Nikki the Brave

I'm back for Christmas

2011-12-13T10:57:00.002+08:00

Yes, I've gone missing from my blog for months as godpa decided to get distracted, or rather focus on his own stuff. As you can see I've just gone for grooming. The sweet furry one next to me is not related to me and neither is she here to stay. She's a guest till Christmas.

Godpa borrowed her for a while as she will be wrapped up as a gift. But please don't give away living beings as gifts.

Refreshingly raw

2011-06-28T10:16:00.003+08:00

Godpa's tired, he's been waking up earlier to ensure I take my meals with medication. The good thing of course is that my meats are now served perfectly raw, unlike his dad who always overcooks them when thawing.

As you can see, it's lip smacking goodness with that bit of crunchiness that's so satisfying.

Take a break, ouch!

2011-06-26T23:08:00.002+08:00

Godpa noticed I was listless past few days and even shivered when friendly humans pat and hugged me. So off to the vet we went on Saturday and we came back with a bagful of medicine! Oh and I got an injection on my rump too.

Godpa was right, I was hiding a problem with my back. The vet felt around and sensed tension around my lower back. He guided godpa to feel it. I think godpa was pretending he could feel it and just gave a blur smile. Doc said I likely strained it from standing on my hind feet or jumping on and off heights. Looks like I'm aging quite a bit and have to watch myself. The good thing is godpa will have to cradle me like a baby if he wants me on the sofa with him. No new photos of me right now but godpa seems to be so into this PS3 game that he posed for a photo at a shop poster. Hope he doesn't play till he gets a backache.

June break

2011-06-12T22:45:00.002+08:00

Many human kids have their school break in June. And for me I finally got to go out again though the weather nearly spoiled our plans. As thunder growled in the distance and the sky darkened partially, we made our way to the Bishan Park dogrun. I think it's my second trip there since it reopened. I had a gruelling walk/jog at the park before I was allowed into the dogrun. Godpa and Uncle Leon thinks it will help release some anxiety. I guess it worked pretty well as I found myself running around much more and having fellow dogs coming round for a sniff or two. Had a nice massage bath and then a chunk of raw chicken breast for dinner right after. Right now I'm going off to another dogrun in dreamland as godpa writes today's blog for me.

Listen well

2011-05-24T22:45:00.003+08:00

Humans don't really listen well do they? Their recent election thing showed that there's a lesson to be learned by human leaders who ignored the barks of the pack. For me, I guess I'll just nibble on the new treats from godpa, chewy lamb ears from New Zealand. I guess he's making up for abandoning me while away in Taipei recently, nibbling on goodies himself.

Hot days ahead

2011-04-26T23:14:00.002+08:00

The weather's been hot and humid causing Godpa to catch another round of stomach flu. Fortunately he kept some of the old medicine and managed to get over it within a day.

Now the next hot thing would probably be the local human society's focus on electing their "top dogs". You see, these small group of fellow humans are elected as ministers to represent and work for the good of a larger group of humans. I guess the difference between an alpha dog and a minister is that when the alpha dog fails to lead, it's something very obvious and the pack quickly "demotes" the dog. For humans, things aren't so clear because they have to get past layers of information and mis-information. For some they lack courage to "bark" down the unworthy minister. For any "pack", its survival depends on the pack's ability to exercise its choice. Anyway Godpa says he is eager to exercise his "bark". Woof!

Healthy life style

2011-03-15T11:00:00.003+08:00

Godpa went to take another look at tha Marina Bay area last weekend, this time later in the evening. There is this food court called the Singapore Food Trail (路边摊) at the Singapore Flyer that serves all the delightful local dishes of Singapore. It was a bit unusual to see mostly locals patronizing the place but I guess it must be due to the school holidays.

Great food, great scenery but too bad dogs are not welcomed. So godpa compensated by spending quality time with me as he did some stretching and gentle exercises this morning. As you can see I look good on an exercise mat.

Make hay while the sun shines

2011-03-13T12:30:00.002+08:00

Napping in the sun is rather enjoyable and I do it with style.

Some prefer to "pray" like this little mantis that godpa found on his table today. Maybe he's asking for rain?

Falling sick is a crime

2011-03-06T22:53:00.003+08:00

Not to worry, I'm not sick but godpa has been. He had a leaky nose last Friday which stopped by Saturday but still his head was heavy. He continued doing his volunteer work and kept going till a dinner gathering celebrating some friends' birthdays, including uncle Leon's.

