Helping out our furry friends

Date : 22nd May 2011
Time : 8.30am
Venue : Sungai Buloh
Event : Visit to Furry Friends Farm

It was a bright and beautiful Sunday morning (^^)

Of course I would say that because I woke up late again for my appointment with my friends Gun and James. It was about 8.30am when I reached the Subang Jaya KTM station to meet up with Blitz Gun. Together with him is his lovely soulmate, Tanny, his brother, Billy Gun and their cousin, Ron. After he picked me up outside the station, we headed to Kelana Jaya area for dim sum.

The name of the shop slipped my mind. Should've taken a picture or blog on the same day when I came back. But the food were excellent. Luckily James Ong helped us reserved a table. Apparently customers had to wait under the tent outside during peak hours. We had fun and chat while enjoying the food, of course with good food comes "good" pricing. Once we've had our stomachs full, we headed to our destination for the day.

But, before that, a short stop at Shell petrol station to buy some drinks for replenishment purposes. I went a little bit overboard on my purchases. Not just only I've bought a couple of bottles of 100 Plus, I've also purchased 2 National Geographic magazines and 2 Mentos chewing gum. Felt like I was shopping for a family picnic (^^")

So, on to our proper destination...The Furry Friends Farm (^^) Yay!!

An introduction about the location, Furry Friends Farm once started in Pulau Ketam to house the stray dogs and cats. The strays was out of control until the stray dogs feed on the carcases of their own kind. (Curse you heartless, irresponsible owners...You should feel the same thing the strays go through every single day of their miserable lives just to survive for another day!!! How could you have the heart to abandon and abuse them!!!) Apparently the center has moved to Sungai Buloh. (Correct me if I'm wrong Blitz) more details can be referred to my fellow blogger/driver Blitz Gun at http://blitzgun.blogspot.com/2011/05/second-chances.html


The place is run by the owner Sabrina Yeap and volunteers. Yes, the place only relies on volunteers to help take care of the strays and the center's needs. Funding for the daily consumables for the dogs and cats are already an issue itself.

Back to the story, when we've reached the location, we were greeted by one of the volunteers who helped take care of the stray cats and the owner Ms. Sabrina. We were to divide among ourselves as to who should prepare the meal and who will be cleaning the enclosures. After doing so, the next question she asked was..."Did you bring any gloves?" That was answered by the unanimous "Ehhhhhh...." from myself, James, Billy and Ron.

The previous night, we were told to bring the following items:
1) A spare change of clothes after all the hard work
2) A few bottles  of water to replenish our fluid level
3) A mask if necessary
4) A pair of slippers or shoes
BUT NO INDICATION ABOUT GLOVES (although I did considered bringing a pair myself)

After which, Sabrina lead us to the location for our first task...

Jeng Jeng Jeng...!!!

Our first task was to clean the enclosure of any unwanted items and arrange the cement drains in a parallel manner. Yes, the drains shown in the picture below...

It was tough work cleaning the enclosure but with the cooperation among the 4 of us (ie. myself, James, Billy and Ron), we managed to complete the task. And found something else in the process.

A new life in the making...

Now, before anyone goes and misunderstood what is shown above. These are not turtle eggs (Nice one Aaric) or chicken eggs. But it could be a monitor lizard's or worse...a snake's. The size of the eggs are almost the same as little pebbles. Luckily Momma was not around when we were cleaning.

We took a short break and I went to take some pictures of another kind of furry resident. The cats (^w^) like the ones below...

There are separate enclosures for the dogs and cats. Even up to the point that healthy cats and diseased cats are isolated as well. What kind of disease might a cat have? Well, leukaemia is one...and FIV. What is FIV? It's the abbreviation for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Now doesn't that sounds familiar? Well, it is the feline equivalent of HIV. Just a scratch from a diseased cat will transmit the virus to a healthy cat. (Don't worry, humans are not affected by the disease. More reference can be made to the following site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_immunodeficiency_virus).

Our next task after the break was to become Poop Patrols...(Fun...yeah right) starting with...

