Luke 6:21

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"Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." - Luke 6:21


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Rabbit Buns

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Not sure where to get these but Mom steamed them last night and I kept eating them without realizing that they were in the shape of little bunnies.

I only took notice of it when I had to shift my glance from the laptop to the plate. Oh well, it sure does taste as good as it looks!


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Mimic

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I didn't buy the hat for Ruby intentionally. It came together with a soft toy and so I took it and placed it on Ruby's head.

I think it's clear that Ruby doesn't like it :$



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Snipped It Off

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Dear came to pick me up yesterday and unlike his usual self, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Naturally, I asked him what's with that cheeky look and wide grin. He smiled and shook his head.

Well I thought he liked me in spectacles because earlier on, I was teaching a certain Primary School how to make their own Digital Music Videos and I had to wear spectacles because my eyes were painful from waking up at 5 am consecutively for 3 days after sleeping for somewhat 4 to 5 hours the night before.

Anyway, dear went on grinning each time I looked at him. And every time I asked, he would shake his head and look at me with eyes of mischief.

This went on for quite some time and finally, I asked him "Why are you smiling? Is it because you cut your hair?" (Previously, I had already noticed that he had a haircut when he came and pick me up) Then he chuckled and exclaimed: "NOW THEN YOU NOTICE!"

Ha ha. You should have seen me roll my eyes :)

Admittedly, I realized that I do have this strange attraction towards guys with short crew cut hairstyles. Somehow, it just seems so neat and suave. But that's for me, others might beg to differ.

Well, I guess that's the reason why I like Wentworth Miller so much! :D



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One Or The Other?

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Down With Flu

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The word "flu" is pretty much a sensitive word these days. But no worries, I think I've got the common flu.

Nonetheless, it is irritating the hell out of me especially when I am suffering from sleep deprivation these days. More on that when the week is coming to a close. For now, I've got to find something to stop my nose from dripping.


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Love's In The Air

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Sleepyhead

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I don't remember seeing Mocha sleep but I do catch moments of Ruby slipping into slumber.

After which, I will tiptoe my way to his cage and shout "RUBY!"

Ha ha. You should see how fast his heart beats after that :)


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A Birthday And More

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First of all, Happy Birthday dear Isaac! Thank you for the birthday invitation despite the lost of contact throughout 5 years. I had a great time and I'm sure everyone else too! :)

Isaac Chong, the birthday boy

Last night, I was invited to Isaac's birthday party and unlike the usual where dear would normally accompany me to my events, I went alone.

At first I was a little hesitant and apprehensive because I was so used to dear being beside me! Not that I'm overly-reliant on him, but his presence does make awkward situations much easier to overcome. For example, if I am invited to an event with lots of new people with anyone I hardly know, it would be good if he's around because if everyone has their own cliques and busy with their conversations, at least you have a familiar face and assuring partner to talk to.

But for last night's birthday party, I went alone with the fear of being socially inept. Thankfully, Isaac invited some of my secondary school classmates as well and I must, it was a JOY seeing them and catching up with them after all these years!

You have to understand that my Secondary School classmates are more than just friends. We are more like a team, and we are especially united (and rowdy) when more of us gather together.

I guess our unity and bonding derived from the four years we spent together in Sports Class - A class that consists of School Team Players from Basketball, Badminton, and Table Tennis. Back then, we were proud of who we are, and the privilege that we had i.e having our own Sports Class T shirts, having our own trainings for P.E (Physical Education) lessons which lasted for 3 periods instead of 1 period which other class had and spent doing aimless things like running around the school field and playing games like netball, volleyball, etc.

On top of that, my batch of Sports Class had boys that doubled the number of girls, fueled with raging Testosterone, angst, and infinite mischief so much so that within a few months, our class was INFAMOUS and NOTORIOUS! Every other day we had the Discipline Mistress coming to our class, occasionally we would make some teachers cry, and on regular days, near assault cases were much to common.

Up till here, I must have painted a pretty negative picture of my class. But there were many positive things about my class too. Aside from terrorizing teachers and achieving lousy stinking grades, we were united. We defended each other. We helped each other when a particular team had competitions going on. We looked out for each other. We went through thick and thin with each other. We hung out with each other and built bonds that up till today, are strong and solid.

Ha ha. Those were the good 4 years I had of my life and if I had a chance to return back in time, it would my Secondary School years.

With that, I continued to hang out with some of my Secondary School classmates after Isaac's Birthday Party. We sat down, we ate, we talked, caught up with each other, laughed at each other and the times we had in Secondary School, dug up old story and gossips etc. By the time we left, it was past midnight and our cheekbones were sore with excessive laugher.

