Prawn Fishing

   

                                                       

One evening Bill And Robbie were visiting friends so I sneaked out and wandered around town. It was my first trip out at night. My escape route down the A/C units was a little scarier in the dark but I managed. I kind of liked a night trip because it was easier to hide from people.
A couple of kilometers away from my home I heard a lot of people laughing and it sounded like they were having a great time. I had to find out what was going on. I slipped in behind a young couple entering this big open air area, covered by a thatched roof. The folks I followed in (who looked like they were on a date) paid an attendant who gave them a cane pole each and a small container of delicious looking chopped up chicken livers. They then found two open seats that were surrounding one of two large man-made ponds. The place was packed with families and people of all ages. After getting comfortable the kids each forced a tiny hook into a small piece of liver and tossed their lines onto the pond.
A few minutes later the girl pulled on her line and yanked up a 5 inch prawn over the pond wall. She was so excited but the boy was annoyed that she caught the first one. No worries... He caught a bigger one a minute later. I was mesmerized by all this fun. About an hour later the kids had caught about 15 prawns that were kept live in a small net that dangled in the water.


I saw quite a few people leaving with bags of the prawns they had caught  but these kids had the establishment cook their prawns for them. They looked like they probably tasted much better than the chicken livers.                                                                          
As I was leaving the scroungiest cat I have ever seen was walking around the ponds looking for scraps. He might have been orange like me but he was so dirty it was hard to tell for sure. His fur was all matted and his tail was chopped off. He was also missing one eye which caused me to feel sorry for him. The good part was that with only one eye he did not notice me so I scampered out of there as quickly as I could.
It was getting late so I ran home and got in just before my parents did.

                                                             

Trip to a Buddhist temple

  

                                                               

I finally got another chance to take a trip. This time instead of just walking around to see what was "around the corner" I had a mission. I could see a temple in the distance from my big window and I had to go see it up close. From the 9th story I could see where the temple was but once I got to ground level I had to let my sense of direction take over. It was a long walk but it was well worth it!

When I arrived at the temple I was met by a rooster. He greeted me with a, "Hello little one. My name is Mr. Lin. What is your name?"
I wanted to smack him for calling me "little one" but then I realized he meant "young one" so I answered, "Purrla, What do you do here kind sir?"
He told me he was the caretaker here. He explained the temple is a Buddhist Youth Mission and believer's children are sent here for religious training. I asked him what the strange silver symbol on the roof of the entrance meant. He told me, "In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune. The swastika is said to contain the whole mind of the Buddha and can often be found imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha images."
I looked up and saw the same symbol in red on the chest of the huge Buddha on top of the roof.
He went on to say their symbol is clockwise but some Hindu temples use the same symbol but theirs is counterclockwise.

Mr. Lin asked me if I wanted to tour the temple. I was honored to be asked so he took me inside.  What a beautiful place this was! I saw offerings of oranges (a sign of prosperity) left on tables and there was a strong scent of incense in the air.  
I thanked my gracious host for the lovely visit. As I left he said, "Peace be with you little one, come back and visit anytime you want.

" " info from Wikipedia

                                                                                                                                 

Escape route found

                                                         

                                                 
I love my 9th story Singapore apartment but I have this wanderlust that pushes me to explore new places. I found out if I push the kitchen door it opens into the outdoor laundry area. From there I can jump up on the railing and bounce down between air conditioners all the way to the ground level. I sure am glad I am not afraid of heights!
When I finally got to the bottom I looked up and said, "How am I going to get back up before Mom and Dad get home?" Oh well, it was still morning and I had some time to figure that out.
I walked around building a while, avoiding people, and suddenly came upon the pool area. The pool is gigantic and placed between all the buildings in the complex. Besides the pool, there is a covered jacuzzi, a covered grill area, a wading pool, and a work out room.

 But the best part is the koi pond! It is full of huge gold fish! I jumped up on the pond wall and all the fish came right up to me. Don't they know they are supposed to be afraid of me? Maybe they thought I was a cat fish...    

I knew it was time for me to figure out how to get back home. Climbing back up was much harder than bouncing down the A/C's. Somehow I am going to have to figure out how to ride the elevator. The riding part would be easy. It is the button pushing that is going to be the trick.
This was a good first foray out of my apartment. I was exhausted when I got back in but had a long nap before my parents got home. I can't wait until my next trip out into the great unknown!

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Singapore is Booming!

