Hero the Sharpei

Our Favorite Beach

2013-01-02T22:30:00.000+08:00

Under the clear blue sky, meimei and I had some sandy fun by the beach.

I gave meimei's sandy truck a quick wash when she's not looking.

We're back at the beach later in the evening for more frolicking under the sun.

The next morning, we walked along the beach with cheche whilst the sun rose lazily over the horizon.

I listened attentively to meimei singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, as she saw a waning moon in the morning sky.

It was such a blissful day, we sat down together at the beach and watched the world go by.

My Naughty Lil Sis

2012-12-05T22:38:00.001+08:00

Penang

2012-11-08T15:40:00.000+08:00

This is the entrance to our hotel room for the night, not the grandest of entrance I would say.

The door says we are closed on Sunday.

Although it's an old heritage building, the interior of the house is nicely decorated and equipped with modern comforts.

Gallivanting around the historical streets of Penang.

It was already late afternoon, so we stopped by a cafe for some nommies.

Hmmm, the tuna burger with fries sounds good to me.

While waiting for our food, meimei ~~and I~~ played a game of skipping using my leash.

Whilst waiting for the rest to finish their meals, I relaxed on the pavement watching the world go by.

We soon continued with our exploration of the many heritage sites. Penang was in-scripted as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in July 2008.

Behind meimei is a mural by Ernest Zacharevic, a young Lithuania-born artist, called Reaching Up.

This is another famous wall painting by Ernest, called Little Children on a Bicycle.

At the background is one of the many temples in the area that was built by Chinese migrants to the island, which was a bustling port in the 19th century.

The next morning, meimei and I were getting impatient waiting for the sleepy heads to get up.

Meimei and I tried to open the doors and go for a walkie by ourselves but that was too tricky for her.

We could only peeped through the door gap...

... and smell the morning air outside from the narrow opening.

Meimei peeking curiously through the slit between the doors.

Finally, we got to go out and we had breakfast at a cafe nearby.

Getting some bread snacks from meimei...

... followed by some TLC hugging.

Later, we went for a leisure walk up a hill where we could see the panoramic view of the town below.

But nothing is better than having fun with meimei on our little adventures together.

Happy 6th Birthday!

2012-09-13T21:55:00.005+08:00

Happy Birthday, Hero! Thank you for the six wonderful years and may we have many more to come.

Love always,

koko, cheche + meimei

Let the Day Begins

2012-07-27T00:49:00.006+08:00

Every morning when the sun rises,

at the door I wait for meimei's voices.

Her wake up cries I long to hear,

when a night seems like a year.

Ro... Ro... I hear her say,

as she greets me a good day.

A bath she takes under the sunlight,

with me waiting patiently in sheer delight.

For a new day has just begun,

let us fill the hours with laughter and fun.

- hero -

Playtime with Meimei

2012-07-05T23:07:00.004+08:00

Meimei: Wanna play a game of flashcard?

Meimei: Hmmm, let's see... how about this one.

Meimei: What's the name of this object?

Meimei: HEY! That's cheating!

Post Surgery Days

2012-06-04T23:12:00.000+08:00

Since my bloat surgery two months ago, I have not been doing much but stayed at home with little meimei, whom has been giving me much tender loving care.

We spend the day mostly sleeping and playing together in the house.

When we are bored, we usually raid the house for food...

... from inside the refrigerator...

... to the kitchen counter looking for snacks.

At times, we also get to share some snacks on our ride in the car...

... but we mostly settle for whatever nommies we could find at home.

On weekends, when the hoomans are not working, meimei and I get to go to the park.

This is a far cry from the adventures I used to have, but with meimei as company now, I'm not complaining.

Pei-ess: I would like to thank all my furiends for the well wishes when I was sick recently. It makes me very happy to know that everyone still remembers me, even though I seldom post on this little blog anymore, not as often as I would like to due to the hoomans busy schedules nowadays. You guys are the greatest, licks to all.