But in essence, I was really glad to meet up with these group of people, and more glad that I went to Isaac's Birthday Party alone :)


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And The Winner Is..

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Kris Allen. This has probably been the biggest upset in American Idol history and many from the blogosphere are fueled with rage, disappointment and disbelief at the results.

I personally don't watch American Idol except for the Finals. However, I did watch the very first season when William Hung was famous for his signature "She bangs" move. After which, I just felt that this whole entire idol stuff is just boring. Come on, who can honestly remember the other American Idols that won the past few seasons? And what happens when an Idol is crowned? Wouldn't he be forgotten when the next season of American Idol comes up?

But before American Idol fanatics start throwing eggs at me, let me digress and perhaps point out some facts as to why Adam Lambert didn't win this season's America Idol.

1. Blame the judges.
Just like it's now bad karma to be the front runner in the Oscar race (as Frost/Nixon can tell you) or the presidential election (as Hillary Clinton can tell you), it also doesn't help if you're the foregone winner of Idol long before the season is over. And here is where the judges didn't help Adam's case. Week after week, they didn't just praise him; they declared him THE GREATEST SINGER EVER IN ALL OF HISTORY. Yes, he's a rock god, but when there's a preconceived notion that you've got the Idol crown in the bag, it makes your fans lazy and you lose votes. Kris Allen, on the other hand, consistently delivered solid performances and received mildly positive reviews from the judges. His fans felt like they had to fight harder to keep him in the contest.

2. But you should especially blame Kara DioGuardi. The new judge hasn't been getting much love from the blogosphere—especially after her gaffes involving "Studio 57" (she meant "Studio 54") and "Saturday Night Live" (she meant "Saturday Night Fever")—but she really proved to be the Joe Biden of Idol after she co-wrote the worst coronation song ever, "No Boundaries." The last song is usually how Simon manipulates America into voting for his favorite contestant, by unleashing a parade of superlatives. Not this year. "No Boundaries" was such a train wreck that neither of the contestants could pull it off. It literally left all the judges speechless, including Kara, who said she wasn't going to judge Kris based on her own song. Huh? In the end, the confusion was good for Kris. The judges weren't able to make one big last push for Adam.

3. Did we mention that Adam is a rock god?
Idol has always favored syrupy balladeers or pop singers. It doesn't matter how well you can rock out—ask Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice or Carly Smithson or even Allison Iraheta. Rockers don't win American Idol.

4. The Christian factor.
Last week, I wrote about how Adam (who hasn't spoken about his religious beliefs on the show) might be hurt by the fact that he was going up against two devout Christian finalists, Kris and Danny Gokey. Most of Gokey's fans probably ended up voting for Kris over Adam, giving him the boost he needed to win. You could say—as many of you have in the comments—that religion is an irrelevant criterion for judging a singing competition. But the fact remains that Idol is one of TV's most family-friendly shows, and it draws a large number of Christian viewers. Five out of seven of the past Idol winners have been very vocal about their Christian faith. Kris Allen had the edge here.

5. The gay factor.
Adam Lambert hasn't talked about his sexuality publicly, but TV Guide reported that he was "openly gay," Perez Hilton reported on his (alleged) boyfriend and there are photos circulating online of someone who looks like him kissing another guy. This shouldn't be an issue in 2009. But if you've read any of online chatter about Idol this year, you know that sadly, there's still plenty of hate out there. Adam has millions of fans, and it looked like he could strike an emphatic blow against homophobia, much the same way that Obama broke through the race barrier when he became the country's first black president. But his ambiguous sexuality still cost Adam votes.

6. The youth vote.
Remember last week, when they played footage of Kris and Adam visiting their hometowns? Both were met with adoring crowds, but only one was greeted by wailing tween girls who looked like they were in the presence of a long-lost Jonas brother. Kris was the heartthrob who covered Kayne West and dressed like Chace Crawford. Lambert was the Broadway kid who sang Aerosmith and wore eyeliner. The girl vote went to Kris, an important victory—tween girls are the diehards who stay up for hours after the show texting and calling in their votes.

7. Adam Versus Kris
In the end, Adam was the better singer, but Kris might have been the more unique artist, despite what the judges said. Don't believe me? Prior to the finale, here are the Adam performances I most remember: "Black and White," "Tracks of My Tears," "Mad World," "If I Can't Have You." Here's Kris's list: "Ain't No Sunshine," "Falling Slowly," "She Works Hard for Her Money," "Heartless." Which songs are you more likely to have on your iPod? Kris beats Adam on mine. They're both terrific guys who have great careers ahead of them. But maybe Kris is the more deserving American Idol after all.


