PonyTales

Before this pet story become stale, I better continue this little mini-series of mine.

It took me a while to decide, but finally, I went for the canary. The bonus was they came in a pair…hehehe

I remembered it was a yellow female and blue/green male. They looked beautiful and always lovey dovey - standing side by side. The canaries are really timid birds because everytime I go near the bird cage, they would fly frantically, as if I am gonna eat them. Sometimes, when I put water and seeds into their feeding containers, their droppings will land on my hand…eew!

My dad helped me took care of the canaries, as my mom was too afraid of getting bird dung on her hands…hahaha!

After a while, due to the birds timid behaviour, the bird cage was full of feathers and bird dung. I decided to clean the bird cage and gave the birds a bath. My dad help me and we took the canaries to the toilet in their bird cage. My dad washed the tray and cage with a cloth, while I took the water hose and tried to sprinkle water on the canaries. As expected, the canaries panic and was hopping like mad in the bird cage.

After my dad finished, I took the packet of seeds to refill the feeding containers. While I was about to put the seeds through the opened door, suddenly the male canary hop to the door and flew out. I tried to catch the canary, but it was too fast and flew out through the small ventilation window in the bathroom. My heart sank as I looked at the yellow female canary left in the bird cage.

A few days passed and my dad told me that he saw the male canary still around the neighbourhood. He told me that birds need to have their freedom to fly and it is a pity to keep them in captivity. He said the male canary is actually around as it is waiting for the female canary to be released. They are a pair anyway.

My heart was very heavy to release the female canary, but my dad encouraged me to do so. One day, he found the male canary on the wire where my mom hang clothes, not far from the female canary in the bird cage. He quickly called me to have a look. I saw the male canary and my dad advised me again to release the female canary. He said it is such a pity as they are a couple.

It felt like the hardest thing for me to do and after a few days, I gathered enough courage and told my Dad that I want to release the female canary. My Dad made me promised not to cry. He took down the bird cage and open the door, the female canary was still inside the bird cage as if it was afraid to escape. My Dad actually told the bird to go, "You are free, go..go.."

I just stood there and watch, trying to hold back my tears. The female canary finally flew out of the bird cage. My Dad gave me a reassuring look, to let me know that I have made a correct decision.

Apart from the release, it was a really uneventful day, I was still hoping to see my canaries, both of them together now…

Life goes on and as a child, painful memories seems to fade away much easier and not long after, I found myself occupied with Smurfs, Flintstones, Barbie, Doraemon and others during my free time. All the while, without a pet, until every pet shop that I came accross - I saw the "little green tortoise!"

Related posts
My Pet Story - Gold Fish
My Pet Story - Balitong
My Pet Story - Match Box Spider
My Pet Story - Parrot

Waaa…this is a very auspicious tag. Got it from Jazzmint, thanks for passing the luck yea

After getting this tag, only I realised that there will be a such as unique date in the near future…so slow…

The date is really special, and that also reminded me that we will be celebrating our 4th anniversary on 28/08/2008…WOW!!!

What is my plan on 08/08/2008?

Oh Dear, it is such an auspicious date that I am caught off guard, I have no plan for the day yet. How could I!?
Wait, actually I will be attending cell group every Friday nite (080808 is a Friday)…waa…we gotta do something to make this day special man!!!
On another hand, maybe some friend might want to have their wedding on that day since its such a nice number, I will probably be at a beautiful wedding, then followed by an 8 course dinner at nite! Then, I will probably try my luck on a piece of lottery ticket, who knows rite!? Hehehehe….then then, I will also do a posting on my blog on that day, just for rememberence…Yeah!

Okay, I would like to find out what these people will do on 08/08/08:

Honey
Simon
Ann Ann
Jon Jon
Patrick

***********************************************************************
Instructions :

**Start Copy**

Proposition: My plan on 08.08.08

Requirements: Share us your plan on 08.08.2008.

Tag Mode: 5 blogger
1st - You leave their blog and post link and add to the list below.
2nd - Let the blogger you want to tag know they been tagged by comment in their blog or etc.
3rd - Leave me a comment so that I can compound all your links in a final list on 08.08.2008.

What They will do on 08.08.2008

1. Xilly want to create a list of 08.08.08 plans.
2. Chooi Peng was at Hokkaido on 08.08.08
3. Jazzmint will pass the day blurry on 08.08.08
4. Ponytail will celebrate with family and close friends on 08.08.08

I am not kidding and it is not an illusion! It wasn’t a parrot on the tv screen as well…There was really a live parrot sitting on top of the tv in my house.

