I am so incredibly happy to announce that Sony Singapore is giving out up to $150 off Sony Action Cam Shopping Perks!

Woofs cannot express what a happy tail-wagger I am with my new Action Cam FDR-X3000R.  It has come up trumps as a remarkable Point-Of-View (POV) camera especially with their revolutionary new optical stabilzation called Balanced Optical SteadyShot™ (B.O.S.S.).



With this shopping perk with a massive $150 off the Sony Action Cam, it is now more affordable and I hope many of my friends can own one too.

If you are wondering if the Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000R is really that worth the money, I have painstakingly put together my personal review of this camera.

All I can say is, this new Sony Action Cam is the perfect, purrrfect, pawfect camera for capturing all of one's life moments.

But of course, the actual videos speak louder than words.  So if you want to see how impressive this camera really is, you can watch the videos below and decide for yourself.   During my secret birthday getaway, I #LAB-tested the FDR-X3000R in every condition possible - both in Frodo and my POV as well as human handheld.

Above-water, underwater, day swimming, night swimming, indoors, running in the field, daylight, night-light... whatever we could have tested, we tested.  All videos and images taken with the Sony Action Cam are original footages.  No colour enhancements or video adjustments were made.

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With all that said, here are the steps to follow to receive this wonderful shopping perk.


STEP 1: WATCH MY BIRTHDAY GETAWAY VIDEOS BELOW


#1 - And Let the Staycation Begin!




#2 - Of Blues and Greens




#3 - Give That Dog A Burger




#4 - Night Swimming




#5 - The Little Mermaid and The Merdog




#6 - Of Birthday Steaks and Happy Birthday




#7 - It's All About Frodo. Frodo Choo.




#8 - Flapper 'Phelps' vs Frodo 'Schooling

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STEP 2: EMAIL SONY SINGAPORE

• Email: sg.cicenquiry@ap.sony.com
• Subject/title: Sony’s Action Cam E-Voucher <--- important="" li="" very="">
• TELL Sony which of the above videos is your FAVOURITE
• Shopping perk will be emailed to you.

Sony Action Cam Shopping Perks is valid from 28th October - 30th November 2016.

*Shopping perk is now extended till Christmas Day, 25th Decemember 2016!

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THAT'S IT!

Easy peasy.


To compare prices and specifications of the Sony Action Cam, please go to their website.


Happy Action Cam shopping!

Wearing my new Action Cam proudly as I embark on my new "Flapper Life Moments" journey.  With the new and amazing Balanced Optical SteadyShot™, there is a finally a camera that can capture stable footages of my point-of-view!  Woof!

Truth be told, I never in my wildest imagination thought that I, Flapper Choo, would be running another Sony Action Cam campaign.  I was elated and excited.  I suffered withdrawal symptoms after last year's "Prove Yourself" campaign with the FDR-X1000V.  All that adventures!  Woof!

After much discussion with Sony Singapore, it was agreed that my theme/campaign this year is Flapper Life Moments (#flapperlifemoments).  You see, as a pet owner, mummy has always wanted a one of those compact point-of-view (POV) cameras that could -

1. Capture our POV so she could see what we are seeing;
2. Be used underwater;
3. [MOST IMPORTANTLY] Capture our life moments - easily.

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Before I received my brand spankin' new FDR-X3000R, I confess I googled to see if there were any reviews online.  The reviews spoke of this Balanced Optical SteadyShot™ as the BOSS but I raised one paw and had my reservations of its prowess.


Okay, Sony.
If you say so....

I was excited to try but I did not raise my expectations too high that the FDR-X3000R could capture stable POV of mine.

The moment of truth arrived when mummy previewed the first few footages of my POV and I heard her gasp, "Oh my god... these are actually good POV footages.  Oh s***! I am going to have a tough time editing!"

Mummy, who was the one doing all the video edits for the FDR-X1000V, knew immediately the minute she saw the first few footages the marked improvement in stability, colour and clarity with the FDR-X3000R.

The real test of BOSS came in Day 2 of my secret birthday getaway - going out to the field to run.  The FDR-X1000V did okay with the 'trotting' footages but the 'running' footages... the electronic stabilization could not compensate for the exaggerated body movements.  So it was a MUST-TEST to see if the optical stabilization is really all that 'smart'.





FDR-X3000R has won.