As mentioned, I didn't catch every episode of this season's American Idol and so I am not in any position to agree or disagree on the above.

But I did get a peek on a little of Adam's and Kris's performance a few episodes back, and at first glance, I thought that Adam was more good-looking as compared to Kris. On top of that, Adam had this confidence and assertiveness as his sang. Combine that with strong powerful vocals that he already had, I thought that he would have easily won this season's American Idol easily.

However my impression start to fade when it was confirmed that he is gay. And as if that's not good enough to make me root for Kris, I was absolutely terrified when I saw his performance with KISS.

Ok I did have some knowledge and understanding that Adam is a ROCK GOD from his dressing, make up and voice I've seen and heard from some of the episodes earlier on. But I had absolutely no idea that he was that Rock and Gothic.

You could say that I was stumped and terrified when I saw him perform in that Gothic outfit, super high platform shoes, together with a bunch of people with painted faces and weird outfits. This might just be my own bias view against the Rock culture, but I know that this would certainly paint a dark picture for Adam supporters who don't like Rock either.

Enough of talking about Adam's downfall and his genre of music. Let's continue to explore the potential influences he might give if he wins. Well, he would definitely be on posters, advertisements, his rock/gothic influence would hit the youths real bad as he becomes the 'fashion example' for them to follow, homosexuals might quote him as a reason to be accepted, and the list goes on.

With these thoughts in mind, I was glad Adam didn't win because I strongly believe that he doesn't need to be crowned an idol to prove that he is good. I know he is good, even Simon Cowell thinks that Adam's going to be an International Star. But for what he might influence others to follow or become, he should not win.

That's just my 2 cents worth. Further more the results are out and there is no point talking about it further or crying over spilt milk.


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The Angry Man

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Shine On Me

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Life this week has been rather slow moving, but nonetheless great because there is no school. However, I find it a little uncomfortable, in fact weird that suddenly, there is so much time.

Imagine waking up at 10 am - 11 am thanks to the ongoing lift renovation outside my door, brushing my teeth, brewing my favorite cup of coffee, feeding Ruby, and finally gluing myself to the chair and spend what seems like eternity in front of my laptop before crawling back to bed again.

Yes, this whole cycle repeats itself everyday and before I start to whine about how boring my life this week is, I decided to renew a hobby of mine in my teens - suntanning.

One would not imagine that me, the originally fair yet sporty girl used to be so tanned that a Malay lady once spoke to me in Malay. Ha ha those were good old times but this hobby of mine stopped ever since the weather became increasingly erratic and scorching hot over the years. In addition, the spike in skin cancer cases due to the harmful UV rays really makes me think twice before doing any outdoor activity.

But yesterday, I was eager to get out of the house and do something; anything! So since the weather was both sunny and cloudy, I decided to head down Tampines Swimming Complex for a quick tan.

Lights that will illuminate the place at night

Reflection of the sky and balcony on my iphone

More reflections

Where I usually tan; the balcony located on the 2nd floor

With the winds and the sun, no wonder I feel sleepy

Here am I, satisfied with my tan!

As compared to cooping in my room all day, I must say that heading outdoors has really helped me regain some balance in life. Of course my anti-suntanning friends would soon give me a lecture of how I should have lathered myself with tons of sunblock, and my dad would warn me about having freckles and spots later on in life.

But I didn't regret, at all. :)


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Behold He Comes

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It's been two and a half months since Ruby came into our family, and I am glad that he is finally able to recognize my scent! :D

Recently, he has been hopping to me, nudging me with his wriggly nose, and brushing his whiskers past my feet. It's really ticklish, especially for me who is absolutely intolerant to tickles.

Nonetheless, the fact that Ruby is coming towards me shows affection and recognition I suppose.

So here's a picture of him hopping towards me in excitement:

Oh he's my little cute boy! Don't you think so? :$


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Michael Battersby

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I am always psyched when I have to attend a worship conference (or any youth conference for the matter) because that is where I get rejuvenated and exposed to different genres of music during worship.

So yesterday, the youth band had an opportunity to attend a Worship & Vocals workshop by Michael Battersby from Metrochurch.

Here's a little bit of who Michael Battersby is:

Michael Battersby and Pastor Alfred
Michael Battersby is an extremely experienced professional performer. In fact, he has been resident pianist/vocalist and entertainer for many of Perth’s finest hotels, including Hyatt Regency, Parmelia Hilton, Sheraton and Perth International.

