My curly ears brother officially turned 15 years old on 18th April 2018. Like me, Dumbo was adopted so no, 18th April is not his actual birthday. It was the date he was adopted into the Choo family. He was two years old. He became the 'eldest grandson'. He also became the king of the house.

As some of you may remember, Dumbo gave us a death-scare last May. Since then, there has been many up and down moments with Dumbo. His health disparity was never meant for the weak-hearted - mentally, emotionally and financially.  Mummy mocks his encyclopedic medical bills.  Dumbo probably has a life span of two cats. Mummy always insists he owes her more than nine lives. And she still calls him an a-hole but she means it in an endearing way... of course.

Post the scare, I nudged mummy and reminded her of our planned family photo shoot for and with Dumbo for his 15th birthday.

"Break my doggie-bank and ask Uncle Nic to do the photo shoot. This shall be my gift to everyone.", I told mummy.

Mummy looked at me sadly and said, "I don't know, Flapper.... I really have no idea if it will happen."

Although grumpy old man has triumphed over yet another health calamity but this time, no one was confident if Dumbo would make it for past 15.  He has long-running heart problem and spondylosis. He is also deaf, has partially-impaired vision, slowed down significantly and seemed to be in pain more often than not. On bad days, he could be - having shortness of breath and/or both eyes are unable to open and/or difficulty moving. Something as ridiculous as changing a brand of medicine was enough to cause him to pee blood profusely. Though it is still undetermined if that was the actual cause hematuria but he - once again - recovered from it very quickly.

Need I say more?

Dumbo has truly epitomised the saying of "everyday is a bonus".


21 April 2018
Beauty Is In The EYES Of The Beholder

It was the planned date for our family photo shoot with my dear Uncle Nic (aka Furry Photos). I am an old-fashion boy who believes in the good 'ol fashion art of professional photography for capturing memories. Our last family photo shoot was back in 2014. Grandma thought I was off my rockers in engaging Uncle Nic's service but I was insistent that it would be well-worth it.

Just because.
Dumbo was still at his best.
No regrets.



That was 4 years ago when Dumbo could still perform his repertoire of tricks.

4 years on and a few days before the planned family photo shoot, Dumbo developed a bad case of droopy eyelids and could not open his eyes. Quite a scary sight, I must confess. Grandma and grandpa took him to see the vet and as it turned out, it was something about his tear duct production problem and eye infection as well. Dumbo went home with eye ointment, antibiotic eye drops and eye lubricant.

In the meantime, grandma told mummy to call Uncle Nic to cancel the family photo shoot.

In typical Grumpy Old Man's fashion, his recovery was swift. His eyes started popping open the very next day and by the following day, we could see his big mischievous eyes again.

I asked grandma, "Are you sure you don't want to proceed with the family photo shoot?"

Grandma was adamant that she only wanted memories of Dumbo at his best, at his most handsome state. It was understandable so I did not insist.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.



Even though the family photo shoot did not happen but we still celebrated Dumbo's birthday with this creative steak platter cake from The Barkery Singapore. You see, Dumbo's key motivation in life is food and there is no better design than a food-themed cake! Dumbo may be deaf and half-blind but his nose is still in good working order. *guffaw*

A view of Dumbo's cake in 3D....



25 April 2018
And The Light Shone In His Glory

Despite the failed family photo shoot, I was determined that Dumbo would still get his outdoor glory moment. Dumbo, in his younger days, loved the great outdoors. Untamed and unruly, his curly ears would fly as he sprinted off to the world of no return with the crazy humans running after him while yelling his name only to have him bolt off even faster. He always loved the outdoors and even now in his debilitating state, he still makes valiant attempt to waddle and appreciate the wind blowing against his curly ears.

Dumbo, in his glory days, would run with no care in the world and leap across fields with his curly ears flying. (Photo taken in 2010)

The few days leading up to this outdoor shoot was met with the dread of rain. I was worried that this outdoor shoot may not even happen because of the rain. I was absolutely determined that Dumbo deserves a glorious sunset photoshoot and prayed hard for good weather.

Praise God for the light shone brightly that very day with clear blue skies!

It was... PERFECT.

Not only did we get perfect sunset, Dumbo was in top form too - which we did not realize how 'top form' he was till we started the outdoor shoot. Mummy had warned Uncle Nic a few times, "We may only have five minutes of action from Dumbo."

Embarrass mummy, Dumbo did.

In a very good way of course!

This curly-ears old man outdid himself and not only did he produce more action than what anyone thought possible but he was even reluctant to go home! Oh Dumbo!

As I scrolled through the photos from Dumbo's photo shoot, I was brimming with happiness and teared as I saw how gorgeous the photos turned out. Praise God again! For this was truly Dumbo's photo shoot in full glory and without doubt, Uncle Nic had captured the best of him.

"Uncle Nic, me thinks you have outdone yourself this time. This is the best set of photos I have seen. I want to do the layout for Dumbo's album... can I?", I asked Uncle Nic.

Uncle Nic agreed.

I knew exactly how I wanted the photo album to look and this is my present for the family. I wanted it to be... perfect.



Indeed, God is good. For all the health scares and gazillion medical condition that Dumbo has, we are so blessed to still have him with us and we managed to celebrate his 15th birthday. And just when we thought the photo shoot might not happen, double blessing of perfect weather with Dumbo in his full glory. In the midst of writing up this post, my dear brother had another episode of blood in pee resulting in slight anaemia... again. And something about his kidneys too....

