her bowels and that her general body temperature (she responded quite violently to the rectal thermometer -- she bit me) is still normal.
She'll be hospitalized for a few days while they try to dissolve the blood clot with medication and in the meantime she'll undergo further testing to see if there are other complications to her current problem. At least Dr Casey didn't say her condition was terminal, but how much use of her legs she recovers depends on how well she can respond to the treatment. Hopefully, we had brought her in early enough to be a factor in her recovery. Thankfully we hadn't left for Ikea yet, like we planned to do; else there'd be a major crisis when we got home in the evening.
Don't feel like going out right now. Apologies to Jordan for not being able to catch his last performance at Centrestage tonight before he leaves for the UK.
This is an unusual request, but say a prayer for Belle, ok?
Back on campus for more marking. Also for the company, particularly at lunchtime. I used to hate having lunch with people when I first started work. I'd leave early or later, after everyone else had left; or I'd arm myself with a book or magazine and bury myself behind it looking too busy to catch a familiar eye. Didn't really have much to say to anyone, and everyone was boring anyway. Or found me a bore, I guess it was mutual.
Glad I've found a crowd I actually like lunching with. Funny how life makes a sudden 180° turn when all along you think life will always go in the same direction. Today we made Amy drive us to GFC where we haven't been for so long. Rice and things still tasty and satisfying though my lunch companions found the towgay (sprouts) too hot for their taste. The dish was full of tiny chilli padi which gave a nasty kick, particularly since the dish isn't meant to be spiced up like that. But we took a relaxing break from our busy schedules just sitting at the coffee shop and discussing, for the most part, Anthony's upcoming wedding.
Shani opened her condo for the Drama Club to hold our long overdue cast party in honour of 'Oz.' We were there from a little past 1800. Apart from the BBQ, we got to try MJ's pasta marinara which was generously full of mussels. So that's pasta for me, like, 3 days in a row? Something like that. I've got pasta coming out of my ears now, and all I can say is, "ohboy, more!" Marco Polo might have brought my ancestors back to Italia on his last visit and a latent gene might have finally kicked into action in me. Italian food. Love it!
Glad I've found a crowd I actually like lunching with. Funny how life makes a sudden 180° turn when all along you think life will always go in the same direction. Today we made Amy drive us to GFC where we haven't been for so long. Rice and things still tasty and satisfying though my lunch companions found the towgay (sprouts) too hot for their taste. The dish was full of tiny chilli padi which gave a nasty kick, particularly since the dish isn't meant to be spiced up like that. But we took a relaxing break from our busy schedules just sitting at the coffee shop and discussing, for the most part, Anthony's upcoming wedding.
Shani opened her condo for the Drama Club to hold our long overdue cast party in honour of 'Oz.' We were there from a little past 1800. Apart from the BBQ, we got to try MJ's pasta marinara which was generously full of mussels. So that's pasta for me, like, 3 days in a row? Something like that. I've got pasta coming out of my ears now, and all I can say is, "ohboy, more!" Marco Polo might have brought my ancestors back to Italia on his last visit and a latent gene might have finally kicked into action in me. Italian food. Love it!
Friday, June 03, 2005
Q-tip came back from grooming this evening. She's been looking like a fuzzy puffball running around the house. Her legs were slowly disappearing under all her fur so we finally decided it was time. Dominic sent her back to us neatly trimmed. A sort-of schnauzer cut for her body and we can see her face again, too. But she's still pretty much ball-shaped. It wasn't all the fur making her look fat, it's because she is fat that's why she looks fat. Definitely diet time for her. And more exercise too. For someone who sleeps 23 hours a day, her condition shouldn't be surprising. Walkies, anyone?
But her walk had to wait. June found an easy-to-follow recipe for pasta in today's 'Urban' supplement of our local English daily and she tried it out for dinner. I've copied the recipe below if people are interested:
Penne with tomato, bacon and chilli
Serves 4 to 6
500g dried penne, a tubular pasta
1 teaspoon salt
250g streaky bacon, sliced into strips
2 medium-sized purple onions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato puree (not tomato paste)
2-3 red chillies, sliced into rings (the smaller the chilli, the hotter the sauce)
A big handful of fresh basil leaves
Black pepper to taste
1. Put a large pot of water to boil, add the salt. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Meanwhile, stir fry the bacon in a non-stick wok or saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes more till the whole lot is really fragrant.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and chillies. Tear up half the basil and add to the pan. Stir well. When sauce bubbles, turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
4. If the sauce is too sour, add a pinch of sugar. Not salty enough? A pinch of salt should do it, although the bacon should be salty enough. Too thick? Thin it down with some water or white wine. Then add some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
5. Drain cooked pasta and pour it back into the pot you boiled it in. Pour sauce and mix wellso the sauce coats the pasta. Spoon into a large serving dish or into individual pasta bowls. Tear up the rest of the basil, sprinkle over the pasta and serve.
In case you're wondering about the "serves 4 to 6," June just recalculated the amounts for just the 2 of us. And she added in a few finely sliced white champignons 'cos we love those.