The Day We Almost Lost Hero

2012-04-20T16:48:00.001+08:00

We were all looking forward to spend the weekend at the beach in the east coast, a 4-hour ride from the city. The day started off normally as we made our way out of the city towards the east-coast expressway. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the traffic was clear.

We arrived at the beach resort at around 3pm and immediately went about settling down and unloading the luggage from the car. Hero was sniffing all over the place excitedly whilst marking every tree in sight. I gave hero some water to drink which he gulped down ferociously. We left him alone and went about settling Meimei in the room.

After a while, I came out to find hero yelping in pain outside the chalet. His stomach was bloated as if he had swallowed a ball, with excess salivation from the mouth. When touched, it felt tense. He was retching and attempting to defecate unproductively in a panic stupor. Immediately I knew something was wrong and it’s serious. I vaguely remembered reading on the internet about stomach bloat in dogs and how such condition could be life threatening. Without wasting time, I ran to the resort office and asked for the nearest veterinary clinic. Ruby, the resort owner, said the nearest would be in Kuantan town, about an hour drive from the resort. She quickly made a phone call to the veterinarian whilst I ran back to get hero and the car.

The journey to the clinic took about an hour but it seemed to have lasted forever. While Ruby took the wheel weaving in and out of traffic along the coastal road, I was holding on to hero whom were in great distress as he could not find a comfortable position to sit still or lay down. He kept whining and changing his place and position throughout the entire ride. A sign that he was in great pain.

At the clinic, hero was immediately sedated to have an x-ray taken for further diagnosis. The veterinarian explained that if the stomach was indeed twisted (gastric torsion), cells may die (necrosis) due to the lack of oxygen supply and this could lead to further complications. Ruby and I waited at the clinic as the vet drove hero to the x-ray center, located a distance away.

About close to an hour later, the vet returned with hero, still sedated in the crate. With bated breath, I waited as the vet reversed his truck into the porch. As he alighted, his expression did not tell me it was good news. He promptly confirmed that hero had a condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) and immediate surgery was recommended to avoid further complication to his organs which could result in shock. He further added that the surgery would take about two hours.

The time was 9pm. We were back at the resort having BBQ dinner when the vet called to inform us that the operation went well. We were told to come over at 10.30pm to see hero and if he was well enough, we can take him back, as the clinic would be closed the following day. Cheche and I arrived at the clinic punctually and as we entered the clinic, we could hear the lone cry of a frightened dog from afar at the back, and instinctively we knew it was our boy. Hero was so happy to see us and likewise for us, it was a deep relief to see him responding playfully again without the pain, at least for the moment. But we knew this was not over yet, as post-surgery care could be perilous, where intensive monitoring was needed.

We arrived back at the resort close to midnight. Hero did not sleep, and so did we. Poor hero was in such pain that he just stood still on all four legs throughout the night, wobbling at times due to sleepiness. Each time he tried to lay down, it was too painful even though he was on pain killer. And he would vomit white slimy substance each time he drank any water.

The next day, we thought of leaving for home early, but given the condition hero was in, we were concerned whether he could withstand the long journey in the car. Thus, we decided to stay on for hero to have a proper rest at the resort. However, his condition took a turn for the worst in the afternoon when his stomach started to bloat again. We rushed him to another veterinary clinic as the one where he had his surgery was closed. At the clinic, the vet gave hero a massage on his abdomen and to our relief, the bloat subsided after a couple of hearty burps. Apparently, the bloat was due to the accumulation of gas in his stomach due to post-surgery complication.

We finally made it back home the following day and upon reaching, we noticed that the incision on hero has split open and blood was dripping from the wound. It must have been from the car ride or he had scratched it. We have to clean the wound several times a day to keep infection at bay.

We fed hero several small meals a day at short intervals and limit his water intake during the recuperation period. He would still vomit occasionally after his meal due to the effect of the antibiotic he was taking. And because we controlled his fluid intake, he would licked on wet floor at any given opportunity.

