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

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.

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.

A Memoir of Baby Ethan

Expecting a baby is an amazing feeling. The excitement of knowing that a baby is growing in the womb, and ready to come out to the world after 9 months is known only to the parents-to-be. Preparing for the birth of the new family member is an enjoyable experience. In my opinion, every parent-to-be should feel blessed.

My period had not been regular for a while and thus missing my period was not an obvious sign of being pregnant. However, after missing that for a few months and starting to burp non-stop, I decided to do a pregnancy test as the burping was unusual. To our surprise, the test result was positive.

The 2 lines on the pregnancy test kit indicating a positive result.

Our excitement over my pregnancy increased gradually and when I started feeling the baby move in my tummy, we were thrilled. I tried to observe some taboos for expecting women by avoiding certain types of physical activities. I also refrained from taking a few types of food but I could not avoid coffee 100%. However, I did reduce my coffee intake tremendously as a compromise.

Walking was the only exercise I did during my pregnancy. Many people reported experiencing easier delivery with exercises during pregnancy. As such, I walked from my office to lunch and back daily. Sometimes, I would also walk around the shopping mall looking at infant stuff.

Our baby mittens and booties (hidden underneath).

Our baby bodysuits.

Since my tummy wasn’t too big, I had no difficulty in moving about. I was quite fortunate in that I did not experience much morning sickness during this period of time.

We went for monthly checkups at a gynecology specialist clinic to check on the health of both baby and myself. We also did ultrasound scans and everything was normal and looking good.

Baby Ethan's ultrasound scan in July 2008.

However, on the evening of 21 Nov 2008 while I was still in the office, I had bleeding and was rushed to the hospital. When the doctor scanned the baby, she announced that the baby had no more fetal heartbeat. I was induced and delivered baby Ethan naturally in the early hours of 22 Nov 2008.

I was not prepared for this at all and everything happened so fast. We then had to arrange for baby Ethan’s funeral on the same day.

We got to see baby Ethan for a few seconds after he was delivered and he looked like a normal, adorable baby. He had left us due to placental abruption (medically defined as the separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus) and we were deeply saddened.

But we have to move on from this and therefore, wish to make this post to remember our little prince. He will forever be in our hearts.

A Flowerfly, Earwax and A Broken Bone

My 2 months of maternity leave is not too long but not too short either. I have ample time to finish my confinement, rest and recuperate.

I also got to try out the DSLR camera that Dad bought. I was actually quite pleased with my very first photo - a fly on a pretty flower (much like Beauty and the Beast).

The "Flowerfly".

Meanwhile, Sze got to try the Indian Ear Candle therapy which removes earwax build-up.

3 different scents of the Indian Ear Candle.

I have done it before but it was Sze’s first time. He described hearing soft rustling sounds while the ear candle was burning.

Ear Candling in progress... this is not a good time to start singing Happy Birthday!

Sze has undergone Indian Ear Candling 3 times already as his right ear was occasionally blocked. Although it has cleared up now, he still wants to do it at least one more time. You would wonder how he taught his Ear Training classes and checked on his students' mixing projects and music arrangements before this. :-P

Anyway, Sze recommends this Indian Ear Candle therapy to all his students especially if they have difficulty hearing their music clearly... lol. It is cheap (RM2/pair) and can be done at home. Simply cut away the burning candle just before it reaches the marked line. Then cut open the base and you will normally see lots of yucky earwax right above the filter.

And last week, Sze slipped on a wet floor. When the swelling in his left foot got worse the night before, he had an x-ray yesterday and found out that he had a hairline fracture on his second toe. When you see someone in ICOM next week wearing a long-sleeve shirt, tie and slippers, you'll know that's him. ;-P

Happy new year and best wishes to everyone in 2009!

My “Full Moon” Celebration

I had my “full moon” (end of 1-month maternity confinement) celebration on Sunday. It coincided with the Winter Solstice (Tung Zhi in Chinese) as I have been told that full moon celebrations should not be held after that day in the Chinese calendar.