Ron (on the left) and Billy...!!! (Applause)

If you think bringing a mask is good enough for the job, think again!! You might as well bring a biohazard suit. The smell is really gagging. (Which the 3 of us suffered without the use of masks.) Equipped with only a broom and dustpan, we started on our noble task and it was tiring and disgusting. But someone has to do it. There were other volunteers that day, some were assisting the cats and some were helping repairing the enclosures and washing the trays for their meals. After a while, the Poop Patrol duty has been passed onto yours truly as Billy and Ron helped on washing the trays and containers.

Trust me when I say it is one of the most difficult task to do. Looking and scooping the poop, gagging occasionally and when you turn around, a fresh pile is waiting. If you think it's disgusting and you don't wanna do it, how do you think Sabrina feels when she has to run the center by herself during the weekdays. Once done with the Poop Patrol, the next step is to rinse the enclosure and to sweep the area. After I've completed the tasks, I took a break again and back to take some pictures (^^).

This fella only wants some TLC

Cats doing their best in the hot afternoon

An unexpected furry visitor

Some timid little kittens

Teddy Bear...!!! (Seriously, that's his name) I liked him on first sight (^^)

This guy wants some TLC too

Just taking for fun (^^")

Doing volunteer job is very tiring

Once I've returned from my Poop Patrol duty, my next task is to be an Egg Cracker. The reason? The meal for the dogs are rice mixed with pumpkin, bread and omelette. It was a slow and difficult process because we need to be careful as there are rotten eggs and we're not sure when we'll get lucky. In my case, at a ratio of 50 eggs, about 1/5 of them are rotten. This were not much easier as the electricity kept on tripping. After the electrician investigated, the reason is that one of the plugs cannot be overloaded with two rice cookers. So, not just only the meals were significantly delayed, we had to be careful as well when we were cooking the rice. The rice cookers are not those ordinary ones that we use at home everyday. They were HUGE, like those used for big catering events.

As the meals are not fully prepared, they had to prioritize the feeding time for the puppies and weaker dogs. Knowing that food is coming, the dogs made quite a commotion and wanted to barge into the kitchen area. My task has now changed to...Food Guardian (I seem to make quite a few names for myself...Lol). As we fed some of the dogs which were kept in the kitchen area, the more aggressive ones squabbled over their share of the food. Just look at some of the pictures below on the preparation process.

No...!!! Gun is not cooking for us. It's for the dogs

Tanny working on the rice

Billy giving some TLC

Taking a break in between the chaos

Being a volunteer is never an easy job which demands a lot of energy and commitment

The dogs taking a rest after their meal 

By the time we left, it was around 6.30pm. Initially we wanted to stay until all of the food is cooked but Sabrina assured us that she will take over and it's best for us to leave before it gets too dark. James drove home while the rest of us decided to shower and change at Tanny's place which was nearer. The other reason that we wanted to go to her house was because they have a jakooozieee (^^) Awesome...!! *Two thumbs up*

We fooled around for a while before taking our showers and ended our day with dinner at SS2 at the area famous for the stalls of food. (I'm in food heaven...*Teary eyes*)

Dogs and cats are amazing animals. They can be loyal and love you more in return as long as they get tender loving care. Actually, not only dogs and cats, but pets in general. So, to the owners out there, if you ever thought of abandoning these creatures and hope you can live on with it. Think thoroughly before you even do it.

A Fun Day To Do Volunteering Work

Date : 8th May, 2011
Time : 8am - 7pm
Venue : Orang Asli settlement, Hulu Melaka, Serendah, Rawang
Event : WOW Day - Family day with the Orang Asli and their families

It was a cool morning when I woke up at 6am. Only to realise that I have overslept. The best part was, I've already set the handphone alarm to go off at 4am and 5am the night before. (OO) I had to rush to steam my breakfast from Friday's leftover supper (The Big Pau from Mee Boon Dim Sum, Jalan Ipoh) bathing, brushing teeth, changing into my sportswear and packing. All within half an hour before I had to leave to the Segambut KTM  station.