Spent the rest of the evening watching "Madagascar" which I thought was hilarious. Now I'm quite inspired to send Momo and Belle back to live in the wild. They're becoming so spoilt with their urban lifestyle here. I'm starting to feel a pang of guilt, like I'm keeping them from their true destiny. Just kidding.
But her walk had to wait. June found an easy-to-follow recipe for pasta in today's 'Urban' supplement of our local English daily and she tried it out for dinner. I've copied the recipe below if people are interested:
Penne with tomato, bacon and chilli
Serves 4 to 6
500g dried penne, a tubular pasta
1 teaspoon salt
250g streaky bacon, sliced into strips
2 medium-sized purple onions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato puree (not tomato paste)
2-3 red chillies, sliced into rings (the smaller the chilli, the hotter the sauce)
A big handful of fresh basil leaves
Black pepper to taste
1. Put a large pot of water to boil, add the salt. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Meanwhile, stir fry the bacon in a non-stick wok or saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes more till the whole lot is really fragrant.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and chillies. Tear up half the basil and add to the pan. Stir well. When sauce bubbles, turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
4. If the sauce is too sour, add a pinch of sugar. Not salty enough? A pinch of salt should do it, although the bacon should be salty enough. Too thick? Thin it down with some water or white wine. Then add some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
5. Drain cooked pasta and pour it back into the pot you boiled it in. Pour sauce and mix wellso the sauce coats the pasta. Spoon into a large serving dish or into individual pasta bowls. Tear up the rest of the basil, sprinkle over the pasta and serve.
In case you're wondering about the "serves 4 to 6," June just recalculated the amounts for just the 2 of us. And she added in a few finely sliced white champignons 'cos we love those.
Spent the rest of the evening watching "Madagascar" which I thought was hilarious. Now I'm quite inspired to send Momo and Belle back to live in the wild. They're becoming so spoilt with their urban lifestyle here. I'm starting to feel a pang of guilt, like I'm keeping them from their true destiny. Just kidding.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
It's bad to stay at home all day, especially when you know there is outstanding work left to do. There are too many distractions at home, TV, DVD, PC, console game device, pets, that work rates pretty low on the "things-to-do" list. No social life to speak of since I am isolated from everyone else. What to do? Everyone I know is busy with their outstanding issues too.
So today, I'm on campus, and I am being a lot more productive. Marked 10 scripts already and I'm rewarding myself with a quick post. There are people here too, and there is an opportunity for a sociable lunch to look forward to.
Don't ask about the scripts I've marked, though. They're nothing to be proud of. Whatever have I been teaching the kids? At least I know what to focus on next term: how to argue with a strategy to win (as opposed to rambling random thoughts with vague reference to the topic of the essay question). How to win arguments and influence people. Yes.
So today, I'm on campus, and I am being a lot more productive. Marked 10 scripts already and I'm rewarding myself with a quick post. There are people here too, and there is an opportunity for a sociable lunch to look forward to.
Don't ask about the scripts I've marked, though. They're nothing to be proud of. Whatever have I been teaching the kids? At least I know what to focus on next term: how to argue with a strategy to win (as opposed to rambling random thoughts with vague reference to the topic of the essay question). How to win arguments and influence people. Yes.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Finally, after being nearly 400km overdue, the M2 got his 5000km servicing done. Another Mazda owner *cough* had told me that the process would take the whole day, but I was able to collect my car at 12. Not bad at all.
So Mazda gave me a coupon for free servicing, plus a car wash and vacuum at no extra charge. They replaced my engine oil and topped up all the various fluids -- hydraulics, coolants, cleaners -- and checked for possible defects due to wear and tear. M2 got a clean bill of health from today's inspection.
While M2 was in the shop, I had nothing to do from 0930 onwards. My intention was to mark essays, but the workshop guest lounge didn't have tables (and why should it, anyway?), it was dim, and it had a TV blaring away. Not... conducive.
So I took a bus (gasp! public transport! how plebian!) into Toa Payoh and discovered that most stores open at 1100. So I just wandered around like a disembodied spirit looking for an unobtrusive place to park myself, though I didn't have much luck there. No unoccupied benches, so I just had to keep walking.
Finally collected M2, just in time to meet June for lunch. I had another craving for pasta, so we went to Al Forno Tratorria, a class above the Pastamania, etc., that we are so used to. The restaurant had heavy wood furniture and patrons tend to be business people, or from the tai-tai variety. In my ah-pek t-shirt and berms, I felt a bit underdressed, but hey, whatever, I was there for pasta and not to make an impression of myself.
What can I say? Beautiful lasagne, so smooth and creamy, with meaty beef chunks rather than the sprinkling of ground beef that we get in the el cheapo places. They even make you decide what kind of water they serve you, "still or spa?" They then bring a 1 litre bottle of mineral water with an impressive label on it, and pour your first glass out for you. Classy.
Warning: our pasta was a bit too salty. June's spaghetti vongole tasted like it had been cooked in sea water, and this was the one anomaly that marred what might have been a truly gorgeous experience. Next time we go, we'll definitely ask for way less salt.
Cost of meal for 2: $54. Explains the fishball bee hoon soup I had for dinner.