When I saw it, I got really excited but I gotta keep calm or else I would scared the bird away. So, I kept really calm this time and not scream and jump around like a drama queen. I tip toed slowly pass the tv to the kitchen to tell my mom about my latest findings…hehehe…Half way really really hoping and praying that my mom and dad will let me keep the parrot, if we manage to capture it.

I told my mom and she was equally excited and together we went to the tv to check out the bird. The parrot was still there and now mom and me gotta find ways to capture it.

"This is it!!! The parrot is destined to find me. This is my chance and only hope to have a pet again. I cannot fail! I must capture the parrot! We are meant for each other! Cuckooo…Cuckooo…." 

My mom called my brother for help to shut all the doors and windows, while she went and came with a red-big-square plastic basket.

The plan is like this:
1 - I will be holding the plastic basket on standby mode since I am the no. 1 drama queen of the house and not a good candidate to catch the bird. I might just accidentally squash it or break some assets in the house due to all the drama.
2 - Mom and brother will be the hunter to catch the bird gently.
3 - Once captured, I will quickly go over and cover the bird with the plastic basket.

There was much hoo haa in the household for a good half an hour as my mom and brother chase the parrot around and I jumping up and down in excitement. At last, my mom’s gentle but strong hand manage to capture the parrot. I was so happy and just stood there looking at my mom and the parrot, forgotten my role. The parrot was frantically pecking my mom’s thumb to escape. Only after my mom raised her voice to wake me from my jam mode then only I realised and quickly ran over to her with the plastic basket.

When dad came home, we showed him our prized catch of the day!

The next day, we went out to buy a bird cage and food for the parrot. I feed the parrot sunflower seeds. Everyday I talked to the parrot in hope that it will response to me cause in my little mind, parrot can talk

My little green parrot did not talk to me but likes to peck on everything. After a while, I discovered that the parrot can use its beak to slide open the bird cage door. The bird cage has 2 doors that slide up to open. I told my dad and he used strings to tie at the door so that the parrot cannot open it.

But, parrot was a very clever bird and manage to peck the strings till it is loosen, slide open the door and gained its freedom. I woke up one fateful morning and found that there is no more parrot in the bird cage. Just some loosen strings dangling at the bird cage door.

I cried for my lost parrot and was heart broken. I walked around the house mourning for the lost parrot, with a 10 cents face. I understand then that parrot is a clever bird.

My dad took pity of me and told me that he would buy me a parrot as replacement. I was delighted and off we went to the nearby pet shop where we bought the bird cage. I saw the green parrot, hundreds of them but this time my eyes was set on the colorful canary.

…to be continued…

Related posts:
My Pet Story - Gold Fish
My Pet Story - Balitong
My Pet Story - Match Box Spider

Match Box Spider is a very popular pet among the boys in my neighbourhood. They are actually small dark grey spiders that are caught at the nearby abandoned ‘lalang’ bushes, and placed into empty match box. One spider in one box.

The boys often have spider fight matches to see who’s spider is the most powerful.

My brother help me to catch one tiny spider and place it into a match box that I got from my dad. At first, I was a bit afraid of spidey and will often just slide open a very small gap on the match box to have a look at it. Sometimes, the little spidey will jump out from the gap and land on my hand. I would quickly run to my brother for help to keep spidey back into the match box.

I am actually afraid that spidey would bite me and I would turn into spidergirl…Hahaha (too much of cartoon here)

Once I learned that little spidey actually doesn’t bite, I became more brave and often just let spidey out on my palm. I never let spidey to participate in any spider fight matches because I am afraid that it would end up dead just like my other pets.

For a while, I was the protective, no fun type among the neighbourhood kids that keep match box spiders. Most of them are boys, in fact I was the only girl that was desperate enough to have a spider pet. It gets a little boring and felt out cast sometimes when I see that others are laughing loudly at those spider fight matches.

Not long after, due to peer pressure and loneliness, I succumbed to the game and let my little spidey into those cruel spider fight matches.

Little spidey was a fighter given the relatively smaller size. It managed to win some of the fights and I was so proud thou I felt nervous and I often cannot tell which spider wins. Sometimes, I even have difficulties identifying which is spidey cause they all look so alike…hahaha

My brother is the one who helped me in those games.

Later on, as I became more pro, I start to follow my brother and other kids to the bushes to catch more spiders. Most of the time, my brother is very reluctant to let me tag along as I am very slow and will often scream like a drama queen and disturb others.

One fine day, as usual the boys sneak out to the bushes to catch spiders, trying not to let me notice their activity. I found out very soon when I saw my brother leaving and I was in a hurry to tag along - I forgot to wear my slippers and was running very fast to catch up with the rest. The consequences - I stepped on broken coca cola bottle at the bushes and was bleeding very badly. Everyone was shocked and my brother quickly ran to my dad who is at the nearby coffee shop for help.

