Birds of a feather

The office is a ghost town. 80% of the workforce is out of the office, traveling, chilling or spending the holidays with family and friends. Operations have come to a near stand-still. The ghouls left behind in the office are also in their holiday spirit (in other words, lazy, unproductive and sometimes unresponsive to matters regarding work). They do what they can to stay awake and not get restless while clocking time. This is expected to go on until the new year dawns when things will start to pick up. 

Well, I was given a small basket of work assignments by the boss before he went on his vacation but I've had to ration it out carefully for the whole of next month. If I finish them all eagerly like I usually feel compelled to tick off items on lists, I'm not going to feel too happy about coming to work in a couple of weeks' time.

It's funny to think I look forward to times of reduced workloads like these with the same enthusiasm a kid feels about waiting for the long school holidays or the occasional wish that the school burnt down, drowned in the floods or was bombed overnight (we had a civil war going on in the country at the time and this would not have been a surprise) while the kids and teachers were safely away in their homes. But this excitement dies sooner than expected, especially in the case of being trapped in an office for 10 hours a day with not much work and restricted internet access.

Nearer to the end of the long holidays, most kids (I was one of them) end up thinking "OH GOD, I AM SO BORED. I WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. I MISS MY FRIENDS. I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYMORE HOUSE CHORES AND GET BOSSED AROUND AT HOME."

At work, it's not much different, "OH GOD, I AM TERRIBLY BORED. WHY IS NO ONE SENDING ME ANY EMAILS?? SOMEONE GIVE ME WORK!! ARGHHH *fights the urge to pull out hairs* I WANT TO GO HOME *sobs*"

I discovered another vending machine in a remote corner of my office today. I was drawn to a new label on the list of options that said "Nestea Japanese Green Tea". It looked and tasted suspicious, like something that got washed off a sink so I couldn't really tell if it was genuine or if the machine was not working properly. With increased varieties of tea types in the market and their hyped health benefits, anything liquid-like with floating debris can pass off as tea these days.

That rant stretched longer than I planned.

On to more interesting things, I spent my Christmas day with birds.

Early that day, I set off to the Jurong Bird Park. It was probably my 4th time there. Let me begin with saying I never liked birds that much. A few years ago, I thought of them as just annoying, boring and useless creatures. But awareness and awe can change opinions very quickly. Birds to me are now a successful class of animals that have differentiated into so many species with unique adaptations, interesting behaviours and often with beautiful colours. This was yet another ingeniously landscaped award winning park home to over 5000 bird specimens from roughly 380 different species representing various habitats from around the globe. Like the zoo, it is primarily a leisure attraction, but the park also contributes actively to educating the public, conducting research in the field and in conservation of endangered species.

Rule No. 1: A day of adventure has to start with a good plan and a good meal

First off were the penguins, with their curious black coats and white under-bellies. They are flightless birds. Over the long years of evolution, their feathers modified into good insulation to keep warm from freezing temperatures and they became expert swimmers. Watching them dive underwater is just like watching a bird fly, only difference being the watery medium.

 They are expert swimmers. The black and white shading stands to their advantage against predators from the skies and from the watery depths 

    I thought penguins only lived in the South Pole. I was wrong. The ones above come from warmer temperatures of Africa.

The exhibit of owls and other noctural birds was a recent addition. The lighting conditions were modified to mimick night time so that visitors were able to observe them in their active state. I never knew owls looked so adorable with their huge cat-like eyes and the know-it-all expression on their faces. There was a plump Snowy Owl, much like Hedwig from Harry Potter, that turned me to mush and nearly made me want to beg for a hug. It's no wonder these animals have been captured and separated from their natural habitats thoughtlessly to fulfill human fantasies. 

The Scarlet Ibis get its pretty colour from a pigment called 'canthaxanthin' from the food it eats.  

A flock of flamingos

Another interesting exhibit was the 'Dinosaur Descendents". This was another group of very large flightless birds - Ostriches, Emus, Cassowarys and the Rheas - and they provide a link between early reptiles (dinosaurs) and modern birds. It is believed that this group of birds evolved into such large sizes and lost the ability to fly as they didn't have natural predators. Until man drove some of them to extinction, that is!

 

        A skeleton of an Elephant Bird at 12 feet tall. This species from Madagascar hit extinction only about 1000 years ago

                                                

      Curious Rheas that seemed too friendly with the visitors 

 A Cassowary, with a bony head structure much like a flying species of dinosaur. Now the structure functions as a 'helmet' for it to get though dense vegetation.

The Emus were sleepy that day

Ostriches with well developed leg muscles are capable of out-running a horse in a sprint

In the bird world, the males are more attractive than the females (this is of course to please the ladies) and some are especially skilled at singing, making nests and even helping baby-sit later on. Another thing I noticed about birds is that they take romancing and family responsibilities very seriously. The parrots, cockatoos, conures were usually found in loving pairs. Male Hornbills feed the female (which remains inside a nest, never coming out until the chicks are ready to fly) and the chicks for 3 long months. 

Victorian Crested Pigeon

A Crowned Crane...I wonder how they ended up with such unique fashion styles!