He has a degree in Jazz performance and is a Musical Director in his own right, so your audience will be guaranteed a fully professional experience.

Michael Battersby is the assistant pastor and Creative Arts Director at COC Perth. He has a wide musical background - Tina Arena, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Don McLean and Dizzy Gillespie are among the artists he has worked with. His passion now is to make available vibrant and anointed worship resources for the church.


I must say that among all the worship conferences or workshop I have attended, I personally think that he is the goofiest, most fun-loving, and talented Jazz keyboardist I've ever met! Yes you heard me right. Jazz pianist!

Well, Michael's known for jazzing up old hymns and revamping them in a refreshing way and since I love both HYMNS and JAZZ, I totally love his style, especially how he manages to jazz up my favorite hymns! :D

A picture of our youths with Michael Battersby

After the Worship & Vocal workshop in the morning, the other youths joined us for Michael's concert at Grace II Assembly Of God Church. No there wasn't any sermon, there wasn't any altar call, just a lovely sweet time of worship in jazz. Loved it! :D


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Boxes And A Big Ball Of Wire

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It's sad to acknowledge that despite being in a long relationship, I have yet to fully understand the mind of a guy; what they are thinking about, how their brain works, what goes through their mind etc.

Fortunately this video has cleared most of my queries about how a Men's brain and a Women's brain work and how they are so different! Watch and have a good laugh! :D



Thanks Vanessa for sharing this on your site!


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The Bitter Stickgirl

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It's always intriguing to find out that there are other bloggers out there who are interesting, funny, and unique!

Just yesterday, I stumbled across this blogger - Stickgirl, who blogs about her life with pictures rather than words! It's really funny when you read her posts from the bottom (first entry) to the top (last entry) because she is able to describe her thoughts and feelings in her own comical drawings! :)

For example, here's one entry about her jogging:


Haha! See, no words yet she is able to convey her message across! Read her posts here!


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It's All In The Mind

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Lately I have been having thoughts of aloofness, emotions that magnifies itself when triggered by a particular response, and a temperament that is totally unpredictable.

Not sure if it's the PMS that has kicked in earlier than usual but if that's not the reason, then I don't know what is.

Thankfully I am constantly trying to remind and psycho myself with what Pastor Rupert spoke of during last Saturday's Youth Service:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Putting that into action, it really does take a lot of effort to remind myself and screen through every negative thought that pops in my mind. But it does help, to keep me less emotional, less bitter, less critical and judgemental.

So it's halfway through the week and I have survived the war of thoughts that has happened in my mind for the past few days. Phew! :$


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The Pellet Jar

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Who stole the pellets from the Pellet Jar?

Ruby stole the pellets from the Pellet Jar!

Who me?

Yes you!


Couldn't Be!


Are you kidding?


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Our Journey

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Was doing some housekeeping on my external hard drive when I came across some pictures of us from the past.

It certainly made me laugh at how much we had grown and how boisterous we were back then! :D

Us at a local bookstore. Year 2003

Us on a ferry ride on the way to Harris Resort for Youth Camp. Year 2004

Us at Awana Church Camp. Year 2005

Us dressed up at Spongebob and Patrick at a Children's Day Party. Year 2006

Us getting ready for Jaime's Wedding. Year 2007

Us at Marina Barrage. Year 2008
Later that year, I snipped off my hair and had short hair for quite a while :D

Us in church before Love Fest. Year 2009

But as I looked through the pictures of dear, I was once again in awe of the miracles God has done in his life.

Back then when I knew him as a friend, he had a case of acne. Thankfully, his condition improved when he took the chance he had in army to see a skin specialist.

Before

Now

As you can see, his condition is completely cured. But this is just one of the miracles God has done in His life. How he became who he was today, how we got together, how he was accepted by my parents - each was an amazing miracle with a beautiful story to laugh and tell others about.

However for myself, the only change through time is the lost of weight and umm, the different hairstyles I thought looked good back then.

Funny how through these photos, we are reminded of who we were in the past and hence, more appreciative and thankful of what we are today.


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Happy Mother's Day 2009

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Can't remember what I always give my mom on Mother's Day in the previous years, but this year, I decided to buy her flowers because I like flowers and I thought it would be a sweet gesture.

Well, I also bought her flowers to redeem myself for making her angry the night before Mother's Day :(

Anyway, these flowers are really affordable especially for students with a really tight budget. You can purchase these easily at Cold Storage at a price of less than $10 :)


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PK Cohesion Ride 2009

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Being a pillion for a year or so, I haven't had a chance to experience what it feels like to be riding in a large convoy.

