My New Year's Resolution

Some of us think watching too much television is not the best pastime. Yes, I agree that being a full time couch-potato leads me to nowhere. But sometimes, lucky star does shine upon me, a remote control snatcher with an over size thumb. Once for a while, I do get to learn a thing or two from this passive activity.

And this is one of these shinning moments for me.

A few weeks ago, unknowingly I got to revisit an ancient Chinese philosophy on a British detective show I watched. The popular television program "Heartbeat" is based on the books of a retired Yorkshire bobby, Nicholas Rhea. Mr. Rhea told stories of the simple but hearty people of a remote farming village well. But I would say his patch over the heather-covered moors be the last place one expects to hear teachings of Laozi, founder of Taoism beliefs in 600 B.C.

In that night’s episode, "Ups and Downs," its clever producers wrote in a busload of Laozi’s devotees in the script. On their way to deliver a gold-gilded Buddha statue, their double-decked bus conveniently stalled at the village square. Among other stories in the plot, the precious statue got stolen but recovered. Upon departure, the spokesperson of this pious group shared the tenets of their religion with the hospitable locals. He told them they believed in:

- Kindness,
- Simplicity,
- Modesty.

As usual, "Heartbeat" is always an entertaining and enjoyable show to me. But this episode left me with something extra to wonder about: the perceptiveness of an old Chinese religion.

Their beliefs seem to be straight forward and simple. But the relevancy of these principles is timeless. And they were embraced by a humble Chinese philosopher some 2,600 years ago. He taught his followers to be kind to other beings(including Mother Nature), to live a simple life, and to be modest. If the people in Laozi's generation had practised what they learned from this insightful master, none of us will be living in the midst of the disastrous consequences of wars, climate change and financial meltdowns today.

I do not know if I am able to live a life according to Laozi. But I do know that I have to look no further for my New Year’s resolution. - Ayee

Tales of Two Stores

Recently, I needed a new television. So I visited a couple of stores in the neighborhood. One is a well-established department store where I did most of the shopping in the past. The other is a new kid on the block that had just opened at its present location for a short time. It is a big box specialty retailer that sells both brand name and generic electronic equipment.

Like it was in the past, I started my search for what I wanted at the department store whom I know well first. The afternoon of a chilly day was also a perfect time to shop in a warm and invitingly decorated store. I walked around the store’s displays of many television sets, big and small. While the selections there were somewhat limited, I did find one I liked. But to my utmost surprise, there was no salesperson in the department to help me and a few others buy what we wanted. Like the other five or six would-be customers I walked away from my favorite store’s electronics department empty handed.

At the specialty store across the street, I got a very cheerful welcome at the entrance. I also found a similar-made television set there quickly with the help of its knowledgeable staff.

Now I know which store to go when I need a few electronic gadgets. - Ayee

Good News

This morning for a change I woke up hearing the news that I was happy to hear.

It is not about the overdue world peace that has just arrived in time for Christmas. It is about the suspension of a local veterinarian’s license to practice. And this is not the first time this particular vet was headlined in the news either. I remember a few years ago, it was shown on the television a crowd of angry placard-yielding pet owners demonstrating outside his 24/7 so-called low-cost animal hospital.

About eleven years ago, I used this vet once at the recommendation of an animal rescue group. Unwittingly, I did find the vet had treated my dear Purdy badly. I heard my cat’s wretched cry when the vet was drawing a pee sample from her in a back room. When the vet returned Purdy to me, she became a larger cat than her usual petite self. All her fur hairs were sticking out from her body like she was wearing a space suit. Cats do not puff up their coats for no-good reasons.

Apparently my cat was not his only victim. This vet and his staff had also caused excruciating pain and unnecessary suffering to many other beloved family pets. Sadly to know that informal demonstration did not result in any legal or professional sanction against this vet sooner. So he got to operate his inhumane animal hospital until yesterday when his license to practice was finally suspended. - Ayee

Cat Ladies

Last Friday, I watched 20/20 on television. One of the stories it reported was about women who obsessed with cats. Among the many so called "crazy" cat ladies featured, two of them were caring 100 plus tail wagging felines each. What a feat! The maker of this documentary said the devastating events trigger many to seek refuge in animals. These cat lovers all happen to be females. Their maternal instinct to nurture led them into cat rescuing business.

Certainly being a pet owner myself, I can appreciate what a daunting task these women got themselves into. I know rescuing and caring stray animals can be addictive. But there are definite benefits in pet ownership, whether it is a mongrel dog you adopted from the pound, a little guppy you got for a birthday, or even an injured bird you rescued from the wild. And it is encouraging to see these "crazy" cat ladies transformed the unresolved frustration in life into loving and caring acts onto other beings.

One dog owner told others that dogs are angels. God sends them to us. I think all animals, tamed or not, are angels that God sends to us to make life better and more livable.

Now let’s find a constructive way to put these kind ladies out of business. Perhaps, opening our heart and our door to a wayward furry animal will be a very good start. - Ayee

Confusing Signals

Over the past several months, I got addicted to a reality house buying show. It was aired on a garden and home channel. To me, the program is entertaining as well as informative. It showcased many spacious and opulent houses across America. It also spotlighted faraway residential subdivisions in many American cities. In the show I saw buyers of many bank-owned three or four-bedroom homes in great locations at the asking prices for not more than a couple of hundred thousand dollars. There was a couple of families acquiring vacation homes in Florida Keys and Arizona area at the tune of $1.2 million and $500,000 respectively.

From this television show, it seems to me there was no shortage of home buyers.

But this robust activity in the resale market is a stark contrast to the dismal real estate market many months ago. At that time over-priced houses lost its value drastically and so many people lost their homes to foreclosures. Furthermore, the current unemployment rates will certain not strengthen consumer confidence either. Last week, they rose to a historical high of 10.2% in the States and 8.6% in Canada.