A loving couple of Mandarin Ducks. It's not hard to differenciate the very attractive male and the dull looking female. 

 The park boasts the tallest man-made waterfall. In a country where there are no such natural beauties, this was a welcome treat to the senses.

Lunch time!

And the final station of the adventure was the Breeding and Research Centre. The reason I wanted to visit the park again was to have another look at this place! It brings to mind scenes from the Jurassic Park movie, where dinosaur hatchlings were incubated and fed.

The Incubation Room

 Eggs were taken care of with temperature and light controlled carefully

The Nursery for the hatchings

A newborn enjoying the attention of visitors or at least trying to make sense of it. The keepers have day/night shifts to ensure they are fed well and taken care of round the clock

 At the Weaning Room, they are taught to eat their staple solid foods. These were a rowdy bunch, making loud noises and demanding attention.

 Comparison of sizes (from the left): Elephant Bird, Ostrich, Chicken and Hummingbird eggs

The adventure at the park ended with "High Flyers" - a show featuring over 100 birds. They were trained to entertain and showcase their strengths and abilities in flight and intelligence in learning to mimick sounds (even speaking human languages!), while also inspiring and making us humans more aware of why we have to reduce consumption and recycle the limited resources we have so that animals like these can continue to colour our planet and roam freely. What we can do to help really begins with a single mindful step of making the right choices that suit everyone. It's not that hard, really.

A very entertaining show, it was definitely a crowd pleaser

After the bird park, I set off to a lovely, cozy Christmas dinner at Katy Kat's place. The food and company were just perfect. Katy, If I had a time machine, I would go back in time and enjoy that restaurant-quality mushroom and cheese pie again, several times over!

Merry Christmas!

It's officially the weekend for me! I don't know what exactly it is, but I've managed to work myself into a happy high after I got off work today. I wonder if it was the weekend or the bubble tea or the book I am currently reading or the approaching holiday season or simply the cool breeze of a fan blowing in my face as I lie comfortably in bed in complete silence - whatever it is, it feels good.

These days my commute to work is brightened by this book I am reading. Who doesn't love a good story with dragons in it!

A Facebook friend of mine had sent me an inbox message today just to say "Happy New Year" and tagged 124 people to the same message. So every time someone from this pool of mostly unknown 124 people responded with a "Wish you the same", my mailbox got spammed and because I have adjusted my settings to receive inbox messages as sms on my phone, that got spammed too. And because I had to wait till I got home to find out how to detach myself from this nuisance of a thread, I had a lot of spam by the end of the day! Seriously, I wonder sometimes if "common sense" is really as common as the name suggests. Needless to say, I did not reply with a "Wish you the same" and spam another 124 people in the process.

While Christmas holds no religious significance to me, some of its traditions have always been part of my growing up. A tree was essential. So were the cards and gifts. Where a real cypress tree was unavailable, we've put up with plastic ones (like the tiny tree below that I decorated with my 5-year old nephew this time) and even roughed out with bamboo branches! I suppose as children, we were just drawn to the joyful Christmas stories we read and watched. Even with various commercial enterprises over-using the theme of Christmas to make profits, it is still a time of the year when people tend to be less self-involved, more cheerful and generous. And I like it for those reasons.

I recall how my mother and father cleverly led me to believe that Santa left presents for me while I was asleep... until I was about 7 years, that is (then he mysteriously stopped giving me gifts)! I never questioned how Santa knew exactly what I wanted or why I could never catch him in the act. I never wondered if Santa back home was Asian or Caucasian like in the books and movies. And we never left him any milk or cookies. Hell, I should have wondered how he got into the house in the first place, when we locked all our doors and windows and we didn't even have a chimney. Stupid me.junior! I did however once try to catch him or the present, at least. One stormy night, I woke up in the middle of the night and looked around for my present but didn't find it anywhere in the house. So I went outside thinking he might have left it inside the car. To my horror, the front door shut with a loud bang because of the howling winds and I got locked outside. My parents took awhile come and rescue me. I did get the present I wanted that year. If memory serves me right, that was the last present I got from him. My parents probably figured it was for the best.

The Christmas tree of 2012

And I would like to end this post with a warm welcome to Ryuu, who after a very long hiatus and a nasty case of the blogger's block, has recovered and returned to the blogosphere (http://razorbladeryuu.wordpress.com/) to entertain us. Happy blogging, Ryuu!

Urgh. The water in my bottle tastes strongly of dish washing liquid. I should probably get out of bed and get some fresh water.

*does the weekend dance*

Home Sweet Home

The holiday season is here. I am looking forward to the next two days home with the family, before I fly back to resume life and work.

I have been left behind at home by the family with instructions to straighten up the house, entertain any guests that visit and supervise a bunch of delivery guys who will be setting up a cupboard and some shelves. They (dad, mom, sis and nephew) have gallavanted off somewhere. I straighted up the house and while waiting for the family, expected guests and deliverymen to arrive, I sat down to write this blog in comfort and peace.

I've really missed blogging.