Fortunately I had a chance to experience my first convoy ride with the rest of the fellow bikers last night! :)

The event - PK Cohesion Ride 2009 had about 23 bikes, with the purpose of riding together on Singapore's expressways. However, it had to be held late at night because it was the only time where traffic was the least.


Safety briefing before moving off


Waiting for the traffic light to turn green


Resting at a petrol kiosk and another briefing before moving off to the next expressway


Bikers waiting to move off


The convoy coming through to the last destination - Yishun Dam


A beautiful night scene at Yishun Dam


Bikes parked together in an orderly manner

This ride was really fun though it was tiring for both the rider and the pillion. Nonetheless, I'm definitely looking forward to the next convoy ride! :D


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Reflections

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This two weeks have been really hectic for me - programs lined up back to back, logistics to settle, assignments and presentation to wreck my brain about, problems to solve and the list goes on.

Fortunately, I managed to make use of my traveling time to sit down, reflect, be still and just regain some balance in my life.

Through this time however, I was struck with many thoughts of thanksgiving as I looked back in my life; how I have grown a little more wiser, appreciative, and mature.

..

See three years ago, I was down in the valley, struck with despair and hopelessness when I received my A level results. The feeling of defeat, regretfulness, guilt, failure was overwhelming. You could say that I was desperate for a second chance, a miracle, or anything that could turn my situation around. Even the private universities didn't accept me as I failed to submit my applications before the submission date.

That was the year I was lost and down. And in the midst of what I was feeling, I had to make radical decisions about my future; courses to take, finding out how much it course would cost, researching on the credibility of the degrees each private university offers etc.

With the encouragement of dear, I broke out of the stereotypical mindset most Singaporeans have of admitting to university straight after college or poly. Instead, I worked for about a year with several MNCs (by the grace and providence of God) and in that time, built rapport with my employers so much so that I have been given opportunities I'd never think or imagine.

And because of the working experiences I had with several companies, I was better able to find out what courses I would be interested in studying; courses that I thought would be relevant and suited to my interest. In the mean time, I was waiting to admit to MDIS (Management Development Institute of Singapore) to begin my tertiary education.

..

Three years later, I look at myself - where I am in life, what I have done, how much I have overcome, the decisions I've made, the paths that I've chosen, and I can only say this: sometimes we have to walk through the valley before we can climb our way back to the mountain top.

Indeed, this three years have left me stronger to overcome what might come my way, wiser in making decisions, much more appreciative of my studies, and thankful for the failure I went through back then.

And since I believe that everything happens for a reason, I know that where I am now and what I might go through is what He intends for me. Because His ways and thoughts are higher than mine. :)


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An Identity Crisis

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Poor guy, his name in Javanese might have meant something different.

But for the fact that all names have to be translated in English on their birth certificates in Singapore, apparently this is what his Javanese name means in English :)

Funny. “Bin” means “son of” in arabic so I guess he is actually Batman, Son of Suparman! :D


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Boys Bonding

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On days when dear come over to my place for dinner, he would spend some time with Ruby.

First, dear would let the little guy out of his cage, then stroke him gently from the crown of his head down to his back.

In the mean time, Ruby would struggle and attempt to hop away but dear would grasp Ruby firmly with both his hands; one supporting Ruby's bottom, the other supporting Ruby's chest.


The entire cycle repeats when Ruby starts getting out of hand and chewing dear's jeans instead.

For me, I'm not at all worried at how dear handles Ruby, or how Ruby might suddenly get all active and starts hopping around excitedly.

Instead when I see these 2 boys bonding, I squeal with delight deep within me.

Perhaps in the moment, I see a tad of paternal instincts, love, and care.

I smiled to myself and before I could start day-dreaming about our near future, I was interrupted with a "THACK!"

Immediately, I snapped back into reality and saw the rabbit back in the cage with the gate closed shut.


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Un-lopped

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It's this sort of imagery that freaks me out or make my heart jump right out from my mouth.

Immediately I check Ruby's ears to see if there is anything wrong with them, then I start to stroke him. I check his ears again. Still nothing.

Awhile later, I saw this guy leaning against the cage and resting with one ear up.

That explains it! He must have leaned for too long and that's why one of his ears is up, the other down.

For once I thought he was some kind of special rabbit which I could profit from if I sent him for some circus act. Turns out to be a stiff ear after sleeping on one side for so long.


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