Homemade Yam Pumpkin Abacus

Mum and Dad made their own version of the Hakka Yam abacus yesterday. Using mashed yam, pumpkin and tapoica flour, they rolled tiny balls and steamed them. The steamed balls were kept in the fridge when cooled for later use. So mum decided to use half a batch of th balls to make lunch just now. She first allowed the balls to cook in boiling water before draining the water. We then fried the dry shrimps, mushrooms and sausages before adding in the balls, spring onion and coriander. The abacus turned out to be really yummy. The balls tasted like fried oyster omelette when eaten with coriander. Mum also fried the oily carrot cake Dad bought from the market with shredded cabbage. Of course, the home-made abacus is my favorite. Mum said she can teach me how to made the abacus one of the weekends and I can bring them to work for lunch :)

Big O's cakes

We took away 3 pieces of cakes from Big O Cafe @ Wheelock Place last night after our dinner there. The slice of Fruits of the Forest cake was already in Mum's stomach and I wasn't in time to take a picture of it. The left plate had my share of the cakes. The right plate was Sis'. I let you guess which is the Big O New York Cheese cake and Indecent Obsession (a chocolate hazelnut cake). Both were very rich and creamy and I find them a little too sweet but they made a fulfilling breakfast.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

At 8.20am this morning, we received our copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from the postman. Sis couldn't wait and has been reading the book since then. She is now halfway through the book and I predict that by evening or tonight, she will have finished reading. However, she has already flipped to the last page and told me the ending. Actually, I have yet to read the previous book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I couldn't get past the first few chapters as I couldn't stand Harry's bad attitude. But I guess I have to read that book before I can start on the latest one. Sis said this book has been intriguing so far.

Disappearance and appearance of Frisky

I had not seen Frisky around the shop at my block void deck for more than a week and I was wondering what happened to her. Last night around 11pm when sis and I walked towards the shop, I was shocked to see Frisky on a piece of newsletter with cat food near it. She looked much skinnier and quite botak - so different from the last I saw her. An auntie was nearby and asked if I have been taking care of Frisky. She told me she brought Frisky to the vet @ Mt Pleasant who couldn't find any fungus, mites on her skin. I explained that I had earlier brought her to Namly Clinic and the shopkeeper Uncle has been taking care of her. The auntie had been keeping Frisky at her house to feed her medicine and bath her but she brought her back to the void deck as she was planning to bring a sickly looking stray cat she saw @ a coffeeshop across the road to the vet and did not want either cats to catch each other's sickness at her home. Auntie also said that it will be good for Frisky to be back at the void deck where she can get the daily sun before she left home.

I was surprised that the Auntie did not think that shopkeeper uncle is doing a good job in taking care of Frisky. I told her that Frisky was getting better when I last saw her more than a week ago and apparently Auntie didn't check with Uncle whether Frisky has been to a vet before bringing Frisky. I also feel that it was not very nice for her to do that without informing anyone. And I wonder if Frisky's condition has worsen because she was removed from a familar place to the home of a strange and it must have been a stressful experience. Sis and I noticed that she wobbled and she didn't approach me when I let her sniff my hands. I took a plastic crate from Uncle's shop as she used to sleep in it and luckily she found that familiar and quickly went into the crate. I managed to coax her into eating some cat food before going home with sis. I shall update Uncle later and see if he knows anything.

Swimming lesson

Last evening, my friend, Fi and I went for our company’s subsidized intermediate swimming lessons (8 lessons at $100). I have some bronze and silver swimming certification as swimming was my ECA in primary school. However, I could only swim breast strokes continuously for 20 laps. I can barely manage to finish a lap of front crawl without feeling exhausted.

Fi and I told our coach, Allan at the start of our swimming lesson that improving our front crawl strokes is our main goal. Allan has to manage about 7 other beginners and me, Fi and another guy. I think he is a good coach as he showed us the strokes, saw how we swam and he was able to pin point our mistakes and correct us. At the end of the 1.5 hour lesson, my front crawl kick is a more improved version(pointed feet like a ballerina and moving the legs from the hip without bent knees), so is my front crawl arm movement. Fi said I could be like Allan and teach swimming to others. Haha. Allan said he would teach us backstroke and butterfly style in subsequent lessons. I’m looking forward to that.

