Atlas the big bully

Remember Atlas the St. Bernard? Well, he's one big bully after all.

When Cindy and I took him out for his afternoon walk last Sunday, he immediately knew that Pete, the "Alpha" of our pack, wasn't around that day, and tried to take advantage of the situation by bullying us a couple of times.

First, he pretended to be clumpsy and kept walking slightly further and further away from Cindy. He wasn't really pulling though, but was more of the "oophs, did I go too far?" kind of pulling. Cindy was, of course, no fool, and quickly reigned him back in. As soon as he realized that he couldn't get away with Cindy, he gave up and continued walking nicely beside her.

After a while, I took his leash and walked him onto the paddy fields so he could relieve himself. Instead, he picked up a piece of twig and started shaking it around. This may look playful to a lot of people, but both Cindy and I knew that he was trying to test our level of control. We took one look into each other's eyes, and simultaneously grabbed either end of the twig and pulled it out of his mouth.

Boy, was he agitated! He grunted and turned to nip at the air around my hand. I held his leash away and bumped him off to the side with my outer thigh. Had Pete been around, Atlas would have stopped right there and then, but it was just me and Cindy, so he pushed further and nipped towards my belly. I felt his teeth brushing against my skin, and my shirt being tugged, and I was, outraged. Something clicked at that moment, and my instincts took over: I reprimanded him using a technique that Pete has taught me before, which I had no chance of using until then. I have never thought I would be able to call upon it, especially in a sudden situation, and Atlas was quite surprised to be pushed aside by me. I then took advantage of his uncertainty, pulled him back beside me, and started walking as if nothing has happened.

After a couple of steps, I saw from the corner of my eye that he started looking down with his mouth opening, and both Cindy and I knew that he was going for it again. I prepared myself, and continued walking forward with all my strength. He got dragged forward and couldn't stop to take anything off from the ground, and got really upset. I heard him grunting and pounding up behind me, and I reprimanded him again. This time his level of agitation was a lot less, but he kept protesting and kept closing in towards me. Instead of backing up, I held his leash high and stood my ground with a poker face.

And then it was over. He gave in and all that agitation just subsided. It was mesmerizing to be there at that moment. One second we were heading into a twister, and then all of a sudden, everything was bright and calm. He became that big teddy bear again, and just walked nicely beside us through the fields and back to the shelter.

It was some kind of experience. Was I scared? Not really. It may sound scary to people when I told them what happened and especially, after I showed them a photo of the big boy standing beside me. But for me, it was more like, another experience. If I were to describe it in my own words, it was more of an energy exchange between me and the dog. It's like, he tried to overpower me with his bullying (i.e. invade my space or my energetic field with his) but I just refused to give in by flaring my energy field up and bouncing his advances back to him. That's all. It's hard to put to words but that's how it felt to me.

Looking back, this was truly an enriching experience because I will now be less worried about handling big dogs and will probably have better instincts when I have to deal with similar advances. I have not only gained a bit more confidence in myself, but have also opened up a better perception of the energetic channels between humans and animals. I'm not saying that I'm ready for ANY dog yet, but at least, I think I am now a bit bolder and braver when it comes to seeing bigger dogs.

Does size really matter?

Well, depends.
Depends on what you're thinking of... ;)

Have a great evening,
AM

Adoption Day, Sun, Mar 29, 2009

A rewarding day indeed.

First and foremost, it was good to be able to re-home some of the pups to suitable families, giving them another chance to a happy, loving life with their new guardians.

But even more so, it was important for me and Cindy to be able to dissuade some potential adoptees from adopting a dog just because "he looks cute" or "my son likes her a lot". Impulsive decisions without regard to the suitability between the dog and the family will almost always guarantee trouble, and possibly, returning of the dog to a shelter in the future.

It was, and will always be, our Mission to find suitable homes for the dogs. Not just any home, but a SUITABLE home.

Helping out at the Adoption Day has given me the opportunity to practice assessing dogs and people, then trying to find the perfect match in between. I was never much of a match-maker myself, but I'm honing my skills and am getting better at it. :)

Moreover, handling the dogs in a variety of settings has enabled me to gain a better understanding of the subtle changes in energetic levels as the dog's emotions changes. Leaning how to tune in with such changes and to interpret what they mean has been one of my biggest obstacles in my "doggie training". Even though I am not completely confident yet, I feel more comfortable now and is learning to trust my feelings a bit more. Like Pete says, things will only get better from now on, and I'm sure of that!

