Dog Business

The other afternoon, a disobedient dog got my attention. He and his young mistress were crossing the same intersection as I was. This bullterrier like young dog with extraordinary long floppy ears did not seem to be happy at all. He constantly resisted his mistress’ lead. He looked about six to eight months old and would soon become a full grown mongrel. This might explain why his rib-cage was sticking out from his lanky body. Or maybe he was hungry, hence, his unwillingness to heel.

After we reached the other side of the streets, I decided to offer a few dog biscuits that I had with me for one of my canine friends to this "hungry dog." The offering was welcome but the interest in the treats was fleetingly short. While his mistress and I stopped to chat, unlike other pooches, hungry and not hungry, who would devour the treat in one bite, he dropped the biscuit on the pavement. When I bent down to pick the cookie, he took a few side steps to the grassy area next to the sidewalk where we were. On that patch he started to relieve himself. Once he had emptied his bladder, without any enticement or coaxing, he was next to his owner and ready to trot.

From our brief chat, his young owner told me that she had just adopted him and that is why she had not had a name for him yet. And it was a he. I also learned that he was either starving or mistreated in any way. And he is going to start a new life with this seemingly responsible and caring young woman. While waving goodbye and wishing them the best, I saw a changed dog in him. Wthout any resistance, willingly he followed his owner to continue their unfinished journey. - Ayee

To Insure or Not to Insure

Recently, we relocated to a smaller residence. Once we found the place, the first thing we did was to book a date with a mover. Since there was a local mover who served us well in the past, naturally we decided to use the same company for this time as well.

When I called to book the move, the gentle voice on the other end of the line sounded friendly but very businesslike. It gave me a feeling that since our last move six years ago this family business has grown. In the past, when we called to book the move, it was a done deal once the date and time were agreed upon. This time, the young person on the phone had to advise me of additional information. They included terms such as a minimum four-hour charge, maximum 50-pound per box and the requirement of a deposit. Yet, these were not the only extra conditions we, the customers, were subject to.

On the moving day came a marked van manned by two young fellows. Before loading any boxes onto their dolly, one of the movers with an intimidating clipboard asked if we wanted to insure our household goods in case they were damaged in transit. Since we had our own insurance, I declined the offer.

Once the required formality was adhered to and the waivers were dotted, the two young men sprang to action. But somehow, they appeared to be not as apt in their job as their colleagues in the previous moves. Finally their laborious mission came to an end after five long hours.

And this time to my utmost surprise there were some damages to one of the end-tables and a lamp shade. In addition, three boxes were placed upside down on the floor at our new home. Apparently, the young movers had paid no attention to the wine glass direction on the cardboard boxes. Fortunately the damage to our worldly possessions was not catastrophic. But this instance did make me wonder what the outcome would be if we insured our belongings as offered?

It also illustrates that bigger is not better. Now this reputable business charges their customers nearly 100% more than it did nine years ago. To my disappointment, its higher tariff did not translate into a better services thou! - Ayee

Random Kindness

Yesterday I went to pick up my newspaper at a neighborhood drug store. After I found my daily, I lined up like many others did at the checkout stand. There were only about four or five customers ahead of me so I expected I would be out of the store soon, and still have time taking a leisure stroll home. Wrong! An elderly lady at the front of the line seemed to have problems with the battery she needed for her hearing aids. Since she herself did not know which one is the right one, the cashier at the till was totally lost in a maze of many button-like batteries. Even though no one was complaining about the wait, the line was getting longer. And that poor senior remained baffled as to the type of the specialized battery she needed. Then, a young fellow in a dark suit next to this flustered senior citizen decided to take the matter upon himself. He asked the cashier wait on other customers while he sorted out the arrays of disc-like power cells for a somewhat confused senior. By the time it was my turn to pay for my paper, I could see that well-dressed young fellow was no near to that Eureka moment he was looking for.

On my way home, I could not help but marvel at an act of selfless kindness unfolded in front of us at the store. Even though, I did not offer my service to this senior in need, I was pleased to see someone else did. - Ayee

A Super Mom

There is a no better day than Mother’s Day to remember a super mom.

In the spring of 1997, upon my return from a holiday, I found my feline family had grown again. Not only I got one extra kitty but a pregnant one. I bet when the mouse was away the cat played. After a Found ad failed to find this purring machine’s owner, I kept her and named her Purdy.