With Dumbo's health scares, we are indeed blessed to still have him with us and capture his best moments.

And I say again... everyday IS a bonus with Dumbo Choo.

This grumpy old man is a true fighter.

Dumbo, always and will be, my elder brother from different mother and father... united in the name of Choo.

Goodbye rooster.

Hellllooooo dog!

I would rather eat the rooster than say goodbye to it. One of my favourite words is "Chic-Keeeennnnn".

Mummy is usually oblivious to the annual call of the Chinese zodiac animals but this year is special. And you know why? Because I, Flapper Choo, am born in the year of the dog!

Milestone.

I have the decade mark to welcome the dawn of being 12. ALMOST.  I WILL turn 12 in September (psyching positive thinking energy here). Time flaps pass faster than I can say 'Chick-Keeeennnn'. Mummy has been busy with my whilst juggling to keep Frodo and I active while "I" (*cough mummy*) have been suffering from writer's block. "I" have been uninspired if I may say so. "I" missed out writing something for Christmas and then the New Year... and before I know it, it is now the Lunar New Year. Change the "I" to her/she and the truth is revealed.

Oh mum!

The year of the C-H-I-C-K-E-N (spell it out so I can pretend not to understand the word) was kind to me. I start out every year not knowing what's to come and/or if I will have any new gigs under my blonde belly. Every time I think that no one would want to work with BIG 'ol blonde me anymore, God has His way of opening new doors to bring on new experiences. For a big dog, I have been blessed with more opportunities than I could ask for. We live in a world where tiny/small dogs, fluffy dogs (the fluffier the better) and smashed-up-faced/crinkled-faced dogs rule on popularity count.

So yeah, not bad for BIG 'ol me!

After much deliberation on what my first post for 2018 and the Year of The Dog should be, I decided shall hold  hands wings of the chic-keeeennnn, cross the road with it as I countdown my Top 12 moments of its year to usher in the year of the dog.

And then I will eat the chic-keeeeennnn.


#12: One People, One Nation

It was an honour to be a part of Singapore Discovery Centre's National Day 2017 program.

For the first time ever, I was part of our National Day! Singapore Discovery Centre had invited me to be a part of their National Day program and yeah, it was pretty fun I must say although I received the usual restrictions where where I can be (two fixed spots) which meant I could not be anywhere else.

But focus on the job. It was great to meet and interact with many many people. I have no idea when this would ever become a BIG DOG inclusive nation. Probably not in my lifetime.

I will keep dreaming in the meantime that maybe one day I will finally get to be at the National Parade.

Can't fault a big dog from dreaming, eh?

Just happy to be of service and thank you Singapore Discover Centre for the invite and gracing my presence!


#11: Camera, Rolling, Action!

Me caught in action running for the camera with the glorious morning sun gleaming through the trees

I must confess that Mummy did not want me to do this filming project. When mummy was first approached to use me for a very short scene for a new Toggle show, she outrightly said no. Do not mistaken, not that she was being a prima donna mama but she really wanted me to do just one more filming project (hopefully) and one that was meaningful.

The past two filming projects were underwhelming and not enjoyable to say the least. But for one of them, for the same reason she agreed to do the 8 Days photo shoot with Rebecca (see #5), she said yes just so I can meet Rui En one more time. The chances of meeting my ex co-stars are more often than not, nothing.

Anywoof, mummy eventually said yes to this Toggle-show-that-she-still-does-not-know-the-title.  She found out that, who else none other than my favourite director, Lye Lin (who is now a producer... or is it executive producer) requested for me. And because of how kindly Lye Lin had treated me when she was directing "Sudden", "Mystic Whispers" and "Love?", mummy changed her mind.

The filming was meh but it was so so good to see familiar faces. There is one dude. I like him very very much. I call him Uncle Tommy. He is the man behind the camera. Call it fate. The other faces may change but somehow, whenever I hope and pray the man behind the camera will be Uncle Tommy.. tadah!

That man behind the camera... the one with the thumbs up behind me. He is Uncle Tommy. I always feel safe when I know he is the one behind the camera.

This made it into the list just because every filming project is memorable regardless the size of the role. This was also the most heart-dropping scene (for the mummy) I ever had to film. If only you could her how fast her heart was beating and her beady eyes opened wide with each take. But she just laid her trust on Uncle Tommy's direction and viola! It went well. I am safe.

On a more frivolous note, mummy says it was gratifying for her to watch me, at 11 years old, still agile and performing the action scene.


#10: Romantic Escapades

When your girlfriend is an enabler.... and modern day Mary Poppins

One of the best memories, if I may say so, surely is my hilarious 'girlfriend' who never fails to enable creative sparks of insanity. Add Uncle Nic to the mix and the rest, as they say, is history.

Nonsensical!
Some may say.

Waste of time!
Others may say.

I say, life is too short.

Everyone needs a dose of childish, bordering on cheesy, escapades now and again to keep one young.




#9: Flapper and Frodo The Toy Testers

Kohepets sent us all these toys for my birthday! Sorry Kohepets! Busy boy me have not gotten around to starting the toy reviews for this new loot! 😩

Ehhh... yep! After much discussion with Miss U from Kohepets, Frodo and I embarked our new journey as toy testers in March 2016. We love working with and communicating with Miss U. It is very important in every collaboration to work with nice people/companies and Miss U is no exception.