My dad came, saw what happen and quickly carry me back home to wash the wounds. I was crying buckets by then and taken to the clinic for a jab.

After the incident, my dad and mom forbids me (only) to play at the bushes and that also spell the end of my match box spider pet. Mom said that girls are not suppose to play with match box spider

I was sorta grounded and home bound for a while, as my feet was still heavily bandaged.

Everytime I saw my little empty aquarium, I longed for another pet but I dare not asked for any this time. I thought that my dad and mom would not allowed me to have any for a long long time.

Yes, I was without a pet for a long long time until one faithful day - I saw a green parrot sitting on top of the TV in the living room!!!

…to be continued…

Related posts:
My Pet Story - Gold Fish
My Pet Story - Balitong

OK..Ok…balitong is not a pet! But I was only a few years old then and they are moving creatures (thou very slowly). Besides, no one told me that they are food and I never really eaten any till today!

Back to the pet story.

That faithful morning, I was as usual at the wet market (famously known as Sentul Pasar) with my mom. I still remember, it was an unusually sunny day and the market was very crowded. I was walking behind my mom with my hand holding her shirt - trying not to get lost. As my mom paused to buy fish, there I was stading in front of this uncle with a big plastic pail of balitong. I was kinda tired due to the heat and the crowd and decided to just squat down and look at the balitong. It was the first time I saw a creature like that, some of them stuck to the sides of the pail and I thot they were quite amazing, thou the appearance wasn’t very appealing

After a while, the uncle selling the balitong spoke to me in some Chinese dialect that I do not understand. He smiled to me and took 3 balitongs, packed them in a piece of newspaper and handed them to me. I was surprised and a little afraid to take the balitongs as mom told me one of the condition to follow her to market is not to take anything from strangers. But, I was desperate for a pet, and looking at the condition that day, I thot the chances of my mom buying any pet for me is way too slim. I may regret later if I don’t take them and the uncle was giving me this reassuring looks and nodded his head to encourage me to take them. He held my hand up and stuff the newspaper packed balitongs on my palm. I was dumbfounded for a slight moment, forgot to thank him at all, just smiled back.

I realised that my mom moved on to another stall already, and I quickly got up and hold her shirt from behind again - another rule from my mom was ‘Do not get lost". My mom usually stop by at the market’s food court area for breakfast after doing her marketing. The food court is actually a narrow alley beside the main building of the market with a row of hawker stalls. My mom usually frequent the curry laksa stall where the curry laksa is so mild, even I can take it. It is there and at the moment, that my mom realised one of my hand was holding something packed in newspaper. She also looked dumbfounded and asked me what I am holding? Who I took the package from?

I was filled with guilt and wanted to cry already. My mom took the package from me, opened it and saw 3 little disgusting balitong - still alive. With teary eyes, I told my mom I wanna keep this black black things (I don’t know it is called balitong) in my plastic aquarium. The curry laksa auntie saw what happen and burst out in laughter with my mom. I told my mom that the uncle near the fish stall gave it to me. My mom told me that they might not even survived the journey home later and warned me that I am not supposed to take anything from stranger. To cut the long story short here, the curry laksa auntie help to say a few words to my mom to let me keep the balitongs and with a few more warnings and new rule from my mom, I was happy again cause I found new pets.

At home, I quickly unwrapped the balitongs and put them in the aquarium. My mom told me she don’t know how to rear them and just said that they might need salt water. So, I put a little amount of water with some salt in the aquarium, and put some fish food for the balitongs to eat…hahaha!!

Needless to say, the balitongs did not survived long. Only a few days and it start to smell really awful cause they are dead. My mom throw them away due to the smell one morning. I wasn’t that heartbroken this time around, probably due to the smell

Again. my little plastic aquarium is vacant and I need to find another pet to stay there. I asked my dad and my brother to help me find a pet. My brother, who is 3 years older than me introduced me to something more challenging this time - Match Box Spider!

…to be continued…

Related posts:
My Pet Story - Gold Fish

I read somewhere once that parents are encouraged to let their kids keep pest pets. It is believe that kids are able to learn to care and nurture others by having pets, especially single child.

Well, in this series of posts, I would like to talk a little about all the pets that have seen me thru my crucial growing years (one at a time) 

When I was just a little girl, I always have a lot of compassion for little animals and I always asked my mom & dad whether I could keep them. Dad is always supportive of my nurturing ideas but mom is always a little anxious about the actual nurturing that will happen later when the pet comes to stay with us. Mom gave in to my request sometimes and there I was, having a blast of time with the collection of pets that I adopted (one at a time) that can easily form a mini zoo in my house.