As I got out of my neighbourhood, a bus came along just in time. It was only a few minutes to reach the KTM station. But, knowing the "timeliness" of our local railway system. It's guaranteed that I'll be late. So I notified the friend who invited me for the event Aaric and Gun who is also volunteering for that day. A few minutes later, Aaric sent me the contact of the person in charge of transport and I've already settled my transport issues.

To cut the story short, I'll skip my breakfast part and directly to the part where I've arrived in the Orang Asli settlement. The previous night, I've received a message from the organising team saying that once we entered the area, there will be no handphone reception at all. My phone only showed "Emergency Calls Only" when we've entered the area. There were canopies, chairs, sound systems and prizes neatly arranged at the field whereas nearby, there is an inflatable slide for the children to play in. Poles and tapes marked the border of the field decorated with balloons. As the morning continues, all volunteers are separated into their respective teams with their tasks for the day. I'm assigned to the F & B team to handle the lunch and drinks for the volunteers and residents

As it was early and there were too many of us, I decided to help out in the babysitting section at the inflatable slides. As I reached there, the kids were entering and playing. Taking turns to let others in although some were quite reluctant to exit. There were activities lined up for them, some of the activities include gunny-sack race and drawing competition for the kids, balloon stepping and musical chairs for the adults (which can turn out to be quite rough as usual for musical chairs).

For lunch, we have catering food, ice-cream and pastries. It was hectic as people lined up to take food for their families. It was a huge crowd but it is evident that the residents and their children enjoyed the meal. As we took the time off during lunch, the residents entertained themselves with their singing. The volunteers even did a dance to "Baby" by Justin Bieber as one of the volunteer's son sang the song.

After everyone has enjoyed their lunch, we had the prize giving ceremony. During that time, I'm back into babysitting duty at the inflatable. The children were very determined and quite selfish on playing at the inflatable. To solve this, I actually went inside to the inflatable and attempt at crowd control. I ended up being the "Hantu Cina" that eats up little kids if they don't listen and exit the inflatable for the other kids' turn. There were some I had to wrestle, carry, even pretend to bite their necks just for fun. I feel so evil doing that.

It was a lot of fun playing with the kids. Even if it's really tiring to take care of them. The Guest of Honor arrived in the afternoon for the formal side of the event. There was even a local television crew to cover the event. Once the event was over, we packed up a bit before we call it a day.

For some of us, we had a little trip further up to the waterfall to have a cool dip after a long day under the hot sun. At first I was reluctant to go into the water as I didn't bring any spare clothes to change. But, Aaric insisted and he said he doesn't mind if the seat gets wet. Then again, I still felt a bit hesitant at that time. But I finally gave in upon Aaric's insistence. I have never regretted my decision as the water was cool and refreshing. We had a bit of fun splashing around and laughing. In the process, I got to know two new friends who are Alex Teo and Wilson Lim.

To be able to help out other people and do service to the community, it makes me feel satisfied. This is most probably the main reason why I never get tired after joining Rotaract for 7 years already. Which is a decision I have never regretted since the day I joined such a wonderful organisation and got to know all the amazing people.

(^^)

Relocation

Hey guys,

just to make things simple and not clogging up this blog and confusing the readers, I've decided to create a new one where I'll post my creative writing (fanfictions and fictions) to another blog at http://fantasy-my creative .blogspot.com/

The blog will only feature my attempts in creative writing. All constructive comments and suggestions are welcomed. In the meantime, due to my hectic audit work for the companies with December 2010 year end, I won't be able to exercise the creative part of my brain yet. But I'll read novels and mangas (yes, some of my works do come from comics) to get some ideas and inspirations. Until then, stay tuned.


William Kim ^^

Lock and Load

Date : 26th February 2011
Time : 9.00 am
Venue : Delta Paintball, Taman Pertanian Negara, Bukit Cahaya
Event : District Rotaract Fellowship - PAINball

As mentioned above, it was a day where all of us Rotaractors from District 3300 and guests get to have fun in a jungle environment and get to shoot each other.

