A Time and Season For Everything....

 

My three beloved dogs, from left to right: Kambobo, Kam Xiao Bai and Kamlette

 

Xiao Bai looked more like a huggable bear!

 

Hero, the little Shi Tzu which is not so heroic.

 

Chelsea, an affectionate cocker spaniel.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:" Eccl:3:1 How true! Yet I also realise that the season and time for everybody sometimes may not be quite the same.

For eg. the 92 year old grandmother who danced the salsa so beautifully with her grandson of 29 years of age.! While some elderly ladies are already bed-ridden in their seventies, this 92 year old grandmother is still so sprightly and nimble! Or the grandmother who picked up learning guitar at the age of 60 and now plays lead guitar with a band. As for me, I have to admit that when I was younger I did not learn to appreciate music as I do now, and have even picked up learning the violin just a year ago!

Warren Buffet bought his first stocks when he was 11, and regretted he did not start earlier! I had never known what stocks were all about until the age of 32 when I was asked to get some shares in order that I could buy a monthly bus package! It was the time of the stock crash, and happily I bought one lot of SBS shares without realising the excitement, anxiety and depression that had been created by the stock crash. As a teacher, I was more interested in literature and languages, and not commerce. When I sold my shares two years later, the price had almost tripled, and it dawned upon me what stocks investments were all about!

Irin, my neighbour, coerced me to adopt one or two of Bibi's puppies. However, I told her that the season of keeping pets for me is over. Although we always had dogs and cats at home in Penang, I merely tolerated them, and like an obedient daughter, helped to bathe and feed them, well....almost perfunctorily. It was only when I adopted my first puppy, Kamlette, at the age of 35, that I began to really love dogs and animals. The more I read books and watch documentaries on animals, the more I became fascinated with living creatures, big and small.

I bought Bobo because his owner could not find a suitable animal lover, and also because his owner was desperate as he and his family had to downgrade from a landed property to a smaller hdb flat. Then Xiaobai was given to me as a pleasant surprise. When I put Kamlette to sleep because of her kidney problem, she still looked very pretty with her beautiful eyes and lovely fur. After the demise of all my three pets, I decided I have enjoyed keeping pets, and I would not want to own any pet. I would not mind dog-sitting occasionally. Someone had read my blog and asked if I would take his dog, Hero. Poor Hero was a timid little dog. It took me a few days to win over his confidence. I had told Hero's owner that after a week or two, when his daughter and family miss the dog, they could take Hero back. A week later, his daughter was crying for the dog, and after promising her parents that she would look after the dog well, Hero was returned to them.

I had looked after Chelsea and Toby, the cute little pug and these two are my favourite. Chelsea passed away earlier this year, and I am glad that her owner, Shahnaz had adopted another dog from the SPCA, a mixed breed named Guinness. Shahnaz wanted me to look after Guiness in December around Christmas time, but I would be back in Penang and hence could not oblige her.

I thank God for the opportunity of having 3 pets. Parents should not be too concerned if their children are not what they wish their children to be. Encourage and motivate, but give them some space to explore, discover and realise. Now I laugh for it was such a chore for me to practise the piano for even an hour. Yet today, I can practise 6 to 7 hours on the violin!

When I was in school, I often had reports from my teachers that I was inclined to be talkative. Now, I prefer to listen and am happier if I don't have to speak. I find joy in expressing myself in my blog and articles, or when I play the piano and violin. I will be joining the Singapore Writers' Society as a member so that I can learn more about the art of writing. I find movies and television serials quite interesting. Hence, I hope to learn how to write television and movie scripts. The season for toastmasters' speeches is almost over.....it is taken over by writing and music.

It is now payback time! Now I enjoy volunteering as a Language Evaluator in toastmasters' meetings or at speech crafts at Changi Prison. When time permits, I enjoy going on short mission trips to Nepal, Thailand, Myammar, Japan, and China.
I will be going to Myammar to help out at the Orphanage after Chinese New Year.

Funny how I detested cooking lessons in school; now I enjoy cooking and entertaining.
Hence whenever parents are worried over their children, I always urge them not to be unduly worried and let the children grow up and discover for themselves, for there is a time and season for everything....

Gan Chau