All Grown Up

Today completes the first week of Sonny temporary work.

Yes. Sonny is out of the house and away from his Gamer PC for most of the week to work.

After sitting his last paper for GCE 'O' Levels examination for secondary school, he is practically free and on a long holiday until the results to come out to confirm his placement to a higher tertiary education.

Already successful in his Direct Poly Admission or DPA application, his results will determine his confirmation on the placement that is reserved for him in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, his first choice for higher education institution.

Both Wifey and I are confident that he will get his place because he has studying hard since the beginning of the year, in preparation for his exam and his dream career path he has set for himself.

Today, he will receive his first paycheck. At seven dollars an hour, he works for ten hours a day, five days a week. He starts work at seven in the morning and ends his day at five in the evening.

It has been a very exciting time for him. Being his first experience in the working world, each day, he would tell us about his day enthusiastically during dinner.

He seems to be doing well as a concierge at Front Desk at Ibis Bencoolen Hotel. Meeting people is the perk that made him decide to work as a concierge but most certainly the close friends that went together to apply for the temporary jobs at that hotel.

In Malay culture and very much encouraged as a Muslim, we are waiting for Sonny to give a little of the money he earns today, to his Mom. The amount is insignificant but the thought and the sincere intent from his heart the most important and will be revered by us. It is believed that The Almighty will bless his hard earn money in future earnings. His earnings will come easy for him, God willing.

Wifey and I know that we are bringing up a son that is responsible to himself, to his family and society. We are not asking much from him but we certainly encourage him to do his best and go the distance with his vast potential. We facilitate the paths he chooses to realize his dreams and aspirations. We will always be here for him, always.

Happy AidulAdha Everyone!

eCard from 123greetings.com

Wishing all Muslims across the world,

A blessed AidulAdha!

Wishing all Others,

The best of family life, love and peace.

They Have Arrived

Picture from tomhindman.blogspot.com

They are back. I saw them this morning as the cab I was in passed the open fields on my way to work.

I was running late yesterday. Late for the usual morning bus to get to work. So I had to take the cab to work instead. That was purely my fault. I intentionally left home late and made up for time to reach work by taking the cab... a fifteen minute ride as compared to the bus of quarter of an hour, not including the waiting time.

Intentional, since this body needed some adrenaline rush from a good boring workout on my home-gym. Just that I needed it, so I forked out fifteen dollars worth for the cab fare instead of one tenth of the cost if I were to take the bus. Well, it was worth it every time... for me.

This morning was not the same case. I wished it was because I felt I needed a much longer than the usual half-hour workout. This morning, Wifey woke me up.

"Are you going to work today?" she asked gently as she tapped my shoulder lightly.

It has been raining on and off for several weeks now. With it, came the cool weather, so conducive for sleeping. But that wonderful after effect also brings with it, the bad side of things... mosquitoes!

Wifey and I did not get much sleep last night because we were awakened by the bites and had to wake up twice last night to spray insecticides before we could get any sleep again.

"We must install the ceiling fans for the bedrooms." Wifey's dazed qualm while as covering her face with the blanket, as I got back into bed after spraying the room.

Air-conditioning would definitely do the trick because the whole room is enclosed but both Wifey and I do not like it. We prefer the natural air flow when its cool or just have the tower fan turned on when the weather gets a little too hot. Anyway, it is better for the environment without the air-conditioning blasting the whole night.

"Yes," I replied whole-heartedly, "maybe this weekend, we'll shop for it."

I had my ten minutes of workout which amounted next to nothing, so I was not that happy because I did not feel invigorated as if I had my, at least, thirty. That was as much I could steal time away before I had to rush to work.

It was fortunate that I did not even have to wait to flag for one, I approached the curb, two cabs were there for me. Such good timing.

I got into the cab happy as I know I would not reach work late. The traffic was smooth... no slow ride or had to stop at the many traffic lights along my route... thirteen to be exact. Thirteen traffic junctions from the time the cab exits Tampines Expressway, all the way to work in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.

That was the time I saw them. And my heart melted.

The first one was spotted at the open field along Sengkang East Road, just after exiting TPE. The lone one as usual like the last time.

"You're back." I whispered to myself and gave me a wide smile.

Spontaneously, I looked out for more of them at the other open fields along Buangkok Green...

True enough. They are here again or the months to come.