There is finally a POV camera that can capture stable POV of dogs.  Without doubt, the handheld (by human) Action Cam footages were better and more stable than Frodo and my POV.  And unlike last year where Uncle Nic and mummy had to experiment with the mounting and movement in order to capture stable footages, it was way easier with this new optical stabilization as it is almost foolproof.

The new Balanced Optical SteadyShot™ is truly the B.O.S.S..

I am not sure if I should be happy that the new Action Cam is so capable.  This means.... mummy will capture my sneaky moments... with clarity!  *gasp*

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The Highlight Movie Maker Became A Lot Smarter Too!

I did not review on the Highlight Movie Maker from the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app last year because I did not find it very useful.  I am not geeky enough to know the algorithm on how it selects the footages but it was clear with the FDR-X1000V that movie maker selects stable footages but erm... most of Frodo and my POV footages were shaky so the Highlight Movie Maker ended up featuring the sand, human leg and God knows what else.

I primarily used the Sony Playmemories Mobile app to review the video footages (no sound) and that was it.

HOWEVER, I decided to try this Highlight Movie Maker again now that I am capturing very stable images.

Shock shock, surprise surprise.

Perhaps because of the new optical stabilizer that provides good quality stables footages, the Highlight Movie Maker has become a lot smarter too!  It can finally pick up varied moments including our POV of us walking, running, swimming, sand rubs, looking at the human etc.

I decided to test it again last weekend when I did that silly dog event.  I wondered... out of some 25 minutes footages of me roaming at the event which I selected a 1 minute final cut, what will Highlight Movie Maker pick out?  Will it pick out my visit to each booth?  Will it only pick out my still moments of me staring at the human-treat-dispenser?  Will it only pick up the products?   Or will it pick up the many moments of me greeting and sniffing my friends?





And so I must say, I still have no idea what the Highlight Movie Maker algorithm is but it has become a lot smarter.  I was pleasantly surprised by what it picked out and it pretty much captured the essence of me as a Roving Reporter.

Somehow... everything seems a lot smarter with this new Action Cam.

Still cannot decide if that's a good or bad thing for me......

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Improved Still Images Quality 

When I first read my contract with Sony, it stipulated 10 still images to be taken with the Action Cam, I choked on my milk and nearly spat it out.

The still image quality was a let down with the FDR-X1000V but I could let it slip by as it was not a function I used very often.

My friend from Sony showed me images taken with the FDR-X3000R..... which looked impressive but again, one paw raised.  Skeptical again.

"I'll try...", I concurred with much reluctance.

Try, I did.

And I was pleasantly surprised by the marked improvement with the still image quality.

Images below are as is.  No colour enhancements or adjustments.

Frodo showing off his Mister Universe physique and his rare moment of "dignified look".

Me, Flapper 'Phelps' showing off that old man still has some moves.

Daytime underwater shot of Frodo's picture perfect labrador body

Night Swim - Underwater shot me plunging in.... and you don't have to look very hard to see the tornado of fur captured as well!

Night Swim - Yet another underwater shot of me trying to grab my tennis ball.

My Birthday Burger moment taken under low-light condition at night.

My indoor romance moment with my girlfriend.

Frodo standing against sunrise.... okay Frodo, I get it.  You have gorgeous body.

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Improved Timelapse Function/Video

Again, with its predecessor, I did not use the Timelapse function - at all.  I may have tried and if my memory serves me correctly, the Action Cam Movie Creator app then did not have the Timelapse movie creator function.

With its new app update coupled with the FDR-X3000R much improved still image quality, I could create momentous Timelapse videos of us - from sunrise to sunset moments, dinner with the family.... capturing my life moments became all that much better and meaningful.

But of course, with Frodo and myself splashing in and out of the swimming pool, we could not help but add water droplets to the lens.  But that tells a truthful story, no?

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Those Littlest Tweaks That Made Big Differences 

Let's begin with the camera design.

Images from Sony Website

The FDR-X3000R is....

• a little smaller, a little more compact.

• BOXIER with a broader flat base.  This is a very good tweak.  This allowed the camera to sit flatter on me which meant it balanced better on my body too.  It also means it lies better on the table too.

• the same weight as the FDR-X1000 although I keep feeling like the FDR-X3000 is a little heavier.

