The past two weeks have been pretty busy as I am back at work, with regular timings unlike our shortened hours during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

I have moved to a nice, big, spanking-new cubicle, after the long wait. Brushy even visited my office to have a look at my new workstation.

Brushy on the wheel of a Hyundai 4WD. Taken 20 September 2010, Shell Select, Al Khuwair Service Road, Muscat, Oman.

The above photo was taken during Brushy’s first trip to my office, when we rode the large Hyundai 4WD of a friend. We made a quick stop for lunch stuff at the Shell Select station on the Al Khuwair Service Road.

Of course, Brushy did not let the opportunity pass for a quick photo op. Perched in a precarious manner on the steering wheel, Brushy looks like he is navigating the huge vehicle!

Last 7th September, the pre-teen daughter of a friend celebrated her birthday.

Because I adore her and immensely like her parents as well, I had to give this young girl gifts to remember me by before she and her family move on to another country in the next few months.

After going shopping (doubtless my most favorite chore in the whole wide world), I went home to pack up my girly goodies. Brushy wouldn’t just let me be and participated in the process!

Brushy looking cool, wearing his dad’s sunnies. When I got home, he looked like this. Don’t know how he convinced Peter to let him wear this precious fashion statement.

Brushy posing with the assortment of girly gift items freshly bought from the store.

Brushy wants to get into the hot-pink “Sweet” carrier bag. He looks picture-perfect, like he’s from a shop window!

Brushy prodding the glittery rainbow unicorn card, trying the make the mythical creature come to life.

I love dogs.

This is a simple, undeniable declaration of fact. I have even posted on this blog before how much I love my beautiful Japanese Spitz baby girl, Pikachu.

I have accumulated a small assortment of photos on various real and toy doggies that I found really, really cute and amusing and would love to share with people who stumble across my blog.

My proud, beautiful Japanese Spitz Pikachu. Taken 6 October 2006, Iloilo City, Philippines. This is one of my best photos of Pika-chan.

Jepsy of San Jose, Antique, Philippines. Taken February 2010. Jepsy is owned by a friend of my father’s, who owns the store which Jepsy faithfully guards.

A stuffed brown dog with the familiar “nodding” head, who looks quite real even if he is positioned at the rear window of a glamorous red car. Taken December 2009, Madinat Qaboos, Muscat, Oman.

My stuffed brown-and-white spaniel baby boy, Brushy, spends quality bonding time with his dad. Together, they surf the Internet and look at bodybuilding photos. They also love watching action movies, in this case, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Taken 7 September 2010, Al Khuwair, Muscat, Oman.

Brushy and I love each other! Taken 28 July 2010, Al Khuwair, Muscat, Oman.

I have been a big fan of YouTube since the beginning of this year, largely due to my search for various performances of Pilipinas Got Talent favorites.

Yesterday, I finally cleaned up and restructured my YouTube page, where I will now post my personal videos as well as bookmark my favorite ones.

Here is the first video I uploaded, starring, of course, my well-loved Japanese Spitz Pikachu. This was shot sometime in 2007, before I went to Oman to seek my fortune.

I never really realized how much I miss my home country until I read this nostalgic entry from my friend Genefel‘s blog. I have been away from the Philippines for nearly two years now. Come the first of October 2009, it will be exactly two years to the day.

To be honest, I miss so many things from my hometown, the beautiful coastal Iloilo City, foremost of which are my family, friends, old colleagues, the accessible public transport system, and the delicious, affordable food.

I am dying for a piece of Jolibee Chicken Joy or a slice of Andok’s liempo. Or at least a proper KFC Original Recipe meal, with steaming-hot gravy and a cup of rice.

However, I miss my pet Japanese Spitz doggie, Pikachu (yes, shamelessly named after the perky, literally electrifying Pokemon), much, much more than all the aforementioned Pinoy culinary delights combined.

Pikachu up close

Pikachu from another angle

Pikachu giving me a wet kiss on the cheek!

The above photos were taken back in 2007, give or take few months before I left for Oman. I found all these files from the memory card of my trusty Nokia 6600. Apologies for the not-so-high quality of the images!

Pikachu is not a pure Japanese Spitz. Her mother, Choco, was, but her father was apparently a strapping poodle. Thus, you can see that Pikachu has inherited her sire’s big eyes and floppy ears.

My doggie has been with me since May 2003. She was so tiny when she first arrived at our home, being only a few months old back then. She didn’t know how to eat from her pet bowl, but would guzzle milk like there’s no tomorrow.

Pikachu grew fast and shed and grew back her thick, fluffy, white fur even more quickly. She liked to eat my favorite food as well – chicken liver, baked ziti with mixed tomato and carbonara sauce, roasted and butter-fried chicken, among many others.

I intend to go home early next year, perhaps sometime during the first calendar quarter. I will finally see my pet in person again, not just from a fuzzy webcam feed.

My mother always tells me over the phone that my baby has gained lots of weight because she now has even more food to eat, what with yours truly working abroad and all!

I would like to share a picture of what my current mousepad looks like:

Darling, isn’t it?

I actually bought two of this particular design from the Philippines back in 2006, and they have both traveled all the way to Oman with me.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Happy Lunar New Year and welcome to the Year of the Dog!

May this year be filled with blessings, fortitude, luck, prosperity and, above all, peace of mind and heart for everyone.

And may we, as always, continue to live in interesting times.

I also wish to share a picture of my beloved Japanese Spitz dog. She has been with me since April 2003.

This is your year, my dear. Give it to ‘em good.