Emma goes to the zoo

First of June was the first day of the school holidays. I was invited to join Emma and her parents for a day at the zoo. It has been a long time since my last visit to the zoo, and spending time with Emma has always been fun. So I went with my camera and packed some sandwiches as well. Unfortunately the sandwiches turned bad when we tried to eat them. So much for the Swissbake bread which I only bought on Saturday, two days ago.

The boat ride was nice and Emma had a picture taken with the Captain. The water was green as we sailed past some migratory storks taking a rest transiting through. Ah Meng's tomb looked majestic among the lush greenery. Docking at the Kids' World, we got off to see the rest of the zoo.

We encouraged Emma to ride on the pony. But she was hesitant and when we got nearer to the stables, she was completely put off by the strong smell of the animals. She nearly puked when I saw her running away with her hand covering her mouth. The ponies and goats attracted her attention and she managed to get quite close to them.

Next to this was a dilapidated model of a kampong house. Emma went in, took one look at the woman sitting on the sofa, and bolted out fast. She was frightened and upset at the sight and thought she had seen a ghost.

When I went in to see, I was aware that the wax figures looked like corpses. While the intention was good, the exhibit was badly done. There was a man in pyjamas standing on top of the sink which defies explanation. Emma was so badly shaken that she nagged her mother not to take her inside again. We all tried to calm her down but she kept referring to that 'house'.

Lunch stop at KFC and Emma still complaining about that 'house'. Anyway she was still jovial and fun loving as she went with her father for the carousel ride.

The seal show was very entertaining. Emma sat in front just behind the glass panel protecting her from the splashing water. There were penquins, pelicans and the star of the show, the seal. The seal was very funny and when it frolicks in the water, the people in front got all wet.

We walked all over the place seeing so many animals and our main objective was to see the hippopotamus, which Emma asked for specially. The white tigers were impressive. The baboons were quite a sight with their red backside. Entering the Butterfly Walk, we hardly saw any butterflies at all. Wonder where they all went to.

We finally got to see the pigmy hippoptamus swimming in the tank. All day Emma kept asking to see them because she saw the movie 'Madagascar'. Having seen the hippopotamus, Emma was quite satisfied. However, she kept complaining about the smell of the many animals. Emma has a very sensitive sense of smell. If the scent does not agree with her, she would throw up. That is why her mother has pastic bags on standby.

By late afternoon, we were all tired as we sat down for a drink, while Emma had her ice cream. To round off the day, Emma got a stuffed hippopotamus toy. All in all, a very enjoyable day spent with Emma at the zoo.

Till then....

Sunny

Last Friday, 29 May, I received the tragic news of the passing of my brother-in-law Sunny, in Trengganu.

It was a shock because Sunny was the youngest of my brothers-in-law and there were no reports of his ill health. True he had a heart condition, but it was not that serious. His eldest brother had it worse and he is still well today.

When I first got married, Sunny moved in to stay with us. It was a joy to have Sunny with us and we spent several happy years together. Sunny was an easy going guy with a very good sense of humour, sharing many funny moments with us. The Mad magazine was his favourite magazine with 'Alfred E. Neuman' (What, me worry) was his favourite character. His favourite singer was Rita Chao, whom we often refer to as R.C.

Sunny was a Technician with Radio Malaysia, later to be known as Radio Television Malaysia or R.T.M. He used to ride a motorcycle until he bought a Fiat 850 motorcar. I remember one morning, he called me on the telephone to tell me that someone had stolen his car. He was very upset and I felt very sorry for him. I contacted my friend, who was with the Police, for help. Fortunately for Sunny, the car was eventually found and returned to him. Luckily the car was not damaged. Several years later, he sold the car and eventually bought over my car, which was only a few months old.

Sunny was posted to Kuala Trengganu after many years in Kuala Lumpur. He was quite upset over the posting but eventually accepted it. After he settled into Trengganu, he got to like the place and the quiet living conditions there. He eventually got married to a local girl and raised his family there.

Due to the distance between us, we never get to meet up frequently, except when we attended some family functions up in Malaysia.

I understand that Sunny had a very bad case of constipation last week. When he tried to clear himself last Friday, he pushed too hard and ruptured some internal organs. He collapsed foaming in his mouth and died when the ambulance arrived. He was buried on Sunday morning.

I mourn the loss of Sunny. May our Lord grant Sunny eternal peace and bring him into His Kingdom. I also pray for Sally and the children, Alex and Audrea that our Lord will help them cope in their hour of grief. Farewell Sunny.

Till then....