Tonight is the nephew's 5th year post-birthday celebrations with close friends and family. He's passing an Angry Birds phase so it's not hard to guess what tonight's theme is - Angry Birds cake, Angry Birds birthday suit, Mom in an Angry Birds t-shirt and Aunt (that would be me) in an Angry Birds t-shirt. I doubt we'll have time to blow up any balloons today.

After a rather pleasant 3.5 hour flight, I landed home late last night. It's been an year since my last visit and even longer since all four members of my family reunited at the same time and same place. So much has changed. I relocated and is in a new job, my sister is an optimistic entrepreneur, my parents are older and my nephew taller. I've missed the little chap and it was a bonus seeing his thrilled expression this morning when he saw me.

The last day of work before my mini-holiday was somewhat eventful. In a random conversation with my boss, I found out he is a big fan of Queen (the rock band). Omitting details of how I feel about this band, I'll just say that he was immediately awarded the honour of "The Coolest Boss on Shu's Planet, Ever".

I also had to manage a case of smelly shoes at work. It's not just my shoes - clothes, dogs and even Ginger was smelling funny the last time I met her. Without strong sunshine to dry up moisture left behind from these rainy days, things can get mouldy very quickly. I had to improvise to avoid an embarassing day at work, so I ran down to the convenience store and bought a wad of car air freshner, cut it up to small squares and stuffed them inside my shoes. Little did I expect to smell like a brand new car while walking around the office. Oh well. Better that than be remembered as Smelly Shu.

After an year of anticipation, I watched The Hobbit at the cinemas last 13th. It was EPIC. I loved every bit of it. And I would love to visit New Zealand some day.

Gotta go, we have a party to host!

Jingle Rock

Today will go down as the day I went for a swim with one half of a swimming suit.

I elaborated on my last post about my mobile "home" with convenience at my finger tips. I braved another week of heavy rain showers and thunder storms, carrying my swimming kit to work in hopes of going for a swim on my way home after work. Today, finally, the weather improved and I was thrilled. I even found a new bus route for my mission.

But then, it all went downhill from there. I took my eyes off the road for a bit to switch to a different music playlist and missed the bus stop. Undaunted, I asked for directions and walked three bus stops backwards to the swimming complex. On entering the complex, I was so overjoyed to see the blue expanse of water and the laughter of kids splashing in the water. I could not wait to jump in. But to my horror and utter disappointment at the changing rooms, I realised that I had forgotten to pack one half of my swimming suit after taking it out last weekend for my sailing adventure. There was NOTHING I could do, but to pack my things and leave for home red faced to drown my sorrows in a bag of left over, crumpled, salt and vinegar chips.

WHY ME???

That incident would have really put me in a bad mood for the remainder of the week, had it not been for the news that The Hobbit movie tickets were out for purchase. I got mine booked! Yay!! Also, two of my best-est friends (each from different galaxies) will say hello to each other in person for the first time on the movie day. I'm all nervous about how it'll turn out, but we've already established that I'm a little paranoid so I'm subtly aware that I may be overreacting here.

It's still the eleventh month of this year but the jingles have already started to play everywhere.

Into the Blue!

Today turned out to be a great day. I got an invitation to go for a sailing class on short notice and I was not disappointed! Several hours at sea starting early in the day, learning to catch the wind in the sails and control a small sailing boat - was not as easy as it looks. We sailed to our heart's content, in the open seas and on one occasion sailed around a huge oil tanker! We were even allowed to jump off the boat and swim (more like float with the life jackets on) around in the water for awhile. After we were done, we had worked up a giant appetite and had a very satisfying lunch to conclude. My retentive memory is not too great so a lot of the theory on boat parts and sailing maneuvers that were taught has already bounced off my brain. But the sea always, always makes me happy, relaxed and charged! So thanks Sarah, for that out-of-and-into-the-blue invite! :P And might I add, Groupon vouchers rock!!

A laser bahia - it takes considerable skill to conquer the winds and make them work for (and not against) you. 

I am like a tortoise now, carrying my 'home' with me to work. I failed many times trying to reduce the 'junk' in my heavy hand bag because there was nothing I wanted to get rid of and I've come to accept that having a bad posture or chronic pains later in life will be the compromise for having everything I need within my reach now.

Inside Shu's bag
The food kit - bottle of water, a snack for emergencies and mints
The med kit - first aid for minor ailments, antiseptic wipes, tissues
The cosmetics kit
The weather kit - the sweater, umbrella, shades
The entertainment kit - music player and phone
The writers' kit - a book to read, pen and notepad
The wallet

The downside to carrying such a lot of things is that it is impossible to find any one item in a hurry, without having to sweep through so many other things. And it can be quite frustrating, say for example, if I had to find a can of pepper spray to use on a criminal.

Recently, I even carried a swimming kit in hopes of going for a swim after work. But for the five days I carried it to work, the country experienced heavy rainfall with thunder storms. And when I gave up on the idea and left the kit at home one day, lo and behold, that day turned out to be a sunny day.