It is during moments like this that I feel good about myself and my life. I am learning something new or improving my skills :) Tonight we will be going for our 8th tennis lessons. I'm not a natural tennis player like Fi. My ball sense is quite bad and it is now slightly improved after I start to practise playing badmintion and learn tennis. Netball and other bigger ball games are definitely out for me. I have a phobia of the ball hitting my face. Hee. Fi commented yesterday that I'm a natural swimmer. I told her I guess each of us is good in certain things but as long as we are interested and willing to learn, we could enjoy the sports/game/activity. Anyway, we have signed up for 4 more tennis lessons and hopefully, I could become a better tennis player :)

My imaginary pets

Since I have drawn a bright daylight picture using ArtRage some time back, I thought why not draw one showing the night? So here it is finally done after I "painted" for the past 15 minutes. I always think it will be nice to have my pets by my side as I enjoy the night breeze. These are my imaginary adopted cats :)

Evolution

Yesterday morning I went back to

where I saw all these things

Don't they look beautiful? Actually, you can see them @ the Evolution Garden @ Singapore Botanics Garden. I went there with my parents and I had a great time walking, talking to my parents and also clicking my camera away. The Evolution Garden also has these beautiful flowers at the sides of the footpath:

Outside the Evolution Garden, I saw more beauties and some little "beasts" (ie. caterpillar and a moth larva which are quite cute since they are harmless:

I couldn't resist quickly taking a shot of the nice toilet outside the Orchid Garden before someone in the toilet cubicle came out and thought I was a weirdo. I was glad to see the 2 swans and the duck back @ the swan lake after the long renovation of that area.

Friday is Take your Dog to Work Day

My friend sent me this interesting link to an article "Friday is Take your Dog to Work Day".

It will be so cool if I can bring my pet dog to work. Imagine my furry friend by my side as I'm working and during lunch time or after work, we can have a walk together before going back to work or going home. The problems will be: (1) I will need to have a car to transport my dog, (2) the cost of owning a car and (3) colleagues and boss may not feel comfortable about it.

It's unlikely to happen in Singapore but it's a nice dream. I think it will be great if people can bring their pets to work on at least one day of the year as colleagues who have been busy with work can have the opportunity to interact with the animals and some may find happiness in giving a stray animal a home.

Cat massage

I borrowed this book from library@orchard last week but so far I have only read the 1st chapter. I thought since I like stroking a few of the stray cats around my place I may as well learn some massage techniques. Maybe it can help my "guinea pigs" to relax and benefit their health. Haha. Okay, I shall be more hardworking and finish reading the book before the due date 2 weeks later.

Are pets our slaves and amusement?

Recently, someone in the SDU online forum asked me this question: If you really think for animals, what would be the basis for you to enslave them as pets? To keep them in captivity for your amusement?

My reply:
I do not see my 4 hamsters as slaves but our babies who are dependent on us as caregivers. They have been adopted from friends and SPCA. Mum and I clean their houses and feed them a few times a day and they have us and toys to play with. With almost 10 years of experience in caring for hamsters, I have learned how to sex them, tame them, know when they are sick or dying and cried when they died and most of them lived to their expected lifespan of 3 years. If surgery could remove tumour from my hamster and she could live healthily, I would spend that money. Having a hamster as a pet is not for our amusement but it's a commitment and a love for these furry creatures.

If all pets can be released in the wild and not impact on the ecosystem, there won't be SPCA, Cat Welfare Society and Action for Singapore Dogs. However, pets like hamsters, rabbits, cats and dogs have been domesticated by man for a long time and most of them can't survive in the wild. And some irresponsible owners abandoned their pets when they get sick of them.For a week in June, I learned to nurse a young baby mynah bird until it learned how to fly. It wasn't easy and we had to feed the baby every hour. I named it Dharma and it was so manja and wanted us to sayang it. But Dharma belonged to the wild. I encouraged it to practise flying from its temporary "nest" to me. Finally when we brought it to the park downstair, Dharma flew away to the sky.

Recently I have also fallen in love with some of the stray cats in my area but with hamsters @ home and being away from home most of the time, I could not give the cats a home and the attention. I have learnt a lot from my furry friends about life, myself, humility and I like to think this has made me a better person. This is something that I don't get from our school education system. Interesting topic and long winded me could go on forever because I have been exploring animal welfare issue with friends and family, reading Dawn's blog on her work in Cat Welfare Society and blogging on behalf of my hamsters, Dharma and cats.

Emicakes

Left: Mini Chocolate cake and Mini Blackforest cake, Centre: A box of 10 D24 durian puffs, Right: A durian puff before it disappeared into my mouth

I bought them from the Emicakes branch in Kovan just now after a dinner @ Sakae Sushi @ Hougang Festival Mall with a friend. Sakae Sushi @ Wheelock place is still better than this branch and some other branches. Anyway, the mini cakes are for my sis and dad who don't take durian puffs. I don't eat durian but its by-products like puff, ice-cream and cake. Weird, right? Hee.