Based on the hot housing market I saw on television and the extraordinary high unemployment rates, I am totally lost on the direction that our fragile economy is heading to. - Ayee

It's Spooky!

Years ago, I had a cat flap affixed to a bedroom window so my cats could be in or out at their pleasure. But I did not realize this handy contraption also attracted neighborhood cats to visit uninvited. Luckily most of them decided not to over stay their welcome. One of them, I think is a boy, was a sleek tabby with evenly marked dark spots on his fitted body. One afternoon I found him lying unperturbed in the middle of my bed. Because of his spotted tawny fur, at first I thought, I had a snow leopard in our place! Since he did not cause any havoc with other cats, from that day on, he became a regular visitor to our place for many months.

Not long after his first visit, while petting him, I discovered a gruesome raw patch under one of his arm pits. The area size of a large human hand was entirely bare without any skin or fur on it. Thankfully, the affected site was clean and not infected. And this good-natured feline did not seem to be in any pain either. I was tempted to help him with some natural remedies. But being ignorant of his illness, I refrained myself from doing so. However, I did notice sometimes a patch of fur was shaved off from one of his front paws. This suggested that he was under certain care for the hideous malaise that ailed him.

For the ensuing months, I could always find him napping in the middle of my bed upon my return from the office. He would then take his leave in the early evening without notice to anyone. I never saw him touch any kibbles. He did not demand any extra attention from us other than a comfy spot to doze off for a few hours. I thought we could be friends like this forever.

Then a dreaded day came. On this particular afternoon, I did not see my handsome friend resting on my bed waiting for a pat or two. Since I got used to having an undemanding feline like him around me, I did miss him of his quiet presence a great deal.

While still counting on the return of my unassuming furry friend, one night I got a big bear-hug from him in my dream. This unconscious encounter between a spotty cat and myself gave me willies. This spooky feeling nearly jolted me out of my warm bed. A hug from a neighborhood cat I knew had somehow lessened my anxiety over the whereabouts of this beautiful cat. Through this timely embrace, he told me that he was in a happier place by the rainbow bridge where the grass is greener.

A Happy and Safe Halloween to Everyone! - Ayee

Purdy Is Back!

A week after our Purdy’s untimely departure, I attended an event that was taken place in a church basement. When I was ready to leave, I decided to use the lavatory. And something strange happened as soon as I stepped into the church’s Spartan bathroom. For no obvious reason, the toilet paper on its wooden holder started to cascade like a waterfall. By the time it stopped, almost a half a roll of the paper transformed into large s-shaped ribbons piling up on the linoleum floor.

Of course, I felt eerie on what had just happened. My initial answer for this odd occurrence was that I had stirred up the calm air in the room when I closed the door behind me. Then immediately I remembered this was exactly what Purdy did to the toilet papers in our bathroom.

Soon after Purdy joined the household, we often found streamers of toilet paper all over the bathroom floor. And we could not figure out how this extremely flimsy paper could free itself from the sturdy holder on the wall. Then one day I caught Purdy red-handed. She was using the paper roll as her treadmill. While standing on her hind legs on the toilet seat cover, her two front paws were busy treading on the soft paper as a gerbil on its treading wheel. This was why we never shorted of white streamers in our bathroom for a long time.

Too bad, I did not capture Purdy's fitness routine on the camera. Otherwise, she would be an instant star as a treadmill cat in the cyber space.

Putting the uncanny apparition in a church basement aside, I realize it is very likely Purdy will not be home again. But she had certainly chosen a most appropriate place to remind me of one of her many endearing antics. - Ayee

A Life Lived Well

Last Friday was the saddest day of my life.

It was that day I lost my dear cat, Purdy, it was also the day I had to bid the last farewell to my 88-year-old uncle. He caught pneumonia while visiting relatives in China but did put in a good fight to fend off this deadly disease for two years. I realize no one including our pets can live forever. But I hope the many fond memories I have of him will help me get over the loss of my enlightening mentor, and nurturing supporter. Instead of lamenting, I will celebrate his caring and productive long life. During the last week of his good life, he asked for his usual newspapers so he could read and know what was going on around the world.

Once in awhile I asked myself who would I choose to be my idol? Sometimes I picked Bill Gates of Microsoft or Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway. But often I picked my dear uncle. He is not a rich person by all means. He led a simple and modest life. But he is an intelligent individual with utmost integrity. During his lifetime he and his wife, my auntie, worked together, a businessman and a banker, raising a loving family of two children and three grand kids.

My uncle, a self-taught individual, joined our family when he was a teenager. He lost his father, an uncle of our father, when he was very young. During his apprenticeship with our family to become an electrician cum plumber, he learned to read and write better. He also knew how to build radios. He listened to classical music and had many LP's in his collections if I remember correctly. By the time he and our father parted under an unforeseen circumstance, he was a first class craftsman in both the electrical and plumbing business.

About four or five years ago, my uncle started to correspond with me by e-mail. At the first, we wrote to each other in English. With extremely poor eyesight, a few months later he taught himself a new program so he could e-mail me in Chinese. He never stopped to learn even in his old age!

When we were kids, I remember my late uncle took us to many different fun places on weekends. It was he taught me how to swim. On a particular occasion, he got a traffic ticket when he was driving me to get some ice cream. He also helped me choose the right high-school to attend. Among many other kind things he did for me, he financed my first three university years. I remember on another occasion to lessen my homesickness, he sent me an SOS box full of goodies after I wrote to tell him from the school that I got sick from eating some home-cured salty eggs.

Indeed, I am blessed and grateful to have a wonderful uncle like him! - Ayee

The Feathered Apes

Lately, an injured crow caught my attention.

This year, I noticed there was a crippled crow among the many birds who raided our back yard squirrel feeder. It has lost the uses of its right foot. The claws on that foot are curled up inward. Its plumage also lacks the normal lustrous sheen that other crows sport. When swooping down to pick some feeds, it lands only on one leg. Obviously, lacking a healthy and strong leg had hindered its mobility to move around. This explains why it’s not as big as its peers in size. But despite its noticeable disability, it has survived against many harsh elements in the wild.

