In the early evening of last Saturday, I felt rejuvenated after my slumber marathon. I decided to do a little bit of facial to further enhance my appearance. Hear say that the egg white is very good at taking out stubborn black heads from our facial pores. So, I cracked open an egg into a bowl, poured the egg white into a small bowl and left the egg yolk for the tortoises. Both Slow Coach and Charlie were more than happy to have the egg yolks.
Someone told me to add water using the ration of 1:1, just like the ration for making steam eggs. So, I used the egg shells to measure the water and mixed the water with the egg white. I used a fork to beat the mixture, making sure that the egg yolk was well diluted in the water. Then, I used my fingers to apply the magic potion onto my face. It was a very messy process with the egg white mixture dripping all over the floor, my neck and my hands. Then, I quickly put facial cotton squares all over my face before the magic potion dried up. The cottons are supposed to help pull the black heads out from my pores when I peel the dried cottons off my face.
After I had applied the egg whites on my face, there was still lot’s of egg whites left and I didn't want to waste it. So, I gave my mum a free round of facial. Brownie points for me! Of course, I covered her face with the facial cotton squares as well. It was difficult to hold back our giggles as we looked at each other's face. We looked like a pair of fluffy albino Bigfoots! Even after sharing the magic beauty potion with mum, I still couldn't finish the egg whites. I decided to throw the balance into the drain.
Next, the egg yolk. I beat the egg yolk & fed it to Slow Coach & Charlie using a small spoon. Both of them have their own eating set (shared) which comprise of a plastic bowl, a pair of chopsticks and a small plastic spoon. Feeding them is like feeding a baby. You need to have patience while waiting for them to open their mouth (beaks, actually). After the first gulp, they were so excited by the food, they scrambles all over their respective tubs with the food in their mouth. It's ok if they are eating solid food but when it comes to liquid, well.... in the excitement; some of it tends to spilt out from their noses, which was so in this case. =P After that, they leaned against the wall of their tubs on their two hind legs which made the subsequent feedings easier. Slow Coach was more ladylike when she eats. She will usually wait for the food to arrive right in front of her before she opens her beak to take the bite while Charlie lunges towards his food. Most of the time, he accidentally knocked into the spoon and spilt the egg yolk onto his head.
After watching the tortoises feasting on the egg yolk, it was time to peel off the cottons soiled with egg whites.
Wastage Statistic:
Egg white: 50% (dripped on the floor and gone done the drain)
Egg yolk : 0% (the tortoises ate all of it)
Facial Result:
Black heads: (Me) Still visible, especially on the nose. *sigh* / (Mum) No visible black heads (actually she had none to start with).
Tortoises: Tummies full and free facial (from the egg yolk residue spilled onto their heads during feeding time)
From the statistics, I felt bad for so much wastage since I was the one who initiated the egg breaking ceremony. Later, I found out that I was not supposed to add any water to the egg white because it will over dilute the egg white. Duh...
Monday, October 30, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Slow Coach Grounded
Yesterday Slow Coach and Charlie were left home alone for almost the whole day. It is a long weekend with the Hindu’s Deepavali festival and Muslim’s new year on Saturday and next Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Everyone in the family is busy attending open house of their friends celebrating these festivals during these few days.
I had left both Slow Coach and Charlie in their tubs after their breakfast of tortoise pellets. Slow Coach usually poos in her tub before climbing out for her daily exploration while Charlie prefers to sleep in. Yesterday was no exception. I made sure she had poo-ed before she left her tub.
When I came home yesterday night, Slow Coach was walking around in the kitchen. Mum was home early and she reported to me that she saw Slow Coach emerging from under the coffee table as soon as she saw my mum. Mum added that Slow Coach has not left the kitchen the whole night.
I sensed mischief from Slow Coach. You see, Slow Coach has a habit of running away from the havoc she has caused. I quickly checked under the coffee table and true to Slow Coach’s spirit. She had left her mischief tell-tale sign in the form of 3 patches of dried pan cake like poos sticking to the floor….again!