I love sitting on my dining room table in my 9th floor condo. It is where Mom and Dad do their devotions during breakfast and where I get to see lots of activity out of my big window.
I was doing some research and found that the Singapore population is 5.1 million people but is projected to reach 6.9 million by 2030. Most Singaporeans live in public housing called HDB's. There is also a very good and inexpensive public transportation system consisting of busses and subways/monorails (MRT).
Part of the reason the unemployment is so low here (2.8 %) is that there is a tremendous amount of public and private funding to keep the infrastructure ahead of the population growth. The mass transit system will double in size by 2030 and there are new private condo's and public HDB's going up everywhere. From my window I can see the monorail go by every 3 minutes. There are 14 cranes in operation just in my small little corner of the world. I can also see a huge Buddha in the distance that bears some investigation...
I really don't mind being in my condo by myself when Mom and Dad are away but I need to find a way to get out of the building and do some exploring.

                                                                 

I arrive in Singapore

  A few months ago my mom and dad, Robbie and Bill, decided to move me out of my very  comfortable 4 bedroom, 3 bath, pool home in Clearwater, Florida. I now know why. They had decided to move to Singapore. I am very happy they wanted me to move with them but I sure went through a lot to get here.

An animal relocation company made all the arrangements but it meant I had to have a series of shots and a microchip implanted between my shoulder blades. I was picked up in a van to be taken to Orlando. I hate being in the kitty carrier anyway but this trip was horrible. There were 2 other cats and a stinky Jack Russell called Jonathan that peed in his carrier and smelled up the whole van. To top this off, the driver played Rap music the whole way. In my mind there are only 2 types of music to listen to...Country and Western. (Did I mention I am a feral  kitty from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee?)
We got to the airport and I was jostled through a cargo area and loaded on a transporter into the belly of a huge  airplane. The compartment was temperature controlled so the flight to Frankfurt was bearable. When I landed in Frankfurt they took me into a hangar to let me stretch my legs and then I was whisked back on the plane for a very long flight to Singapore.
When I arrived, there was a long wait for people to do lots of paperwork and then I was put in a van to be taken to quarantine. The driver was a very nice guy who sang to me the whole way. He didn't sing American country music but I have a feeling it might have been Singaporean country music.                                                                                               The quarantine site was very clean and my room was about 6 ft by 9 ft with a shelf for me to perch on. However, imagine the indignity of having to prove I was healthy by making me stay in a place for 10 days!

Anyway, Mom and Dad got to visit and it was great to see them but I hated it when they had to leave.                                
On my 10th day I was sprung! The nice driver took me to my new apartment and I was so happy to be back with my family.

Bingo is fun

It was starting to get a little cooler so Bill did not realize the window (my escape route) was still open. After I was left at home by myself I decided it was time for another adventure.

I jumped out and ran into Mrs. Smith again. It seems she is always out whenever I am in my escape mode. This time she appeared exasperated with me but somehow accepting  of my wanderlust. She crouched down and petted me saying, "You sure don't like to stay at home do you? It looks like you are a very curious kitty and have to see what is going on in the outside world. I tell you what...I'm going to drive my golf cart to the club house to play some bingo. Would you like to go with me?"
I realized this lady was not all that bad after all! I swirled around and rubbed up all over her to let her know I was ready to go!
I followed Mrs. Smith to her carport and hopped up on the seat beside her. She turned the key, backed out the driveway and then off we went.
We passed a group of 4 ladies who were walking for exercise. One of them yelled out, "Who is that with you in your cart, Mildred?"
"The tag on her collar says Purrla." Exclaimed Mildred. "She keeps sneaking out of her trailer so I thought I would take her for a spin around the neighborhood. I'm going to show her what bingo is all about. I never win so maybe this beautiful orange cat will bring me some good luck!"
The nice ladies smiled and waved as we drove off. A few minutes later we arrived at the clubhouse.
I followed Mildred into the club that was already full of people. Mildred said hello to everyone and introduced me all around. She told everyone, "Purrla is my guest and will bring me lots of luck!"
"Lots a luck Mildred!" Fred yelled out. Fred is a big guy who is kind of loud and obnoxious.
Mildred bought 4 cards and the game began. The caller spun a cage full of balls around then stopped, opened a little trap door, pulled out a ball and with a very deep voice said, "B-3...cup of tea."
Mildred was all excited. She had B-3 on three of her four cards.
Next call, "I-23...Thee and me." Mildred only had one card with that spot.
"G-54...sweep the floor," was the next call. We had that one on the same card! This was getting exciting! Including the free space we now had 4 in a row.
The next call was, "N-33...dirty knee." We didn't have that one on any of our cards.
"O-61" was called and before the caller could say "Bakers Bun", Mildred screamed out "BINGO!"
Nasty old Fred yelled, "You jumped the gun Mildred!"
"I most certainly did not Fatty Freddy!" was Mildred's retort.
The caller told everyone to calm down. Our card was checked and sure enough, WE WON! Mildred collected the winning cash and decided we should leave on a high note.
When she dropped me off in front of my trailer she told me she would pick me up next week at the same time.
The biggest adventure of my life was about to start so unfortunately no more Bingo for me....

