It's Our Cats' Home

I was watching our cat lying at the entrance of the sliding doors.

He looked sick and tired.

He is our fat black cat with sharp claws, very fierce and always ready to fight against intruders.

He has been wounded many times and there are many evidences of scars.

But he is determined to fight and fight hard.

The urge to fight is always in his blood.....

But now he is lying down quietly and peacefully, stretching and relaxing on a foot mat.

He must have felt really safe and secure there, though his watchful eyes suggest that he will be ready to prowl the moment an enemy approaches.

And so we leave him alone, knowing that he will be healthy and strong again after taking some rest and some nice food and drink, and given some patting and tender loving care.

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We have altogether six beautiful cats living with us now.

They don't shit anywhere in the house except the washroom.

Occasionally, they do vomit on the carpet when they are sick....

We started off with a crippled kitty when we first moved into this new home; she was left behind by her mother.

Many generations of cats has since come through her and she was no longer crippled.

Lately she had disappeared and no longer to be found.

We suspected that she had died of old age....

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We have given away many cats to well caring families.

But we continue to feed stray cats which go about hungry in the housing estate.

Ever since we keep cats, we no longer have leftover food problems.

In fact, sometimes we even buy some small fish and cook some rice specially for them, when we have decided to eat out.

We love our cats... and our dog.

But we don't keep dog anymore... after some men have decided to poison our dog during early July this year... and he died in great pain.

But we still have our home opened for our cats.

It's our cats' home.

The Tough Gets Going

I remembered the days when I was a young boy helping my family selling vegetables in the marketplace.

People during those days were simple, straightforward and a lot less quarrelsome.

Sincerity, honesty, integrity, diligence, thrift, humility and harmony meant a great deal during those early years of my life.

We woke up early at 3 a.m, cleaned up, had a hot drink, dared the cold wind and sometimes rain or thunderstorm, and moved fast through the rubber garden to the marketplace.

We walked along the narrow trail; it was a luxury to own a bicycle or a motorbike.

We usually arrived at the marketplace by 3.30 a.m.

Then the daily routine of cutting, peeling and rinsing the vegetables, making sure that they looked really clean, presentable and fresh.

Then we arranged them orderly and nicely on the stall so that transactions could be done more efficiently and effectively.

Business started early and we had to be ready before 5 a.m. when some customers would arrive. During festivals, we had to start business as early as 4 a.m.

Then I started to clean up, had a bath, and put on school uniform.... I had to get ready for school.

Some of us started to entertain our clients... and we took turn to have our breakfast.

We were taught from small the importance of eye contacts, sweet talks, good service, honesty, patience, constant smile etc. to draw the attention of our customers. .... We had ample practices, self-evaluations, and discussions since small.

By 10 minutes to 7 a.m., I had to rush for school.

I loved my studies and I worked hard.

By 1.00 in the afternoon, I was back to the marketplace.

I had my bath and ate my lunch.

Then I did my homework and my revisions while serving my customers.

By 5.00 in the evening, I got ready to go home.....

During weekends, I brought vegetables in bundles and sold them in the nearby villages.

We were taught to earn our own pocket money rather than asking from our parents....

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Looking back, I have no regrets and I don't blame fate.

I don't have to compare with others.

I take things as they come, and I am always ready for them.

Like the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going".

I smile heartily and take a sip of my Nescafe.

It is a nice, bright and shiny day out there..........

We Love Our Home

It is an intermediate double storey terrace house unit situated in a lovely and quiet spot.

It is a comfortable house with 4 big rooms for a family of five.

They have lived here for 8 years....

As you come near, you will see some pots of beautiful flower and an awning in front of the house.

It is a rather nice and cool house all day long, though rather cold on rainy days and nights....

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It was once filled with three lively children running up and down the staircase, and slamming the doors everyday.

They seldom stopped talking, singing, playing, laughing, eating.... you name them...

They had happy and satisfying childhood.... and they often had wonderful times.

