I was definitely more prepared this time. I kept reminding myself during the long journey there that I was going to meet a group of unfortunate children. There was little I could do to make their life better but that was a fact I forced myself to accept prior to the trip.
Curious eyes wondered around as we walked towards the orphanage home after alighting the bus. I wonder how they would have felt when they saw us. All I could see was unsureness. I didn't know if it was because we were a big group of almost 30 or they were just waiting for us to get started.
After leaving my bag inside, we had a small ice breaking session to get to know the kids. It was really funny to see the small kids standing up one by one and uttering their names. There was a small boy with a cute smile who was so shy that he covered his face after saying his name. And then there was this girl who was hiding below the table while the ice-breaking session was going on because she was too shy to introduce herself. Small kids.
After that, while waiting for the organizers of the trip to prepare the games they had planned, I went around to meet the kids. I must say that I fit in pretty well. To be honest, if I hadn't gone, I think the others on the trip would have been able to socialize with the kids a little more because I was only one of the 2 people who could converse in Tamil, the language that all the kids there were fluent with regardless of race.
I sat at one of the tables with some of the kids around me. I smiled. They smiled back. And then I smiled again. That continued for a few more seconds until I asked them to say their names again. I asked them one by one so that it didn't sound like a routine. Before I could go any further, it was time for the first game.
It is called "do you like your neighbour?". Honestly, it's very complicated to put the game in words as it has a few rules and definitely needs some visual insights to make it easier to understand. I was carrying a 5 year old boy on my lap all along the game. That game reminded me of times when I used to carry my little brother in my arms.
After that game, it was time for a short break. Again, it was time for me to get to know the kids better. I went around playing with the kids. I asked some of the other kids I hadn't met earlier, for their names. It didn't last for long and it was time to begin the next game.
I can't recall what the game was called but it was something like this. One person had to stand in the centre and the others had to stand in a circle around the person in the middle. Then,the person in the middle had to shoot a person in the circle. If the person in the circle didn't manage to duck down in time, he or she would be eliminated.
That game was kinda fun too. The kids kinda liked the part where we had to shoot each other. And soon, rules fell apart and the kids were shooting everyone. To me, that's the beauty of a child's mind, the ability to shrug off rules and enjoy regardless of the situation.
After that game, it was time for some refreshments. There were some snacks and cold drinks for everyone at the home. This time, I got to know the kids way better. I found out who were siblings and was finally starting to get the hang of their names.
Then, it was time for banner painting. This turned out to be the most fun game for the kids. Well, it wasn't even a game to start off with. The kids were supposed to paint their hands and put a hand print on the banner prepared by the organizers.
It started off pretty well till...................the kids infatuation with colours and water got over them. I was helping out with washing the kids hands. As the number of kids waiting to get their hands washed increased, one boy just dunked his entire hands into the bucket full of water. Then, the other kids followed. And then, instead of just having one hand print on the banner, the kids were placing hand print, washing their hands, and putting hand prints again. Some of them were washing their hands again and again just to get their hands painted again. Little children are so much fun to be with. I had a great time playing with them too.
Once the whole fiasco was over, it was again time to sit down and wait for the next activity-or that's what I thought. I was spending some quality time with the kids, chit chatting and teasing them when I realized that everyone else was just sitting down and relaxing. I asked someone from the organizing committee if there was anything else and disappointingly, she replied with a no. Immediately, a boy asked me if I was going back home soon. I had to reply with a nod.
Small children who lack attentive parental love have a tendency to appreciate the small things which bring happiness to them. Today, it was me. It was a little difficult for me when I told another boy I was going home soon and he said I can't go. Me, being the soft-hearted kind when it comes to unfortunate people, felt tears lining up my eyes when he said that. But, I held it back because I know I came prepared.
Another thing that was difficult to accept was the sad stories of these kids. What's more difficult than that was the innocence in the eyes of the kids who told their stories with almost no sad feelings at all because they never had the chance to feel that much of attachment with their parents.
There was one boy who is slightly mentally challenged. He was fine until his mother was murdered in a robbery. He became so traumatized by the incident that he was a troubled child for 4 years. Since then, his condition has improved. There was also this boy who had 2 other brothers in the same home but his sister was in another orphanage home. They only meet up during Christmas. When the eldest boy, aged 9, was telling the story, his youngest brother was saying that he wanted to see their sister.
These are the kind of stories that move my consciousness away from this materialistic world. I still remember how much I started appreciating the little things my mum did for me after that visit to the disabled children's home. But then, the feeling kinda faded off. Today, before I went back to square one, I asked myself one thing.
Why do I need someone else to tell me to appreciate the things around me? I then realized that human beings in comfort can be very ungrateful at times and I am one of them. We just constantly need someone to tell us indirectly that we have been blessed with so many things that other people can't even dream of.
Before I left, I met all my new friends one last time to say goodbye. I patted everyone on the back or head and high fived some of them so that they would remember this day as the day spent with a special friend who dropped by to cheer them up. It still strikes me hard on how unfortunate they are but at the end of the day, life is always about what we have and how we cherish them. For my new found buddies, they have something I don't have-they have each other........
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Malaysian Politics And Race Relations
Malaysia's 13th general election concluded a couple of months ago amid much controversy on the validity of the election results and evidence of fraud. Well, the opposition were really frustrated at certain things about the general election, especially the fact that more Malaysians voted for them compared to the ruling coalition.
Politics is a very long winded, tangled topic. I generally hate politics, and only gained some interest in it because of the big 'hu-hah' during the recent general election. However, there's still something that disturbs me right to the core. Racism.
I've talked about it before in this blog but it saddens me that things have taken a turn for the worse recently. Politicians jumped on the racial wild card whenever the opportunity came. The ruling coalition took sides with a pro-Malay party while the opposition also had their racial dirty-play although not that clear. It all still boils down to one thing-many Malaysians are still very racist to heart.
When a study conducted revealed how racially intolerant Malaysians are, I was feeling rather ambivalent. I was surprised by the way the study was condemned by some Malaysians considering the fact that it's happening every day in our lives. But at the same time, their comments were not surprising because the people who commented are the racially-tolerant minority in the country.
Different people have different perceptions on racial tolerance. And in Malaysia, racial tolerance is always viewed superficially. We are all so united and tolerant as long as there are no racial riots in the country. But the truth is, unity is more than that.
Racism still happens in my own house and I'm definitely losing my patience over it slowly. My parents still give out racially inclined statements at home. The fact is that it happens in many homes in this country and it's more of an open secret.
The situation in Malaysia is like this-people think that the Malays are lazy, the Chinese are fraudsters and the Indians are gangsters. It has been the perception passed down from ages. People find an easy way to blame vice on people based on their race.
Another factor that has indirectly caused racism in this country is the Malay special rights. It was established during independence to improve the lives of the Malays who were condemned to their farms during the British rule. Honestly, I would say the Malay rights were very relevant during that time because the Chinese and Indians were basically, immigrants.
However, our forefathers did not foresee the future well enough. A Malay guy wrote to the newspaper,recently, stating that we need to move on referring to the fact that the Malay rights have made the Malays very complacent and even implanted the fact that they should be in a way protected, and I can't agree less. Considering the fact that it has been 56 years since independence, the high rate of unemployment and low-skilled employment among Malay youths clearly shows the failure of the Malay rights.
In addition to that, the Malay rights haven't gone down well with modern Malaysians. The non-Malays are seeing the unfair side of Malaysia where we are deprived of what we deserve. University quota is something that I can never agree too.
I can still recall the scene during the SPM result day for the batch of students before mine. There in one corner was a Malay guy rejoicing over getting credits for all his subjects in his exam. One of my teacher's was quick to point out the ease at which a Malay could rejoice compared to the non-Malays.
I don't think it would be right to just blame the Malay people. They have been made complacent because of their privileges. The government has not boldly come out to make a proactive change in the rights and all of us are suffering.
Sadly, the government thinks they are carrying out measures to bring back the unity but it's surely not working. Nothing is changing except for the smiles on the faces of politicians in so called unity-fostering events.
Racism is also fostered in schools, rather indirectly. Even from a very young age, children are in a way taught to be with their "own kind". Many people would disagree with me that vernacular schools are in a way paving the path for racial-intolerance.
Vernacular schools are not promoting racism. What they're doing is that they are indirectly establishing comfort zones for students among their own race. People from vernacular schools still do make friends of other races in secondary school but not many have best friends outside their own race. And that is a fact that vernacular school advocates have to learn to accept.
I personally feel that English-medium schools would be a great step to foster unity among Malaysians. Why?? English belongs to no one and that would negate the fact where people join a certain school just because they are of a certain race. But then again, there are those selfish politicians who continue to fight on to prevent the re-establishment of English medium schools just so they can gain the popularity of the masses.
At the end of the day, you come to wonder whether there is a solution to this predicament. Honestly, I don't think so. There is too much of politics in the efforts to foster unity in this country. And, the ones who suffer the most are the racially tolerant few who see beyond the colour and status but are forced to dwell among the prejudiced.....
Politics is a very long winded, tangled topic. I generally hate politics, and only gained some interest in it because of the big 'hu-hah' during the recent general election. However, there's still something that disturbs me right to the core. Racism.
I've talked about it before in this blog but it saddens me that things have taken a turn for the worse recently. Politicians jumped on the racial wild card whenever the opportunity came. The ruling coalition took sides with a pro-Malay party while the opposition also had their racial dirty-play although not that clear. It all still boils down to one thing-many Malaysians are still very racist to heart.
When a study conducted revealed how racially intolerant Malaysians are, I was feeling rather ambivalent. I was surprised by the way the study was condemned by some Malaysians considering the fact that it's happening every day in our lives. But at the same time, their comments were not surprising because the people who commented are the racially-tolerant minority in the country.
Different people have different perceptions on racial tolerance. And in Malaysia, racial tolerance is always viewed superficially. We are all so united and tolerant as long as there are no racial riots in the country. But the truth is, unity is more than that.