She sent us the second batch of toys and squeezed in extra perks as part of my birthday present in September. And eeeee-yikes! Sorry Miss U! We are dreadfully behind with our toy reviews. Promise I will get around to it real soon!

But aye aye, which dog can complain of too many toys especially interactive toys?

So how can this not make it to my Top 12 list? 😁


#8: Frodo Saves.

Frodo the blood donor peeping at the blood receiver who was a victim of onion toxicity.

Yep! My moron brother deserves a place on this honour roll at no. 9.

As I have swiftly gone into blood donor retirement, Frodo Choo has taken on the honour badge of being a blood donor. The sad truth about being a donor is - not all lives can be saved. We can only do our part in trying to save by being a donor.

So here's an honourable mention to Frodo Choo for his bravery of being a blood donor!

Okay bro, at least there is ONE actual purpose for you in life.

Or maybe two.


#7: And It Lives

"Okay doggie, whatever your name is, I hope my blood saves you. I will keep you in my prayers.", I whispered into its ear.

And I came out of retirement to give blood one more time.

Frodo had already donated twice or thrice in 2017 so when my other trusted vet, Dr E (he did my lipoma removal surgery) called mama to ask if Frodo could be a donor, she rejected. Frodo deserves a break and time to replenish his blood.

Then mama offered, "Well, you can use Flapper but he is already 11 years old if that isn't too old for you."

Dr E checked on my health status (see #7) and mummy said it was all good so I was given the clear as a blood donor.


The funny thing was, when we showed up at the clinic and mummy saw the big dog on the treatment table, mummy gasped, "That's the receiver?"

She nearly fainted. She was not quite expecting a big dog. That meant... full 450ml of blood! Maybe  should have used Frodo instead. *guffaw*

Mummy made a request to Dr E quite sheepishly, "Can you please try to shave a smaller patch? Flapper has filming tomorrow..."

She felt quite like an idiotic dog owner making such a request as she is usually not bothered by the shave. But Dr E obliged and did a good job out of it. Thank you Dr E!

Anywoof, the reason why this blood donation made it to this list is because... the dog survived his surgery and transfusion! I have not had much luck in saving lives with blood. I am the 'midnight call' dog. This means the critical condition (and sometimes age) of the dogs, who more often than not required emergency transfusion, would yield little success.

So aye aye! After many many MANY years, a success story.... FINALLY!

Happy news. Happy dog. Better late than never.


#6: Those Oh-So-Important Health Scores

Woohoo! Perfect test scores!

Health screening is always nerve wrecking for the pawrent. So mummy says. That wait for that blood test result to bing through that cursed machine! And the nerves only gets worse each year with age (the dog's/cat's age).

There was extra stress for mummy during that time. There was A LOT riding on that blood test result. She knew that if there was anything wrong with me, my dog food would get the blame (see #4.)

She requested for comprehensive blood profile including complete blood count, thyroid and 4DX. With my ripe old age of 11 years young, she wanted to make sure that I was well. If there is one thing mummy will not sting on is our health-related matters and diagnostic tests where necessary.

Pop the champagne!

I scored perfect on my blood tests!

Point to note: Health status can change very quickly with geriatric dogs (*cough me*).

AND! I have yet to get my ultrasound scan done to check on other organs like my spleen.

But as of now, I will just rejoice and give thanks to God that my blood tests show that I am well systemically.

Paws crossed!


#5: Exactly 3 Years Later...

Mere coincidence (or not?) but I got to meet the lovely Rebecca Lim again after three long years. And may I add... EXACTLY three years later. (From left to right: On the set of 'Sudden', 'Love?' and 8 Days photos shoot)

It was not about making it to the cover of 8 Days magazine that made it into this list. But it is the delight of being able to meet up with Rebecca again. My clock is ticking and I rarely get to meet these wonderful people that I've worked with who played an important part in building my memories. They are so busy with their filming schedule that being able to see them is a privilege. Compared to Romeo Tan, Sheila Sim and Rui En, it is always a short stint with Rebecca. But even for just one afternoon, it was absolutely fabulous just to spend some time with her again!

I still hope I can get that one last MEANINGFUL filming project and who else would I want to work with?

A dog can dream... no?


#4 : Frodo continues to be a Wellness Boy!

Lunar New Year greetings from Frodo and me... in Wellness style.

It was agreed back in 2016 that I would be sponsored for two years while Frodo would be sponsored for one year. So hip hip hooray! Silversky Pets decided to extend Frodo's sponsorship and he continues to be a Wellness boy!

I know I know.... Commercial pet food has been receiving horrendous press and review for quite a few years now. The not-so-recent class action suit against Wellness did not help matters and boy oh boy did mummy receive flak for that. She will bark about that a different day.

Whatever it is, I have been on Wellness Pet Food for almost a decade while the rest of my siblings have been on it since their day of existence in this household. And we are all doing well, thank you very much.

So maybe it is time to just say a simple 'Thank You Wellness'?

Once again, I think Frodo enjoyed this yachting trip even more than I did. A true yuppie boy he is. Isn't that sunset beautiful? #ilovemylife

Another check off my bucket list!

Oh lookie! There's me in a trash can and I am going to eat me up!

Double check off my bucket list!
Level up.
Achievement unlocked.
I need not say more.
The photos tell the story.

You can read about my fabulous 11th birthday adventure here.