• more user-friendly -
• On/Off button added at the top - the FDR-X1000 did not have a on/off button.
• Menu display easier to navigate although my progressively-blind mummy does complain that she has difficulty the minute display.
• My favourite added function is the separate microphone option - to turn on/off recording sound effects (i.e. water splashes, our foot steps) and on/off recording human voices.  Pretty darn smart!

Images from Sony Website

The new flat-lens door is SMALLER and MUCH IMPROVED compared to the old one.  Good news is, it comes default with the underwater housing.  That's like a super big paws up!  The housing takes the Action Cam up to 60m underwater.  Bad news is, you MUST get the anti-fogging sheet separately, which works well, but it can be a little tricky to fit the sheet between the camera and housing.

This is the 'it' moment when mummy has to eat back her words.

For those who read our review from last year, we gave pretty bad reviews on the dog-mount harness.  Mummy was gutted when she found out that Sony did not tweak or improve the dog-mount harness.

Perhaps it is acquired taste.... but after more than a year of using that velcro-laden harness, mummy got somewhat used to it although till this very day, I am still the master of removing it.  She still wishes that there's some improvements made to it such that we are able to front mount the camera.

Anywoof, here was the biggest surprise with the new FDR-X3000R - with its new boxier and flatter design, it has quite smartly compensated for what used to be the "big problems" of the harness -

• The camera lays nicely on Frodo and my body so it does not shift to the side as often = more 'straight' footages rather than head-tilting and crooked footages.

• The camera 'automatically' repositions itself to the middle after a violent body shake by us - the dogs.

• The over-head extension mount can now be used for "walking" footages but still no go for high-action running and jumping.

With the new BOSS technology and improved camera design, the camera lays much better on our bodies and is able to capture decent and stable footages from our POV!  The once-much-disliked harness is now our good friend with the FDR-X3000R.

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My final woofs....

The FDR-X3000R has won my heart.

I tried finding distinct flaws about this Action Cam that I could talk about but it really is a gem with the new Balanced Optical SteadyShot™.   I was pleasantly surprised by the improvements made from the FDR-X1000V.  Unexpected in the best way possible.

Maybe Sony heard my woofs?

*guffaw*

The FDR-X1000V overall was already an impressive camera in its own rights.  Minus the dog's POV, which is a common problem with POV cameras, it was already pretty smart in taking decent footages under different lighting conditions and environment.

But the FDR-X3000R has just kicked its predecessor out of place with its obvious improvements - not just its optical stabilization but the colour, clarity and boast-worthy ability to be used under low light and indoor conditions... me thinks Sony may have just come up with the BOSS of all POV cameras.

I will just end off my review with this sweet and short recap video of my wonderful secret getaway that I managed to capture every moment with this to-die-for camera called the Action Cam FDR-X3000R.

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For more information on the Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000R, you can go to Sony Singapore's website.


You can feel free to ask me too though I have to tell ya... I am no tech geek and I can only give you honest opinion as a lazy end-user.

26 Sepdunnowhatber 2016
Sunny. Swimming Pool.
It's all about me.


Dear Me,

Let me begin with admiring this gorgeous photo of me.

I am my own muse. (Image taken with the Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000R)

Look at how handsome I am.  My oh-so-gorgeous physique.  I love me.  Grandpa loves me.  Everybody loves me.  Even Uncle Nic who claims to love my brother, loves me.  He has already posted a video of me and Flapper's videos are still cultivating mould somewhere in his computer.





Of course it was my birthday!  It's always about me, me, me and me!

Day 4 was the last day of our secret getaway.  I had to make sure I made full use of it.  I could hear the human's laugh and say,


You mean it wasn't?  😱 😱 😱

I don't care.  I will make it my birthday if I had to.   I ruled the pool.  I ruled the humans.  I made sure the cameras were all on me.... I made sure anything and everything will be about me.

I needed no human to entertain me.  I could entertain me, thank you very much.  While the senior citizens *cough humans and Flapper Choo* were taking their breaks, I would dogwalk the pool, demonstrated my stately jump and swim by myself.

Flapper Choo, being the good boy that he is, would just lay by mama's side to wait for her.  Pffftttt.  How boring!

My brother is always the good boy.  He will always be by mama's side.

While Flapper Choo was being the good boy, I would rule the swimming pool and show off my magnificent plunge for all to see.  Humans... admire this equally magnificent physique.  Make sure all the camera are on me.

I need not say more.