It has been two weeks now since the bloat incident and hero is recovering well. He is still on special diet and since he has finished the course of antibiotics, the vomiting has stopped too. With proper care and good rest, we hope hero will make a full recovery soon.

After what we went through with hero, we do not wish for anyone to go through such horrible experience with their beloved furry friend. Bloating is the second leading cause of canine death, after cancer. I hope the information here would one day be able to help someone out there to act immediately upon recognizing the symptoms of bloat... cause every second does count.

Malacca River

2012-02-19T01:28:00.035+08:00

The next morning, we continued with our adventure and on the background is the neo-gothic structure of the St. Francis Xavier Church that was built in 1849 by the French.

We took a morning stroll along the Malacca river to enjoy the rustic scene of its past.

A statue to honor a son of Malacca who once processed the title of Mr. Universe, Mr. Asia and Mr. Malaysia in the sport of body building.

According to the Chinese calendar, this year is the year of the dragon.

Taking a rest at the scenic river bank...

... before continuing on our tour of the historical ruins from past settlements.

Having a relaxing time enjoying the rich history of this river...

... such as this huge replica of the Sultanate Water Wheel that was once used to channel water from the river to fuel the booming port trade.

There were many flight of stairs along the way...

... and there were many bridges with picturesque scene to cross too.

A boat taking tourist on a cruise along the river.

As we entered into the city, we were greeted by a long and fiery dragon.

We had lunch at one of the old and dilapidated shops which was bustling with customers.

Meimei was tired after all the sight-seeing...

... but I can tell you that hell hath no fury like a hungry baby.

After we had our nommies, we continued to explore the city for its alluring old charms...

... such as this colorful majestic entrance doors of Chinese origin, a reminiscence of its rich history and heritage.

The columns of the building is also meticulously crafted with symbolic mythological characters.

Meimei admiring the work of art on the wall...

... which happens to be her Chinese astrological sign as well, the sign of a tiger.

There were antiques and collectible items for sale everywhere...

... such as this charcoal pressing iron of yesteryear.

This was truly a memorable trip and we had a good time...

... gallivanting around this historical city of Malacca.

Historical Malacca

2012-02-14T12:19:00.001+08:00

This is the historical city of Malacca, a city listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site...

... due to its rich cultural heritage and historical origins.

The Christ Church was constructed in the year 1753 by the Dutch...

... to commemorate the centenary of their occupation of the city.

It took them 12 years to complete the church in 1753 and that's like 12,271 dog years ago. OMD!

After the Dutch left, the British ruled Malacca from 1826 to 1946 and built a water fountain in front of the church.

Meimei and I admiring the gushing water from the fountain...

... that was built to commemorate Queen Victoria in 1901, coinciding with the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Her Majesty's reign.

This majestic red clock tower near the fountain was erected by a Chinese tycoon in 1886...

... to fulfill the wish of his late father.

Colorful trishaws to take tourists on a ride around town.

We left these interesting historical landmarks...

... and ventured to the nearby Jonker Walk for some street fair and the lively night market.

Meimei looking at the inviting pictures of egg tarts at one of the stalls.

Can we have some egg tarts pleeeease?

Fresh out of the oven... looking delicious as the aroma filled the evening air.

This was actually meimei's first outing at a night market...

... and she was really excited looking at all the trinkets and stuff on sale at the stalls.

Meimei first introduction to the ubiquitous angry bird characters.

After a tiring walk at the night market, we settled down for a meal of the famous chicken rice ball of Malacca.

Back at our hotel room, someone was getting impatient...

... while waiting for his egg tart snack...

... with mouth all drooling wet at his best behavior.

Yummy yum yum... nom nom nom.

Catching up on some late night tele before hitting the sack.

- To be continued -

My Lil Sis Birthday

2012-02-04T23:52:00.013+08:00

We went to a restaurant to celebrate meimei's 1-year birthday.

*Yawn* Meimei getting sleepy while waiting for the food.

The food finally came...

... and here I was scheming with meimei on how to drop the chicken drumstick onto the floor.

