Shssssh... someone is listening or watching you.

As I drive or walk along the streets I can help but noticed the ubiquitous cameras mounted on lamp posts, traffic lights and wherever there's a space for one to be installed. Should I feel safer that there are so many eyes watching my every move or should I shudder to think that nothing I do is private. Given the revelations in the news media about government agencies in the US and how they spy on their citizens every conversation and every move, I wonder why do we need to whisper anything that we don't want others to know when we are speaking to someone. After all it is a matter of time before Uncle Sam gets to know what was whispered. But one thought crossed my mischievous mind and that is what happens in the Catholic church confessional? What is someone put a listening bug in the box and gets to hear all the goings on which must make a good script for "TruTV" . 

We're getting older, on the other hand...

It's funny how we humans think... take for example how we fret when we feel that we are getting older. Yet we are so happy to look forward to our birthdays, to a New Year, to a Christmas and to the many appointments that we make in the following days, weeks and months. Many don't realise that if there is one thing that is certain from the time you are born into this world, it is the fact that the clock is ticking and you'll be getting older. For many getting older is associated with wisdom, growing up, adulthood, parenthood and even retirement. But what we don't look at is the fact that it also means you are that much nearer to expiry... or simply put, you are a step closer to the grave. I been to so many wakes and send-off ceremonies that I could easily play back the memories at these sorrowful events.

I have been planning trips to this and that place, planning to buy this and that thing some date in the future and when I paused to think, I thought how funny life is. I have gone this far and yet I am looking farther ahead assuming that everything else will remain the same. Not so, as our body will tell us. Suddenly that flight of stairs become a hill climb. Or that hop across the drain becomes a leap. Your legs just won't move or your joints aren't willing to hold on to your body.

Guess I won't be able to discuss this freely with my friends; many people understandably do not wish to look at the other side of life and they are just optimists by nature. I will be labelled as morbid if I talk about expiration of life. All Soul's Day is just slightly over a month away. The young ones will be gearing up for that Halloween party and the retailers will bare all their wares for those who need a new costume or one that is more frightening that the one worn last year. I laughed when I see them all dressed to look like ghouls and I thought indeed when their time comes, they may ask: Oh dear... how do I get out of this and wind back the clock?

 

The Spring Festival

After all the rush to clean up and stock up alas the Chinese New Year has come and you get all worn out after three days of celebrating, i.e. receiving relatives and visiting relatives, and feasting throughout. But it is important to remember that the festival is not about feasting and drinking; rather it is about catching up with relatives, finding out how they have fared through the past months and wishing each other all the blessings and well-wishes for the next 12 months. Indeed we ask ourselves why do we not keep in touch as often as we should, especially given that Singapore is only an island state and getting from one point to another at worse takes only an hour or so? It's all about the rat-race and the rat I feel is more energetic in urban Singapore than elsewhere. Another reason advanced by some is that familiarity breeds contempt and so it is better to keep a distance and enjoy the absence. The reality it seems among many families is that if they don't meet during the festive season, they may meet during weddings or funerals. While weddings may not occur as often, with a greying population, funerals seem to be the more frequent platform.

Sadly the erosion of cultural ties among some of us has seen many traditions eroded and everyone becomes so glued to their portable smart phones and their ipads that even when they are on that once a year visit, some just continued playing with their technological gadgets. I hope it won't come a time when visits are just done on Skype or Twitter. Perhaps and I hope I may be wrong.

Season to be jolly or ...

The year-end is known to be a time for parties and gatherings. However, this may not be the same for everyone. There are people out there in the community who may find themselves left out or who may not be comfortable with all the hustle and bustle. Some of us maybe party animals but not everyone is. So it didn't come as a surprise whens someone says to me: It's rather lonely you know during this time of the year. People are gathered at parties and etc but I'm not that type so I stay away.

I remember a colleague who was a bachelor and since passed on. He looked forward to coming to work because he said at least there would be people around him. When at home, he would be faced with the boredom of the four walls and his landlord. The sad thing was that he would turn to alcohol to be his companion and in the proverbial way "drown his sorrows". But for someone who is  a teetotaler what is the option? Today there is the Internet and world wide web... but going into chat rooms can be as bad as hitting the bottle. We know of many scams and pornography and etc where the unwary visitors get into greater depression in the aftermath of a session.