Last but not the least, nothing beats that warmth in my heart when I saw the perky Yorkie trotting off with his new family by his side, knowing that he will very likely be living happily ever after.

Thanks to you all, my four-legged and two-legged friends, for giving me the chance to help and to learn.

Luv, AM

Vetspeed Nite Express

Finally took the dogs to the vet on our Vetspeed Nite Express, as Tinsel's still pooping blood and Kimba's getting more pimples.

Thanks to Cindy for recommending her vet and for making the appointment for us. The clinic is immaculately clean and efficient, and the vet, Dr. Yim, is professional, knowledgeable and extremely approachable.

Tentative diagnosis for Tinsel's tummy trouble is a weakening of the microflora in her intestines due to prolonged use of the steroids and antibiotics for her ear infection. Will get final confirmation from the path test on her stools, but at least it doesn't look like she's caught anything serious. Phew!

And her ear....turns out that her ear infection has cleared up already but then she's getting an allergic reaction to the long term and overuse of the ear wash that was prescribed by her previous vet. He actually reminded us to wash Tinsel's ears twice daily just a few days ago! What a bloody "yellow green doctor".

As for Kimba....he's now our official Fungi Boy - Doc prescribed some meds and twice daily cleaning of his "pimples". It's only 2 hours since he took his meds and he's stopped scratching completely. Not bad. At least we can all get a good night's rest tonight then. Unless Tinsel starts pooping again, that is.

But I got the feeling that everything's going to be alrrr-right for them.

So now I should go catch a few hours before I get up real early for the Discovery Bay Adoption Day. Send us your love and support as we really want to find a few good homes for the pups at the shelter!

Go puppies go!

AM

Entrapment

I've started to grind my teeth in my sleep lately.

I would wake up from that sweaky noise in my mouth, realizing that I'm grinding my teeth.

And I know why. Tension. Stress from holding that tension inside, not able to resolve it (yet) and not able to vent it out either. Clenching my jaws tight. Zipping my lips closed.

And sometimes, when I try to tell a friend what's troubling me, I will struggle with my words, not knowing where to start, or how to express my thoughts. I had to concentrate on prying my teeth apart in order to let the words come out of my mouth.

Maybe I should try using my fingers instead of my mouth. No....not to pry my teeth open, but to say what I want to say.

OK. So, what's been troubling me?

Well, the kids health for sure. That's always numberrrrr ONE.

Then, two separate engagements that I'm trying to get myself out of.

First and foremost, part-time office work at the studio that I've supposedly resigned from. Really ticks me off coz I have no patience for things like these, dangling in mid-air, neither here nor there. Told the guy that I am quitting the office, and instead of discussing when my last day will be and what I got to hand-down etc, he said, "ok, let me talk to my wife first, we need to make some re-arranging". Sure---- but three days later, when I got back into the office again, he pretended that nothing has happened. I didn't want to be pushy, so I waited until after I finished teaching my class, but then, he was already gone for the day. Gone for the day? So now what? I don't want to be an irresponsible person and just walk away like that, but I can't keep going on like this either. I will have to go in next Wednesday and try to deal with him, probably have to name my last day there and set down all the remaining work. It's just a pain in the behind when I had to deal with dilly-dally people.

The second gig is also yoga-related. See what happens when you mix money with pleasure? Yoga by itself is bliss. Yoga as work becomes teeth (grinding).

See, I've promised my mentoring teacher who led me into yoga, that I will assist her in teaching a Yoga Teacher Training in China sometime this year. The gig was originally set for April, but it has been postponed as there wasn't enough applicants to justify the trip.

Then about a week ago, I got a call from my teacher saying that the hosting studio in China came back with a new proposal and a new shocking price. It's so dirt cheap - 30% of what everybody else charges, even in China. Their excuse was: Bad economy. Right. I happen to know of other yoga schools taking in more teacher trainees because of the economy, as people are all looking for alternative sources of income. I don't understand, nor do I care, why the hosting studio wants to charge such a low price. The bottom line is, I don't agree and I don't want to be involved.

But here's the catch. My teacher really wants to do it, and she wants me to assist her. She feels that it's always worthwhile as long as we can touch a few more people's lives. I have absolutely no qualms about that, and I'd gladly do my karma yoga, but I do have a HUGE problem selling myself cheap. As the studio charges for the course, this is no charity in anyway, so I cannot see how we will be touching some poor fella's life, except probably the studio owner's. But then my teacher says, "would you just do it this time one, for me?" and I got stuck. Trapped.