I was staying over at Aaric's house the previous night so that I can follow his car to the location for the paintball. Luckily it wasn't difficult to wake the fella up but he's a bit of a lazybum. ^^"

We met up with Koshla, Nisha and one of Aaric's club member. After a short while, we met up with a few more of Aaric's friends as we headed for breakfast at the cafeteria near the entrance. A few of the participants (including the Organising Chairperson) was still on their way while we waited for them. Once everyone has arrived, we took a feeder bus uphill to the paintball valley. There were a few other groups there with  a tournament going on. We're having our own game instead among the 20 of us. We were briefed of the safety measures and mechanisms of the marker (the gun that we're using to shoot), the face mask and protective vest.

After the briefing, we were brought to a nearby arena for the first battle which also serves as a warm up. All of us went with our designated teams and prepared for battle as strategies were explained. Being a newbie to this, I just stick around and go according to situation. The battle started once the marshalls gave the command as everyone took off their barrel socks (used to block the marker in case the safety pin was not in place and someone accidentally pulled the trigger) and pushed the safety pin into fire mode. There were boards, empty huts and trees to serve as cover while we rushed forward and shoot. Aaric was being a kamikaze by running first and shot 4 opponents before he was taken out. Then there was Eric and Sanjeev as well to lead the team. We won the first round by taking out majority of the opponents until times up. I didn't get to shoot anyone then which was an ultimate fail. =="

Round two, both teams switched positions and we found that the ground was a bit of a disadvantage for us. But we remained with the same strategy and Aaric being the kamikaze person he is, rushed forward first and got a few of the opponents. I was hiding behind one of the boards and shot a few pellets with my fellow teammate. And ended up getting shot at twice, at the right arm and thigh. First important lesson learnt, hide and shoot is a good strategy and be alert with the surroundings. My team lost the second round by survival as the opponents had more members in the arena compared to my team.

We then exited from the paintball grounds to rest and refresh ourselves while we returned the markers for a gas refill after emptying the pellets into the pots that we were carrying around to reload our markers in case we ran out of pellets. Everyone was sweating from the heat and adrenaline. Paintball is a physical sport that involves a lot of running. The venue has a freeflow of syrup drinks to replenish the fluids and energy in our body before we suit up and headed to the third round.

As we followed the marshal, we were led to a different spot where there was an old bus lying in the middle. The game, Attacker vs Defender. The rules, the defenders must prevent the attackers from touching the bus within 15 minutes. The attackers wins if one of their members managed to touch the bus and survive till the end of the time given. Members of both teams who got shot will have to move to their designated safe spots and wait for the marshal's command before they can re-enter to the battle. There were tensions in the air as we all waited for the opponents to approach while we guarded our stations. The attackers are allowed to fan out so we had to look out all around us for signs. For a few minutes, I can only hear my own breathing and the members checking in on their position. Then, we heard gunfires and all of us prepared for battle. The attackers were hiding behind bushes and trees as they tried to take us out and reach the target. I was just shooting away at anything that moves behind the trees from my side while using the tree as my cover. One by one, my team members were shot but we managed to take out a few of the opponents as well. Since their safe spot is far, they are at a disadvantage. The battle became more fierce as they came for the second time and we battled each other. I'm not sure if I got anyone in the process but there were pellets flying left and right at the tree I'm hiding behind. Some of the members who were taken out were giving the directions and then, our guard at the bus got shot and now the target is open. They were pushing me to move and protect the bus, but I was hesitating. That caused me to get shot as I felt something hit my head and I moved to the safe spot. But after checking, there was no ink mark on my head. Second lesson, if you think you got shot, first check and see if there are any ink marks before exiting the arena. Anyway, one of the opponents managed to touch the bus and we got excited as some of us screamed the instructions to one of our members who hid behind one of the bus while the opponent was at the other side. As the time runs out, we managed to protect the target until the end.  We exited the arena for some rest before commencing the fourth round.