There would always be gatherings and parties during festivals and celebrations, when their relatives and friends came... It's really happy hours and they enjoyed them all!

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They all have their own room, and the youngest one occupies the master room.

They are entitled to their secrets; their parents have given them their privacy.

They don't come and meddle with their rooms except to clean and to tidy them....

They are also each given a laptop or a desktop.

And the D-Link Wireless N Router DIR-615 offers decent Wireless-N performance to every room.

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The oldest is a daughter, now doing computer science in a local university.

The second is a son, now doing International Baccalaureate program.

The youngest is a daughter, just completed her lower secondary education and anxiously waiting for her result.

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The house is rather quiet when the children are not around, now that two of them are studying far from home.

Everyday, the father and the mother worry for them.

Though the hand phone is a great help, they always miss the presence of the two older children....

And the house is rather quiet when only the 3 of them are around....

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Then comes the year end holidays....

Everyone is back home again.

They are happy, talking, smiling, and laughing together once again.

They treasure every moment, sharing every thought and idea, every emotion and feeling, and every activity and accomplishment....

It is also a moment of solace and comfort for all of them.

And they enjoy every bit of it.

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But they know that this is not for long....

Life is a journey of adventures and they have to live with it....

Their two older children will soon leave them, explore the world and seek their own life....

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It is a big and spacious house for the five of them.

It is always a nice and comfortable house.

But more importantly, it is a home with love, care, and affection.

And they just love their home.

Clearing Away The Dead Tree Branches

Driving along the road in a housing estate, I saw some workers busy pruning and clearing the dead branches off some trees.

I slowed down and examined properly.

The tall and dense trees were obstructing and interfering with the power and telephone lines and poles.

It was a tedious and dangerous task.

They did it slowly, quietly and carefully.

It was normal routine for them, nevertheless it must not be taken for granted.

Many had lost their lives and limbs due to electric shock.

I love plants, flowers, bushes and trees.

They add beauty to the surroundings.

But I believe the local council must tend them carefully and regularly.

The idea of leaving them tall and dense, and disturbing the power and telecommunication lines is beyond my comprehension.

And imagine watching frequently the heavy and long vehicles moving freely in the housing estate....

And imagine driving along the uneven and narrow road with its many potholes and loose gravel....

It is really disheartening and frustrating at times, especially when you know that some of the officers and workers of the local council are staying in the same housing estate.

When something untoward happened, the local residents start to scream and shout, then the local council meets, planning and administering some possible action plans... after much delay and red tape...

But no monitoring, supervision, enforcement or any other precaution measures were done before that.

Once, I was surprised to see a broken power line lying on a road when I was on my way home. It was still alive. No untoward accident happened that day but the heavy and long vehicle that had knocked the power cable was no way to be found. Praise the LORD it was not raining..........

The workers had finally cleared all the dead branches off the trees on my returning journey.

They were sitting under the shades, relaxing and smiling to themselves.

These are the unknown and the unseen heroes who make life better for everyone.

But who care? It was just another normal day....Isn't it?

Be Flexible And Calm

Nature reminds us to live in harmony and be at peace with one another.

The leaves on the trees move when a slight breeze blows.They rustle with fury as the wind becomes stronger. Then they stay still again.......

The trees are flexible; they bend in the breeze. They move elegantly and smoothly to every wind of change. But they will stand firm and still again, given the opportunities.......

Then the time comes for the leaves to get old; they die and fall off.......

But the new leaves will emerge from the buds, bursting forth upon the trees again.......

Then the new leaves will brave the rain and the wind again.

And so are all the twigs, boughs, and branches.

And they do so gracefully and cheerfully.......

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Thinking back, I wonder why humans are so fussy and picky...

...so emotional and upset...

...so worrisome and vulnerable...

...so rude, pushy, and aggressive...

Time for us to take things as they come...

...and accept things if they don't...

... and always keep smiling.

If only I were more flexible and calm no matter what happens... Sigh....