Dear Hazie

Found this letter I wrote for my first pet - Hazie, back in 2014. He passed on 13 April 2014. 

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9 June 2012 - I went to the pet shop to pick a hamster. Initially I wanted to get a syrian hamster but there were none. I heard that dwarf hamster were bitey but I wanted the challenge then. The first hamster we saw was a sapphire who was super nervous and landed a bite on us. The second hamster was running around non stop. I was a little disappointed at the choices and almost opt to take the first hamster home when the lady pulled out another bin of 2 hamsters. A male and a female. I took the male home. He was Hazie. 

As we got out of the car, I asked the brother - what should we name him? He jokingly gestured at the weather - hazy. The name stuck and I modified it to give you an official name. Since that day, you have given us - me such joy just by being yourself. You were the tamest little guy and you were such a little foodie. You will come running when I dangled food in front of you. For you, I took the time to learn so much about hamster. I experimented with so many different types of food available, I bought a bigger bin cage - everything and anything to make you happy. 

When I had a bad day or when I was upset, I just had to look at you, picked you up and you instantly made me happy again. It's magic, I tell you. You self trained to not pee or poo out of your cage, thank you. I remembered you running around in your little ball and when Mizty came along, you kept bumping your ball against hers and made her wobbled around. I remembered your jumping session of the stool, you had your legs as your brakes and you'll land in my hand - trusting me to catch you. 

It was such a joy to watch you eat your food - you always seemed to appreciate them so much. I  enjoyed watching you run to the top of your castle when I tapped it. You were amazingly responsive and always rewarded with sunflower seeds. A few months on, you were comfortable enough to sleep in my hand outside of your cage. You would snuggle you nose against my palm and just closed your eyes as I stroked your little head. 

At one point, I was afraid you would be obese. You were going up to 70 gram and I tried to encourage you to run on your wheel but you were content with your daily activities. I loved everything you do - the way you snuggled yourself to sleep or the drinks you take. You were so affectionate, licking my fingers for no reason at all. Sometimes you even greedily grabbed on to my finger to get extra licks. 

You were easily embarrassed whenever we spot you failing at climbing something- you would quickly run and hide. Or whenever I made you beg too long for your treats, you threw a temper and just run and ignored me. Then it was my turn to beg you to take your treats. You had such a character. 

Overall you bitten me 5 times. The first time I was so excited to let you take sunflower seed from my palm, I pulled out the tissue from your hideout. You were so mad you came out and bite my finger. Another occasion, you bit me cause I woke you up with bells. That time I came back from Bangkok and touched Mizty before touching you. You bit me cause I smelt like her. I understood your bites and your little nips to let me know when to put you down. 

You survived a swollen cheek and demodex mites. I remembered having to feed you your med twice daily for 2 weeks. You were so reluctant but you stopped struggling when I stroked your little head prior to medication. I recalled the first time I tried to give you the medicine, you struggled and even after that when I offered you a treat, you squeaked as if you were scolding. 

6 months before this, you had two lumps on your body and I brought you to the vet. As usual you didn't want to let a stranger to touch your belly but when we gave you a bean, you just sat quietly in her hand and munched. The vet laughed at your little tame character. Upside of being a little foodie. I didn't want to risk operation and all because I didn't want you to end up on a cold surgical table. I wanted you to cross the rainbow bridge where you lived - surrounded by things you loved and your scent. 

As you aged as well, your fur started dropping until the end where you lost most of it. You were still you - lighter, skinnier, smaller but still Hazie. Still love cuddling, love being picked up, love massages. I was torn between letting you sleep and checking to see if you're alive. Everyday I wake and checked on you, I would say softly to you "Another blessed day with you". 

The night before the incident, you had something stuck between your teeth. We tried to remove it for you but you struggled against us for a few seconds before you gave in. You always seemed to understand our intention. 

You were sleeping oddly out in the open at 4 pm on that day when I came home. I tried waking you up and you eventually got up and ran into your hampod. You were alternating between being you and falling into a coma like. I gave your sunflower seed, your peanut, your bean sprout. You ate them but falling asleep in between. 

In the evening, I picked up your ham pod and told you "Hazie, if it's hard to hold on then let go" and I stroked your little head one last time. Later on, you were breathing hard and you made some clicking sound. You had your face turned in and at 9 pm so on exactly one year from the day Mizty came home, you were gone. I blew on you and you usually wake up to look at me. This time, you don't anymore and I broke down.  

He lived longer than I expected to and I knew at one point, everyday with him was a bonus. I had no regrets on the my part as I had provided him with everything I can - the best I can as a pet parent. It's just so hard as I missed him so much. I'm so used to seeing him whenever I looked over and now I looked at an empty cage with his items in it. 

I used to promise him that he will always be protected and for 22 months, I had sheltered him but yesterday evening it was raining I cannot protect him anymore. He's outside in the ground, no longer in his hampod in the warmth in the house. 