Fantastic 4

Yesterday I watched the movie Fantastic 4 with my sis who has free tickets. It was screened @ Lido @ 7.15pm. If I have a choice, I wouldn't watch a movie @ Lido because their seats are so uncomfortable. The support for the back is horrible and if I were to slide down the seat and rest my head on the back of the seat, the edge is hard instead of cushiony.

Anyway, the movie is quite entertaining. The acting of the cast is only so so but as I don't know the story line of the movie, I find it interesting to see the development of heros from 4 ordinary human beings affected by some cosmic blast. I only recognise Jessica Alba (from Dark Angel drama serial) and Julian McMahon (from Charmed and Nip/Tuck) who played the baddie. The other 3 lead actors looked familar but I can't place them in any shows. The movie is almost 2 hours long. Of course, if there is no free movie ticket, I won't bother to watch the show because it's cheaper to rent the dvd than paying for the ticket.

There was an interesting movie trailer of Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride before screening of Fantastic 4. It's starring some plasticine skinny people similar to his Midnight Before Christmas and the lead character is voiced by Johnny Depp which my sis thought is my idol. I wonder why. I don't mind catching that movie though. Maybe sis will get a pair of free tickets. Hee.

Meme: My earliest memory

My friend, Slushy has created a meme on our earliest memory and tagged me and another friend. So here's my answer:

My earliest memory is when I was 3 or 4 years old. I remember my parents, sis and I would go to East Coast Park (the section between the jetty and PA campsite) together with my aunties' (my mum's 2 sisters) families and have picnics. There were lots of food but I could remember only 3 items (fried rice, curry chicken and grapes). We would play by the beach, build sandcastles, pick shells. And I don't remember the weather back then to be that hot. If it rained, we would take cover in the nearby pavillion, or use the picnic mat or hide in the car. It was so fun and carefree.

And I shall tag Rustic/Cheryl to participate in this meme :)

My friend, Joan's plate of food

Left photo: calamarie, beans and pork trotters, greens, beef and lamb

Right photo: Addition of yummy pineapples

My plates of food

Left photo: Mushrooms, brocoli, chicken thigh, pork sausage, honey baked ham, celery and cherry tomato.

Right photo: Greens, mushrooms, half eaten calamarie, chicken hearts, pineapples

Dinner @ Carnivore @ Chijmes

I had dinner earlier with 3 girl friends @ Carnivore @ Chijmes after work. As we arrived before 7pm, we paid only $29+++ each, instead of $39+++. We first helped ourself to the free flow of salads and vegetables and some side dishes. I like the rocket leaf and spinach and the mushrooms. When the friendly waiters came with skewers of grilled meats, I tried the lamb (verdict: a little dry), beef tenderloin, rump (verdict: juicy and tender), pork sausage (verdict: so so), pork rib (verdict: a little hard), fish (verdict: yummy with a nice tinge of lemon), chicken heart (verdict: yummy and I was guilty of eating 4), chicken thigh and breast (verdict: dry). They also have grilled pineapple on skewer and the taste of warm sweet pineapple is absolutely delicious and I ate many pieces. I can try grilling pineapples when mum buys some from the market :)

There is also an online review by Streats: http://www.streats.com.sg/article/es041228c.shtml Any of you think I have any chance of becoming a vegetarian? :P

Salt

It's hard to reach out to Salt after Pepper, his brother has passed away in Apr this year. He becomes more surly. He would attempt to swipe at us if our hands approach him, so we would only handfeed him using a tweezer. I will be more daring and try to stroke his back but I must be quick to remove my hand when he suddenly turns around to attack. Also campbells tend to have body odour but we still love him all the same :)

Ruth

I adopted Ruth from SPCA in July last year. She was very shy at first but slowly warmed up to us. Now she is very curious and will approach my hands to sniff and nip a little. If I catch her unawares, she would go "shhh" or "kiii". So cute :)

Zip

Zip is the brother of Zap. He is very gentle compared to his sister but very shy too and could never stay long in my hands before he tries to wriggle away. I was the peeping tom and managed to catch him grooming himself. Hee.

Zap

I took photos of Zap this morning. She is a ferocious creature most of the time but becomes gentle when she is active late @ night. Although she likes to bite me very hard (but no broken skin because my fingers will successfully escape out of her jaws), I still love her like the rest of my hamsters. The poor girl has some weird growth on top of her head which I suspect to be some tumour. However, there is no point bringing her to the vet as the only solution would be surgery and it's too dangerous to subject dwarf hamsters to it. Luckily she is still very active, eats well and alway ready to spar with my fingers :)