When life gives you lemons, and it tends to do that a lot, you have to make lemonade out of them. I spent many weeks crying over how little time I had to do the things I usually enjoyed with the commitments of my new job. This regular complaint became such an ear sore, even for me. And I found out that with a little trimming here and there until life was reduced to simpler terms with a few expectations, I can get very close to a state of perpetual satisfaction (with a little margin for the occasional peak or trough).

All it took was a little mental conditioning and I've had to cut down on TV programs that were rather pointless entertainment, be okay with blogging only once a week, be okay with not being able to keep up with social networks online and offline, put some creative projects on hold, be okay with not being able to keep up with the latest news, save time spent on cooking by eating out instead and even turn down certain social invitations with company I don't enjoy very much.

Today, I've also completed a project that was pending for quite awhile now. And that was to make a collage from photographs of all the people that are dear to me and events in life that are memorable. Now I have a huge square of happy faces looking at me as I sit on my table to work. I'm extremely proud of my creative genius today!

Shu's handiwork. In this photo is also a panda that I've recently adopted. 

Intricate balances

Balance - that important concept which keeps things at optimum levels, at their best, in motion, in harmony, in order, at peace and the like. I would think it is relatively easy achieve because we know what theoretically tips the scales and what weights we have to throw in to balance it. But the challenge lies in maintaining it, because it is very, very easy to lose it in this Life of constantly changing variables.

Let's play a fun game of balance the scales. The rules are simple: use what you have at hand, the winner gets to be happy and the loser get a good measure of misery. 

The official entry into 'adulthood' signifies the beginning of a life of juggling things - responsibilities, family, social ties, education, career, finances, health, personal growth, etc. Some might even become professional jugglers over time. But it's no wonder that many of us are somewhat stuck in an intermediary phase, refusing to let go of that care-free, fun-loving, adventurous, blissfully ignorant and innocent inner child. Maybe it's not such a bad thing! And I strongly believe adulthood is much more fun and bearable when living it with a little dose of child.

Outdoor advertisements can be quite entertaining. Many a time, I wish I had been quick enough to snap a photograph of the things I come across. Very recently, I had a glimpse of a banner for a new type of stuffed bun while I was in a moving bus. It was called "Gold Digger". Now I do not know if it is just me, or if that kind of name puts people off that product for what it brings to mind.

And then, there was this. I wonder what the men feel about this one. 

Off I go to my first day of official Docent duty at the zoo. The world is a much bigger place than what we are often led to believe and I fully intend to go check it out!

Mid-week crisis

The days seem to go by with the satisfaction of living a balanced life and time spent having meaningful associations flickering away. Time slips through my fingers though I try to hold on to as much of it as I can. Most days are battles to stay sane and not let the madness affect the people I care about.

But we must go on. We have a million things to be grateful about. We have much to look forward to in life. We have missions to accomplish. We must survive.

This song was a pleasant surprise on my way to work. I love The Script.

 

A weekend with the pandas

The Singapore Zoo recently got two Giant Pandas from China for the upcoming "River Safari" attraction. Us volunteers got lucky enough to be invited for a sneak peak last weekend, ahead of the official opening date in a few weeks' time. The pandas were housed in a beautifully landscaped and climate controlled enclosure at 18 degrees Celcius. And when we met them, they were not-so-busy acclimatising to their new home.

Pandas are an endangered species with roughly about 1600 animals left in the wild. They are rapidly losing their native bamboo forests to our insatiable greed and harmful activities. Captive breeding in zoos and conservation centres have been highly successful and about 300 pandas are found in captivity at the moment. It is through one of these centres in China that Singapore got this couple. Apparently, the Chinese government is strict with their conditions and they do not want any of the panda DNA made available to the public as it is considered a national treasure. That's what they told us when someone asked if pando poo can be sold as souvenirs! Pando poo, is not like normal smelly and wet poo. It's very dry and leaf matter are almost undigested, looking much like pot pourri and smelling like green tea (it's true - I smelled it after some initial reluctance!).

The bear-y ancestors of pandas, having somehow ended up in bamboo forests of China, evolved and adapted over the years to eat a primarily bamboo diet with the very occasional carrion (like bamboo rats). I'm guessing it helps with increased protein requirements during certain phases of their life cycle. They have also developed very strong jaw muscles for chewing all day. As there is very little nutritional content in bamboo, they need to eat about 10-15 kgs of bamboo shoots a day and eat very frequently giving rise to mountains of poo! Several bamboo cultivation projects have sprung up here in order to supply the zoo's demand for panda feed.

I found this very adorable picture of a panda cub being fed by a caretaker

Probably as a measure to ensure survival rates, a mother panda has only one cub at a time. She is fertile only for about 2-3 days per year and doesn't want to have cubs every year. When female pandas have twins in the wild (a rare occurrence), she picks the strongest cub to look after with the best care she can provide. Chances of having twins are increased with artificial fertilization techniques at captive breeding centres. I bet there are plenty of volunteers who are willing to babysit the extra bundles of joy. But seriously, it's no easy task. The cubs are interchanged daily between human care (kept warm in incubators used for human babies) and panda mum care and given round the clock attention that includes feeding milk and 'changing diapers'.