Loneliness is a state of the mind, so say the expert. You can talk yourself into a state of depression or you can get out of it, snap yourself into a different mode - a happy high note and move forward. I am incline to take this route and get myself out there with the maddening crowd; get to know people, start a network, join an interest group and before you know it you will find yourself into circulation.

If you wallow in self-pity; believe in the doomsday and keep to yourself then there is little that even the medical psychologist can do. I would say go wear some bright colours, pick up the phone, make a call to a friend for dinner, tea at Starbucks or even breakfast at McDonald's or supper at Marriott Hotel. Yes, you may get a nay answer today but there's always tomorrow and another day. Yes, you may not have many friends but you need a point where you can start off. It need not cost you an arm or a leg unless you choose to flount your wealth and you'll attract the wrong sort of friends.

We all live in a world where people will move on, some even to another world when they are older. So we have to accept that if we don't build up the network of friends or interact with other fellow humans, then we will have to accept that we will have to live a hermit's life.

A Year of Hits, Misses

As I write this post, I could see the dark clouds blanketing the sky and the swooshing of water on the road as the vehicle drive on the rainfall. Eleven months have passed and there's just another page on the calender before the year draws to a finish. Things haven't changed much since the same time last year. My office is just as it was though more files are fighting for a space on my table. But don't get me wrong... it doesn't translate to more business. In fact with  Europe now in double dip recession and the US struggling like a swimmer caught by ripping current off Australia's Bondi Beach.

Reflecting on the past months, I would say I learnt more about the meaning of friendship. I learnt that there are so-called friends who can change their sincerity like the way chameleon changes their colours. Beyond  the rhetoric and handshakes, there's a somewhat eerie emptiness. Fortunately there was no serious harm to anyone but indeed I am amused at the antics played out over the years. They reminded me also of another person I met, who would be all hyped up with high-five and all the Mona Lisa smiles, to hide a distorted picture of selfishness and self-centredness. I guess this is mankind and it happens everywhere. Another encounter was a personality that would stop at nothing to get a grasp at power... though I have no intention in competing for even a ounce of it given that I would rather focus on my own business. The lack of sincerity befuddles me as I watch the player unfold all the tapestry to grab the attention of the grand audience.

My thought turned to the lyrics of The Seekers song I'll Never Find  Another You.. and I thought of my pets who have gone to their resting place. With me still is my faithful and only pet Richie who is also growing older in years. But his respect for mankind never change. He's as obedient as he was 12 years ago. Not a day would pass where he'll not be there to welcome me as I get into the covered driveway. No wonder it is said: a dog is a man's best friend.

And talking about friends, true friends, yes soon it will be Christmas and a select group of friends will gather for food and merry-making. It's not that we need a special occasion to gather but we'll do it anyway. Tonight another group of friends would be gathering for dinner - a special group - as they're my classmates from the 60s. How we have grown and yet we never forget to relive those good old school-go days, laugh at one another when we talked about the silly things we do, and reminisce on the minor incidents which today become magnified as milestones in our days at school.



 

As I write this year-end post, I can't help but reflect on the events of yesteryears especially the infamous attack on Pearl Habour which resulted in the loss of 3000 lives of American servicemen. The aftermath of this attack was the Japanese invasion of a whole swathe of Asia and Southeast Asia where they inflicted unnecessary pain and destruction on the people. But  more than 70 years have passed but mankind don't seem to learn the lesson of war. There's violence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and lesser street skirmishes across capitals in Europe and China. As 2011 comes slowly to a close, it is one year where we are better off leaving it behind than to have to cope with it. There was the mass destruction from natural disasters and from the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant arising from a tsunami that was triggered by a massive earthquake, floods in Thailand. 2011 is a year of disaster, if I may say so. Even the media met with disaster with the phone-hacking scandal in Britain that saw the closure of the News of the World.

Some consolation is the baby steps taken by Myanmar military juanta to introduce limited freedom to its people, and the delicate thawing of relations among the people in Thailand who were divided due to political bickering. In Moscow, Putin's party was given a drubbing and won narrowly and a demonstration erupted in the streets of Moscow by anti-Putin protestors alleging vote rigging.