#2 : It's All About The Sony XPERIAnce

The Sony XPERIAnce is all about coming from a point of creation, pushing boundaries to enhance life XPERIAnces and capturing oh-so-important life moments. (in the photo: the XZ1 taking the selfie with smile capture technology while the XZ1 Compact takes the selfie moment... yeah, we are a little mad but we love it that way)

After two consecutive years of being an influencer for Sony Action Cam, I have been swiftly converted to becoming quite an adrenaline junkie. However, it became pretty darn quiet that I could hear the trademark sound of the Action Cam playing in my head.

Along came Miss J from Sony Mobile Singapore division and it brought renewed lease of life as a Sony boy. She asked me if I, Flapper Choo, would like to test the Xperia phone! I accepted the invitation with much fear that I may end up hating the phone....

11 months on and the self-proclaimed die-hard Apple boy is now officially converted and that's how Sony XPERIAnce and #WETnesday were borne. The Xperia XZ1's camera technology boasts of "capturing life in a new way with our Motion Eye™ camera. Built using know-how from our α™ and Cyber-shot™ ranges, the Xperia XZ1 reveals moments you could only imagine." and it did not disappoint at all.

From its innovative super slow motion capability (Cyber-shot™- which I call it the RX technology) to Predictive Capture to Autofocus Burst (the latter shines on its adaption of the α™tracking ability) to its fancy smile capture for selfie-junkies (it only reads human smiles) to, wait for it, the 3D CREATOR - I mean, what more can a dog or anyone ask for in a phone?

The overall end-user experience exceeded and the transition from an iPhone to the Xperia was pretty effortless. And this is coming from the once Android hater. And for those who follows me on Facebook or Instagram can see my many memories recorded with the Sony Xperia XZs and XZ1.

You can read my reviews of the Xperia XZs and XZ1 here.


#1: It Will And Always Will Be God's Purpose First

My purpose is to bring oodle of joy to people.

I've missed doing dog-assisted therapy. I kept bugging mama to get me back to doing what I love most and to serve God in whichever way permissible... aiya! wherever that would grace my big blonde presence.

After much prayers with mummy, the door finally opened!

Love Cope, a community division of St Hilda's Church, decided to welcome me! I started serving two groups of lovely elderly since September 2016 and even celebrated my birthday with them. I took December off because mummy could not shake off her flu. She did not want to infect their lowered immune system.

I happily resumed work in January and I donned on my brand new therapy dog vest! It was on my Christmas wishlist to own my very own vest. Someone received my wishlist and made big efforts to have the embroidery patch made!

First day back at 'work' after a month of hiatus... All ready to give joy and oodles of love in my new 'uniform'. 😎 Always happy to be of service! . . #lifeofflapper #therapydog #uniform #vest #retriever #dog #ilovemyjob @mandawong_

A post shared by Flapper Choo (@flapperchoo) on Jan 8, 2018 at 12:26am PST

With my weekly visits (bi-weekly per group), it was well-noted that some of my lovelies made good progress. They were certainly not as reserved or shy compared to our first meeting. They are happily interacting with me, playing fetch/throw with me, taunting me (yes they are cheeky!) with the toy and even taking turns to give me massage - and I mean full body massage.

I am starting not to be sure anymore who is the one receiving therapy! Me thinks... both! But it does not matter. When my lovelies are happy, I am happy. When I am happy, they are happy. It works both way.

So yep! Even though I am not allowed or permitted to serve in a church but as long as I can serve people - Christian or not - it is always my honour and pleasure. Just because I am merely dog does not mean I cannot serve the community, right?

Thank you God that I, Flapper Choo, am still healthy and mobile at 11-ish years old to keep serving You.

---

- THE mummy has snatched the keyboard -

One more very very very honourable mention....

Roger Federer won Australian Open 2017, 2018, Wimbledon 2017 and he is back as world number 1! The End.

Back to Flapper Choo....

Thanks mum. 🙄

There is one more big honourable mention that I do have to make. That is Uncle Nic. He does make up a big portion of those listed moments. He is always at the background behind the camera providing the fabulous images. And most of all, #WETnesday adventures would be non-existent if not for him. So big round of applause for my sleep buddy, Uncle Nic of Furry Photos Pet Photography!

The roll of honour for my sleep buddy, Uncle Nic!

Hello Dog!

With that, I say goodbye to my good friend - the rooster/chick-keeeennnn.

We have crossed the road.

No, I have not eaten it yet.

I must say that the year of the chic-keeennn turned out to be quite spectacular. I have no idea what exciting adventure the year of the dog will bring me but as usual, carpe diem!

Of course, I do have my wishlist - Silversky Pets continues to sponsor our food, Kohepets continues our collaboration as toy tester, more fun collaboration with Barkery, Sony Mobile/Singapore side... hmm... that wishlist is quite extensive 😝😝 and my dog-assisted therapy with Love Cope yields good results.

And then there's the dream list - a new collaboration that involves some kind of computer or laptop 😂 and perhaps finally, that one last meaningful filming project.

But most importantly, for Frodo and I to just stay healthy and fit.

Come on mum! When will your wonky knee recover so we can go out and play?

And that's that.

I want to bark and wag a big warm welcome to usher in the year of the dog!

Here's wishing everyone Happy Lunar New Year and may this year be filled with happiness, good health, meaning and prosperity!

Can I eat the chicken now?