One of her favourite mischief is playing with her poo. She poos, then sits on it thereby quashing the poo flat before flapping her legs making a poo angel. Then, she would make a run from it before any family members find out and report her mischief to me.
Fortunately, because she was on dry food (tortoise pellets), the smell from her er…. poo was rather kind to my sense of smell this time around. However, it still took me 20 excruciating minutes to scrub the dried poos off the floor.
Slow Coach was grounded for the night.
I had left both Slow Coach and Charlie in their tubs after their breakfast of tortoise pellets. Slow Coach usually poos in her tub before climbing out for her daily exploration while Charlie prefers to sleep in. Yesterday was no exception. I made sure she had poo-ed before she left her tub.
When I came home yesterday night, Slow Coach was walking around in the kitchen. Mum was home early and she reported to me that she saw Slow Coach emerging from under the coffee table as soon as she saw my mum. Mum added that Slow Coach has not left the kitchen the whole night.
I sensed mischief from Slow Coach. You see, Slow Coach has a habit of running away from the havoc she has caused. I quickly checked under the coffee table and true to Slow Coach’s spirit. She had left her mischief tell-tale sign in the form of 3 patches of dried pan cake like poos sticking to the floor….again!
One of her favourite mischief is playing with her poo. She poos, then sits on it thereby quashing the poo flat before flapping her legs making a poo angel. Then, she would make a run from it before any family members find out and report her mischief to me.
Fortunately, because she was on dry food (tortoise pellets), the smell from her er…. poo was rather kind to my sense of smell this time around. However, it still took me 20 excruciating minutes to scrub the dried poos off the floor.
Slow Coach was grounded for the night.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Why a pet tortoise?
1) Tortoises make an interesting pet. New discovery everyday on what makes them tick; such as tortoises make hissing noise and they change shell like a snake changes its skin.
2) Tortoises live a long life. They can be expected to live up to 50 years. Some species could live up to 100 years old. So, you don’t have to deal with the grief from its loss so soon. A pet dog could only live up to 18 years max. Then, you will have to find a new pet. If Slow Coach and Charlie outlive me, I’ll include them in my will to my children or grandchildren.
3) They are solitary and calm animals. Much appreciated by people who enjoys tranquility. Lesser mayhem and commotion in your house.
4) You don’t have to walk the tortoise. They require very little exercise.
5) No grooming necessary. No hair to comb and no free floating hair like cats and dogs. An ideal pet for asthmatic patient.
6) Lower maintenance cost on supplies, food and vet care compared to bigger pets such as cats and dogs. For example, hospital boarding fees are based on the animal’s body weight.
7) They don’t chase the postman or the milkman. They don’t shred your letters and newspapers.
8) No pet license fee to renew every year.
9) Non existence of tortoise ticks or fleas problem.
10) No neutralization required. You don’t see tortoises shagging 24/7 during mating season. Low breeding rate. So far, Slow Coach has laid many eggs but non of them were fertilized. Don’t have to worry about unwanted babies.
2) Tortoises live a long life. They can be expected to live up to 50 years. Some species could live up to 100 years old. So, you don’t have to deal with the grief from its loss so soon. A pet dog could only live up to 18 years max. Then, you will have to find a new pet. If Slow Coach and Charlie outlive me, I’ll include them in my will to my children or grandchildren.
3) They are solitary and calm animals. Much appreciated by people who enjoys tranquility. Lesser mayhem and commotion in your house.
4) You don’t have to walk the tortoise. They require very little exercise.
5) No grooming necessary. No hair to comb and no free floating hair like cats and dogs. An ideal pet for asthmatic patient.
6) Lower maintenance cost on supplies, food and vet care compared to bigger pets such as cats and dogs. For example, hospital boarding fees are based on the animal’s body weight.
7) They don’t chase the postman or the milkman. They don’t shred your letters and newspapers.
8) No pet license fee to renew every year.
9) Non existence of tortoise ticks or fleas problem.