I remember my first pet was a pair of gold fish my mom bought for me in the morning market. I follow my mom to the morning market quite often and there was an uncle there that sells aquarium fish in basins. I love to stand there and watch the fish while my mom go on to do her marketing. I think due to my persistance in observing the fishes, my mom took pity of my compassionate nature and finally bought me a pair of gold fish in a small plastic aquarium that I can carry everywhere I go. I was on cloud 9 when my mom hand me the fish in the mini aquarium. I made little promises to the fish and my mom that I would do all I could to take care of them and make both of them fat fat and shiny shiny!

My mom also bought some fish food for me to feed them and I was faithfully feeding the fish every morning - changing the water every 2 days and adding anti-clorine to the water. The routine lasted almost 2 weeks and I woke up one morning and saw both my precious gold fish sleeping on their back, tummy bloated and facing up. I asked my mom why the fish sleep late today and did not wake up to eat breakfast? My mom came over, saw what happen and told me the fish is dead. I cried and cried. This is the first time I felt the lost of something dear to me. I prepared a little funeral for my pet goldfish attended by a teddy bear, barbie & kent and buried them under the soil in the biggest flower pot in the house. So, the next day I follow my mom to the wet market again - in search of another pet companion that would nurse my grief and occupy the vacant little plastic aquarium…and I found…"balitong!"

…to be continued

Hey, this is the very 1^st tag that I got from a blogger friend – feels special, thanks to Pinky for this special feeling…
Usually I got tagged from Simon only
OK OK! Here you go…
Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Computer lab technical assistant – My part time job when I was a student, pay is only RM5 per hour but I enjoyed the job a lot. I get to know lots of friends from other intakes, hands-on experience on setting up computer labs and etc. The money I earned helps me to buy my meals and some other necessities so that I don’t have to take pocket money from my parents. I worked at every opportunity I can get after my lecture hours, sometimes I do the night shift usually only up to 9pm when the college closes.
2. Software Engineer – My first job after I graduated. I got the job before my results were released but sadly I did not enjoy my job as I often feel at lost and uncertain about my directions. I quit a few months after.
3. Systems Executive – My first serious job after graduation, back to the institution that I graduated from. I got this job due to my previous part time work above – I reported to my manager, who is also my previous lecturer. I enjoyed the job there too as most of my colleagues have the same background as me – they were all once a student. The work was challenging at times but it is fun when we have good team mates. We not only work together, we even go for vacations and many outings together. We were all singles then and enjoying our life being a young working adult. I ended up married to one of my colleague J. The 5 years of work there is very meaningful to me as I cross a few of my important milestones and grew up to be more matured.
4. Technical Writer – This is my current job and I enjoy the job too because it is something that I can do without much pressure. The pay is also quite good considering the workload. I will be doing this as long as my other option is not established, which will enable me to be a PTWM.

Four of my favourite foods:

1. Assam laksa
2. Home cooked “tong sui” (sweetened hot drink)
3. Durians – it’s a fruit but can be eaten as a meal with rice …yum yum
4. Assorted nyonya kueh (especially ‘ang ku’ and ‘or ku’) and bak chang (meat dumplings)

Four Countries I have been to on vacation: (only places cause I have not traveled that many countries yet)

1. Phuket, Phi Phi and James Bond islands – for my honeymoon – they have one of the best spa there :p
2. Bangkok & Pattaya – I was pregnant with Zoe at that time and did not know about it, only a few weeks old and no symptoms yet. I went for all sorts of activities such as para-sailing in the rain, snorkeling at Coral island and let the elephant wrap me around its trunk and carry me around…waahahaha…it was real fun!
3. Singapore – Shopping, night safari, Sentosa island and everything else that Singapore got to offer except for chilli crab….I still wonder why!?
4. Mount Kinabalu, Sabah – I went there with my hubby (then boyfriend) and another couple who are close friends. We climbed the Kinabalu, walked the canopy walk in Poring hot spring, soak myself silly with the hot spring, snorkeling at the Manukan islands and went white water rafting at Kiulu river. It was a great and challenging trip but I truly cherished all the memories.

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. At home with Zoe and cooking a nice dinner for the family.
2. Shopping at some warehouse sales.
3. On holiday with my family and friends – local or overseas
4. Nicely dressed up at a beautifully decorated garden/beach wedding.

1. Ann Ann
2. Pat
3. Simon - he might have done this before but I will tag him anyway :p
4. Duck and Frog tales (Su Yi’s Daddy)