Racism still happens in my own house and I'm definitely losing my patience over it slowly. My parents still give out racially inclined statements at home. The fact is that it happens in many homes in this country and it's more of an open secret.
The situation in Malaysia is like this-people think that the Malays are lazy, the Chinese are fraudsters and the Indians are gangsters. It has been the perception passed down from ages. People find an easy way to blame vice on people based on their race.
Another factor that has indirectly caused racism in this country is the Malay special rights. It was established during independence to improve the lives of the Malays who were condemned to their farms during the British rule. Honestly, I would say the Malay rights were very relevant during that time because the Chinese and Indians were basically, immigrants.
However, our forefathers did not foresee the future well enough. A Malay guy wrote to the newspaper,recently, stating that we need to move on referring to the fact that the Malay rights have made the Malays very complacent and even implanted the fact that they should be in a way protected, and I can't agree less. Considering the fact that it has been 56 years since independence, the high rate of unemployment and low-skilled employment among Malay youths clearly shows the failure of the Malay rights.
In addition to that, the Malay rights haven't gone down well with modern Malaysians. The non-Malays are seeing the unfair side of Malaysia where we are deprived of what we deserve. University quota is something that I can never agree too.
I can still recall the scene during the SPM result day for the batch of students before mine. There in one corner was a Malay guy rejoicing over getting credits for all his subjects in his exam. One of my teacher's was quick to point out the ease at which a Malay could rejoice compared to the non-Malays.
I don't think it would be right to just blame the Malay people. They have been made complacent because of their privileges. The government has not boldly come out to make a proactive change in the rights and all of us are suffering.
Sadly, the government thinks they are carrying out measures to bring back the unity but it's surely not working. Nothing is changing except for the smiles on the faces of politicians in so called unity-fostering events.
Racism is also fostered in schools, rather indirectly. Even from a very young age, children are in a way taught to be with their "own kind". Many people would disagree with me that vernacular schools are in a way paving the path for racial-intolerance.
Vernacular schools are not promoting racism. What they're doing is that they are indirectly establishing comfort zones for students among their own race. People from vernacular schools still do make friends of other races in secondary school but not many have best friends outside their own race. And that is a fact that vernacular school advocates have to learn to accept.
I personally feel that English-medium schools would be a great step to foster unity among Malaysians. Why?? English belongs to no one and that would negate the fact where people join a certain school just because they are of a certain race. But then again, there are those selfish politicians who continue to fight on to prevent the re-establishment of English medium schools just so they can gain the popularity of the masses.
At the end of the day, you come to wonder whether there is a solution to this predicament. Honestly, I don't think so. There is too much of politics in the efforts to foster unity in this country. And, the ones who suffer the most are the racially tolerant few who see beyond the colour and status but are forced to dwell among the prejudiced.....
Monday, June 17, 2013
Senior Prom
It wasn't planned for sure. I wasn't that keen on going but then when one of my friends didn't want to go, I just thought why not. Well, I guess you only get Senior Prom Nights in your last year in high school (as it is in the US) and so this would be my last chance. So, I told myself, I got to grab this opportunity.
For me, prom is an event to watch performances and look at pretty girls. That's why I decided to not even try to get a prom date because I wanted to go as free man. No strings attached. And that decision paid of handsomely, or should I say prettily!
The day started off early as I had to go to my friends place in Casa Subang. I was following them to the prom as I had no means of transportation to get there. And, I don't know the way around the city. So, I had to follow someone.
Well, my friends had a tiring day out the day before and only woke up when I reached their place about 11. So, it was a slow moving thing the whole day with lunch and then it was time to get ready and leave. Once we were all done getting dressed, we left in 3 cars to Renaissance Hotel.
Well, I wouldn't say I was that excited because there wasn't any time on the way there to think about prom. My friends and I were quite busy making jokes and chit chatting, not to forget the part where we were looking out for each other's cars in the busy KL roads. Once there, we went to the washroom for one last check on ourselves.
Our entry from the staircase to the registration table at the front of the ballroom was epic. Twelve Indian guys in dark suits up the huge stairs with flair must have looked like some mafia gang attending the prom. I definitely saw heads turn when we made our entrance because we were like the odd macho dudes as my college is made up of more than 90% of Chinese students and to see like this group of Indian guys walking in was one hell of an epic scene. Once we were done with registration, we made our way in in the same manner-together.
Prom started off with a performance from the lecturers. I was quite surprised to see strict lecturers dancing away with smiles on their face. The food really sucked right from the beginning. I actually like hotel food but this time they tasted rather weird. There were a few other performances too after that.
But, the only reason I was in prom was to see pretty girls. And boy weren't they pretty. Colourful dresses, stylish hairs, freaking high heels, and total makeovers. Well, for some, the makeovers were not bad (although I still hate excessive make up on girls) but for some it was pretty awkward. It was something like losing an identity. And in prom, the main attraction will always be the prom queen finalists.
I only knew one of the prom queen finalists because my friends and I have talked about her and she always sits behind me in my Moral Education class. I obviously wanted her to win. However, I wasn't only going to be looking at her because there were quite a number of other girls to look at. My stomach was not full but my eyes were having a feast!
My friends and I were having a great time at prom. Besides the girls, we were occasionally crapping up some jokes and doing silly things. We even took many pictures together. I know it sounds gay but we were having fun and that was all that mattered.
When the prom queen was announced, I was definitely not surprised to hear the name of the only finalist I knew off. Well, I would say she deserves it. She looked herself as I don't think she put on too much of make up and she didn't dress like a slut. I would give her credit for that. Well, I guess she knew she was going to win it anyway.
After that, it was time to take some pictures. I took a group picture with the guys from my table. Then, with 2 lecturers and then of course the girls. I took pictures with the girl I met in the toothpick game right at the beginning of college, a girl whom I knew when she knew me without I knowing anything about her, a girl I met in TOEFL classes, my old school friend and of course with the prom queen.
And this is exactly why I feel lucky enough to have not taken a girl to prom. It would have been awkward if I were to take pictures with other girls whom I don't really talk to with a prom date beside me. Plus, I would have missed out on the fun I had with my friends. I'm sure the prom queen's date would have had a horrible night watching his "queen" dancing with the prom king. With nothing to lose that night, I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. Maybe not in the traditional way, but I was pretty fine with it.......
For me, prom is an event to watch performances and look at pretty girls. That's why I decided to not even try to get a prom date because I wanted to go as free man. No strings attached. And that decision paid of handsomely, or should I say prettily!
The day started off early as I had to go to my friends place in Casa Subang. I was following them to the prom as I had no means of transportation to get there. And, I don't know the way around the city. So, I had to follow someone.
Well, my friends had a tiring day out the day before and only woke up when I reached their place about 11. So, it was a slow moving thing the whole day with lunch and then it was time to get ready and leave. Once we were all done getting dressed, we left in 3 cars to Renaissance Hotel.
Well, I wouldn't say I was that excited because there wasn't any time on the way there to think about prom. My friends and I were quite busy making jokes and chit chatting, not to forget the part where we were looking out for each other's cars in the busy KL roads. Once there, we went to the washroom for one last check on ourselves.
Our entry from the staircase to the registration table at the front of the ballroom was epic. Twelve Indian guys in dark suits up the huge stairs with flair must have looked like some mafia gang attending the prom. I definitely saw heads turn when we made our entrance because we were like the odd macho dudes as my college is made up of more than 90% of Chinese students and to see like this group of Indian guys walking in was one hell of an epic scene. Once we were done with registration, we made our way in in the same manner-together.
Prom started off with a performance from the lecturers. I was quite surprised to see strict lecturers dancing away with smiles on their face. The food really sucked right from the beginning. I actually like hotel food but this time they tasted rather weird. There were a few other performances too after that.
But, the only reason I was in prom was to see pretty girls. And boy weren't they pretty. Colourful dresses, stylish hairs, freaking high heels, and total makeovers. Well, for some, the makeovers were not bad (although I still hate excessive make up on girls) but for some it was pretty awkward. It was something like losing an identity. And in prom, the main attraction will always be the prom queen finalists.
I only knew one of the prom queen finalists because my friends and I have talked about her and she always sits behind me in my Moral Education class. I obviously wanted her to win. However, I wasn't only going to be looking at her because there were quite a number of other girls to look at. My stomach was not full but my eyes were having a feast!
My friends and I were having a great time at prom. Besides the girls, we were occasionally crapping up some jokes and doing silly things. We even took many pictures together. I know it sounds gay but we were having fun and that was all that mattered.
When the prom queen was announced, I was definitely not surprised to hear the name of the only finalist I knew off. Well, I would say she deserves it. She looked herself as I don't think she put on too much of make up and she didn't dress like a slut. I would give her credit for that. Well, I guess she knew she was going to win it anyway.
After that, it was time to take some pictures. I took a group picture with the guys from my table. Then, with 2 lecturers and then of course the girls. I took pictures with the girl I met in the toothpick game right at the beginning of college, a girl whom I knew when she knew me without I knowing anything about her, a girl I met in TOEFL classes, my old school friend and of course with the prom queen.
And this is exactly why I feel lucky enough to have not taken a girl to prom. It would have been awkward if I were to take pictures with other girls whom I don't really talk to with a prom date beside me. Plus, I would have missed out on the fun I had with my friends. I'm sure the prom queen's date would have had a horrible night watching his "queen" dancing with the prom king. With nothing to lose that night, I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. Maybe not in the traditional way, but I was pretty fine with it.......
Sunday, June 16, 2013
PE11 Class Trip
I bade goodbye to my dad as I got off the car and walked to the train station. I had planned to take the train from home at about 2 hours before departure time from KL Sentral. However, my first piece of adrenaline rush hit me right away.
The ticket counters in the train station was not working. There was only one worker there writing out makeshift tickets in a piece of paper for us. I knew that if I missed the train that was waiting to depart, I would not make it in time to take the intercity train with my friends.
