Tiger 2000-2012 - My Best Friend

It was a difficult decision but I knew in my heart, that was the right and rational decision.

Tiger was my first pet. Mom bought it for us during Fathers' Day in 2000. I was advised to pick the most energetic puppy of the litter but the mild one caught my eye. He went home with me and what I didn't expect, our interesting jouney began.

I named him Tiger after Woods won his US Masters green jacket. He accompanied me through college and law school. All the nights I spent with my books, he was on my bed, accompanying me through the trying periods. He believed in me.

Tiger was a difficult pet to train. He wasn't the smartest dog but he was the most loyal. Despite my anger when he chewed up my heels, he still loved me. I gave him a hard time when he didn't want to finish his food. He was a picky eater and even with snacks, he was extremely selective. Like me, he only wanted the best. So, we all tried to give him our best.

He was the only dog my cousin, XMR, was willing to touch as though he dispelled all her fears for dogs. My younger cousins started to point towards other dogs and called them "Tiger!" He was good with the kids and the kids adored him. He became their favourite playmate and they always look forward to meeting Tiger. No matter how they squashed him and chased him, Tiger never bit nor barked at them.

On one occasion, Tiger began barking at the door but we refused to open it for him because we were all too busy. When we finally got to opening the door, our bikes outside were stolen. Then on, we will always open the door for him to have a peep whenever he barks at the door.

My late Grandma who never liked pets, seemed to have a soft spot for Tiger. She would call Tiger to go to her, in her Teochew laced English, and pet him to sleep. More often, she would doze off before Tiger did. But Tiger would always pretend to be sleeping just to please Grandma.

When I was going through food poisoning in Shanghai, all I wanted was to have Tiger with me. I thought of him over my parents or friends. He was THE friend. If only he was there with me, I could brave all the drips and injections without much fear. All I had was a picture of him with me.

When he was 7, the vet told us we needed to put him down. He had stones in his urinary tract and with small animals like these, it would be almost impossible to remove those stones. Dr Jean-Paul Ly then recommended an operation that would remove his entire urinary tract and in the process, Tiger was be transformed to a girl. But we still called him our good boy. Tiger lived happily for a few more good years. Even though it meant I couldn't buy a car for the time being then, it was all well worth it.

Earlier this year, his skin was giving problems and he could barely function. We later found out that the skin problems were due to a heart problem. His bloated belly was a cause for worry so we had to seek medical attention. We were told that he may not have much longer to live as his weak heart is unable to pump out the fluid from his stomach. Every few weeks, we had to bring him back to the vet to get the fluid removed. He will return to his active (well, not THAT active) self until the fluid builds up again. In recent months, the frequency of our visits to the vet became shorter and his suffering became more visible and audible. But being the brave dog that he was, he didn't winge or whine much. He could barely sleep because lying down would be pressing the fluid in his stomach to his lungs causing breathing difficulties. Mom and Dad brought him back from the vet week after another in hope that he will get better.

The vet's diagnosis was grim. We were very grateful to have an experienced and caring vet, Dr Francis Tay, to guide us along the way. We knew it was terminal and there was nothing we could do. But we were never prepared to put him to sleep hoping that one day, a heart attack will take him away really quick during his sleep. That never happened and his conditions got worse.

On Sunday night when I moved back to my parents', I sat down with Tiger. Sharing my problems with him, just like the old times. He snuggled up against me but he could barely walk. When I carried him, he felt so heavy with all the fluid in him. Then I knew it was time... But I didn't say much.

Weirdly enough, on Monday morning, Mom called and said she wanted to make an appointment for Tiger to see the vet, perhaps to take the fluid out of his stomach yet again. The only appointment she could get was the last appointment of the day at 6pm. Financially we all knew it was straining us but we all refused to let his life be determined by money. But rationally, I had to tell my parents that maybe it is best that we let him drift into deep sleep. My parents reasoned out within themselves and I believe it's a battle going on inside their hearts. They concluded that putting him to perpetual sleep was the best for him as well. They were the ones watching him suffer on a daily basis. When we got there, they couldn't do it and I didn't want to especially when I saw Tiger staring right at me. Dad was hoping to get a positive answer from the vet when he asked if he'd get better if we try to remove the fluid from his stomach yet again. It would have been yet another trip of trying to prolong his life.

Then I took a very close look at Tiger. I took some pictures of him. It was in the sunset. He looked out of the clinic and his face showed resignation. He was probably telling me, "I love you but I'm sorry. I'm old and I have to go." I knew I had to make a rational decision.

I will always have a photo to remind me that you have once loved me this unconditionally and if you could, you would take every step of my life with me.