                                                     
                     

I went to the zoo

Bill did it again...He left the window open! After he and Robbie went to work I jumped out in search of what mischief and fun I could get into . It was a beautiful day for wandering through the neighborhood. The sun was just coming up and there was not a cloud in the sky. I sauntered down the road, and Mrs. Smith spotted me again. She is such a nice lady but I wish she would mind her own business. She told me I was an indoor kitty and should not be out. She also told me if I refused to go home I should be very careful because I might run into other animals much bigger than I am. Little did she know the adventure I was about to have.    
I scampered away toward a pretty blond haired lady in a khaki outfit getting into an old green pickup truck. The lift gate was down so I jumped in and off she drove, unaware that she had a furry passenger with her. I had no idea where she was going but I didn't care. Here I was taking a trip unrestricted by a kitty carrier.
We drove out of the trailer park and got on a main road. It was a little bouncy in the truck bed but there was some old clothes in a pile so I snuggled up for the ride. I was a little nervous when we sped up and took sharp turns. We would slow down then speed up then turn left and then turn right. This went on and on and I started to feel a little sick.
We drove into the middle of Tampa and arrived at Lowery Park Zoo. It seems my driver works at the zoo as a volunteer. She got out, walked up to the employee entrance, showed a badge and went in. She still did not know I was there and neither did the badge checker/security officer so I was able to slip in undetected. What a great day I was about to have!
I wandered around the park at my leisure. I had to hide from people but I could easily scurry around out of sight to see all the beautiful scenery and exotic animals. I was overwhelmed by all the exciting stuff to see. All the animal habitats were surrounded by gorgeous plant life, waterfalls, and realistic backgrounds depicting the different locations the animals came from.
Some of the animals I saw were; elephants, rhinoceroses, flamingos, lorikeets, alligators, turtles, river otters, manatees, and a big toucan. Some of my favorites were the tigers who were playing together, the gibbon that was showing off by flying around on his ropes, the giraffe with the purple tongue, the rays waving their fins, the goats at the petting zoo, and the majestic bald eagle.
I was starting to get tired when I spotted Lucy, the Florida panther. She is my hero! I was so excited to see her in real life. She even let me slip into her habitat. Since it was the heat of the day we took a nap together.
Suddenly I realized it was getting late and I had to figure out how to get home. I ran as fast as I could, back to the entrance and found the old green pickup. I jumped in and hid in the pile of clothes to wait for the pretty lady in khaki  to come back. She showed up a little while later and drove me back home. When we got back to her driveway I jumped out and ran home. She never knew I had gone to work with her.
I was able to leap into the open window just before Robbie got home. Robbie fed me right away as she normally does as soon as she hits the door, but she could not figure out why I woofed down all my food so fast. She had no idea what an unbelievably adventurous day I had just had.

something is going on

Robbie and Bill brought home a cat carrier. I didn't know what it was for but they put my favorite blanket in it and it looked cozy inside. I was very reluctant to get in it and would circle around it, sniffed it and then walked away. After a few days I couldn't stand it any more and had to climb in. I always liked small spaces and this was no exception. As soon as I got the courage to walk in I loved it! The carrier was indeed cozy...with the door open....
A few days later Robbie put me in it and closed the door. I panicked and cried out! Bill picked up the carrier and put it in the car. The only time I ever got in the car was to go to the vet. I cried and cried. Robbie tried to talk to me to calm me down but I was not a happy camper.
Sure enough, we ended up at the veterinarians office. I was taken out of the carrier and given a rabies shot. Then a micro chip was inserted between my shoulder blades. Neither one of the procedures really hurt but I was not about to let anyone know it. I screamed at the top of my lungs.The vet explained it was for my own good but I didn't believe her. She said that if I got lost the micro chip would help Robbie and Bill find me.
I faked being hurt and limped back into my carrier. Robbie and Bill took me home and I slept for the rest of the day. I had worn myself out.
Why did my parents put me through all of this? They are always nice to me even when I act up. They must have had a reason...