It has been a month since my birthday has come and gone. Please forgive this semi-retired blonde old man for his skiving ways. I have been hiding my laptop from mama and giving her those big round eyes to claim my innocence.

Old man just wanna have fun.

Mummy got annoyed and plastered a 'To-Do' list on my forehead.

Time to bring out my dusty laptop from hiding.

Maybe I should just chew the laptop and declare its demise.....

---

Everybody's Birthday Is Dumbo's Birthday... and Grandma's

24th September 2017

Birthdays come in pairs, or it seems with this Choo household. Life is either that coincidental or the humans are just pure lazy. Mummy says it is meaningful to have birthdays in pairs. No prizes for guessing, I am paired up with mummy on my imaginary birthday.


It has become a tradition that each birthday involves mahjong = Grandma's birthday. It is mummy's fault, really. She abhors meaningless restaurant dinners and rooted for chill out home celebrations which quickly became an opportunity for Grandma to hustle for mahjong sessions. So yep! Happy Birthday, Grandma! *snigger snigger*

Birthdays ain't birthdays without mahjong. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Dumbo LOVES birthday. He recognises the candles. He recognises the cakes. He recognises Grandma's special birthday love meal. Dumbo is deaf, half-blind and progressing on to senile but he still recognises the humans claps and 'sings' his 'Happy Birthday' rendition in boisterous woofs with much pride. If it makes grumpy old man happy, then everyday can be his birthday. This one minute of birthday fame can be his five. Now that I am 72 years wise (although Pedigree age calculator says I am 82), I have long learnt that my birthday is everyone else's birthday. Too.

---

Give 'Em Some Love

25th September 2017
Monday
Bright sunshine

'Twas the morning of my birthday. I woke up with much excitement! I wonder what mummy has planned for my birthday this year. I sniffed out two pup cakes which mummy collected the day before. Mummy has been very secretive about my birthday plans. I heard many whispers between Uncle Nic, Daddy and her. I heard something about a yacht. I heard something about 'I think it is going be Frodo's birthday instead'.

Whatever Mummy has in stored. I know it should be something pretty darn awesome.

I opened my eyes expectantly, hoping that I would be served breakfast in bed. I am a good 'ol fashion boy who believes in good 'ol fashion romance. Unfortunately, romance is not synonymous with mummy. No breakfast in bed. No "happy birthday sweetheart". All I got was barking orders from Empress Dowager to get out of bed.

"Flapper Choo! (When the 'Choo' is called, mummy is getting a little annoyed) We are going to Love Cope this morning to celebrate your birthday. What would you like to wear?", mummy asked with irritation in her voice.

LOVE COPE! I am going to spend time and Happy Birthday with my lovely groups elderly. Woohoo! Now mummy is talking my language.

In a flash, I sprang out of bed and my body is 11 months young again.

"Can I go in my birthday suit?", I replied.

Mummy pointed to my world map body. Oh yes. My idiotic brother has been treating my body as his artistic canvas of late and chewed UN-Holey patterns out of me. Cover up needed, i-Sigh.

"I'll wear Frodo's Woody outfit", I told mummy.

"You sure? You know that everyone is going to say that Frodo carries the outfit better, right?", mummy asked.

Admittedly, Frodo wins.

"I don't want to look like I am attending a funeral with my Shogun outfit. Birthday is meant to be bright and happy. Frodo's outfit is all that.", I replied.

I paused.

"And you know better than anyone else that no matter what he wears and even when he is farting, everyone will always think Mister Universe looks better and is cuter.", I retorted with a wry smile.

Mummy nodded her head in agreement.

Woody outfit it shall be!

Uncle Nic came to pick us up. How exciting! For the first time, daddy is joining us at Love Cope. I could not wait to 'show off' what I do. Uncle Nic drove us to Bengawan Solo to pick up the cakes I ordered for my lovelies. I broke my doggie-bank to pay for it. My Treat. For my Lovelies.

We arrived early at Love Cope. Everyone squealed in delight as they saw me in my Woody outfit. Aye aye! 'Woody' Flapper reporting for duty!

With many thanks to Uncle Nic (Furry Photos Pet Photography), the photos tell the story of my fantabulous morning with my lovelies. Need I say more?

---

Flapper In A Trash Can

After spending quality time with my lovelies at Love Cope, we headed home to get ready for part 2 AND! Wait for my epic birthday cake from Barkery.

Ah! THAT tail about the trash can.

If you are thinking it is one of those old grandmama tale about 'I was picked up from the rubbish chute', I'm afraid not. ALTHOUGH! I was that unwanted smelly boy at 8 months old when mummy adopted me....

Truth is, I LOVE the trash can, dustbin, trash bag etc. etc. Like LOOOOVVVVVEEEEE the trash can.

Rumour has it.

I once visited Auntie Angela's home and immediately navigated my way to the kitchen. Apparently, in less than 2 minutes of stepping into the house, I had opened up a trash can and mummy found me with my head stuck into the bin.

Rumour has it.

I am only an angel when mummy is watching me. One Time in band camp.... One time at my buddies' place, I laid quietly at mummy's feet. As she walked away, I kept a close eye at her to ensure she is out of sight except I did not know she could still see me from afar. I started to 'Pink Panther' out from under the table and quietly attempted to sneak to the kitchen. Everyone reported to mummy that they saw me sneakily take a few steps and I would turn my head to check if mummy could see me. When I finally made it to the bin, I heard a loud booming voice. "FLAPPER CHOO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?". Oops. 'Flapper Choo' means I am in trouble. I nonchalantly made my way back to under the table and gave mummy my innocent look of "what did I do?".

