Happy 6th Barkday

Today is my 6th barkday! In terms of hooman’s age, I am about 37 – 40 years old … OMG!

(note: a quick Google search showed that it is not accurate to simply multiply a dog’s age by 7 since dogs reach adulthood within the first couple of years.  Anyway since no one can really verify that, no point worrying about that heh).

Daddy said I’m going to have mid-life crisis soon.  *Very funny Daddy, see my paws are laughing!*

Taa…daa…! My barkday cake that Mommy baked!

It’s an American Carrot Cake. There’s healthy (grated) carrot inside! But there’s also not-so-healthy sugar too so not the whole cake you see is mine. :’(

Mommy: “Bowie, I see you are drooling. You want?”

Noooo! I don’t want such a small one! I want the whole cake! Hmph!

*Should I or should I not take this smaller cake?*

*Think I’d better take it. Better than nothing right?*

Ok Mommy, deal!

“Mind Your Manners”

 

Mommy first saw this lovely feeder while browsing at Amazon website.  It dispenses kibbles for me at meal times. But it’s not just a feeder. It’s called MannersMinder Remote Reward Training System (by Premier). As described by Amazon: “If Fido is barking at the door, jumping on house guests, or begging at the table for food far too much, here’s a great way to help him learn to mind his manners. The MannersMinder features a remote -controlled feeding tray that lets you reward Fido with a snack for good behavior without getting out of your lounge chair. By targeting and rewarding desired good behaviors, the system is an invaluable tool in helping redirect a dog’s focus from unwanted behaviors. Highly effective in stopping problem behaviors…”

Mommy said I have all the unwanted behaviours described  and so got it to train me.  The machine can be set to dispense kibbles/treats at fixed or varied intervals and whether to dispense one treat or multiple treats at a time.

Product Features:

• Trains through positive reinforcement
• Instantly links a food reward to desired good behavior
• Extendable target wand can be used with or without the base
• Hand-held remote can operate on 4 separate channels from up to 100 feet away
• Illustrated user guide and training DVD included
• Uses 4 size D batteries (not included)

A video clip of me being fed with it:

Mommy’s testimony:
Lucky thing Bowie is very much motivated by food! However, that is not to say that dogs not so food-motivated cannot be trained with it. You just have to spare more efforts as with any other form of training. I like that a training DVD is also provided besides a printed (calender-like) training manual. The DVD shows both correct and incorrect training methods which are great! I followed the training tips closely and although I have not completed all the stages with Bowie yet, I am happy enough with the results so far.

For example, he barks and jumps at the door whenever someone visits at the door or when the repairman is in the house. With the MannersMinder, his attention is focused on it instead.

You can read more testimonials by other users here.

So Near … Yet So High!

My treats are placed just after the kitchen entrance.  Each time Mommy goes into the kitchen, my gaze will surely fall onto that place (on that particular container keeping my treats airtight).  I will look at it LONGINGLY … then look at Mommy (hoping that she will go there and give me my treats!) and then back to my treats.  Most of the time I will even stop walking and just stood frozen there. Mommy: “Yeah, stand there and hope for your treats to fall right???”

Meal Time!

Hooray! Meal time (again)!!

Please let me have my meal Mommy?! See? I am doing “Sit” PLUS I am also lifting my front right paw, can you see?

Mommy: “Okie, here’s your porky meal but you must wait till I say ‘Ok’ before you’re allowed to start eating k?”

Okie, I promise! *look at tongue while I was waiting in anticipation! LOL*

Mommy: “Ok! Good boy!”
…chomp chomp chomp…

FBI Agent

Look! Do I look smart in my FBI uniform? *GRIN*

See first hand how I go about doing my patrol job:

Well, how do you feel after watching the video clip? Not impressed huh… I did a sloppy job? *Act BLUR*

Ok lah, now I shall show you a day in the life of an FBI Agent:

Oops! Caught sleeping on the job sia…@_@

Tick..tock..tick..tock.. very fast it’s meal time! Hooray!

So full! Let me take laze around first. It helps with digestion leh..

Ok, enough resting! I better pretend to do something in case boss fires me.
*Pretending to act busy*

I saw that boss just went out! Hooray! Break time!

Wait a minute! I smell something!!!

Sniff..sniff..

What could make me SIT so obediently???

That’s right!
..
..
..
..
..
FOOD glorious FOOD!!

And because of that, I was captured by the ‘enemy’!! (psst..psst..that ‘enemy’ is my daddy lah)

By the way, in case you think that “FBI” is that FBI you see in movies… you may not be correct because FBI also stands for Female Body Investigator hor! So which one do I work for? Go figure … ^_^

How To Beg For Food?