After patiently waiting for the ticket while telling myself to remain calm, I got my ticket rushed into the train. It was about 5 minutes before I realized that the train was not moving. I guess it must have been because of the ticket delay. I was just keeping my fingers crossed so that the train would start moving as soon as possible. When the doors shut, I breathed a sigh of relief.
More than an hour later, I alighted the train much my delight as I had made it half an hour before departure time. Then, I met my friends in Starbucks who had to wait an agonizing 2 hours in KL Sentral as they had arrived very much earlier because the anticipated traffic jam was no where to be seen. In about 45 minutes time, we were on the train looking for our seats.
Excitement just filled the atmosphere in the train because for many of us, it was the first time that we were going to board a train at night to another city. Sleep was definitely not of the mind of many of us.
We walked up and down the train a few times. As some were hungry, we stopped by a small store in the train to get some food. After that, we were just chit chatting and disturbing our friends who were asleep. One of our friends even woke up asking whether we had reached when she had only gotten 20 minutes of sleep (we tickled her feet till she woke up). At that moment, it was just epic laughter.
Apparently, we were just too noisy and irritating to others that night despite our best efforts to tone down our volumes. One guy got pissed off and said "excuse me, this is not a private train". We laughed in our hearts and headed off to our respective bunkers. I closed my eyes in anticipation of of the next day.
Five hours later, I woke up to the rustles and hustles around the train. Most of my friends were up before me. Brushed my teeth, washed my face and in 20 minutes time, I was smelling the air of Bukit Mertajam. We were greeted by 2 of our friends who were Penangites. Another showed up minutes later.
Basically, the plan was to for all 21 of us to travel in 4 cars (3 friends' car and 1 rented car). After breakfast ( I had soup noodles with pork in it), we took the ferry to Penang Island. Once we got our rented car from a place near the jetty, our adventure began.
As soon as we checked into our apartment, we left for our main activity of the trip-Penang's very own Escape theme park. No, it is not like the theme park in Genting Highlands or Sunway Lagoon. It's a very physical obstacle course, which can drain out your energy.
Our only mistake was not going there as early as possible. I'll tell you why. The main thing at Escape is the obstacle course which is divided into levels. The higher the level, the higher the difficulty and the higher the position of the obstacles. The obstacles require strength, flexibility, agility, balance and precision coordination. And to get your money's full worth, you would need the whole day.
It's the perfect setting for a fitness freak like me. It is pretty difficult for me to explain what is there because I don't know the exact words to describe the obstacles. To put it in simple words, it's what you would expect jungle men to be excellent at, without the need of a harness. And it is definitely a nightmare for people who have fear of heights.
I managed to complete 2 courses on Level 1, 1 on Level 2 and one agonizing, painful and exhausting course on Level 3. After I was done with Level 2, I straight away headed to Level 3 without taking a break. When I was doing the first obstacle, fatigue set in immediately.
I was holding on to the ropes when my hands and legs started to tremble. I knew right away that that was due to weakness and fatigue. I was just too determined to give up and mustered some strength to overcome the first obstacle. And then, I just sat down on the wooden platform 3 stories high for a breather.
The second obstacle was hell. It was made worse by the presence of tree branches in between the obstacles. It is really tiring trying to balance your legs on wooden poles and the trying to climb over trees at 3 storeys high. After that, another breather and I continued to complete the subsequent ones which were slightly easier.
The final obstacle was the ultimate test. I saw a few friends failing it when I was taking a break on one of the wooden platforms. After resting for almost 10 minutes on the 3 storey high wooden platform, I took up the challenge. Step by step, I shrugged of the tiredness and completed it. Mission accomplished. I'd had enough. I took a water break.
After the break, I tried the only other thing that I really wanted to try-bungee jumping. Trust me, it was really scary when I stood at the platform before the fall. I am really scared of heights and I just wanted to get rid of it. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and I fell. Sadly, the scary part only lasted for a while. When I reached the ground, a sense of accomplishment. I tried a few other things as well after that. The super long flying fox was definitely awesome.After all that energy draining stuff, we took some pictures and headed back to the apartment.
Next up was the pool. Yes, the swimming pool in the apartment was empty and we conquered it. We played a game where we formed a circle with one person in the centre. The person in the centre would guess a number and the person on the circumference of the circle who guesses the number would have to take their pants off and twirl it in the air. If the person does not guess the correct number, the range of numbers where the "lucky number" is will be narrowed down.
This is a great great time for bonding among our classmates. We were really sporting and almost every one of us were eager to guess the number and remove our pants just for the fun of it. I had loads of fun there but it had to be cut-short as we had to go for dinner.
It was time for food fiesta next. I was in Penang with a bunch of Penangites and I knew that this was my chance to try the best of the best of famous Penang food. We started off with the curry noodles and wan tan mee. The curry noodles was a bit spicy but the latter was somehow very light and tasty.
No no, I wasn't done. While having that, I was also munching on some lobak. After lobak, I still had some space in my "bottomless tummy" (as quoted by my friend) to try out some chee cheong fun. The good thing about Penang food is that it's cheap and it comes in small portions. It's just a haven for people who want to try out many different types of food.
After filling our tummies with delicious Penang hawker food, we divided ourselves into 2 groups. The first group consisting of only guys were going to head to Straits Quay while the other group with some boys and girls were going for a movie. Well, Straits Quay is a place with pubs and clubs.
And I was definitely going to Straits Quay because I did not go to Penang to watch a movie. I don't take alcohol but I just wanted to chill out with my friends. And so we walked around Straits Quay which was located by the sea and decided to settle down in a pub called The Library, ironically. I settled down with a glass of pink guava juice while most of my friends shared money to get a tower of beer.
The highlight of the night was the confession session. It was getting pretty boring and my friend suggested that we talk about our past love lives. It was actually just a ploy to get me at the beginning but after I resisted, they decided to make it a group thing where everyone had to tell their stories.
I was actually quite surprised to hear some of the stories because I had never once thought that certain friends did actually have a love story to tell. The names were anonymous but the some stories were interesting enough to overshadow the need for names. After that confession session, we headed back to our apartment.
I opened my eyes the next day with the fact in mind that it was time to go back. But no, the adventure was not over. The best adrenaline rush was waiting for us hours away. And I still had to fill my insatiable hunger.
We started our food fiesta part 2 with the best way possible-entertaining our hungry tummies with the famous Penang char koay teow. The thing that makes it special is the fact that the noodles is fried in pork lard only in Penang. And the prawns in the noodles are big and juicy. Even the sight and smell of it can make you salivate, more so when you're hungry.
After char koay teow, it was time for another famous dish-cendol. This dessert is actually shaved ice with red beans, some kind of jelly and some sweet stuff. Cendol was not my cup of tea but I still tried it and I have to say that it was indeed delicious and refreshing.
Next up, Penang laksa. Penang laksa is dish that fuses sour and spicy tastes with thick white noodles and shreds of sardine fish. When we were eating it, one friend was talking about how some vendors use cardboard instead of fish to give it the fishy texture. Phew, thank God I had some Penangites with me. After a little walk around, we headed off to Queensbay Mall just to relax before our flight. The biggest mistake we made.
Our flight was at 5.30 p.m. and we decided to leave the mall at 4.30. After exiting the mall, we decided to meet up at the airport as we had parked the cars in different places. The thing was, we were counting on GPS and somehow the GPS in the car that I was in with 3 others malfunctioned.
Minutes into our journey, I realized that we were driving in a very out-of-town like road. I immediately asked my Penangite friend who was driving whether we were going in the right direction. He too realized that something was wrong and reset his GPS. Problem number 2 surfaced pretty soon.
The road shown on the GPS was through a highway but the highway was temporarily closed due to the of part of the second Penang bridge. The tension was getting to us as we had about half an hour left before our departure an we were still some distance away. He reset the route and it was a race against time from there on.
Every time the car slowed down due to traffic, I looked at the clock. When we reached the airport, we grabbed our bags and made a run for it. Once we passed through customs, we dashed for the gate as we only had 5 minutes remaining. Once we reached the gates, all of us breathed a sigh of relief. Man, that was close.
After that, we just laughed. I mean, what else could I expect from a holiday. We travelled by train, ferry, car and aeroplane. I ate tons of food till I could eat no more. I worked out like hell in Escape. Had a great great time in the pool. Had an Amazing race to the airport and most of all, got the chance to see my classmates beyond the books and lectures. Awesome holiday for sure!
The ticket counters in the train station was not working. There was only one worker there writing out makeshift tickets in a piece of paper for us. I knew that if I missed the train that was waiting to depart, I would not make it in time to take the intercity train with my friends.
After patiently waiting for the ticket while telling myself to remain calm, I got my ticket rushed into the train. It was about 5 minutes before I realized that the train was not moving. I guess it must have been because of the ticket delay. I was just keeping my fingers crossed so that the train would start moving as soon as possible. When the doors shut, I breathed a sigh of relief.
More than an hour later, I alighted the train much my delight as I had made it half an hour before departure time. Then, I met my friends in Starbucks who had to wait an agonizing 2 hours in KL Sentral as they had arrived very much earlier because the anticipated traffic jam was no where to be seen. In about 45 minutes time, we were on the train looking for our seats.
Excitement just filled the atmosphere in the train because for many of us, it was the first time that we were going to board a train at night to another city. Sleep was definitely not of the mind of many of us.
We walked up and down the train a few times. As some were hungry, we stopped by a small store in the train to get some food. After that, we were just chit chatting and disturbing our friends who were asleep. One of our friends even woke up asking whether we had reached when she had only gotten 20 minutes of sleep (we tickled her feet till she woke up). At that moment, it was just epic laughter.
Apparently, we were just too noisy and irritating to others that night despite our best efforts to tone down our volumes. One guy got pissed off and said "excuse me, this is not a private train". We laughed in our hearts and headed off to our respective bunkers. I closed my eyes in anticipation of of the next day.
