Chronicles of the Depressed Dog

That's right. I am here to chronicle a very short part of a dog's life, my neighbour's dog, to be specific. Below are pictures and GIFs of the dog in action taken stealthily (since my neighbour could mistaken me for being a stalker... although I do actually stalk... at the dog, that is. What? Do you think I am that morally challenged to do such a thing to my neighbours? Sheesh...).

You might be wondering why I dub the dog as "depressed" (if you are not, just pretend you are). It is simply because the dog looks depressed. It's a "she" by the way, and I don't think I want to use the "gender-specific" term for female dogs here. This dog has a face that makes everyone wonders: why is this dog so saaaad? Why the long face? Perhaps it is due to its droopy eyes. For whatever reasons, it looks sad, for my family at least.



There. This is her. The dog with the face that could wipe Mona Lisa's smile away instantly and make Matthieu Ricard (the person scientifically proven to be the world's happiest man and also Dalai Lama's translator. Google him or read the Jan 2011 Reader's Digest issue or... just click on the link) weep.

Now, this is the part of her story that I wanted to tell:

On a wet November night, when torrential rain relentlessly scoured the walls and tarmac while gusts ripped the air apart, sending reverberating howls that... ok, let's cut the crap. Simply put, it was a rainy night. But the wet weather did not dampen his spirit for one bit. He, was a proud, white dog, who resided nearby to a girl-of-his-dreams whom he called - "the Damsel in Depression" (if you haven't got it yet, the "damsel in depression" is the Depressed Dog). So, in the late of the night (about 9 actually, not really that late, but anyway...), he struggled through the metal gate and got out of the house. He knew what he was going to do. Striding with confidence, he headed towards the Depressed Dog's residence. Although he knew his master and her master would be mad at what he was planning to do, he could not resist the desire and instinct that drove him. There's no turning back. It is either now or never, he thought. Soon, he arrived at his destination. He scrutinized the dark surroundings. No vehicle. No human. Just a pretty dog sitting all by herself. WAIT... all by HERSELF?! It was his best chance. So, he sprang at the beauty and tried to attract her attention. He did. But unfortunately, the "depressed dog" is, well, of course, too depressed to entertain him. So she lied there motionlessly. It was a silent gesture asking him to leave. But he, the mighty young male, full of dreams and aspirations, would not give up nor give in. So, he figured he should cut the chase. Without warning, he, er, "struck".

[WARNING] In the next paragraph, things could get a liiiiiittle disturbing. Below 18-ners, please go watch Cartoon Networks or Disney Channel. Or go read something else. Just for a while (though you would just ignore this and read on anyway. Why did I even bother. Well, suit yourself.)

So, he tried to *toot* the lady but she just wasn't in the mood. He tried everything under his sleeves. Gentle biting, fervent biting, gentle nudging, etc. but all to no avail. So he tried all over again. And again. And again. And... you get the idea. You think reading this is nauseating? Well, lemme tell you what, I SAW THE ENTIRE PROCESS. WITH MY VERY OWN EYES. Otherwise how else could I recount all these stuffs so "vividly"?

Anyway, I didn't know how but it finally seems that the male dog had done what he had went there for. He quickly left the lady before either masters were alerted to the "illicit affair". At first, I doubt the dog's mission was successful... until weeks later where the "unmistakable" signs began to manifest - the bloated belly. It was obvious to everyone that she was pregnant. But again, I still had reservations. It could be that she got fat. But as far as fatness can go, it could never resemble a bona fide/authentic/genuine pregnancy. So, yeah, she got pregnant from a one-night-stand.

Before I knew it, the daily, regular barking of the depressed dog is now accompanied by some indistinct yelping of a puppy - correction, puppies. Here is a puppy with mama:


She delivered. Unlike her long, silky, brown fur, the newborns resemble their proud father - short, white or whitish brown fur. However, since the "affair" was blown, the white male dog was barred and grounded. He could never get out of the house without a leash again (that explains why there is no photos on the father). So, the depressed dog is a single mum, struggling to feed the babies and dealing with motherhood.