Mummy and Flapper Choo were like irritating mozzies buzzing in my ears nagging me to do this post.  Don't they know?  I'm a yuppie-boy-of-leisure.  I don't work.  My life purpose is to flash my derpy smile and get the girls swoon all over me.  Writing?  Pffftttt.... too much work.

So erm, yeah.
I am a boy of little words.

Just bring on the party, and I'll be there.

Here is my video.

It tells the whole story.

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Something About Flapper 'Phelps' vs Frodo 'Schooling'


Old man step aside.... time to let this strapping young man - ME - shine.

Bring on the "friendly competition".

I shall prevail....  can you catch me giving myself the added advantage in the video?






Bye.

25th September 2016
Overcast.
Nice cool weather but not so nice for photography.


Dear Birthday Fairy,

No sunrise swims.
No early morning swims.

We slept in.

The humans were having a hangover from Day 2 swimming madness.  Frodo and I were not complaining.  We decided to take the opportunity to catch more zzzzz.  We knew mummy had probably planned something... again.

Rarely do we see Frodo knocked out.  Good news was, he was not annoying me.  Happy Birthday to me.

It was my birthday.
So-called the actual birthday.

Truth be told, mummy actually doesn't know my actual birthday.  When she adopted me, she was told I was eight months old.  She worked back and realized I am a September baby.  So to make it more meaningful for both of us, she decided my birthday shall be 25th September.

Why more meaningful?
You will find out later.

---

The Little Mermaid and The Merdog




Birthday Fairy... mummy is evil.

*glare at mummy*

She did not tell me that my loyal girlfriend was coming to spend the day with me.  If not, I would have put my best suit on.

Uncle Nic said, "Just put your birthday suit on!"

Birthday suit?
Can you give a dog some modesty, please.

I have no idea where all that came from.... but my girlfriend magically transformed into a mermaid! Mummy is a very proud "mother-in-law".  She loves my girlfriend and thinks I have chosen well.  Only my girlfriend would prepare everything for our Valentine's date and now... painstakingly put together her mermaid-do.

Most of all, she is about the only girl who has not fallen for Frodo's charm.

How can I not love her?

Best girlfriend ever.

Mummy shouts, "Best daughter-in-law ever!"

While Frodo was busy celebrating his own birthday, my mermaid and I serenaded to each other.  I admired her fins, she admired my distinguished white face.

Talk about sweet romancing!

So as not to sicken the other onlookers of our saccharine serenades, we joined in the rest for a swim.  My mermaid lost her fins with the click of my paws and she transformed into her human form.

As random as it got, somehow, her fins found its way to Frodo.

Don't ask me how.
It just did.
And suddenly, it became a case of "How To Tame The Flying Dragon".

Uncle Nic + Daddy + Mummy + Girlfriend = It all becomes very random.

Add Frodo into that equation and it does not need to make sense.
Just accept.
Carpe Diem.

After much frolicking in the pool, it was time for some bedtime romance with my girlfriend.  Shhh... Do not disturb.  It's just us on my cozy doggie bed.  Our time.  It was nice spending some good quality time with her.

When mummy told her she had a little surprise planned for us, we were not expecting to romance under the picturesque sunset.  Mummy is full of surprises.  She had conjured with this nice lady from Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro to specially set up a table for our romantic date.

Admiring the gorgeous sunset at Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro with my loyal girlfriend over a glass of wine.  How much more romantic can it get?

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Birthday Beef Steak and "Avenue of Stars" Birthday Cake





Again, mummy had organised this surprise birthday dinner at Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro for me very secretly.  She had secretly gone with Uncle Nic on Friday evening (Day 1) to check out the premise and see where they can set up my romantic sunset date with my girlfriend.

Cheval Cafe is located inside Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre.  Its idyllic location and surrounding was perfect for my secret getaway theme.  The service staff were really nice and friendly.  They were very helpful in helping mummy set up my romantic date too.  They could not resist but snooped during our date.  *guffaw*

I count my blessings that Ms Eileen from Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro not only allowed Frodo, Pebbles and me to be at their premise, but helped organised that romantic sunset setting for me.  No no, dogs are not allowed on the human seats but that was just an exception to rule so I can have that half hour romance with my girlfriend under the sunset.  Mummy brought our food bowls so we do not disturb the humans' hygiene of eating from the same plate they eat from.  We appreciate special exceptions but it is important to respect their establishment too.



