Puppy Love

This little creature came waddling into our house more than a month ago. We weren't there to watch him arrive, but when we drove the Jeep into the porch, a little shadow creeping along the wall hinted to the fact that we had company. He must have felt very out of place, being in a strange place and all, because he didn't budge from amidst the flower pots. Just stayed there, head resting on the floor, and slept.


This little puppy stayed with us for just over a day or so, but that was enough for me to learn to like him, and immensely. Each hour would hardly pass without my thoughts straying his way: was he hungry? did he sleep enough? why did he look so sad? why didn't he bark? was he a he or a she? To this day, I still wonder if he was really a he. We didn't know whether he had a home or not, but he seemed toilet-trained. It was funny how he would strut to the grass and do his tiny business after every munch and slurp. It was adorable, the way he'd roll around in the grass and play snap-munch at things that couldn't be seen by weak human eyes.


He was so hungry, he would lick his plastic aeroplane cup even though it was all out of milk and bread. Then continued licking it slowly and noisily across the floor, tiny curious nose still attached to the bottom of the cup.


He must have been very sleepy, because he spent most of his time snoozing. He was one smart puppy alright. He found our shoe rack, pushed aside all the offending footwear, and nuzzled himself into the corner, brown furry head atop one smelly old shoe. Slept as if there was nothing that bothered him. Without a care in the world.


One night it stormed. You see, I've never had a puppy before, so I forgot all about him. Minding my own business, I forgot all about him. Until the thunder sounded, then it suddenly hit me, quick as lightning, that maybe he was scared. Maybe it was the small whimper I heard, but I wondered if he would be alright. The next morning he was in his usual spot, hiding amongst the flower pots.


When I woke up from my afternoon nap, he was gone. One of the shopkeepers in the row of shops outside my house had decided they wanted to keep him. I didn't get to see him being taken away, and in a way, I'm glad I didn't. It would have broken my heart. As it is, my memories of this little puppy remain happy, but bittersweet, because I knew, even while I spent every minute playing with him, that he couldn't stay. So for that short period, I spent most of my time snapping pictures of him, trying to store away as many happy memories as I possibly could.


I had the opportunity to visit him in his new home about a week later. He was bigger, but he looked different. Less vulnerable. Less needy. He couldn't remember me, but I remembered the time when he used to follow me in that bouncy way of his, every time I stepped out of the door for a walk. You see, my memory may far outlast his, and his eyes might not light up in recognition when I call his name, but those days when he was staying just beneath our windows, a mere call away... You see, those were my happy days.

The Magic of Photo Editing

So that's how you get those brilliant colours, I thought as I tweaked a button here and toggled a button there. Anyway, to cut a long story short, apparently there's this program called Microsoft Office Picture Manager that allows you to 'edit' your pictures. Which is what I did to some of the pictures I took of Reservoir Park and the new DUN building. It was trishie's idea really, to forget a relaxing Sunday afternoon in favour of a wild goose chase. And what a chase it was - it took us close to two hours just trying to locate the new DUN building! But here are some shots from that day, with some tweaks courtesy of Picture Manager (which I only just discovered!):


I know they're not very good, but hey, I'm just trying it out. From the pictures, you'd have come to the realization that I like sepia tones. Why? Dunno. Maybe it's because they remind me of autumn. And they have that timeless feel. I'll try to blog more regularly. But then I say that in almost every blogpost eh? So cheers people!

1st Day, 1st Proper Job

Today was the first day of my first proper job. Okay, so it's actually yesterday, seeing how it's now three in the morning. So anyway, it was the first day of my first proper job. First day because it was the first time I'd entered the class and seen my students. First proper job because all the previous jobs I'd held previously couldn't really be considered actual jobs. I taught tuition for a couple of months while waiting to enter university four years back, but that was just to pass the time. I taught in a local public school for a couple of months during my teaching practice, but that was for assessment purposes. So really, you can say this is my first proper job, seeing how I intend to continue with it, at least for the remainder of this year. And yes, they're actually paying me for it. Currently, it's only part-time instruction for a couple of hours each week, but hey, at least it's a proper job.

This next one month will be a period of important decision-making for me. I'll be graduating in a month's time, and I suppose you can say that I have about this much time left to decide what I wanna do with my future. It's time to really list down all the various options available, and to really take a good hard look at my life, and attempt to analyze what I really want out of it. I know many will say teaching is the obvious path to take, but really I think I'm not ready for it. I still have so much to learn, to observe, to appreciate, before I feel ready to give back to the world, in a sense. To enter a working adult's life, in another sense. So yeah, it's crunch time. One month to make up my mind and follow my dreams.

What those are, I've yet to decide.

So for now, cheers.

Update!

I know it's been practically ages (in blogging terms) since the last time I blogged. I don't really have a very good reason this time. I'm not caught up in assignments, lectures, or exams. I'm in good health. I have a pretty decent Internet connection on an almost daily basis. My laptop has been reformatted and is in the best shape it's ever been in the past couple of years. I'm not travelling. I don't have a regular job. So really, I've got all the time, energy and brain space needed to blog regularly, and yet I don't, simply because I'm feeling too lazy to blog. Teehee.

So what have I been doing these past couple of months or so? Not much actually. I've been watch the telly a little more than usual. And reading some of the books I bought during my short vacation in KL. I've also been doing more eating than usual. And a little job-hunting, here and there. I have a job now, in case you think I'm slouching around the house (which I am, but hear me out here). It's only a part-time thing though, and it's only for two hours on a Tuesday afternoon. But still it's something, and it's more for work experience than the moolah. Not that I'm saying a little moolah wouldn't come in handy. I've also been catching up on my anime-watching. I've finally finished watching Ouran High School Host Club, and I must say it was a fun watch. It excluded some interesting plot lines from the manga, but it's still one of the best animes I've watched so far. I've also started watching the live-action version of Nodame Cantabile on some website, and it looks good so far, although I doubt it'll beat the anime. I wanted to watch the Blood movie that was recently showing in the cinemas, but I didn't know anyone who'd want to watch it with me, and I didn't fancy going alone, so I didn't. Still, from the reviews on the 'Net, I'm guessing it's nowhere as mind-blowing as the anime.

I'm starting my part-time job this coming week, and I'm kinda worried. It's the first time I've done something of this calibre, so you can imagine the presence of some stress and anxiety. But I'll keep you guys posted. I'll try to be more regular in my blogposts. Really, I'll try. So here's a round of applause going out to you guys for being so patient with me, and for constantly pestering, er no I mean reminding me to blog. Cheers!