Friday, November 7, 2014

DROOPY IS NOT JUST IN FAIRYTALES...


IT'S ALSO MAKING ITS DEBUT ON MY FACE!

I've been noticing some changes happening to my face this past year since I've turned 40, especially around the eyes. Indeed the forces of gravity does not help the issue I'm struggling to cope with, IT"S ONLY MAKING IT WORSE. Although, I believe that I inherited the droopiness on the outer edges of my eyelids from my blessed great-grandmother on my father's side of the family. If not now, SOON, I'll need to perform a quick-fix by inserting toothpicks as to give them a lift. So that way I'm able to see beyond the immediate field of vision. And perhaps I'll sport some of those stylish funky cat eye glasses to disguise them a bit.

Dedicated to our guardian ancestors 

Friday, October 31, 2014

Cat's Gone Missing...

...And I don't even think I waited 24 hours before I went into panic mode. I immediately sent out a KRUSTY Alert. Asking anyone if they've seen a small, grey and white cat sporting a pink collar, to please notify me and to keep a look-out for her.

Lost Cat in Katy area
Last seen wearing a pink collar.

During the early hours I thought nothing of it. She's a cat. Cats go on prowls all the time. FOR GOD'S SAKE, GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF! She'll be back sooner or later. Consciously telling myself this didn't do much good. Regardless of my tiny inner-voice's efforts, my imagination went spiraling into a crime scene as I find myself compelled to solve a mystery, with or without a corpse. I'd say; I may have watched too many episodes of American Horror Stories the previous night which resulted in a pool of negative energy engulfing me, or simply paranoia. But, for whatever reason, in my mind I was convinced that Krusty was killed and devoured ferociously by something CREEPY.

It's not unlikely. You see, we now live in Fulshear, Texas within a golf course community, surrounded by dense woods, lakes, rivers and farmlands. There are said to be coyotes, bobcats, and alligators on the prowl. Not to mention Texas Chainsaw Massacre was based on a true story.

A few hours went by and Krusty was still nowhere insight. Thankfully, I had my family only a text away for support who suggested that she could be enjoying a bush-meal somewhere. Then, a few MORE hours later. Okay...Some other person is feeding her Pâté.

It is now DAWN. I began to Google every possible predator known to wilderman and native American in the state of Texas. Including The Great Horned Howl.  The great horned owl is a year round presence in eastern Texas and prefers open woodlands along with farmlands. (So, POSSIBLY A GOLF COURSE?) This is the only type of owl that makes a meal out of skunks on a regular basis. The great horned owl will also kill and eat osprey chicks, small mammals (SMALL MAMMALS! Like, a small house cat?)  birds as large as herons, and reptiles like snakes and lizards.

I continued to enlighten myself about these MAGNIFICENT creatures. Thanks to Larry Page and Sergey Brin we now can brilliantly fill our minds with every bit of information, confirming that our irrational thoughts can be quite logical, making us feel sane again. I further proved my insanity (I meant SANITY) Googling image after image, video after video, wiki after wiki... on The Great Horned Owl.

Then, it dawned on me. A few nights ago I saw something swoop down into the darkness from an adjacent tree in our backyard while soaking in our hot tub. Say around 10ish. "WHOA! I THINK IT'S AN OWL! SO FREAKIN' COOL!", I proclaimed in my drunken voice. "By the way, where's Krusty?" Then I recalled a couple mornings ago stepping on poop outside our back door. It had disintegrated into an ash-like substance after kicking it off with my shoe. Eeeewww, Yuck...What strange poop, I thought to myself. *Googling* g-r-e-a-t  h-o-r-n-e-d  o-w-l-'-s  p-o-o-p  i-m-a-g-e-s *enter*

Here's what I've discovered...



These owls are fearless towards humans AND CATS!




The title to this video:
"Neighbors fear owls are eating small dogs and CATS"




And this image of the great horned owl's poop, called pellets, IS ALL THE PROOF I NEED. It is the replica of the poop I stepped on.

Bingo!
I'm closing in.
I suspect my cat was a fancy feast for an Owl.

That night, I got up every hour to check outside. I kept imagining her head being ripped apart and devoured by a Great Horned Owl. I somehow kept hearing her constant faint cries inside my head. Meowwww, meowww...meowww... "Krusty, Krusty? Is that you?", I rambled on and on in my sleep.

Then, the following morning, before I can say I NEED COFFEE in my zombified voice,
I proceeded to open the back door...

"KRUSTIBELLA, YOU'RE ALIVE!!!"



