Hit Palawan Beach

We try not to do a staycation over the weekend. One, it's friggin crowded everywhere. And the hotel room rates would be mad. So we do the whole week instead, and the crowds are usually manageable. Ryo came along with us to this Sentosa staycation. I don't think he understands what a staycation is since he has never gone on one. But he feels safe with us, and is happy with us in any room. So that works fine in having him settled.  

Took them out first thing to the beach. Smol Girl smelt the sea and sand. And asked to run. So I dropped her leash, and she ran and ran. And ran some more. She was soooo thrilled. At this age, she doesn't run that far away from us anymore. We can be out of sight for a while, but she would round back. Whewwwww. 

Choya hasn't been to the beach for a while. She probably missed the sand loads. She isn't interested in the water though. 'No swimming, Momma.' She has made it quite clear. She walks along the water's edge, and when the waves roll in, she runs away from it. She doesn't mind her paws get wet a little. She doesn't want to go in. If I pick her up to put her in the water, she can swim, but she will be miffed and she'll make straight for the shore. Heh.

Ryo, on the other hand, was a tad scared. He's still frightened and unsure of the outdoors and everything. He likes the sniffing and the smells, but he doesn't like being outside much. He would swim if forced to, but I don't think he wants to do it weekly. Today, he didn't want to swim at all. He didn't even want to run that much. He only trotted around. Whatever. He was willing to wait for Choya and sit with us for a bit. He tried to bolt, but with no success. 

I watched the Smol Girl sprint all around the sand. Her paws flew across the clean-enough sand. She was ridiculously happpppyyyyy. I was happy too, to see this soon-to-be nine-year-old still nimble, fast and active. Once she was done running this morning, she laid down and snoozed. She had a choice to snooze in the sun or move to the shade. I let her be. It was a hot day, but the breeze stirred continuously, and it felt wonderful to be out and about. Of course I had a giant sun hat. Ha! 

The 9th Sentosa Grillfest

The Sentosa Grillfest is back at Siloso Beach for its 9th edition every weekend from 23 July to 16 August. Tbh, we never bothered about it till maybe four years ago. But the earlier iterations were middling. We only really noticed the better quality in its 7th edition. 

It's also much better organized and planned this year with plenty of tables and seats at the Emerald Pavillion, as well as outdoors on the side. The beer counter in the pavillion had a logical flow. I don't know how the vendors feel, but at least for diners, it's a super improved experience from last year. 

The husband really likes this sort of grill events. Well, he likes meats. This year, they've set up an air-conditioned tent at the far end of the beach for its 'Chef's Grill Experience'. It's an 8-course set presented by different kitchens. At $128++ each weekend, the menu rotates. It would be fun, but the husband isn't keen enough to ditch the dog to stop by for it, so we didn't bother. 

We went with the dog, and she was so pleased. She wasn't interested in the food. The moment she got there, she pulled and made a beeline for the beach — to feel sand under her paws. She hopped and sprinted. For a short bit, I let her run free. I wasn't about to spill my beer while trying to hold her. 

She was in a really sociable mood; greeted plenty of floofs. Every floof was really well-behaved. She rolled and rolled around on the sand, dug it up and kicked it around. She was the happiest little thing. Luckily I have plenty of water for her to drink and wash the sand out of her nostrils and mouth. Tsk. 

Note, if you bring dogs, the short bit of fireworks from next door's 'Wings of Time Symphony' at 7.40pm and 8.40pm could scare them. It's a daily thing. 

It was hardly surprisingly to know that our stomach space was limited. We really couldn't eat that much. We weren't fixated on which 'famous' vendor to buy from. We've tried their food over the past few years at different pop-ups, so there wasn't a 'I MUST HAVE THIS' idea. We didn't want to queue forever for the food either, so we went with stalls that had no queues or short queues. The food turned out equally fine too.

To my own surprise, I wanted an ayam bakar of sorts. Bahahaha. Well, I took an antihistamine, so I was sort of free to have a nibble of chicken and shellfish. But I didn't go OTT lah. I wanted the $18 ayam bakar, not the $32 version. I got it. It came in its usual cut of a big chicken thigh. It was honestly tasty.  

The husband went for broke and had a lamb shoulder. It was a huge portion! He ate it all. Then he had two giant prawns. Whoa, all that protein. He was stuffed. Two beers gave him all the carbs needed. He couldn't fit in anything else. LOL

Why Can't Dog Owners Be More Considerate

I really wish dog owners would step up and be more responsible. It's not just educating yourself about what your dogs needs. It's reminding yourself that not everybody likes your dog. And not everyone welcomes dogs. Stop being so entitled. I have a dog, but it doesn't mean that I like yours. I do not blanket-take to all dogs.  

That evening at an event on Timbre One North, I grimly watched as their unleashed brown Singapore Special entered the grounds with a floofy white friend (who was leashed) and it trotted freely around. I looked at it and I was like, it either wanted to pee or poop or both. 

Choya was nicely chilling under the bench. I was on high alert. This SS had better not approach because I wouldn't be friendly. You could debate until the cows come home whether you're on Team Leashed or Team Unleashed. Justifying that 'my dog is friendly' doesn't mean anything. I've seen many 'friendly' dogs turn aggressive in five seconds, or go bonkers with so much enthusiasm that it is unwelcomed. In Singapore, it's illegal to unleash your dogs or cats in a public space. So that's that. 

And the pawrents? Happily greeted their friends and chatted, leaving their dog to run free. And that dog pooped right in the middle of a patch that people walk on, or stand and smoke. The pawrents were oblivious and didn't pick up the poop. That dog dropped light brown lumps in two spots. Eioooowww. 

Someone must have told them to leash the dog, so they did, after a good 10 minutes. The group sat down, and the mom of the SS told it to sit on the bench. At this juncture, nobody told them about the poop. She was in blissful ignorance and obviously still didn't pick up the poop. OMG. That dog's ass on the bench would hold traces of poop and anal juice. Seriously. If you let your dog onto a public bench, clean its ass or use a pee pad/mat. COME ON.

I didn't say a word to the mom or the friends. They didn't seem friendly. And I wasn't about to get myself into a pickle and spend the whole evening sorting this out. If their own friends didn't bother with those giant lumps of poop (that even I could see from this distance), I sure ain't doing it. Their own friends can step in their friends' dog's poop and pee. Why would I care.