Step 1: Look intently and straight at your boss’s face. Let him know you are THERE.

Step 2: If your boss ignored you, try threatening him/her. For example, say “Give me the food or I shall claw you; see my dog-cula claws? See, see?”

Step 3: If both earlier steps failed, try looking at the food intently instead. You might just have a hidden telepathic power to move things!!

Step 4: If all above didn’t work, try the last tactic. Stick out those pinky tongue and act cute!!! If this still doesn’t work, GOOD LUCK! You are on your own, buddy!

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! — part 1

Nope, of course it wasn’t me who went. Hmph! *Sulking*

15 June 06

For this trip, mommy decided to stay in HK Island side rather than Kowloon. They chose Metropark Hotel which was rather near to the Tin Hau MTR station. The humans booked a Standard Harbourview Room. When mommy requested for a non-smoking room, the recept came back with a pleasant surprise!! That they would be upgraded to an Executive Room. Daddy was further away and didn’t hear what was said to mommy, but mommy said “Yes! Ok.” immediately … this was the very first time she ever got upgraded for anything so of course she jumped at this opportunity lah!

As the room wasn’t ready, they were given free drinks at the bar. Wow! Not bad at all! The chips were also topped up when the first serving was finished. The reception was manned by a rather young group of staff, all able to speak quite up-to-standard english. Bellboys also very courteous! *thumbs up!*

Now, a tour of the room:

Coming in from the doorway, the bar and luggage storage area, and the sofa behind:

The beds, TV and study desk:

Zoom in to the study desk corner, this is where the dresser is, and where mommy had used the laptop every nite over there:

On the other side of the beds was the bathroom:

Walking in, to the right was the bath tub:

The vanity in the middle:

Aiyo so cute must take:

Cotton pad and cotton bud holder ^_^

Shower area on the left:

The closet:

The closet and room door:

Now, the harbour view from the window:

View of the Victoria Park opposite:

Then, time for dinner!

Went to 永华 Wing Wah Noodles at 89 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, to have noodles. Chose Dumplings Noodle, bad choice! A dry one somemore piang! HK$38:

Go for soup one at all costs! Dry one is only slapped with oyster sauce.

The dumplings:

Fried fish skin 炸魚皮 HK$18:

Taste not bad. But later mommy saw that other eateries also got sell, cheaper!!

Mommy’s die-die must have:

It’s called 薑汁撞奶 (HK$20). A kind of milk pudding with ginger juice, where hot milk is poured into ginger juice and voila! it becomes pudding like. You can choose the original flavour, 雙皮燉奶 (HK$18.50)if you dislike ginger. Daddy prefers the original while mommy only has eyes for the one with ginger juice!

They had the above desserts at this Yee Shun Milk Co.:

Address: 85 Percival Street, Causeway Bay.
Causeway Bay MTR, exit B, then turn right & go up the overhead bridge to go over the street opposite, which is Percival Street. It is on the right side of the road.
They have other outlets as well (in Kowloon too) but sorry, mommy didn’t copy them down.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! — part 2

16 June 06

Today my humans first day having breakfast in HK, so naturally must go and eat dim-sum! Went to 蓮香樓
in Central. A very typical dim-sum place, sharing table, old waiters serving tea and topping up with hot water, and aunties pushing the dim-sum carts. Check out the videoclip for a live feel of the place. It was a Friday morning mind you:

Sorry, that was so much Mommy managed to video-taped. Dared not hold the camera too high, sekali let people scold

After that they went jalan-jalan at Mongkok. Went to Argyle Centre but most shops not opened yet. Aiyo, it was already 11am+ so boh-pian. Then walked and walked saw Langham Place Hotel so went in to take a look. Hmm, an expensive looking place. Luckily mom/dad did not stay here since they were upgraded for free ^_^.


Mommy said the hotel lobby smelled very fragrant. Both humans went to use their toilets; didn’t stay but must at least try the toilets hahaha…..

After that, daddy said time for 菠蘿油Po Lo Yau! So yeah! They went to Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Honolulu Cafe for lunch-cum-teabreak.

The famous HK 菠蘿油 Po Lo Yau HK$5:

The also famous 蛋撻 Egg Tart HK$6:

And the 壇島咖啡 HK$13:

Tasting the coffee now, it has a sourish tinge to it. A different flavour from what you humans usually get back home in Singapore. Oh, have to add sugar on your own unless you prefer sugarless coffee.