But our plan did not work.

I only got small chunk of meat from koko instead of the whole drumstick.

Hey mister! Keep them coming will ya.

Now this is more like it...

Hey, can someone please pass the wine too.

What! We are going home already?

But... but we have not had our dessert yet!

Little did I know that the dessert was waiting for us at home... a yummilicious jelly cake.

Happy Birthday!... my little meimei.

Two Peas in a Pod

2012-01-30T22:47:00.001+08:00

Since the stork brought meimei to us, I have been a dutiful furry brother to her...

... as I watched her grow from a tiny puppy to a playful little sister.

I kept a close watch on her to make sure she was safe and sound...

... and I showed her how to be cool when we clown around.

We went to the park together for our walkies...

... and I made sure she knew how to do her potties.

I was there to encourage her on her first time out at the beach...

... and I taught her where to look for food that was within reach.

As my partner in crime, she is indeed at her prime.

Weekend Frolic

2012-01-15T00:07:00.000+08:00

Cheerful laughter reverberated through the house early in the morning...

... and the curious me went over to check on the source of the merriment...

... only to find little meimei playing gleefully on a pool of water.

A naughty meimei trying to release the air out of her pool by chewing on the valve stem.

Later in the morning, we went for a walk around the neighborhood...

... where meimei got to wear her favorite pink bucket hat.

She's so restless all the time and just couldn't keep her hands off me even when we're resting.

After the walk, it was time for lunch and off we went to a restaurant. The hoomans had grilled prawns with tamarind sauce...

... stir fried bamboo calms with ginger in superior soup...

... squid in asam curry...

... and fresh oyster omelette on hot plate. I only got to sniff the food though, how unfair, this is abuse.

After lunch, we took a drive to the nearby beach for an afternoon stroll.

Morning glory flower in full bloom under the nurturing hot sun at the sandy beach.

Whoops! As I was running excitedly to the beach, the clumsy me fell flat on my wrinkly face on the sand...

... coz some silly dude dug a gaping pit on the sand. The mean koko laughed and said I looked funny falling down... meh!

After the embarrassing fall, I took it easy instead and strolled along the beach...

...enjoying the sea view whilst checking for any peemails.

The water was very inviting for a swim but Mr. Fun Killer said I just had my bath, so no getting wet... sheesh!

A solitary boat moored along the shore overlooking huge vessels further out at sea.

Meimei had her funsies in the pool, I had my zoomies at the beach, we had our walkies and the hoomans had their nommies... time to head home and called it a day.

Fraser's Hill

2012-01-06T10:28:00.003+08:00

We went up to the highland resort of Fraser's Hill for some refreshing mountain air.

We followed behind this trailer laden with logs on the way up, but not for long as koko overtook it for a change of view.

And all I got for view was meimei staring at me throughout the whole journey.

Almost there, another 8 kilometers of uphill ascent.

Finally, we arrived at 1524 meters above sea level after hours of climbing winding mountain roads.

The roads in this little quaint town is lined with beautiful flowers.

We took a leisure walk along the pavements and meimei practiced her steps as I watched over her.

Colorful flowers on planter box along the road...

... and I wasted no time checking for any peemails.

After all the walking, the hoomans took a rest on a bench but meimei was still excited and wanted to keep going...

... so I have to keep her entertained for a while.

More pretty flowers...

... for me to sniff.

This golf course on the hill was among the first golf courses in Malaysia, constructed in 1925, that's really prehistoric in dog years.

A serene lake with paddle boats for some fun, but dogs are not allowed to go into the boat... bah!

We arrived at a Tudor-style cottage house that was built in 1926, which evokes the charm of English countryside.

Meimei getting her pony ride on the playground.

Better for her to ride that thingy...

... than to ride on my back, I guess.

I was required to pose for this boring touristy picture, for memory's sake they said... well, it's a dog's life.

Like a new bloom, hope everyone has a fresh and bright start to the year.

