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Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Bull vs Cow
I really enjoyed reading this paper, written in 1963 by a William G. Perry, Jr. I liked his argument, especially as I've been trying to figure out how best to translate to undergrad students, this apparently obvious yet often only vaguely grasped concept of "higher-order thinking" and how to play the game, as it were, in uni.
Excerpts:
Excerpts:
To cow (v. intrans.) or the act of cowing:
To list data (or perform operations) without awareness of, or comment upon, the contexts, frames of reference, or points of observation which determine the origin, nature, and meaning of the data *(or procedures). To write on the assumption that "a fact is a fact." To present evidence of hard work as a substitute for understanding, without any intent to deceive.
To bull (v. intrans.) or the act of bulling:
To discourse upon the contexts, frames of reference and points of observation which would determine the origin, nature, and meaning of data if one had any. To present evidence of an understanding of form in the hope that the reader may be deceived into supposing a familiarity with content.
At the level of conscious intent, it is evident that cowing is more moral, or less immoral, than bulling. To speculate about unconscious intent would be either an injustice or a needless elaboration of my theme. It is enough that the impression left by cow is one of earnestness, diligence, and painful naivete. The grader may feel disappointment or even irritations but these feelings are usually balanced by pity, compassion, and a reluctance to hit a man when he's both down and moral. He may feel some challenge to his teaching, but none whatever to his one-ups-manship. He writes in the margin: "See me."
...
Of course it is Just possible that we carry with us, perhaps from our own school-days, an assumption that if a student is willing to work hard and collect "good hard facts" he can always be taught to understand their relevance, whereas a student who has caught on to the forms of relevance without working at all is a lost scholar.
But this is not in accord with our experience.
It is not in accord either, as far as I can see, with the stated values of a liberal education. If a liberal education should teach students "how to think," not only in their own fields but in fields outside their, own - that is, to understand "how the other fellow orders knowledge," then bulling, even in its purest form, expresses an important part of what a pluralist university holds dear, surely a more important part than the collecting of "facts that are facts" which schoolboys learn to do. Here then, good bull appears not as ignorance at all but as an aspect of knowledge. It is both relevant and "true." In a university setting good bull is therefore of more value than "facts," which, without a frame of reference, are not even "true" at all.
link
Monday, December 11, 2006
Menu for Hope
Oh! Look at the prizes!
This is so odd-feeling.
I don't think I've ever given money to charity, desperately wanting to win something!
Tetsuya's! Becasse!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Friday, September 08, 2006
On not being a morning person
I was thinking the other day about "morning" people and how strange and alien they were. Then I wondered why I wasn't one.
Anyway I don't think the difference is in a physiological response to sunlight, and I don't know that I necessarily come with a pre-programmed body clock or that I have some affinity with the moon in some mystical earthy moony way - I do like mornings after all, breakfast is an excellent thing, but I don't like being sleepy. And hence my theory - that for me at least, I tend towards nocturnal habits because when I'm tired/sleepy I find it harder to wake up from sleep than to stay awake, and maybe that's all there is to it!
Anyway I don't think the difference is in a physiological response to sunlight, and I don't know that I necessarily come with a pre-programmed body clock or that I have some affinity with the moon in some mystical earthy moony way - I do like mornings after all, breakfast is an excellent thing, but I don't like being sleepy. And hence my theory - that for me at least, I tend towards nocturnal habits because when I'm tired/sleepy I find it harder to wake up from sleep than to stay awake, and maybe that's all there is to it!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Alfie gets treatie with treatment
We recently discovered the EASY way to apply the treatment for Alfie's foot sores. Before this, it was nightly drama/trauma/upset/claws for everyone concerned. This is much much easier!
Video #1
Video #2
Again, Alfie gets bribed with a yoggie to let us put medicine on his feet. Note: Alfie is not usually this compliant. The things ratties will put up with for a yoggie!
#3 Alfie Revolts!
Alfie's pride and inner rebel protested tonight at having to lie back again like a wuss and take his foot treatment, yoggie or no, but the yoggie won out in the end.
Video #1
Video #2
Again, Alfie gets bribed with a yoggie to let us put medicine on his feet. Note: Alfie is not usually this compliant. The things ratties will put up with for a yoggie!
#3 Alfie Revolts!
Alfie's pride and inner rebel protested tonight at having to lie back again like a wuss and take his foot treatment, yoggie or no, but the yoggie won out in the end.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Food please
Okay. We're all food lovers here, right?
What I really need are recommendations for good restaurants in Singapore. Places that have a nice atmosphere, not necessarily posh or pricey, but somewhere you'd like to have a celebration party kinda thingy. Good food is of course essential, Cantonese, French, Peranakan, Italian, Spanish, Fusion, whatever. Cosy or otherwise feel-good would be nice, i suppose i can tolerate a bit of classy or posh, except i might have to buy new shoes. ha! excuse!
Anyway, we might take this chance while we're back in Singapore to audition some nice places to do celebration things later in the year or whenever. We are so not planning a big wedding - who said we had to have a wedding anyway? My idea is to sign a bit of paper somewhere and make it all legal and stuff, then eat lots of good food with lots of good people in three different countries. Thank goodness Bear isn't close with his English relatives, or it could get a bit extreme.
We'll ixnay the white dresses and the ceremonies and all that trad crap and instead hooray for the parties!
So, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. We'll bring our tummies.
Very thanks and all!
What I really need are recommendations for good restaurants in Singapore. Places that have a nice atmosphere, not necessarily posh or pricey, but somewhere you'd like to have a celebration party kinda thingy. Good food is of course essential, Cantonese, French, Peranakan, Italian, Spanish, Fusion, whatever. Cosy or otherwise feel-good would be nice, i suppose i can tolerate a bit of classy or posh, except i might have to buy new shoes. ha! excuse!
Anyway, we might take this chance while we're back in Singapore to audition some nice places to do celebration things later in the year or whenever. We are so not planning a big wedding - who said we had to have a wedding anyway? My idea is to sign a bit of paper somewhere and make it all legal and stuff, then eat lots of good food with lots of good people in three different countries. Thank goodness Bear isn't close with his English relatives, or it could get a bit extreme.
We'll ixnay the white dresses and the ceremonies and all that trad crap and instead hooray for the parties!
So, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. We'll bring our tummies.
Very thanks and all!
Food, here we come!
Just a quick note to let people know that I will be back in Singapore from Good Friday to the Sunday after... and Bear's coming along too.
So. Who wants Krispy Kremes? :)
So. Who wants Krispy Kremes? :)
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Selling out or giving in?
I have been a good girl lately, doing an astonishing amount of work without giving up, supported unremittingly in this process by Bear who has prepared meals, washed dishes, carried heavy books, punched holes and filed papers in alphabetical order, saving me from the ever-expanding Pile of Stuff on the floor around my desk (a.k.a. the big shelf) that regularly threatens to implode in a great black hole of academic endeavour.
Which is why I haven't updated this thing recently. Not for want of things to say, but cannot justify spending the time on it lah.
Therefore, it's just as well I'm ill-disciplined, because I felt very moved, and incited to express an opinion, by Minzhi's description of the "perfect Singaporean family" and the attendant notions of selling out, involving, as she describes here, and here, these characteristics:
This assessment may be too harsh, however, especially after reading this extraordinary advice column in Salon, which makes the point that sometimes gestures and symbols are held onto not only by the conventional and "adult", with wealth and equity and marriage and children and the right kind of car representing respectability and some kind of ideal, but also by the young and rebellious and consciously "individual", with their alternative music and fashion, but in the service of different priorities. The other point, of course, is that sometimes things are just what they are, and not always gestures or symbolic. Some people just happen to like camrys. *shrug*
Maybe the thing to do after all is not worry so much about what trappings one may or may not be identifying with or losing out on, but to figure out exactly what you want and why. The freedom with being able to choose one path or another inevitably carries with it the question of the paths not chosen, and the task of making the "right" decision.
What if i'd stayed in Singapore for my tertiary education, saved my parents' money, started a professional career early and became financially stable and able to support my brother and parents? And what if I had not engaged myself in the field of research, and instead of following my interests, was practical and actually completed a vocational qualification?
There's no use regretting. But i could ask myself if a "real" job is what I really want, or is it the salary... or do I want a particularly large and shiny salary, because I am not completely unemployable, just not very profitable. Is that it? Financial stability? Ability to give people money and buy nice stuff? Hell yeah! But I'll just have to find it my own way. We don't all have to be bankers to be well paid. right? Right?
It may be comfortable and easier to adopt the well-worn path, but then I believe there is so much more to be said for being comfortable in one's own mind instead, even if it means occasional discomfort, the hard work of developing self-awareness, and all those awkward questions from relatives. Hah!
