Whole Earth Peranakan Thai Vegetarian

I know vegetarian food is generally more expensive but this was, well, mind-blowing lol. So yesterday, we collected our outfits and I was too starved to go any further, so we settled for this vegetarian restaurant nearby. It wasn't really packed; lots of empty tables, so I thought I could have the food quick. Quite disappointingly, they even took some time to come get our orders. Mehh. 

Tom Yum Soup, $9 for small (2 pax)

Seriously, for 2 pax?! There were minimal bits of cabbage, mushrooms and shredded crab sticks inside. The soup itself was mild, and just...normal. 

Nonya Curry, $19

For almost twenty bucks I would have to say this small bowl of curry is freaking expensive. There were some potatoes and veg meat inside, although it's supposed to be 'made of' shiitake mushrooms. It tasted like any other normal veg meat though. The curry itself was alright - thick and mildly spicy. 

Sambal Long Beans with Tempeh, $12

Not sure why it's 'sambal' cos there's no sambal in it. ¬.¬ Beans were a little undercooked, but otherwise this was probably the best dish of the three. I liked the taste of the tempeh. 

Calamansi, $4.50 & Fresh Soursop, $4.90

Lime was pretty nice and sour and refreshing, though a little too expensive. The soursop was a rip-off. It was bland and somewhat tasteless, with a few pieces of soursop. 

The meal set me back by $62 and it's really one of the worst ways to waste money and calories. I really wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Definitely a no-no-no! 

I hate this piece of shit.

WARNING: Full of expletives. 

I know me posting this up comes with the risk of losing my job. But seriously, I don't fucking care anymore. Sack me if you wish. ¬.¬

If you don't know, I'm with the SKC. It's a dog club. Google it yourself. When I first got the job, I was very excited. Dogs + events = dream come true! Sure the pay and benefits suck, but I thought since everyone are dog lovers (that's why you're in the club right?), it would be one big happy family. 

I was SO SO wrong. Within the first week, I was introduced to the various politics in the club. As much as I tried to avoid it, there were times I was stuck in the middle with no clear direction of how to proceed. Loads of people had authority to change things but obviously they don't fucking care either. 

The previous staff left me piles of shit to clear. Even up till now, members are still complaining to me about stuff not done properly back then. But I was still okay with coming to work, because I had a great colleague Rita. We worked together and helped each other. Yes, t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r. 

Then she dropped the bomb that she was on her notice period. ¬.¬ FML. And along came ah tiong bitch to replace her. I have never ever hated a colleague as much as I fucking hate her now. She's super lazy, selfish, dumb (or super smart at acting dumb) and I'm not the only one complaining about her. And the sad thing is, whenever she can't do her job properly, it falls to me. Ironically, she's drawing a higher pay than me. Nice job SKC! 

Ever since she arrived, I've been starting to dread coming to work. I hate seeing her. I hate hearing her voice. I hate it when she start asking stupid questions. I hate it when I have to clear her shit. The last straw is Discover Dogs 2013. 

Last Sunday, we had the DD at the expo, with 3 conformation show rings, 1 agility ring, 1 obedience ring, 1 grooming ring, and 1 companion dog ring. Out of the 7 rings, 5 was under me. Obedience was the easiest, cos I was working together with the chairman. Agility had just lost its chairman, so they were a bit unorganized. But I also worked together with the team. For show, I had to do 95% of the work alone, but I wasn't that pissed because it was also like that in March.

Ah tiong only had the grooming and companion ring. Logistics was under her as well. And yes, she cocked up. =)

I thought setup day was bad enough. Every ring had its team to setup together. Except the 3 show rings. It was me and myself. First the bitch unloaded the boxes so freaking far from the rings, then she took the trolley away when she only had a few boxes to carry. Poor me had to carry the 10+ heavy boxes one by one, to and fro, ALONE. Thank you SKC, you are so fair and just. 