Trip to the Pet Store

2011-12-18T22:30:00.001+08:00

We started the day by going to the park for a walk.

Taking a moment to enjoy the morning sun on the park bench.

This interesting weed is called Touch-Me-Not, where the leaves fold inward and droop when touched. The hoomans love to play with it when they were still puppies.

We arrived at the mall just in time for the shops to open.

I waited outside the shops while the hoomans went inside to look at stuff.

This waiting game can be quite boring... why do the hoomans need to shop so much.

How long more do I have to wait...

... before we can go to the pet store?

Finally, we get to go upstairs to my favorite pet store.

There are so many kind of foodables here for the hoomans to choose... but I still prefer my meals to be cooked.

Ahh! This section is more interesting... the toys section.

Ohh! Snacks! Can we get the salmon flavored one up there... pleeease.

There are a lot of interesting looking fishes in here too.

These tropical ornament fishes are too small to be eaten...

... except for these Japanese carps.

Can we bring some home for sushi tonight?

Hello little guy! Hope you will find a forever home before Christmas.

Hey Mr. Bunny, where's your Christmas stocking outside the bunny house? Santa is getting ready to visit us soon ya know...

... and here's wishing everyone a Furry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A Hike and Seafood Lunch

2011-12-10T16:38:00.003+08:00

It is a beautiful sunny morning...

... and off we go hiking by following the beaten trail in the jungle.

Hurry up, will ya! We are almost there at the top.

Leaving my peemail for other animals to read.

Nothing beats a good hike in the jungle...

... on a sunny day like this.

Wild mushrooms sprouting on the damp forest ground.

We come across some kind of nest made with dried leaves... better not disturb it, never know what is inside.

Busy checking the place for any peemails.

Having a drink at a stream after a long hike...

... and also getting a refreshing dip in the water to cool off my body.

After the hike, the hoomans have lunch at a restaurant that is built next to a fish pond.

A goose come out to greet us at the entrance.

Here we are waiting for the food to come, or rather the hoomans are waiting, as I'm not allowed to eat... bah!

The hoomans feast on fried prawns in salted egg yolk...

... barbecue cockles with sweet sour Thai sauce...

... and barbecue fresh mud crabs.

This is the resident pet, a yellow crested white cockatoo.

I got excited as I discovered something moving nearby...

... and it turned out to be a turkey hen scavenging for food below the table.

It can get pretty boring while waiting for the hoomans to finish their lunch...

... but that's alright, coz it's a wonderful day.

A Day at the Beach

2011-11-07T16:13:00.015+08:00

As the stillness of dawn intertwines with the sound of gentle waves... a crustacean lays lifeless on the sandy shore.

Not far away, on the contrary, life just begins for a certain plant on the sandy shore.

And for a certain dog, the very same sandy shore is filled with life...

... as he plays zoomies across the beach whilst the sun rise.

And for a certain meimei, this would be the first time she has been on a beach...

... where a lifetime of memories awaits her.

But for the certain dog, this place is full of sweet memories...

... as life may be short in this world...

... but the memories it holds last forever.

Goodbye, Twixie Girl

2011-09-25T23:02:00.012+08:00

You were the first few furiends I had,

when I started blogging many moons back.

You came sniffing me in a surprise,

I was smitten by your weinerful eyes.

Your sweet smile I will always remember,

like our date night back in the summer.

Up in the starry sky tonight,

there is a star shining bright.

Your soft giggles I could hear,

from up above my little dear.

Till we meet again in a magical swirl,

you will forever be my Twixie girl.

love always, hero

Sunday Brunch

2011-09-19T11:18:00.001+08:00

We are at our friendly neighborhood restaurant for a late breakie cum lunch.

Boy! I am already staving... where are the nommies?

Meimei and I decide to stake it out under the table for any food droppings.

She guards one end of the table...

... and I monitors the other end for complete coverage.

Oh! Pumpkin soup with my favorite garlic butter bread.

Yummy yum yum.

Any luck at your end, little sis? I scored some yummy garlic bread.

