The Adventures of Bruno Chan

Monday, August 24, 2015

Goodbye, Blogger

TJ's encouraged me to cross over to Wordpress.

It's a new year for me, post-Devon, pre-fall. And as with all things new, change is inevitable.

This will be my last post here. I've decided against deleting this blog for now. There's just quite a bit of useful information I, or anyone else, may need, especially concerning traveling and adventuring with our beloved dogs.

Some of the writings through the past two years no longer feel relevant, nor interesting to me. I've trashed them. Some of the writings, I still like and want to remember. Those bits, I've kept.

This is the blog that began because we had to do that unexpected relocation odyssey two years ago. I wasn't able to find the sort of information I needed readily. Some improvisation, and a lot of sleuthing was done.

This is the blog that is not going to become a book- something I decided early on in its creation. Because of all the hustling and fund-raising work I have had to do in my past professional pursuits, there was something quite liberating about logging into blogger, writing, photographing, without any need to prove anything to myself anymore. Besides, writing, like dancing and choreographing, and arranging furniture, and remodelling a space, and cooking, calms me.

Oh, my publisher sent me a cheque! Seems like my books are still being bought! Thank you to all who buy my books! I'm humbled, and very grateful!

Pssst, unabashedly hustling- my books can be found here.

http://www.ethosbooks.com.sg

photo credit- Ethos books/ The Arts House

So thank you so much for visiting us, and journeying with us in the last two years. If our escapades still interest you, do join us at https://brunoandtammy.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/new-year/

Love,

Tammy

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Dog Food

I've switched Bruno back to a raw diet.

We had been struggling with excessive diarrhoea for too long a period. Nothing seemed to help him, even when probiotics were added with his every meal. There were weeks I went to bed with bated breath- please God, help him make it through the night.

Bruno began life on raw. This way of feeding is sometimes also referred to as BARF (Bones and Raw Foods, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food). All my dogs are fed raw. Bruno's diet changed when we re-located from Singapore, via Holland and France. It was just not possible to cross international borders with a bag of bones!

Here in the UK, I chanced upon prepared raw at my vet's.

All that I need to do is remember to stock up on his food, and defrost the portion I am going to feed him in time.

Phew. My decision paid off. Bruno has been doing great on raw again. He's put on weight, he's sleeping through the nights.

Observing Bruno glowing with raw, I realise, we really are what we eat.

It took a bit of planning feeding him raw on our recent trip. Returning to London, I didn't have anything defrosted for him. So en route home, we stopped, and ate Japanese instead.

*Natural Instinct can also be directly ordered from the company on-line. Shipping was prompt, customer service and communication, excellent and clear.

Cove

Another noun- a small, sheltered bay

I didn't want to leave Salcombe without exploring North Sands, a beach by a cove, that is dog-friendly, no matter the time of the year.

Mom? Please don't make me walk in the rain.

Ah, rainy days. I love, love rainy days. The promise of discovery is too enticing.

It's a 15-20 minute descent via Cliff Road to North Sands.

Along the way, there was much, much to see...

Bruno, look!

Look!

Look.

The tide was alas too high, eclipsing the beach fully.

I am going to add a life-jacket to his wardrobe. Bruno was quite willing to play amongst the rocks and little sandy bits, but I was unwilling to risk having him swept away by the wind and the sea.

Well Mom, what next?

Next.

For when Plan A needs to be abandoned, there's always, a Plan B, C, D.

Goodbye, 2014-2015.

Hello, 2015-2016.

My 45th year.

I'm gonna have to imagine you up.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Estuary

Estuary (noun)-

Where the river, meets the sea…

To get here, the nearest train station is Totnes, about a 3-hour train ride from London Paddington. From Totnes Station, it's a 40-minute taxi drive through winding country roads, sans traffic.

There is a sense of the land rising and plunging. We pass farmland, woods, and then suddenly, catch the promise of water, glinting.

Salcombe is a picturesque village in South Devon, situated right on an estuary. It reminds me very much of Balboa Island in Orange County, but with much steeper terrain, and a gentler sense of being. Mayflower asked how I found this place. Truth is, I located the hotel, first.

Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa, Cliff Road, Salcombe, Devon TQ8 8JH

Bruno is not allowed to eat inside the restaurant on site, but we are welcomed on the terrace.

Right beside the hotel, we find a lovely little park;

a very useful facility when traveling with Mr Bruno.

Fore Street, the heart of town, is a mere 3-minute walk from our hotel.

The street is marked by bunting, and flanked by just the right mix of cafes, pubs, galleries, and independent stores selling a good range of decorative goods, beach clothing, locally-made fudge and ice-cream.

At a local favourite, the Victoria Inn, Bruno is offered his own menu, biscuits, and a blanket to rest on.

For 1.50(pound), there is a ferry service that takes us across the harbour to East Portlemouth.

There we explore the beach at low tide,

hike up a steep wooded path,

and share a quick sandwich at the Venus Cafe.

Originally, I had hope to visit Avignon with Bruno. But the catastrophe at Calais kept us away. I'm glad we came here instead. It's the sort of intimate, restful place with everything I like and need to do-

endlessly walking through stunning nature,

meandering and admiring local architecture,

looking at art, decorative stuff...

And then there is, the water, the sea.

As each day concludes, I sit here, quite unable to speak.

In March, we offered my grandmother, as she had wished, to a different ocean, far across this sea. I never wonder what have become of her ashes. She has gone, she is gone. But I know if I care to look long enough, somewhere in my heart, in the faces of my mother, my brother, my cousins and in their actions- my grandmother, persists.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Looking Back

Because I am a summer baby, the year always feels like it ends, in the summer.

Usually I have some sort of game plan for the new year that for me, starts in the fall. This year however, I'm thrown off as I spent so much of the past year, in uncertainty.

Towards the end of each summer, there is always that exhaustion. This year, my fatigue was unusually weighty. It even made me, sad.

Then I made things worse for myself. On the flight back to London, instead of watching action-driven movies where I can ponder about choreography, speed, and composition, I stayed up watching movies about, love.

Ah, love.

Is Distance really necessary? I asked the Good Man.

Distance is the lesser of… The Wise, Good Man replied. I would rather deal with Distance than...

Are you happy in London?

Then just stay. And you must know, I am very happy to provide for you and be able to now afford this for you…

You don't have to be so hard on yourself, Baby! Just think of all that has happened in the last 12 months…

The Last 12 Months

- Back to School, 6th Form, IB Year/ University Applications to be completed by October!!!

- Riding Intensive with World-Renown Teacher

- Sold London Flat, packed it up, moved out, searched, searched for a new home...

- Reality TV and Bruno

- Cheltenham weekends to cheer, cheer, cheer daughter on

- Temporarily housed for 8 months

- Wedding Anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year

- Broken Arm & the (continuing) tedious, painful road towards recovery

- Death of a beloved grandmother. Although her death was not a surprise, that devastating grief can unexpectedly still simmer, even if as a muted shadow.