Rumour has it.

During the last day of filming for 'My Dog Dou Dou', there was this moment when mummy needed to use the toilet. Since I appeared to be such an angel and everyone on set had gotten to know me, my favourite 'ah longs' (loansharks) volunteered to help watch me. Mummy sighed and said, "You wait and see. Once I am out of sight, he would head straight for the bin and stick his head in." No one believed her. Upon mummy's return, the 'Flapper bin report' came fast and furious. "Oh my God! After you left, he went straight for the bin. The minute we shouted 'Flapper!", he dug his head deeper into the bin!". Mummy replied with a smirk, "I told you....".

Shortly after, mummy looked at them and said, "Let's talk and pretend to look busy. You watch. When Flapper thinks that I am not looking, he will try to make his way to the bin... again." So the 'ah longs' played along and as per mummy's prediction, I headed to the bin and yep! There it goes again... "FLAPPER CHOO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?". Fell right into mummy's trap. I slowly made my way back to my lonely pillow, slumped myself down with a loud thud and conjured the saddest look I could muster with eyes that said, "Oh mummy.... How could you embarass me this way."



Rumour has it.

I think I am a Chihuahua and no one can see me sneaking to the bin.

Flapper, when you pass on, I am going to put you in a trash can.

Aye aye. I exasperate mummy so much with my love for trash cans that many many moons ago, she declared the best resting home she could give me is a trash can. For many years, she has been looking for a 'Oscar The Grouch' trash can. No no. Not that mummy is cursing me. She just thinks it is darn hilarious. And couple of months ago, she finally found THAT trash can.

With one paw in the bin, Mummy finally found this tiny trash can. Hmmm... not sure if it can fit all of me inside but rumour has it, the other half of me will go to the sea - my other happy place.

Along came THE 'Flapper-in-a-Trash-Can' cake.

Mummy thought very hard about the birthday cake design. Truth be told, she was running low on ideas this year. So she thought about my bucket list and 💡! She quickly messaged cheh cheh Ann from Barkery and asked her, "Do you think it is possible to make a 'Flapper in a Trash Can' cake this year? You know, like Oscar the Grouch in a trash can except it is Flapper's head sticking out."

Mummy sent an image of Oscar the Grouch in the trash. Cheh cheh Ann said they will try but she was also not sure if it could be executed. After all, the Queen of 3D sculpting had put down her sculpting knives and retired. There were a few discussions about possible execution issues but mummy had faith that they will pull it off somehow.

2 pm.

There was a knock on the door. It was cheh cheh Ann! O.M.G.! I could sniff the fish-base cake out. I may be old but my nose is working very well, thank you very much. Mummy nearly burst out in tears. ONCE AGAIN, BARKERY SINGAPORE HAS OUTDONE THEMSELVES AND EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS.

"You are so so lucky. My aunt (Queen of 3D) was there and we managed to get her to help with the cake.", cheh cheh Ann gleefully explained.

"For once, the luck is on Flapper's side", mummy gushed with happiness.

The size of the cake was perfect too. Mummy heaved a big sigh of relief. She had been worried that the cake may be too big to bring on the yacht with us. Barkery's cakes are made of fresh ingredients so refrigeration was necessary.

Mummy declared to Uncle Nic and daddy, "You boys take care of everything else. I am guarding the cake only."

Flapper-in-the-Trash-Can in its full glory before it went a little wonky,  no thanks to mummy's lousy guarding skills. Queen of 3D even sculpted in my distinguished white face and can you see all the intricate details right doen to the trash? THANK YOU BARKERY! This is a truly stunning cake. Flapper In A Trash Can? CHECK!

With the grand arrival of my birthday cake, we were ready to set off for our adventure. I just have a sneaking feeling, this adventure will be.....

---

Happy Birthday Frodo.

4:45 pm.

We arrived at Sentosa Cove. Up till then, I still had no idea what mummy had planned. Uncle G and Auntie RQ joined us on this adventure too (Thank God if I may say so). Mummy got out of the car and quickly asked Uncle G to help with the cake. It's all about the cake. *guffaw*

Mummy was happy this adventure was finally happening. This year was especially difficult to get an adventure going. She was running out of new ideas, birthday swim is a must and most of all, there were not many places we could go to. We live in a small dog-friendly country. For whatever lousy recommendations these websites or blogs put about "dog-friendly" hotels in Singapore, it is only applicable to small dogs. I wonder how much they are paid for  their overglorified articles with superficial information.... hmmmm.

Anywoof, mummy was not getting much 'feel' about staycations either this year. She tried for the sake of trying but her enthusiasm was lacking. Uncle Nic and daddy had already taken leave so she did not want to disappoint anyone either. She spent MONTHS mulling about what to do for my birthday and she was close to not wanting to do anything. She was tired. Very tired.

I know that there is one adventure she really wants to embark on is to fly us on a private jet and do a road trip thereafter. She always tells me tales of her once upon a time vagabond days. She really wishes she could do a trip with us but I don't think it will happen in my lifetime unless by some stroke of miracle.....