Five hours later, I woke up to the rustles and hustles around the train. Most of my friends were up before me. Brushed my teeth, washed my face and in 20 minutes time, I was smelling the air of Bukit Mertajam. We were greeted by 2 of our friends who were Penangites. Another showed up minutes later.
Basically, the plan was to for all 21 of us to travel in 4 cars (3 friends' car and 1 rented car). After breakfast ( I had soup noodles with pork in it), we took the ferry to Penang Island. Once we got our rented car from a place near the jetty, our adventure began.
As soon as we checked into our apartment, we left for our main activity of the trip-Penang's very own Escape theme park. No, it is not like the theme park in Genting Highlands or Sunway Lagoon. It's a very physical obstacle course, which can drain out your energy.
Our only mistake was not going there as early as possible. I'll tell you why. The main thing at Escape is the obstacle course which is divided into levels. The higher the level, the higher the difficulty and the higher the position of the obstacles. The obstacles require strength, flexibility, agility, balance and precision coordination. And to get your money's full worth, you would need the whole day.
It's the perfect setting for a fitness freak like me. It is pretty difficult for me to explain what is there because I don't know the exact words to describe the obstacles. To put it in simple words, it's what you would expect jungle men to be excellent at, without the need of a harness. And it is definitely a nightmare for people who have fear of heights.
I managed to complete 2 courses on Level 1, 1 on Level 2 and one agonizing, painful and exhausting course on Level 3. After I was done with Level 2, I straight away headed to Level 3 without taking a break. When I was doing the first obstacle, fatigue set in immediately.
I was holding on to the ropes when my hands and legs started to tremble. I knew right away that that was due to weakness and fatigue. I was just too determined to give up and mustered some strength to overcome the first obstacle. And then, I just sat down on the wooden platform 3 stories high for a breather.
The second obstacle was hell. It was made worse by the presence of tree branches in between the obstacles. It is really tiring trying to balance your legs on wooden poles and the trying to climb over trees at 3 storeys high. After that, another breather and I continued to complete the subsequent ones which were slightly easier.
The final obstacle was the ultimate test. I saw a few friends failing it when I was taking a break on one of the wooden platforms. After resting for almost 10 minutes on the 3 storey high wooden platform, I took up the challenge. Step by step, I shrugged of the tiredness and completed it. Mission accomplished. I'd had enough. I took a water break.
After the break, I tried the only other thing that I really wanted to try-bungee jumping. Trust me, it was really scary when I stood at the platform before the fall. I am really scared of heights and I just wanted to get rid of it. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and I fell. Sadly, the scary part only lasted for a while. When I reached the ground, a sense of accomplishment. I tried a few other things as well after that. The super long flying fox was definitely awesome.After all that energy draining stuff, we took some pictures and headed back to the apartment.
Next up was the pool. Yes, the swimming pool in the apartment was empty and we conquered it. We played a game where we formed a circle with one person in the centre. The person in the centre would guess a number and the person on the circumference of the circle who guesses the number would have to take their pants off and twirl it in the air. If the person does not guess the correct number, the range of numbers where the "lucky number" is will be narrowed down.
This is a great great time for bonding among our classmates. We were really sporting and almost every one of us were eager to guess the number and remove our pants just for the fun of it. I had loads of fun there but it had to be cut-short as we had to go for dinner.
It was time for food fiesta next. I was in Penang with a bunch of Penangites and I knew that this was my chance to try the best of the best of famous Penang food. We started off with the curry noodles and wan tan mee. The curry noodles was a bit spicy but the latter was somehow very light and tasty.
No no, I wasn't done. While having that, I was also munching on some lobak. After lobak, I still had some space in my "bottomless tummy" (as quoted by my friend) to try out some chee cheong fun. The good thing about Penang food is that it's cheap and it comes in small portions. It's just a haven for people who want to try out many different types of food.
After filling our tummies with delicious Penang hawker food, we divided ourselves into 2 groups. The first group consisting of only guys were going to head to Straits Quay while the other group with some boys and girls were going for a movie. Well, Straits Quay is a place with pubs and clubs.
And I was definitely going to Straits Quay because I did not go to Penang to watch a movie. I don't take alcohol but I just wanted to chill out with my friends. And so we walked around Straits Quay which was located by the sea and decided to settle down in a pub called The Library, ironically. I settled down with a glass of pink guava juice while most of my friends shared money to get a tower of beer.
The highlight of the night was the confession session. It was getting pretty boring and my friend suggested that we talk about our past love lives. It was actually just a ploy to get me at the beginning but after I resisted, they decided to make it a group thing where everyone had to tell their stories.
I was actually quite surprised to hear some of the stories because I had never once thought that certain friends did actually have a love story to tell. The names were anonymous but the some stories were interesting enough to overshadow the need for names. After that confession session, we headed back to our apartment.
I opened my eyes the next day with the fact in mind that it was time to go back. But no, the adventure was not over. The best adrenaline rush was waiting for us hours away. And I still had to fill my insatiable hunger.
We started our food fiesta part 2 with the best way possible-entertaining our hungry tummies with the famous Penang char koay teow. The thing that makes it special is the fact that the noodles is fried in pork lard only in Penang. And the prawns in the noodles are big and juicy. Even the sight and smell of it can make you salivate, more so when you're hungry.
After char koay teow, it was time for another famous dish-cendol. This dessert is actually shaved ice with red beans, some kind of jelly and some sweet stuff. Cendol was not my cup of tea but I still tried it and I have to say that it was indeed delicious and refreshing.
Next up, Penang laksa. Penang laksa is dish that fuses sour and spicy tastes with thick white noodles and shreds of sardine fish. When we were eating it, one friend was talking about how some vendors use cardboard instead of fish to give it the fishy texture. Phew, thank God I had some Penangites with me. After a little walk around, we headed off to Queensbay Mall just to relax before our flight. The biggest mistake we made.
Our flight was at 5.30 p.m. and we decided to leave the mall at 4.30. After exiting the mall, we decided to meet up at the airport as we had parked the cars in different places. The thing was, we were counting on GPS and somehow the GPS in the car that I was in with 3 others malfunctioned.
Minutes into our journey, I realized that we were driving in a very out-of-town like road. I immediately asked my Penangite friend who was driving whether we were going in the right direction. He too realized that something was wrong and reset his GPS. Problem number 2 surfaced pretty soon.
The road shown on the GPS was through a highway but the highway was temporarily closed due to the of part of the second Penang bridge. The tension was getting to us as we had about half an hour left before our departure an we were still some distance away. He reset the route and it was a race against time from there on.
Every time the car slowed down due to traffic, I looked at the clock. When we reached the airport, we grabbed our bags and made a run for it. Once we passed through customs, we dashed for the gate as we only had 5 minutes remaining. Once we reached the gates, all of us breathed a sigh of relief. Man, that was close.
After that, we just laughed. I mean, what else could I expect from a holiday. We travelled by train, ferry, car and aeroplane. I ate tons of food till I could eat no more. I worked out like hell in Escape. Had a great great time in the pool. Had an Amazing race to the airport and most of all, got the chance to see my classmates beyond the books and lectures. Awesome holiday for sure!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
The Awakening
Today, life taught me a lesson on humanity. The real value of a human being's life was exposed to me. The little wonders of our gifts, the ability to move, to synchronize our lips, to navigate our eyes, to move our limbs, to express our affection, to feel loved, to ability to mobilize ourselves.
I place my foot past the gate with mixed feelings inside of me. The urge to do something meaningful for this unfortunate bunch was met with doubt of my ability to keep my soft emotions inside me. Would I be able to take it? I asked myself.
Pictures of such places have always played in my mind and each picture intensified my urge to do something for them. Finally, a chance. A golden opportunity to take my first step into a journey I longed for for quite some time. A journey that I knew not how to begin, the catalyst that was never to be found.
Pictures in my mind were not the true story. Images of the moment I placed my foot inside the house told me that things were not as what I've visualized. A few baby cots lined the edges of the wall. Each one with a small child in them, in some there were two children.
In the gloomy yet homely hallway, there sat a small boy on the floor. Wearing an orange T-shirt, he kept very much to himself. I placed my arm around him, trying to fill the bond that he lacked. It hit my hard in the heart to find out that he was blind and a little mentally unstable. He even broke his arm once. He was robbed of the chance to see the things we see.
I made my way up the wooden staircase. People moving around cleaning up was a common sight. On one of the beds, there sat a boy. I scrutinized him a little closer only to be saddened by the fact that he has been tied to the bed. He was suffering from some mental illness and was too hyperactive. I cannot even stand my dog being tied but then here I was looking at a young boy deprived of this mobility.
It was time for a performance from the kids. While we joined in the fun, I spotted this boy who was also dancing with us. He was about my brother's age. After a while, he went to sit at the back. I dropped out from the fun just to spend some time with him. Tears were filling up my eye lids as I sat with boy comparing his life and my brother's.
While my friends were distributing the snacks, I saw a guy who needed some help. There was someone beside him but I don't think he understood what the guy was saying. So, I approached him slowly. He gave me the packet and told me that he wanted to eat. I opened the packet and fed him one by one. After 3 snacks, he said he had had enough. I had to go because I was feeling too much for him. And so I walked elsewhere.
In the canteen, I saw my classmate playing with one of the small boys. When I went to the table, one of the boys asked me for help to open a packet of snacks. I opened and handed out the snacks one by one for him to eat. While I was doing that, another girl asked me to look at her alphabet book. I looked through and responded with a smile saying that it was nice.
Then, as I was about to go into the house again, the little boy whom I compared to my brother approached me to say goodbye. I went on my knees and held his body close to mine. I told him slowly with a gentle smile that I wasn't going back as yet and I would surely see him before I go back.