Friday, September 5, 2014

Zoochosis


Wild animals in captivity are nothing but a tourist attraction purely owned by selfish money-hungry investors. We are learning nothing about an animal trapped in a cage. Zoologists cannot sustain their existence by studying their behaviours in a zoo. What we should be doing for the good of all is conserving what is left of their natural habitat. Start by not turning a blind-eye to the problems we are facing each and every day. Start conserving energy. Stop using paper for unnecessary propaganda. Stop using products that contain environmentally damaging ingredients. RECYCLE. Read and understand the ingredients we are about to put forth into our bodies. Think about where that precious souvenir came from before purchasing it. Stop OVER-fishing. Stop eating SO much freaking MEAT. Like our native ancestors, let us give thanks for our 'Catch of the Day' and savor the moment. The environment is damaged to a degree that is already irreversible. Sadly, it is the inevitable that some of these magnificent creatures will resolve into extinction. However, removing species from its ecosystem and sticking them in a conservatory/zoo is not the answer to our world's problems. We must acknowledge and change our ways of living to continue to evolve into better human-beings. http://www.care2.com/causes/zoochosis-the-disturbing-thing-that-happens-to-animals-in-captivity.html?cid=fb_causes_zoochosis







Friday, May 23, 2014

Holiday

Firstly, keep in mind that Malaysia has two distinct seasons. A rainy season and a dry season. The country is typically warm throughout the year with temperatures ranging from 21 degrees Celsius (In layman's terms 70s) to 32 degrees Celsius (90s). Goosebumps are rarely experienced until one steps-foot into an 'icebox' (Shopping Center). However, in the highlands, temperatures can drop as low as 16 degrees Celsius (60s). So, the likelihood of spotting a snowman here during Christmas will be one made out of sticky rice.



Some expats are not aware of the number of holidays Malaysia has in a given year. Likewise, I'm not aware of it until I'm at a shopping mall one day, where I stumble upon a SURPRISINGLY giant, happy snowman, or an AMAZING Deepavali rice-art SMACK in the middle of the pathway. Alternately, when I hear the sounds of Chinese drums in the distance, followed by the ECHOES OF CHINESE DRUMS INSIDE MY HEAD.


Needless to say, the holidays creep up on us all the time. Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Wesak, to name a few. There are SO many holidays where there is barely enough time in between them to make arrangements. (Can you feel my frustration? Probably not. Okay moving on....)

Prior to the recent holiday, Labour Day, and all other holidays before that, it was Good Friday. In which coincidentally fell between student's mid-term break. SPRING BREAK, per se. And, sequentially added 17 days of (Think Madonna Song.) "HOLIDAY!"

We chose yet another incredible island for our "HOLIDAY" destination. Kata Beach in Phuket Thailand, since we've never been to Thailand before, and to seek relaxation with breathtaking views.

Here the boys enjoyed surfing for their first time.



We enjoyed magical sunsets.

 
We also thought about experiencing a sequestered island, with a lesser civilian population, if that's even possible. In 2013 statistics reports; Phuket Thailand, 209.7 square miles of island, Population: 503,000. More than 21 percent for whom are expats permanently reside here. Who can blame them?! Then add SPRING BREAK to the equation. Now do the math.


So, we readily went for an island hopping excursion, that required us to hop on a bus, which then took us up-and-down a mountain on a narrow winding road, with torrential rain and mudslides. An hour later, optimistic and with no regrets, YET, we cradled aboard a speedboat that took us 30 minutes, or so, away from the east coast of Phuket. Then, astounded that we finally made it, found ourselves on all fours upon an island called Koh Khai.






Here the boys enjoyed snorkeling for their first time.

Notice the colorful array of umbrella BRIGADE in the background?






An Asian once said to me that Westerners all look alike, perhaps as a joke. Well, it is quite apparent that we all THINK alike, TOO.


HEY! The more the merrier.



Here, we were greeted by friendly Koh Khai Islanders who offered us fresh tropical fruits and drinks.











Here's reality.











And, here is yet another 'sad' fact. It was disappointing to discover coral reef disintegration. As well as to find an extensive amount of plastic bags, fishing lines and empty bottles washed ashore in the mornings at Kata beach. By, presumably, night fishermen in their boats, who their tiny flickering lights are seen by the hundreds in the vast distance, fishing for squid, or whatever else that gets tangled up in their nets.

















All in all, we enjoyed our holiday getaway. Our accommodation at Kata Beach was inviting. Restaurants are affordably priced and the people are friendly. They did a good job keeping their beaches clean, as well. Our boys could hardly wait to arrive back to our hotel room, to find these countless, hand-crafted sea-creatures made of leaves from a tree. (below) I'm surprised to see there are still quite a few leaves on its branches.