What can I say, Birthday Fairy?

Two days straight of birthday dinner surprise for me.

Two days straight of wonderful cafes/bars willing to prepare special meals for me.

Birthday burger and now birthday steak?
I am in awe.
Total awe.
Total feast awe.

My "Flapper Beef Steak" meal and salmon steak for Pebbles.... prepared specially by the kitchen of Cheval Cafe.

Thank you Ms Eileen for spontaneously agreeing to mummy's crazy ideas and organising that oh-so-yummy "Flapper's Birthday Beef Steak" for me!  I loved loved loved the beef steak and absolutely enjoyed my meal.

Thanks to the idyllic setting of Cheval Cafe, the human guests enjoyed themselves as much as we (the dogs) did.  Perhaps with the exception of mummy who was a total stress bunny that evening.

After indulging in my lovely beef steak, which Pebbles tried to steal, it was time to bring out THE CAKE.  My birthday cake had arrived before I did and I was so so excited to see my cake!  That also meant MORE FOOD!  Woohoo!

Waaaayyyy before my birthday, SG Barkery had already designed my cake.  It may not be as lavish and extravagant as my beach-themed cake last year but it holds a special meaning.  So they told mummy, "Because Flapper is considered the first celebrity dog in Singapore, we want to make him an 'Avenue of Stars' cake."  Wow!  I do not think I am a celebrity dog but I am truly touched by their gesture.  And most of all, it is a concoction of different meats!  HEAR HEAR!  MEAT GALORE!  THE REAL MEAT.

And now.

For the moment for truth.

My birthday is on 25th September simply because that is mummy's birthday too.  When mummy first adopted me and only knew I was a September baby, she decided to put my birthday with hers so we can celebrate together... every year.

Our Happy Birthday and Ohana moment.

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With this, Birthday Fairy, marks my last entry for my secret getaway series.  There is Day 4 coming up but mummy insists Frodo has to write that post.  The humans have declared that 26th of September was Frodo's Day - just because it was all about him.

As mummy always reminds me, I need to give thanks.  My epic 10th Birthday has only been made possible not only with a stroke of luck, blessings from the Father above, spontaneous participations but most significantly, the presence of all my sponsors and collaborators in my life and being a part of my important life moments.

Drumroll please.

It's time to give thanks to many many people -

• The very kind owners of my secret getaway place - Because you said yes, you made our dream come true.  The swimming pool shall forever be in my dreams.  I am eternally grateful.

• Handlebar Gillman Barracks especially to Craig and Jan - Because you guys spontaneously said yes to mummy's idea, I got my very own "Flapper's Birthday Burger".  What more can a dog ask for?  Thank you!  My tummy remembers the burger well.

• Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro especially to Eileen and I-forgot-his-name - Thank you for the special sunset arrangement, the complimentary wine.... and that special Birthday Beef Steak.  My stomach has a large memory bank.  It will always be remembered alongside burger.

• Barkery Singapore - Thank you for that all-meat-included 'Avenue of Stars' birthday cake and secretly delivering it to the cafe before we arrived!   Thank you for being there for my siblings and I for all our important life moments.  You know we love you - AND YOUR YUMMY TREATS - very very very much right?

• Uncle Nic of Furry Photos Pet Photography for having been there with me for the past three years and counting - not just the big life events but all the "again" when we do #LAB-test with you.  Oh yes.  Mummy says, "Thank you for G&T.  #notalcoholic.  Thank you for taking all that gorgeous photos from our Secret Getaway and I am sure the scratch-artwork on your body will remind you well of our adventures. :P

• Clubpets Magazine - Thank you for remembering after all these years and I look forward to working with you on my 10th Birthday feature for issue #62.  Thank you for my surprise birthday package filled with an assorted range of doggie delights.  *licks*

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And that's it, Birthday Fairy!

My fabulous Secret Getaway stories end here.

And over to my ADHD brother to cover Day 4....

"A BIRTHDAY IS JUST THE DAY OF ANOTHER 365-DAY JOURNEY AROUND THE SUN IN THE WATER".

24 September 2016
Hot.  Very Very Hot.
Swim. A Lot A Lot of Swim.





Dear Birthday Fairy,

Oh boy!  I slept like a baby last night after that dreamy sunset swim.  I dreamt of sunset and swimiming.  But I was rudely awoken from my sweet dreams at 5:45 am by the alarm clock.