It was time for me to face the hard truth once more. I'm very affectionate towards small children. I went inside the house again to look at the small children who were lying on the cot. I found out that not all of them were small children. Some were as big as 12. It's just that they never grew.
I approached the kids, bed by bed, gently touching them to show that I meant no harm to them. They didn't respond much, just the occasional flick of the eye. They didn't know what to do when someone approached them. They didn't know who they were or what was happening to them. I didn't want to push too much. That is how sad their lives are.
As I was about to go back, I put some money into the donation box. It was just a small help to make their lives better. As promised, I met the small boy once more. I brushed his hair and said goodbye while taking away the temporary bond he formed with an elder brother.
I begged myself for the answer to this question "how could parents leave their children like this?" I asked the owner of the place about how these kids ended up here. Most of the time, parents or grandparents would leave the kids here and never come back to take the kids. How could human beings act in this way?
Has the social status of being perfect human beings eaten into their parents who reject their very own children? Has the sin called greed convinced them to neglect their gift? Have human beings in general lost a sense of compassion for the needy and gifted? Or do the cruel consider that life has lost it's value when people are born different?
Tears still try to escape the corners of my eyes when I think about how could I live like this when there are so many lives out there who need support. They were confined to their fate since they were born. But, disability did not stop those wonderful human beings form enjoying life their own way.
The residents at the disabled home reflected the true value of togetherness. The chinese and malays there could speak tamil and the indians could sing chinese songs. They helped each other whenever they could, despite the fact that they are labelled as 'disabled'. The image one of the residents wiping another young boy's face when it was smeared with cake told me that these people are solely viewed as a downcast of society due to some "perfect" people who live in the stench of their pride.
Maybe their disability is a gift from God indeed. They seem quite happy and satisfied with their lives. These people will never know about the countless selfish people out there who forget their social obligation to human beings but parade in wealth. Some say that they can't help others in need because they themselves are trying to make ends meet. However, sacrificing a little of that money and time used for self pleasure could go a long way in brightening up these innocent lives.
I admit that I was selfish before this. I had the intention to help needy people but never managed to take that small first step. Today was a day of awakening, a day that will mark the beginning of my journey to help those in need. Maybe our world could be a much better place if we give some thought for the countless people out there who need our help........
The blogger would like to thank his friends for organizing this trip to the home. He also wishes to extend his gratitude to those who helped out in cleaning the home. He gives his full respect for the 'good samaritan during the day, doctor at night' who has devoted his life to caring for these kids. A man who truly defines the word "doctor"
I place my foot past the gate with mixed feelings inside of me. The urge to do something meaningful for this unfortunate bunch was met with doubt of my ability to keep my soft emotions inside me. Would I be able to take it? I asked myself.
Pictures of such places have always played in my mind and each picture intensified my urge to do something for them. Finally, a chance. A golden opportunity to take my first step into a journey I longed for for quite some time. A journey that I knew not how to begin, the catalyst that was never to be found.
Pictures in my mind were not the true story. Images of the moment I placed my foot inside the house told me that things were not as what I've visualized. A few baby cots lined the edges of the wall. Each one with a small child in them, in some there were two children.
In the gloomy yet homely hallway, there sat a small boy on the floor. Wearing an orange T-shirt, he kept very much to himself. I placed my arm around him, trying to fill the bond that he lacked. It hit my hard in the heart to find out that he was blind and a little mentally unstable. He even broke his arm once. He was robbed of the chance to see the things we see.
I made my way up the wooden staircase. People moving around cleaning up was a common sight. On one of the beds, there sat a boy. I scrutinized him a little closer only to be saddened by the fact that he has been tied to the bed. He was suffering from some mental illness and was too hyperactive. I cannot even stand my dog being tied but then here I was looking at a young boy deprived of this mobility.
It was time for a performance from the kids. While we joined in the fun, I spotted this boy who was also dancing with us. He was about my brother's age. After a while, he went to sit at the back. I dropped out from the fun just to spend some time with him. Tears were filling up my eye lids as I sat with boy comparing his life and my brother's.
While my friends were distributing the snacks, I saw a guy who needed some help. There was someone beside him but I don't think he understood what the guy was saying. So, I approached him slowly. He gave me the packet and told me that he wanted to eat. I opened the packet and fed him one by one. After 3 snacks, he said he had had enough. I had to go because I was feeling too much for him. And so I walked elsewhere.
In the canteen, I saw my classmate playing with one of the small boys. When I went to the table, one of the boys asked me for help to open a packet of snacks. I opened and handed out the snacks one by one for him to eat. While I was doing that, another girl asked me to look at her alphabet book. I looked through and responded with a smile saying that it was nice.
Then, as I was about to go into the house again, the little boy whom I compared to my brother approached me to say goodbye. I went on my knees and held his body close to mine. I told him slowly with a gentle smile that I wasn't going back as yet and I would surely see him before I go back.
It was time for me to face the hard truth once more. I'm very affectionate towards small children. I went inside the house again to look at the small children who were lying on the cot. I found out that not all of them were small children. Some were as big as 12. It's just that they never grew.
I approached the kids, bed by bed, gently touching them to show that I meant no harm to them. They didn't respond much, just the occasional flick of the eye. They didn't know what to do when someone approached them. They didn't know who they were or what was happening to them. I didn't want to push too much. That is how sad their lives are.
As I was about to go back, I put some money into the donation box. It was just a small help to make their lives better. As promised, I met the small boy once more. I brushed his hair and said goodbye while taking away the temporary bond he formed with an elder brother.
I begged myself for the answer to this question "how could parents leave their children like this?" I asked the owner of the place about how these kids ended up here. Most of the time, parents or grandparents would leave the kids here and never come back to take the kids. How could human beings act in this way?
Has the social status of being perfect human beings eaten into their parents who reject their very own children? Has the sin called greed convinced them to neglect their gift? Have human beings in general lost a sense of compassion for the needy and gifted? Or do the cruel consider that life has lost it's value when people are born different?
Tears still try to escape the corners of my eyes when I think about how could I live like this when there are so many lives out there who need support. They were confined to their fate since they were born. But, disability did not stop those wonderful human beings form enjoying life their own way.
The residents at the disabled home reflected the true value of togetherness. The chinese and malays there could speak tamil and the indians could sing chinese songs. They helped each other whenever they could, despite the fact that they are labelled as 'disabled'. The image one of the residents wiping another young boy's face when it was smeared with cake told me that these people are solely viewed as a downcast of society due to some "perfect" people who live in the stench of their pride.
Maybe their disability is a gift from God indeed. They seem quite happy and satisfied with their lives. These people will never know about the countless selfish people out there who forget their social obligation to human beings but parade in wealth. Some say that they can't help others in need because they themselves are trying to make ends meet. However, sacrificing a little of that money and time used for self pleasure could go a long way in brightening up these innocent lives.
I admit that I was selfish before this. I had the intention to help needy people but never managed to take that small first step. Today was a day of awakening, a day that will mark the beginning of my journey to help those in need. Maybe our world could be a much better place if we give some thought for the countless people out there who need our help........
The blogger would like to thank his friends for organizing this trip to the home. He also wishes to extend his gratitude to those who helped out in cleaning the home. He gives his full respect for the 'good samaritan during the day, doctor at night' who has devoted his life to caring for these kids. A man who truly defines the word "doctor"
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The Baking Experience
Well, this is pretty unusual for a guy, but yes, just as the title suggests, I did attend a baking course. My mum and her friends were supposed to attend this 3 and a half hour baking course. However, one of my mum's friends couldn't make it. So, my mum's friends suggested to my mum to call me to join since my mum had told them about my cooking exploits at home last year.
As expected, I was the only guy there out of the 8 people who attended the workshop. It was a little awkward at first but then I told myself that I wasn't going to let these other people ruin my new experience. I knew that such opportunities were a rarity and it was up to me whether to make use of it or not.
The first thing that we were taught to do was tiramisu cake. By the way, the pastry chef who was teaching us is a Japanese. Her name is Tomoko. Well, since she's Japanese, she taught us how to make the original tiramisu cake, just the plain one, like how it was supposed to be.
We had to cut the sponge cake into 4 layers. The last layer is supposed to be discarded. We were given the 1cm bar to use as a base to cut the cake. Then, we had to wrap the three layers in a clean wrap and put it aside.
Next up was to make the mousse, or the cream layer to put in between the layers of cake. We had to mix some fresh cream, gelatin, mascarpone and Italian meringue. The Italian meringue was made for us but Tomoko later showed us how to prepare it.
One of the good things that I learned from the workshop was how to whisk and how much to do it. If whisked too much, she said the flour would become to thick and the cake will be to dry. So, just adequate amount of mixing would do. And so mix mix mix.
After that was done, we put the cream into a special kind of plastic bag with a cone at the end of it. Then, it was time to put the pieces into place. First, we had to wet the bottom layer of cake with coffee syrup (which was prepared for us). Then, squeeze the cream from the plastic bag onto that layer of cake. And then do the same thing for the other 2 layers. Once we were done with that, we had to put the cake in the fridge.
Next up was making the Gateau Chocolat Framboise (or raspberry chocolate cake). Well, it isn't really a cake because no flour is used. It's more like frozen chocolate, but worthy of a cake's stature.
We were first introduced to the types of chocolate that we could get from ingredient shops. For baking that day, we were going to use Belgian chocolate. This cake was also quite easy to do because it was basically just chocolate.
It's basically just melting chocolate with unsalted butter, and then heating eggs and granulated sugar in a separate bowl and then combining them and then adding cocoa powder. The tedious part is mixing. To make it thick and dense, we have to mix the batter about 100 times.
She taught us a technique of mixing the batter called the "cut and fold". She said she would walk around to see if we were doing it right. She basically corrected everyone except me. It's because when she came to my table, she said "That's really good, fine". My proudest moment of the day, yeah!