Here are some GIF's (animations take time to load on a slow connection):

1. Puppies want mama


2. This dog is also known as the "circling" dog, or "打圈狗".


3. Puppy misses his mama... it needs some love.


Okay, time to say goodbye. You got a question? What? Why no photos of the fateful night? I am not that sick to take such photos of what people would call a "private bedroom activities". What? Why am I so curious about the dog? What do you mean? It just fascinates me... What? You mean about the incident during that rainy night? I didn't PLAN to watch it IN ACTION. What kind of sick people enjoys watching that? I was looking out at the road waiting for someone to come and... it just happened. You don't believe me? Fine. I... I don't have to, er, to explain myself, er... I am not stammering. I am just, just, sorry, got a phone call. Cya! *dash*

Composed by,

Next station: 2011

1st of January, 2010:
Boarding the train by the name of "Year" of the "Timeline Service Ltd." from the terminal of "Station 2009/10".

Early 31st of December, 2010:
Alighted from the train at the terminal: "Station 2010/11". Switched to another platform, waiting for the next train while I get myself refreshed and ready by stocking up provisions and making up plans for the multiple long and short stops over the new journey.

Late 31st of December, 2010:
The train finally arrives. Same train - "Year" of the "Timeline Service Ltd." Leaving in moments. I have to hurry.

1st of January, 2011:
The siren is sounded. Boarding the train, now leaving for the stations that would end in the terminal "Station 2011/12".

* * * * * * * *

Summing up 2010 in gist:


1. Obtained my first class honours degree
2. Attended convocation
3. Learning the Korean language and culture
4. Job hunting - experienced my first and longest assessment/interview which lasted for approximately 3 months
5. Found a job in the current company

Oh, I have left out a very important one: embracing Soshism! This years is the year which I have converted from "aidolism"* belief (as in "atheism" - don't believe in God, hence "aidolism" is the lack of belief in idols) to "Soshism", a devoted "follower" of 9 angels - SNSD. I never had an idol which I "worship". Well, until now. Some asked me is it because they are: 1) cute; 2) pretty; 3) have enchantingly long 다리 (legs); 4) all of the above? Well, instead of choosing from the above, I prefer to reason it this way: They are adorable/lovable. They show respect for others, both 선배 (seniors) and 후배 (juniors); they possess strong sense and capability in entertainment; their vocal and dancing skills are impeccable (짱!); they care for the people around them, especially towards the unfortunate; they are modest but extremely diligent; and most importantly, they are very approachable and amiable.

These are among the reasons why I admire them and have made them integral to my blog.

I know, 2010 is not really a year of happenings for me but still, I am thankful. Whatever 2011 is going to throw at me, I will make sure my arms and mind are strong enough to embrace them.

A Happy New Year to you, dear reader. Don't fret if you don't feel happy; if happiness doesn't come to you, go for it and shower with it.

*Aidolism is a made-up term. Seriously. Don't use it in your writing lest you would be penalized for using a non-existing vocabulary. If you happen to use it and got accepted, then please quote me or acknowledge me in anyway. :P


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Bitter sweet goes a long way

Every time you make a criticism,
don't forget to add
heartfelt compliments too.

People will take it better.
I'm sure you would.

It is not about getting words into a person's brain;
it's about getting them into a person's heart.

Composed by,

Me = ?

How should I sum up my life since primary school till now?

Let's see: A prefect in school; a course representative in varsity; and now a QA exec. Most of my time is spent "helping", "monitoring" and "correcting" (or even "disciplining") others.

Me = law enforcer
or
Me = "got-nothing-else-better-to-do-but-to-pick-on-people"?

Composed by,

The Korean Acidic Past

Upon seeing the exchange of fire (more like shells and bombs) between the "brethren" North and South Korea, many people began to ask this: Why are the brothers fighting? It makes no sense. Well, true, they might be like that all the time but why of such magnitude this time? They are still bros right?