It helps immeasurably of course, that I live in another country and can, to some extent, construct my own reality, isolated and unchecked in my own imaginings. I don't even know what xin suan lessons are! Also, we recently moved all our grown up furniture from the living room to the spare room, and the remaining coffee table, mantelpiece and tv set are covered with Lego models and stuffed representations of rodents. Does that reflect some sort of childish rebellion, a kind of anti-growing up gesture?
Well no, of course. I disliked our sofa set and prefer sitting on the floor. Also, we have a Lot of Lego and stuffed rodents and must put them somewhere. I won't be disingenuous however, and suggest that I could do this as easily if our house was constantly under the gaze of family or less understanding friends.
People who want to be different need support in their choices as much as people who choose more acceptable paths. Let this be a gesture of support then, to those who make it difficult on themselves by being different, but in doing so, smooth out the paths of more resistance for the rest of us.
Which is why I haven't updated this thing recently. Not for want of things to say, but cannot justify spending the time on it lah.
Therefore, it's just as well I'm ill-disciplined, because I felt very moved, and incited to express an opinion, by Minzhi's description of the "perfect Singaporean family" and the attendant notions of selling out, involving, as she describes here, and here, these characteristics:
...government scholar at an ivy college, marry at 25, first kids at 29, hdb flat in a newer estate like sengkang, primary one registration, local elections, visiting your parents on weekends, drive your children to their violin or swimming or xin suan lesson, later your son back to his army camp to book in, see them get psc scholarships and become morally upright civil servants.Is that truly selling out? It sounds so much like "settling" to me. The exchange of individual passions and meaning in life for what ultimately adds up to no more than symbolic gestures and unthinking service to the expectations of conventional society.
This assessment may be too harsh, however, especially after reading this extraordinary advice column in Salon, which makes the point that sometimes gestures and symbols are held onto not only by the conventional and "adult", with wealth and equity and marriage and children and the right kind of car representing respectability and some kind of ideal, but also by the young and rebellious and consciously "individual", with their alternative music and fashion, but in the service of different priorities. The other point, of course, is that sometimes things are just what they are, and not always gestures or symbolic. Some people just happen to like camrys. *shrug*
Maybe the thing to do after all is not worry so much about what trappings one may or may not be identifying with or losing out on, but to figure out exactly what you want and why. The freedom with being able to choose one path or another inevitably carries with it the question of the paths not chosen, and the task of making the "right" decision.
What if i'd stayed in Singapore for my tertiary education, saved my parents' money, started a professional career early and became financially stable and able to support my brother and parents? And what if I had not engaged myself in the field of research, and instead of following my interests, was practical and actually completed a vocational qualification?
There's no use regretting. But i could ask myself if a "real" job is what I really want, or is it the salary... or do I want a particularly large and shiny salary, because I am not completely unemployable, just not very profitable. Is that it? Financial stability? Ability to give people money and buy nice stuff? Hell yeah! But I'll just have to find it my own way. We don't all have to be bankers to be well paid. right? Right?
It may be comfortable and easier to adopt the well-worn path, but then I believe there is so much more to be said for being comfortable in one's own mind instead, even if it means occasional discomfort, the hard work of developing self-awareness, and all those awkward questions from relatives. Hah!
It helps immeasurably of course, that I live in another country and can, to some extent, construct my own reality, isolated and unchecked in my own imaginings. I don't even know what xin suan lessons are! Also, we recently moved all our grown up furniture from the living room to the spare room, and the remaining coffee table, mantelpiece and tv set are covered with Lego models and stuffed representations of rodents. Does that reflect some sort of childish rebellion, a kind of anti-growing up gesture?
Well no, of course. I disliked our sofa set and prefer sitting on the floor. Also, we have a Lot of Lego and stuffed rodents and must put them somewhere. I won't be disingenuous however, and suggest that I could do this as easily if our house was constantly under the gaze of family or less understanding friends.
People who want to be different need support in their choices as much as people who choose more acceptable paths. Let this be a gesture of support then, to those who make it difficult on themselves by being different, but in doing so, smooth out the paths of more resistance for the rest of us.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Ice cream!
Courtesy of our favourite appliance, we present our latest flavour, Chocolate Cherry Choc Chip!
Made with extra cream, valhrona cocoa, bits of dark chocolate, and fresh cherries macerated in vanilla sugar and soaked in brandy.
Yuuuuuuuummm....
Made with extra cream, valhrona cocoa, bits of dark chocolate, and fresh cherries macerated in vanilla sugar and soaked in brandy.
Yuuuuuuuummm....
Friday, February 24, 2006
Thanks for the love
I'd just like to thank everyone who took the time to write to me or comment with kind words and love and warm wishes. I'm surprised by how much I needed them, the acknowledgement of the pain and the sympathy. To know that people understood that they weren't "just" rats, animals or small furry houseguests, they were part of our little family. Then again, I am very new to this business of loss... I've never really lost anyone close to me before - even pets - my favourite hamster ran away so that the loss was gradual and tempered by hope... and every other indifferent hamster/bunny/gerbil/rodent was loved in its own way, but none ever loved me back the way my ratties did.
Now I know something about death and I'm not quite so afraid of it anymore, but I am angry, that it took my two loves, the little burning lights of my life, and switched them off.
Still, there is so much to be thankful for, for their reasonably long lives with us, all the joy and happiness they gave us and the little comforts we were able to give them. I am also thankful for the love and relationships we shared with them. That's the right word I think, relationships... because the way we interacted with them changed over time, and developed, rather than remaining constant or one-sided. Linus, for example, used to be a little stand-offish - not unloving, but an independent spirit who held himself with dignity and didn't like to be cossetted or fussed over. As he grew older though, he liked spending more time with us, and became a lot calmer about being picked up and cuddled...and later on, in his retirement, he relaxed even more and began to show us how much he enjoyed it, taking every chance to groom my fingers for me, and happily sitting to be petted and falling asleep in my hands.
Kimi was always the out-going personality of course. The curious, absolutely guileless, happy and optimistic friend to everyone. As he grew older, he developed a little bit of a stubborn streak, wanting to eat his treats in that box, and that box alone, and would get occasionally impatient with the cuddling - he was tolerant, but when he'd had enough, he'd let you know. He was extremely forgiving and trusting - even as we kept giving him yucky-tasting medicines, he'd still try a lick each time we offered him something new, until he either found one that didn't taste too bad, or he'd have enough and would push our fingers away gently but firmly. In the end, he still liked spending time with us, especially appreciating help with grooming - and he knew I was helping him because he'd pause what he was doing to let me finish, or moved so that I could reach better to clean his ear or scratch his sides and things like that... but he preferred to explore by himself, or hang out with Linus. I'll never forget how lonely he looked in his big cage by himself after Linus left, sleeping near the door with his head tucked in under him. Kimi was like the quintessential younger brother, carefree but for what his older brother was doing. He was always seeking Linus out, to take part in whatever project Linus had in mind, or just happy to sit and hang out with him.
I like to think that Kimi has found Linus and is now happily sharing his parcel of treats with him.
I wish I had more than just memories and imaginings left to treasure them by, but they will have to do for now. And I want to thank you for reading all this and for understanding my need to carry on so. There seems to be less love in this household since they left, and the love you've sent and continue to send has helped to replenish that. :)
Now I know something about death and I'm not quite so afraid of it anymore, but I am angry, that it took my two loves, the little burning lights of my life, and switched them off.
Still, there is so much to be thankful for, for their reasonably long lives with us, all the joy and happiness they gave us and the little comforts we were able to give them. I am also thankful for the love and relationships we shared with them. That's the right word I think, relationships... because the way we interacted with them changed over time, and developed, rather than remaining constant or one-sided. Linus, for example, used to be a little stand-offish - not unloving, but an independent spirit who held himself with dignity and didn't like to be cossetted or fussed over. As he grew older though, he liked spending more time with us, and became a lot calmer about being picked up and cuddled...and later on, in his retirement, he relaxed even more and began to show us how much he enjoyed it, taking every chance to groom my fingers for me, and happily sitting to be petted and falling asleep in my hands.
Kimi was always the out-going personality of course. The curious, absolutely guileless, happy and optimistic friend to everyone. As he grew older, he developed a little bit of a stubborn streak, wanting to eat his treats in that box, and that box alone, and would get occasionally impatient with the cuddling - he was tolerant, but when he'd had enough, he'd let you know. He was extremely forgiving and trusting - even as we kept giving him yucky-tasting medicines, he'd still try a lick each time we offered him something new, until he either found one that didn't taste too bad, or he'd have enough and would push our fingers away gently but firmly. In the end, he still liked spending time with us, especially appreciating help with grooming - and he knew I was helping him because he'd pause what he was doing to let me finish, or moved so that I could reach better to clean his ear or scratch his sides and things like that... but he preferred to explore by himself, or hang out with Linus. I'll never forget how lonely he looked in his big cage by himself after Linus left, sleeping near the door with his head tucked in under him. Kimi was like the quintessential younger brother, carefree but for what his older brother was doing. He was always seeking Linus out, to take part in whatever project Linus had in mind, or just happy to sit and hang out with him.