The last thing that we were taught to do was the basic sponge cake that we used to make the tiramisu cake earlier. We were making this for the participants of the next class. After we put the sponge cakes in the oven, we took out the tiramisu cake from the fridge and sieved some cocoa powder on it. At the end, we got to take back our tiramisu and chocolate cakes.
In my point of view, the workshop was really worth it. Tomoko was a really nice person and she was always positive and had the positive aura around her. She was also quite well versed in baking and knew reasons to why some things can be done and why some can't. And the best part, I learned some really good tips on baking which should be helpful to me in the future!
As expected, I was the only guy there out of the 8 people who attended the workshop. It was a little awkward at first but then I told myself that I wasn't going to let these other people ruin my new experience. I knew that such opportunities were a rarity and it was up to me whether to make use of it or not.
The first thing that we were taught to do was tiramisu cake. By the way, the pastry chef who was teaching us is a Japanese. Her name is Tomoko. Well, since she's Japanese, she taught us how to make the original tiramisu cake, just the plain one, like how it was supposed to be.
We had to cut the sponge cake into 4 layers. The last layer is supposed to be discarded. We were given the 1cm bar to use as a base to cut the cake. Then, we had to wrap the three layers in a clean wrap and put it aside.
Next up was to make the mousse, or the cream layer to put in between the layers of cake. We had to mix some fresh cream, gelatin, mascarpone and Italian meringue. The Italian meringue was made for us but Tomoko later showed us how to prepare it.
One of the good things that I learned from the workshop was how to whisk and how much to do it. If whisked too much, she said the flour would become to thick and the cake will be to dry. So, just adequate amount of mixing would do. And so mix mix mix.
After that was done, we put the cream into a special kind of plastic bag with a cone at the end of it. Then, it was time to put the pieces into place. First, we had to wet the bottom layer of cake with coffee syrup (which was prepared for us). Then, squeeze the cream from the plastic bag onto that layer of cake. And then do the same thing for the other 2 layers. Once we were done with that, we had to put the cake in the fridge.
Next up was making the Gateau Chocolat Framboise (or raspberry chocolate cake). Well, it isn't really a cake because no flour is used. It's more like frozen chocolate, but worthy of a cake's stature.
We were first introduced to the types of chocolate that we could get from ingredient shops. For baking that day, we were going to use Belgian chocolate. This cake was also quite easy to do because it was basically just chocolate.
It's basically just melting chocolate with unsalted butter, and then heating eggs and granulated sugar in a separate bowl and then combining them and then adding cocoa powder. The tedious part is mixing. To make it thick and dense, we have to mix the batter about 100 times.
She taught us a technique of mixing the batter called the "cut and fold". She said she would walk around to see if we were doing it right. She basically corrected everyone except me. It's because when she came to my table, she said "That's really good, fine". My proudest moment of the day, yeah!
The last thing that we were taught to do was the basic sponge cake that we used to make the tiramisu cake earlier. We were making this for the participants of the next class. After we put the sponge cakes in the oven, we took out the tiramisu cake from the fridge and sieved some cocoa powder on it. At the end, we got to take back our tiramisu and chocolate cakes.
In my point of view, the workshop was really worth it. Tomoko was a really nice person and she was always positive and had the positive aura around her. She was also quite well versed in baking and knew reasons to why some things can be done and why some can't. And the best part, I learned some really good tips on baking which should be helpful to me in the future!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Teaching Me Something
Got a call and had a change in plans. I made my way out of the last carriage. I'm usually the last one to give my ticket when I alight at that particular station. However, this time, I surprisingly passed a couple of people.
Something was just different about them. I knew it the moment I saw them. When I was still behind them, I could see that they were communicating. As I passed by them, I caught a glimpse of hand movements. There was no sound. A few more steps later, I turned back and the picture was clear to me.
To put it simple, they were a deaf couple. I'm always amazed by how people with disabilities live their lives. I usually like to observe such things but I had to go back home soon, or so I thought.
I had to wait a while at the station as my father was caught up in a traffic jam. As I sat down on one of the chairs, I realized that the couple were also waiting at the station. I occasionally glimpsed at them.
I was kinda amazed by the way they were communicating with each other. They moved their hands with such grace and speed that I was finding it difficult to follow their hand signatures. They laughed at each others jokes (silently) as if it was a normal conversation.
Then, there was once when the guy waved a few sings and the girl just laid her subtle cheek on his shoulders. I could see that it was indeed a sign of love. Many questions popped up to me at that time.
How would it be for me if I had to go through that sort of life? I talk a lot and not being able to talk would be a curse to me. Yet, there it was right in front of my eyes, a couple understanding each other without even talking. Why is life so unfair to them? To me, they look like they don't feel inferior to others although they can't talk because they have each other.
The sound of the tyres on the railway tracks signalled the arrival of the next train. As the passengers came out of the station, I saw a friend of mine whom I meet sometimes around college. Well, she sat beside me as she had to wait for her father as well.
As our conversation progressed, I started to learn about how difficult her life was. Her parents are very strict with her and she doesn't have any freedom at home. Her parents have prohibited her from using a handphone and even disallow her to have a Facebook account.
She started telling me about how she had been coping with life despite all those adversities. She expressed feelings of joy when explaining about certain things that I would not even care about. She found happiness in the small cracks between her stone-walled life.
After she left, I realized that there was a striking similarity between to two situations. In both of them, the people knew how to appreciate life in the midst of hardships. I realized that I what I was going through during all these times wasn't really comparable to the things that they were going through.
If I can learn something from them, I would say that I should stop complaining about my life. Everyone's life is not so happy and nice all the time yet they still strive to find some happiness. That day, I realized that happiness is always there in one's life and it'll never come to us unless we make an effort to find it.....
Something was just different about them. I knew it the moment I saw them. When I was still behind them, I could see that they were communicating. As I passed by them, I caught a glimpse of hand movements. There was no sound. A few more steps later, I turned back and the picture was clear to me.
To put it simple, they were a deaf couple. I'm always amazed by how people with disabilities live their lives. I usually like to observe such things but I had to go back home soon, or so I thought.
I had to wait a while at the station as my father was caught up in a traffic jam. As I sat down on one of the chairs, I realized that the couple were also waiting at the station. I occasionally glimpsed at them.
I was kinda amazed by the way they were communicating with each other. They moved their hands with such grace and speed that I was finding it difficult to follow their hand signatures. They laughed at each others jokes (silently) as if it was a normal conversation.
Then, there was once when the guy waved a few sings and the girl just laid her subtle cheek on his shoulders. I could see that it was indeed a sign of love. Many questions popped up to me at that time.
How would it be for me if I had to go through that sort of life? I talk a lot and not being able to talk would be a curse to me. Yet, there it was right in front of my eyes, a couple understanding each other without even talking. Why is life so unfair to them? To me, they look like they don't feel inferior to others although they can't talk because they have each other.
The sound of the tyres on the railway tracks signalled the arrival of the next train. As the passengers came out of the station, I saw a friend of mine whom I meet sometimes around college. Well, she sat beside me as she had to wait for her father as well.
As our conversation progressed, I started to learn about how difficult her life was. Her parents are very strict with her and she doesn't have any freedom at home. Her parents have prohibited her from using a handphone and even disallow her to have a Facebook account.
She started telling me about how she had been coping with life despite all those adversities. She expressed feelings of joy when explaining about certain things that I would not even care about. She found happiness in the small cracks between her stone-walled life.
After she left, I realized that there was a striking similarity between to two situations. In both of them, the people knew how to appreciate life in the midst of hardships. I realized that I what I was going through during all these times wasn't really comparable to the things that they were going through.
If I can learn something from them, I would say that I should stop complaining about my life. Everyone's life is not so happy and nice all the time yet they still strive to find some happiness. That day, I realized that happiness is always there in one's life and it'll never come to us unless we make an effort to find it.....
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Good Bye, Buddy
"The dogs were fighting at home this morning"
"Why??"
"I don't know. They were not even eating at that time."
I got out of my mum's car to greet my two little buddies who were tied up. They had just had their dinner and were sitting quietly. As soon as they saw me, they woke up, barked and started wagging their tails, waiting for me to pat and play with them. As soon as I pat them, my maid took the dogs out for a walk.
After they were back, I wanted to see if any of them was hurt as I heard that the fight was quite ferocious. I couldn't see any scratches or marks so I assumed that they were fine. Then, when Rocky started to try and play with Rusky, everything went wrong.
Rusky became really fierce and another fight was about to break out. I knew the sound the dogs make if they were angry and I quickly puled them apart just in time. I asked my maid to tie rocky while I tied Rusky. Then, as I inspected the dogs, I realized that Rusky's left eye was slightly red. However, Rocky leg was already fine as the maid told me that rocky had injured his leg during the fight.
After some time, I released Rocky to see whether there were any changes. Everything was fine until he started to walk near Rusky. Rusky gave that growl that he usually does when he's angry and I knew immediately that the they were still not calmed down.
After some time, I released Rusky. He was fine right until he got near Rusky. I went in between them as soon as I released Rusky. Rocky didn't like him coming near me and he started to growl, prompting Rusky to bark as well. Before things got any worse, I pulled Rusky away.
I didn't know what to do. I just stared at them. They were fighting over me and each didn't want the other coming near me. Usually, it was Rocky who would be overprotective of me but then this time Rusky thought he should have his say in his owner as well.
I knew that this cannot be going on for long. I just can't leave it like this. And I knew what the only option was. Tears started rolling down my face. I've cried before when my parents suggested it to me. I couldn't choose between them. I loved them equally. I went up to my room and just sat in silence there, wiping tears off my face.
I know it had to be done. I was looking for the guts to tell my parents. All this while, my parents were keeping quiet because of me. As I thought about my decision over and over again, I kept on thinking what it would be like without one of them.
I went downstairs and tried to produce some words out of my mouth. Tears preceded the tears and somehow I managed to stutter out what I wanted to tell my dad. I told him to return one of the dogs to the shelter home and to do it as soon as possible so that I won't have to go through this pain in me longer. I didn't finish the sentence as my crying just intensified at the thought of letting go of one of them.
