Tumor

I saw a huge tour group of Japanese men at the airport.

Huge, as in perhaps a hundred or more of them.

Group of men, as in only men. No women.

And the scary sight bothered me. The first thought on my mind? Were they here for a sex tour?

Like the group of Japanese men who were arrested for organizing a massive orgy in one of the hotels in China some time ago? Not that I'm a pervert or maniac or something. The news stuck in my mind because the whole idea just disgusts me.

Maybe they heard about Batam. How the Singaporean men are getting a better deal than they do.

Or else, tell me. What else can the tour group be organized for?

Oh, a group organized for those interested in an electronic goods buying spree? Nah, I don't think so. They get their electronics much cheaper where they come from.

Japanese men.

Ho kua bo ho jiak.

Nice to see, not nice to eat.


I saw an "SGA" car on the road.

A measure of time for me has always been the progression of the car license plates on the roads.

And I never fail to go, "Wah, so fast! SGA liao."


*****

My life continues to be sad.


My best friend's eldest dog is dying of a brain tumor. Non-operable. Not long to live for.

The first message that greeted me when I was getting off the plane. I wanted to cry right there and then.

How can it be? He was looking so fine a few months back. Though he definitely didn't seem so since a couple of months ago.


My neighbor, with whom I have no other reason to bond than our schnauzers, had two of them.

Now he has only one of them.

It's a shock. I'd just seen the four of them - Papa, Mama and the two boys - taking their nightly stroll at the void deck a few weeks ago.

Cancer. Non-curable.

Just like that? So fast?


Mac, you're a good boy. You've always been.

Your mama loves you the most. Though she says she's not, I know it better.

I love you too, Mac. You are just so one of a kind. The other people would never understand, how one dog will always be different from the others. Only people like your mama and I would know.

And your mama and I know you're one best boy she'd ever have.

I'm going to miss you, Mac.


God, please don't take our dogs away just like that. Not like that. Not with incurable horrible sicknesses.

Dogs deserve it so much better than us human companions.

What have they done to deserve pain? All they ever do is to love and wait for us patiently everyday.

We do so much more wrong in our lives than our dogs. Give us the pain, instead.

Please take good care of Mac when he sees you, God.

We know he's in good hands.

That's where I wanna go too.