5:45 am?

Mum?  Have you gone loopy?  You never get up so early when you are not working.  UNLESS.....!  She has something planned.  Mummy is predictable though.  No matter what time she gets up, she is totally useless till she has drunk her first cup of coffee.  I went back to sleep.... mildly.  I kept an eye open to watch what mummy was doing.... waiting for her to get changed.


6:10 am - Mummy took me out to do my business.  Frodo and I are well-trained by mummy.  We get our business done in 5 minutes.

6:15 am - I saw Uncle Nic at the doorway.  Mummy mumbled and told Uncle Nic to head up to the pool to set up the cameras first.

Pool?
Did I hear pool?

Woohoo!

6:20 am - Darkness at pool side.  But like do I care?  Nope.  Not really.  And yay!  Daddy joined us for our early morning swim.  Daddy has never joined us on any of our excursions and he missed my birthday last year.  Welcome to our paradise daddy!

Sunrise is beautiful.
Swimming at sunrise is even more beautiful.

Swimming is beautiful.
Period.

Frodo and I admiring Sunrise together and discussing about what a great getaway this is.

We are lucky kiddos, aren't we?

Mummy told me that I need to Thank God for this secret getaway.  This has always been No. 1 on our wishlist and every year, mummy would try to make it work.  But every year, we would be left disappointed.  This year was no exception.  After receiving 100% rejection on her search for my birthday getaway, she spoke to God and said, "Dear God, if this is meant to happen, You will show me the place and this staycation will happen."

Mummy could not bear the thought that in my life time here on planet earth that she could give me that dream swimcation.

After saying her prayers, she decided to give it one last shot.  Lo and behold!  She found a very promising place but it stated "No Pets Allowed".  Mummy wrote them an email.  She was not very hopeful.  After all, she had been rejected once too many times.

So you see Birthday Fairy, things happen not because I get special privileges as a 'Celebrity Dog' but mummy and I actually have to work very hard to make things happen.  On most occasions, mummy would make me write the emails but since it was MY birthday surprise, she did it instead.

Lo and behold!

By some stroke of miracle, the very kind owners of this gorgeous gorgeous place granted us the exception to make my Swimcation dream come true.  After much discussions with the owners about the swimming pool, we were granted private access for the entire 4 days 3 nights!

Imagine that!
The stunning infinity swimming pool all to ourseleves!
What more can I, Flapper Choo, ask for?

Mummy nearly broke down in tears when the kind owners made the exception.  It's been a long-awaited Ohana staycation that she has been wanting for many many years.  All she could say was, "FINALLY!"

Mummy kept reminding me to Thank God for the blessings I have received.  Not every dog gets that lucky and have sponsors - much less good sponsors and collaborators - in their lives.

Yes mum.
I hear you.
Thank you God for everything.... and THAT stunning swimming pool.

I did mention swim, swim, swim and swim... right?

Daddy, as it turns out, is a water baby too!  And he is annoyingly fun too!  Now I know where Frodo gets his annoying ways from.  Daddy kept taunting us with the toy and made us swim many many laps.  Daddy dives well too!  He is like a magical merman.  Now we see him, now we don't.  He made us swim in circles and I am sure our brains, *cough* Frodo, went in circles too.

If only he could join us on our swimming expeditions more often....

Because daddy showed up so Pebbles was made to swim too!  😂

Daddy taunting Frodo with the toy.

The magical merman has disappeared again!  WHERE DID HE GO?

Daddy.... there's no playing tug-of-war with me in the pool.  I always prevail.

See what I mean?

The annoying underwater alligator.

Revenge is sweet

Thank you daddy for joining us!  We are very happy and we love you loads!

---

Will Wake For Food

Excuse me Birthday Fairy that this is turning out to be a mighty long entry.  Day 2 turned out to be quite an epic day.  I am sure we have unknowingly set some kind of record for 'The Ultimate Swimcation.'

By this time, I decided to stop keeping track of time spent in the swimming pool.

Daddy + Uncle Nic = Frodo and I have grown invisible fins and gills.  Just leave us in the pool, thank you very much.

After our wonderful morning swim,  we adjourned for a siesta.  It did not take Uncle Nic very long before his fingers were itching to try some indoor photography as the house was bright and had good natural light he could work with.