We're brought to a different are this time, with huts, empty barrels and a car to use as shields for our fourth battle. Raise the Flag. The rules are simple. Avoid getting shot and run to the flagpole and raise your team's flag. The one that lasts till the end wins. aaric, Sanjeev and Eric were to be the ones to raise the flag while the others tried to cover for them. But a few seconds after the battle started, my marker malfunctioned as it wasn't able to fire anything. So I called the marshal to rectify the problem. As I went back into battle, I noticed that some of my members were already missing. I turned around to see Aaric and Eric got taken out. Shortly after, Sanjeev followed suit. Lesson three, make sure to check that your equipments are fuunctioning properly before going into battle. The opponents' flag was raised. I saw some of the enemies and shot at them. One thing about the markers and the pellets is that they never travel in a straight line always due to the spherical shape of the pellets. Time was over and the opposing team won.

Some of us were already tired from the game as we rested and had our lunch. Only a few of us remained outside as the others resumed their battle. I gave my remaining pellets for them to use as James, Koshla, Li Yen and myself sat and waited for them to finish. Koshla had to go off early so only three of us remained to wait for the others. Li Yen, James and myself chatted among ourselves before they too had to go off at 2.30pm. Leaving me to be the Lone Guardian to take care of the important belongings. Just minutes after they left, Aaric and a few others returned and looking worn out. Apparently the reason they took so long was due to the choice of the battlegrounds. The game, Raise the Flag again but from what I hear, my team won the challenge as Aaric tied the ropes after raising our flag. There were some equipments malfunction as well and he had to abandon his marker and rushed to the flagpole which explains the injuries on his arm and the tear on his t-shirt. A few others exited from the arena as the remaining players went for the final round with one of the other teams there.

The game, Zombieball. The rules are simple. Nobody is taken out even after getting shot. The game lasts until everyone's pellets are used up. This kind of game tests the player's resistance as they get shot over and over again. Though it was a physically challenging game, everyone had fun and laughs with a few "souvenirs" added for memories. Not many photos were taken as all of us kept our important belongings and didn't bring them inside.

A few of the participants

Aaric

Eric

Break time ^^

The final players for zombieball

Like a Brother - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

To Min Lee,

                Guess what? I’m no longer living alone anymore. (^^) I’ve found some abandoned kittens nearby last night while coming home from work and they were so adorable. Luckily Jonghyun was around to help me out. I’ve included pictures of the kittens with their names and new home. What’s even more surprising is that Jonghyun’s part of the famous boyband SHINee and they’re my neighbours and classmates. We’ll be going shopping today to buy a few things. I hope those people back home didn’t bother any of you guys. Take care and I miss you all.

Regards,

Jin Woo Hyung

Jin Woo

I’m up early today to make breakfast. Chicken porridge with fried onions and chopped scallions when someone rang the doorbell.

“Coming…” I went to open the door and found SHINee waiting outside.

“Just in time for breakfast.” I smiled at them.

“What is it today?” Taemin asked.

“Chicken porridge. Something simple to start the day.” I replied.

“Mmmmm…Chicken.” Onew said.

“Come on in…I’ll go check on the progress first.” I went to the kitchen. Minho, Key, Taemin and Jonghyun made a beeline straight for the SHINee Kitties. Onew offered to help me instead. While preparing the meal, I looked at Onew.

“Are you afraid of cats?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Not really…just that something happened in the past. It’s my fault actually. I’m not really good with small animals and children.” He said. Somehow, I feel like helping him to overcome it. But maybe another time.

After setting up the table, the kittens woke up and started mewing loudly for their meal. I prepared and served them immediately as the others watched.

“You know, Tiggy reminds me of Jonghyun. He’s the smallest of the bunch.” I said to them. It took Jonghyun a few moments to understand what I was saying and he turned around with a I’m-gonna-kill-you stare.

“Sorry…no hard feelings.” I looked at him jokingly. “And breakfast is ready.” I added as the others made their way to the dining table. Onew was already helping himself with the food. I went to clean myself and changed in my room before coming down. Key was the first one to see me and he was stunned. His spoon clattering into the bowl. I have an uneasy feeling about this.

Jonghyun

I looked up at Key when his spoon fell into the bowl. Everyone else was curious what happened as we followed his stunned gaze towards Jin Woo. What I saw next almost shocked me. Standing there, was a person that looks more like an ajusshi than a 19 year old hyung. I didn’t want to find out whatever is in his closet.