The event that dominated the headlines of major newspapers was the Euro zone economic turmoil, and not forgetting US debt crisis that almost saw the closure of the government in Washington. What more can we expect in these last two weeks to the New Year but to pray that all will turn out well and enough is enough of all the fighting and the disaster.

Some things just don't go away

It's funny how some things just linger on your mind though weeks, months and years may have passed. And, I am talking about the departure of my pet dogs - Fred, Goofy, Snowy and Rabbit. Somehow time and time again images of them appear before you mind, and fondly everyone at home would talk about what they would do, or how they would have reacted and so on and so forth. Perhaps it's because they left a legacy...a very lovable and adorable son Richie who now carries on providing our home with the fond memories.

Indeed, I mention pets but also the passing of our loved ones, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and even friends too leave fond memories. I then asked myself how will I be remembered after my life. Maybe some may remember me for my humour, some for my community work and others for the weeks they spent attending my classes. But looking back as I posed myself this question, I realised that perhaps I may not have done enough in my lifetime to be remembered?

Though who knew me when I was young may recall my days of playing the guitar and house parties. In adulthood others may recall my years as a journalist, covering events in and around Singapore and the region. Others who met me in my latter life may know me as their lecturer if they attended my classes. And, yet others with whom I spent hours at the community work may know the the other side of me. My family will of course remember me in another context, someone fussy, demanding, always making sure that things are all in order. But I think many may say: "Oh, he's a good story teller and we always like to hear him".

See, it is interesting to sit back and reflect on what you've done and how will you be remembered. Well, until that day comes...there'll still be some more stories to tell.

Alas the year is slowly creeping away...

It's been a few months since my last post and I realized that the months are gradually creeping away and before we know it another new year will descend on us. I must say the year so far has been filled with turbulence, not just for me but I'm sure for many people too. Personally, yes it has been a year of changes and a year of reckoning in some respects, but nothing that is insurmountable. Indeed I've been giving much thought what I would like to do with my time if I have some to spare.  I have harboured thoughts of pursuing another degree or to look for something more satisfying that I can leave as a legacy to my time on this good earth. No, don't get me wrong. I am but a little being and am in no position to change this world but I feel perhaps I can do in my own little way a contribution or two to make it a better place for everyone.

I love listening to the birds chirping, looking at the horizon while standing or looking across an open undulating land from a hilltop. I love watching the waves rushing up the shores, or even when they are lashing at the breakwater. Perhaps there's a bias towards nature in mind though this didn't take centrestage in my life all these years. Why then do I feel this way in the latter part of my life? I even attended a talk by Dr Jane Goodall, the primatologist, and hear her sharing on preservation of wild life and the need to keep the earth from being gobbled up by buildings, roads and other structures that require the uprooting of trees and shrubs.

Meantime I was distracted by a call asking me to book tickets to Elton John's concert. Indeed that is my other interest - music. Not an accomplished musician but I do love much for they are the tracks that help transport my mind to the days of yesteryears where things were much simpler and less complicated. It's time, so I am reminded, for me to log into my Youtube and enjoy some old music.

Reminiscing London

My first visit to London was in sometime in Spring of 1977.  London, a city that I had read so much about when I was in school, was to be my "home" for a good five weeks, with a week in Birmingham. The first impression was that London was a very old city, people were friendly and there was an air of formality in the way they spoke. I caught the train down to the city and checked into a hotel at Queensway. It was another old building and very Victorian in design. The hotel was run by Indians, who of course spoke with an English accent. After checking in, I wandered about the neighbourhood, discovered that Sunday was meant to be a leisurely day at the park, at the open air market or at Speaker's Corner. It was my first encounter with the Underground tube, but it wasn't difficult to get accustomed to him and especially with the help of my colleagues based in the London office then located at Fleet Street. Before long, I was bus hopping to Trafalgar Square, Carnaby Street and Piccadilly Circus. I was on a training attachment with the British tabloid newspapers, spent time in their newsroom to learn how they operated. It was meant to be an exposure for me before I took on the responsibilities as a New Editor in the newspaper back home.

I love London, for its theatre, its museums and all things British. Language was of course not a barrier though I had to time and again remind myself that I had to watch my spending lest I bust my budget. Food and transport was much more expensive than back home. I did what tourists would do in London, though I wasn't quite a tourist by day. Certainly by night, I took in the sights and even went to the casino where lo and behold I meant another fellow colleague who was also there on holiday.

