The Painting has arrived

Thanks to Uncle H in Hong Kong, we received the painting of me and my 9 friends.

Mom is looking for someone to frame it. Once it is framed, I guess she will have to decide where to put her darling boy (and friends)

I want to know what my friends' owner(s) have to say about this piece of art.

Painting of 10dogs

Yes I have been Missing In Action for a loooooooooooong time. I have been training very hard to get the macho image of having 6packs (not kidding. Read on and you will find out how I did it)

Anyway, who needs to blog when you have blogger friends.

Believe me, I don’t need to blog because all my friends are blogging for and about me - my bed (thanks to Joey), my home and the activities that goes on (thanks to Helios), my Christmas tree, my Christmas ornaments, my Christmas food (thanks to Huskee) etc etc etc.

Thank you guys for all your help (now I can go back to bed)

Well, it is high time, I should blog about something. Hmmmmmm what shall it be!!!!!

Ok ok how about 'A Painting of 10Dogs'

My mom is so proud of a group doggie picture taken on Christmas 2006 where 7 of my friends came to my pawty and so she decided to have the picture painted by a professional artist.

….here is the 2006 group doggie (Christmas Pawty) picture.

Mom was introduced to a Mr. Hu, an artist / painter in China. After looking at his work, she decided to commission him to paint the group doggie picture.

That’s not all she wanted; I think she was trying to make life difficult for this Mr. Hu. Ready for this - she wanted 10dogs in the picture instead of 8. Make me wonder if this Mr. Hu is a painter or a magician!!!!!

(Abracadabra - 10dogs it will be).

VERY SPECIFIC instructions were given and trust me, I mean
VERY SPECIFIC.
Instructions like
1) Well, before giving the instructions, Auntie S (Helios' mom) and my mom have to ‘number’ all 8 of us


2) Next, she told Mr. Hu to move no.5 closer to no. 4 (i.e. move Chewie the black/white Husky closer to Rafv the red / white Husky)

3) Remove the leash from no. 8 (the Jack Russell Terrier on the extreme right)

4a) Add Huskee (my Little Big Brother) in, next to no.6


4b) Huskee's mom sent the above picture (gosh how is this painter to know the actual size of Huskee. He could paint him the size of another Golden Retriever of a Siberian Husky). Smart thinking of Auntie S and the painter was told, to take note that Huskee is slightly bigger than no.6 as can be seen in the below picture (Remember, Mr Hu has no clue about dog breeds so size is a big blur to him)


5) Lastly, only paint the dog on the right and add it next to Huskee's right side (and he is bigger than Huskee)


6) Blah blah blah blah blah

I honestly thought she was mad. If I am the painter, I will say no to the job.

She told Auntie G, Auntie S and my godma (Huskee’s mom) about it and I think they think she was mad too.
Questions were asked, like
“how on earth does he know the size of Huskee and Helios in comparison to the other dogs”
“From a picture, can he capture the essence of our dogs??”
"what if it didn't turn out the way you like"
etc etc etc etc

Last week, she was informed that the painting was ready and this sweet painter send his painting to us via email.
The actual painting will be collected soon and hopefully we will get it within the next couple of weeks.
Voila – here it is

Compare this with the above

Helios' mom commented that Mr Hu has given me 6pack abs (Thank you Mr. Hu. Now you know why I have been missing in action. Yes I have been in body building classes). Auntie G said Jack look like he has put on weight (actually he look the same as in the original photo). Huskee's mom said the painting look so life like. Mom said Herbie look so angelic.

All of us agreed that Huskee look the best and we have come to the conclusion that Mr. Hu must have seen and love the movie Shaggy Dog (don't you agree Huskee look like Shaggy Dog)

Everyone was really impressed by Mr Hu and his painitng. I think our owners are deciding to ask Mr Hu to paint their darlings (watch out friends – more posing for nice pictures so your mom can send them over for painting).

Great to be back.

Tribute to my godbrother, Muscles (So long pal)

It's hard for me to find any words to convey how both my mom and I feel about losing Muscles. We both have so many, many things to say and think about.

Muscles is the only reason why mom got me. She learned so much about Muscles from my godpapa that I am the result of the best behave bull terrier around.

Well, there really is nothing I can say. I love my godbrother, and we will never forget him.

Muscles loves his family, and his family loves him. He loved it when his dad took him to the woods – running free and chasing dogs.

Muscles was a happy dog, especially with this dad. His daddy always carries his pictures with him. If Muscles wasn't sleeping in the picture, he was smiling. They are ones of happiness.

Muscles, you will have a place in our hearts, for the rest of our lives. We will remember you for what you are, and we will love you for who you will always be.

In the end though, this isn’t about impact, legacy, or zest for life. It is simply about LOVE. Love especially from his daddy, my mom and I. More importantly the 16years of love given by Muscles to his dad.

Rest in peace my dear godbrother and may you enjoy your new friends over at the rainbow bridge ( a change from both Hong Kong and Boston ).

We will miss you dearly.

A special note to my godpapa - Please don't be sad. Although you are a so far away in cold Boston, I am sending you loads of licks, kisses and warm thoughts. If you need to hug a bullie, you know where to get it.

A thorny affair

A stinking king with nasty thorns, was my rendezvous last night. Of course this stinking king like all of us, have a name. He is DURIAN the king of fruit.



My mom’s love of durians had made me a lover of the fruit king.


For my friends, who have never heard of durian and for those who thinks it stinks...YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING.


For durian lovers, the smell is fragrant. For those averse to it, the smell is repugnant. Ohhhhhhhhhh that smell. 'Quick open it'




There are many myths relating to the consumption of durian (it does not bother me but through my observation, human do funny things).