Now this crow hopped into our back yard almost every day. I saw it lounging around the treed neighborhood too. On one occasion, it with its mate, I assume, was enjoying a freshly cracked walnut in the middle of the road. Luckily, the driver in an oncoming car slowed down to give the wobbling jaywalker enough time to escape to a nearby fence. At other times, it somehow recognized me when I was refilling the feeder. It awaited the treats I left for it. When there were no cats in sight, it zoomed down to where the treats were. Then it flew away to a neighbor’s roof to digest the many peanuts it managed to hold in its short beaks.

I have heard that crows are one of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom. This is the reason some biologists called crows feathered apes. From what I have observed over the past several years since we moved to our present residence, they are indeed clever creatures. I saw crows throw nuts onto the road and let the drive-by traffic crack the nuts’ hard husk for them. In our backyard I saw crows  follow the grounded squirrels and watch where the bushy tailed rodents bury their peanuts. Once the furry ones are away from the cache, the feathered ones come to raid the safe and harvest the loot. How clever! - Ayee

Jumbo, The Great Croupier

Talking about the smart elephants.

Years ago, one of our stepmother’s brothers told us stories of working elephants in Burma, now Myanmar, on the Sino-Peninsula. Our uncle served in the Air Force in World War II. He was fighting the Japanese in dense tropical forest. Fortunately, he was not injured during the war. So we got him back home unscathed. When visiting the family, he often amused us, the kids, with elephant stories from the war zone. We thought they were hilarious. And we never tired of hearing one particular story over and over. Imaging! A monster-sized beast like an elephant could work willingly along with its human handler.

Back in the 30's, Burmese forests were full of teaks and other oil-rich woods. Without powerful harvesting tractors like the ones we have now, the natives bred the local elephants in captivity and trained the docile resident pachyderms with their lumbering snout and curved tusks to fell and haul heavy trees. Surprisingly to know, in the old day the elephants also got paid for their hard works in the woods.

And the story goes like this:

After a day’s toiling in the humid jungles, both the elephant and its handler got paid for the day’s work. With Kyat in their pocket, or should we say in their "trunk," they returned to their camp to relax. And it's also time to get the money out of the elephant's snout for the provisions they needed. To get the elephant dislodge the money, its handler taught his workmate gambling with dice. To throw the dice cubes, the elephant must first let go of the cash held in its trunk. When the bet was placed, the happy giant was ready to roll. After each throw, to express its immense pleasure, the lumbering thrower would whirl around like what Jumbo, a circus elephant, did under the Big-Top on a small round platform. During its celebratory spin, its handler got chances to turn the dice face over to his advantage. At the end of the day, the most joyful croupier lost all of its wages to its trusted handler. - Ayee

Lucy, The Elephant

Recently, two Hollywood celebrities brought a zoo elephant to fame.

Bob Barker and William Shatner together with an animal welfare organization, "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals," (PETA) asked a city zoo to move the zoo's star attraction to a wildlife sanctuary in California.

Lucy, a 30-year-old Asian elephant, calls a zoo in Edmonton her home, sweet home. Edmonton happens to be in Alberta, Canada, that is known for its gushing oil wells and also below zero climate. During the long winter months, the lone Lucy has to stay in an indoor shelter that does not provide her with sufficient roaming spaces. That is why Messrs. Barker and Shatner and PETA wanted to move Lucy to a greener and warmer pasture. But her keepers did not see it is a good idea.

Too bad Lucy cannot tell us what she prefers. About six years ago there was another elephant in Canada who was in the same predicament as Lucy is in now. I hope the story of Tina can help the good-hearted people who care about Lucy’s welfare come up with a decision that is good for her.

Tina faced a similar tug-of-war between a zoo in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and a few animal welfare groups. I cannot remember how old Tina was then. She was the only elephant at the zoo and had suffered bad foot infection. After much heated exchanges between the concerned parties, her keepers surrendered her to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. An arduous three-day trip in a standing room only trailer and thousands of donated dollars did bring Tina to the remote sanctuary in one piece. She seemed to be happy at the expansive and lush pasture. Alas! Good time did not last for Tina. She died of foot infection only a few months after being transported to the elephant paradise. - Ayee

Broccoli Anyone?

Yesterday I visited a Japanese China Store that sells colorful ceramic and stone dinner wares. I was disappointed at first for not finding what I was looking for. But I did not walk out of the store empty-handed. I found something priceless on a gift-wrapped mug. The writings in a gift tag on the cup offered me some timeless ideas. Not in its exact words, this is what is printed on that tag:

Secrets of Good Health

Eat less meat more vegetable.
Use less salt more vinegar.
Take less sugar more fruit.
Eat less chew more.
Dress lightly but bathe frequently.
Do less talking more working.
Get less angry more laughter.
Do less driving more walking.
Less worry more sleep.
Less taking more giving.

Good health to everyone! - Ayee

Star War

In this battle, everyone wins.

This is the second year I watch this reality show. In spite of the fact that the show’s contestants are amateurs, their acts on live television are quite creative and professional. I am talking about the NBC’s talent show "America’s Got Talent."

Many will agree with me that not only this show in its fourth season is very entertaining, its contestants also bring the viewers many compelling stories to share.

Just mention a few. One group of young men grew up in a rough neighborhood. Instead of becoming street bums, they decided to play balls. The way they shot the balls into the lofty basket made me wonder if they were Globe Trotters' poster boys. Even though this group was not voted in for the final competition, the roaring applause and accolade its members received on the show will inspire them favorably in all their future endeavors. Another group of three siblings with angelic voices woke their comatose mother up with spiritual songs. One opera singer, a cancer survivor, soothed our souls with high-octave arias. And a humble chicken catcher crooned ballads that melted our hearts. There are two other male singers. Resulting from hard work, both of them are heading to stardom soon.

