| In Transit Ramblings of a Prodigal Singaporean |
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After a year with my dear Snowy, I decided to write in to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Singapore to thank them for allowing me to adopt her and to let them know how Snowy is doing now.
And to my excitement, they posted my story on their website! And I got a free SPCA t-shirt! (I don’t know which excites me more – the website posting or the free shirt.)
Now my Snowy is famous! Hehehe!
Today was a long day, especially surviving for over 14 hours with only 3.5 hours of sleep. But it was insightful. In the evening, we went to the Buona Vista for a “Meet the MP Session”. (For non-Singaporeans or Singaporeans living under a rock, that is a weekly time where residents in constituencies get to air their complains, grievance, ask for help from their elected Minister.) It’s also called grassroots outreach, or “listening to the ground”. In this case, the Minister was Mr Lim Swee Say.
The first thing that striked me was the same thought I get everything I see a Singapore politician. They look so much older and tired than their pictures. And more white hairs. That is the most telling evidence that their job is super stressful and takes a major toil on them.
The second thing that made an impression was seeing and interacting with some of the residents in the area. That area has some of the poorest of Singaporeans, whom I know in theory exists, but seeing it first hand is jarring. These Singaporeans have to worry about survival of themselves and their families. Basic needs like food, water, education, utilities, etc have not been met.
The third thing that stayed in my mind was how each volunteer officer would painstakingly write down every single worry and request by the residents in a letter to be sent out to various government agencies and agencies. Then, Minister Lim would come, talk to every single resident and also edit and write the letter, which will later be typed up and personally signed by Minister. I’m impressed. I get annoyed just having to write anything more than 1/4 of a page.
Overall, the visit was a good one. Saw a side of Singapore that is seldom revealed. Makes me appreciate what I have right now, which also includes the nice iMac that I am writing this post on. And my cosy bed. And my Snowy. And And And… ok, list too long. I’m just thankful for everything.
I wanna share this article.
I’m very against getting a pet because someone saw a movie and thought it was cute. Pets are responsibilities, whether its a clown fish (Nemo) or a Chihuahua.
Getting an animal than neglecting it or abandoning it is definitely NOT what the Lord wants us to do when He placed us over animals. TAKING CARE of them is very vital. They are after all, God’s precious creatures.
So, I was away in Malaysia this weekend for my grandmother’s 80th birthday. The 5 hours drive up both ways were uneventful, except for the fact that having 3 drivers in the car meant that there were ALWAYS back seat drivers.
I’ve not been back in Malaysia for 4 years I think. Might be more. Most of my mom’s relatives are there, save for my grandmother, and my uncle’s family. More than 60 people in the family and I had no idea who was who. Everytime I go back, it seems the family just keeps getting bigger!
My grandmother had a wonderous time. She had gone back earlier to spend more time with her 4 brothers, 2 sisters and her daughter’s family. From what I heard, she spent most of the 6 days before playing mahjong from dusk to dawn!
Anyhoo, the most memorable moment for me was when my grandmother posed for a picture with all her siblings. We’re all very much aware that this might be the last time we have all her siblings together, seeing that one of her brother is very very weak and sickly. Also, I am thankful that we did this before my grandmother becomes less aware of her surroundings. Her mind is slipping and she’s becoming more and more stuck in her own world.
I am glad to be back home though. I miss my Snowy (my friend came and took care of her. What a wonderful friend!), my room, my bed, my computer, etc. Also, I just missed the organised nature of Singapore… as compared to the messiness and confusion of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It’s been a while since I did this, and I do feel bad about it, since there have been many things to thank God for over the last few weeks.
1. Thank God for my new supervisor. She’s great to work with, fun to hang out with and the sweet part is, she lives near me! So I get free rides home almost every night when her hubby comes to pick her up! WOHOO!
2. My work projects are going smoothly and one major one is almost done. I’m ready to be done with it, after all the hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing moments.
3. My grandmother’s domestic help, Annabelle, is learning to bake, and boy, I’m loving it! She’s spoiling me with all the baking goodies! Ahhh… need to exercise more before I turn into a round bun myself.
4. My doggy is becoming more disciplined and training. Now she sits and stays very well and listens to us. She now knows the tone of my voice where I’m warning her not to do something she’s tempted to do (like go through my socks and chew them up). I’m happy because its easier to enjoy her now without having to scold her so much. she still loves to nibble feet so I’m trying to break that bad habit.
5. The Lord has given me great opportunities to assist others in small ways. And boy, the Lord is really creative with the methods with which He uses through me to add joy in other people lives. I’m having fun while doing them too!
6. My gastritis is well under control. My tummy is stronger and I can eat fried and spicy foods in small dosages once in a while. It also can handle upsets a lot better, which means I’m no more wringing in pain.
The Lord has been GREAT and His grace and mercy in the little things make up a huge blessing on the larger scale.
I had a very weird dream last night. I dreamed of someone I’ve not seen in 3 years, this guy I used to seriously like because he had a great personality… plus he’s kinda cute too. But it’s strange. I’ve not thought of this person for years and suddenly he appears in my dream?
I don’t remember much of this dream. What I do remember is that I was holding Snowy, wearing my pink pajamas, and the doorbell rang. So Snowy and I went to open the door and there he was, in some kind of uniform. He said he was here to protect me. Then we spent time doing something, but its very hazy.
Now, I don’t really believe in dream intepretation thingys, but it would be interesting to get your readings on this. lol. So explain away! Or you can just tell me I’m delusional. 
Training a dog is hard. Training a dog that was abandoned and now has a phobia of being abandoned is even harder.
Today was a tough day. When my helper left to go out, she suddenly turned aggressive and starting attacking the door and barking very fiercely. Me being silly, tried to calm her down and restrain her by holding her with my hands. She bit me. (Thankfully it didn’t break through my skin.) I yelled loudly and smacked her in the mouth (It doesn’t hurt. Just a bit pressure on her mouth.) Then I went back into my house and ignored her. A few hours later, I was leaving to meet my friend and reassured her a bit by petting her, but I think it wasn’t enough because when I left she started barking frantically.
When I returned, I found out that she was VERY aggressive to my two cousins who came to visit, she bit me again and was just in a panicky mode. Even when I took her for a walk, she refused to walk much and ran home. I think we’re dealing with her fear of abandonment. She’s turning aggressive coz she thinks we’re going to dump her and chase her out. It’s going to take a long time before she truely becomes secure and trusts that we’re keeping her for life.
Boy, this is tiring. I am drained. Anyone have any tips and advice on how to train a dog that has emotional issues? (My mom says this is just a small taste of what it’ll be like having kids.)
I’m pooed.
So what’s up with me? I’m enjoying my non-working status. Absolutely. See, while others are eager to become adults and venture into the working world, I’ve been resisting it with every fiber of my body. The way I see it, adulthood and independence is wayyyyyyyy overrated. Sure, being an adult means you get to do whatever you want, but you also get to experience the full consequences. Oh and earning your own money? You spend most of your pay check on bills anyway.
Maybe ONE good thing about growing up is that I finally am able to adopt a dog from the shelter! She’s a cutie named Snowy. Mixed Breed but mainly Pomeranian. She’s soooo adorable but oh the training is TIRING!!! And I can’t sleep in till some wonderful blissful hour (like 1pm) because I gotta feed and walk her. She’s instilling discipline into me that my parents couldn’t do. My mom is thoroughly enjoying that fact.
Anyhoo, the job hunt is going along, as much as I would like to never work. Sometime next month I’ll be another working individual in the world trying to make my mark on the world and trying not to let the world leave its mark on me too much.
