it's my daddy's birthday today! :) took time off studying and our family went for lunch at jp's kui shin bo..my treat! hehe..was happy to see daddy enjoying all his seafood (as usual), especially his crabs!

sometimes it's really nice that your loved ones have specific, explicit likings & interests..that you can cater for to make them happy in such a straightforward way..

i guess it's what i like in animals (and children i guess) too..they make it apparent what makes them happy and what does not..makes me wanna do the things that make them happy all the time!

was reminded that my parents are getting older year by year, when at the cashier said there was a 10% discount for senior citizens (i.e. 55 yrs and above)..and my mummy said my daddy just turned 55 today. it didn't strike me that he was in his mid 50s..i see my same daddy everyday, the same daddy i've known since i was young, and to me he still looks the same (he doesn't have a single strand of white hair i think it runs in the family!)..i don't want my parents to ever grow old.. :(

on another topic, my research on my potential pet bird has led me from breeder to breeder, from one species to another..i originally was looking at baby lovebirds..but soon i realised i don't actually want another lovebird..i don't want sunsun to feel replaced by a tamer bird of her own kind..

then i contacted breeders of parrotlets (super small parrots, smaller than lovebirds)..but they were all sold already..

and eventually, i was led to a bird called a 'sun conure', that i never really considered and knew about before! it's more pricey, but i guess it's cos they're slightly bigger (12 inches head to tail) and have a longer lifespan of up to 30 years..

this is what it looks like!

i know people who are scared of birds will probably not think very much of it, but i think it's really pretty! showed pictures online to my parents and my mummy said she doesn't like the grey ring around their eyes! so choosy!

some facts that i've read up on sun conures..

• a type of parrot
• they're extremely affectionate and love attention (which appeals to me hehe)
• they are capable of learning some tricks and to talk a little (not that much of my goal though)
• they love to take baths (so cute!)
• origin: south america (brazil to venezuela)
• babies are not as colourful (as a defense mechanism) but full plumage starts to appear when the bird is around 1 yr old
• relatively small for a parrot- 12 inches in length
• average lifespan of 25- 30 years
• rather big drawback: they have rather piercing and loud screeches!! which they use to call for your attention, usually in the mornings and evenings..i really hope this doesn't pose a problem to my neighbours!

so anyway, i've contact this home breeder (apparently he's quite known in the bird-breeding world..for one that he provides 'after-sale services')..he has 2 baby sun conures, 8 weeks old and still being hand-fed (which is impt if you want them tame)..and my parents and i are gonna drop by his house tmr evening to have a look at the bird! luckily he stays quite near so don't have to waste so much time travelling..cos must study!

could tell that my parents tried not to let their possible objections come in the way, after they knew how much i was disappointed by not being able to get a dog..and i'm glad that they're supportive of getting another pet bird for our family! daddy kept asking if the guy replied my sms..and suggested going down to his house to have a look..

looking forward to tmr and will update again on the status of my new pet bird seeking project!

back to STUDYINGGGG now :((((((((

finally had the courage to broach the dog issue to my parents last night..and well, i guess my hopes of ever getting a dog while living with them have been dashed through and through.

will elaborate on their reasons more next time..mummy said she'll allow me to get baby birds instead, and i guess i'm contented with that..at least that was my dream before i started having my dog fantasies (which i built up so intensely and yet one-sidedly)

5th day since i came back from UK! been mugging very hard at home every day..my cfa exam is as dead as can be! will spend the whole of my next week till 5th june cooping up a thome and mugggggggggiiiiiiiinnnngggggg

wanna say thank you to my dearest diana darling who has very sweetly taken the initiative to find and accompany me even though i'm too busy to really talk to her or entertain her! she came over on mon and obediently sat opposite me reading her book as she promised hehe!

till the next time........

i want a dog...

while reading the 'lifestyle' section of the sunday times today, there was a headline of an article which i felt was crafted so aptly for my family!

it read 'Want a pet? Write a report'

the artice featured how a mother wanted to instill discipline and independence in her daughter, and thus made her write a report with 5 reasons why she should be allowed to get a hamster.

i was partially amused, but excited, because i had done the exact same thing earlier this week! voluntarily though..cos.......i really want a dog!! have been a dog lover all my life, grew up with dogs (kimberly's) but accepted that i'll never have my own cos my mummy always said no..soon i learnt to stop asking, and was content to play with my cousin's dogs occasionally..

but now, many reasons led me to feel the time is RIGHT! haha maybe if i'm less paiseh i'll paste my 5-page 'report' (with double-spacing :p) with my various compelling reasons here next time!

i used to wonder why booboo was brought into my life and then so tragically taken away less than 24 hours later..leaving but a painful scar in my memory..i still think of her everyday and wish she was still around, imagining how she'll look like if she had grown up..and sometimes i'll question if i'd rather not have met her at all, cos my momentary feelings of feeling super blessed and lucky when she was around seem to be easily overwhelmed by the sadness that could probably ensue for the rest of my life..

i always believe everything happens for a reason by God's will (even though i'm not a christian or catholic)..and thus when booboo left, i really tried hard to find a reason why i was made the one to pick her up in the first place..

and now, i think i've kinda found the reason. ever since booboo was gone, it created this emptiness in my heart which craved for a pet to take care of..initially i wanted a baby lovebird, but i admit that it was an impulsive desire to simply replace booboo..

and then one day i chanced upon mummy's mail from spca thanking her for her donation..and it spurred my interest to 'explore' other pet possibilities..i went on the spca website to look at their dogs for adoption..and this led me to a daily research on other forums, adoption websites etc. to look out for potential dogs! booboo's presence spurred me to rethink the possibility of actually getting my own dog, and then hoping to materialize it.

haha but ANYWAY, not that my mummy has approved yet. the first time i asked her verbally (after mustering LOTSA courage), she adamantly objected ('No means no!')..and i was so dejected i went to my toilet to cry secretly! haha such a crybaby right..and i decided i had to approach the matter more rationally, and decided to write a REPORT! which i e-mailed to my mummy and daddy (who has strangely decided to keep mum about the matter throughout!)

but despite mummy's first sms that 'we'll discuss the dog issue tonight' and us ending up not discussing in the end, she sent another sms to me while at work 2 days later:

'If it makes you feel any better, we'll seriously consider the dog issue only after our trip. So don't feel so dejected. :-P'

haha i seriously feel that the cheeky emoticon at the end is so out-of-place!! but i guess this spells some hope, especially from her initial 'NO MEANS NO!' right? hehe

i really really hope that my lifelong wish to have my own dog will come true!! wish me luck!! hehe..and thanks to those who 'wished' me courage after seeing my msn nick! :D