Tomorrow night we will know who is the winner among the ten terrific finalists. Their final performances last night were so great. I think all of them deserve the first prize. - Ayee

Desperate Measure (II)*

Even though there was no satisfactory resolution on executives’ compensation at a recent banker’s meeting in Berlin, Germany. I am pleased to learn that one of the top guns on Wall Street did have a few workable ideas for his counterparts to consider. Here is what Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sache Group Inc., had suggested to rein in excessive bonus payments:

- Ban multiyear guaranteed contracts.
- Allow claw backs on incentive pays.
- Pay bonuses in company stock that can only be sold upon holder's retirement.

It is also very pleasing for me to learn that one of Mr. Blankfein’s astute suggestions is somewhat similar to the ones that I put forward in my previous blog "Desperate Measure," of February 8, 2009. Among other things, Mr. Blankfein's other ideas do not appear to be mind-boggling propositions and are easy to implement. Now it is up to the businesses and their leaders to put these straight-forward measures to work. Aside from what Mr. Blankfein had suggested, the company should have a payroll system that is fair to all employees. And compensation to executives is set in line with how the company pays its support staff. Last but not lest, the company's fair entitlement program shall never reward managers who take undue risks with other people’s money. Ayee

*Source: "Compensation backlash gains momentum," The Globe and Mail, Sept 10, 2009

A Simple Measure

For pet owners, a simple tag can save a lot of heartache.

The other day my neighbor found a wondering puppy on the street. It was sniffing around the pavement by itself. The dog responded to her call happily and was ready to play. It is a small mixed breed of maybe Maltese or Bichon Frise. This cream color dog has a pair of big intense round eyes that would melt your heart. But its collar bears neither an id tag nor a dog license. Fortunately, this little dog lives in a house nearby and its owner was quick on his feet out looking for his wayward pet. So this story had a happy ending.

But not all strays are this lucky. Many people who lost their pets can tell you how heartbroken they were when they did not know where their loved Fidos or Fifis were.

Therefore, it is a must to secure an id tag on our pets. This simple measure would definitely help speed up the return of our best friends as the information on the id tag gives our lost pet a way to tell others what is their name and to whom they belong. - Ayee

To Buy or Not To Buy

I started to pay attention to the troubled insurer, American International Group (AIG), when I read about its newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO), Robert Benmosche, and his sea side villa in Croatia.

Being an accomplished former chief executive of MetLife Inc., Mr. Benmosche seems to be the right person for the challenge. But the fact got most of my attention was the new executive’s decision to manage the nearly bankrupt company at his far away vineyard by the Adriatic Sea.

Even though I do agree with Mr. Benmosche’s insightful comments on outside consultants, I, not a sour grape( no pun intended), do have some reservations about absentia managers. As I learned later, it was an issue with AIG’s directors when Mr. Benmosche did not want to cancel his planned summer getaway.

I also noticed AIG’s share price rose 400% to above US$50 a share over the last few months. With scarcely any good news on the company, I wonder why the stock of a company with such grim prospect can be this pricey? - Ayee

Bonus or No Bonus

Executive compensation is in the news again. And we also have a new pay czar in place in the States.

Before the companies’ annual meeting, their shareholders are inundated with proxy statements. Many companies need more than 60 pages of write-ups to inform their shareholders on how much they have paid their top executives. It also includes what deferred compensation their executives are entitled to upon their retirements. For the ones who are taking home a seven-figure pay package annually, I wonder why their employers still have to worry about their retirements!

As far as the bonus is concerned, in some cases, it is an effective tool used to motivate employees. But when a company decides to pay bonuses, whether in cash or in restricted stock option, to its executives, to be fair it should also include all of its non-executive staff in the same scheme. After all, it is the rank-and-file staff who rake in revenues to enable the company to pay salary, bonus, rent and its other financial obligations.

Since bonuses to employees will not be a thing of the past, and the company boards had failed in reining in the exorbitant executive pays, the shareholders will have to rely on the government agencies, such as the pay czar’s office, to ensure the future executive compensations, including bonuses, are pegged at a reasonable and sustainable level. - Ayee

Raison D'etre

Something I saw on "60 Minutes" the other night was very upsetting.

I did not see the entire program but I did see a fisherman cutting the fins from a struggling live shark. I would call the person a liar if he or she told me the shark was not in excruciating pain when someone cut its flippers off with a sharp instrument. According to the reporter, after the fisherman got the fins, he threw the injured catch back to the sea to die.

Animal science is Greek to me. But many will agree with me there is a reason why there are so many other beings around us. In the animal kingdom including ourselves each species plays a crucial rule in the ecosystem. But so far it seems to many of us that we, the humans, have done more than our shares to harm and to endanger other animals living in our midst.

On the big white sharks, they are scavengers of the sea. They preyed on the diseased and the weak to keep the population of the marine life in check. On rare occasions they inflicted serious injury to humans. When they did, it is because we chose to encroach the beaches where sharks normally gathered.

In China, shark fin soup has been a delicatessen for years. I remember long ago, our late aunt prepared for us a clear chowder that was made of shark meat, bak choy and vinegar. She had also made soup with shark fins. While I welcomed the well-prepared foods, I could never tell if foods with shark parts improved my health more than other less mundane fares.

Today we have so many choices as far as our daily breads are concerned. We are also more conscious of the way how our foods are gathered. Therefore, it is high time that we say NO to shark fin soup for good. - Ayee

On Health Cares

Like many publicly-held corporations, North America’s medical providers are becoming albatrosses. The new health care bill that the US government is about to sign into the law has a lofty goal. But without reforming the basics in the health care system before hand, the new law to cover more Americans is just another piece of expensive legislation.

Since governments do play a crucial role on how the health cares are dispensed, they do have the responsibility to

- educate their citizens so they know how to take better care of themselves. Education will certainly help us make more informed decisions that can affect our life style choices.