I like to think that Kimi has found Linus and is now happily sharing his parcel of treats with him.
I wish I had more than just memories and imaginings left to treasure them by, but they will have to do for now. And I want to thank you for reading all this and for understanding my need to carry on so. There seems to be less love in this household since they left, and the love you've sent and continue to send has helped to replenish that. :)
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Our Kimi
We lost Kimi this morning.
I think it was most probably a heart attack, which should have been quick and painless.
He may also have been heartbroken and lonely, despite our best efforts, since Linus left on Sunday.
Either way, he is here no more and we have lost our funny, loving, bright-eyed baby boy.
We told him every day that we loved him, and yesterday, I spent all afternoon with him. I gave him his medicine and we had our usual grooming session. I helped him clean out his ear and gave his fur a brush and scratched him where he could no longer reach. Later, I took him to my desk in his treatie hut and held him with my right hand while I did my work (slowly) with my left, and curled my hand around him as he slept. He woke up every now and then and absent-mindedly groomed my hand. I stroked his fur as best I could in return and thanked him. Later, I sang silly songs to him... Kimi had a grooming song, several random songs, and a song about his big bright eyes, and he liked listening to them, even when I wasn't in tune or had forgotten the words. Kimi was a forgiving rattie.
This doesn't hurt as painfully as did Linus' passing last Sunday, probably because I don't think he suffered much at the end. Also, it feels selfish almost, wanting him to stay with us just because we loved being with him. He was always happy to hang out with us, especially liked sitting on chocolate boxes, and kept himself amused with chewing corners off junk mail pamphlets. He liked the shiny hot pink ones the best.
He was also a great food enthusiast, always accepting his yoggies with glee - there was once he was so excited about dinnertime (we always make a big deal out of it) that in jumping about excitedly, he lost his balance and fell off the level he was sitting on. Thankfully, he fell onto soft carpet, and was immediately handed his corn as consolation. Fresh corn on the cob may have been his favourite dinner food ever (there are many contenders for this title) and his favourite snack was probably dried pasta, specifically fusilli, which is the spiral shaped variety. He'd pick one up, carry it to a convenient place, settle down comfortably, and crunch his way around the spirals till the middle was left, then crunch his way through that as well. We could usually hear him from three rooms away when he was having pasta. :)
Kimi was a joy. When he looked at you with those big bright eyes you always felt understood and trusted. He was an easy rattie to fall in love with, and I fell in love with him every day.
Life may be simpler now without the countless medications and constant nursing care for two elderly rattieboys, but it is also emptier, quieter and colder.
I've prepared a box, made out of two empty pasta boxes, and wrote his name on it. In it, I wrote our names, with our love and thanks for the love and companionship he gave us. I've also prepared a parcel of yoggieballs, yoggies, dried pasta and fresh corn on the cob, for him to take with him, and to share with Linus if he gets to see him.
Meanwhile, Kimi is sitting on a bed of tissues, tucked away in his fleecy blanket on my lap. He's keeping me company till Bear comes home, and we can bury him next to Linus under the camellia bush.
...
I thought I was alright. As I type this, Bear has come home early from work, and has held Kimi and said his goodbyes. I thought I was ready, but I just couldn't seal his box up. He still looked like he was just having a little nap. I didn't think I could bear never seeing his sweet face again.
I'm getting so melodramatic. Kimi's left. and I have to say goodbye.
I wish I could bury him wrapped in a hug so he'll never feel cold.
I have to let it go. He doesn't need me anymore.
Goodbye my Kimibear, till we meet again.
Know how much we love you, and keep warm wherever you are.
I think it was most probably a heart attack, which should have been quick and painless.
He may also have been heartbroken and lonely, despite our best efforts, since Linus left on Sunday.
Either way, he is here no more and we have lost our funny, loving, bright-eyed baby boy.
We told him every day that we loved him, and yesterday, I spent all afternoon with him. I gave him his medicine and we had our usual grooming session. I helped him clean out his ear and gave his fur a brush and scratched him where he could no longer reach. Later, I took him to my desk in his treatie hut and held him with my right hand while I did my work (slowly) with my left, and curled my hand around him as he slept. He woke up every now and then and absent-mindedly groomed my hand. I stroked his fur as best I could in return and thanked him. Later, I sang silly songs to him... Kimi had a grooming song, several random songs, and a song about his big bright eyes, and he liked listening to them, even when I wasn't in tune or had forgotten the words. Kimi was a forgiving rattie.
This doesn't hurt as painfully as did Linus' passing last Sunday, probably because I don't think he suffered much at the end. Also, it feels selfish almost, wanting him to stay with us just because we loved being with him. He was always happy to hang out with us, especially liked sitting on chocolate boxes, and kept himself amused with chewing corners off junk mail pamphlets. He liked the shiny hot pink ones the best.
He was also a great food enthusiast, always accepting his yoggies with glee - there was once he was so excited about dinnertime (we always make a big deal out of it) that in jumping about excitedly, he lost his balance and fell off the level he was sitting on. Thankfully, he fell onto soft carpet, and was immediately handed his corn as consolation. Fresh corn on the cob may have been his favourite dinner food ever (there are many contenders for this title) and his favourite snack was probably dried pasta, specifically fusilli, which is the spiral shaped variety. He'd pick one up, carry it to a convenient place, settle down comfortably, and crunch his way around the spirals till the middle was left, then crunch his way through that as well. We could usually hear him from three rooms away when he was having pasta. :)
Kimi was a joy. When he looked at you with those big bright eyes you always felt understood and trusted. He was an easy rattie to fall in love with, and I fell in love with him every day.
Life may be simpler now without the countless medications and constant nursing care for two elderly rattieboys, but it is also emptier, quieter and colder.
I've prepared a box, made out of two empty pasta boxes, and wrote his name on it. In it, I wrote our names, with our love and thanks for the love and companionship he gave us. I've also prepared a parcel of yoggieballs, yoggies, dried pasta and fresh corn on the cob, for him to take with him, and to share with Linus if he gets to see him.
Meanwhile, Kimi is sitting on a bed of tissues, tucked away in his fleecy blanket on my lap. He's keeping me company till Bear comes home, and we can bury him next to Linus under the camellia bush.
...
I thought I was alright. As I type this, Bear has come home early from work, and has held Kimi and said his goodbyes. I thought I was ready, but I just couldn't seal his box up. He still looked like he was just having a little nap. I didn't think I could bear never seeing his sweet face again.
I'm getting so melodramatic. Kimi's left. and I have to say goodbye.
I wish I could bury him wrapped in a hug so he'll never feel cold.
I have to let it go. He doesn't need me anymore.
Goodbye my Kimibear, till we meet again.
Know how much we love you, and keep warm wherever you are.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Goodbye my Linus
Linus passed away this morning. He'd slowed down a lot late last night, and was so weak, and breathing with difficulty. We couldn't decide what to do, but somehow we felt that we should keep him at home, as comfortable as possible, and love him, and if he could hang on, we'd bring him to the vet in the morning.
Instead, when I got up at 6am to use the bathroom, I went to check on him and picked him up to give him some water with a syringe. At that point, I think the life had nearly all drained out of him. He was limp, still breathing with difficulty, and was rapidly falling away. By then I was in tears and about to get up and bring him to the vet to end his suffering but Bear suggested we hold on to him instead. Soon after that, he suddenly opened his mouth wide a few times in a row, spasming and gasping for breath like he was choking, and then suddenly it was over. He was gone. He stopped moving and his eyes were wide open. I couldn't stop telling him I was so sorry. I didn't ever want him to suffer! I didn't know it would end like that. My poor boy, my sweet soft gentle boy.
After that, we held him and we closed his eyes. We made our goodbyes and felt our sorrow in stages. We held his body, brushed him and wiped his face and whiskers, and suffered the loss of his life. Kimi came to sniff him gently and understood. Then his body began to stiffen, and we placed him on a bed of tissue on his fleecy blanket and suffered the loss of his gentleness and warmth. We brushed him somemore till his fur was soft and shiny the way he kept it, and then we wrapped him up in the blanket and lost his beauty and colour and the softness of his fur.
We buried him in a tissue box decorated with cherry blossoms. Appropriate because he smelt like warm cherry blossoms, and loved sleeping in empty tissue boxes. We put in a parcel of yoggieballs for the journey, and sealed the box. We wrote his name and ours on the box, along with our love, and buried him in a shady spot under a camellia bush in a quiet part of the garden.
Goodbye my love. Till we meet again.