Luckily, care for an expecting queen was not a hard task. Purdy also got along with the other cats well, particularly Sweetie. Finally on the B-day, actually it was in the wee hours of the night, Purdy brought me the most precious gifts in the world: four helpless kittens. Voila! She managed to give birth to bundles of joy without a hitch. At the time when I discovered what Purdy had just accomplished, her newborns had already latched on their mommy feeding. Their deft mother also left their birthing place spotless clean.

During the ensuring weeks, Purdy fussed over the newborns 24/7. The kittens were in shipshape conditions. They became more and more appealing by the day. When the babies were still blind, Purdy hid them in different places. Once the kittens could see and negotiate their own little steps, their dear mom would round them up on the floor like what Lassie did to the sheep on the farm. When my other cats were near, she would chase them except Sweetie away from her pride and joy. Sweetie, a neutered tom, sat proudly by the kits as a surrogate dad. The sight of her lying on her side nursing her four little furry bundles was so soothing to watch. It also brought comforting feeling in me.

Motherhood and raising children are complicated and taxing matters. But for a devoted mom like Purdy, it all came naturally. Raising four kittens at once was a piece cake for her.

Sadly, Purdy is no longer with us. Our super mom disappeared from our home six months ago. I still had no clue as to what had happened to her. But for the good old time’s sake, I am here to wish her a happiest Mother’s Day. Purdy, our super mom, do come home soon! - Ayee

Liberation Procedure

Recently there was a breaking news on a new treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is thought to be an autoimmune-related ailment. Currently MS patients are under the care of neurologists. Now an Italian doctor thinks blocked blood vessels are the causes of this debilitating disease. And a surgical procedure, similar to angioplasty, an accepted and proven medical practice, called Liberation, can help lessen MS symptoms, hence sufferings.

Dr. Paolo Zamboni’s theory on the MS seems to be plausible. We all know blood is life. If for any reason its conduit, blood vessels, fails to function, serious disease ensues. A few of MS suffers had the procedure and found good results. Some of them got to start walking again. Now due to the lack of research on this new treatment for MS, hospitals in both America and Canada are not allowed to provide Liberation treatments. Despite the prohibition, desperate MS patients now seek the treatment in overseas hospitals.

First I commend the medical professions for their cautious stance on this new discovery. But in the meantime, they should also respect their patients’ need as well. - Ayee

"Stand and Deliver," A 1988 Film

This is a story of a very special high school teacher in a Hispanic neighborhood in East Los Angeles. I did not see the movie but Garfield High School does ring a bell to me. Jaime Escalante, the greatest teacher in America, believes mathematics is the power to a better life. He, an immigrant from La Paz, Bolivia, moved to Los Angeles in 1964. He started his esteemed career at Garfield ten years later. The student body there is mostly immigrants from Mexico. Most families in this school district had struggled to make ends meet. They often left their children fend for themselves without any parental guidance. But this disadvantageous social and economical situation did not discourage this great teacher. Through his Calculus classes, he inspired his many students to do their best. By hard working, he helped his students from underprivileged families believing in themselves. Many studied at the late Mr. Escalante’s classes had gone to college and followed their mentor’s footsteps becoming teachers and professors themselves, in math, of course.

Exactly one month and four days ago, Mr. Escalante died in Sacramento, California, of bladder cancer.

Years ago, I read articles about the demise of professionalism in many professions that included teachers. So the story of the late Mr. Escalante is so encouraging and refreshing. What he had accomplished during his long tenure at Garfield is also truly incredible. - Ayee

It's time to be humble.

On the weekend, while watching the Professional Golf Association’s Zurich Classic on television, I learned the tournament’s second day play was delayed due to the inclement weather in New Orleans. The lightening came along with a thunderstorm that struck a tall tree on the course. Fortunately, no one there was injured from this mishap. But some residents in a neighboring state were not that lucky. A tornado swept through the State of Mississippi left ten people dead and many homeless. Not mention the devastating earthquakes that shook the world from Haiti and Chile in Americas and Tibet in China. Then a volcano in Iceland continued spewing out its deadly hot lava into the air and stopped all air travels at many European airports for many weeks.

All of the above mentioned destructive phenomena happened one after another since January of this year. The world has become smaller. And bad news does travel fast. But in the years past natural disasters had never occurred one after another like what has happened so far this year.

I do not know if these are the ways Mother Nature tells us that enough is enough. But I do know no one can decipher what exactly the nature has in stores for us. Perhaps it is time that we take a back seat to reflect and be humble. So we can assure ourselves that the next carbon footsteps we are about to take are smaller and gentler ones. - Ayee