- ensure health care providers are better equipped and taught to provide their learned services. They should be held responsible for the errors they made on patients. Besides apologizing to the wronged patients, the errant doctors must return to school to be re-trained.

- provide medical cares through smaller hospitals. Services from a smaller organization can be more personal that improves the communications between patients and doctors. Small entities are more transparent. So we can see better as to who did what. Since medical care costs are rising at an exorbitant rate, a smaller hospital can be more efficient and cost less to operate.

- disallow the "de-bundle" practice in medical services. This method of costing health therapies does help increase hospitals’ revenue, but requires expensive and diligent manpower to maintain accurate records.

Now good health to everyone! - Ayee

Cooperation Instead of Confrontation

It is surreal to hear that a prominent academic got himself arrested by his neighborhood police officer. If Professor Henry Louis Gates, Junior, a Harvard scholar, were cooperative and more emphatic to what Sgt. Crowley was trying to do, this incident would undoubtedly conclude amiably to everyone’s satisfaction. I would think the respected prof would have more know-how under his sleeves to defuse a touchy situation. It also appears to me that no one in his neighborhood knows him and vice versa. But his neighbor did what concerned neighbors do. She called the police to protect his property.

This unsavory incident also reminds me of a classmate I had in a research course.

Our prof assigned me to work with an African-American student who was also a teacher on a reporting project. We were scheduled to meet the prof at an agreed time for further instruction on the specific reference materials that we could get from the library. For reasons unknown to me, my partner went to meet our prof before our appointment. Then when I got to the library looking up the reference item, the page with the details we needed was not there. Someone had cut it from the nicely bound book.

To this day, I still can not fathom why someone would destroy a perfect library book. And I will be very worried if that someone happens to be a teacher.- Ayee

The Tails of Two Owls*

*"A Dog Who Wouldn’t Be," (1957) Farley Mowat
"Owls of the Family," ( 1961), Farley Mowat

I did not know I would get this much fun out of readings these two books. I thank the author for sharing his childhood experiences with the public. They are priceless. I often heard life in the Canadian prairie was boring. But based on Mr. Mowat’s accounts, his interactions with gophers, birds and many other wildlife in the Canadian dust bowls are fascinating.

Now let’s go back to Wol and Weep. As the book's title "Owls of the Family" suggests, this is a story of two orphaned owls. They were rescued by a young boy, Billy, and his pals, and kept as family pets for many years. Wol was named after the owl in "Winnie- the-Pooh," while Weep got his name from the weepy sound he made sometimes. I do not know if the harsh and cruel circumstance of which these two birds experienced at the time of their rescue can influence their future behaviors. Even though they were both from the same species of the owl family, each of them had a personality of their own. Wol was found in a wooded area. And he, a fledgling then, managed to survive a wretched storm on his own. He emerged from the merciless nature as a strong one. By the time he was cleaned and fed, he decided to follow these three nice young boys home for good.

The young Weep was saved from the hands of two bullies. He was seen at the bottom of an oil drum dodging the many stones that his captors were throwing at him. His first encounter with human beings was not an inviting one. This is why he was a timid one.

Wol was the daring one who played pranks even on the family dog, Mutt. On the other hand, Weep was always not so sure about himself. Mutt had become his body guard. This is why Weep did not get mentioned in the book often. And Wol was the one who got himself and his little friend in big trouble many times. Despite the facts that they lived as free as birds, the strong bond between these two owls and the young boy made them inseparable. They were definitely not barn owls. Because of Wol’s unpredictable behaviors, he caused the family lose their capable maid. He upset Billy’s French teacher when he landed on her lap, and he also scared the wits out of the country vicar when he decided to be friendly with the man of the cloth.

The story of these two beautiful country owls and the author's dog brought many laughs out of me. I will definitely revisit them again to amuse myself. - Ayee

Gentle Cures

I just learned our perfectly healthy looking neighbor is very ill. And I am not surprised to hear that he reacted to chemo therapies badly. I do wish that he will get well soon so among other things he and his furry friend can enjoy their many daily walks in the neighborhood again.

This bad news makes me wonder why it is so easy to contract cancer now. Not only people suffer great deal from this deadly disease, their pets as well. Two of our cats contracted cancer this year. Both of them were gone now. And I also know at least two of our neighborhood dogs died of cancer not long ago. One of them had been treated with surgeries and chemo therapy.

Based on what I heard, it sounded to me cancer treatments are harsh ones. Someone had said the cancer patients suffered more from the treatments than the disease itself. There must be other therapies available that can cure cancers. If there are not, then I urge the esteemed medical professions work hard on finding cures that are kinder and gentler to their devastated patients. - Ayes

To Remember or Not to Remember

Last night on "60 Minutes," Andy Rooney was lamenting about his discriminating memory. Over the years, he had saved many documents and objects in cardboard boxes and wooden cases. But because he does not remember the reasons why he saves these items, he has seldom gone back to the letters and articles that he has saved in different receptacles. He also does not remember many happy things happened in his life. But he has no trouble recounting the bad experiences he has had in the past.

And Mr. Rooney is not alone in this predicament.

Many of us also had glutted our storage space with tons of useless objects and papers.

With respect to our personal memory banks, we do remember the bad occasions more often than the good ones. Somehow we tend to emphasize the bad times we have had but most likely to overlook the jolly ones. Maybe this is one of the reasons why many of us are living in a very unhappy life. Granted, when bad luck strikes us, the devastating and hurtful after shock can stay with us forever.

Once again, Mr. Rooney has something for me to ponder about. - Ayee

No More Caddies

I am saddened by the news that another US business icon is on the brink of bankruptcy. General Motors Corporation (GM), once the largest car maker in the world, will be reorganized under the US’s bankruptcy laws according to the news. For years, because of its dominant role in car making, it offered decent jobs to millions in the US and around the world. Their reliable and stylish cars labeled under the brand names like Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, were most popular ones in both the States and abroad. I also noticed many governments had deployed the elegant and stately Cadillacs to transport their dignitaries. Hopefully, the upcoming reorganization of the company will make it a leaner and more competitive car manufacturer that produces only fuel-efficient and reliable vehicles.