I took the keys and went to the porch just to be with my puppies. I knew which one they were going to give away. When this topic propped up the last time, they already decided whom to give away. I sat by him as he nibbled my finger and licked my arm. he sat there under the bench quietly and I patted him.
After some time, my father came down all dressed up to take the dog out. I couldn't control my tears anymore. I told my mum to go with my dad because I would be able to let go off him at the shelter home. I said goodbye as my dad walked him out of the house.
Just before my dad put him in the car, I told him to hold on as I wanted to to pat my dog one more time. As I went near the dog, he started running towards me just to lick me. I gave him a long meaningful hug, with tears rolling onto him. I knew I had to let go off him.
I watched as my father drove away taking my buddy with him. I had to pick up my sister from her tuition class. As I drove, the only image that kept hitting my mind was the moment when he ran to me before I gave him my last hug. That image didn't leave my mind as I kept my sister in suspense by being quiet throughout the journey back home.
When I reached home, the first thing I did was pat my other puppy. Then, when my sister asked where's the other one, I couldn't hold back my tears. She understood and went in. I just sat there on the bench outside, crying and recalling the memories I had with my puppy who was gone.
One of his favourite things to do was to jump and rest on my lap whenever I sat on the bench I was sitting on. He'll usually be the first one to do so. He was very protective of me. He always wanted me to stroke his body when he lies down upwards.
He was the most obedient among the 2. He used to wait patiently for food and never had a problem when we tie him. He hated medicines for some reason. I still remember trying to give him his immune booster after his first visit to the veterinarian. It took him some time to get used to it.
As I sat by the sofa gulping down some hot chocolate drink, I thought of times when he would sit by the grill and seek my attention. Sometimes, I would stroke his body from inside my house (he would sleep right by the grill). I remember that he used to eat his treats slowly as his teeth wasn't as strong as the other.
He was the more energetic of the 2. He always jumped to get his toy when I held it high. He also used to be very excited when my brother kicked the ball around on some evenings. He would try to get the ball but I would steal it away and throw it for him to run and get it again.
I realized that after this, I can't say "hello boys" when I get back home from college, "come here boys" when I want to take them for walks, "good morning boys" when I wake up, "good night boys" when I close the front door at night. I'll have to remove the plural sounds.
I know if I go to the shelter home and call "come here boy", he'll run towards me, jump on me and lick me. I built a very strong bond with him as with my other puppy. The good times with him have gone but the memories will always be with me. I hope you're doing well. I'll miss you. Good Bye, Rocky.............
"Why??"
"I don't know. They were not even eating at that time."
I got out of my mum's car to greet my two little buddies who were tied up. They had just had their dinner and were sitting quietly. As soon as they saw me, they woke up, barked and started wagging their tails, waiting for me to pat and play with them. As soon as I pat them, my maid took the dogs out for a walk.
After they were back, I wanted to see if any of them was hurt as I heard that the fight was quite ferocious. I couldn't see any scratches or marks so I assumed that they were fine. Then, when Rocky started to try and play with Rusky, everything went wrong.
Rusky became really fierce and another fight was about to break out. I knew the sound the dogs make if they were angry and I quickly puled them apart just in time. I asked my maid to tie rocky while I tied Rusky. Then, as I inspected the dogs, I realized that Rusky's left eye was slightly red. However, Rocky leg was already fine as the maid told me that rocky had injured his leg during the fight.
After some time, I released Rocky to see whether there were any changes. Everything was fine until he started to walk near Rusky. Rusky gave that growl that he usually does when he's angry and I knew immediately that the they were still not calmed down.
After some time, I released Rusky. He was fine right until he got near Rusky. I went in between them as soon as I released Rusky. Rocky didn't like him coming near me and he started to growl, prompting Rusky to bark as well. Before things got any worse, I pulled Rusky away.
I didn't know what to do. I just stared at them. They were fighting over me and each didn't want the other coming near me. Usually, it was Rocky who would be overprotective of me but then this time Rusky thought he should have his say in his owner as well.
I knew that this cannot be going on for long. I just can't leave it like this. And I knew what the only option was. Tears started rolling down my face. I've cried before when my parents suggested it to me. I couldn't choose between them. I loved them equally. I went up to my room and just sat in silence there, wiping tears off my face.
I know it had to be done. I was looking for the guts to tell my parents. All this while, my parents were keeping quiet because of me. As I thought about my decision over and over again, I kept on thinking what it would be like without one of them.
I went downstairs and tried to produce some words out of my mouth. Tears preceded the tears and somehow I managed to stutter out what I wanted to tell my dad. I told him to return one of the dogs to the shelter home and to do it as soon as possible so that I won't have to go through this pain in me longer. I didn't finish the sentence as my crying just intensified at the thought of letting go of one of them.
I took the keys and went to the porch just to be with my puppies. I knew which one they were going to give away. When this topic propped up the last time, they already decided whom to give away. I sat by him as he nibbled my finger and licked my arm. he sat there under the bench quietly and I patted him.
After some time, my father came down all dressed up to take the dog out. I couldn't control my tears anymore. I told my mum to go with my dad because I would be able to let go off him at the shelter home. I said goodbye as my dad walked him out of the house.
Just before my dad put him in the car, I told him to hold on as I wanted to to pat my dog one more time. As I went near the dog, he started running towards me just to lick me. I gave him a long meaningful hug, with tears rolling onto him. I knew I had to let go off him.
I watched as my father drove away taking my buddy with him. I had to pick up my sister from her tuition class. As I drove, the only image that kept hitting my mind was the moment when he ran to me before I gave him my last hug. That image didn't leave my mind as I kept my sister in suspense by being quiet throughout the journey back home.
When I reached home, the first thing I did was pat my other puppy. Then, when my sister asked where's the other one, I couldn't hold back my tears. She understood and went in. I just sat there on the bench outside, crying and recalling the memories I had with my puppy who was gone.
One of his favourite things to do was to jump and rest on my lap whenever I sat on the bench I was sitting on. He'll usually be the first one to do so. He was very protective of me. He always wanted me to stroke his body when he lies down upwards.
He was the most obedient among the 2. He used to wait patiently for food and never had a problem when we tie him. He hated medicines for some reason. I still remember trying to give him his immune booster after his first visit to the veterinarian. It took him some time to get used to it.
As I sat by the sofa gulping down some hot chocolate drink, I thought of times when he would sit by the grill and seek my attention. Sometimes, I would stroke his body from inside my house (he would sleep right by the grill). I remember that he used to eat his treats slowly as his teeth wasn't as strong as the other.
He was the more energetic of the 2. He always jumped to get his toy when I held it high. He also used to be very excited when my brother kicked the ball around on some evenings. He would try to get the ball but I would steal it away and throw it for him to run and get it again.
I realized that after this, I can't say "hello boys" when I get back home from college, "come here boys" when I want to take them for walks, "good morning boys" when I wake up, "good night boys" when I close the front door at night. I'll have to remove the plural sounds.
I know if I go to the shelter home and call "come here boy", he'll run towards me, jump on me and lick me. I built a very strong bond with him as with my other puppy. The good times with him have gone but the memories will always be with me. I hope you're doing well. I'll miss you. Good Bye, Rocky.............
Monday, January 7, 2013
Finally, Light At The End Of The Dark Tunnel
2012. It was supposed to be a year full of excitement at the face of a new life after leaving school. So much expectation, enthusiasm, and aspirations for the supposedly free year. However, it turned out to be a year full of surprises.
Using the word surprises doesn't seem so fitting if you look at it from a positive point of view. Every year, there are always ups and downs but I'll give it to 2012 for the most extreme ups and downs in a year.
Let's start off on a positive note. One of the most amazing things to happen in 2012 was that I got 10A+ for my SPM examinations. I was really elated by the results as I was honestly expecting something slightly lower. Well, you know, when you see you've gotten an A+ for the subject which you struggle to get an A, you have to be delighted that your hard work has paid off.
The next best thing that happened to me was the fact that I got 2 puppies towards the end of the year. Cute little puppies, playful and joyful as ever. I really enjoy their company as they're creatures who you can say anything too and they'll still love you.
The other good thing that happened in 2012 is that my friends and I had a lot more outings and meet ups. The dinner sessions were really fun to go for because we'll usually laugh our ass off joking about everything. For instance, during our latest dinner together, we caught on to the topic "harry potter and the missing muruku" and I almost threw up my dinner because I laughed too much.
It seems all so happy when I point out the positives but last year really brought me down to my knees. A year that tested me till the the bottom of my heart. A year that tested my courage, patience, determination and self reflection skills throughout the year.
I won't forget the depression I went through. The main reason I became depressed was the fact that the injury to my adductors were taking too long to heal, which meant I couldn't run. Running is my passion and to take that away for a long time proved to be the reason for my ultimate downfall.
Since I've shrugged off the depression now, I don't want to go in details with it. The worst part was that I was losing ground on all the things that mattered the most to me that I felt so helpless. The idea of giving up struck my mind time and time again.
Luckily for me, my closest friends helped me out of it. They advised me, each in their very own way on how I should tackle my problems. Today, I have to thank them for all they've done for me.
Other negatives for 2012 was the robbery that happened in my house and the fact that I couldn't bode well with my current classmates. I'm getting on pretty well but then there's still this thing inside of me to be around fun people who enjoy life while in class. I made up my mind that if I was going to go through 1 1/2 years in my current college, I must learn how to accept differences.
So you see, 2012 isn't really a year I can look back to and say, "Hey, I really did have a meaningful year". If there's another thing I can take from 2012, it would be how strong I've become, emotionally. Due to so many problems, I've had to train myself to suppress feelings for affection and to keep strong. Tough times, when I look back, but, I'm going to use that strength to carry me after this.