I traveled to Birmingham by train; and was attached to another tabloid paper. The pace was slower here and indeed there was a noticeably larger population of people from India and Pakistan. I remembered the News Editor spoke to be about the "black edition" which I didn't quite understand the reference at first. He explained that it was the newspaper edition that was meant for the foreigners who were working in the city - he meant the Indians and the Pakistanis. One thing that I didn't regret visiting Birmingham was my visit to Debenhams Department Store where I bought an executive briefcase and a pair of semi-boots that were to last me for years.

Before long, it was time to leave London. I looked back at Big Ben and wondered when would I be able to come back again for another visit. Little was I to know that since then I had re-visited London another three times.

Remembering Goofy and Snowy

March 12 and March 17 - two poignant dates in my calender. In 2009 I lost the first pet Goofy and then a year later 2010 it was Snowy. All's left is their son Richie, who behaved oddly on 17 March around the time of Snowy's departure at 8.10pm. He suddenly got up and sniffed incessantly around the dining table and the room as if in search of someone, or something familiar. It went for a good 20-30 seconds before he sat down calmly while everyone look in amazement. How the time flies but we still couldn't forget the two lovely pets we had, with their snow white fur, their camaraderie and their warmth. Indeed ever so often we speak about them as though they were still around us to share our happiness as members of an extended family. Now we can only look out into the open space, call out their names and wish that they enjoy their freedom together.

Destruction, devastation....whither the world is going

In recent months we have seen so much devastation and destruction of human lives that it raises a few eyebrows and beg the question: where is the world heading? There was the outbreak of civil disturbances in the Middle East which swept across many countries. Guns were turned by those in power against their very own citizens all in the interest of the protection of their own wealth. The down under Australia was hit by floods never before seen, when only a while ago it was fighting uncontrollable forest fires. Intermittent earthquakes rocked cities in north Asia from Taiwan to China, until last night's monstrous quake rupture Sendei city in northern Japan. It brought with it a tsunami that punctured the lives of many innocent victims, disrupted civil life and captured the news headline of all media across the globe.

While many may not link the two, I have always felt that much of the movement in tectonic plates would have been triggered at least in part by the many underground nuclear tests. Governments in Asia, from Pakistan, India to China and North Korea have been conducting underground nuclear tests. The human triggered shaking of the ground beneath the earth would invariable cause a disturbance to the already sizzling core of the earth crust.

What can we expect next? Another war in the Middle East, another superpower intervention would appear inevitable if the people who seek liberation from dictators are not to be left abandoned. Bombs will be dropped and there will be more burning...while everyone is talking about saving the environment. FAO has warned of the spiralling cost of food production; given the rise in oil prices caused by the outbreak of conflagration between oil-producing governments, we can only see high inflation with no solution in sight. The clock is ticking...but who is doing all the thinking?

Remembering the Christmas of yesteryears...

Christmas is just two days away and I thought I pen my thoughts on the good days of the 1960s. As a child Christmas was a time to enjoy some goodies, cakes and cookies but no presents. We were poor and besides we don't observe Christmas as we weren't Christians then. However, I would visit my neighbour's home just 100 metres away and soak in their festivities, and gawked at their lighted up and decorated Christmas tree. It would take the place of pride in the living room, and people would come and go wishing each other Merry Christmas. As I grew up in my teens I got to know Christmas as a time for merrymaking, playing guitar, making a few dollars performing at house parties and enjoying myself as such. My first big party after leaving school was to attend one gathering held at Shell House then in Collyer Quay. There was "live" music and I was there with my schoolmate and also my neighbourhood guys.

Later on in my 20s we would go to parties and nightclubs. Bookings had to be made in advance if you want to get a seat - and we would go in group of 10s or more couples. It was enjoyable and memorable. I recalled on Xmas Day morning as I was climbing up the stairs to get home at 6am and my mum and sister were leaving the house for the morning mass! Gosh...it was really getting caught crawling into bed well after bedtime!

One Xmas eve I remembered as I was trying to take a nap before the big evening of merrymaking. I chanced to turn the newspaper and read about a classmate who had committed suicide. It was shocking and I jumped out of the sofa. Couldn't sleep after reading that report as I tried to analyse why did she take her own life.