I called Attituder who lost her dogs not very long ago. She gave me some encouragement and made me look past my emotions. By then, I have lost all the ability to speak as I was choking on my own tears.

After 12.5 years, it's finally the time. My parents left the decision to me and left the room as they didn't have the courage to watch him go. I stayed to watch. I gave him a last kiss and bade my last farewell. I stroked his fur for a final time and thanked him for all the time and the unconditional love.

I hope he is now in a better place without pain and suffering. My pain will slowly go away but my love for him will forever remain. There will never be another dog like him.

The process was very quick and peaceful. He didn't fight. I think he knew. I knew but he was still loving me although I'm deciding to put him to sleep. He never gave up on me.

Special thanks to Animal Recovery Centre for all the dedication and patience.

Tiger, you were my best friend. I love you but I know my love for you is nothing compared to your unconditional love for me. All the times that you have accompanied Mom and Dad when I wasn't there for them, thank you. All the tears I have shed, you were right there consoling me. Thank you. You have never given up on me. Thank you for the wonderful 12 years. You're irreplaceable.

You will be missed.
Rest in peace.
Tiger 2000 - 2012

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Finally our very own Ruth's Chris Steak House, a new haven for beef lovers like me?

I've decided to surprise Watziznehm by bringing him for an unexpected treat. To cheer him up on a lousy day, I made reservations at Ruth's Chris. The phone call should have been an indication of the service I was going to get. The girl was definitely polite but she couldn't make out what she was trying to say and I could barely understand her. She couldn't even get numbers right when I was trying to recite my phone number out to her! I wanted to make reservations for 7pm but I was told they only have spots for 6.30pm or 7.30pm. And so, I settled for 7.30pm thinking I won't be able to make it in time for 6.30pm. She also asked if it was for any special occasion like an anniversary, I just replied yes because it was... Just a couple of days late.

Expecting a full house at 7.15pm, I was made to wait at the door for 10 mins while they sorted out the seating. When I was finally led through the restaurant... Surprise! It was almost empty. Clearly, a well-suited manager seemed to be waiting on a table of food bloggers armed with flashing cameras and paying customers like us are left waiting for service? Besides, the slew of inconsiderate strong flashes continued interrupting our dinner. To be fair, our server was really attentive and during times when we understood what he was trying to say, he was marvellous. But I just couldn't figure out, why wasn't I able to start my meal at 7pm?

First to serve up was the blue crab cake. It was served on these incredibly hot plates which sizzles when you squeeze the beautifully wrapped lemon on it. The taste was beautifully sweet and every mouthful was tender, fresh, real crab meat. One little "but" though, it appears as if the entire dish was supposed to be served hot. Crabs are naturally cold so I wasn't afraid it was uncooked since they would have blanched it. But the inside of the dome shaped crab cake was significantly cooler than the exterior of the cake. I suspect it was quickly heated up before it was served but the time in the oven was perhaps a tad short. Nonetheless, it was still our favourite dish of the day. I will give it a 8.5 out of 10.

And because the crab cake wasn't as ginormous as how some bloggers described it to be, we had to add the BBQ shrimps to our order. I can only say the dish is overpriced and taste wise, it belongs to one with an acquired tongue. It was definitely a little better than average but it's a feeling that leaves one wanting. The spices were incredible so maybe I'm just unappreciative. 6 out of 10

Now comes the main part although in other circumstances, I would have labelled it as "the best part". Similarly, the plate was sizzling hot but only the part of the steak that was in contact with the plate was hot! The rest of the meat was cool-ish. Well, I understand as a medium rare steak, I shouldn't be asking for a full hot steak but c'mon, it's at least hot on the outside! It was so disappointing because it was supposed to be our highlight! The beef was a good quality USDA ribeye with the right amount of marbling but I couldn't decide if the kitchen murdered the steak or if it was meant to be served this way. The steak was served perfectly medium rare as per my request but unexpectedly, cooler than Charlie Brown. It was very reasonable priced though. 6.5 out of 10

As for the au gratin, which I ordered as accompaniment to the steak, was a complete waste of time. It was the only dish that was piping hot but the taste was ordinary and cheese didn't felt like it was of superior quality. I couldn't rate this dish... I gave up after 2 mouthfuls.

At the end of the dinner, I was too stuffed and didn't want to try the cheesecake. Besides, I couldn't take anymore disappointment. That's said, it's probably a very reasonably priced steakhouse for decent quality beef. Just pray that you turn up on a day which they're not preoccupied in their marketing attempts. I left the restaurant thinking why did she ask if it was a special occasion because they did nothing special for us. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

For me, Bedrock is still right up there with the crown.