Instead, when I got up at 6am to use the bathroom, I went to check on him and picked him up to give him some water with a syringe. At that point, I think the life had nearly all drained out of him. He was limp, still breathing with difficulty, and was rapidly falling away. By then I was in tears and about to get up and bring him to the vet to end his suffering but Bear suggested we hold on to him instead. Soon after that, he suddenly opened his mouth wide a few times in a row, spasming and gasping for breath like he was choking, and then suddenly it was over. He was gone. He stopped moving and his eyes were wide open. I couldn't stop telling him I was so sorry. I didn't ever want him to suffer! I didn't know it would end like that. My poor boy, my sweet soft gentle boy.
After that, we held him and we closed his eyes. We made our goodbyes and felt our sorrow in stages. We held his body, brushed him and wiped his face and whiskers, and suffered the loss of his life. Kimi came to sniff him gently and understood. Then his body began to stiffen, and we placed him on a bed of tissue on his fleecy blanket and suffered the loss of his gentleness and warmth. We brushed him somemore till his fur was soft and shiny the way he kept it, and then we wrapped him up in the blanket and lost his beauty and colour and the softness of his fur.
We buried him in a tissue box decorated with cherry blossoms. Appropriate because he smelt like warm cherry blossoms, and loved sleeping in empty tissue boxes. We put in a parcel of yoggieballs for the journey, and sealed the box. We wrote his name and ours on the box, along with our love, and buried him in a shady spot under a camellia bush in a quiet part of the garden.
Goodbye my love. Till we meet again.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Love is...
... not eating the very last ferrero rocher in the box because he might want it later.
Hopefully, love is also about saying, Aww. How sweet. That's alright dear, I don't want it, you go ahead and have it...
or at least, How sweet of you, lets share it! :)
Hopefully, love is also about saying, Aww. How sweet. That's alright dear, I don't want it, you go ahead and have it...
or at least, How sweet of you, lets share it! :)
Fun with digital paints!
Found a nifty little painting tool called ArtRage by Ambient Design.
Mostly intuitive, and user-friendly. Good for a bit of fun!
No doubt those more aesthetically developed may find better uses for it. :)
Dude, where's the cheese?
Mostly intuitive, and user-friendly. Good for a bit of fun!
No doubt those more aesthetically developed may find better uses for it. :)
Dude, where's the cheese?
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Puppy origami
I made this for Bear on the first day of Chinese New Year. Instructions can be found here. Isn't it cute and surprisingly recognisable? :) It's presently guarding his computer.
I still think it's funny that before I met Bear, Qiao used to muse about getting a labrador and calling it Salmon, or Sam for short, and then I went and met Bear, who's born in the year of the dog, and is actually called Salmon. That's right, Bear Salmon is his name. hahahahaha. No. But yes. And its also funny because Bear used to have a labrador called Sam, short for Samantha when he was little. Then again, maybe it's not so much of a coincidence since all labradors are called Sam anyway. Well alright, most. Maybe just many. But undeniably, that is The Name for labradors.
Now Qiao just has to keep an eye out for a guy born in the year of the rat, presumably called Monsieur Camembert!
I still think it's funny that before I met Bear, Qiao used to muse about getting a labrador and calling it Salmon, or Sam for short, and then I went and met Bear, who's born in the year of the dog, and is actually called Salmon. That's right, Bear Salmon is his name. hahahahaha. No. But yes. And its also funny because Bear used to have a labrador called Sam, short for Samantha when he was little. Then again, maybe it's not so much of a coincidence since all labradors are called Sam anyway. Well alright, most. Maybe just many. But undeniably, that is The Name for labradors.
Now Qiao just has to keep an eye out for a guy born in the year of the rat, presumably called Monsieur Camembert!
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Rattie update
Bear and I may just have had enough of vet visits. We thought this a month ago, but what else can you do when your little loves get sick and you don't know what to do? Kimi the brave was going downhill day before yesterday, and breathing with difficulty and, what was more telling, he was stroppy and upset, shoving things away and pushing us away which is completely unlike him. So we brought him at night to the emergency vet hospital, where he had to stay overnight, alone! Sitting by himself in an oxygen tank, trying to breathe and getting injected with diuretics every hour or so. Not to mention the shocking amount we were quoted for his care by the vet on duty. Thank goodness Bear is solvent.
Anyway, we were sick with worry, not only for his health but also for leaving him alone, so we got up at 5am and went and got him. Luckily, he was feeling better, not back to normal by any stretch of imagination, but calmer, and we took him home with new meds and instructions. Sigh! Unfortunately, heart failure is progressive and sooner or later, we are going to have to make a very hard decision.
Thank goodness Linus is stable and doing well enough... although I know enough now to add 'for now', and is happy about taking his meds (in ice cream!) and calmly accepts help with grooming, and will usually reciprocate by cleaning my fingers for me. What a sweetie! :)
Kimi was still doing alright today, although he was deeply suspicious when I had him sitting on his back, because that's how I had to give him his meds orally last time, and I had to hold him firmly to dose him, and he didn't like it at all - can't blame the poor guy. After just gently brushing him a bit and making soothing noises, he decided no nasty syringes were going to make an appearance and agreed to be helped with grooming... that is, until I tried to clean his ear out with a bit of tissue - he has a small infection in his left ear, which we were treating with eardrops. Kimi stopped what he was doing, grabbed the tissue, and gave it a good hard look and sniff before deciding it really wasn't a dropper full of icky wet stuff, and then let me get on with it.
Sigh! :)
Last night, Bear and I had to give Kimi 3 different kinds of meds, one of which he has decided not to take anymore, so we had to be cunning, and we also had to give Linus his antibiotics and put ointment on his feet for his pressure sores and do the daily clean out of their cage (what with Kimi on diuretics and all..) and help them both with grooming, and then give Monty and Alfie the last of their meds for parasites and give them a run around in the living room, then clean out their cage a bit And then make them all dinner.
We decided that when the last of these boys left us, we'd have a break.
The thing is though, ratties are just So Full of personality and charm, and they like living with you, and show it. They also show that they like you and trust you and will play silly games with you, are affectionate (when in the right mood), are mischievous and cunning, love good food as much as we do, like being comfortable, understand some of our words and phrases, and when they're happy, they do this bouncing hoppy hoppy thing when they run. The sight, smell, and warmth of them always gladdens the heart. And what is love if not pain and sacrifice anyway? Except perhaps pain and sacrifice willingly endured.
Not without complaints, but nonetheless.
:P
Anyway, we were sick with worry, not only for his health but also for leaving him alone, so we got up at 5am and went and got him. Luckily, he was feeling better, not back to normal by any stretch of imagination, but calmer, and we took him home with new meds and instructions. Sigh! Unfortunately, heart failure is progressive and sooner or later, we are going to have to make a very hard decision.
Thank goodness Linus is stable and doing well enough... although I know enough now to add 'for now', and is happy about taking his meds (in ice cream!) and calmly accepts help with grooming, and will usually reciprocate by cleaning my fingers for me. What a sweetie! :)
Kimi was still doing alright today, although he was deeply suspicious when I had him sitting on his back, because that's how I had to give him his meds orally last time, and I had to hold him firmly to dose him, and he didn't like it at all - can't blame the poor guy. After just gently brushing him a bit and making soothing noises, he decided no nasty syringes were going to make an appearance and agreed to be helped with grooming... that is, until I tried to clean his ear out with a bit of tissue - he has a small infection in his left ear, which we were treating with eardrops. Kimi stopped what he was doing, grabbed the tissue, and gave it a good hard look and sniff before deciding it really wasn't a dropper full of icky wet stuff, and then let me get on with it.
Sigh! :)
Last night, Bear and I had to give Kimi 3 different kinds of meds, one of which he has decided not to take anymore, so we had to be cunning, and we also had to give Linus his antibiotics and put ointment on his feet for his pressure sores and do the daily clean out of their cage (what with Kimi on diuretics and all..) and help them both with grooming, and then give Monty and Alfie the last of their meds for parasites and give them a run around in the living room, then clean out their cage a bit And then make them all dinner.
We decided that when the last of these boys left us, we'd have a break.
The thing is though, ratties are just So Full of personality and charm, and they like living with you, and show it. They also show that they like you and trust you and will play silly games with you, are affectionate (when in the right mood), are mischievous and cunning, love good food as much as we do, like being comfortable, understand some of our words and phrases, and when they're happy, they do this bouncing hoppy hoppy thing when they run. The sight, smell, and warmth of them always gladdens the heart. And what is love if not pain and sacrifice anyway? Except perhaps pain and sacrifice willingly endured.
Not without complaints, but nonetheless.
:P
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Gong xi gong xi gong xi ni
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Prosperity, peace, and puppies for all!
