Strange but true...

Ever get the feeling that something’s not right, but you can’t prove it?

I’m not exactly sure if my nagging thoughts are on the mark, but recently I’ve started suspecting that my doggy is being framed. Oh sure, call me paranoid, but I know my Sundae. She may be a mutt at times and dig up the trash or tear my undies to bits, but she definitely does not have a shoe, scarf or pen fetish! Furthermore, she’s a quick learner. Whack her thoroughly once and she’ll more often than not, stay away from that item – forever!

So, what is a doggy owner to think when strange things start occurring? Shoes get bitten (all of a sudden!), scarves are torn and a pen (in a nice UNMOVED pen holder) is crushed to itsy-bitsy pieces? Definitely yau keng-kuang (something fishy in Cantonese).

You see, if those things were destroyed under normal circumstances, I’d be alright. I’d whack Sundae ‘til her butt aches and nag her about boundaries. But they weren’t.

What makes me so certain? Elementary, dear Watson. Elementary.

Last night, upon my return I noticed that Sundae had attempted to ‘de-ball’ my scarf. She had pulled the strands off the end of my scarf which was in a shape of a fluffy ball. Minor damage done since I could push them back into place. I hit her hard, placed the damaged scarf in her face and left it there, basically for her to contemplate the graveness of her actions. Result? No more playing with that particular scarf for Sundae.

Today, to prevent a similar episode from occurring, I placed the damaged scarf and the ball’s filling on a high, narrow table which is beyond Sundae’s reach (the same table I put food stuff, and other fragile items). Not only is that table beyond her reach, it’s also quite wobbly which makes it hard for her to TRY to leap on it without me finding out. And so, I left the house with a sense of assurance – Sundae’s been whacked and has learnt her lesson, scarf is safely beyond her reach.

Lo and behold, when I got home today, the scarf and the wool filling Sundae had pulled out last night was all over the floor. I confronted the only person who was home, I’ll call him Kawan Serumah (what a coincidence for him to run out of his room the moment I came back!) who in turn blamed poor Sundae.

I was adamant. There was no way on earth Sundae could have gotten on that table unless, as Ed sarcastically pointed out, she sprouted wings and flew! AND, if she had dragged the scarf down after stretching her body a few inches longer, the filling she tore out the night before would be at the foot of the table and not at the other end of the room. ALSO, why would my dog place the rest of the scarf on my chair? The response I got, “I don’t know how, but unfortunately she did! I’m sure!”

I was and am furious. How dare he blame my dog. Things are beginning to add up. Not the first weird thing he’s done or said. Hmmph, why do such a mean thing? Jealously? Doesn’t he know that a dog is a man’s best friend?

Random thoughts...

Semester break just ended and I miss it already. Sigh.

The hols were pretty good. Didn't do any of the things I planned to do (go camping, visit Sydney, finish off a series of anime, get a part-time job, sleep in late...) but it was still wonderful. Spent time getting to know some people from church, played poker, watched movies, cooked, cleaned, shopped, hung out...you know, the usual.

Class on Tuesday was pretty interesting. It was nice being the one in 'the know', instead of the this-is-my-first-sem-and-I-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing-here student. For those who I have yet to inform, I'll be going on a course-required trip to Fiji in August. Funnily, I feel a little anxious bout the trip. Weird huh? Most would jump at the chance to take such a trip (a holiday cum learning experience paid for by my parents!) and yet, here I am feeling all worried at the thought of having to travel semi-solo (1 week with coursemates and the other alone). Maybe it's because I've never done anything like this before. Staying at a backpackers' lodge, finding my own transportation, travelling from island to island....alone!?!?! Also, when all's said and done, this trip is assessed ie. I have to be on proper professional behaviour at all times! I have to ask the right questions, do the right kind of research, give valuable input and suggestions to government officials, mind you and among all the 'buat pandai angmoh' students, I have to 'buat even more pandai'! Furthermore, when the trip ends (I'll be off on the 21st of August and back on the 4th of September), I'll be required to submit a 2000 word review of the trip (12th Sept), sit for a 2 hour paper on the subject (12th Sept) and complete a 5500 word research essay (17th Sept). And what about my other subject? I am so dead.

Now that I've got those negative thoughts off my chest, let me just say that I can't wait to head off to Fiji! Woo hoo! The academic trip basically starts on the 24th of August and ends on the 30th of August. That means, I have 7 blissful days on a vacation island in the middle of cold winter here in Melbourne, all to myself (and the occupants & visitors of the island that is!). How great is that?

Besides my trip to Fiji, I've also been looking for a part-time job. I have too much time on my hands! Well, not exactly. If I were to be a model student and follow the unit guide and spend 5 hours of preparation a day for each subject, I would have virtually no time to live, let alone look for a job. I'm not exactly going all out in this search, but rather it's a 'come what may' attitude. I'll just answer a few ads here and there and see what happens. I'll be fine either way.

Er...yeah....that's it.

How to cure World Cup fever...

Some claim that there is no cure to ‘The Fever’. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. There is a cure. And I have found such a cure. A real, effective, will-definitely-snap-you-out-of-it cure. In fact, it’s available to everyone! Anyone with a hardcore case of World Cup Fever and wishes to relieve themselves of it can try it. It’s real simple. I promise.

However, there is one catch. To rid yourself of this sleep-in-the-day-constantly-log-online-for-latest-World-Cup-news-eat-lots-of-supper-consume-barrels-of-alchohol-and-put-on-lots-of-weight-fever, you have to be prepared to feel an enormous ache in your heart.

Why, you ask? Cause that’s the way it’s got to be. I’ve tried the cure, and believe me, it is effective. But then again, I must have received a double dosage of the cure as I still feel an achy feeling in my heart - as though something is squeezing it hard and is trying to shove it up through my esophagus and up into my mouth.

So, how does this cure work? Simple. First, you’ve got to pick yourself a team (I was more or less forced to pick England as GSF would kill me otherwise!). Call it, your ‘Dream Team’. Then, you have friendly arguments with your friends about how your ‘Dream Team’ will trash theirs. After a couple of sessions or so of friendly bantering, it is time to bid your team up against theirs. Where better to do this than during a World Cup match on your telly (unless of course you’re loaded and are watching the matches live in Germany!)? Watch your ‘Dream Team’ score goals, beat its opponents and make it to the final 8! Cheer them on! Make bets! Assure other fans that your ‘Dream Team’ has a fair chance of making it into the finals. In fact, tell everyone you know that you are certain your ‘Dream Team’ will emerge the champions!

Finding it easy so far? Well, this is where it gets a little tougher…

The final process of the cure is probably the simplest to achived but hardest to accept – watch your ‘Dream Team’ get trashed. Sob. Sob. Yes, you read it right. Watch them get trashed.

If that doesn’t work, immediately pick another team and call it ‘Dream Team 2’ (Who better, than the 'then-reigning' champions, Brazil?). Repeat the above (obviously with more speed!). Then, watch as ‘Dream Team 2’ also gets whacked out of World Cup. Sob. Sob. Uh-huh, go through the heartached...again.

If this doesn’t turn you off World Cup for at least 4 years, you are incurable! Don't even bother looking for a cure, cause there's none for people like you! You probably relish in any loss or win! Hmmph!

For those of you who are lucky enough to have picked winning teams or the champion-to-be of World Cup 2006, I have only this to say to you, ‘you don’t need to be cured, but watch your back in 2010!’