10) No neutralization required. You don’t see tortoises shagging 24/7 during mating season. Low breeding rate. So far, Slow Coach has laid many eggs but non of them were fertilized. Don’t have to worry about unwanted babies.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Cat Food
One month after Slow Coach and Harriet came into our family, I took them for their first outing. Our garden compound. It meant a whole new world to these two fifty cent size tortoises.
As soon as they were lifted out from their plastic container and released on the ground, they crawled away in excitement. They explored every corner of the garden under the protective gaze of their guardian (ahem…angel). I made sure they played hide and seek away from the human traffic, just in case my little sister decides to practice her cycling skill.
They were never out of my sight until I heard a soft meowing sound behind me. It seemed that I was not the only one who had my eyes on them. The way the alley cat crouched on the waist-high wall screamed cat food! Immediately, I scooped the oblivious baby tortoises into my hands and carried them safely indoor.
After such a close call, they were never allowed to venture further than the living room until they grew larger. I’m sure the alley cat would have loved to try some exotic seafood.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Stinker Pot
Slow Coach has all the freedom a tortoise can possibly dream of. She gets to decide where she wants to sleep, when she wants to eat, etc. When she is hungry, she will emerge from where ever she might be and walk to her blue tub near the bathroom. It means she wants food. If you don’t see her then she doesn’t want to be seen and she is not hungry.
Slow Coach roams all over the house but she has a few favourite spots for her zzzzzz moments. The night before yesterday she was sleeping at one of her favourite spots which was under the coffee table at the corner of the living room. She loves it there because it was dark and cooling. This morning, she was still on the same spot. She has not moved an inch from the last time I had checked on her which was more than 24 hours ago. She must be hibernating.
I was sitting nearby the coffee table when I smelled a funny smell, like the stench from the rubbish truck. I decided to investigate the source of that funny smell and it drew me to where Slow Coach was. As I approached closer to her, I saw some dried brown marks under her tail.
“Slow Coach, you stinker pot you! You are supposed to poo in your tub, not here.”, I said while trying to lift her up to check the brown mark, which was obviously her doing.
Accidents happen, I thought.
“Oh, oh! She’s stuck!”, I cried to no one in particular while silently hoping that her 'hibernation' has nothing to do with her being glued to the floor by her own poo.
She must have ‘poo-ed’ many hours ago and now it had dried under her shell. I pulled her from her ‘glued’ spot and took her into the bathroom to clean her up before putting her back into her tub. Then, I had the gruesome task of removing the brown mark. The smell was equivalent of a human’s. Eww! This happens when she eats too much raw food instead of the tortoise pellets. It is the wet food versus dry food science. Consuming wet food produces wet er… poo and vice versa.
“Slow Coach, you gotta go easy on the sushi and caviar.”, I said to her.
I managed to get the mark off but not without some good scrubbings while holding my breath. Next was the smell. I tried spraying the air freshener onto the floor but it still stinked! Then, I tried the insect repellent hoping to contra whatever smell that was still lingering behind. Hmm, it didn’t work either, at least not immediately. The stench only went off after 3 hours.
Ah, the fun of having tortoises!
Menu for tonight: Definitely tortoise pellets!
Slow Coach roams all over the house but she has a few favourite spots for her zzzzzz moments. The night before yesterday she was sleeping at one of her favourite spots which was under the coffee table at the corner of the living room. She loves it there because it was dark and cooling. This morning, she was still on the same spot. She has not moved an inch from the last time I had checked on her which was more than 24 hours ago. She must be hibernating.
I was sitting nearby the coffee table when I smelled a funny smell, like the stench from the rubbish truck. I decided to investigate the source of that funny smell and it drew me to where Slow Coach was. As I approached closer to her, I saw some dried brown marks under her tail.
“Slow Coach, you stinker pot you! You are supposed to poo in your tub, not here.”, I said while trying to lift her up to check the brown mark, which was obviously her doing.
Accidents happen, I thought.
“Oh, oh! She’s stuck!”, I cried to no one in particular while silently hoping that her 'hibernation' has nothing to do with her being glued to the floor by her own poo.