Determined to shrug off that dreadful year, I made a few plans and resolutions for this year. Unfortunately, I'm not planning to reveal them here as I'd made quite a few personal ones. The thing is, my life revolves around a few people who read this blog so revealing some things won't be so appropriate for some.
Well, one thing I can reveal here is that I've made quite a tight schedule for myself. I've had to because I would be sitting for 5 exams this year-AS exam, A2 exam, TOEFL, SAT 1 and SAT 2 (Maths and Physics). So, I've got a pretty busy and hectic year up ahead.
Bad times come and go. What we've got to do is to learn from them. I'm grateful in the sense that I've managed to get some positives out of 2012. The most important one will be the emotional strength I've obtained from the depression I went through. And you know what, I'm already staring at the door of a brighter 2013 in front of me. Happy New Year!
Using the word surprises doesn't seem so fitting if you look at it from a positive point of view. Every year, there are always ups and downs but I'll give it to 2012 for the most extreme ups and downs in a year.
Let's start off on a positive note. One of the most amazing things to happen in 2012 was that I got 10A+ for my SPM examinations. I was really elated by the results as I was honestly expecting something slightly lower. Well, you know, when you see you've gotten an A+ for the subject which you struggle to get an A, you have to be delighted that your hard work has paid off.
The next best thing that happened to me was the fact that I got 2 puppies towards the end of the year. Cute little puppies, playful and joyful as ever. I really enjoy their company as they're creatures who you can say anything too and they'll still love you.
The other good thing that happened in 2012 is that my friends and I had a lot more outings and meet ups. The dinner sessions were really fun to go for because we'll usually laugh our ass off joking about everything. For instance, during our latest dinner together, we caught on to the topic "harry potter and the missing muruku" and I almost threw up my dinner because I laughed too much.
It seems all so happy when I point out the positives but last year really brought me down to my knees. A year that tested me till the the bottom of my heart. A year that tested my courage, patience, determination and self reflection skills throughout the year.
I won't forget the depression I went through. The main reason I became depressed was the fact that the injury to my adductors were taking too long to heal, which meant I couldn't run. Running is my passion and to take that away for a long time proved to be the reason for my ultimate downfall.
Since I've shrugged off the depression now, I don't want to go in details with it. The worst part was that I was losing ground on all the things that mattered the most to me that I felt so helpless. The idea of giving up struck my mind time and time again.
Luckily for me, my closest friends helped me out of it. They advised me, each in their very own way on how I should tackle my problems. Today, I have to thank them for all they've done for me.
Other negatives for 2012 was the robbery that happened in my house and the fact that I couldn't bode well with my current classmates. I'm getting on pretty well but then there's still this thing inside of me to be around fun people who enjoy life while in class. I made up my mind that if I was going to go through 1 1/2 years in my current college, I must learn how to accept differences.
So you see, 2012 isn't really a year I can look back to and say, "Hey, I really did have a meaningful year". If there's another thing I can take from 2012, it would be how strong I've become, emotionally. Due to so many problems, I've had to train myself to suppress feelings for affection and to keep strong. Tough times, when I look back, but, I'm going to use that strength to carry me after this.
Determined to shrug off that dreadful year, I made a few plans and resolutions for this year. Unfortunately, I'm not planning to reveal them here as I'd made quite a few personal ones. The thing is, my life revolves around a few people who read this blog so revealing some things won't be so appropriate for some.
Well, one thing I can reveal here is that I've made quite a tight schedule for myself. I've had to because I would be sitting for 5 exams this year-AS exam, A2 exam, TOEFL, SAT 1 and SAT 2 (Maths and Physics). So, I've got a pretty busy and hectic year up ahead.
Bad times come and go. What we've got to do is to learn from them. I'm grateful in the sense that I've managed to get some positives out of 2012. The most important one will be the emotional strength I've obtained from the depression I went through. And you know what, I'm already staring at the door of a brighter 2013 in front of me. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
My New Buddies
"There's a surprise for you at home"
"What surprise? Did you buy anything special?"
"Nope, continue guessing"
"Is there a dog at home?"
"No. Why did you guess that?"
"I don't know, sounds like the most likely surprise"
"Continue guessing..."
"I give up"
Moments later when I reached home...
"I knew it. You lied"
.....I saw two little puppies running around the front porch while my dad was fixing the steel netting to prevent the dogs from going out. I quickly got out of my mum's car, grabbed my bagged from the back seat and skipped to the front gate to get a closer look at the puppies.
As soon as I stepped in, the dogs started jumping on me playfully. I bent down to pat them and they continued running around me and the others at home to get used to our odours. I put my bag inside my house and went out to play with the dogs. But then, it struck me that I had my semester 1 examinations the next week so I couldn't spend too much time with the dogs.
This was something I really hated. Every day, I could only spend little time with the puppies because I had to study. I felt kinda pity for them because whenever I left them after playing, they would give a kind of sound which sounds like they're crying. Well, once my exams were over, I was really happy I didn't have to worry about time constraint for the time being.
Rusky and Rocky are really friendly to the people they know. They like playing with people, especially once they're used to someone. Usually, when I see them for the first time in the morning, they'll start jumping on the grill for me to come out. And once I'm out, they'll jump on for quite some time. They really make my mornings wonderful.
However, my sister is still scared of them. I can't only laugh looking at her antics daily, especially when she wants to go out or come into the house. We have to hold the dogs every time she has to come out and she always asks help from someone to get her footwear. She's slowly improving but I hope she can improve at a faster rate.
Rocky doesn't like the veterinarian. He didn't like the immunization injections or the medicines. He's not the adventurous kind when it comes to eating. He hated the immune booster initially but then got used to it. Rusky on the other hand will eat just about anything you serve him.
They kinda hate bathing or getting wet. I guess almost all animals are like that. I still remember the first time they had their baths. They were like squealing the whole time as they hated getting water all over her body. They continued squealing after bathing as they were feeling cold. It was kinda cute seeing them being wrapped up in towels.
They're also not the kind of dogs who like toys. My dad bought for them a toy each a week after bringing them home. At the beginning, they liked nibbling it and liked it when I threw the toy for them to catch. Now, The toys are just sitting in a corner.
Rocky, the rottweiler and spitz mix, is the fiercer dog. He likes to play rough and he barks more at the sight of strangers. However, Rusky, the spitz mix, can become very very fierce when it comes to food. There were already 2 big fights between them due to food before.
Due to this, my parents are planning to give away one of the dogs. But, I don't have the heart to let go of any of them. I really love both of them equally and the thought of having one go away really saddens me. My parents are still considering the move as I'm constantly trying to convince them to keep the dogs. Now, I tie them up far away during meals so that they don't fight.
While that decision is still pending, one thing's for sure. I've already built a strong bond with my two puppies even though it's only been about a month. It's like a relationship I don't know how to explain. Maybe some of you who have had dogs before will understand. I guess the saying that "a dog is man's best friend" has some truth in it, or should I say it's very true......
"What surprise? Did you buy anything special?"
"Nope, continue guessing"
"Is there a dog at home?"
"No. Why did you guess that?"
"I don't know, sounds like the most likely surprise"
"Continue guessing..."
"I give up"
Moments later when I reached home...
"I knew it. You lied"
.....I saw two little puppies running around the front porch while my dad was fixing the steel netting to prevent the dogs from going out. I quickly got out of my mum's car, grabbed my bagged from the back seat and skipped to the front gate to get a closer look at the puppies.
As soon as I stepped in, the dogs started jumping on me playfully. I bent down to pat them and they continued running around me and the others at home to get used to our odours. I put my bag inside my house and went out to play with the dogs. But then, it struck me that I had my semester 1 examinations the next week so I couldn't spend too much time with the dogs.
This was something I really hated. Every day, I could only spend little time with the puppies because I had to study. I felt kinda pity for them because whenever I left them after playing, they would give a kind of sound which sounds like they're crying. Well, once my exams were over, I was really happy I didn't have to worry about time constraint for the time being.
Rusky and Rocky are really friendly to the people they know. They like playing with people, especially once they're used to someone. Usually, when I see them for the first time in the morning, they'll start jumping on the grill for me to come out. And once I'm out, they'll jump on for quite some time. They really make my mornings wonderful.
However, my sister is still scared of them. I can't only laugh looking at her antics daily, especially when she wants to go out or come into the house. We have to hold the dogs every time she has to come out and she always asks help from someone to get her footwear. She's slowly improving but I hope she can improve at a faster rate.
Rocky doesn't like the veterinarian. He didn't like the immunization injections or the medicines. He's not the adventurous kind when it comes to eating. He hated the immune booster initially but then got used to it. Rusky on the other hand will eat just about anything you serve him.
They kinda hate bathing or getting wet. I guess almost all animals are like that. I still remember the first time they had their baths. They were like squealing the whole time as they hated getting water all over her body. They continued squealing after bathing as they were feeling cold. It was kinda cute seeing them being wrapped up in towels.
They're also not the kind of dogs who like toys. My dad bought for them a toy each a week after bringing them home. At the beginning, they liked nibbling it and liked it when I threw the toy for them to catch. Now, The toys are just sitting in a corner.
Rocky, the rottweiler and spitz mix, is the fiercer dog. He likes to play rough and he barks more at the sight of strangers. However, Rusky, the spitz mix, can become very very fierce when it comes to food. There were already 2 big fights between them due to food before.
Due to this, my parents are planning to give away one of the dogs. But, I don't have the heart to let go of any of them. I really love both of them equally and the thought of having one go away really saddens me. My parents are still considering the move as I'm constantly trying to convince them to keep the dogs. Now, I tie them up far away during meals so that they don't fight.
While that decision is still pending, one thing's for sure. I've already built a strong bond with my two puppies even though it's only been about a month. It's like a relationship I don't know how to explain. Maybe some of you who have had dogs before will understand. I guess the saying that "a dog is man's best friend" has some truth in it, or should I say it's very true......
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