Life in a doublewide

Looking out  my window in the mobile home was fun but frustrating. I needed to figure out how to escape and explore outside. All the squirrels, birds and lizards were having such a good time and I needed to go out to play with them.
Every day after Robbie and Bill left for work I would try to find a way to sneak out of my new home. A few days after we moved in Bill left a porch window open. This was my chance!
The next day, after Robbie and Bill left for work, I slipped out of the open window. My little adventure began. I was scared but excited at the same time.
I walked down the road and met Mrs. Smith. She was a very nice silver haired lady with a soft voice and a big smile. She petted me but told me I shouldn't have been out. She said I was obviously an indoor kitty and that I should go home. I wasn't ready to go home! I was having too much of a good time.
I walked on down the road and  met a very tall majestic-looking white heron. She must have been afraid of me because she flew off before we could get to know each other.

Then I spotted a squirrel. I hate squirrels because they like to tease and taunt me. I crouched down and slowly stalked him. I got to within  a few feet of him when he saw me out of the corner of his eye. He started to run! I did my best to catch up to him but he was too fast for me. He scurried up a tree, turned, looked down and laughed at me. Then he bounded across a couple more oak trees and he was gone.
I was exhausted! I walked home, ignoring lots of lizards along the way. When I got back it was all I could do to jump back in the
opened window.  I was so happy to lie down on my blanket and take a long nap.

When Bill came home he discovered the open window and closed and locked it. I had a really great time but a really big adventure for Robbie, Bill and me was about to begin!

My world started to change

My world started to change! Samantha auditioned for a role at Universal Studios in Sentosa Singapore and got it. This meant she accepted a year long contract to perform as Marilyn Monroe. A great opportunity for her but a terrible turn of events for me. Bill showed Robbie where Singapore is on a globe. It is exactly on the opposite side of the earth from Florida! Samantha would not be able to come home to visit and play with me for a very long time. What was I supposed to do? When Samantha left, Robbie showed me how to Skype on the computer. This allowed me to see and talk with Samantha but it was not the same as being petted by her. I know my friend missed me but she was very busy with her new life in a foreign country. I was worried I would never see her again. A few months passed and I settled into a new routine. Robbie and Bill worked a lot, so I spent time in our house by myself playing with milk rings, watching the squirrels tease me through the windows and taking lots of naps. Then the real changes started to happen. Construction men started to show up. They remodeled the kitchen and changed the carpet. Robbie and Bill did a lot of painting and sprucing up the house. Then some big guys came in and took out most of the furniture. What was going on? Robbie and Bill finally explained to me what was happening. They were going to sell our home. After all the work was done lots of people came in to see the house. I did my best showing them around but I didn't really want anyone to buy it. Despite my complaints, our home was sold in a very short number of weeks. The remainder of the furniture was put in storage and we moved into a furnished double wide trailer.What were Bill and Robbie thinking? They must have had a reason to sell our wonderful four bedroom, three bath, pool home to move into a much smaller mobile home. I hate to admit it but I started to really like my new home. There were lots of nooks and crannies to explore since the owner left behind lots of furniture and stuff for me to climb through. Bill set up a box covered with my favorite blanket in front of a window for me to look through. The squirrels here must have been the same ones from my old house because they continued to tease and torment me. There were also lots of birds and lizards to watch through the window. I had to figure out a way to sneak out to chase them! Every time I tried to sneak out when the door was opened, Robbie or Bill would catch me. They just didn't understand my naturally inquisitive and adventurous nature.

Purrla Kitty

My name is Purrla and I am a 5 year old orange and white tabby with amber eyes. I am a feral cat, born in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and rescued by a beautiful girl who needed a friend. Her name is Samantha and she is an actress. We had a wonderful time playing chase in her little apartment. She had a screened in porch where I loved to get fresh air and listen to the birds sing. Samantha sang a lot too which was very soothing. My favorite song that she sang to me was, ""Valerie" by Amy Winehouse. There is a line in it that says " I miss your ginger hair" and she would sing "I miss you ginger kitty.
Samantha's entertainment career was doing very well, but it required her to travel all over the USA. Her parents, Bill and Robbie, loved me very much and wanted to take care of me until Samantha could settle down somewhere. I moved to their home in Florida and knew it would be an exciting new adventure for me.
Robbie and Bill became like parents to me. I loved it when Robbie brushed me and had lots of fun when Bill and I played fetch with plastic milk rings. (I never liked store bought kitty toys).
Life in Florida was peaceful. I had no worries in the world and my family took wonderful care of me. The four of us were inseparable. Samantha would take acting roles out of the area for short periods of time, but she always came back when the play she was in ended. However, my picture perfect life was about to undergo a major change!