It's been a quiet one here, and what with being stuck in Sydney and turning 26 today, I got birthday presents instead of ang pows, except Bear's mum gave me an ang pow as well, because she thought I might like it, and i almost cried man... wah lau, all the homesickness and thesis-stressing and birthday bluesing and chinese-new-year-ing got to me i think. I did have a nice weekend though, especially dinner on Saturday, at this neat little restaurant in Newtown called Oscillate Wildly, with Adrian and Bear. I even got pictures! (hooray for cameraphones!) Sorry about the quality. :P
I'd heartily recommend this place, I'd go back again with any excuse! The menu changes every fortnight or so, and you can order what you like, or have an entree, main and dessert for $45. Considering the quality of the food, the presentation, the way you can see how carefully they prepared it all, maaaaaan it was SO WORTH IT!
For an entree, I had scallops dressed with truffle butter and dill, and these were the best scallops i've been served in Australia... plump and succulent, nearly translucent inside, they were perfect! and so sweet. *rave*
Adrian had the prawn ceviche with some cucumber salady thing, which he said was nice, but maybe a bit too mild. Maybe because its only cooked in lemon and lime juice, the prawniness wasn't brought out enough or something? *shrug*
Bear had something that was called "shredded pork with something mustardy something and polenta". It was yummy! very tasty. Bear liked it very much. Also, the polenta was really nice, quite unlike our miserable failure when we tried making it at home before (gluggy).
Apologies for the blurry and grainy photos. T'was but a phone camera after all, and we did have drinks.
For a main, I had kingfish with lemon aioli and sweet potato chips. This was, again, really really good! Fish can be difficult to do well, but this was cooked just right, flesh falling off the fork, and just cooked through inside with crispy skin outside. The aioli and sweet potato were nice too, and everything made friends with everything else, and there was nothing extraneous or unnecessary. *nod sagely*
Adrian had the venison with charred broccoli and something, and man, it was really tasty. Like a really good cut of beef but with more complex flavours. Mmmm...
Bear had the poached chicken with prosciutto and something and a skordalia puree, which apparently is some sort of mashed potato mixed in with yummy stuff. Bear enjoyed this a lot and so did i. :P
Next, dessert dessert dessert!
My beautiful baked peach with butterscotch schnapps and pistachio crumble (started eating it before Adrian reminded me to take a picture):
Adrian and Adrian's very nummylicious cheese plate:
Bear's perfect chocolate and Almond torte:
Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.
Next time anyone comes visit (Qiao!) I'll take you there. Saturdays need to be booked about 2 weeks in advance though, it's such a tiny little space and so justifiably popular!
Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.
I'm 26 now. mwah.
Before I go and have my mushroom soup lunch, here are some random links to some things Bear put together:
Bear's new toy (or Why Suyin is broke)
The rattieboys' birthday card to me! (Awww...)
It's been a quiet one here, and what with being stuck in Sydney and turning 26 today, I got birthday presents instead of ang pows, except Bear's mum gave me an ang pow as well, because she thought I might like it, and i almost cried man... wah lau, all the homesickness and thesis-stressing and birthday bluesing and chinese-new-year-ing got to me i think. I did have a nice weekend though, especially dinner on Saturday, at this neat little restaurant in Newtown called Oscillate Wildly, with Adrian and Bear. I even got pictures! (hooray for cameraphones!) Sorry about the quality. :P
I'd heartily recommend this place, I'd go back again with any excuse! The menu changes every fortnight or so, and you can order what you like, or have an entree, main and dessert for $45. Considering the quality of the food, the presentation, the way you can see how carefully they prepared it all, maaaaaan it was SO WORTH IT!
For an entree, I had scallops dressed with truffle butter and dill, and these were the best scallops i've been served in Australia... plump and succulent, nearly translucent inside, they were perfect! and so sweet. *rave*
Adrian had the prawn ceviche with some cucumber salady thing, which he said was nice, but maybe a bit too mild. Maybe because its only cooked in lemon and lime juice, the prawniness wasn't brought out enough or something? *shrug*
Bear had something that was called "shredded pork with something mustardy something and polenta". It was yummy! very tasty. Bear liked it very much. Also, the polenta was really nice, quite unlike our miserable failure when we tried making it at home before (gluggy).
Apologies for the blurry and grainy photos. T'was but a phone camera after all, and we did have drinks.
For a main, I had kingfish with lemon aioli and sweet potato chips. This was, again, really really good! Fish can be difficult to do well, but this was cooked just right, flesh falling off the fork, and just cooked through inside with crispy skin outside. The aioli and sweet potato were nice too, and everything made friends with everything else, and there was nothing extraneous or unnecessary. *nod sagely*
Adrian had the venison with charred broccoli and something, and man, it was really tasty. Like a really good cut of beef but with more complex flavours. Mmmm...
Bear had the poached chicken with prosciutto and something and a skordalia puree, which apparently is some sort of mashed potato mixed in with yummy stuff. Bear enjoyed this a lot and so did i. :P
Next, dessert dessert dessert!
My beautiful baked peach with butterscotch schnapps and pistachio crumble (started eating it before Adrian reminded me to take a picture):
Adrian and Adrian's very nummylicious cheese plate:
Bear's perfect chocolate and Almond torte:
Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.
Next time anyone comes visit (Qiao!) I'll take you there. Saturdays need to be booked about 2 weeks in advance though, it's such a tiny little space and so justifiably popular!
Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.
I'm 26 now. mwah.
Before I go and have my mushroom soup lunch, here are some random links to some things Bear put together:
Bear's new toy (or Why Suyin is broke)
The rattieboys' birthday card to me! (Awww...)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Some people just shit me
I cannot abide animal cruelty.
I don't understand how people can harm, with purpose, a creature who is harmless, tame and trusting towards them. It just fills me with pain and disbelief, and a need to punish. To hurt their cruel heads till they see sense. Except that it wouldn't work, that much I know. It would be much better if they simply learnt that such behaviour is inhumane. No, inhuman. Except that it isn't, is it? It's human because we're all really animals of course, but "thinking" animals, allegedly, and all that thinking can really mess with the simplicity of primal needs and desires - I mean, how does an animal handle the complications of right and wrong in human society? It's so much harder to know what you should or should not do when it's not life or death - where is the guide within you, and where does it come from anyway? The fully-aware conscience, I suspect, was not included in the basic human package, and so people develop one as best they can, with as much imagination as they can muster, or borrow (or adopt) them from bibles and creeds. Either way, they don't come up the same, and who's to say which is more righteous and superior?
The thing is, though, if we don't think hard, and I mean really hard, about right and wrong, and question ourselves and take responsibility for our thoughts and actions, instead just... living, as it were, blaming nature, we waste so much of the potential we have for protecting and nurturing the preciousness of every fragile little life, starting with those who depend on us.
Sigh.
I don't understand how people can harm, with purpose, a creature who is harmless, tame and trusting towards them. It just fills me with pain and disbelief, and a need to punish. To hurt their cruel heads till they see sense. Except that it wouldn't work, that much I know. It would be much better if they simply learnt that such behaviour is inhumane. No, inhuman. Except that it isn't, is it? It's human because we're all really animals of course, but "thinking" animals, allegedly, and all that thinking can really mess with the simplicity of primal needs and desires - I mean, how does an animal handle the complications of right and wrong in human society? It's so much harder to know what you should or should not do when it's not life or death - where is the guide within you, and where does it come from anyway? The fully-aware conscience, I suspect, was not included in the basic human package, and so people develop one as best they can, with as much imagination as they can muster, or borrow (or adopt) them from bibles and creeds. Either way, they don't come up the same, and who's to say which is more righteous and superior?
The thing is, though, if we don't think hard, and I mean really hard, about right and wrong, and question ourselves and take responsibility for our thoughts and actions, instead just... living, as it were, blaming nature, we waste so much of the potential we have for protecting and nurturing the preciousness of every fragile little life, starting with those who depend on us.
Sigh.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Failure to process the idea of panadol
This morning, Suyin wakes up uncharacteristically early, to give Kimi his meds. Afterwards, she sits on the bed and contemplates the right thing to do.
Suyin's brain: ergh.
Suyin's brain: mleargh.
Suyin's brain: Hey! Owie!
Suyin: What?
Suyin's brain: I hurt. mrahgh.
Suyin: Come on, stop hurting, I gotta stay awake - gotta become diurnal again!
Suyin's brain: well I need them pancake things then.
Suyin: Pancakes?
Suyin's stomach: You know, I don't feel so good either.
Suyin's stomach: but I don't want any pancakes. Not hungry.
Suyin's brain: Not that stupid Food stuff! Pancakes, you know? Pancakes? for headaches?
Suyin: I'm going back to bed.
Suyin's brain: ergh.
Suyin's brain: mleargh.
Suyin's brain: Hey! Owie!
