I'm an Apple Certified Trainer!

Several days ago, I finally received my new certificate - I am now an Apple Certified Trainer (ACT) for Logic Pro 8 Level 1.

About a month earlier, ICOM, my employer, sent me to Singapore for the Logic T3 (Logic Pro 8 Level 1 Train-the-Trainer) course. My trainer was Henrik Ahlgren from Sweden and there were 3 of us in the class (me and 2 other SAE Singapore lecturers).

From left: Giri Shanker, Sze, Henrik Ahlgren and Kenneth Foo at the SAE Singapore lobby.

From left: Kenneth, Giri, Sze and Henrik at the SAE Singapore balcony. Both Kenneth and Giri are lecturers there and have been wonderful hosts to Henrik and me.

Henrik was a great trainer, which helped me achieve a score of 95.51% in my Logic T3 exam :D

With my ACT qualification, I also have a new certification logo.


But due to the awkward timing of my Logic T3 course, I will be allowed to take the new Logic Pro 9 T3 exam when it becomes available (without undergoing another class).

Nevertheless, obtaining my ACT qualification for Logic would give ICOM the option to proceed with its application to become the first AATCe (Apple Authorized Training Center for Education) in Malaysia. Only time will tell if that becomes a reality.

Joy's 2nd Grooming

Over the weekend, Joy, our pet poodle, had her 2nd grooming session. 2 months earlier, during her 1st grooming, Joy's body was shaven bald while her head was only given a trim.

As such, she only needed another trim on her head this time to match the length of her body hair now.






Seeing her body size now (about 6.5 months old), Jason, our dog groomer, confirmed that Joy is actually a Miniature Poodle after all (instead of a Toy Poodle as earlier thought)! And a naughty poodle she is too...

Mesra Usia Emas and TAWAS (Free Benefits for Selangor Sr Citizens and Newborns)

Not many people know that senior citizens in Selangor (Malaysia) are eligible to register for the Mesra Usia Emas program. This program entitles them to nominate a beneficiary to receive RM2,500 from the state government upon their death (to help pay for funeral and other expenses, given to charitable or religious organizations, etc).

Since 1 October 2008, the Mesra Usia Emas program is open to senior citizens aged 60 years and above who were:
- born in Selangor, OR
- born in Kuala Lumpur before 1 February 1974, OR
- have resided in Selangor for at least 15 years.

Application forms can be obtained from the Selangor DUN (state assembly) service center of your area.

The two Mesra Usia Emas application forms (higher resolution
picture 1 and picture 2 also available).

For more info, go to the Mesra Usia Emas FAQ.

The Mesra Usia Emas person-in-charge and contact info are as follow:
En. Kamsani Bin Nasir,
Ketua Pegawai Operasi,
Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd
Alamat : Tingkat (G), Bangunan Darul Ehsan (bersebelahan Plaza Alam Sentral)
No. 3, Jalan Indah, Seksyen 14,
40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Telefon: 03-5510 3468, 03-5510 3472 Faks: 03-5510 3455
E-mel: mesrausiaemas@gmail.com

Meanwhile, TAWAS (Tabung Warisan Anak Selangor) is a Selangor government investment and insurance fund that is given free to the state's newborns, i.e. either Father or Mother must be born in Selangor (or born in Kuala Lumpur before 1 February 1974).

The TAWAS program started in 2008 but applications must be submitted within 6 months of the baby's birth.

Upon reaching 18 years old, the fund will expire whereby the child is entitled to receive RM1,500.

For more info, go to the TAWAS FAQ.

The TAWAS application form can be obtained from:
Projek TAWAS
Tingkat (LG), Bangunan Darul Ehsan (bersebelahan Plaza Alam Sentral)
No. 3, Jalan Indah, Seksyen 14,
40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel : 03-55103498 / 03-55103499

Joy the Bald Poodle

A few days ago, Joy, our toy poodle, went for her first professional grooming session. I had made an appointment with Jason, a freelance dog groomer, to give Joy her hair cut.

Before shaving... Joy, the hairy poodle.

With Joy about 4.5 months old now, we got Jason to shave her bald (yes, "botak") as it is quite normal for poodle puppies to be cut bald at least once or twice. This is done to allow for easier grooming in the future.

After shaving... people often ask what a bald poodle looks like. 

Joy had a full grooming session which included ear cleaning, nail cutting, a hair cut and ended it with a bath.

Joy, the clean-shaven poodle, in her dog jersey.