She must have ‘poo-ed’ many hours ago and now it had dried under her shell. I pulled her from her ‘glued’ spot and took her into the bathroom to clean her up before putting her back into her tub. Then, I had the gruesome task of removing the brown mark. The smell was equivalent of a human’s. Eww! This happens when she eats too much raw food instead of the tortoise pellets. It is the wet food versus dry food science. Consuming wet food produces wet er… poo and vice versa.
“Slow Coach, you gotta go easy on the sushi and caviar.”, I said to her.
I managed to get the mark off but not without some good scrubbings while holding my breath. Next was the smell. I tried spraying the air freshener onto the floor but it still stinked! Then, I tried the insect repellent hoping to contra whatever smell that was still lingering behind. Hmm, it didn’t work either, at least not immediately. The stench only went off after 3 hours.
Ah, the fun of having tortoises!
Menu for tonight: Definitely tortoise pellets!
Friday, October 13, 2006
First Mate Harriet
Charlie is Slow Coach’s second mate. Her first mate, Harriet passed away when she was 3 years old.
Slow Coach is very careful when it comes to food. She was such a picky eater. She usually takes her time to smell what is given to her before she eats it. Slow Coach loves meat such as raw sushi or anything that’s fishy but doesn’t flick an eye for vegetables. The day when she really does take a bite on the greens, it means they are very fresh and sweet. She would make a very good quality controller. Hehe!
Harriet, on the other hand was a fast and impulsive eater. She would gobble up whatever that was offered to her within seconds. That was why she was much larger than Slow Coach though they are the same age. It was more fun watching Harriet eating than Slow Coach who suspected everything given to her was laced with poison.
My sis handed me down her pet hamsters one day after she received them as birthday present. The idea of feeding and cleaning the two cute hamsters everyday for the rest of their lives (which doesn’t exceed two years, really) didn’t entice her at all.
Now, what has the two hamsters got to do with a tortoise’s death? Well….. the hamsters killed Harriet ~ indirectly.
The hamsters’ cage was put on top of a coffee table while the tortoises’ plastic tank was on the floor next to the coffee table. The tortoises grew up watching TV from their transparent tank. Maybe that explains their above average IQ (based on tortoise’s standard)? Anyway, the hamsters love to burrow themselves in the wood shavings. One fine day, they decided to kick up a notch their digging power which sent the wood shavings flying all over the places. I found Harriet very quiet that day & had lost her appetite. Poor Harriet had mistaken the wood shaving for food and one thing led to another. She passed away the next day.
Though it was a short three years but Harriet had lived her little life to the fullest. She had enjoyed lot’s of delicious food, chased baby frogs with Slow Coach, climbed up the chicken fence used for our kitchen grill door (to prevent the tortoises from going out of the house), swam in the gold fish tank (and of course chased the fish), dived into the wash basin, followed me (in their little travel tank) out dating with my now husband and lot’s of other silly things that we had done together.
I hope she is having fun on pet’s heaven now. We miss you, Harriet.
Slow Coach is very careful when it comes to food. She was such a picky eater. She usually takes her time to smell what is given to her before she eats it. Slow Coach loves meat such as raw sushi or anything that’s fishy but doesn’t flick an eye for vegetables. The day when she really does take a bite on the greens, it means they are very fresh and sweet. She would make a very good quality controller. Hehe!
Harriet, on the other hand was a fast and impulsive eater. She would gobble up whatever that was offered to her within seconds. That was why she was much larger than Slow Coach though they are the same age. It was more fun watching Harriet eating than Slow Coach who suspected everything given to her was laced with poison.
My sis handed me down her pet hamsters one day after she received them as birthday present. The idea of feeding and cleaning the two cute hamsters everyday for the rest of their lives (which doesn’t exceed two years, really) didn’t entice her at all.
Now, what has the two hamsters got to do with a tortoise’s death? Well….. the hamsters killed Harriet ~ indirectly.