We also got to hear some R-rated gossip about what happens at breeding centres. Adult pandas are shown panda porn! *gasps* .When asked from the audience why we thought that was, a young member in the crowd answered,

"To make them horny?"

And the presenter replied, "Ummm, yes it is possible. But it is more to teach them how it's done."

Oh, sex education. That's a controversial teaching aid for instructing amateurs, but it's proved to be effective in this case!

We also heard that animal keepers make the male pandas do squatting exercises daily so that their hind limbs become strong enough to mount the female when it's time to make the home run. I say that's a lot of human intervention and couples therapy. But those are the types of drastic measures that are left to be done in a desperate attempt to save some of our species which are nearing extinction. The more fortunate species which are more endearing and appealing to us humans always have higher chances of survival than others.

Pandas naturally look very endearing with their black/white coat markings, non-aggressive nature and furriness that reminds us of cuddly teddy bears. They therefore make great conservation ambassadors (much like dolphins) and are able to engage the attention of the public long enough through this emotional connection for them to hear the conservation message. I suspect their adorable looks gave them some immunity from ending up as ingredients in Asian traditional medicines which are not too friendly towards other endangered animals like tigers, rhinos, sea horses, etc. Pandas are also termed an "umbrella species"; when protecting them and their habitats, several other (not necessarily cute or cuddly) endangered species living in the same habitat also benefit from the combined efforts taken by the public, conservationists and governing authorities.

And that was one of those feel-good weekends spent at the zoo with the pandas and a few newfound like-minded friends.

Love Letters

Lately, in the mornings before going to work, I make the following resolutions and *try* to keep them.

~ Make small talk ~

~ Engage in conversations ~

Sometimes I manage to make a little conversation with the cab drivers I meet and during the earlier part of the day, I smile more and say good morning to the people I bump into, but as the day goes by, my usual self returns and I recede to my more stimulating inner world. It's such a bother to try to think of small talk topics for people you hardly know. Sometimes my mind is blank as a slate when I am forced to make conversations.

Being introverted has several downsides in an office environment. First of all, it shows and people keep reminding me that I am too quiet. Part of me knows it too and that I need to change that a little bit. It's hard to make new friends because small talk is hard to initiate and I lie in wait for tiny windows of opportunities to go make friends with seemingly interesting people. Quiet introverts can very easily be swept under the rug like dust bunnies and go unnoticed. Times like these, I am grateful to the few extroverted people who include me and make me feel welcome. Damn you, other introverts in the office. You guys are a very cold and un-engaging lot!!!

I found an interesting initiative. It's called More Love Letters. Each month they send an email with personal distress stories of about three people with first names only. Usually, people who are close to the distressed persons request More Love Letters to cheer their loved ones up and that's how they get picked as the ones to receive bundles of letters from anonymous strangers. None of their personal details like full names or home addresses are mentioned. What people like me who likes to write letters do is to write to these people (to just one person or all three) - something, anything that will cheer them up. It's all mailed to the organisers of the initiative who collect the letters and post the bundle to the distressed persons. I do not know if everyone likes reading letters or if it helps cheer them up from whatever they are passing through, but it has certainly engaged my interest. People in distress range from heart breaks, to cancer patients, to victims or abuse, to soldiers who fought in the war, to people passing rough patches in life, to those who have forgotten to laugh, to those who are lonely etc. Writing to random strangers anonymously feels good and daring to this blogger, who is not an adrenaline junkie.

Today, I finished my book on Last Chance to See. That was seriously an epic read mixed with funny and heart-wrenching realities of selected wildlife conservation stories around the world. I feel like I lost a dear friend who kept me company on my way to work all these days. Oh dear, what will I read in the bus tomorrow??

Go to sleep, Shu. It's past your bedtime. 

Pre-Monday Blues

A rare three-day weekend comes to an end.

Yesterday, I dropped by the clinic to do a "pre-employment" medical check up. Mind, one month after commencing employment. The clinic was a very tiny place where all patients sat facing the reception. And I do not know why they all happened to be male that morning. In between was a narrow aisle. I met two of my male colleagues while waiting. They recognised me immediately and gave me a big smile, which I returned.

Soon, my name was called in and I was given a  plastic cup and a loud instruction, "Miss, here's your cup. Please come back with a urine sample. The toilet is down the aisle, to your left.When you are done, leave the sample here on the reception counter."

So I take the transparent plastic cup and go to harvest a sample. I walked back carefully holding my cup filled to the brim (they didn't tell me what volume they required) and placed it on the reception [BEHOLD, Shu's urine sample for all to see].What better way to break the ice with male colleagues than over pee samples and might I add, what a comfortable situation that was.

After the nurse took a couple of drops from it for the test, she announces again, "Miss, you can go and throw your urine sample already." So another awkward trip down the aisle, carrying my contents back to the toilet and disposing it.

Sheesh. I'm pretty sure in my past experiences with clinics, it was done with much more confidentiality.

In a poorly researched decision, I hiked to MacRitchie Reservoir this morning. The last time I went there about 5 years ago, not only was my picnic sandwich bag grabbed from my hands by a young fella like the one above but I also recall the hike was a lot shorter than the 12km it was! So I am inevitably drained today, wishing I had another day to rest. The place has not lost any of its beauty and serenity though. 