Joy trying out a new, green shirt.

Eunice and Joy looking at each other through a mirror!

Skybridge Visit @ Petronas Twin Towers

How many of you have actually gone up the Petronas Twin Towers before, one of the world's tallest buildings?


Although the Skybridge between the Twin Towers is open to the public, I'll bet that many Malaysians and tourists alike have not been onto that bridge before. Even many staff working in the Twin Towers themselves have not been up to the Skybridge!

So, when I organized a lunchtime visit to the Petronas Skybridge recently, many colleagues in my office joined in. As a tenant staff working in one of the Twin Towers buildings, I was able to make a booking for Skybridge tickets for everyone in the group. This visit would not have been possible for the general public as the limited tickets would have run out long before the queue was over, especially on weekends.

On the day of our Petronas Skybridge visit, we arrived there 10 minutes before our appointed time.


While waiting at the Skybridge gallery, we saw some exhibits of the world's tallest buildings, a live demo of "lightning" striking an exhibit as well a laser sensor comparing a person's height with that of a selected tall building.

The Petronas Skybridge Gallery.

If you are 1.68m tall, the Sears Towers at 443m would be 264x your height.

Next, we were loaned polaroid spectacles to view a 3-D show of the Petronas Twin Towers.


After that, we finally got to take the elevator up to the Petronas Skybridge. I was feeling all excited, and upon reaching there, I saw that the Skybridge was just an air-conditioned corridor with not much to view.


My excitement was quickly deflated as the view from KL Tower is a lot better.

The best view I could find was the view overlooking the KLCC Park and water fountain.

We were given about 10 minutes at the Skybridge and our visit was already over. Although it had not been as impressive as I had hoped, I am still glad to have visited it and experienced being on the world's highest Skybridge of the famous Petronas Twin Towers.

Joy’s New Bed

Every now and then, we would drop by the pet shops to get something for Joy, our almost 4-month old Toy Poodle puppy. We got a dog repellent spray to stop her from biting the electrical cables and slippers but it was just a temporary solution (the smell wears off quickly).

We also saw that dog beds were quite costly, ranging from RM70 to RM150 while nicer beds could easily go above RM200. Fortunately, one of my friends told me that her sis bought a dog bed for just RM39, which was quite a reasonable price. So, we went to Ikea and bought Joy a bright red doggie bed.

Joy does not always lie down or sleep in it all the time but she likes to collect her toys in it sometimes.

Puppy Update

Joy, our Toy Poodle puppy, is almost 3 months old now. Since our last blog on her 2 weeks ago, she has grown from a skinny puppy into a little fat dog with a big tummy now... hehe (yes, we have overfed her to make up for her bony frame previously). However, this physical difference is not always visible as her body shape is easily covered by her soft furry hair.

Do I look fat... or just chubby?

Joy has also grown from being a sleepy and inactive puppy to one that is hyperactive now. When she runs out from under some furniture, she would sometimes get kicked as she was so small and it was hard to notice her when she ran out all of a sudden. So we got her a dog collar with a tinkle bell so that we can hear where she is.

Joy with her new "tinkle-bell" collar...

Joy uses the teddy bear for biting practice... hehe.

Joy standing tall with Eunice, who is sporting a new hair style...

With Joy going through the teething stage now, she likes to chew almost everything, including live electrical wires! She is still partially toilet-trained and does not always eliminate at the designated spots. We have thought of sending her for dog training but then, we read that obedience training (from a dog school) could make a dog Sit, Stay and Heel (obey commands)... but it would still chew wires (does not solve behavior problems).

We also plan to move Joy from our bedroom to the front yard of the house when she grows a little bigger in the future. The thing is, we have so many questions and we are not quite sure what to do. So Sze decided to buy Dr. Dog's Behavior Solutions book as we needed some expert guidance from an experienced dog professional and he also wanted to understand dog psychology better in order to train Joy more effectively.


The following is the Table of Contents from Dr. Dog's Behavior Solutions book - you decide if the topics listed below are what you would like to know as well...