The hamsters’ cage was put on top of a coffee table while the tortoises’ plastic tank was on the floor next to the coffee table. The tortoises grew up watching TV from their transparent tank. Maybe that explains their above average IQ (based on tortoise’s standard)? Anyway, the hamsters love to burrow themselves in the wood shavings. One fine day, they decided to kick up a notch their digging power which sent the wood shavings flying all over the places. I found Harriet very quiet that day & had lost her appetite. Poor Harriet had mistaken the wood shaving for food and one thing led to another. She passed away the next day.
Though it was a short three years but Harriet had lived her little life to the fullest. She had enjoyed lot’s of delicious food, chased baby frogs with Slow Coach, climbed up the chicken fence used for our kitchen grill door (to prevent the tortoises from going out of the house), swam in the gold fish tank (and of course chased the fish), dived into the wash basin, followed me (in their little travel tank) out dating with my now husband and lot’s of other silly things that we had done together.
I hope she is having fun on pet’s heaven now. We miss you, Harriet.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Hide and Seek
Everyday, Slow Coach and I will play a game. She will hide and I shall seek. Well, it’s not as easy as you think to find a tortoise in a house. She’s free to roam around in the house. So, she could be anyway within 2,000 sq ft. You have to be really creative to be able to imagine where she could hide. The odder the places, the better like under the cupboard, under the bed, behind the flower pot, in between the boxes, etc. If she stays put in a spot, it’s pretty difficult to know where she can be without any sound or sight from her. Sometimes, if I’m lucky I could find her. Other times, the game of hide and seek could last a few days. Though I would usually find her in the end but I would still lose the game because I couldn’t find her in the same day. See how challenging our game can be?
Well, today I’m lucky. I found her under the fridge sound asleep. I left her where she was, in dreamland. She only emerged from there when it was time for her dinner. Menu for tonight: shellfish (cockerels).
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Mistaken Identity ~ ♀or♂?
Would you name a female tortoise as Slow Coach? Probably not. When I bought Slow Coach from the pet shop, I had not idea what was her gender. The shopkeeper helped me chose a pair from a small tank containing 20 something of these small fifty cents size terrapins.
According to the shopkeeper, males are generally smaller than the females. Males may also have a slightly curved inward under belly or under shell (concave or dented-in plastron). Both of us were quite sure that Slow Coach's under belly was slightly concave. Furthermore, she was definitely physically smaller than her then mate.
So, that's how her journey as "Mr." Slow Coach started ~ a tomboy "tom-tortoise"! Her personal vet had reassured me that "Mr." Slow Coach was indeed a male when I brought her for a general check-up when she was 2 years old.
The truth was only revealed by Mother Nature 1/2 a decade later.
According to the shopkeeper, males are generally smaller than the females. Males may also have a slightly curved inward under belly or under shell (concave or dented-in plastron). Both of us were quite sure that Slow Coach's under belly was slightly concave. Furthermore, she was definitely physically smaller than her then mate.
So, that's how her journey as "Mr." Slow Coach started ~ a tomboy "tom-tortoise"! Her personal vet had reassured me that "Mr." Slow Coach was indeed a male when I brought her for a general check-up when she was 2 years old.
The truth was only revealed by Mother Nature 1/2 a decade later.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Happy Birthday Slow Coach
Slow Coach is 11 years old today (in human years). This blog is a birthday gift to her. It tells the story of her life, not forgetting her (mis)adventures.
When she joined the family, she was only the size of a coin, short of an inch long & wide. Now she measures about 9 inches long and 8 inches wide. She weighs a healthy 3kg.
Slow Coach will be celebrating her birthday with her partner, Charlie, who is also a red-eared slider terrapin at 1/2 her age and size.
Their rendez-vous will start with a salutation to the morning sun; i.e. sun bathing with all four limbs out-stretched; followed by a lazy afternoon of back-massage; i.e. back scrubbing with a toothbrush (yes, tortoise can feel through its shell); and catching some ZZZzzz. In the evening, they will enjoy a sumptuous mouth watering dinner of fresh juicy prawns and her favourite caviar (actually, it’s a sac of fish eggs) under the mid-autumn moonlight on a balcony overlooking a beautiful park.
C'est la vie! What a lucky tortoise~!
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