This news also reminds me of a dark-red Buick our late parents had in the old country. It was a four-door passenger car that was a very reliable transport for our parents. While our father never learned how to drive, our mother did. She probably was the only woman who drove a motor car in our neighborhood. On the weekends, our dear uncle and his colleagues would pile us, the kids, up in the car and go sightseeing. I and my siblings certainly had a whale of good time riding in this GM car. - Ayee

To Have or Not to Have

I am talking about credit cards.

Many credit card holders face financial ruins by overextending credit to themselves. To avoid bankruptcy, some of them had to cut up all their plastics. By using credit cards irresponsibly, few of card holders had already bankrupted themselves.

Recently the US federal governments have enacted some new laws to protect credit card users. But these laws may not be necessary for the 70% of card holders who always pay off their credit card balance before the next billing day as well as for the consumers who refrain themselves from spending the money they have yet earned and from buying things that are beyond their ability to pay.

Based on my own experience, I found credit cards offer me many financial and non-financial benefits. Therefore, I always use my credit cards when shopping.

My reasons for using plastics to pay for purchases are:

• It is more convenient than cash and is safer than having cash in my wallet.
  
• It protects me from unscrupulous merchants.
  
• The cards are welcome and acceptable by almost all businesses.
  
• I can use credit cards to pay even utility bill, tuition, and insurance premium.
  
• It allows me take advantage of bargains on the things I need.
  
• It consolidates all of my purchases and simplifies my bookkeeping.
  
• In an emergency, I can use credit cards to obtain cash.

- Ayee

The Outlaws(?)

A mother and son became the State of Minnesota’s latest wanted persons under the law.

A desperate mother agreed to her son’s request not to have chemotherapy for his cancer. But the court in the land of thousand lakes decided that the young patient must continue taking this unpleasant treatment. To not follow the court decision, the mother and her sick son are now on the run from their comfortable home and become fugitives on a "crime" that harms no others.

Governments enact laws to protect innocent citizens. But in this case, a decision of good intent by the court might have done more harm than good to this young patient. Personally, I certainly do not want any government to interfere on how I deal with my own personal health issues.

I have not heard much lately on the whereabouts of the mother and the child. But I wish their governments will use a more empathic approach to assist them. Let the family decide this very intimate and personal issue for themselves. Enforcing a particular medical treatment by the court may not be the best way to deal with a life and death situation like this one. - Ayee

Tim, The Tuna King

In the early hours of Mother’s Day, we lost our dear Tim.

His sudden passing made me sad and feeling helpless. I could not believe his death could come so quickly at the snap of a finger. Tim's untimely death made me feel that I had failed to help him ward off an ailment that is common to both people and animals. Because of my short comings, I no longer have a rambunctious feline next to my feet waiting to be pampered. Now when I open the door to the back yard, I will miss seeing him under the shade of a filbert tree amid bluebell blooms and green grasses.

Tim came to our lives through a cat flap in the spring of 1999. We all know spring is the season when young amorous cats are out in the neighborhood looking for their perfect mates. After this handsome tom got his job done unscathed, he decided to move in with us. As a found poster for this young cat failed to find his owner, he became ours. And we named him Tim after the other tabby cats, Tommie and Tammy, we had before.

Over the years, I learned Tim was a very low-maintenance pussy. He was fastidiously clean as he licked himself often during the day, then another thorough grooming before bed. He got along with the older cats nicely unless they were fighting for the same cozy spot to sleep. Tim knew how to purr when showing of his affection was required. Sometimes he was a fool in disguise. Now and then we would see Tim on top of Sweetie even though he like his victim was a duly altered tom by qualified veterinarian years ago.

Tim’s other fetish was his weak resistance to canned tuna. If flaked tuna in water was the dish of the day, he would wait patiently as soon as he heard the can opener was at work. He would first devour his portion of the fish quickly then he worked on the leftover in the other cats’ dish. Matter of fact, a plateful of light tuna was his last square meal before he lost his ravenous appetite. His penchant for fish and other kibbles was the reason why Tim was on the chubby side for his age. He was fifteen and half pounds at the time of his passing.

Now our dear Tim is gone. Sweetie may find great relief living without him. His sudden departure makes me realize that there is no way I can turn the clock back to have him at my side again. But our fond memories of this precious feline will remain with us forever and ever. - Ayee

Miracle Workers

Even though I did not bond with my mother well, I bear no bad feeling toward my late mother. I am sure she had done her best for me and my siblings when we were kids.

But if I were given an opportunity to choose my own mother, I would opt for a mom who does not work outside of the family home. It sounds selfish as many loving and nurturing mothers are also very capable and well-educated individuals who can be successful in their chosen career. But for the kids it is definitely a comfort knowing that their mom is home.

Now thanks to the feminism and equal-opportunity movements, many mothers take up employment outside of their home. And there is a word coined for the working moms who juggle both their career and family well. These "supermoms" are miracle workers. After a stressful day at the office, mothers still have to take care of the insurmountable amount of household chores at home. By having a career, working mothers are burdened themselves with extra responsibilities for the family. For this reason, despite my preference of having a stay-home mom, I think working mom deserves an extra Mother’s Day. - Ayee

"The Family Way/Doc Martin"

"Doc Martin" is a popular television series about a surly London surgeon practicing family medicine in one of the most beautiful villages on the British Isles: Port Wenn, Cornwall, England.

I saw "The Family Way" again on PBS the other night.

This episode tells Doc Martin’s unhappy childhood. It explains why Dr. Martin Ellingham (by Martin Clune) was so inapt when dealing with others. He was a most competent and conscious medical doctor. But he was a pain as far as his mannerism was concerned. When his estranged parents came to sort out some family finance with his aunt in Port Wenn, his mother told him it was he who ruined her marriage to his father, also a surgeon. This was the reason why they sent him to study in boarding schools and to spend summer holidays with Auntie Joan in Port Wenn.