1. TEACHING & LEARNING
WHAT ARE DOGS?
THE BIG FOUR
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR DOG
LIFE WITH YOUR NEW DOG
THE FEAR IMPRINT PERIOD
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TEACH YOUR PUPPY
YOU CANNOT TEACH NOTHING
DOGS ARE IMITATORS
TRAINING YOUR PUPPY
MASSAGE FOR FIDO?
HOUSETRAINING
YOUR PUP’S FIRST COLLAR AND LEASH
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR DOG
WHO’S IN CHARGE?
CORRECTING YOUR DOG
CONTROLLING VS. ELIMINATING A BEHAVIOR
MEAN BUSINESS FROM THE START
HOW TO PUNISH
WHY IS YOUR DOG MISBEHAVING? FIND THE MOTIVE
PRAISE AND PUNISHMENT: TIMING IS CRUCIAL
INTRODUCING A NEW DOG
SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS
SUMMARY

2. HOUSETRAINING
HOUSE DOG VS. OUTSIDE DOG
HOUSTRAINING VS. PAPER-TRAINING
UNDERSTANDING DOGS’ ELIMINATION BEHAVIOR
WHAT IS A REWARD?
WHERE SHOULD YOU GET YOUR PET?
THE BIG FOUR REVISITED
DAILY SCHEDULE FOR HOUSETRAINING
FEEDING ROUTINE
ELIMINATING ON COMMAND
CLEANING A SOIL SPOT
MEDICATIONS CAN AFFECT ELIMINATION
EXCITABLE URINATION / SUBMISSIVE URINATION
IGNORING A PROBLEM AS “PUNISHMENT”
TWO DOGS: WHICH ONE IS SOILING?
NEUTERING AND HOUSETRAINING
THE CRATE: A HOUSETRAINER’S BEST FRIEND
SIMPLE, BUT NOT EASY
WHY DO HOUSETRAINED DOGS SOMETIMES REGRESS?
DOGS WON’T SOIL WHERE THEY EAT
CLUES FROM YOUR DOG’S STOOL
SUMMARY

3. CHEWING & DIGGING
WHY DOGS CHEW: TEETHING
WHY DOGS CHEW: TOO MANY TOYS
WHY DOGS CHEW: STRESS
WHY DOGS CHEW: THEY ARE REWARDED
WHY DOGS CHEW: PHYSICAL PROBLEM
WHY DOGS CHEW: TO GET ATTENTION
WHY DOGS CHEW: BREED SPECIFIC DRIVES
WHY DOGS CHEW: THEY ARE SPOILED
WHY DOGS CHEW: REACTIVE RESPONSE
WHY DOGS CHEW: ASSOCIATIVE
WHY DOGS CHEW: INADVERTENT LEARNING
WHY DOGS CHEW: LACK OF EXERCISE
WHY IS MY DOG CHEWING?
CHEWING REMEDIES
IMPLEMENT MANY CHEWING REMEDIES AT ONCE
WHY DO DOGS DIG?
WHY DOGS DIG: THEY’RE TOO HOT
WHY DOGS DIG: GET THAT SQUIRREL!
WHY DOGS DIG: FEMALE NESTING
WHY DOGS DIG: COPY CAT
WHY DOGS DIG: FREEDOM
WHY DOGS DIG: SMELLS AND TASTES
WHY DOGS DIG: BOREDOM
WHY DOGS DIG: STRESS
WHY DOGS DIG: DENS
WHY DOGS DIG: TETHERING
WHY DOGS DIG: REACTIVE RESPONSE
WHY DOGS DIG: ASSOCIATIVE DIGGING
WHY IS MY DOG DIGGING?
SOLVING DIGGING PROBLEMS
DIGGING MUST FAIL
RESOLVING BOREDOM IN YOUR YARD
MOTIVATING FIDO TO CHANGE

4. JUMPING & PULLING
JUMPING ON PEOPLE
JUMPING ONTO THINGS
PERSONAL CORRECTION FOR JUMPING
IMPERSONAL CORRECTION: THE COUCH CORRECTS GODZILLA
ELIMINATE THE REWARD FOR JUMPING; THEN MAKE JUMPING UNPLEASANT
PULLING
WHY DOGS PULL: OPPOSITION REFLEX
WHY DOGS PULL: LEARNED THROUGH GAMES
WHY DOGS PULL: FEAR OF FEET
WHY DOGS PULL: SUCCESS!
WHY DOGS PULL: USING A SHORT LEAD
PREVENTING/REVERSING PULLING
SOLUTIONS TO PULLING: FEAR OF FEET
SOLUTIONS TO PULLING: EQUIPMENT
MAGIC: PULLING FAILS; A SLACK LEAD SUCCEEDS!
NOT PULLING VS. HEELING
PULLING IN VERY LARGE DOGS