After breakfast, Key was looking around in Jin Woo’s closet while myself and the others sat on the bed.

“Don’t you have anything else better to wear?” Key looked at him after he has done searching.

“It’s all that I have. I don’t go out much usually.” Jin Woo smiled apologetically.

“Well, we’ll need to do something about your clothes.” Key said.

“And your looks.” Minho added.

“So it’s settled then.” I looked at the others.

“Minho and Key will be with Jin Woo hyung. While myself, Jonghyun and Taemin will look for books.” Onew added. With that, we went on our way to the mall.

Jin Woo

It was an interesting outing. I’ve never been around the city much since the day I got to Seoul. The sights and scenes were amazing. We were travelling towards one of the areas known for its shopping malls.

We stopped outside one of the malls. “Shall we try this one?” Key asked. I looked up and saw the sign board. Shin Kyung Mall. Instantly I knew what it was. Part of something that I swore not to be related to anymore. Shin Kyung Enterprise.

“Is something wrong?” Taemin asked. That got me back to reality.

“Oh, nothing. Can we try another place?” I turned to Key.

“Sure, there are other choices around here.” He said as he brought us to another mall.

Jonghyun

Is it just me? I thought I saw something dark passed through Jin Woo’s eyes when he saw the sign board. But I didn’t want to ask him and make myself feel like an intruder into his personal life. But I wonder what happened to him in the past? The thoughts kept turning in my mind as we made our way to another location.

Jin Woo

We came to another mall, as planned, Key and Minho were to take me get a new look and clothes while Jonghyun, Onew and Taemin went to the bookstore.

“First, we need to work on your looks.” Key said as we went to a stylist. I saw the price list of each services which was more than what I can save for myself from my part-time wages.

“I…I can’t afford this…” I looked at Key.

“Don’t worry…Think of it as our thank you for the food and SHINee Kitties. At least for now.” Key pushed me through the doors. Just then, one of the stylist came over.

“Key, and Minho. How nice of you to drop over.” The stylist smiled as she greeted us.

“Hi Yeunee noona, can you help make Jin Woo hyung look fabulous?” Key asked the stylist.

“You know how capable I am.” The stylist giggled then looked at me. “Jin Woo is it? Please come over to this seat.” The stylist gestured to one of the empty seats.

“Okay…” I answered nervously and followed with Key and Minho behind me.

“Hmmm…” The stylist felt my hair as she was deep in thought while looking at the mirror. “I’ll give you a wash and cut. Something that suits your facial features.” With that, she started to work.

The wash was…relaxing… I’ve never been to such salons before in my life. It took about half an hour for her to finish but it felt like a few hours have gone by. She then proceeded with cutting and drying my hair. I didn’t dare to look how it will turn out.

“Alright…” The stylist turned the seat around. “What do you think?” She asked Minho and Key.

“Perfect.” That was Key’s only answer. Minho nodded in agreement.

I tried to see for myself in the mirror and I look completely different. Like a stranger was staring back at me if it wasn’t for my spectacles.

Key paid the stylist, which apparently was given a discount because he introduced “such a good looking hyung” according to her. That turned my face red like a tomato.

“Next, a new pair of spectacles.” Minho said as he lead the way to an optometrist.

One of the clerks smiled as he saw us entering. “Ah, Minho and Key…How have you been?” He greeted.

“Hi Lee Tae hyung. Could you give Jin Woo hyung a check while we pick out the spectacles?” Minho asked the clerk.

“Definitely.” The clerk agreed as he asked another to help out with Key and Minho’s selection.

“If you would follow me please.” The clerk gestured as I followed.

Everything seems to be fine after I’ve done the check. Key and Minho have already selection a few choices on the display counter. I glanced at some of the prices and it was way more than I can afford. I wanted to reject the choices but Key gave the Don’t-say-you-can’t-take-this look at me and I gave up immediately. I guess there’s no escaping this anyway.