Uncle Nic thinks he is a labrador.  I know he is a labrador in human form.  He WILL wake for food.  After all, he does have a tummy that has a name and is still pending its own Facebook page.

So by Uncle Nic's insistence, I donned on his labrador uniform and pretend I would wake for food.

Okay okay, who am I kidding?
I have even mastered the art of drooling from my nose.
OF COURSE I WILL WAKE FOR FOOD.

Pretending to be lying down and resting....

Hello! Yes!  I "will wake for food" thank you very much.

---

Afternoon and Me thinks.... It Was Actually Frodo's Birthday


It turned out to be a very hot day.
Scorching hot.

The humans got into a lazy discussion about whether we should get out to explore the vicinity.  But everyone, including us dogs, concurred that it was way too hot and the best thing to do?

SOAK IN THE POOL... AGAIN!

Then perhaps after the swim at early evening, if the weather behaves a little better, we could go explore that gorgeous grass stretch at the back.

Surely that's what a swimcation is all about.

Just be lazy, lounge around and keep swimming!

Heaven.

Frodo had the honour of wearing the Action Cam instead....

Frodo can self-entertain very well.  He epitomized the meaning of 'Dog of Leisure' very well.  He is otherwise known as the Yuppie Dog.

So Frodo insisted that it's his birthday not mine.

I may be 10 years old but I still enjoy my swims thank you very much.

To more swims and beyond!

By this point of the staycation, the humans and I had a "serious" discussion about whether it was actually my birthday or Frodo's birthday.

You see, Birthday Fairy, Frodo had already figured out how to entertain himself.  Nope.  He did not need no humans to throw toys or entertain him.  He would happily run round the pool, plunge in and swim on his own!  He certainly looked more like the birthday boy than I did.

Frodo's Mister Universe physique allows him more freedom in movements and care less attitude in his actions which makes him highly favourable for the camera.

And as usual, the cameras favoured Frodo.  When mummy went through the Action Cam handheld footages taken by daddy and still images taken by Uncle Nic, she glared at them and mumbled, "It's all Frodo."

Daddy retorted, "Not my fault!  He keeps coming to the camera!"

Uncle Nic just gave mummy a smirk.

Derp-face does have camera appeal, that I cannot deny.
As long as derp-face is happy, I'm happy.

After our afternoon swim, we did go explore the greens a little but it did not last very long though.  It was still scorching hot.  We did a quick run and returned back to get ready for dinner.  I saw mummy packing our food bowls into her bag and I had no idea why.....

Enjoying the greens despite the scorching sun.

I may not move as well as Frodo but I still have my own moves.  Me think.... me still look quite good!  What do you think?

---

Of Handlebar and My Very Own "Flapper Birthday Burger"




I must declare.

This visit to Handlebar at Gillman Barracks was the best experience for blondie me in my life time.  When we arrived at Handlebar, I thought it was going to be yet another boring time at some cafe/restaurant/eatery/bistro where I just lay down and wait for the human to eat finish.

But to my surprise, the patrons at Handlebar were very welcoming to all 3 of us - Frodo, Pebbles and me.  The little ones came to touch us, hug us.... no annoying screeches because Frodo and I are big dogs. The big ones (otherwise known as adults) also came to interact and us.... and were fascinated with the Action Cam strapped to my back.

In the midst of all that touching and hugging, I could see mummy discussing something with this lady.  I had no idea what was happening.  I thought mummy was just being friendly and chatting with her.

 As I am typing this section about Handlebar, I can hear mummy shouting at me, "Flapper, don't forget to tell Birthday Fairy how yummy the human steaks were.... and that to-die-for onion strips thing!"

Yes mum!
I hear you!
You don't have to shout.

So yes, Birthday Fairy, I HAVE TO tell you (by mummy's insistence) how much she loved her steak and that onion strip thing called dunno-what-blossom - I think.  I also have to tell you something.  Even though daddy and Uncle Nic insisted that mummy's burger was the first thing they ordered, I know they forgot to order.  Poor mummy watched the two men gobble their steak as she waited for her burger-that-never-came.  And after enquiring and realizing that her order was not placed, she decided on having the steak instead.

Mummy, like me, is a carnivore.
Feed her a good steak or burger and she is happy.

After the hungry humans ravished their steaks,  I heard mummy tell that lovely lady that she is ready.

Ready for what?

I still did not know what was going on!