Suyin: What?
Suyin's brain: I hurt. mrahgh.
Suyin: Come on, stop hurting, I gotta stay awake - gotta become diurnal again!
Suyin's brain: well I need them pancake things then.
Suyin: Pancakes?
Suyin's stomach: You know, I don't feel so good either.
Suyin's stomach: but I don't want any pancakes. Not hungry.
Suyin's brain: Not that stupid Food stuff! Pancakes, you know? Pancakes? for headaches?
Suyin: I'm going back to bed.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Bake these cookies
There was this one week in December, in which it seemed that everyone was baking Korova cookies!
I think Bear and I must've made more than 6 batches of these, including some in our christmas cookie baking extravaganza. Basically, these are the yummiest chocolate chunk cookie I've ever eaten, much less baked myself. And they're so easy! The essential thing of course is that you must use quality ingredients. We used valhrona cocoa powder, which is super powderful cocoa, and also valhrona block chocolate for the chocolate chunks. In fact, my favourite thing about this recipe is the potential for using different kinds of chocolate to change the flavour. For example, we've used the orange flavoured valhrona to make really really yummy dark chocolate and orange cookies, and then we did some with white chocolate chunks and macadamias (see picture). I think hazelnuts and milk chocolate might go well together... and there's this pink peppercorn bar from Dolfin that might be.. interesting, not to mention the beautiful earl grey bar they offer too....Or even almond and dark chocolate and nougat! Mmm!
After all this extensive chocolate eating, I have come to the conclusion that a 60-ish percent dark chocolate is my favourite sort and that the best expensive chocolate to purchase, value for money, is seldom the sort that comes in fancy boxes wrapped with ribbon and filled with all kinds of strange liquers...although those can be very very nice, they're just not as much value as the sort which comes in a bar, has a reputable name on it, specifies the cocoa content and sometimes says it comes from a particular region alone. That is, specialty (there is a name for this but i forget) chocolate. Sounds fussy and posh, but is a really sound idea yummywise!
Anyway, the best thing about making these cookies is that the dough, once made, can be kept frozen in one's refrigerator in happy anticipation of future cookie cravings! Just slice, and bake!
If anyone would like to make these cookies, the recipe can be found here, although I would advise chopping the chocolate into chunks rather than small bits, and baking them a minute or two longer, say about 13 minutes if room temperature, and 15 minutes if straight from the freezer, especially if you don't have a fan forced oven. I like my cookies with a bit more crunch than brownies, but obviously you should do as you like. :)
Must thank Su-Lin for first describing and recommending said cookies. Su-Lin is a yummy friend!
I'm going to eat cookies now.
I think Bear and I must've made more than 6 batches of these, including some in our christmas cookie baking extravaganza. Basically, these are the yummiest chocolate chunk cookie I've ever eaten, much less baked myself. And they're so easy! The essential thing of course is that you must use quality ingredients. We used valhrona cocoa powder, which is super powderful cocoa, and also valhrona block chocolate for the chocolate chunks. In fact, my favourite thing about this recipe is the potential for using different kinds of chocolate to change the flavour. For example, we've used the orange flavoured valhrona to make really really yummy dark chocolate and orange cookies, and then we did some with white chocolate chunks and macadamias (see picture). I think hazelnuts and milk chocolate might go well together... and there's this pink peppercorn bar from Dolfin that might be.. interesting, not to mention the beautiful earl grey bar they offer too....Or even almond and dark chocolate and nougat! Mmm!
After all this extensive chocolate eating, I have come to the conclusion that a 60-ish percent dark chocolate is my favourite sort and that the best expensive chocolate to purchase, value for money, is seldom the sort that comes in fancy boxes wrapped with ribbon and filled with all kinds of strange liquers...although those can be very very nice, they're just not as much value as the sort which comes in a bar, has a reputable name on it, specifies the cocoa content and sometimes says it comes from a particular region alone. That is, specialty (there is a name for this but i forget) chocolate. Sounds fussy and posh, but is a really sound idea yummywise!
Anyway, the best thing about making these cookies is that the dough, once made, can be kept frozen in one's refrigerator in happy anticipation of future cookie cravings! Just slice, and bake!
If anyone would like to make these cookies, the recipe can be found here, although I would advise chopping the chocolate into chunks rather than small bits, and baking them a minute or two longer, say about 13 minutes if room temperature, and 15 minutes if straight from the freezer, especially if you don't have a fan forced oven. I like my cookies with a bit more crunch than brownies, but obviously you should do as you like. :)
Must thank Su-Lin for first describing and recommending said cookies. Su-Lin is a yummy friend!
I'm going to eat cookies now.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Why aren't you married?
No one's actually asked me that, but considering the way I live in isolation and try not to consort with any likely nagging sorts, perhaps it's not surprising. It seems, however, that many of my friends are being asked that very question, and increasingly often, and even being asked it by peers! What, does coming into one's mid-twenties automatically mean you get married?
Right. So I actually did think/feel that way a year ago, but that was some sort of mania brought on by imminent birthday panic and well... I don't know, some sort of imprinted switch went off? But I'm not getting to my point... and my point is, why does that question assume that Everyone wants to, and should, and has to get married? As if it were the default state and everything else was merely striving towards it or insufficient?
I mean, finding people you like is hard enough, then getting them to go out with you is harder, getting along with people with whom you'd like to keep going out is harder even, and then what.. living with them, yes, okay... but for The Rest Of Your Life! It's a big deal! Getting married is fraught with all sorts of things that can go wrong - everything can go wrong. If you have children, then by all means, marry - you need all the help you can get.* If not though, I think there would have to be A Lot of Good Reasons to do so, to counter the emotional and physical leashing to another person in such a major way that you have to involve the Law to break it off.
Someone I know just got engaged - or rather, her most recent boyfriend gave her a ring and I suppose she said yes, but at least she's going to have a long engagement first... because you try not to rush into these things. I know marriage sounds exciting (to some) and I know there are those who dream about their weddings and dresses and white unicorns and whatnot but no matter how much weddings and finery cost, divorce costs more, and living in an unhappy marriage costs even more then that.
So, if someone decides to bind themselves to another for life, I rather think other people shouldn't celebrate it immediately, but consider how likely the marriage will make both people happy, and then celebrate accordingly, or...well, not. It shouldn't be a happy announcement by default, because it so often doesn't stay happy.
Of course, there are those who take neither marriage nor other people's feelings too seriously, but I'm not talking about them.
Oh I don't know. I know we all need other people and love and companionship and intimacy and security and families and hugs... but maybe marriage isn't the answer so much as becoming nicer to one another and taking care of each other - if we all became genuinely concerned for the welfare of others, and sensitive to other peoples' needs as well as our own... and stopped being so selfish and stupid, maybe everyone would be happier, and marriage would be more fun for everyone!
Blah.
*I get headaches thinking about people who have children carelessly and with utterly unreliable people, so I don't want to talk about that.
Right. So I actually did think/feel that way a year ago, but that was some sort of mania brought on by imminent birthday panic and well... I don't know, some sort of imprinted switch went off? But I'm not getting to my point... and my point is, why does that question assume that Everyone wants to, and should, and has to get married? As if it were the default state and everything else was merely striving towards it or insufficient?
I mean, finding people you like is hard enough, then getting them to go out with you is harder, getting along with people with whom you'd like to keep going out is harder even, and then what.. living with them, yes, okay... but for The Rest Of Your Life! It's a big deal! Getting married is fraught with all sorts of things that can go wrong - everything can go wrong. If you have children, then by all means, marry - you need all the help you can get.* If not though, I think there would have to be A Lot of Good Reasons to do so, to counter the emotional and physical leashing to another person in such a major way that you have to involve the Law to break it off.
Someone I know just got engaged - or rather, her most recent boyfriend gave her a ring and I suppose she said yes, but at least she's going to have a long engagement first... because you try not to rush into these things. I know marriage sounds exciting (to some) and I know there are those who dream about their weddings and dresses and white unicorns and whatnot but no matter how much weddings and finery cost, divorce costs more, and living in an unhappy marriage costs even more then that.
So, if someone decides to bind themselves to another for life, I rather think other people shouldn't celebrate it immediately, but consider how likely the marriage will make both people happy, and then celebrate accordingly, or...well, not. It shouldn't be a happy announcement by default, because it so often doesn't stay happy.
Of course, there are those who take neither marriage nor other people's feelings too seriously, but I'm not talking about them.
Oh I don't know. I know we all need other people and love and companionship and intimacy and security and families and hugs... but maybe marriage isn't the answer so much as becoming nicer to one another and taking care of each other - if we all became genuinely concerned for the welfare of others, and sensitive to other peoples' needs as well as our own... and stopped being so selfish and stupid, maybe everyone would be happier, and marriage would be more fun for everyone!