1st myth – Never drinks alcohol and eat durian. Durian is considered a “heaty” fruit, and alcohol is also "heaty." If you have to eat and drink, maybe beer is fine. Beer is considered to be “cooling”


2nd myth – Yin and Yang, King and Queen: By balancing the heatiness, the consumption of a “cooling” fruit must be considered – the mangosteen.

3rd myth – Eating too much durian, will cause sore throat. The customary thing to do is put a pinch of salt into the seed pod, add water and drink directly from the pod (the inside shell)

4th myth – After eating the fruit, the aromatic scent will linger on your fingers To remove the smell from your fingers, just wash your hand in running tap water over the thorny part of the durian shell (my godma aka Huskee’s mom will not wash her fingers in running water over the thorns ........shhhhhhh !!!! hopefully she finds this funny or I am in deep trouble).

All the myths don't bother me at all. Mom had a durian party last night with Helios' ma and pa and Tommy's ma and pa and Huskee's ma and pa.

Helios (haha) being Australian love the fruit


Nothing these days goes without me, not thinking of Herbie. Here is a clip of my dear friend enjoying his durian


Tommy wasn't too keen so I had his share. Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy


Buuuurppp!!!!!

My dear friend Herbie is no longer with us.

Grieve not, Nor speak of me with tears

But laugh and talk of me

As if I were beside you.
From To Those I love, a poem by Isla Paschal Richardson

Mom found the above poem and she said this is what Herbie would like us to do.

Losing Herbie, while tragic, is but a beginning of a lifetime of memories.

The death itself was not sudden but mom, Auntie Sam and I never expected it so soon. We should have had many more dog years together.

There were never any fights between the two of us. If there was a disagreement, you were always waving your feathery tail to say it is alright

.

We share so many things alike, like EATING and SLEEPING and enjoy just being together

and we both always knew where the food is and you have taught me the art of ‘begging’

Oh Herbie, the park will never be the same without you and my living room will definitely not be the same without you too. Auntie Sam also wanted me to add – the kitchen is not the same without you Herbie.

Although Herbie is no longer physically with us but he is with us in spirit.

We will miss you terribly but you will alway be right here in our hearts.

Long live Herbie.

Rest in peace my dear friend (Your Uncle Bob will now take care of you)

Happy 4th Annipawsery

I am jumping for joy today because today is 4years since I came to my mom.

Where did I come from? Thousands of dogs are bought or adopted, so do I want to know where I came from? The answer is NO.

All I know is this person has given me so much love and attention that she is the only mom I know and I don’t really care where I came from or who brought me to this world.

19th September 2003, I was put on an airplane heading for Singapore. I was tiny and I was scared, stressed and cold. I have to admit, I slept most of the way.

I arrived to a hot morning in Singapore on 20th September and within 3hours, I was picked up my 2 people (mom and dad). Mom had second thoughts about taking me home (I heard her whispering to my dad “you know I don’t like barky dogs and this one here is REALLY barky). I was indeed the the most vocal among all the puppies.
4years has passed and I am happy we found each other.

I love you very much mom and Happy 4th Annipawsary.

Bye bye to redness and itch (on my paws)

Why are my paws red and itchy? Why can’t the humans allow me to chew them?


Don’t they know the redness and itch on my paws is an extremely frustrating experience?


The humans (vet included) said mine is a bacterial infection and the story goes to find a ‘cure’ to my frustrating experience because by this time, my paws look terrible.

Mom (god bless her) tried everything she can think of (including advice from her friends).
She went to the pet shop and bought medicated shampoo and some soothing balm. That helped a little but I was allergic to the particular brand of medicated shampoo so that didn’t help much.


Someone suggested calamine lotion. This was a wee drying to my skin so it was alternated by rubbing hydrocortisone cream and aloe Vera.

Some of my friends (whom I shall not name) have Neem oil added to their shampoo. YES my experience with the Neem oil begins (Ohhhhh, let me tell you that Neem oil smells Soooooooooo bad).


To boost me up internally, I am given royal jelly and flaxseed oil too.



Two months back, my skin condition got from bad to worse so the vet had a visit from me. After consultation, we came home with the following – mild shampoo, chlorhexidine
which is an antiseptic solution


and steroid tablets

Mom didn’t like the idea of the steroid tablets and strict instruction was given to Auntie Sam “give Scuba the tablet for today and tomorrow, then stop". She said steroids are often given to stop the itch without really addressing the underlying cause and the itching will return. Worst, long term use of steroids can result in many health problems.

Do you think all of them work? NO (maybe I didn’t complete the tablets)

By this time, my mom is pulling her hair out trying desperately to find something to ease my itch and redness.

Finally she discovered something when she was in China and voila after application of her discovery, I am not chewing that much and my redness is disappearing.

Mom came up with this brilliant idea - Chinese tea. She said something triggers the idea and ever since then, Auntie Sam has been making tea for my paws.

Where did she buy the tea? Well, she was in Shanghai last week and she bought back her ‘Tea Pawfect Concoction’. The pawfect concotion is made up of green and osmanthus oolong tea.
Mom said with its potent antibacterial qualities, green and oolong have some unique powers in dealing with a range of common skin complaints. These include relieving the swelling and itchiness to the treatment of more prolonged skin conditions such as Eczema. Not surprisingly, many scientists, are slowly unveiling just how beneficial the green tea can be on this unpleasant skin disorder.
Thanks to my tea cleansing and regular brushing, I have said goodbye to red itchy paws






Thank goodness my mom didn’t brush it aside and assume this chewing business is behavioral.

Well I hope whoever is suffering out there, can now have something new and natural to try.