Show day was just amazing. I was in charge of show/obedience registration, the exhibitor chairs, tables, powerpoints, and my boss conveniently put me overall in charge. It seemed like everyone was looking for me for every damn problem they had. I could barely step away from the table cos there was so much money lying around. and I. WAS. ALONE. 

In the afternoon I moved to my next station, the SKC booth (which I also had to setup), and saw ah tiong happily chatting away with her 3 helpers. If you need 4 people for 1 registration booth for 1 half-day ring with barely 50 dogs (to compare, I have more than 200 dogs in 5 full-day rings), you are so fucking useless in my dictionary. Did I also mention she's in charge of manpower and she hired helpers for her own 2 rings only? Thanks bitch. 

And the best part is, when the event was over, everyone patted their asses and left. Okay except the agility ring, where the team packed up together, and I packed up the obedience ring together with the chairman. Fuck you show committee. I was so stunned when I was left alone to pack up the 3 show rings! In the end the obe chairman stayed behind to help me and thankfully he did, or else I might just sit there and cry. It was frustrating beyond words!

And if you were there and have the event booklet, look carefully. It doesn't have my name in it. Yes it's a small thing. And yes I'm very petty. It's so easy to throw everything to me but so difficult to type my name? The simplest form of acknowledgement you also don't want to give me, I don't see why I'm going to work hard for you anymore. 

Sigh. Of cos, there are goods and bads. Despite the 90% shit I get, I don't have regrets joining SKC because of the 10%. The greatest benefit is the networking. Show exhibitors come from all walks of life. Although a lot of political members are complete assholes, the ones that I'm close to are nice and friendly. You don't need to know everyone. Just a few important, influential, rich, and nice ones will do. ;)

If not for them, I wouldn't have gotten my baby popo. I wouldn't have learnt so much about dogs and grooming. I wouldn't have learnt about obedience training nor experienced the excitement of agility. These members were the ones who thanked me for the hard work, helped me out when I couldn't split myself into different places, bought food and water for me when I couldn't step away for lunch, and overall, just being understanding. 

Yes I am very bitter about this. SKC has the worst management I have ever come across and I really discourage people from joining. Unless you're just as political as those assholes and are here for your own personal benefit. In fact, all of the past staff have left bitter and unhappy. I'm just waiting for a year to be up to move on. Truth be told, as a dog owner, I don't see any use for SKC here. They don't care about the welfare of dogs in singapore at all. And dog showing is a rich man's hobby which majority cannot afford. 

So yep. I can't help it while I'm still here. But once I'm gone, I'm definitely gonna boycott them. Pui!

Supplements for popo?

Popo means a lot to me and her health is naturally of top priority. Which is why I choose the best food that I can afford - raw meat, from the supermarket. Of cos, if I was richer, I'll get organic meat, but....I'm poor hahahahahaha! Besides the meat (she's on chicken, pork, lamb, beef, and fish now), I also give her supplements. I know many people give many other supplements like multi-vitamins, salmon oil, kelp powder etc etc, but I can't really afford it now, so here are the few cheaper ones that I'm giving!

Yoghurt

She was already on yoghurt before she came to me. Yoghurt is a probiotic which:

- Enhances the immune system
- Changes the microflora of the gut
- Reduces cholesterol levels
- Reduces incidence of yeast infection

I get the cup ones instead of a whole tub, finish 3/4 of it, and spoonfeed popo the rest. She loves it! It's on rotational basis with the next supplement - coconut oil.

Coconut Oil

It's known as "miracle in a jar" and I do somewhat agree. Look at all its benefits!

Clearing skin conditions

- Reduce allergy reactions and improve skin health

- Makes coats sleek and glossy and deodorizes doggy odour 

- Prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections

- Promotes wound healing (when applied)

Aid digestion

- Improves nutrient absorption

- Heals digestive disorders

- Reduce or eliminate bad breath in dogs (OH YES PLEASE!!)