Anywoof, about a month before my birthday, she decided to go 'yacht renting' google window shopping. She decided to 'shop' at m-barq by Marine Bookings and well, I think at desperate times, prices somehow appear more reasonable. She decided 'what the heck' and communicated with the friendly online staff to find out more. Of course, first thing she asked about is dogs-on-board.

It was a YES!

Apparently, there is only one yacht that allows dogs - The Vantage. The lady efficiently emailed mummy the information and crunch time - $1,300 nett (promo price) on weekdays for 5 hours. A short sail to St John's Island or Lazarus Island.... that's about it. $1,300 for a private yacht seems reasonable BUT she was having a mental cha-cha about the extravagance for 5 hours. While her head was whirling in financial justications, she continued to chat with the patient staff of m-barq who entertained her endless questions.

Tempted, but she could not decide. Although Lazarus Island is nice and we (Frodo and I) loved it, but mummy was not so keen on repeating a location. She would rather international location. But of course, no chance of that.

Mummy consulted daddy and it was a resounding yes. Mummy was surrounded by water-babies. Daddy started relating tales of his diving days to her so it was clear he was excited about a possible yacht trip.

Mummy told Uncle Nic to pack his bags for the yacht trip and thank Daddy for the decision she had made.

Most of all, mummy did not want to regret.

'What if next year never comes?' (touch wood).

'What if by next year dogs are not allowed on board anymore?'

And that was that.
That was how yacht adventure came to be.

Vantage for the vintage it shall be!

The vintage on the vantage in this group was mummy and me.

The Vantage is a nice, well-maintained small yacht suitable for small parties. The recommendation of up to 30 guests was stretching it. Our cozy group of five was good. Very good. We never got to see the interior/cabin because we were only informed by the Captain when we got on the boat of the 'no dogs allowed inside' rule. Mummy was slightly pissed off of not being informed of that rule beforehand but she refused to allow it to spoil the fun so she accepted it.

The only view of the interior I ever saw. There's a bedroom below but that.... neither mummy nor me ever caught a glimpse of it. Can you see me peeking through the window? (Photo credit: Auntie RQ)

The next decision mummy had to make was - do we dock at St John's Island or anchor at Lazarus Island and swim to shore? After some discussion, it was decided that it shall be the latter. Mummy was a little worried about us swimming the distance but she had faith that Frodo and I were such good swimmers, it should not be a problem.

And ship ahoy! Time to set sail to Lazarus Island!

Ship ahoy! Away we go to Lazarus Island!

For the month leading up to our Vantage trip, I could hear whispers of 'Will we end up with a dog overboard?' (Frodo) and 'I think this is going to be Frodo's birthday instead'.

Dog overboard, we did not have (Thank God!)

But it was indeed Frodo's birthday instead.

You see, with my lousy hind legs, I do not enjoy treading on 'shaky' or unstable surfaces. The floor surface was a tad bit slippery (a human did suffer a big fall) and I did not particularly enjoy the rocking motion of the boat. Frodo, on the other hand, totally enjoyed it. Mr Lightfooted easily balanced even while the boat was going through choppy waters.

This was clearly Mr Yuppie Frodo's thing more than mine. And yeah, it was Happy Birthday daddy too!

It took me a while to like being on this funny thing called a boat. But I did eventually and well, with all that swims, how could I not come to like this adventure?

Mummy had plans to play with my new Xperia XZ1 phone but when we arrived at Lazarus Island and realizing the hassle of protecting the phone, she decided to leave it behind and focus on having fun with us instead. Daddy has not been feeling too good the whole day so decided to canoe himself to shore instead.

As it turned out, Uncle G is a fantastic swimmer! Mummy was so so glad he was there! Getting us to swim to shore was the easy part but getting us back on the yacht, that was the difficult part. So yay Uncle G! You are our new swimming hero!

Did I mention Uncle Nic rented the drone for the trip? 😃



Do you agree that it was actually Frodo's birthday?

---

Back At Home...

Mummy nearly died from cleaning me up. As some of you might know, I am the master of sand-rolling. This time, however, the sand had set into cakes from the yachting duration. Mummy ALMOST shaved me down as she struggled to wash the sand off. It was cruel clumps of sand that refused to leave me. After some half an hour of scrubbing me silly, mummy gave up. She rinsed me down and apologized to daddy that he was going to live with Sahara for a few days.

Sahara it was.

Where I laid, there was a sand outline of me.

Mummy wept.
Daddy swept.

Oh Mr Sun... Will I ever get to do this again? I love birthdays.

---

Special Thanks For The Gifts

Thank you Uncle G and Auntie RQ for joining us on this adventure and the ridonculously big angpow. Thank you Uncle G was being such a great swimmer and helping to get two big blonde elephants back on board. We were so blessed by your presence.... that itself was enough.

Thank you Dr A for getting me my very own Littman stethescope! You're da best!

Flapper Nightingale needs to put one serious work-face with his stethescope.

Thank you Barkery Singapore for that epic Flapper-In-A-Trash-Can birthday cake! It made my 11th birthday all that more complete and meaningful.

Thank you Uncle Nic for once again being there with me for my life moment AND the gorgeous photo book with the best memories of our year gone by since my last birthday. All our WETnesday memories in one book. Love love love it!

My 'Year Book' from Uncle Nic.

And I am officially 11 years old.

The end.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Woofs and Purrs, please do not mock me as I confess to you that I, Flapper Choo, have never owned my very own pet bed till now.  I had a hand-me-down bed from my spoilt curly-earred brother which I used to seek comfort by curling myself up in and then along came my brother, Frodo Choo....

