All Dogs Go To Heaven

Besides Cofi, there is another dog in our house. Bubu is a mixed pit bull and is infamous in our neighborhood for his desires in fighting and biting dogs.

A few weeks ago he went from a strong dog to a very thinned-to-its-bones dog. Since he has just recovered from heart worm, no one really take notice of the shedding pounds. A week earlier, we bought him to the vet and he was diagnosed with fatal liver cancers. We were all shocked.

Though the vet recommended us to put him to sleep because he could no longer performs his normal activities properly such as eating, drinking or pooping, we could not do it and decided to just bring him home. For us, Bubu has been with us for the last 12 years. And Chinese always believes that when a soul would leave a body, the best place to ascend to heaven is from the house which he/she has been living in.

Initially when Bubu came back, he got better and began to eat and drink normally, though lack the energy to even stand up. We were happy. But after that his condition began to deteriot  and he was suffering. Due to our selfishness to keep him alive, he had to suffer. He could no longer control his poops or pees and he could not eat and drink anymore.

At the end, mum and I knew that we could no longer be so selfish and decided that it is time to put him to sleep. It was supposed to be today.

This morning however Bubu decided that he would want to leave us at his own pace. He left us some time midnight yesterday. To be honest, i was relieved for him. I think finally he no longer need to suffers anymore. I no longer is as emotional as when i first knew about his cancer.

Yesterday was Wesak Day. It was the birthday of the Buddha. Yesterday night before mum went to bed, she told Bubu that it was his time to go to heaven and asked him no to wake up anymore. She said that she also did talk to Jesus to take Bubu to heaven.

I am not a Buddhist or Christian. But for this instant, i would want to believe that either Buddha or Jesus has taken Bubu together with them when they went back to heaven yesterday. I want to believe that Bubu is now at a happy state, sitting beside either of them.

I believe that Bubu is in heaven because Disney once told me that all dogs go to heaven.

Dear Bubu, thanks for being with us and protecting us for the past 12 years. Though you were very mischievous and notorious for your liking in attacking neighbours' dogs, though you have cost us more than an arm and a leg all these year, we are glad to have you with us and you will always be missed. Love you forever. Hope you are resting in peace and that heaven is full of all the food you loved.

Quarantine Me

Lucky Cofi had the opportunity to travel to Algeria with me few months ago.

Cofi right before her flight back to KL...

This time when i came back, i had to travel together with her as well. Traveling with a pet is really a stressful experience, if flying itself is not stressful enough. Each time i go for a transit, i will be really worried if Miss Cofi Chen is being transferred together with me too. Each time i walked to the plane on the skybridge, i will will looking around trying to catch glimpses of her. The last time we travelled together to Algeria, she got missing during the transit in Paris. Thank goodness this time around i managed to catch glimpses of her during all these transits, which managed to make me worried lesser.

From Algiers...

To uploading her onto the plane...

To Paris where she got to come out and peed around...

Since the Malaysian Pets Department required all imported animals to be quarantined for at least 7 days before release, of course Cofi had to go through the same thing too. There was no escape, if you know what i mean.

So happened that the week while she was in quarantine, it was also the Hari Raya holidays. Plus i had to travel overseas during the 7 days too. So at the end, i could only visit her for a day while the rest of the 6 days she will have to be alone.

Hence on the 3rd day of her quarantine, my brother, my mum and i decided to visit her in the quarantine station situated just along the way to LCCT. I thought i must be a hard core dog lover for driving 45 minutes to see Cofi just so that she wont feel abandoned but i was wrong!

While i was there, there was this couple who came back together with their award winning pedigree Poodle from Thailand and they have been visiting the dog every single day together with showering kits and hair dryer. That day when i was there, it was already the 5th day of thier visit. They told me that on the average, they spent about 2 hours there. Whao! Sorry Cofi darling, you mummy doesnt love you to that extend! Opps!

What spacious room she has!

Wee! Finally get to go on the greens and pee!