 Bumped into a little clouded monitor lizard. He seemed used to the presence of humans.

Insect pollinators - the unappreciated workers who work hard to bring us most of our food

A baby daycare! 

 The tree-top walk - a close encounter with the canopy ecosystem

The Foodie

Invictus

- William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

And that was a poem also found in the inspiring and feel-good movie - Invictus, based on a part of Nelson Mandela's life.

~ ~ ~

Age is just a number. We all start the scale at zero, but who's to tell what the number at the other end of the scale is. So there's no point to rushing or trying to keep up with everyone else. I'd rather prefer to grow up and go about doing things at my own pace.

Today, I got my week-end 'nature fix' by hiking to Singapore's highest peak. It took only about 55 minutes to get to the summit at 165 meters above sea level walking all the way from my place, giving a good idea of how flat Singapore really is. When I landed here for the first time, eight years ago, three things really shocked me; the lack of mountains, toilets that flushed themselves and internet without cables. I didn't spot much animals except for a few monkey mothers carrying clingy youngsters on their bellies, a squirrel, some birds and a few insects. But walks in damp rainforests with the constant shrill sounds of cicadas in one's ears, are cool and calming.

Reaching the summit of Bukit Timah Hill after hiking through a nice damp rainforest trail

Just like how some couples bring out the best in each other, there are winning combinations of food. For example, cheese and tomatoes or chocolate and mint (there's nothing quite like these). Once long ago, I accidentally discovered during a shopping trip to accompany a friend, that green apple juice and celery juice mixed together were such a team (otherwise the thought of drinking "celery juice" alone is like drinking egg-plant juice or onion juice). The sourness of green apples perfectly complements salty celery. I was so inspired by this discovery that I started eating green apples with massive amounts of salt and I managed to get a convert in the process too.  After work, as I change buses at an interchange/ massive mall, I am drawn to try out new food though I have not been paid yet. The other day, I was overjoyed when I found out that the bubble tea shop sells green apple and celery juice with the chewy bubbles. I've also ventured a little into "sweet territory" (which is not usually my primary preference) and found out that cinnamon sugar coated warm pretzels are really nice too. I'm so going to a hell dedicated to gluttons.

Relations at work with aliens are improving, slowly.

Alien encounters

Since 42% of my day is now spent at work (and another 30% spent sleeping), I have little mental stimulation in topics other than work.

My research in understanding and interacting with aliens males at work is still ongoing. A handful of them - my boss included - are perfectly normal and nice to associate with. Today, however, I had a new realisation. The rest of them are just as awkward and ignorant about how to interact with a rare specimen of a (quiet) female co-worker as I am interacting with them. The only difference being that their varied reactions range from stares, to ignoring me, scuttling away from my path, to stepping over Shu's invisible boundary of personal space, to making bad small talk, to telling jokes that are horribly un-funny. Here's a compilation of some of the stranger questions I have been asked so far:

Alien: Are you single or married? 

Shu: Single. 

Alien: *GASPS*

Alien: Why aren't you married? 

Shu: I will be married when I want to.

Alien: Why are you so quiet?

Shu: That's the way I am. [GET USED TO IT.]

Alien: The girl before you used to bring food and leave it on her table so we used to help ourselves to the food. You should have some too.

Shu: Politely smiles. [Hell No. I am not feeding stray aliens.*sprays alien repellent*]

Alien: What's the meaning of your name? Is it a name of a flower?

Shu: I'm not sure. [Weren't you very quick to assume I was named after a flower in a language totally foreign to yours? o_O I think I'll pass on the real explanation.]

This picture from Google Images is just plain creepy! 

Here's hoping to better days of rational, meaningful and normal conversations with these aliens. 

The Social Butterfly

I have been quite the social butterfly this weekend.

Last night, I attended a Dinner and Dance in appreciation of zoo volunteers who had just completed two months of training. Contrary to the title, there was no dance, only dinner. It was a fun event with good food, good company and games. The CEO of the organization came down to thank us for our efforts and that was rather humbling. If I am able to make even a microscopic impact on this fight for conservation in my lifetime, I would be a very happy soldier.

As with all events that require me to get well dressed up with (heavy) make-up, I was anxious the whole time. The extra attention and the unfamiliarity that it brings makes me feel uncomfortable and out of my natural element. Attempts to explain myself, brush off compliments modestly and shy away from the spotlight probably makes well-wishers think that I have low self esteem about my looks or worse, think that I secretly love the attention but pretend otherwise. I have none of those. In fact, being human, I do crave attention, but that's more for (more permanent, hard to fake and harder to achieve) inward characteristics rather than (temporary, easy to purchase and apply) exaggerated outward appearances. Try explaining all that if it came up during a dinner conversation without sounding like a freak! (I don't bother).