A curious girl looking at us with amusement...

... as I continue to wait below the table for more nommies.

The main dish... juicy grilled meat patty, crispy bacon, spicy sausages, pork schnitzel, skewed kebabs and seasoned fries with fresh garden salad.

Can someone please feed the dog?

Yummilicious... keep them coming.

A well fed dog is a happy dog.

On our way home... can you tell that there is something not right in this picture...

... and yes, it has something to do with meimei.

Yup, I'm relegated to the far back row as a result of meimei. No more access to the driver's cockpit, and this is suppose to be my pei mobile. Can you believe that!

Happy 5th Birthday!

2011-09-06T00:12:00.018+08:00

This is koko writing a post here.

Today is hero’s fifth birthday, and I would like to share with readers the journey thus far with our beloved dog, whom have been a big part of our lives.

It all started one rainy afternoon five years ago as cheche and I were lounging on the sofa reading the paper.

“Let’s get ourselves a dog!” exclaimed cheche, suddenly breaking the silence.

For a moment there, I sweared I could hear my brain cells popping trying to think of a response to that unexpected suggestion, as to try not to take this conversation any further.

“You mean the battery operated kind? Like Aibo?” I muttered, hoping for an affirmation.

“No! I mean a real dog,” she replied. “Having a dog in our lives would be great.”

“But, but do you think we can handle a dog in the house? Having a dog requires time and commitment!” I protested.

“I always wanted a sharpei, and there’s an ad on the paper today,” she pleaded determinedly.

After due deliberation, we agreed to go and have a look but reminded ourselves not to be hasty in any decision. So off we went to check out the puppy in the advertisement.

We arrived at a house in a residential neighborhood in Klang. As we entered the house, a stocky man with body tattoo came to greet us and led us to the kitchen at the back to view the puppies. The house was filled with other puppies as well, bulldogs, poodles, pugs and even a pair of fila brasileiros. We saw two sharpei pups inside small cages lined with soggy newspapers, one was apricot and the other a fawn red, both males from the same litter. The sharpei puppies were still at their infancy, about one month old, and they looked very fragile and weak.

“Only the white color one is for sale,” said the man pointing to the feeble pup inside the cage. Cheche and I looked at each other, pondering what should we do next as we were more worried for the well being of the puppies in such condition than anything else. Without much hesitation, I told the man, “We’ll take the puppy.”

He advised us to allow the puppy to stay a further two days before bringing him home due to his weak condition. We nodded in agreement and left the place after paying a deposit. But as fate would have it, the little apricot sharpei puppy and us were not meant to be. We received a call the following day informing us that the puppy did not make it through the night. And so was the brother.

Two weeks later, we received a call from the man again. This time round, he told us he would be going to Indonesia and a friend of his has sharpei puppies for sale. He asked whether we were still interested. As the sad event of past weeks was still fresh in our memory, we told him only if the puppy were old enough to travel, then we would consider. He gave us the assurance.

With that, hero came to us on 4th December 2006 at three months old. Little did we know what to expect then. I was hoping for an instruction manual that came with him. Seriously.

“As a family, we do things together... and hero is a member of the family,” said cheche. “A dog does not care how much money you have or who you are. All they care is how you spend time with them,” she continued. As young urban professionals, spending time means a trip to the local shopping malls, dining at chic restaurants or a cup of coffee at swanky cafes. We couldn't have possibly brought hero with us for most of our outings.

And for this very reason, there was a time we asked ourselves whether getting hero was a right decision. Those endless non-stop vacuuming in the house which drove cheche crazy at times. Those long extended couple getaways we used to escape to every now and then seemed to be a distant memory and not to mention the numerous occasions we were refused entry to our favorite places because we have a dog with us now.

But when we looked at his wrinkly face and how he never fails to put a smile on our faces with his silly antics and goofiness, any doubt about our decision was clearly unfounded. With hero around, he really does brighten up our days. Bliss is the wagging tail of a dog welcoming you home each and every day. Bliss is the licking tongue of a dog waking you up each and every morning.