Now, when Cofi went over to Algeria, together with the cage, they weighted 8.3kg but on her trip back, the total weight was 9.3kg. So she had gained weight and i was having trouble to size her down because i cant stand her puppy look whenever i am eating and at the end i will surely feed her some human food.

Sheesh...what a fat ass she has!

And we bumped into her caretaker while we were they. He is a friendly guy who came over just to tell us that Cofi had been behaving really well during her 2 days stay and she was rather quite too. The only thing was she didnt really eat a lot. And that is actually a good news for me. Finally, she gets to go on her diet plan. But i guess Cofi was not very happy with me dumping her alone in the quarantine station while i had fun in Tokyo, so she decided to give me something to remember of her. 

A giant scratch that bleed for the next few minutes. Hmph! You think you made a statement here dont you Cofi Chen? The truth is, i didnt think of her a second when i was in Tokyo. I was too busy having fun! Hahahah

Making Friends

When Insanity Hits!

Algeria is a boring place. There is no mall, no cinema, basically nothing. So each weekend, the only place we ever go "shopping" is to the wet market or the mini market buying groceries. That's it. Just wonder how much we could buy from the same place weekly? After a while, it just seems like we have bought everything that is available.

Yep, Algeria is a boring place that will drive even the most sane person going gaga. Now KC and me are not the most sane people to begin with, it only took us 1 month to start to act goo-goo or ga ga.

We were so bored last week, we decided to teach Cofi her first survival skill. There is a large bath tube in the bathroom and KC suggested to take Cofi for a "swim" and being the naughty me, of course i agreed! I was excited! So poor Cofi, already hating taking showering to start with, will have to suffer being dipped in the water while me and KC happily laughing at our mischief!

So we started by filling up the tub. Well it's not really a deep tub but deep enough to put Cofi in where water could filled up to reach and covered her up to her ears. The moment we put her in, she gave us a very confused look because before this, she had never been dipped into water at all.

After a few pushes, she begin to realise that this whole thing is rather new. Walking in the water and experiencing "floating" for the first time in her life. She had a difficult time "swimming" around in the tub and trying to get out though. 

Giving me the "help me" look.

Cofi's first time experiencing "floating".

All the time when we were pushing her around in the tub and encouraging her to swim, she was suffering greatly, while we both were laughing our heads off! We are just cruel! KC even hold her up so that her feet could not touch the base of the tub to encourage her to paddle more. Well she did. She was paddling so quickly and panting so heavily, all because she is an obese dog and lack of exercises. When KC finally release her, she quickly swam her way to KC and then stuck her head into KC's lap and refused to move anymore. 

Cofi all manja with KC and refused to move another inch after the tiring "swim".

Poor Cofi has to suffer because of 2 insane people looking for ways to spice up the boring life. As i am typing this entry, Cofi is already fast asleep on the couch. She must be tired. Anyways, will make this a weekly routine to help her slim down! Hahahah i love mischief! 

To Love Less Is To Regrets Later..

Yet another cold day today with wind blowing so strong that it is shaking the glass windows in the house, and the wind together with the holes on the glass shutter whistling charming sounds throughout the house.

Yesterday a dear friend told me to better stay less attached to Cofi. I totally understood what she was trying to protect me from.

I have took her in as my pet 5 years ago while she was still a puppy. Then gradually i see her more than a pet, more like a daughter to me. I cloth her, carefully bone out the chicken for her, making sure that she is often well taken care of. Spending money for her grooming, snacks and even took the trouble to fly her with me to Algeria. Of course this could all only happened when KC himself is a dog lover too. He was the one who introduced me the idea of having Cofi sleeping together with us on the bed, and seeing her more than a puppy, taking in her as part of the family.

But how could you love someone or something less just because you knew that it will all end in vain? We all knew that a dog's life will max out in 15 years. Do we choose to love our pets less in this case? Detached ourself simply because we were afraid of being hurt?

This is just like asking a mother not to love her ill child whole heartedly because the child will die sooner and younger than the mother. If we could detached and love the kid less, when the kid is gone, then we will be in less despair.