Raffles Place was the place to be for carolling. Church groups would perform on top of what was once a covered underground car park - the first in Singapore, flanked on one side by buildings housing the Robinson's department store and the Oriental Emporium.

Subsequent years Xmas became more subdued especially after I started a family. The gatherings were at friends' homes but there was exchanges of gifts, including giving to the children. It's been the same all these years, but I will still always enjoy Christmas more so now as a Catholic. The masses were great and so were the hymns. Merry Christmas!

2011...hopefully a better year

Alas the twelth month of 2010 is drawing to a close. There' so much that happened during the year and I must say several of which were events that I would have hoped they didn't happen. But given life's cycle it is inevitable that we have to accept the depatures of love ones from people to pets. Lest their passing will not be in vain, it remains for those who are still living to remember the lessons they taught us, be it about treasuring friendship and kinship, to unconditional love showered on us by our pets.

What have I done in 2010 that could be called a milestone? I'm not sure. Perhaps it is the sale of a house and the purchase of a house on the hill. Certainly not the trading on the stock exchanges as the market volatility somehow ultimately gobbled up the gains from the winning streaks. Am thankful that it didn't altogether wiped out the capital.

What can one look forward to in 2011? Perhaps with circumspect I would like to make my money word harder for me. Strategically planning for some moves that can point that way. There will be some tough decisions to be made, perhaps to the point of being gutsy but they will not be callous ones. Certainly can do with more blessing from God; will work hard to walk His ways. Planning more time playing my guitar and bring back memories of those days gone by.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well Santa Claus is beginning to appear in the newspaper advertisements; Christmas trees are taking their places at the various retail malls while decorative bulbs are gradually crawling out of the leafy trees. Its not quite the end of the year, but in a matter of weeks I believe it is likely to begin to look like Christmas. Understandably the retailers can't wait to get their cash registers ringing...given that the year's economic recovery has been anything but smooth. Bonuses for employees - well there's talk about better payouts this year but it remains to be seen. The stock market is taking a drubbing today; some say this is expected given the rises in the past fortnight. G20 members are still struggling in Seoul to find a common platform acceptable for everyone. There's just too many rhetoric. The will to perform isn't there.

Somehow life goes on. Students are out in large numbers to enjoy their term end holidays - a much deserved one given that they waited a year for the final exams. Holiday-makers are always flowing in and out come whatever time of the year. The drinkers will get their pints and the drunkards will get their high.

I sometimes wonder just how many more Christmas will I get to enjoy? Never know. Guess it's a simple question but to give it a definitive answer is not easy. We as humans think we have the power to do many things but alas not over life. If we breathe, it's because someone up there allows us to do so. Otherwise we are just like the candle that can be snuffed out in one puff. Given the fragility of life, yet one wonders why we don't always treasure the time we have on this good Earth. Instead of ranting and complaining, we should be going out there to enjoy the surroundings and take things in their stride. At the end of the day, we should say: Oh what a beautiful day it has been!

Life's Journey

Having seen so many close friends, associates, relatives passed on in life, one somehow can't help but pause to think what legacy will I be leaving behind after I am gone. Perhaps no one will remember or talk about me. I am not a politician who may have introduced policies to change people's lives, nor am I a multi-millionaire philanthropist whose donations will be etched on the stones of buildings, not even a singer to leave a song for others to sing.

Perhaps all I have is my blog...even then it is not regularly updated. My rantings and writings may not even make it into a scrap book. My ideas and views are nondescript. But, and a big but, maybe people will remember me for what I am...just another person who led a normal life, yet is able to enjoy all that is around me, appreciate the beauty of life, music, art and all the challenges in work and business. Friends I have a few; some may disagree and say I have more than I can chew. Regrets yes I do have them, one of which was that I should have paid more attention to education when I was young. I could have taken a different route and who knows then I may not have to reflect on what is the legacy that I will leave behind. I may be a leader of sorts and be remembered by my followers. One consolation I have is that I still have friends who remember to invite me for their gatherings, old classmates whose numbers are fast dwindling as the years go by.
Family, who are closely knit though they may not always agree with my thoughts and views. But in a crunch, they will stand together as one. This is important for ultimately, it is not anyone else but the family that you go home to. It is the family that you leave behind as your legacy.