We always try to give hero a happy life as we possibly can. So we made efforts to spend time with hero by bringing him for short excursions out of the city. However, little did we realize that what were supposed to be mundane trips for hero turned out to be such exhilarating experiences for ourselves as well. Through such outings, we swam with the fish in the open sea, we had the opportunity to watch baby turtles hatching by the shore, we came face to face with monitor lizard in the jungle, we encountered dangerous snakes in the mangrove swamp and lots more exciting adventures.

“I hope he will bring you much joy,” said the heavily tattooed man as he handed over a fidgeting puppy to cheche on a sunny morning five years ago. And when we looked back, not only did hero bring us joy, but he also showed us the meaning of unconditional love and taught us about unbridled loyalty. It was inspiring to observe how hero always found joy over simple things in life, often reminding us of the child we once were... where we just laugh and play, and worries were so far away. Most of all, hero pushed us beyond our comfort zone to uncharted adventures... and in the process of doing so, sprinkled our lives with endless drops of happiness.

Because of hero, we watched the prettiest sunrise and discovered the most beautiful of beaches. Because of hero, we crossed the deepest rivers and trekked the most difficult of trails. Because of hero, we drove the longest miles and traveled the most winding of roads. Because of hero, we climbed the highest mountains and saw the most colorful of rainbows.

And it is because of him... we have the happiest of memories.

Happy Birthday furry one! It has been a truly wonderful journey and thank you for leaving such endearing pawprints on our lives.

You are our hero.

koko, cheche + meimei

A Walk By The Beach

2011-08-23T00:10:00.001+08:00

I love walkies by the beach.

There are so many interesting things to discover along the sandy shore...

... as the salty sea breeze blows gently from the ocean.

And I do a lot a marking too at the beach. One never knows what kind of creatures would come out from the water at night to check peemails.

This is a dead jellyfish washed ashore on the beach.

Some of these jellyfish are poisonous, I'm not sure if this one was.

Checking the smell of this thick rope that must have fallen off from a ship and drifted to the shore.

A dead root jutting out from the sand...

... and I try to bite off those tiny shells growing on it.

This must be the tree trunk that came off the root.

Woohoo! Jackpot! Look at the size of this dinosaur bone.

*sniff! sniff!* Oooh... it's a log, bummer.

Oh well, bone or no bone, I will mark it nonetheless.

*sniff! sniff!* This is a cuttle bone...

... which is an internal shell of a squid and it's full of calcium.

A dead fish on the beach.

A sashimi snack perhaps?

*sniff! sniff!* I don't think so.

Hey! A sea coconut... this is fun.

Resting with my sea coconut after some playful chasing with this little nut.

That's why I love the beach so much.

Storks, Squirrels And Walkies

2011-08-12T11:02:00.002+08:00

We went to a park for a late afternoon walkie.

There is an observation deck at the park which overlooks the lake.

A flock of pigeons flying across the lake.

Hey look! What is that over there?

It's a congregation of wading birds at the lake bank.

These are painted storks with their distinctive pink tertial feathers.

Look! There is one up above...

... coming in to join the flock.

I get to enjoy a good view of the lake from here...

... and watched the many kind of birds which call the lake their home.

A pair of paddling white pelicans enjoying an evening stroll on the lake.

Enough of bird watching, let's go explore the park.

It's a nice place for walkies, surrounded by trees...

... with interesting benches carved from logs...

... to rest our tired legs.

This is the poisonous pong pong fruit which yields a potent poison, often used for suicide or murder during the old days. The tree is also known as suicide tree.

*sniff! sniff!* I picked up a scent...

... of a squirrel somewhere nearby.

Can you see the squirrel taunting me from behind the tree trunk?

Ooh! I picked up another scent, there must be more than one squirrel among the trees.

I saw it!... and I chased the tree rat around the Japanese bamboo plants...

... until the little fella made his way to the top of the coconut tree for safety.