But looking back on what we have done and what we could do for the kid when she is gone, would we regret on what we have not done instead? If we could be less selfish in protecting ourselves but choose to make the best of everyday for the kid, even when she is gone and i am sure we would be sadden for maybe a long time, but eventually when we looked back at how we have loved the kid with all our heart, we would have no regrets but always a smile hanging on our face whenever we thought of the kid. Because we knew we had given our best and not wasted the one and only chance we had with the kid.

Same goes for Cofi. I am glad that she came into my life. I am glad that i was given a chance to be with her and the chance of loving her, and i know that she loves me back too, unconditionally. I would missed her terribly when she is gone. I might even not dare to take in another pet. I am sure i could not replace her with another pet too. Well that will be in the future, one day when the day comes.

Sometimes even thinking of the day will also makes me tears. Sometimes while she was asleep soundly, i would look at her carefully just to make sure that she was still breathing, or purposely poked her just to make sure that she is still alive. But until that day comes, i will still choose to love her with all my heart. I just do not want to have regrets in my life later.

Cofi's M.I.A In Paris

On 21st April 2010 i decided to travel with Cofi to Algeria. It was the first time i have traveled with Cofi and i was rather worried the whole time.

We have to be at the airport 3 hours before departure in order to check in Cofi and also pay the necessary. So by 7.30pm we started our journey to the airport. Cofi was all dressed up in case it gets really cold in the cargo and she was excited. Looking at how happy she was, i was wondering if she would still be that excited if she knew she will be locked in the cargo for 30 hours.

Yeah, another outing for me!

The airport was full withe people and it took 1 hour to check in Cofi and Me. Of course first I had to pay the surcharge for Cofi. KLM will only take pets in the cabin if they weight 6kg including the cannel. My fat Cofi weights 6.6kg by herself. So she has to be checked in as excess baggage in this case. 

Cofi pleading with her puppy look for us to release her in KLIA

The sticker on her cannel

All her certificates sealed and attached to her cannel

Since April onwards, KLM and Air France has implemented the per-piece luggage rule upon all passengers. Regardless of how heavy the luggages are, the first additional piece will be charged USD55 whereas the second luggage will be charged USD200. And since Cofi will be at Paris airport for more than 2 hours, there is an additional USD200 fees for pet hotel. So all in i had to pay USD400 for her which was pretty ok since we thought it might cost us RM5k just to transport her in the first place.

After paying the money, i got my boarding pass and then we were lead to the excess baggage area to check in Cofi. The guard then told us that it will be better to send Cofi to the airplane via the lift instead. And so we went.

My last view of Cofi at KLIA

So i flew from KLIA to Amsterdam, waited for 2 hours before my next flight to Paris, all the time without any news on Cofi. I was stupid that i didnt check on her in Amsterdam until i reached Paris. When i asked the cabin crew about Cofi, they all got a shock because they were not informed about having a pet on board. Even though it was written on their passengers detail sheets, but no pet was check in and they never pursuit the matter.

I was told that Cofi was not on board. I freaked! The moment i heard that i began to cry. The cabin crew then got panic and did their best to help me tracked down Cofi by calling Amsterdam airport and going into the cabin area to check again. No Cofi!

At this moment i cried even more and i texted KC about the whole situation. He was worried too and called me and asked me to check again. Then i followed one of the ground crew to the transit area. She looked at me in the eyes, apologized for the whole situation and told me that they will make sure that Cofi will be tracked down. I waited with a very heavy heart.

20 minutes later, the ground crew came to me with a smile and told me that somehow Cofi was transported from Amsterdam to Paris in a different plan. She hurried and brought me to the luggage claim area and there i saw Cofi coming out from the conveyor belt. It was only then i could stop crying and thanked the ground crew.

After that she went all the way to help me to get my new boarding pass and told me to send Cofi through the excess baggage area 30 minutes later. What best about Paris airport is pets are allow to roam freely in the airport. So i took Cofi out from her cannel, fed her with the energy bar and let her roamed and released herself.

Finally Cofi is with me again. It was already 18 hours passed the last i saw her.

No one at the airport was freaked out to see a roaming dog. 