Freedom...at what price?

Many countries may have gone into the First World status, while others are at the periphery waiting to join the ranks of the economic elites. But even among these so-called rich nations, the question of Freedom for the people is still a subject that is widely challenged by the people. One question often asked is: Freedom..but at what price? Yes indeed can we put a price to freedom, but should freedom be equated to a value. One of the most common ires among people is the lack of freedom of speech, expression and assembly. We see in Thailand today the people demonstrating day after day in a mass expression of the freedom of assembly. Is this good for the country and for the people, or are they being manipulated by the rich, some even paid for their time to "exercise" their freedom? I won't go into whether there is justification in the street demonstration since the current government itself got into office through such parallel street politicking.

The point I want to make is should any nation be subjected to such inconvenience under the flag of freedom of expression, even at the cost of ruining the economy? Almost daily we read in newspapers about politicians and other social activists clamouring for more freedom, and governments proclaiming that they have given freedom to the people but some with caveats that such freedom should not be at the expense of social unrest. Indeed I suspect that some authorities are using this caveat to in fact draw the framework to the meaning of freedom that best suits their needs. Hence, they line up a list of out of bounds areas or subjects and imposed a sledge hammer policy to the slightest transgressions, to the point that it is perceived as intolerance of political freedom and personal freedom.

I don't have the answers; I believe even scholars will not be able to find a suitable answers. The probable answers I believe ultimately would lie in the hands of the people: at what price are they prepared to pay for freedom?

Human weakness...no place is safe

The recent scandals involving Catholic priests once again surfaces the weaknesses in humans. It is not uncommon to hear of human failings even at the highest of office in politics certainly as well as in the corporate world. And, certainly we should not expect too much of the religious who after all began life as a common man and is still human, whatever the frock that covers the body. In fact, at one Sunday sermon the priest right put it to the congregation when he appealed for decorum especially from women who turned up in church to take holy communion. He asked that they avoid wear spaghetti string T-shirts for "we priests are humans too...". The current scandals gripping the church indeed underscored what the priest said.

However, I can understand the sense of betrayal that the victims must have felt. I grew up with deep respect for one of my neighbours who was strict with his nephews. He was a regular at church and always seen as a person with an upright personality. One day while I was among my group of friends, I overheard him using the four-letter expletive matter-of-factly...and gosh how all my respect for this "Uncle" began to crumble. And as I grew into my teens, I even learnt that he was coveting a neighbour's wife. He would visit her when her sailor husband was away and she would go with him on his scooter for rides. Indeed I recalled my mum telling me how she once saw them walking hand-in-hand. There is a certain trust that we would place in a person, because of his office, or because of his title, be it CEO, teacher, priest, godparent for example. And the children who went to take refuge in the convent and other homes run by the religious would have thought that they have found the safest place on earth, only to be abused by the avarice of mankind.

I have always felt that in prayer, it should be a communication between Man and God. The priests and other religious are just facilitators. I have been put off many times by the high-brow attitudes of these people that sometimes put me in dismay. They behave very much like the Pharisees,and others behave like demi-gods themselves. If only they could leave religion to God himself, we could have averted all these man-made scandals.

Farewell our lovely Snowy

Snowy, a female Maltese, was born in Sydney, Australia. From the day we bought her she was a darling to everyone who came into contact with her. Her warm personality made her the one special dog that stood out from the others. She was very affectionate towards humans, never bit anyone and was a tough girl who fought for one year with the tumour above her left eyebrow and in her mouth.

She had a cheerful disposition and what I would call "a happy dog". She was delightfully playful, brimming with energy and knew how to prime herself to win everyone's affection. Even a cousin who was afraid of dogs, got so attached to Snowy after a visit that she cuddled her the whole day and offered to bring her to her home. That's how Snowy had been as a pet.

At our first meeting with Snowy we discovered that she loved to play hide-and-seek with anyone who was game to run around the sofa and chase her. Like a child, she would spin around and hid herself and dart from one side of the sofa to the other in glee. Whenever someone came home, she would gladly rush to the door and then darted back to pick up a ball to welcome you. She would be so pleased to see you home to give you a warm greeting with the ball in her mouth. How she learnt this trick, no one knew as we didn't teach. Perhaps she learnt it when she was put at the pet farm when everyone was away on vacation. She gave birth to two puppies, fathered by Goofy (who incidentally passed away a year ago on 12 March 2009). One puppy died after birth and the other is Richie who is one alone as an orphan, pinning for his mother.