I had a hot bath with herbs and flowers on that morning.

My first photo since my confinement.

Mom said I should go out somewhere to symbolize the end of my maternity confinement, so we went to the shopping mall later that day. I felt fresher and better after going out although I got tired after a short outing.

I went back to KL with Sze that night as I had an appointment at Serdang Hospital the next day. I’m back in Sitiawan now and I even drove the last half of that return journey as Sze was suffering from a 2-day migraine.

I feel more energetic nowadays although I still sleep quite a lot. I don’t mind sleeping more to reduce my eye bags. I was told that if I still continue to have eye bags months after my confinement, it is very likely to stay there permanently!!!

Meanwhile, Sze and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

New Confinement Update

2 weeks have passed since I started my confinement and I am also feeling a lot better. During this time, I have lost weight despite eating 5 to 6 meals a day now.

Since the weekend, Malay traditional massage is also helping me to recover. Kak Rubee is an experienced massage lady who has been doing this for more than 10 years now. I have had 4 massage sessions with her so far and even Mom had her first session yesterday.

Kak Rubee also helped me tie the binder that I bought from Amway. This Tropical Herbs binder is supposed to help women get back to shape after delivery.

Meanwhile, Sze’s brother, Peter, was also back from Canada for an IEEE (engineering) conference. I met him for the first time before my confinement but had to leave most of the hospitality to Sze and his parents soon after, despite having made some plans for Peter’s visit.

From left: Peter, Dad, Mom and Sze

Peter (left) and Sze

PS: Our website is back online again. However, the Contact Us page (and some other pages) are still not fully functional due to unresolved technical problems with the new web hosting company.

Confinement Update

It's been 9 days since I started my confinement. The 1st week was really a challenge to me. I had fever and was unable to eat. I couldn't sit properly and couldn't stand. I was bedridden most of the time and it was a torture.

My parents and parent-in-laws were really worried about me. I knew I needed to recover ASAP as I looked pretty sick. I didn't even dare look at myself in the mirror because everyone said I looked bloodless.

I was really scared that I was gonna lose control over my body. For a few seconds, I was gonna give up. But fortunately, this week, I have gotten better. I could finally eat. Thank God!

I hope to get back in touch with you guys soon after I am back to normal. And I hope that will be sooner rather than later. Will keep you all posted. Adios!

PS: Our website is currently down due to a hosting migration technical problem. Hope to get it back online again soon.

Baby Has Left Us

Many of our friends are aware that Eunice was pregnant with our first child. Her pregnancy was into the 8th month (due on Christmas eve) and had been trouble-free... but 2 nights ago, our baby boy left us. He was recorded as stillbirth (placental abruption) in the early hours of 22 November 2008.

We will miss our baby very much...

Creative "Sign Language"

Is this Malay or English?

The above photo was taken just outside the Serdang Hospital building.

What's an alternative spelling for FREE GIFT?

This photo was taken at the recent PC Fair in KLCC.

Welcome to zenetLife

Hey all,

Just figured out blog is one of the most important elements in our website. Thus, blog must come first. But I haven't thought of what we wanna put down here.

So, maybe we should just start welcoming all visitors and make them feel comfy so they'll come back soon.

You know we wanna make this site like a profesional personal site with FREE information and downloads. Most interesting downloads will come from Sze coz Eunice doesn't have much to share in that sense. ;)

We're still in holiday mood. X'mas lunch at Legend Hotel was not 100% a great idea. It was mainly because of the crowd. The queue to the food was extremely long but hey, I got my brussel sprouts! My friend in England asked how I managed to smuggle that in. Don't say urgh! to brussel sprouts k?

We'll keep you guys posted with life happenings. That's inclusive of work happenings too. So check out the website for more logic stuff soon. I think that'll be our first column - LOGIC NOTES !