Yet in the same Port Wenn’s charming neighborhood, one of Doc Martin’s patients and her boyfriend, a music teacher, found great joy when they were told that they were expecting a set of twins.

Unfortunately, the series on "Doc Martin" had ceased production after three successful seasons. - Ayee

Mr. Earl Crawley of Baltimore

I heard of Mr. Crawley’s enviable achievement on "MoneyTrack," a personal finance program on television. His story confirms my humble belief that good guys do not finish last on Wall Street.

Mr. Crawley was born with dyslexia to a poor family. He works as a parking lot attendant in a financial district in the City of Baltimore for years. With less than $20,000 income per year, he has put his three children through private school. He owns his own house with no debts. In addition, by being disciplined, patient, and a good listener, he has accumulated an investment portfolio in excess of a half of a million dollars.

At first, he put his meager savings in government savings bonds. Then he systematically bought mutual funds and blue chip stocks. A firm believer of compound interest, he reinvested his dividends. Mr. Crawley learned the art of investing by asking his parking lot patrons who happened to be professionals in money matters.

And the most enviable thing about Mr. Crawley is that he is sharing his savvy knowledge in investing and saving with others. He is not only gifting shares to his church, he also has formed an investment club in the church. So the other members of the congregation can also enjoy the fruits of being disciplined, patient, and a good listener.

Thank you, Mr. Crawley! - Ayee

Professionalism

Since I was in the neighborhood of a popular noodle house the other day, I decided to get some things special for lunch. I ordered a dish of stewed chicken feet in black bean and garlic sauce and a couple of Chinese donuts. These are the dishes that I would not prepare at home, hence become special ones to me. But when I was ready to enjoy my treats, I was totally disappointed at what I got. It seemed to me my favorite restaurant for extra profits had changed its recipes at the expense of good taste and sound business practice.

Even though there is no obvious connection between Chinese foods and professionalism. My disappointment over my special lunch, despite a trivial one, made me wonder. I wonder if we can still expect the honest and consistent services that we used to get when dealing with commercial and professional establishments.

I think if we are in the business providing goods and services to others, the onus is on us to follow the codes of ethics of our respective trade closely. So the goods we sold meet their intended usage and the quality of the goods sold is the same as advertised. Furthermore, the services we rendered to others are as good as agreed by either a hand shake or binding legal documents.

I guess I will not be getting my special treats from that noodle house any more. - Ayee

The Snow Walker (a book) by Farley Mowat (1975)

The author is a popular storyteller on nature and Canadian Eskimo. In The Snow Walker, he tells the readers how Eskimo lived their primitive life in frigid northern country.

According to the book, Eskimo subsisted on caribous and lived in igloos on the icy tundra. At the mercy of Mother Nature, they survived from generation to generation. Then when the dark winter in the coldest place on earth never ended, and the depleted food stock could not be replenished, the residents of this barren land could do nothing but remain in their cold and dark igloos to face their Snow Walker. Starvation was Eskimo’s worst enemy. In a short time, it wiped out the residents of an entire camp that consisted of many families.

One of the grim tales in the book that moved me the most is about an unbreakable bond between a young hunter and a white fox ("Two Who Were One.")

It is the story of young Angutna brought home a fox pup whom he found while bagging his first caribou. Angutna named the baby fox Kipmik, Little Dog. They grew up together and became inseparable. Kipmik’s animal instinct helped Angutna become a successful hunter. But good times did not last. When the wildlife in the neighborhood was depleted, Angutna was compelled to sell Kipmik’s beautiful fur for foods for his wife and children. With the noose of release, Angutna killed both Kipmik and himself. According to the legend, Angutna was buried by the bank of the River of Seals with Kipmik lied beside him. - Ayee

A Little Green Snake

In our younger days, my sister and I often accompanied an elderly relative, Kon Kon, on his many long walks in the countryside. In this particular sunny morning, we were on a trail along a small creek. It must be a summer day as there was not much water in the narrow stream. On the other side of the path, there was this rocky cliff towered over us and protected us from the morning sun. The soft splashing sound from the running water in the creek was soothing and peaceful. It was another perfect day for a leisure stroll in the woods.

But on our way back, we noticed a little green snake about two to three feet long coiled perfectly on the steep cliff. Its stunning color of bamboo green stood out amid the brownish vegetation on the rock. Because its entire body is in such translucent green I have ever seen, I remember this little creature well. To prevent the snake from hurting us, the kids, Kon Kon killed this pretty snake.

At that time none of us seemed to have a second thought over the killing of a defenseless being, as snakes were always being perceived as pests and were considered dangerous to their human neighbors. We must rid of the snake to prevent it from harming us.

Now resulting from uncontrolled urban sprawl, our cities are getting bigger and bigger. Countless of wildlife got killed and relocated because they were in our "neighborhood." In retrospect, I think it is so wrong to kill that little harmless snake. Moreover, it is cruel to kill any wild animals when they happened to be in the patch that uses to be their homes. - Ayee

Sam, the World Famous Koala Bear

Sam’s story was in the news a couple of weeks ago.

We have all heard the recent forest fire in southern Australia. The loss from the merciless fire is humongous. It killed at least 181 people, burned down 1,800 homes, and turned 1,500 square miles of wooded area into charred waste land. I bet in the same time it also engulfed countless family pets and wild creatures.

But amid a devastated backdrop, a koala with scorched paws was a very lucky bear. When it was spotted by the firemen on patrol, somehow it knew to sit on its bum and waited to be helped. After the firefighter, David Tree, offered water to the injured koala, it grabbed its rescuer’s hand while gulping up three bottles of water in one sitting. Hats off to Mr. Tree and his partner, Mark Pardew, Sam, happens to be a girl, is now recuperating nicely with another koala, Bob, at Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter, east of Melbourne.