On Sunday, his head was still heavy and he just wanted to rest and recover. Obviously he couldn't bring me out. So what can I do for him. Well, just keep him company, land some licks on his face, and be my natural cute self. It's not a crime to be sick, who would want to be sick anyway. I treat godpa the same regardless whether he's healthy or sick, happy or moody.

Just cut

2011-03-04T20:58:00.003+08:00

First of all, happy birthday to Uncle Leon! I think godpa hid a surprise for you somewhere. I took a peek as he wrapped it and it looks like something I'd like. Maybe you can pass to me if you tire of it.

I've gone for grooming today and godpa was glad to hear I was well behaved at the groomer's though I had gone in shivering from fear. Godpa went to his own "groomer" too so we both look neat and fresh now.

Great Daynes

2011-02-28T22:11:00.002+08:00

It was a great Sunday as godpa finally brought me out to the re-located Bishan Park Dog Run. Along with the great bright and windy weather, we met a Great Dane! As usual I stayed away from most dogs and just did a quick nose to nose greeting with the big guy. Which reminds me, I'm weighing in at 5.3kg right now, a great weight though looking a bit unkempt.

The dog run has shrunk in size but there are now more benches for humans and trees for us dogs to take cover. The better latch gates and water point are certainly great. There's now no gate to link the two fenced up dog runs, which is kind of inconvenient if some dogs want to cross over after warming up their moods. Let's have more great days!

For everything there is a season

2011-02-22T23:07:00.002+08:00

The weather has become sunny and windy and obviously I'm benefitting from getting walks with godpa beyond just the estate where we live. Maybe it's time to visit the rebuilt dog run at Bishan Park.

Godpa's feeling a bit bored these days with no particular project on his schedule. Isn't it just like my life? Live each day looking forward to a good meal, and maybe some treats, catching afternoon naps, and snuggling into bed for the night. No particular purpose, no worries. He's been reading Zen stuff and philosophy but hey I'm living proof.

Happy New Bunny Year

2011-02-02T19:38:00.002+08:00

Seven more years to go before it's my year (Dog year)! By then I'll be an old maid. Well, make hay while the sun shines, so godpa brought me out to Woodlands Waterfront to enjoy the breeze (more like gusts of wind) when the rains stopped. As you can see I was pretty excited and distracted by the scenery.

After returning, I had my share of the reunion dinner as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations: roast chicken, boiled pork, and rice. This is my third year celebrating this human custom. I wonder if rabbits are served next?

Where is my sunshine

2011-01-19T21:13:00.002+08:00

It's been rather cold recently. Godpa noticed I've been going to my old house in the morning after breakfast to stay warm.

I'm also more frequently napping on the sofa next to godpa in the evenings. Did someone turn on the air-conditioning in Singapore? I want a dog tan.

Post Christmas cut

2010-12-28T10:52:00.003+08:00

Oh, it's grooming time again. How I hate going there. Godpa was busy at work so uncle Leon sent me instead. I clung onto uncle Leon as he removed the collar, worrying each time that they might forget to bring me home. As you can see, I'm mentally exhausted after four hours away from familiar faces.

I'm not entirely unhappy of course. A new cut perks me up quite a bit.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T13:54:00.004+08:00

Where are you bound

2010-12-15T16:31:00.003+08:00

Godpa's been spying on me at home with a new human toy. It's an Internet surveillance camera that he can use to check out what I'm doing. One thing he's confirmed for himself is that I'm a very loyal dog who waits by the main door for the family when they're not home. They've long suspected it but just couldn't verify.

In the human world, cremation is also used to send off the departed just like how Benji was transformed. Godpa sent off his uncle today. Eulogies are not common in Singapore but godpa actually had a pleasant memory in mind even though he was not familiar with his uncle. Back when he was a fresh army recruit he had some tough times in camp for the first three months, somehow this uncle got to hear of it and actually made a call to feedback to the staff. You see, his uncle was a career soldier. There must be lots more about his uncle that he doesn't know about. I think it's really a privilege when someone gets to know you well, just like how godpa knows me so well.

The meaning of dog companionship

2010-12-09T23:29:00.003+08:00

Why do humans in Singapore bring a dog into their home. Godpa is pondering this question. We were happily enjoying Kodak moments at home but later in the evening a near disaster happened.

While on our usual walk around the estate, we encountered a bull terrier (looks similar to the picture below), under the care of a domestic helper, and which we later found out was actually off leash. As usual I gave a few growls as we briskly walked past the seemingly docile and quiet dog. Suddenly it dashed out and attacked me. It took a minute or so for the lady to pull the terrier away. Godpa anxiously checked for injuries and also asked her about the terrier. At least she was knowledgeable enough to say the dog is a bull terrier and is very strong. Fortunately there were no injuries though the event left me shivering for some time.