Arrrrrrgh.

It's been a battle between giving in to my conscience (gratitute towards my teacher) and upholding my principles. It's not an easy decision but I've finally came to realize that I will have to put my foot down and insist on a reasonable rate or I'll back away. Otherwise it will eat me alive as I can never force myself to do something I don't like doing. I will always end up screwing it up, so it's not a good idea at all. Nope. And it's not about how much I get paid in the end. It's a matter of principle. Our services comes with a price and we should not be taken advantaged of.

Hmmm... venting out feels good and looks like I'm cooking something up in the process as well. My chain of thought starts rolling and maybe it's time to pick up the phone to deal with the matter now.

Hopefully, I won't be grinding my teeth again tonight. Or tomorrow night.

Have a very pleasant weekend, everyone - and please, join the Earth hour tonight by turning off your lights!

-AM

Mango Mama

Nothing beats starting the day with an iced cold mango.

Yum...

Then almost an hour of cleaning and "oiling" up of the kids.

Yeah.....

Bad mommy fell asleep on the couch last night, half-way through cleaning their ears and feet and chest and what-not. After wiping them down with colloidal silver, I had to wait a few minutes for it to work and to dry up before putting on the actual oinments. And I had to fall asleep within that few minutes' window!

Darn. Must be really tired. Tired, and probably a little frustated too.

But sleeping is so healing and replenishing. A little under six hours and now I'm feeling all refreshed and ready for another day.

And that ice cold mango helps too, for sure.

I love mangoes.

Yummmm.....

-AM

Kids

Kids. I mean the four-legged ones.

They give you the best kisses (licks) and best hugs (warm furry body).

They got the best loving eyes (heart melting) and are your best buddies (curling up by your feet).

But when they're not well, they really get you worrying.

At least I do.

Tinsel is still having really soft stools, her ear infection is not completely well, and her feet chewing is coming back. Vet says to stay on a bland diet, continue washing her ear twice a day, and go back in two weeks (or call if her stools gets worse). Two weeks? Yeah, right. Might as well just tell me not to go back again.

Then Kimba. In addition to having some pimples on his chest, I've just found some dandruff peeling off between his toes. Is there such a thing as Canine Athlete's foot in Hong Kong? Huh?

Tinsel has never, ever, had an ear infection. Her tummy is usually very well and she's had the runs for less than 4 times in her entire life as a 5 year old.

Kimba has never had any skin problems. He just likes to fart.

But now....?

This is so frustrating. I feel like a bad negligent mom.

Anyways, I'm going to play the role of Ms. Nightingale now and clean up their ears, feet, and chest, before applying the corresponding creams and ointments.

Keeping my fingers crossed, hoping for the best.

Nite everyone,

AM

Fishies, anyone?

Is there such a thing as fake Monk fish?

I am wondering.

Went to a French restaurant for dinner tonight for the Monk fish on their special menu, and was quite disappointed. Don't get me wrong though, food and service were both quite good, and I'll go there again. However, I went there specifically for the Monk fish, and I didn't think it is Monk fish that was being served. It's more like a hybrid between an Orange Roughy and some Cod of some sort.

*15 minutes later...*

Okay, I dug up some info on Monk fish and found out that it's the tail meat that's delicious (and probably what I've been eating), so it's totally possible that the dish I had tonight was indeed Monk fish, but just not the tail part. Oh-well, should've known that it won't come so cheap. Anyways, I still had a great dinner, so what the heck!

One thing that I just found out though, is that both Monk fish and Orange Roughy are on the Seafood Watch list as fishes to avoid. Monk fish because of sustainability issues and Orange Roughy because of concerns about mercury contamination. Oh-no for the Monk fish and Oh-well for the Orange Roughy.

Oh-no because I love eating Monk fish, but would probably be avoiding it until it becomes more available. Quite a loss for me as it is by far my favorite fish.

Oh-well because I don't think the amount of Orange Roughy that I eat will cause much harm to me, so it won't be affecting my eating habits at all.

Oh-darn! Just checked the Seafood Watch list again, and turns out that Swordfish and Tuna are both on the "contaminant" list. Tuna I know, but Swordfish? Another one of my favorites! OK, that's it, I'd rather be contaminated than to stop eating my favorite fishies.

I'm going to bed tonight dreaming of my favorite fish dishes at my favorite restaurants.

Bon Appetit,

AM