The New Normal

Normal. 

What does it mean exactly? I guess everybody has his/her own opinion about what is normal. It's a subjective matter after all. Especially since this horrible pandemic began. According to Wikipedia: A new normal is a state to which an economy, society, etc. settles following a crisis, when this differs from the situation that prevailed prior to the start of the crisis. The term has been used following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the aftermath of the 2008–2012 global recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yeah... It's the Corona virus guys... Real. Hoax. Self-quarantine. Mingling in a crowd. Mask. No mask. I heard that there's even some big conspiracy theories about the COVID-19. Whatever I don't know... #bigsigh What I do know for sure is that I don't want to gamble with life. Especially the lives of my loved ones. My families and my Precious Godsend in particular.

Avoiding crowds might be a little bit tricky for some. Especially for those who eventually have to start working outside their homes. But it sure is stressing me out, this -fromhome thing. I miss doing unimportant things outside the house. I miss my friends. I miss picking Kukka up from school. I miss our pizza time before her Skaci class. I miss going to the movies. I miss my pilates session. I miss just sitting around and enjoying a cup of coffee in a small coffeeshop. I miss my me-time outside the house. I miss having lunch with my BFF. I miss a lot of things! Unfortunately as a person who suffer from an autoimmune disease, which makes me even more vulnerable to catch COVID-19, I have to be extra patient and super extra careful. The risk is too high. Not only for me but also for everybody around me. Then again, stress is very bad for my health :)) 

So for my well-being I still go out even if it's as simple as driving around Bintaro. Or just relaxing on the patio, enjoying the weather with my girl, SiMoochi and SiBapa. I let all doors in our house wide open to get some fresh air. SiBapa's team also still come to our house and work and do whatever it is that they do up there :)) In some weird ways I do enjoy having SiBapa's team working here :) What I'm trying to say is that we are not being paranoid to be with other people. Once or twice we also go out to meet our parents. Making other people happy can also make you and others healthy you know :)

So yeah... Again. If it's as easy as wearing a mask which can save lives and at the same time can let you live a new normal life, then what's the hold up? Uncomfortable? Yes. Ruining the look? Probably. But so what?!? There's too many "what ifs" involved. Too many questions, doubts and uncertainties. Too much is at stake if you're not wearing a mask. 

What if that one time I didn't wear my mask it caused a family member sick and pass away? What if that one time I forgot to wash my hands it made some stuff I've touched "infected" by this god forsaken virus? What if that one time I chose to ignore all the necessary precautions it made this virus transmission easier? What if that one time YOU chose to be ignorant?

At the end I guess it's all about choice. If you choose to be reasonable, you follow the extra precautions. Wear a mask and have a new normal life. They might spare you and your loved ones a couple more years to live life as healthy beings. If you choose to be as dumb and ignorant as Donald Trump, who said "It is what it is.", better think it through how your stupidity at the end of the day could effect not only you, but also your loved ones. Salute ;)

*I'm wearing this super cool mask by Wickana Laksmi Dewi. Visit Masker Untuk Indonesia and get one ;) 

SiMoochi The Hero

It was Thursday evening around 8pm. I just got home after picking up Kukka from her 4D3N holiday at her beloved Uncle Ferry's house. The driver already left. It was the 3 of us again at home: Kukka, SiMoochi and me. I kept telling Kukka to take a shower which she of course totally ignored. SiMoochi was running around the house, begging for my attention. I was so ready to catch and squeeze my furry baby until suddenly... He stopped. SiMoochi suddenly "froze" right in front of the bathroom stairs. He looked at the door intensely. His ears were all "spikey", his eyes were very wide and on full alert. You could totally see that there was something wrong. At first I didn't really care about it since SiMoochi does that a lot. But usually he does it in front of the stairs. Usually SiMoochi looks up to the middle of the stairs to the second floor and he just...stares at...something. Spooky. Yes. But I must admit this time it was totally different. 

Still... I tried to carry and hug SiMoochi like I always do. The second I touched him SiMoochi jumped high and curled his body like something was gonna hurt him. I told my furry boy that everything was okay. I managed to catch him and carried him around the house. I asked "What's going on Moochi? Let me hug you! I miss you!" But then SiMoochi jumped and ran away, right to Kukka's bathroom. I tried to hug him again yet one more time, SiMoochi jumped high, on full alert. I said okay, this is getting annoying. I'll leave you alone, I said to SiMoochi. 

I can't remember how many minutes later when I came back looking for SiMoochi. I think it was also at the same time when I told Kukka to finally wash up since it was getting late. I turned on Kukka's bathroom and there he was... SiMoochi. Sitting on the bathroom floor, right in front of the trash bin. His whole expression was on full alert. SiMoochi looked at me and looked right back at the trash bin. And then it finally hit me. There must be something wrong. Something must be around that trash bin and SiMoochi knew it. Of course it didn't take long until I put one and one together: SiMoochi - suspicious look - bathroom - trash bin - cobra "fever". 

Yes. Lately lots of black cobra, big ones and babies, have been found around the cluster. There's even a notification letter and training how to deal with snakes from the cluster management about this. A couple of days before I found a baby cobra slithering away on the grass. I yelled and called my driver who was totally useless. He screamed and practically ran back into the house. I was like -_- Then I called Dewi dan Yuli, the maids. Dewi tried to catch the snake, Yuli picked up the security guys. The guys couldn't find it. They lost the snake in the middle of the bushes near Kukka's bathroom wall. The guys also found which appeared to be a snake hole. So yeah... I thought that must be the same one.