Why bother to dress up well, then? Well, I believe that dressing up appropriately for an occasion is essential. Whether it be a wedding, an interview, a party, a club, a holy site, a funeral - all have social rules that *I* think one must comply with if they decide to attend such an event or place. So I put in a lot of thought to blend in and avoid going under-dressed, over-dressed or inappropriately dressed. With a little advanced mental conditioning, I venture out of my comfort zones to acquire appropriate dresses/shoes (that I would not normally wear), get help from a skilled person for make up (even if I hardly recognise myself later or sometimes in the past have scared myself when looking in the mirror!) and try my best to hide the anxiousness (when I observe or imagine others reacting differently to me compared to other times).

Oh Shu, they are yet to find a cure for self-inflicted paranoia!

The new chapter

Hello my precious, how I missed you and our quiet little chats.

I have survived a full 60-hour work week! The transition from months of unemployment having ample time to live inside my head and explore its contents to a working life of long days, long commutes, new surroundings, new people and new subject material to learn has been very trying. But as with all major changes in life, situations become a whole lot tolerable with an adjusted positive attitude that involves counting the blessings, seeing the bigger picture and not forgetting to live in and enjoy the present moment.

Shu's new routine:

Mondays to Saturdays
4:40 - 5:50 am - Wake up and get ready to go to work
5:50 - 7:00 am - Commute
7:00 am - 5:30 pm - WORK
5:30 - 7:30 pm - Commute
7:30 - 9:00 pm - ME-time
9:00 pm - 4:30 am - Sleep aka, battery charging time

Sunday
8:00 am - 9:00pm - Have a life, tend to hobbies and relax


Let's spill a little about the new job, shall we?

On the downside, there is lesser time for self reflection, blogging, doing volunteer work, going exploring in parks and zoos, sightseeing, watching movies and TV series, socialising with close friends and tending to other hobbies with the long commutes and working hours. But it helps massively to have a phone with mobile internet to stay plugged to the internet (and have a book in the bag for reading pangs).

I am also now in an industry that has a 98% male workforce so it is quite intimidating to a sociophobe who prefers to stay in the shadows and not be troubled in any way. Most of my years until now have been spent living in a largely female-dominated sub-universe where things were quite peaceful, fun and even safe. So there is a lot of adjustment and learning involved to get along and co-exist with this new sub-species that is the male homo sapien.

On the upside, going to work during twilight hours, without the mad morning rush of half-awake people is refreshing. I dodge giant snails in my path and I hear things I usually don't, like water flowing under the manhole covers beneath the pavement and chants from a nearby Buddhist temple. There is a pretty awesome coffee/tea machine in the office that dispenses very high quality beverages so I'm a big huge fan of it. The food court there is by far the best one I have ever had in a work place and it comes with highly subsidised costs for staff.

Other than these perks, I am in a job that actually uses a significant portion of my grey matter unlike my previous desk-bound jobs and my work involves picking up things that are out of order (which can be deeply gratifying to a compulsive, perfectionist grammar-nazi). Best of all, I am paid to do it.

I think I am going to be alright.

The end of a (mini) golden age

*taps microphone* 

"Testing one, two, three...."

There's nothing like a little adversity in life to put a lot of things into perspective.

Six months, thousands of job applications, loads of rejections, twelve interviews, forty-five blog posts and a significant dent on life savings later (and to the relief of many) - I am finally employed.

Chasing dreams is expensive. Even with all the risks taken, there's no guarantee the perfect dream will find you. But the thing with obsessive dreams is that the mind relentlessly thinks of clever ways to help you get closer to related opportunities which in turn will make you go actively looking to find them. And quite simply stated, only an active effort takes you where you want to go (or even close). Passive effort that involves any type of wishful thinking, negativity or prayers does not help.

It is during times like these when the importance of saving up for a future, managing desires when buying things and not wasting resources become more apparent. It is also during times like these when different people (family, friends and even strangers) reach out to you in ways you never expected, showing bigger sides to them. It is also when you feel immensely grateful for everything you already have.

Admittedly, these six months, despite the struggles and emotions, were a good break from the stress of having a full time job. I finally completed my long overdue memoirs of Nepal (http://shugoestonepal.blogspot.sg/), gave Hip Hop and Zumba a shot, found the perfect places to volunteer and keep my passion for animals and nature alive, improved my cooking skills, read a few good books, watched cable TV to my heart's content, did some soul searching and bug fixing, went around sight-seeing, made new friends while volunteering and looking for jobs and even strengthened a few old friendships.

Counting horseshoe crabs for a population survey done by the Singapore Nature Society. Very interesting creatures, they were, much like fossils. But they didn't like us one bit, coming and intruding on their lives

Culturing bacteria for food was fun too - half a cup of store bought yogurt (left) makes one liter of decent homemade yogurt (right)

Towering super trees at Gardens by the Bay - a brilliant feat of Architecture and Science

A significant portion of our recyclable garbage is now thrown into recycling bins and it has become a good habit

"BOOOOOOOOOO" (from the crowds)

Sheesh. Let me finish off this last sentence.
With my batteries fully charged, I look forward to the next new chapter in life!

"WE DON'T CARE!!!!" (from the crowds)
*Shu gets kicked off the stage*

Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention was incredible! The sincerity, the content, the delivery and the choice of words were all a win and merged to create the perfect effect on the audience. Even though it was politically driven, I was so moved by it that I would have certainly voted for her cause if I were an American citizen! I imagine a world with more First Ladies, leaders and even Presidents like that would be a nicer place to live in.