Mummy and Uncle Nic were busy discussing about where to place the table, what table to use, where to place the camera etc.

Then out came this beauty.

My very own Flapper Birthday Burger!

I sniffed the burger.
I knew it was for me.

Mummy asked for a candle. She brought me to that little table and positioned me behind it.  The candle came.  Mummy stuck it on and lighted it.

I could hear voices exclaiming, "It's the dog's birthday?"

Mummy smiled sheepishly and replied, "Yes."

One of the patrons, "Burger!  Now that's what I call a dog's birthday!"

After posing for the camera, I saw these two little ones excitedly gathered near the table.  So mummy asked, "Would you like to sing Happy Birthday to him?"

They shouted, "YES!!!!!"

To my surprise, not only the little ones sang to me, EVERYONE sang along!

I was so touched and happy.

Never before did I have so many strangers singing Happy Birthday to me!

Me!
A mere dog.

I felt very very special.

After the birthday song was sung, that absolutely adorable little kid hurriedly came forward to blow the candle for me!  I'm not complaining.  I have no idea how to blow my own candle!  The crowd erupted in laughters as his elder brother broke out with a dramatic, "NNNNnnnnooooooo!!!!!!!".

Mummy quickly took the burger away and just as quickly, I followed her.

Heeelllooooo Burger!
Say hi to my stomach!

Mummy whipped out our doggie bowls, took the extra doggie burger and distributed for Frodo, Pebbles and me.

Boy oh boy! Burger! My birthday could not get any more special... or could it?

After feasting on our burgers, it was time to go.

Hearsay.... there was night swim coming up.

This was the nice lady who organised and helped put together my special burger!  This lovely lady is called Jan.  Thank you for letting Frodo, Pebbles and me to be there at Handlebar Gillman Barracks... and for making my birthday wish come true!

I would also like to say special thanks to Craig, whom I have not met, for answering mummy's enquiry, spontaneously agreeing to letting me have this special birthday surprise and organising with Jan to make my birthday wish come true.

---

Night Swimming





Armed with my brand spankin' new Action Cam and the swimming pool all to ourselves, one thing mummy knew - we HAVE TO complete a night swim.

I have only done night swimming once in my life.  That was once upon a time a beach barbeque.  Mummy always wished we could go diving together but erm well, Frodo and I can't dive.  We only swim.

However, with the stunning swimming pool, mummy was itching to try the Action Cam underwater... at night.  And what an awesome experience it would be for Frodo and I to experience night swimming!

It was initially planned for midnight swimming just because it sounded more exotic.  But after a day of swimming, running at the field and steak feast, the humans decided that 10 pm was a better idea than midnight.  Frodo and I certainly wouldn't complain about midnight swim.  But the humans were pretty knackered by then!

Frodo and I opened our eyes wide.
We looked at each other in disbelief.
More swimming?
Woohoo!!!
Come on swimming pool.
Come to doggies!
We are ever so ready for you!

Enjoying the pleasure of night swimming.   Can you see our party of fur in the water?  *guffaw*

I never realized how pink Frodo's nose is.

Thanks to the fabulous lights in the swimming pool, we managed to capture pretty spectacular underwater shots.

Frodo vs. me.

The spectacular new Action Cam FDR-X3000R underwater.

---

When we finally called it a day at around midnight, I quickly plonked myself to MY bed and crashed out like a pup.  Mummy was still busy transferring the footages from the camera to her laptop.  Daddy was also excited to see how the footages turned out.  Most of the underwater Action Cam footages from that day were pretty much taken by him.

#Notalcoholic mummy and Uncle Nic indulged in gin and tonic while enjoying the photos and video footages.  Uncle Nic was not impressed by the number of bottles of tonic water left in the fridge.

Gin and tonic, anyone?

Mummy was very tired but she was very happy.  This secret getaway turned out much better than what she could hope for.  After all, she thought this dream of a getaway was never going to happen.

I have to say, Birthday Fairy, Day 2 of secret getaway was really spectacular didn't it?

I went to bed a very contended and happy dog.  I did not even have the energy to think about what else mummy might have planned for Day 3.

Just trust mummy.

Good night Birthday Fairy.  Dreaming of my wonderful day of swimming.... and burger.

---

Photography by Uncle Nic of Furry Photos Pet Photography using Sony RX1004.





Video by Flapper & Flapper Mummy using Sony Action Cam FDR-X3000R