So anyways what I did seconds later was carefully carried SiMoochi away from the trash bin, immediately closed the bathroom door, put Kukka and SiMoochi in the bedroom and called the security guys. I was very impressed because the guys came minutes after I called. Complete with a snake stick. I told them that I didn't know for sure that there was a snake but it could be considering of the cobra which we lost a couple days ago and of course, SiMoochi's weird behaviour. The security guys said no worries and it was very good that I called them right away. Because apparently they already caught about... 10 (?) snakes around the cluster. Same ones. Black cobras. Mostly in Blok H if I'm not mistaken. I was like WTF????????? 

So yeah... One of the guys lifted the trash bin and said "Iya ada nih..." (Yup! There's one.) in a very calm manner. Again I was like WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!??! THERE'S A SNAKE INSIDE MY HOUSE!!!! In my baby's bathroom too!!! And she was just gonna wash up!!! It didn't take long for the security guys to get the snake with the stick. I recorded the whole thing and I realized that this one was actually bigger than the one we lost in the garden. I didn't have an Aqua bottle which they usually use to put the snakes in and throw them away back to the river. Long story short at the end, the security guys had to kill it. I thanked the guys for coming and they gave me some tips and told me to call them anytime. Some of the tips were putting fiber mats in front of the doors and mothballs near every drainage around the house. Apparently snakes don't like the smells of mothballs. Go figure.

After that what I did was giving SiMoochi a big hug and lots of thanks and praises. And of course a very delicious treat, his favourite: Me-O Creamy Treats: Chicken & Liver :) To think that I almost couldn't sleep because I was sooo worried SiMoochi would encounter another snake and get hurt... It turned out cats are quite good in catching snakes. Even house cats! One of them is Scribble: Can A House Cat Kill Snakes?

So yes! Thanks to SiMoochi Kukka and I were safe that night. If only SiMoochi wasn't that jumpy... If only SiMoochi didn't sit on full alert mode in the bathroom that whole time... If only SiMoochi didn't look the way he did in front of the trash bin... If only SiMoochi didn't return at the same time we arrived at home...

Thank you CiMoochMooch, our handsome furry hero :*

Smooch Moochi

I'm surrounded by kind and beautiful people. Not long after my posting about Flappy's tragic death, a friend from my college years contacted me. Septi. She was one of the girls in the dorm I stayed with. The younger ones :)) We never had any contact besides being friends in Facebook and Instagram. But not long I assume after she read my (blog or Instagram) postings about Flappy's death, she offered me a kitty cat. It was one of the best news I've received since a long time. So long story short, here he is, our beloved kitty cat: Moochi. 

Learning from our previous mistakes, we immediately took Moochi to the vet so he could get all the necessary vaccines he needed. Alhamdulillah so far Moochi is growing to be a healthy kitty. The first days Moochi was with us, he didn't want to eat a lot. We thought that he was just stressed out because of being in a new home. But it turned out that he had some teeth coming out and also some mouth ulcers. Good lord! :)) I didn't even know that cats CAN get mouth ulcers! Alhamdulillah our vet, drh. Yani from Meatball Pet Care Bintaro is a very nice and caring veterinarian. She treated and talked to Moochi as if he was a baby... Like a human one :))) I guess that's how vets got taught in college? :D Thanks to drh. Yani, Moochi is now growing to be a very healthy kitty. He eats a lot too! :) Kukka?

Oh you guess it right! :) Kukka loves Moochi very much! The minute she arrives at home from school, Kukka asks for Moochi. Sometimes I have to remind her to come to ME first and give me a kiss. Instead of running around the house looking for Moochi. The two of them would then spend the afternoon playing together. There must be something about Kukka. But it's like every cat she's been with, it lets her do anything! :)) Moochi got bundled up like a baby, got tossed up in the air like a small child, got dressed up and everything. Sometimes he does run away from Kukka. But most of the time he lets Kukka do whatever she wants.

Me? I love Moochi :) I spoil him that much I'd let him take a nap together with me! Usually around noon the 2 of us would lie down on the sofa. While I'm resting with a book on my hand, Moochi would jumped on the sofa and cuddling next to me. But most of time he sleeps on my tummy, my arm or on my chest. Yes. On my breasts to be exact! :)) This kitty is so weird. Maybe the sound of my heart soothes him. I don't know :) Alhamdulillah so far Moochi is growing to be a very healthy kitty. His vaccines are complete, he eats well and it looks like he's happy to be a part of our family. 

Hubster? Well... This is also funny and weird at the same time. Moochi acts differently around Hubster. It's like he knows that THE MAN OF THE HOUSE is different than the others :)) As if he knows that Hubster is not THAT MUCH of a cat lover. Many times all Hubster needs is to hold a broom in his hand and woooooosh!!! Moochi would run out of the house :))) But I did see Hubster held Moochi a couple of times. And I think I saw Moochi had an alarmed look :))) Well... I guess it's true. Cats ARE smart. It's VERY possible that they DO know who REALLY love them and who doesn't :p