Cofi getting all excited after releasing herself.

After the Paris lesson, i made sure i asked the cabin crews about Cofi when i boarded the plane. I was sitting at row 12A and one of the cabin crew came to me and told me Cofi was just at the cargo area below my seat. Phew! And by the time my flight too off, i was exhausted physically and mentally due to the earlier crying.

When i landed at Algers, there was another flight by Qatar which landed the same time. The queue at the immigration area was long! People were queuing up in a zig zag manner. I thought it will take forever for my turn. But good old KC did his trick again by pulling strings for me. He asked his colleague who has a friend working as custom officer in Algers to look for me.

The moment he got me, he took my passport and asked me to go ahead for hand luggage clearance. After that i was directed to the baggage area to claim my luggage. To make it even faster, he took the luggage number sheets from me and passed them to the boys who were retrieving the luggage behind the conveyor belt. By the time i got back my passport and took everything i had, it took only about 30 minutes and this was due to the VIP service i got. If i were to wait like others, it will definitely took me hours.

Thank God Cofi is safe and sound with us in Algers now. Somehow she settled down faster than me. 

No Turning Back

I am leaving to Algers tonight! Finally! After waited for so long.

The only concern i have is if my flight will really take off on time. Will be doing transits at Amsterdam and Paris airports. Although the airports are open and going into full operation mode since yesterday, yet i am praying hard that they will not be close or flights will not be cancelled when i reach there and waiting for my transit. Hope the volcano in Iceland could stay calm for now and spare us mankind.

The other worry i have is transporting of Cofi. I am sure the airports will be in chaotic mode and flights will be full now since everyone is rushing to go back to their countries. Seriously praying hard that Cofi will not  lost in transition and that i could see her landing safe and sound in Algers airport. I am willing to loose my baggage rather than loosing her!

Bye bye Malaysia and hello Algers!

Cofi's New Tag

I am so afraid that i might loose my precious Cofi in the upcoming voyage we are taking to Algeria that i decided to buy her a new tag.

Her old one was a find that we got from one of the shop in Perth a couple of years ago. It used to be a beautiful pink tag that read "Almost Human". I even bought her a pink collar just to match the tag with it.

However after sometime, the tag got deformed. I am still wondering how it got deformed because the tag was not put near a fire or any heater but then it looked as though it was dumped in one. Since it was rather difficult to find another cute one to replace, Cofi has to wear it all the time.

So a few days ago i went to One Utama and walked into one of the souvenir shop and requested a tag with customized engraving.  This is how the new tag is of a bone shape and at the front it reads "Cofi, Almost Human" and at the back it reads "Please call +6017 xxxxxxx for rewards." The main objective is to have someone to call me in case Cofi gets lost during the journey.

And then my brother had a look at the tag the next day. Turned to me and said "Let me call you now and i demand for my reward!"

Haha very funny, not!

La..la...la...Counting down

Yeah!

20 more days and i will be jetting off meeting up with my Mr. again!

Can't wait!

And the best thing is, Cofi is coming and staying with us too! Wonders if she will be able to communicate with those Arabic / French speaking doggies.. Hm.... is there an universal barking system in the four-legged world or are they like us with different "languages" altogether?

I bet this is one of the wonders of the world that i will never be able to get an answer to!

I thought i smelled you...

I slept at 630am this morning and woke up around 2pm, having my beauty sleep of 8 hours. Right before i woke up, i dreamt of you and for a second, and there is a sense of smell of you that is so familiar came rushing to me... But i woke up without you by my side but only the lingering feeling of your smell . Because of you, today will be a great day and a smile will always be hanging on my face.

Ahh..... the power of love...