This cheery song that caught my ears has been running in circles around my head this week. She's got a lovely voice. 

That green bed brings a whole new meaning to bed bugs

Welcome to the World of Introverts

Darn. I am supposed to be studying for an assessment tomorrow. While attempting to gulp down facts from a 150-paged manual on reptiles, my brain refused to cooperate. When I told it to cut the act and focus, it was literally blogging away inside my head. Being the bad multi-tasker, I had to step out of my books for a bit to get this over with.

The other day, I was spending some quality time with Ginger when I had a realisation. I can't imagine why it didn't hit me before this! Here it is: cats are introverts. And THAT'S why I find it easy to have fulfilling relationships with them. No disrespect to dogs, though. I had several dog-friends growing up and I've adored all of them as much as they adored me and I have found great traits in them like how they are ever so faithful and not prone to mood swings. But in general, they have too much energy, they are loud, they demand lots of active attention, they are unpredictable, they have little sense of other's personal boundaries and they drain me out really fast - they are extroverts in the animal world. Cats on the other hand - very calm, to the point, they value the concept of privacy, they know when to call it quits with the attention-seeking before it becomes a chore, they listen (or do a good job of pretending to), they give others a turn to react, they have a soothing purr and they don't pull any surprises that I can't handle. Again, no disrespect to dogs or my extroverted friends and bear with me as I try to make a case.

The Internet is a wonderful thing with countless possibilities. I can go on about it, but instead, I'll just point out that it's probably the best thing that was ever invented for introverts. Finally, something much more powerful than printed media and the postal service came out for introverts to express themselves, be heard and network with other introverts. Something which they don't usually tend to do otherwise, see? Thanks to all the developments, introverts have been identified, encouraged, empowered and are slowly gaining a reputation that they are worthy of. Heck, it took me - an introvert - over twenty five years to identify and completely accept that side to me and understand the various ways in which it affects my life and the world at large. Up until then, with all the information I gathered from the world outside, I arrived at the conclusion that there was something utterly wrong with me. So it's quite understandable that in an extrovert-dominated world, introverts are most often misunderstood and under-appreciated, much like any other minority.

I came across a blog with a list of debunked myths about introverts that sums it up very nicely and I quote (only the comments in red are mine):

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. (OMG, YES). Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite. And don't pull out lame start up lines like comments about the weather or asking for the time, when you clearly have a phone to look it up.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. We don't really want to know what you did over the weekend, if we are not close to you or didn't ask you about it. And it's unlikely we'll tell you all the things we did over the weekend, if we are not close to you or sense that you are just asking for the sake of making conversation. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting. But rest assured, they can be kind and sensitive people, if you give them a chance.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts. Or we get very moody or worse, contemplate on turning into serial killers. 

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. They are hardly bored. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with or have a creative outlet. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy. And for this reason, they are also very understanding and accommodating of other "weird" people around them.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up. And PLEASE don't give us lectures on how to go out, unwind and meet new people to have fun or how much we are missing out on life by not having an active social life. You are making no sense at all. Trust me on this one. 

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. Yes, and together we complement each other and make the world a more interesting and productive place.

Introversion and extroversion lie on the opposite ends of the same scale, so not all introverts have the characteristics above in the same intensities. Also, being an introvert or an extrovert is just a default setting that requires the least amount of energy but everyone is capable of stepping out of their comfort zones if the need arises, with a little extra determination and effort. And it is important that they do, sometimes.

Here's a nice help sheet, courtesy of Google Images. I don't agree with 6 and 10 - if only Life came with advanced notices! so try not to spoil them, plus losing that one best friend who probably took ages to bond with would be devastating to an introvert

Now that I've spoken on behalf of all the introverts out there, I feel much better. 

Ah yes, one more thing.

Normally, I don't speak to strangers, not even to those on the internet (not without good reason or proper background checks). Because I imagine they are mostly criminals (Shu, you really need to go easy on watching the crime and investigation channel) or otherwise normal people who will track me down and try to make small talk. But as I did a little research for my post, I stumbled on this noteworthy blog:
http://katemcmillanblogs.wordpress.com.

This blogger has a knack for saying a lot of things with just a few words (which is refreshing, as you must be already tired of reading this long-winded post to get to this line) but more than that, is a cool comic artist! And I have gone as far as "stealing" the initial (interesting) conversation thread and pasting it here, with the excuse that it is somehow very remotely relevant to the theme of this post.

Shuri says:

Hey, you draw some cool stuff and relate things in an amusing way  I’m not a creepy stalker, btw. I just happened to do some research on introverts (my species) today and Google pointed me to one of your posts. Then I thought the fonts, colours and layout of your blog looked rather interesting.

katemcmillanblogs says:

Yay! A friendly (not creepy stalker) visitor! Welcome!  Haha, I’m glad you found the posts worth looking at. That is always nice to hear.
I hope your research was successful. 
Drop in again whenever you like!