Snowy lived a fulfilling life in many ways. She lived in apartments and in a detached house in Hunter's Hill (Sydney). She romped around Sydney from Bondi beach to other QVB and shopping areas. She eventually flew to Singapore which was to be her new found home. Like a true Aussie, she enjoyed sun-tanning on days when the sun was at its zenith and would sit in the blazing heat as if to get a good tan. She loved eating just about anything from chocolate to French fries, biscuits, and all types of tidbits. She was a sprinter as she darted from one end of the garden to the other...notwithstanding her short legs. What a girl she was...small eyes, cute face and cuddly body. She could even pirouette on her two hind legs to stand up and peek into our neighbour's house.

We had prayed for her to have some quality of life as the tumour grew from the crown of her eyes to her forehead. It was about half the size of a pingpong ball and we decided to let the vet removed it. He cautioned that it may trigger the cancer to deteriorate. Snowy went on the operating table on 12 March (which happened to be Goofy's death anniversary), came home that same evening to recuperate. The next day she was back to her normal self; with good appetite for food and was up and about. Her operation left her left eye exposed, as the skin had to be cut off. She was examined by the vet on 15 March and her progress was satisfactory.

Alas on 17 March 2010, around 8.10pm she was seen in the car porch, unable to walk and shrieking and gasping. She was rushed to the emergency clinic where the vet who operated on her came back to see her. Snowy was not her usual self. She was suffering and in pain. She was crying out intermittently. The vet surmised that she might not be herself anymore as the cancer could have gone into the brain. I thought: how could that be so when it was only five days after the operation? The decision had to be made to give her the final injection so that she could move on peacefully to Heaven. Farewell dearest Snowy...we'll all miss you dearly and remember you always. We are so sorry that you had to leave us in this way but we know we had to let you go if only to make it less painful for you.

The vet injected into her right leg; she cried softly and within seconds Snowy has left us forever. Bye Snow, Snow, bye...

Remembering Goofy...

A year had passed since Goofy, my pet Shih Tsu, left the family for a better place. His name is still top of mind for everyone at home. At meals, at casual conversations, Goofy invariably becomes the subject of discussion. We remember him for his playfulness, his energy, his loving care for his family and of course his habit of identifying spots in the house to mark his territory. Truly he is special. He was no pushover for if he was not happy with the way he was treated, he knew how to use his growls. Yet there were a few moments when he was naughty but above all, he would always be lovingly missed by everyone who knew him.

Yesterday, the day that Goofy passed on, 12 March, and his wife Snowy underwent an operation to remove two tumours - cancerous tumours one above her left eye and the other in her mouth. Snowy is a tough dog and within 12 hours of the operation she was up and about today. Her looks is somewhat disfigured after the operation, but she didn't lose appetite for food.

Till today, mention the name Goofy and his dear son Richie will be all perked up and wagging his tail to look for his father. He would go to the front door and wait...in vain. We sometimes wonder if Richie understands that his father had gone to a place to rest and never to return until the day when we will all be able to meet again in some distant place...

Her Stylista

It's so refreshing and encouraging to know that the entrepreneurial spirit has not been dampened by the economic environment. Not even the financial fiasco in Europe, not the woes of the Icelandic bank could deter young people from taking a shot at doing their own business. I was particularly pleased to see Her Stylista at blogspot which was started by a "bunch of people" and it displayed a whole line up of latest fashion/clothes for young people.

As I hear from the grapevine that it has got off to a good start since the business was launched. Mails were coming in from across continents, inquiring. And I thought that was a good start. If I recall my forefathers used to tell me about how early Chinese settlers who spread out across Asia especially Southeast Asia would toil as labourers. As time passes, they began to save some money and small businesses were started. Several of these grew and became institutions in their own right, with their influence spanning across several countries.

I hope such stories can be replicated in this age of modern technology. I look forward to the people behind Her Stylista telling me, well we started on 8 March 2010as a fledgling enterprise and over a period of time we have grown.... I shall wait eagerly for this story to be told.

Meantime, you may want to look up herstylista.blogspot.com