5. BARKING
WHY CURE BARKING?
ALL BARKING ISN’T BAD
SCAPEGOATING
DOES MY DOG BARK A LOT?
WHY DOGS BARK EXCESSIVELY WHEN THEY’RE ALONE
WHY DOGS BARK EXCESSIVELY WHEN THE FAMILY IS PRESENT
ASSOCIATION CAUSES BARKING
DEBARKING THE DOG
THE BARK MUZZLE
SILLY SOLUTIONS
ELECTRONIC TRAINING COLLAR
THE BARK COLLAR
BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
INDOOR DOGS BARK LESS
BARKING IS OKAY; EXCESSIVE BARKING IS BAD
THE “QUIET” COMMAND MEANS TO STOP BARKING

6. AGGRESSION
DOG BITES ARE SERIOUS!
FALSE AGGRESSION
INHERITED AGGRESSION
DEFENSIVE AGGRESSION
PAIN CAN CAUSE AGGRESSION
AGGRESSION CAUSED BY FEAR OR SELF-DEFENSE
TETHERING CAN CAUSE AGGRESSION
REACTIVE AGGRESSION
DOMINANCE AGGRESSION
CONDITIONED AGGRESSION
ASSOCIATIVE AGGRESSION
DISPLACEMENT AGGRESSION
TRAINED AGGRESSION
PHYSICAL CAUSES FOR AGGRESSION
TREATING AGGRESSION
ELIMINATE THE CAUSES OF AGGRESSION

7. FIGHTING
PREVENTING FIGHTS
DON’T TREAT DOGS EQUALLY
MORE DIFFERENCES EQUALS FEWER FIGHTS
HONOR THE DOGS’ HIERARCHY
DO THIS AND YOUR DOGS WILL GET ALONG GREAT!
IMPORTANCE OF BREED
THREE’S A CROWD
NEUTERING AFFECTS FIGHTING
HANDLING MEALS WITH TWO DOGS
PAIN CAN CAUSE FIGHTING
TERRITORIALITY AND FIGHTING
INTRODUCING A NEW DOG
ACCIDENTLY TRAINING DOGS TO FIGHT
BE THE BOSS
DOMINANCE CHALLENGES BETWEEN DOGS
CHANGING PACK ORDER
PREVENTING FIGHTS WITH VISITORS OR UNFAMILIAR DOGS
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE’S A FIGHT
PROGESTINS FOR FIGHTERS
WHEN YOUR DOG IS THE ATTACKER
WHEN ONE DOG DIES OR LEAVES
STOPPING A DOGFIGHT

* Table of contents from Dr. Dog's Behavior Solutions.

Our New Puppy

On Sunday last week, Sze and I went to Klang to shop for a dog. I played around with several puppies there and saw one of them bully her puppy sibling. Immediately I thought to myself, “Ok, that’s my type of dog!”

And so we came home with our new puppy. She is a Toy Poodle breed and is expected to grow to no more than 10 inches in size upon reaching adulthood. She is only about 2 months old now and her very soft, furry hair is known as "super red" in color. We named her Joy as we hope that she will bring much joy and happiness to the family.

Joy's first day at home.

We have had Joy for a week already and she is adjusting much better to her new environment now than her first few days here. She has started to respond to her name being called and she is also improving in her toilet training (with her "newspaper loo").

Over the weekend, we brought Joy back to Sitiawan to visit my parents. With her "teddy bear" looks, she was of course, fussed over by everyone, especially by Naomi, my younger sis.

Joy and the teddy bear.

Joy's sock clothing design by Naomi, haha...

Godmom said Joy was very gentle and ladylike in her behavior while Mom said Joy's sleeping posture is like that of a baby.

And yes, Joy does sleep a lot!

Does Joy look like a hamster from behind?

Joy's pear-shaped body ;-)

To learn more about dog behavior, check out Dr. Dog's Behavior Solutions book.

Berklee Alumni Gathering

Recently, I attended a Berklee Alumni Gathering at Biba's Cafe in Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This get-together was held in conjunction with Berklee's visit to ICOM for its World Scholarship Tour auditions.

The alumni gathering was an unplanned event and many Berklee graduates were not able to attend due to the very late notice. Nevertheless, some of us managed to meet up for dinner that evening and caught up with each other.

From L to R, back row: Sze, Bob Pilkington, Gojko Damjanic.

Middle row: Farid Yahya, Farul, Ahmad Muriz, Stephanie Wong, Grace, Goh Wei Wei, Pearly Lee, Jason Camelio, Isabella Pek. 

Front row: Christine Fawson.