There's alot to say about leashing, muzzling, obedience, etc. But what disturbs godpa is how some people have stopped valuing the whole experience of having a dog, from grooming, exercising, training, picking up it's poop, to nursing it in ill health, and so on. A domestic helper takes care of the "shit" work and the dog owner (or rather purchaser) just sits back and enjoys "having" a dog. Godpa may be over generalizing things but his personal observation is that dogs are more often seen with the domestic help (mostly busy chatting on the handphone) than with actual owners. At this rate, I wonder how humans will end up treating their own young.

Merry "X"-mas?

2010-12-07T11:23:00.004+08:00

The dog run at Nexus mall isn't ready yet and godpa overheard a pet store staff saying the roof area will take about three weeks before it's opened. It's a very crowded mall and all seems bright and beautiful but I don't understand humans who just like to create excitement and add stress to their pace of life.

Humans loved the cute Winnie the Pooh bear sitting ontop of a large Christmas wreath like thing, so I guess I should wish humans "Merry Pooh-mas" there? As for me I'm a lot more cuter than Pooh bear under the morning sun light.

Spots of interest

2010-11-29T20:37:00.002+08:00

Godpa left me at home over the weekend as usual. He had gone to Batam to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea.

Actually he would have loved to bring me over as it would have been fun for me to get wet in the clear seawater. He also took a peek into the newly opened Nex mall to check out the dog run but unfortunately the rooftop area wasn't opened yet.

As soon as he's free he'd better bring me to the new dog runs at Bishan and Nexus.

Sunny green

2010-11-16T10:56:00.002+08:00

It feels great to have godpa around on a weekday morning. I get cuddled and taken out for a tan, and to nibble on grass (which should be clean after the rains).

The morning sun adds a cheerful tinge to everything, even simple plants look great under its glow.

And of course, I look gorgeous in any situation.

Dark matter

2010-11-07T13:39:00.002+08:00

Godpa just fed me the last piece of Heartgard medication and he's looking for new stock online. His previous source from an online doggy forum seems to be missing in action. It may look like a dirty chunk of stuff but sure tastes good.

Godpa himself also ate dirty looking stuff which is some kind of Japanese curry. He'd wanted to try the Go!Go!Curry! for some time and finally did yesterday. Basically he just wants to try it before the shop closes down. That's his prediction for it because he finds the food is nice for a single try but not worth revisiting regularly.

Home Hot Home

2010-11-05T23:31:00.002+08:00

Godpa's been back from his trip for almost a week. He came from an autumn cool climate, spending time enjoying mountain-lake scenery and basking in sunrise-over-mountain range experience. He decided not to buy stuff for me but brought back some pictures to share.

He came across two Shar Pei dogs who spend their time on a homestay (民宿) balcony in the cool mountain regions of Cingjing Farm, Nantou county, Taiwan (清境农场，南投县，台湾). I'm envious that they get good food and live in such a tranquil place while I make do sharing the air-conditioning with godpa. Even my little chinchilla pal, Rocky, tries his best to keep cool as he naps in this hot wet weather.

In Taiwan, dogs are brought almost everywhere, including on trips up to catch the sun rise at an altitude of 3275m! Such lucky dogs. The highest I ever went was Uncle Leon's HDB flat on the 9th floor.

Well, at least godpa's safely home now to bare the heat with me.

Novelty

2010-10-17T16:30:00.003+08:00

Sometimes life is just so boring even with all the colourful stuff around us. Fortunately we have each other.

Of course, getting a new chew toy helps too. Somehow we lost the old bone in the house. It's still a mystery how it disappeared.

Come what may

2010-10-04T22:02:00.002+08:00

Oh my, I got into trouble last Saturday. A neighbor came knocking on godpa's door and asked for compensation for her maid's medical bill. Godpa was a bit surprised but handled it calmly. Godpa's parents had brought me down for a walk and were taking a rest watching the world go by. Unfortunately no one saw a young chubby maid come by who intruded into my space. Me being impulsive and they being older folks, I soon barked and chomped on her leg in the blink of an eye. Godpa's dad had brushed it aside as a small scratch until godpa saw it for himself there was a puncture wound.

The lady was rather flabergasted that her maid's plight was minimized by godpa's dad and so appeared rather demanding. Godpa checked the bill, looked at the wound, and just apologized and paid up. It took her by surprise and she appreciated godpa's response. Godpa didn't even scold me or his dad who had control of the leash. I think he can be a Zen master. Of course thanks to me also, I've educated him about my biting powers after giving him a taste of my chompers last year.