Blah.
*I get headaches thinking about people who have children carelessly and with utterly unreliable people, so I don't want to talk about that.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Fun With Mullets!
More aussie vernacular today, ladies and gentlemenny. The mullet, my friends, is not just a type of fish, but is also a hairstyle - short everywhere else but long on the back. This hairdoodydo is commonly derided but nonetheless proudly worn by those who don't care, or don't know that its funny!
Hence, because it is a funny hairstyle, wigs are made of it, and apparently distributed to staff at expensive architectural firms' christmas parties. So, thanks to Adrian, I bring you....
Bear! mit Hair!
Also known as: See how gorgeous Bear is even when wearing a wig of hilarity?
This is Bear, pretending to look thuggish but really coming off as pretty darned good looking!
heheheh. I won't tell Bear about this post so he can discover it by himself, and in the meantime he'll still love me.
By the way, apologies for the scrappy photo quality - those photos were taken with my Next Best Christmas Present! from vodafone! They sent me this for free, something to do with having subscribed to them for many years and paying my bills... and I don't want to hear about how ugly it is - its new! and free!
I'm pretty sure it's really a cunning plan to provide more of their subscribers with upgraded phones capable of all these new-fangled (and costly!) services like 3G and whatnot. I don't care! There's no 3G new-fangled coverage at our house anyway, hahahahah! thwarted!
Hence, because it is a funny hairstyle, wigs are made of it, and apparently distributed to staff at expensive architectural firms' christmas parties. So, thanks to Adrian, I bring you....
Bear! mit Hair!
Also known as: See how gorgeous Bear is even when wearing a wig of hilarity?
This is Bear, pretending to look thuggish but really coming off as pretty darned good looking!
heheheh. I won't tell Bear about this post so he can discover it by himself, and in the meantime he'll still love me.
By the way, apologies for the scrappy photo quality - those photos were taken with my Next Best Christmas Present! from vodafone! They sent me this for free, something to do with having subscribed to them for many years and paying my bills... and I don't want to hear about how ugly it is - its new! and free!
I'm pretty sure it's really a cunning plan to provide more of their subscribers with upgraded phones capable of all these new-fangled (and costly!) services like 3G and whatnot. I don't care! There's no 3G new-fangled coverage at our house anyway, hahahahah! thwarted!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Best Christmas present!
Due to the sheer audacity of actually asking for one, Bear and I were the most delighted recipients of the Krups GVS2 Ice Cream Maker from Adrian!
Here is a picture of the ice cream maker the very first time we used it, making (super powerful valhrona) chocolate ice cream. Bear and I were transfixed - we pulled up chairs and watched it do its thing for about 30 minutes or so... so fascinating!
So far, we have made these flavours (in order): chocolate, strawberry, vanilla bean, chocolate (with soy milk - for Bear's mum), passionfruit, almond and macadamia. Yum!
I think we have also refined our recipe somewhat. Basically, you make a custard with about 3 cups of milk and cream (ratio according to creaminess desired), half cup of sugar and about 3 eggs, flavour with good quality ingredients, then chill then make ice cream! We still have to sort out flavouring the nut ice creams and the straining thereof of bits of nut but the almond one was something fantastic. Mmm.
We are very happy with this present!
Here is a picture of the ice cream maker the very first time we used it, making (super powerful valhrona) chocolate ice cream. Bear and I were transfixed - we pulled up chairs and watched it do its thing for about 30 minutes or so... so fascinating!
So far, we have made these flavours (in order): chocolate, strawberry, vanilla bean, chocolate (with soy milk - for Bear's mum), passionfruit, almond and macadamia. Yum!
I think we have also refined our recipe somewhat. Basically, you make a custard with about 3 cups of milk and cream (ratio according to creaminess desired), half cup of sugar and about 3 eggs, flavour with good quality ingredients, then chill then make ice cream! We still have to sort out flavouring the nut ice creams and the straining thereof of bits of nut but the almond one was something fantastic. Mmm.
We are very happy with this present!
Monday, January 16, 2006
Kimi the battler
I'm so proud of my ratties.
When I get sick, i'm all mope mope woe is me bleeaaaaaargh dribble snot run, but my ratties? They're so... stoic.
Linus and Kimi are both old old boys now... at about 2.5 years each, they've basically done well to come this far. Over the last few months we've battled a head tilt in Kimi (where he kinda leant sideways all the time and fell off soft cushions), and then the very scary sudden occurrence of Linus' big knee tumour - what looks like a malignant tumour the size of his head, very firmly attached to his knee, such that we couldn't remove it without amputation of an entire leg - not something lightly or easily done... and then the very heart-stopping lung infection incident with Linus looking utterly miserable, wouldn't eat, coughing up gunk, gurgling and wheezing and acting like he was just about to give up. He soldiered on though, my brave ol grampa boy and thank goodness it wasn't the tumour spreading to his lungs so he improved with medication - even though he's pretty much on antibiotics on and off for the rest of his life.
And then on Boxing day, when Kimi started with his laboured breathing, we didn't panic, but man it didn't help that it was a public holiday and so was the next day and vets were closed. We decided to wait the night out since Kimi was still breathing, still able to move around slowly, and would at least lick yoghurt off our fingers. I have to give credit to the Connoisseur brand of vanilla yoghurt (the very best of course) for being so yummy that even sick ratties who want nothing to do with anything will have some.
The next day, we went to the emergency vet, who charged us something special for an appointment on a public holiday. Sigh! It was so drama though - kids crying, police bringing in stray dogs, people with a beautiful great dane they were putting to sleep, someone's cat who decided to come back home after going missing for 6 weeks(!), and various other emergencies. The vet came and looked over Kimi and basically couldn't do anything. He did suggest that the anti-inflammatory medication we had started him on recently for his arthritis might have caused it, so we stopped that, and kept him on antibiotics for a bit.. The vet also injected some fluids into Kimi. This was to be the first of many vet visits and injections that week - I think 4 in 4 days! and then a few follow ups afterwards.. Kimi was a real champion. We went back to our usual vet clinic and finally after each successive vet ruled out this and that, the last (and most experienced) vet agreed to treat for heart problems (which we'd suspected from the start).
For us, that was about a week of 24 hour nursing care - I rearranged the cage to be single level easy access and as comfortable as possible, and then Bear and I would feed Kimi by hand every few hours or so - because he would only take yoghurt, we tried mashing up banana in it... and then blending some muesli in as well, which he also took. We normally give our ratties a pre-dinner yoggieball treat every night, and a freshly cooked bit of corn on the cob with their hot dinners - they usually devour this before anything else*. Even while Kimi was ill, he fully expected the yoggie, although he'd just sortof hold it and then put it down... and once, he grabbed his bit of corn with almost normal enthusiasm and carried it away, but he didn't eat it and slept with it instead.
When the heart meds finally took effect and Kimi started coming round slowly, it could have been sooner but I was grateful no less. It's very distressing to watch your pet suffer and being only able to wait. It's very important to me that my ratties never suffer - Kimi had to, in order to rule out all the other possibilities before he got the right treatment, but in the case of Linus' tumour, for example, if it gets into his lungs or kidneys or other major organs, he is going to be in pain and we're going to have to stop it.
So anyway, that is why we didn't go back to Singapore... and the fact is, now that Kimi's stabilised and everyone else is too (we had one super extra drama night in that super drama week where Kimi was still ill and Linus had a lung infection relapse AND we rediscovered lice on Monty and Alfie - Bear almost gave up, or did, for about half an hour)... I still wouldn't feel comfortable leaving their care in the hands of others, plus I would worry So Much about them. It's so unfair that such amazingly bright and loving personalities with all their capacity for affection and humour and appetite for food and life and learning should live such short lives.
*Sometimes, they'll have chicken first if there is any, or hard boiled egg, and there was that one time Monty picked up a large prawn and proceeded to confound Bear by eating nearly all of it before he stopped... but otherwise, the corn is the definite favourite.
When I get sick, i'm all mope mope woe is me bleeaaaaaargh dribble snot run, but my ratties? They're so... stoic.
Linus and Kimi are both old old boys now... at about 2.5 years each, they've basically done well to come this far. Over the last few months we've battled a head tilt in Kimi (where he kinda leant sideways all the time and fell off soft cushions), and then the very scary sudden occurrence of Linus' big knee tumour - what looks like a malignant tumour the size of his head, very firmly attached to his knee, such that we couldn't remove it without amputation of an entire leg - not something lightly or easily done... and then the very heart-stopping lung infection incident with Linus looking utterly miserable, wouldn't eat, coughing up gunk, gurgling and wheezing and acting like he was just about to give up. He soldiered on though, my brave ol grampa boy and thank goodness it wasn't the tumour spreading to his lungs so he improved with medication - even though he's pretty much on antibiotics on and off for the rest of his life.