Some of you may already know, I received my 'MiniPet' Dog Bed as my 10th birthday present from Silversky Pets, who is more familiarly known as our (Frodo and I) food sponsor - our beloved Wellness Pet Food.

Mummy was contemplating for some time about getting me my own bed as she wanted to kick me out of bed. I'm kidding. The main reason being that her bed is very high and with my wise age and less-than-perfect hips, she thought it'd be a good idea for me to have my own bed to sleep on.

She asked me if I would like my own bed. I did not answer. I did not want her to know that I would continue to sneak up onto the bed in the middle of the night.

Mummy had been eyeing on the 'MiniPet' Dog Bed since she saw it on Silversky's catalogue. One thing about mummy, it is never about plush and lush with us. Mummy always says, "The way the boys shed, they can make their own plush. Sometimes... I even forget what's my original flooring."

Anywoof, there was not much to the description of the bed. All it says is "Water Resistant Pet Beds" and it has removable covers. There is no information whatsoever of the material, fabric content, fabric finishing, washing instruction(s), country of origin/manufacture and most of all, this 'MiniPet' brand DOES NOT even have a website to refer to.

Based on the photo image, mummy figured it should be some canvas material but in terms of what makes it 'water-resistant', she has no clue. It is definitely no fancy orthopaedic pet bed and certainly no fancy design either. It was just good 'ol colour blocking which suits our fancy.

We are definitely no leopard-print or floral-print dogs.
We are, afterall, mummy's boys.
We like it plain.
Thank you very much.

So as my birthday got near, mummy selected the pet bed as my birthday present and conspired with Miss Y to have it delivered to my secret getaway location. My surprise birthday present from Silversky, me likey!

Most of all, I finally have my own bed.

Throwback to me spending some love-time with my Lil' Mermaid on my new pet bed. And because it is water-resistant, who cares I was all wet after all that swim?

Everybody Loves Frodo (Part..... I Lost Count)

Post my birthday, Frodo was clearly not too happy about not having his own pet bed. So he made it a point to let Silversky know.

Dear @silverskypets , you gave my brother a fabulous waterproof bed for his birthday... but what about me? Me! Frodo Choo! I need my own doggie bed too... my birthday is 26th March. I want a bed too! Love. yours truly. The one and only. Frodo Choo. . . #silverskypets #silverskysg #dogbed #labrador #labsofinstagram #iwantmyownbed #space

A post shared by Frodo Choo (@frodochoo) on Oct 1, 2016 at 9:37am PDT

But of course! Everybody loves Frodo. All he needs to do is pull a face and the world melts at his feet. So much to mummy's disbelief, Silversky offered another bed... JUST FOR FRODO. FRODO CHOO.

Mummy nearly fell off the chair. That was her "WTF" moment. I put my paws around mama to console her, "Mum, it's okay. 不同狗不同命 (different dog, different life)."

Regardless, I am still very thankful for Silversky's generosity in giving Frodo his own bed which mummy did not pick it up till we went to pay them a visit during Chinese New Year.

It took a few months before mummy went to collect Frodo's bed but better late than never. And as you can see from this photo, the 'evilness' of the beds was showing itself.... it brought out the best of our sulks aka emo-blackmail.

You Claim, I-Test.

(WATCH THE VIDEO to see how our test 'water resistant' test went plus our review.)

I love my pet bed loads.

Mummy loves my pet bed too because it is:

• Reversible - Once in a while, when she gets bored, she will flip the frame and/or flip the cushion to get a different colour combination. That also means, if one side is slightly stained, she can flip it to the other side and not send it to the washer immediately!

• Removable Covers and Machine-Washable - Hi. This is my lazy and practical mummy. She wants easy maintenance and care. Don't need to be fancy. Convenient is good.

The zipper that opens the soul to the innards... and the embarrassing evidence of our shedding ways.

• Canvas Material - It's cooler (for us) than plush and easy to spot ticks/fleas too? *guffaw* Face it. We live in Singapore. Our tropical weather makes this tick/flea problem almost inevitable even with the appropriate prevention applied or consumed. 

• 'Water Resistant' - This was when mummy raised her eyes. Call it occupational hazard but any big claims like 'water resistant' had to be proven. This brand has no website, no fabric content nor wash care label.... No documentations anywhere to show the fabric treatment to make it 'water resistant'. Mummy was dubious and decided it was time to test the bed (watch above video). I guess the bed passed the water-resistant pretty all right although mummy still wished there were the industry-standard labels and more information about this water-resistant claim.

• 'Anti-Slip' - And I quote, "The non-skid bottom prevents sliding and skidding of the bed while your pet is using it." Frodo certainly has put this to test many a times when he goes into a flying frenzy (in Hokkien term, kee-siao) when he is up to mischief annoying one of us. US = Either one of the cats or me. And so far, I have not seen him transfigure to Aladdin with his flying carpet around the house....

Base of the bed: The "anti-slip" is only on one side, this side.

---

Where To Get These Beds

I believe these MiniPet Beds are available at most major pet shops. Retail prices may vary.

Alternatively, if you would like to get it online, it is available at Kohepets online store.  Use Flapper10 promo code for 10% discount (valid till 15th May 2017 for first time customers) or Kohe8 for $8.00 off your purchases (no expiry date; for first time customers).