So Mazda gave me a coupon for free servicing, plus a car wash and vacuum at no extra charge. They replaced my engine oil and topped up all the various fluids -- hydraulics, coolants, cleaners -- and checked for possible defects due to wear and tear. M2 got a clean bill of health from today's inspection.
While M2 was in the shop, I had nothing to do from 0930 onwards. My intention was to mark essays, but the workshop guest lounge didn't have tables (and why should it, anyway?), it was dim, and it had a TV blaring away. Not... conducive.
So I took a bus (gasp! public transport! how plebian!) into Toa Payoh and discovered that most stores open at 1100. So I just wandered around like a disembodied spirit looking for an unobtrusive place to park myself, though I didn't have much luck there. No unoccupied benches, so I just had to keep walking.
Finally collected M2, just in time to meet June for lunch. I had another craving for pasta, so we went to Al Forno Tratorria, a class above the Pastamania, etc., that we are so used to. The restaurant had heavy wood furniture and patrons tend to be business people, or from the tai-tai variety. In my ah-pek t-shirt and berms, I felt a bit underdressed, but hey, whatever, I was there for pasta and not to make an impression of myself.
What can I say? Beautiful lasagne, so smooth and creamy, with meaty beef chunks rather than the sprinkling of ground beef that we get in the el cheapo places. They even make you decide what kind of water they serve you, "still or spa?" They then bring a 1 litre bottle of mineral water with an impressive label on it, and pour your first glass out for you. Classy.
Warning: our pasta was a bit too salty. June's spaghetti vongole tasted like it had been cooked in sea water, and this was the one anomaly that marred what might have been a truly gorgeous experience. Next time we go, we'll definitely ask for way less salt.
Cost of meal for 2: $54. Explains the fishball bee hoon soup I had for dinner.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Yay! The mid-year break is upon us! No time-table to adhere to, no formal tutorials to conduct, and the time is mine to do what I want. And what do I want the time for? Marking a rather large pile of essays! Yes!
Spent the morning in the staff room ploughing through script after script, oh, and only another 50 more to go. Gotta get them done in the next couple of days so I can get into the frame of mind to tackle the NE backlog and the miscellaneous other items cluttering up my desk. I do so love vacation time!
I was there when the Council dragged themselves back from Ubin. The Elects, having been thoroughly indoctrinated, enthusiastically greeted passing staff in unison, united in their loudness. They must be glad to be home after 3 days in the wilderness within the nurturing confines of a BMT-style boot-camp.
Vince and Amy came back with them, obviously tired out, hungry and grouchy. The wilderness must have done them some good too. But they were also obviously unlikely to want to go bowling tonight, so I bowled with June at SAFRA. A 4-game average of 154, which isn't bad, I guess, but I'm still being held back by my inability to convert simple spares. Oh, well, today's performance impressed the kids bowling in the next lane. I'm still gonna havta' do better than that, though. The next fixture is in July, so there's still a few more weeks left to train.
Spent the morning in the staff room ploughing through script after script, oh, and only another 50 more to go. Gotta get them done in the next couple of days so I can get into the frame of mind to tackle the NE backlog and the miscellaneous other items cluttering up my desk. I do so love vacation time!
I was there when the Council dragged themselves back from Ubin. The Elects, having been thoroughly indoctrinated, enthusiastically greeted passing staff in unison, united in their loudness. They must be glad to be home after 3 days in the wilderness within the nurturing confines of a BMT-style boot-camp.
Vince and Amy came back with them, obviously tired out, hungry and grouchy. The wilderness must have done them some good too. But they were also obviously unlikely to want to go bowling tonight, so I bowled with June at SAFRA. A 4-game average of 154, which isn't bad, I guess, but I'm still being held back by my inability to convert simple spares. Oh, well, today's performance impressed the kids bowling in the next lane. I'm still gonna havta' do better than that, though. The next fixture is in July, so there's still a few more weeks left to train.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
A group of 40 Japanese dropped in on service today. Our invited guest item from the "J-choir." They sang gospel, not J-pop, unfortunately. But it was a very sweet choral performance, very competent, and very understated. No particular need to get dramatic with their presentations, they just sang and harmonized and blended their voices together, and I really appreciated them for that. No outstanding soloists, no ornateness, just sincerity of effort put in by everyone. Good job.
But my attention was fixed on the projection screen on which a slideshow of scenes of daily life in Japan was playing. The streets, the forests, people at work and at play, different kinds of attire, different kinds of food, flora and fauna... What captivated me was that the photos were simple, yet so well composed. Lines, textures, lighting, action and atmosphere. It felt just like looking out of a window and seeing things happen right in front of you for real. Wish I could take pictures like that.
But my attention was fixed on the projection screen on which a slideshow of scenes of daily life in Japan was playing. The streets, the forests, people at work and at play, different kinds of attire, different kinds of food, flora and fauna... What captivated me was that the photos were simple, yet so well composed. Lines, textures, lighting, action and atmosphere. It felt just like looking out of a window and seeing things happen right in front of you for real. Wish I could take pictures like that.
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