Smile! - Ayee

Desperate Measures

Next week US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will announce new laws to shore up US banks. And I would like to see his announcement includes these governance measures to curtail the excess in publicly held companies:

• Cap CEO’s base salary of all companies.
• CEO’s bonus is paid in restricted stock options only. He or she can sell the optioned shares only when he or she is leaving the company.
• The exercise price of the options is the same as the closing market price on the day the executives join the company.
• Executive bonus is based on net profit not gross sales.
• Directors meet the minimum share ownership requirement before joining the board.
• Directors are not allowed to serve more than two boards.
• No CEO or COB should be director of other publicly companies.
• Executives lose their bonus if the company has to lay off employees to survive.
• Company must implement work sharing programs instead of outright layoff. - Ayee

The Pearl (1947), John Steinbeck

It is a story of what a beautiful pearl did to a poor pearl diver Kino, his wife, Juana, and their baby son, (Coyotito). Like John Steinbeck’s other great works, this story also ended with extremely sad occurrences. I think the renown author uses this book to tell us that we are living in an imperfect world where good fortune brings disastrous things to good people.

It does not look like the author has much respect for doctor and priest. He paints a very unflattering image on these two characters in the book. The town doctor refused to treat Coyotito for a spider sting because he would not receive any payments. The town priest visited the poor family not until he learned of the family’s new fortune. The same doctor made the house calls to treat Coyotito after he heard of Kino’s valuable pearl.

The pearl buyers did not fare well either in the book. They colluded among themselves to rig the prices on the pearls that the poor divers brought to them for sale.

Then there were unknown bandits who attempted to rub Kino of his "Pearl of the World" outright.

In the book, the Nobel Prize winner also tells us the benefits of education. Through the lustrous pearl, Kino saw "My son will read and open the books, and my son will write and will know writing. And my son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know - he will know and through him we will know."

Through Juana’s inner thought on her husband, the author tells us of the unforgiving Mother Nature. Juana knew that ". . . the mountain would stand while the man broke himself; that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it."

I save the best to the last. This is what the author has said of a seaweed poultice Juana made for a scorpion bite on their son’s shoulder:

"Which was as good a remedy as any and probably better than the doctor could have done. But the remedy lacked his authority because it was simple and didn’t cost anything." - Ayee

Miracles and Miracles

Lately all we learned from the news were sad and gloomy stories. Most of them were works of incompetent and greedy humans. The ones who undertook exotic and complicate business thought the sky was the limit. They caused many innocent people lost their lifetime savings, jobs, and maybe dignities too. The current malaise in world economy had certainly put many of us in disbelief and despair. Then, BOOM! The commotion that jolted passengers of a turbojet out of their comfortable seats not only saved everyone on board of US Airways Flight #1549, it also ignited hopeful feeling in me that miracles can happen anywhere at anytime.

Thanks to the good Captain Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger for his heroic action that made this miracle to happen. Then what a humanitarian person he is. He also put himself in a dangerous situation twice to ensure no one was left behind in a sinking airplane.

I also feel the miracle on Hudson River in New York City has happened at a no better time than just days before the inauguration of the country’s 44th president. Perhaps it is a good omen for the new president. Let’s hope President Obama and his team will soon bring the world peace, love and prosperity. - Ayee

The bull is coming!

It must be the result of an intelligent design that this year is the year of the ox in Chinese zodiacs.

We all know oxen have been their keepers’ best friends for years. They are strong and hard working draft animals who withstand harsh working conditions. From my limited knowledge on farming, I do not think they require much special cares either. They remind me of the pictures of water buffaloes toiling on rice paddies, the scene of emaciated bovines pulling goods laden carts in some remote villages, and the sight and sound of a truck full of calves and their cousins heading to far away slaughter houses on super high ways. Because of their strong physique and ability to put up with harsh conditions, they help their impoverished keepers until their last breath.

Certainly we can not expect an ancient zodiac sign to mysteriously transform the worst of the time to the best. But we can learn from what this astrological symbol stands for. But by hard working and perserving, we can all emerge from the looming bad time stronger and become more adaptable to the new harsh reality. - Ayee

Max, a Furry Magician*

Max was one of Sadie’s many pets. His smooth black and white fur did not tell how talent this cuddly cat was. Under his sleek and shiny coat, he was a clever magician in disguise. He made things disappear and reappear at the right time. In addition, he was an eager peace maker. He kept all his house mates in check so they could live with each other in harmony.

In one particular instance, Sadie, a friend’s late sister, took in an elderly dog. Since it was a long time ago, my dear friend does not remember the orphaned dog’s name. For easy reference, we will call this old fellow, "Kid." Before Sadie had Kid, life in her pet habitat was very uneventful. After Kid’s arrival, his many comings and goings in and out of the house disrupted the peaceful routine of the animal kingdom very much. Kid was not very healthy. He needed a lot of extra cares that no others had ever dreamed of. Frequently, Sadie had to take him to the vet to have his long floppy ears cleaned. He got his hair clipped now and then too. Besides, he sported a handsome collar that none of his other house mates had. From Max’s view, Kid was different. Definitely he was not one of them. Then one day not long after Sadie adopted Kid, she noticed Kid no longer had his fancy necklace on. It disappeared! Without that pretty collar, Kid became one of the pack. Max and his mates accepted him for good. Finally, life at Sadie’s ark was back to even keeled, calm and peaceful.

Then one sad day came.

On that day, Sadie had to take Kid to the vet again. But this time she returned home without Kid in tow. Max ran up and down in the house desperately looking for his friend. Eventually, he and his gang sensed their mistress’ sadness over losing Kid for good. They realized this time he would never return. While everyone else settled down at their usual place in the parlor mourning, Max unceremoniously trotted down to the basement. When he returned to the sitting room shortly, he had Kid’s fancy necklace with him. Like the magnificent master in a magic show, Max deftly placed the collar right at the spot where Kid used to sit. - Ayee

*In fond memory of Sadie and her cherished pets