Addiction

I am a coffee addict! The first taste of coffee was when i was aged 13 and it was from the half cup of coffee left by my father in the morning. The only reason why i wanted to have a sip of the coffee is because i wanted to be like my father. The first sip was horrible. It was bitter and i cant find the reason for my father's liking. But i continued forcing myself to accept coffee, because i wanted to be just like him so desperately. Eventually i grew to like coffee and then i love coffee (the bitterness and the aroma) and before i realised, i am now a coffee addict. Just like a drug addict, i must have my cup of coffee first thing in the morning, before anything else. The day that i didnt have my dose of coffee, it feels like i am never fully awake. My actions are slow, i will be grumpy, and the day feels really bad, and constantly i will be thinking of coffee. In the event that i do not get it, my mood is harsh and really bad and if worst of all i really didnt get my coffee for the day, the day would seems incomplete, and the craving for coffee is even higher the next day. When i started taking up my MBA, i learnt from taking black coffee with sugar to just black coffee. Reason is because i hated class so much and loves sleeping. So each time when i got into the classroom, i would have to make myself a really thick cup of coffee to keep me awake. And it is not just any ordinary coffee, it is 2 spoonful of coffee powder. Initially it really kept me awake but then i got accustomed to it and it makes little difference to me if the coffee is very thick. I turned from being really concentrated in the class when it first start, to drawing cartoons on my note pad, or surfing using my phone.

That's one part of my coffee addiction. I have another coffee addition as well, and this is her.

She was given to me by my colleague in my first job. I still remember the date was 31st August, 2003. When i went to his house to pick her up, she was the only grayish dog among a pool of white and golden shitzus and schnauzers. She was like the black sheep there. When i picked her up from the cage, she was frighten and fragile. When i brought her back, the first couple of weeks i thought she was dumb because she never uttered a single sound, no whining nor barking. And when she ate, she literally swallow food, as if competition was stiff. That must be from her experience as a puppy to have to fight for milk from the mother. Since she has a mixture of white, gray and black fur, i named her Cofi. Over the years, she becomes my companion and my life and she is always there during my hardest times, when my heart was broken, when i used to stay alone... she will be the one who will greet me morning with a lick on my face, waiting patiently for me to get home from work, barks when i am near the door, let me hug her when i cried........Of course sometimes i think Cofi doesnt like me too. It is when times like i play nasty jokes on her and she will gives me the "she must be crazy to threat me so" look..

When i threaten to give her away and put her in a basket during CNY...

When i forcefully put a clip on her hair to make her look more girly...

When i sticked a McDonald's sticker on her to dress her up....

Or when i put on a cap for her knowing well that she doesnt like it...

Cofi sleeps with me on the bed as well. Each night, when she senses that it is time for bed (that is when i put on her "pajamas"), she will quickly hops and jumps onto the bed, scratches the bed a little to find a comfy spot, and tuck in to bed. She will always be the first one to sleep. And when it is time to wake up, especially during a weekday when i have to get up and prepare for work, she will still be sleeping under the blanket and she will be the last one to get up, only running downstair with me and wait for her treat. And sometimes when i twisted and turned a lot trying to sleep, i will have awaken her. Then she will wake up, give out a lot sigh, walked away from me, and balled up again at the corner of the bed. It was like she was complaining. When she feels loving, she will have her head on my shoulder and sleeps, or have her body attached to mine so closely that i dare not move a single muscle. There were times when she upsets me too, or more of stirring up the jealousy in me. It is when times that has way passed bed time and i would need to shout for her name to come but she didnt. Those were the times when she was waiting for someone by the door, or when she rather be with my brother's friend (a guy) rather than be with me. I would be so jealous that i threaten to close the door and i did and swore that she would have to sleep alone in the living room, only to walk down and carry her up in my arms and tucked her in bed. How could i ever be angry at her?

Cofi meant the world to me. Few more years down the road she will leave me when she aged. Due to her vagina prolapsed a year ago, she underwent an operation that has forbids her from having any baby Cofis. There will never be another Cofi in the world because of this and that sadden me. It has been approximately 70 days since i left her. There is not one day that i do not miss her. I miss her warmth in bed with me, i miss her naughtiness, i miss her laziness, i miss feeding and bathing her, i just miss her a lot. I have never been able to find another dog that resembles her physically. Let's hope i can find one, not to replace her, or to remind me of her, but just to fill up the emptiness in me when she is gone. For now, all i want to do is to fly back to her and bring her back with me the next round to Oran.