It was back to the hotel for some rest before going out again when it was DINNER time!!! Went to a restaurant for some seafood to make up for the 西貢 Xi Koong seafood trip that they didn’t go.

Fish with ginger on fried rice HK$78:

A tad too salty.

Mixed breed of prawn & lobster, called 瀨尿蝦Lai Niu Har (in cantonese), with crispy fried garlic HK$68 PER PIECE:

For desserts, 椰汁燉燕窩 double-boiled bird’s nest in coconut milk HK$38:

It was so hot mommy scalded her tongue. OUCH!

One thing I wish to note, mommy says it must be the HK culture that unlike in Singapore, the waiter/ess stood there waiting instead of leaving the bill with you before coming back to collect the money. Then when the waiter/ess returned with the change, he also stood there waiting. Daddy didn’t see a HK$20 note flipped/stucked onto the other side of the folder and the waiter went off with it thinking it must be the tip! Duh! They were supposed to give a 10% discount because mommy presented the discount booklet. Not only no discount was given, they took off with our HK$20!!! Arrgh! Luckily it was only HK$20 otherwise it would seem so petty to ask back for the money alamak, what a dinner!

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! — part 3

17 June 06

Because the hotel provides FREE internet access for ALL ROOMS and my humans brought their own laptop, they were able to do some research work while in HK ^_^. Found this greatly recommended place by the locals called 澳洲牛奶公司 (Australia Dairy Co.) (wonder why ‘Australia’; they also from Australia like me??? hmm…)

From the hyperlink, you will be able to view some photos of the food. Mommy did not take any because the place was even more noisy (waiters shouting orders, all male hor) and ‘chaotic’ (bcos the pace is fast, and I mean FAST!!) than the usual Cha Chan Ting. The place is like the fast food type of Cha Chan Ting. It takes less than a minute for your food to be served after the waiter left with your orders. Unless you go in group of 4 to occupy a table on your own, sharing table is unavoidable. That was why with that environment and sharing table and all, Mommy felt paiseh to take pics of the food. Kinda stressful eating like that but with all the raves, it was a must-try!! Verdict? Ok lah, not bad. Can go once for the experience.

The breakfast sets costs HK$20 (comes with a plate of 火腿通粉 ham macaroni, 2pc triangular toast with scrambled eggs 炒蛋多士, and choice of coffee or tea) and HK$24 (can’t rem what choices ). Have to add HK$2 if asking for cold drinks.

The breakfast was rather filling. Till lunchtime, my gluttony mommy and daddy didn’t feel hungry. But as the weather was rather hot and mommy wanted to have dessert at 許留山 Xu Liu Shan, they cheong-ed to one when they spotted an outlet at Tsim Shar Tsui. Mommy had 楊枝金撈 Yang2 Zhi1 Jin1 Lao1 (mango and pomelo with sago) HK$25:

…while daddy had 多芒鴛鴦黑糯米 mango with black glutinous rice in mango & coconut juices HK$25:

Aiyo..!! Daddy ate soooo fast! By the time mommy remembered to take picture of the yummy desserts, daddy’s bowl empty liao hahaha…. when mommy was putting away the camera, he even stole some spoonfuls from her bowl!

Before long, it was time for dinner! Wow! The humans sure lucky while I rotted in Singapore — ; They went to Cafe de Coral (大家樂) near to the hotel. Mommy had Dory Fillet with Mushroom & Cheese in Tomato Sauce HK$31:

the cheese (and everything else) was delicious! Not bad at all!

It came with a soup of the day:

… and daddy had 叉燒雙拼 Char Siew Mix Rice HK$25:

What a sumptuous yet cheap dinner!! ^_^

Hong Kong, Hong Kong! — part 4

18 June 2006

Breakfast at a 24-hr eatery near to the hotel. It’s called 點心皇 Dian3 Xin1 Huang2. They ordered one of the sets, with Fried Beehoon and Chee Cheong Fun (mommy said taste not bad wor):

…. and porridge; the set costs HK$14. The porridge looks plain but it tastes good!

What else but Char Siew Bao ^_^:

… Siew Mai:

… Chee Cheong Fun:

It was just nice lunch time, so made one last killing at the Hong Kong International Airport before dashing to the boarding gate. Wanton Noodle in Soup, HK$38:

They said the wanton, aawww… so wonderful! Singapore’s wantons please stand aside!

~~~~~~ So much for this HK trip! ~~~~~~

After coming home from boarder’s house on 18 June 06, the night Mommy & Daddy came back from HK, I was totally knocked out. There were 4 or 5 other dogs so much of my energy was expanded. Shhh..! Don’t disturb me! 阿寶 charging battery… …