It makes perfect sense, if you know the history of Korea. Why Korea is split as today? It kinda revokes memories on the East/West Germany prior to the fall of Berlin Wall. It all started on the days nearing the Korean War (June 25th, 1950 - July 27th, 1953), during the war, and after the war. Korean War was somehow forgotten, largely because probably it was overshadowed by: 1. The Vietnam War 2. The Gulf War. Korean war, in my opinion, is perhaps one of the wars that are nothing but a futile/useless attempt. Why? Most wars result in a change of environment (political/economic/demographic ...). But the Korean War, even after it was over, nothing had changed much. Before the war, Korea was already separated into two (read below). After the war, it was pretty much the same. Not much territorial changes. After the war, now and then the two countries fought each other on minor scale, especially on the DMZ (Demiliarized Zone, the buffer zone at the 38th peninsular separating the North and South) and the Yellow Sea. So far, 2 high profile disputes have occurred - the Cheonan disaster and the Yeonpyeong shelling. Want to know more about how North and South turn into the bickering bros? Read on but be warned, text heavy.

- End of World War II (WWII), 1945, US and the USSR (Soviet Union) forced Japan out of the Korean peninsular.

- Agreement between US and USSR – northern part of Korea was maintained by USSR while the southern part by US. The dividing line was set at the 38th parallel (38° N).

Problem starts here:
- 1948 – The Cold War tension between USSR and US escalated.
USSR and US pulled out of Korea, leaving a communist (N. Korea) and a democratic government (S. Korea) behind.

- Each side wanted to unify the entire Korea: North (led by Kim Il Sung) wanted Communist, South (led by Syngman Rhee) demanded Democratic. Sparks flew.

- After leaving, US also withdrew most of the troops and weapons. Why? 1. Due to a new policy in US on Asia; 2. Fearing Syngman Rhee would attack N. Korea.

- June 25th, 1950 – North Korean People’s Army (KPA) crossed the 38th parallel. The Korean War had begun.

[from now on, N. Korea is abbreviated as NK while S. Korea as SK]

- SK wasn’t expecting the attack and was trounced. SK has no weapons and lack troops (as mentioned earlier, US withdrew troops and weapons), hence they could not defend against the assault.

- June 27th, 1950 – Seoul had fallen. Now, SK citizens were panicked. Even US and UN were worried – they feared communism would spread if NK subjugated SK.

QUESTION: Why US didn’t use the atomic bomb threat? They did to Japan and it worked. By why not NK?

ANSWER: The USSR had already developed their atomic bombs, which was not available to them during World War II*(read the final part). If US were to used their nuclear arsenals, it’d become a full-scale nuclear war.

- Troops were sent in to reinforce SK by US . Now SK had both US and UN troops on their side but it was futile: the KPA of NK was unbeatable.

- August 1950 – KPA crossed the Nakdong river, SK’s territory diminished to the worst of all times (the yellow dotted lines on the map). If SK hadn’t pushed any forward, SK would lose this war.

- US pushed hard and for the next 2 weeks, KPA was drove away from the river. This was the FIRST victory by the south and the FIRST lost for the NK.

- Now, more troops arrived at Pusan. Pusan is an important port (even till today) and it must not be taken by NK. These troops were young and fresh .

- September 1950 – while still holding on to the river’s barrier defense, the SK allied troops (UN and US) were attacked by NK. However, the attack failed. Now, US planned to fight back.

- This was one of the history’s most brilliant strategic attack – it was difficult to carry out but was very important. The brain was General MacArthur. He planned to attack Incheon. Why is it a problem?

Self-drawn image. Do not use without permission.

Look at the map. Incheon (the explosive icon) is on the other side of Korea since the troops are now on the eastern side at the Nakdong river/Pusan. Plus, the entire Korea except for the Nakdong/Pusan part (yellow dotted line) was in NK’s hands. That means, Incheon was deep in NK’s territory. Why Incheon then? Well, Incheon was a huge supply depot. Now you know why.