And then on Boxing day, when Kimi started with his laboured breathing, we didn't panic, but man it didn't help that it was a public holiday and so was the next day and vets were closed. We decided to wait the night out since Kimi was still breathing, still able to move around slowly, and would at least lick yoghurt off our fingers. I have to give credit to the Connoisseur brand of vanilla yoghurt (the very best of course) for being so yummy that even sick ratties who want nothing to do with anything will have some.
The next day, we went to the emergency vet, who charged us something special for an appointment on a public holiday. Sigh! It was so drama though - kids crying, police bringing in stray dogs, people with a beautiful great dane they were putting to sleep, someone's cat who decided to come back home after going missing for 6 weeks(!), and various other emergencies. The vet came and looked over Kimi and basically couldn't do anything. He did suggest that the anti-inflammatory medication we had started him on recently for his arthritis might have caused it, so we stopped that, and kept him on antibiotics for a bit.. The vet also injected some fluids into Kimi. This was to be the first of many vet visits and injections that week - I think 4 in 4 days! and then a few follow ups afterwards.. Kimi was a real champion. We went back to our usual vet clinic and finally after each successive vet ruled out this and that, the last (and most experienced) vet agreed to treat for heart problems (which we'd suspected from the start).
For us, that was about a week of 24 hour nursing care - I rearranged the cage to be single level easy access and as comfortable as possible, and then Bear and I would feed Kimi by hand every few hours or so - because he would only take yoghurt, we tried mashing up banana in it... and then blending some muesli in as well, which he also took. We normally give our ratties a pre-dinner yoggieball treat every night, and a freshly cooked bit of corn on the cob with their hot dinners - they usually devour this before anything else*. Even while Kimi was ill, he fully expected the yoggie, although he'd just sortof hold it and then put it down... and once, he grabbed his bit of corn with almost normal enthusiasm and carried it away, but he didn't eat it and slept with it instead.
When the heart meds finally took effect and Kimi started coming round slowly, it could have been sooner but I was grateful no less. It's very distressing to watch your pet suffer and being only able to wait. It's very important to me that my ratties never suffer - Kimi had to, in order to rule out all the other possibilities before he got the right treatment, but in the case of Linus' tumour, for example, if it gets into his lungs or kidneys or other major organs, he is going to be in pain and we're going to have to stop it.
So anyway, that is why we didn't go back to Singapore... and the fact is, now that Kimi's stabilised and everyone else is too (we had one super extra drama night in that super drama week where Kimi was still ill and Linus had a lung infection relapse AND we rediscovered lice on Monty and Alfie - Bear almost gave up, or did, for about half an hour)... I still wouldn't feel comfortable leaving their care in the hands of others, plus I would worry So Much about them. It's so unfair that such amazingly bright and loving personalities with all their capacity for affection and humour and appetite for food and life and learning should live such short lives.
*Sometimes, they'll have chicken first if there is any, or hard boiled egg, and there was that one time Monty picked up a large prawn and proceeded to confound Bear by eating nearly all of it before he stopped... but otherwise, the corn is the definite favourite.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Holiday excess!
I think I am now sufficiently recovered from the Holiday Period to finally discuss it. To explain why we didn't go back to Singapore despite the lingering heartsickness - I haven't been home in a year! That's the longest time I've ever spent away.
So anyway, as I mentioned before, my brother was coming down to visit over the Christmas period. Now this would be an unremarkable occurence in and of itself.. Relatives often come and visit and stay over and all that sort of thing but my brother, no... my brother had to come with drama attached. Not much baggage, but drama! Argh family. What can you do? Or as I said to my mum, your progeny lah! what did you do to him? But I think she knew I was just kidding around in exasperation. So anyway, in preparation for my errant brother's imminent arrival, we had to Clean The House. It is just as well that no one apart from Bear and myself knew exactly what an undertaking that was. Practically heroic I think - especially the episode with Bear and the Bathroom. Bear is my hero! Also, it probably didn't help that our guest room was then being used to house Monty and Alfie, who'd come here to escape life with someone who was using them to breed little baby ratties for snakefood! *aghast* Anyway, they got their own room, and as may be expected, they made it their own.
So that took a weekend, and that's when it started I suppose, the ohmigod we only have 24 hours in a day and we have to do this and this and that and drive here and pick up that and call so and so and... Amazing the number of things we accomplished in the week up till Christmas. Thank goodness we were both on leave! We even forgot to eat dinner a few times... It would be like midnight and Bear would say Hey I'm Hungry and I'd be like, Hey We Haven't Had Dinner.... Have We?
Even when Qiao came down from Dubai (yay!) and I tried to cunningly include her arrival into our tightly packed plans - i.e. "Come over and help us bake cookies!", it was only because it was Qiao and she was hungry and not one to be polite for the sake of nothing that we actually went to dinner that night! And she paid - Qiao is also my hero! heheheh.
But yes. Somehow, we cleaned up a rather large house that was in a bit of a state, hosted a brother (who was intent on carrying out his unpopular plans), drove him around without imposing our judgement upon him, made plans for imminent post-Christmas trip to Singapore, tried to collect items requested of us from parents in Singapore, purchased ingredients for and baked 5 different types of cookies (thank goodness they were all yummy!), sorted out undelivered packages, bought appropriate presents for all of Bear's family and friends, fixed Bear's car for registration, purchased and picked up large second hand cage for Monty and Alfie from really-far-away-place, organised rattie sitting for Singapore trip, organised tickets for Singapore trip, planned Christmas dinner (with Qiao and Gloria and Adrian!) and bought all the food in preparation for it and then actually got through Christmas Day without exploding...
I promised Bear he wouldn't have to do anything on Boxing Day. And I mostly kept my promise - he only had to sit in the car as I drove my brother to the airport, and when I drove over to send Qiao off and pass over her beanbag (which we had both forgotten about but that's what cleaning up is all about!)... and then we went home. To rest.
That evening, we noticed that Kimi was uncharacteristically lethargic, and his breathing was awfully short and sharp, and that you could see his body heaving with every breath.
So anyway, as I mentioned before, my brother was coming down to visit over the Christmas period. Now this would be an unremarkable occurence in and of itself.. Relatives often come and visit and stay over and all that sort of thing but my brother, no... my brother had to come with drama attached. Not much baggage, but drama! Argh family. What can you do? Or as I said to my mum, your progeny lah! what did you do to him? But I think she knew I was just kidding around in exasperation. So anyway, in preparation for my errant brother's imminent arrival, we had to Clean The House. It is just as well that no one apart from Bear and myself knew exactly what an undertaking that was. Practically heroic I think - especially the episode with Bear and the Bathroom. Bear is my hero! Also, it probably didn't help that our guest room was then being used to house Monty and Alfie, who'd come here to escape life with someone who was using them to breed little baby ratties for snakefood! *aghast* Anyway, they got their own room, and as may be expected, they made it their own.
So that took a weekend, and that's when it started I suppose, the ohmigod we only have 24 hours in a day and we have to do this and this and that and drive here and pick up that and call so and so and... Amazing the number of things we accomplished in the week up till Christmas. Thank goodness we were both on leave! We even forgot to eat dinner a few times... It would be like midnight and Bear would say Hey I'm Hungry and I'd be like, Hey We Haven't Had Dinner.... Have We?
Even when Qiao came down from Dubai (yay!) and I tried to cunningly include her arrival into our tightly packed plans - i.e. "Come over and help us bake cookies!", it was only because it was Qiao and she was hungry and not one to be polite for the sake of nothing that we actually went to dinner that night! And she paid - Qiao is also my hero! heheheh.
But yes. Somehow, we cleaned up a rather large house that was in a bit of a state, hosted a brother (who was intent on carrying out his unpopular plans), drove him around without imposing our judgement upon him, made plans for imminent post-Christmas trip to Singapore, tried to collect items requested of us from parents in Singapore, purchased ingredients for and baked 5 different types of cookies (thank goodness they were all yummy!), sorted out undelivered packages, bought appropriate presents for all of Bear's family and friends, fixed Bear's car for registration, purchased and picked up large second hand cage for Monty and Alfie from really-far-away-place, organised rattie sitting for Singapore trip, organised tickets for Singapore trip, planned Christmas dinner (with Qiao and Gloria and Adrian!) and bought all the food in preparation for it and then actually got through Christmas Day without exploding...
I promised Bear he wouldn't have to do anything on Boxing Day. And I mostly kept my promise - he only had to sit in the car as I drove my brother to the airport, and when I drove over to send Qiao off and pass over her beanbag (which we had both forgotten about but that's what cleaning up is all about!)... and then we went home. To rest.
That evening, we noticed that Kimi was uncharacteristically lethargic, and his breathing was awfully short and sharp, and that you could see his body heaving with every breath.
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