Having a rest after the tiring chase under the wooden pavilion at the park.

With all the walking and running, I needed to quench my thirst from the lake...

... before continuing my sniffpedition of the place.

Taking a moment to enjoy the view...

... and tranquility of the lake.

Playground by The River

2011-08-05T12:06:00.003+08:00

We went on a walkie by the riverbank.

It was a nice sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze.

Where is the playground? Let's go find the playground shall we.

I can see a bridge over there.

Crossing the suspension bridge over the river...

... as it swayed under the wind with squeaking noises.

Woohoo... we finally reached the playground on the other side of the river...

... and I wasted no time checking out the place.

I wonder where does this lead to?

Climbing higher...

... to explore further.

Oops... no more pathway ahead, a dead end.

Now how am I going to get down from here.

This seems pretty scary to me.

Okay... be calm... I can do this.

Whee... easy peasy and that was really fun.

Hey, what is that over there?

Can I climb on this thingy?

No? Okie dokie... whatever you say, Mr. Fun Killer.

Taking a rest on top the cooling park bench...

... while enjoying the surrounding greenery.

Park Zoomies And Sissy

2011-07-27T00:11:00.003+08:00

I went to the park with koko over the weekend for some walkie.

I did some speedy zoomies at the open field...

... until I was dog-tired with a mouth full of slobber.

Interesting looking beans on a tree branch.

Having a drink from my water bowl in the pei mobile...

... before we headed home.

Back home, a cooing meimei greeted me.

At six months old, meimei has learned to roll over...

... and she has been busy pinching my wrinkly face each time I go near her.

Not only she has learned to roll over...

... but also discovered another pair of tasty paws to her utter delight.

I have taught her well :)

Fireflies Watching

2011-07-13T00:18:00.004+08:00

On the way to watch fireflies, we made a few rest stops to have some snacks.

Each time we stopped for refreshment, I would peeked out of the car to have a look.

Waiting for cheche to buy something from the fruit stall...

... that sells an assortment of mangoes and other tropical fruits.

I got to taste some of the fruits too before deciding which one to buy.

We finally bought a packet of rose apples, or popularly known as jambu air locally.

The flesh of the fruit is crisp and watery, with a very mild rose scent and a slightly sweet aftertaste.

And I love my jambu air.

On our next stop, as I popped out of the window...

... I caught a whiff of one of my favorite snacks.

The aroma of freshly roasted chestnut filled the air and beckoned from afar.

With my acute sense of smell, I managed to trace the divine aroma to a makeshift stall near the road.

Over here in Malaysia, chestnuts are usually roasted with coffee beans and sugar...

... in a huge wok equipped with automated turning mixture arms.

We continued our journey with two paper bags of freshly roasted chestnuts...

... to keep us busy munching on the road.

Upon arriving at our destination, we had dinner in a seafood restaurant...

... whilst waiting for the sun to set.

By the time we reached the jetty, it was already late evening.

I was filled with nervous excitement as we boarded the boat in thick darkness.

In the stillness of the night, we traveled downstream into the river to locate the fireflies' colonies. We were advised not to touch the water as there might be crocodiles lurking under the river.

Not long into the boat ride, we were greeted by hundreds of twinkling tiny lights dancing through the trees along the river.

Due to the fireflies fragility and its sensitivity to bright flashes from the camera, we did not take pictures of the fireflies. Doing so would harm the little bugs.

Anyways, pictures and words cannot really describe the amazing feeling when the glowing fireflies started to come toward us from the mangrove trees as the boatman expertly lit his torchlight intermittently to mimic a mating signal. There were hundreds of tiny luminous lights moving in symphonic harmony through the moonlit darkness and finally landing on my nose and paws. It was truly an enchanting experience as if one is transported to a world of magical fairies. A magnificent sight to the eyes of the beholder that would stay in memory forever.

On the boat ride home, I was sleepy and mostly in dreamland... dreaming of brightly lit fairies and cotton candies.