Boost immune system, metabolic functions and bone health

- Prevent infection and disease

- Regulates insulin and promotes normal thyroid function

- Prevent or control diabetes

- Aids in arthritis or ligament problems

- Reduce risk of cancer and heart disease

- Excellent for brain health

- Provide relief from kidney problems and high blood pressure

- Eliminate ringworm, tapeworm, lice and other parasites

In short, it's anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic!

I started her on this a week before her spay operation in mid-May, as I was afraid of her wound getting infected (read too many horror stories). I don't know if it worked or not, but popo's wound healed fast and beautifully. She didn't even have to wear an e-collar.

During the tick period, I cleaned the bites with coconut oil after I pulled them out. The bites were supposed to itch, but they didn't. =)

I also clean her ears with coconut oil. Haha probably gonna get slammed for doing this. But somehow, it works. Initially I was using the normal chemical ear cleaners bought from the pet shop. Whenever I cleaned, there was dirt. Some people say that the ears do produce dirt naturally, while some have told me that black dirt is a sign of mites. These are their 'output'. They also itched, even when I was cleaning 3-4 times a week. 

Ever since I swopped to coconut oil, never have I found any black dirt inside. I don't remember seeing them itch either. I now clean them only once a week, before her bath. Cos you know what, oil repels water! Less chance of water getting into the ears. And early this month, her ears were checked and pronounced nice and healthy! ^^

ACV

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) was one of the earliest supplements I gave to her. Supposedly it has quite a bit of benefits. 

- Relieves or prevents arthritis

- Improves digestion

- Acts as a urinary system tonic, clears urinary tract infections, and prevents the formation of kidney and bladder stones

- Improves the growth and condition of fur and hair

- Clears the skin of bacterial and fungal infections

- Reduces skin flaking and dander

- Makes one less attractive to biting insects

- Helps prevent food poisoning

- Acts as a natural antibiotic by interrupting the development of infectious bacterial and viral diseases

- Relieves muscle fatigue

- Alleviates itching

- Improves ability to adapt to cold temperatures

- Reduces hock and elbow calluses

- When applied to the ears, clears and prevents ear infections.

My initial purpose of giving her the ACV was to reduce her tear stains. Lots of people have recommended this home remedy, but obviously it isn't working very well for me. Or her. Although I could think of some reasons why it isn't working. Firstly, I don't give it everyday. Because it's mixed in her food and when my mum feeds her instead of me, she gets no ACV. Secondly, majority of the people recommend mixing it into their water bowl. I add it to her food instead. Raw fed dogs generally drink lesser water than kibble-fed. So I don't see why I should add it to the water when it'll get replaced very soon. 

I do still add it whenever I get the chance, because it's said to be able to eliminate bacteria as well. Makes the raw meat a little safer. Even though I also reiki her food to prevent contamination. Haha pampered bitch anot you say lah! >.<

Garlic

I started this fairly recently. Similarly, she doesn't get this every day, only when I'm feeding her. Before you go "OMG NOOOOOOO", yes yes I know, garlic is toxic to dogs. But of course, only in huge quantities. In safe amounts, it's supposedly:

- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-biotic (broad spectrum)
- Anti-carcinogen, garlic contains germanium - an anti-cancer agent
- Regulates blood pressure
- Helps strengthen the body's defenses against allergies
- Helps regulate blood sugar levels
- High in calcium, potassium, zinc, protein, and Vitamins A, B, B2, C
- Aids in fighting and treating diabetes, liver, heart and kidney disease, as well as ear infections and ear mite infestations
- A natural de-wormer and flea, tick, mosquito repellent

Many people have told me to try this method to prevent ticks. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. Either way, she isn't having ticks now (touchwood!). And if it works, I get free heartworm (mosquito) prevention too. :)

The other supplement I would really really wanna try is the salmon oil. It's supposedly great for the skin/coat and I was hoping it'll help her bald patches grow back (which I still don't know the exact cause of it yet). But good ones are not cheap. Can anyone sponsor me? LOL. So I make do with fresh cooked salmon instead. So.Freaking.Expensive. Sigh. 

So, how is it? Too much too little? Good, bad, harmful? What are you feeding yours?