Presidential Elections 2011

Isn't it obvious that there is only one worthy candidate for the highest office in Singapore?

I am looking for a man who can carry himself with dignity, and not embarrass our country in front of other heads of state, a wise leader who understands what it takes to run a country and masters the complexities of our budget and use of reserves. And a man who knows when to speak and when to be silent, and who knows when to say what!

The President shouldn't be a maverick, we have opposition parties for that. I don't even think he is a champion for downtrodden causes. That's a job for our elected members of parliament and NGOs. As for the one with sweeping views on many policies in many areas, I can only gape at what an expert he is. Goodness him, elect him and we will see Singapore dismantled.

I cannot imagine what our government would look like with an elected President openly opposing and checking on our elected cabinet/prime minister all the time. It is like we have confused the American and British systems and want both at the same time! And what a farce we would look to the rest of the world!

When I hear some of these candidates, such a sense of deja vu envelops me. Hey, I seem to have heard and seen them only recently, ya, like the recent general election. What fortituous luck that a second stab at political power occurred so soon. Please, don't use the Presidential election as a back door into government. If you have lost, just try again, at the correct event, five years later.

From rags to graduation

It seems so incredible now that we look back, but how did my taxi-driver father support we 5 kids all the way? Even now with our higher salaries, we still have to be so careful about money! I am now old enough to look back without resentment at a childhood of leftovers, hand-me-downs and part time jobs. What didn't kill us certainly made us stronger.

It was finally baby sister's turn to graduate, and we the older folks marked the occasion by turning up in full force to take studio photos with her, never mind that we graduated quite...erm...some time ago.

Waiting for our turn to go into the studio

The Fat One, Boon One, Little Fish and Masterofboots + baby brother, yet to graduate.

 Two of the husbands amusing themselves, only to be told off sternly by the photographer.

God has been so good to my family.

Marauding Rabbits Attack!

I feel rather apologetic towards my neighbors. They must be wondering about the random crashes, continuous ripping sounds, sudden scuffling and general disorder in our yard. And of course, they might also wonder who I'm always scolding, since they can't see anyone else. I think it is because my rabbits are Netherlands dwarfs, which are famously feisty and active. These are false dwarfs. That means all of the ND's naughty temper, but with longer legs and hence greater ability to dash around. 

See what short work these marauding rabbits made of their toys. Blackie is all brute force, rampaging everywhere. Whitty is smaller, but quicker and more strategic.

 

10 Years Later

 The Class of... erm...2001 met 10 years after graduation, and to my relief, we have not really aged very much. There are some inevitable wrinkles of course, but at least we could still recognise one another. Amused to discover that many folks have either just returned from further study, or are embarking on it. Some are parents! And then as a classmate remarked, my hair style is still the SAME. Hahaha

Rabbit food

For a while, I had been puzzled, as Blackie doesn't seem to be eating much of his pellets and hay. Doesn't he get hungry? Then we discovered the truth - he has been feeding on his house.

And the walls, of course. After much effort at disciplining, he now knows that he isn't supposed to eat the walls, but whenever he thinks we are not looking, he can't resist sneaking a nibble. hmm..hmm...yummy vanilla-coloured alabaster.

I must confess to buying a rabbit when I knew nothing of their ways. And my tip for such behavior is: Don't. These rabbits have been loads of fun and affection, but also sweat. Blackie looked so sweet and gentle in the Petshop! He was still docile when he came to our home, until he realized it has become his too. Within two days, it was the reign of bunny terror, and now, with his consort.

Sleepy. Last night we were rudely awakened by a crash, as bunny tyrants tried to get out of their cage. Don't ever think that rabbits are quiet just because they don't bark. They can make plenty of noise with the tools around them, like banging their metal hay ball against their cage. The funniest thing is, now that a second bunny is here, I found out that they do make rabbit noises, like huffs, snorts, and honks. So, Blackie just never bothered talking to us that's all.



Rabbits Attack!

The rabbits made a coordinated attack for their treats, having long observed where their favourite things are all kept.

Blackie was suspiciously quiet for a little while, and then I discovered that he had jumped unto the top of their cage and ripped open their bag of dried apple slices. I scolded him and tried to keep away the fruit.

In the meanwhile, Whitty gnawed at the bag of their Burgess pellets. She made a dent. While I was trying to stop her, Blackie started pulling out their litter box to distract me. I dashed over to him, and that gave Whitty the chance to tear open their bag of alfafa hay.

RAABBIIITTSSSssssss!!!!!

Love bunnies

So it is true. While bonding rabbits can be tricky business, it is easiest to bring a girl bunny home to a boy. Blackie showed little territorial aggression. Hm...maybe it is because he has been fixed. Anyway, he has been delighted to share everything with his bunbride (except their pellets and treats). Here the couple share a quiet moment supervising their tired human slave clean their cage.

Whitty seems to have grown already within this week. She's glowing with the radiance of being groomed by Blackie all the time. Her face was all crumpled and dirty when she first came, but see how cute she is now:

This is a super spoiled girl. It's not my fault! She came being thoroughly pampered by the petshop owners, who fed her with the tastiest food - premium oregano flavoured pellets. And so for a little while, we had to give her that too, until BOTH bunnies got super spoiled. When offered plain old Oxbow, Whitty got so upset that she overturned her foodbowl! Blackie supported her protest by trying to throw out their litter box. RAABBIIITSSSssss! 

Christian Life

The hardest part about Christian life isn't going to church and facing lots of holy people, even when you don't feel very holy yourself. These are challenges of course. It is so much easier to be a Christian on your own, without having to account to others how you are leading your life.

But I digress. I think the hardest part about being a Christian is obeying God's commands which run totally contrary to our own instincts. Like, loving your enemies, do not take revenge. And worst of all, forgive as God forgives us. These commands are enough to make anyone run away screaming. They seem so impossible!

Yet today I shall choose, or try to choose, to follow them. God, just help me to forgive those I hate, who let me down. Show me that your Grace is sufficient for me, show me what it means to 'overcome evil with good'.

I think the only way out is by prayer - not the lame rehearsed words uttered before bedtime - prayer as in Gethsamene, when Jesus had sweated blood. I choose to pray even when I think they don't deserve my prayer, or any prayer. Then, let me see that miracles do happen.

V's entry: Leftovers

One can get used to anything, even eating pets' leftovers, like:

Cheese - Masterofboots gave the Squeaks cheese to get them growing, then she read that hamsters are lactose intolerant, so no cheese allowed. I have been having the cheese in my sandwiches since.

Beansprouts - to cool the Squeaks down. But as we all know, beansprouts come in packs and those tiny critters eat only one strand per day. Guess what happened to the rest?

Toasted wheatgerm - is supposed to be exceptionally nutritious. But being toasted, it feels somewhat oily. The hamsters got raw wheatgerm instead, and Masterofboots mixes the toasted wheatgern into my milk shakes.

But as I observed, after a while, these things feel normal. In fact, I have been contemplating the rabbits' Burgess Oregano pellets lately. Wonder if they make a good low-fat, high fibre snack. I mean...there is a certain aroma about them, a tasty crunch...

Greedy hamster feeding

The only thing the Squeaks don't like to share - Food. This is Ninja:  eating as much as she could before Friendly wakes up.

She discovered that I'm filling the other bowl. Are there tastier bits there? More pine nuts more pine nuts more pine nuts!