For him to go off on this date made me believe somehow he was passing on his legacy to Mizty. Although I'm somewhat grateful for her but she's not him. She's not as ever ready affectionate as him and whenever she ignores me, I turned to him. I kept feeling the pain when I realized I don't have him to turn to anymore. 

He might just be a little cheap rodent but I would never trade these memories for thousands. 

One thing for sure - for 22 months there was never a day Hazie didn't feel love. Now it's time for me to heal and move on, picking up the pieces of this broken heart. 

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too 
It'll all get better in time 
And even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to 
It'll all get better in time.
- Leona Lewis 

Good night baby boy. I love you so much. 

09062012 - 13042014

What makes a Chinese ... Chinese?

Found this in my inbox. Thought it was pretty funny. Decided to compare it to my life.

1. You unwrap gifts very carefully, so you can save and reuse the wrapping and especially those ribbons.
* I'm guilty of that. I done that. 

2. When there is a sale on toilet paper, you buy 100 rolls and store them in your closet or in the bedroom of an adult child who has moved out.
* I'm guilty of this too.

3. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times.
* Yep, there's always one in the kitchen.

4. You save grocery bags, tin foil and tin containers. You use the grocery bags to hold garbage.
* Who needs to buy trash bags when you can use plastic grocery bags. 

5. You hate to waste food:
(a) Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them. (Your mom will give a lecture about starving kids in Africa).
* Applicable to me.

(b) You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing.
* One time or another, yes this happens. 

6. You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, take out containers, and jam jars.
* Yes, yogurt cup does not have yogurt in it. 

7. You have a collection of miniature shampoo bottles that you take every time you stay in a hotel.
* Yes, we do that. 

8. You wipe your plate and utensils before you eat every time you go to a restaurant.
* Yes, I do when I remember. 

9 . You own a rice cooker and a slow cooker.
* Yes, we do. 

10. You wash your rice at least 2-3 times before cooking it.
* Yes, I do. 

11. You fight (literally) over who pays the dinner bill.
* Nah, this is not me lol. We usually split the bill. 

12. You have a teacup with a cover on it.
* Not me but my parents do. 

13. If you're under age 20, you own a really expensive Walkman if you're over 20, you own a really expensive camera.
* Okay, walkman is out of date. I don't have an expensive camera. 

14. You're a wok user.
* Definitely.

15. You only make long distance calls after 7pm.
* Now we don't need to make calls, we have whatsapp 24/7.

16. You prefer your shrimp with the heads and legs still attached-it, means they're fresh.
* Yucks, I don't eat shrimp but my brother eats the whole thing.

17. You never call your parents just to say, 'Hi.'
* Yup.

18. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they'll ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
* Sometimes they asked that. 

19. Your parents tell you to boil herbs and stay indoors when you get sick. They also tell you not to eat fried foods or baked foods because such food are 'heaty'.
* Very true. 

20. You e-mail your Chinese friends at work, even though you only sit 10 feet apart.
* There's messenger now. 

21. You always cook too much.
* I don't cook but this is true. 

22. You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.
* This is quite me. 

23. You starve yourself before going to 'All You Can Eat' buffet.
* Well, who doesn't? 

24. You know someone who can get you a good deal on jewelry or electronics, computers.
* Somewhat. 

25 . You own your own meat cleaver and sharpen it.
* Yup.

26. Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin.
* Very true, pressed until the thumb turned blue.

27. You call a sausage a hotdog.
* No, I call it sausage but I know people who calls it hotdog. 

28. You wrap with napkins all the knives, spoons and forks of the airline that you fly on and put in your travel-bag as souvenirs.
* Nope, not me. 

29. You never forget to take with you all the unused bath and facial tissues when you check out from the hotel because you believe that you have paid its all.
* Guilty!

I can relate a lot to this but I think this does not only apply to Chinese people. I think a lot more people can also relate to this. 

All Aboard - Game play

Not sure why the photos turned out like this. 

All this while, we have always been to Meeples until cousin Kush suggested that we go to this other place - All Aboard where we paid per game instead of per person.We asked the people for suggestion and tried to play games that we never tried before.  

Funemployed - the game where one is elected as a employer and the other players have to convince the employer to hire them based on a job card that was drawn. The other players have cards with different characteristics and personalities to use for the convincing. 

Avalon - Similar to The Resistance, this was a role playing game. Quite fun for manipulation and a little bit of strategy. 

Article 27 - I picked this game because it was colorful and have a lot of components. Sadly the game was a little dry for our group because it was draggy and repetitive. 

I'm the boss - The classic negotiation game. This game never ended well because those who are tired of arguing and shy are most likely to back off from closing the deals. Also, we get tired of shouting and sabotaging each other. 

All Aboard is cheaper since they charge by game so we were really selective of the games we wanted to try. The games selection were rather limited though.

ALL ABOARD

40-2, JALAN SS22/25, 

DAMANSARA JAYA, 

47300, PETALING JAYA,

SELANGOR, MALAYSIA.