I saw another four, then another. I counted them all as fast as I could as my cab passed the fields. Altogether, there were 16 of them . I missed looking out to the vast open field on the other side of the road. There it would be whole flock of them... the Great Egrets, also known as Siberian White Cranes!

Their white plumes reflecting the morning sun, tens and easily over a hundred, dotted against the background of pure green. A serene picture to behold, a snapshot of beautiful, tranquil nature for me to take with me for the day, to my fast paced job.

"They have arrived!" I thought to myself, almost gleaming as I got off the cab, apparently I had arrive for work, in time.

Now In Technicolor

The more verbal, long-tailed Goldie Boy

The leftover cat food. The food and water bowls. The unopened cat shampoo. All of which were Alola's. Now that he is no longer with us. It all seems so strange just stored there in the cupboard in the service balcony.

A for strange cosmic reason, one awesome cat's demise is another cat's fortune. Well, two cats in fact. Months after Alola... this family was greeted with almost like twins in front of our door.

I first heard some faint scuffling sounds outside our front door. Then several loud meows. I thought the sound traveled from downstairs but it was kind of a surprise, when I followed the meows all the way to our front door.

The puffy, short-tailed Goldie Boy having his first dinner a our home

I opened the door to reveal not one but two white cats with orange patches. Both were looking at me with those big, adorable-looking eyes and tails raised high, they both meowed several more times as if in unison. The were unsure of my reception, but walked cautiously anyway towards me. "Wow!" I thought.

That adorable stare wins this

family's hearts

"Do you want food?" I asked as if these felines understand the human language... well, just for the fun of it. The two "Goldies" as Wifey named them eventually, responded with a meow. "Food?" I asked again. "Meow." They answered. "OK!" I replied, "Wait here."

They sat facing the front door. I looked at them amazed. Amazed that we just had our first conversation. Amazed that they were here, on the fourth floor, at our door among the many other doors on this floor and the many floors in this block of flat!

I took out Alola's food and drink bowls out. A bittersweet feeling came over me. I smiled as a picture of Alola appeared in my mind. I  filled them with cat food and felt excited all of a sudden. I just needed to give the food to the waiting cats outside and get Wifey to witness this experience.

The two cats stood up on all fours and started to meow when I they saw me approaching the door. I placed the two bowls apart from one another outside, at our corridor garden. The two cats took their places as if it was done many times before and started eating while looking at me briefly once in a while.

The long-tailed Goldie Boy resting by the staircase

I stood there looking at them and noticed that I had a smile on my face the whole time. I was just happy about the whole encounter. This could be a long and wonderful experience, I thought. The felines eat their fill and walked away from the bowls to the staircase. They both laid there, facing my front door and started cleaning themselves.

"You guys finished, huh?" I asked. They both stopped a while to look at me and continued cleaning their coat after their dinner. I took the bowls in and said "Good night!" before I closed the door. "That was nice." I thought to myself.

"Meow, meow."

The long-tailed Goldie Boy waits patiently
by the gate for his food

It was the day after. I quickly opened the door with delight, expecting the two Goldies to come again. True enough, they did! This time, they came just before noon on a Saturday. "OK. Wait here!" I said, as if they understood anything I had to say.

Two bowls filled with cat food for the two Goldies. Lunch was served. Wifey and I watched as they eat their fill. Once finished, they looked up at us for a brief moment and slowly left. "Wow!" I muttered.

"How on earth did they know how to climb four floors up and end up at our doorstep out of the many homes in this block of flats?" I asked this time, out loud to Wifey.

"Alola must have informed them of us." Wifey joked. I just smiled in delight and said "Now we have two... and with sound too!"

The last time it was without sound and in black and white. This time in color and in "stereo" too!

The long-tailed Goldie Boy having his first lunch at our home

Since then, Wifey has developed a keener sense of hearing behind our normally closed front door, of the "meows" or "we're here!" calls at lunchtime when I am at work. I have the opportunity to feed them in the evenings whenever I hear their calls. The calls are not noisy or incessant but only once or two short meows.

It has been going on almost consistently now for the past month and it has been wonderful.

We are now contemplating with the names we want to give each of these Goldies. One has a short tail while the other has a very long one. They both seem to be of the same age. Not sure if they are siblings and even more clueless of their age look like they are of the same age. My best guess is about 3, maybe 4 years old?