- US troops first took over the Wolmi-do (an island). From Wolmi-do, they assaulted Incheon.

- September 15th, 1950 – Incheon was in US custody. NK was taken off-guard this time. Only 20 US troops were lost.

- September 18th, 1950 – a nearby Kimpo airfield was taken by US. Now, US turned their attention to Seoul, the capital of SK. It is very near to Incheon (see Map).

- September 21st, 1950 – battle for Seoul was a tough one. Although succeeded, only 33 marines survived.

- October 1st, 1950 – now the US troop had pushed NK all the way back to the 38th parallel, the rightful place where NK and SK should be divided. Here comes the big dilemma. A headache: Should US troops cross the line and take NK? Problems would arise then: Until now, it was a war to DEFEND against communism. If US crossed the 38th, it would become a war to ATTACK on communism. It means Russia and China would get involve. Not good. But US troops were high in morale, so they pushed on. Cities in NK gradually fell, including the capital, Pyongyang.

- November 1950 – NK was pushed all the way north (white dotted line). NK was almost wiped out – until they came face to face with China’s (PRC) army. China is also a communist country, so they came to help defend their allied NK. USSR was also NK’s ally but they didn’t take part in the war.

- November, 1950 – PRC armies retaliated, forcing the US/UN troops to retreat with mounting dead tolls. Chinese withdrew and attacked again.

- January 1st, 1951 – Chinese and KPA crossed the 38th parallel again.

- January 3rd, 1951 – Seoul had fallen. Kimpo airfield fell subsequently.

- March 31st, 1951 – communists’ supplies were insufficient, so they could not hold their grounds. They finally retreated while UN troops pushed them back to the 38th parallel. Not far from the 38th parallel was the Chinese stronghold, an area called the Iron Triangle. It was hard to penetrate but after 10 days of attack, UN troops shattered the place. Peace talks ensued but it lasted for 2 years. During these times, both sides fortified their defenses.

- June 23rd, 1952 – US sent sorties of new fighters to destroy hydroelectric plants in NK, resulting in 90% loss of power supply but NK wouldn’t budge.

- US newly elected president, Eisenhower, threatened NK with nuclear attacks (the world, especially US, wanted this war to end quickly, so nuclear was the best bet). Fortunately, NK took the threat seriously. Then, Chinese also pleaded to end the war.

- July 27th, 1953 – the peace talks ended and the war had finally come to an end.

Something to think about:
Who was the winner? – The territorial coverage before and after the war was roughly the same. To be precise, SK only gained 20 miles. Besides that, the war culminated in about 3 million casualties. Although the war is over, NK and SK are still bickering against one another today. Winners? No one exactly.

*Something interesting for you. In a way of speaking, the Korean War could be actually blamed on spies during WWII, spies known as “atomic spies” who sold US confidential nuclear weapons info to the Soviet. That time, the Soviets had engineering problems with nuclear bombs which only US knew how to solve. But infamous spies like Ethel and Julius Rosenberg sold the info to the Soviet. If Soviet didn’t have the ability to produce nuclear weapons, US would have threatened NK earlier on without fearing the Soviet. Actually, the judge in the trial of the Rosenbergs “blamed” them for the deaths in Korean War. The fate of the Rosenbergs? Death penalty.

Below is a schematic illustration of the Korean War before the peace talk began. It was actually a "tug-of-war" between the northern and southern forces. North crossed the line, then retreated, then crossed again, then retreated again.

Self-drawn image. Do not use without permission.

Reference:
Holloway, R. (2007). Korean War. Retrieved November 19, 2010, from http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/korean-war.html

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Enclave of Verdure - My Garden

*WARNING: IMAGE-HEAVY. READ AT OWN DISCRETION. 56K DIAL-UP USERS PLEASE STEER CLEAR OF THIS POST.*

We have fruit trees, palms, shrubs, flowers - orchids (parents are orchid aficionado) and perennials, begonias, and other variegated plants. This post is just a gallery of photos to boast the ...... nah, just plain boasting.

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