“We chose frameless spectacles for the smart look.” Minho explained.

“Try them on and see which you think is best.” Key said as I sat.

I tried each and every one of the options until I settled on one which is slightly rectangular in shape. “This one looks okay.” I told them.

“Ah, nice choice. The glasses are specially manufactured in a way that you can wear both outdoors and indoors. Under strong sunlight, it will turn into a darker shade. Much like a pair of sunglasses.” The clerk explained.

“Alright. We’ll take this then.” Minho decided as he paid for the purchase. “And keep this old pair in the box.” He told me as the clerk passed our purchased item in a small bag.

“Now that we’re done with your looks…” Minho said as we came out from the optometrist.

“Time to look for your clothes.” Key finished the sentence as we headed to a boutique.

Guess I’ll surrender myself to their expert choices. But first…

Jonghyun

“Cat Care for Dummies”, “Basic Cat Care”, “Know Your Kitty”, “What Does Your Cat’s Sound Means?”…Man there are a lot of books on cat care. I’m just going to take one of each until Onew had to stop me.

“Three books are more than enough. Otherwise all of the books on cat care will be gone from their shelves.” He said.

“Sorry. Guess I got too carried away.” I smiled sheepishly. Taemin was hanging around the comics section.

Just then, my phone buzzed as I took it from my pocket. A message from Jin Woo.

“Jin Woo hyung needs some stationeries.” I told Onew as we headed towards Taemin and asked him to carry the items Jin Woo listed. For what reason he didn’t say.

I wonder what he’s planning to do with this many things…

Jin Woo

Well, at least there’s something else that I can do for all of us. Key and Minho looked through the available selections from different boutiques as they paired tops with bottoms. In the end, both Key and I got a few bags in each of our hands. And I’m wearing one of their selections. We then headed to look for new shoes and ended up with Minho carrying a few pairs as well. Again, I’m wearing one of their choices. I felt like buying a whole wardrobe with all these stuff. Makes me wonder why girls enjoy shopping so much.

“Hold on.” Key said as we found a seat to rest while he answered his phone.

“You guys are done?” He asked. I assume it’s from Jonghyun and the others.

“Okay, we still need a few things. I’ll send the list over to you guys in a while…Okay…we’ll meet up later over lunch.” Key then hung up and went to typing a message. I wonder what list that he has in mind.

“Now…time for lunch.” Key said as we got up and continued walking to a restaurant with Minho leading the way. All the while, I see passersby having a second look at me. It made me feel a bit nervous and embarrassed at the same time. There were even girls pointing and giggling among themselves.

“Don’t worry Jin Woo hyung. You look really great now.” Key smiled at me.

I guessed what Key said was true. As we entered the restaurant, all the customers seem to stare at us right from the start. We found a table to settled down while waiting for Jonghyun and the others…

Jonghyun

First was Jin Woo’s list and now Key’s. We came out from the pharmacist with all the items he has listed. Trust Key to do it all the way when it comes to fashion and image. Onew carried the items from the pharmacist while Taemin and I carried bags of books and stationeries that we’ve bought a while ago.

“Hold on, I think it’s them.” Taemin said as we stopped for a while. My hands felt like they were carrying dumbbells. He took out his phone and read the message before keeping it again.

“Lunch at the usual spot.” He told us. We then carried the bags and proceed to the location.

When we entered and saw Jin Woo…

Jin Woo

Their eyes went big. That was the reaction when they saw us. Guess it’s because of the amount of shopping that we’ve done on our side. Judging from Minho and Key’s looks, I assume the same goes when they saw the bags that Jonghyun, Taemin and Onew were carrying in their hands. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked for so much stationeries in my list. But I wonder what Key asked to buy with the items Onew was holding.

Jonghyun

First of all, Key and Minho managed to pull it off tremendously in changing Jin Woo’s looks. Secondly, the amount of shopping they’ve done was ridiculous. Well, I can’t say we’re any different from them. I wonder how are we going to carry all these stuff back to Jin Woo’s house.

“Wow…” Was what Onew can say.

“Jin Woo hyung looks…” Taemin was speechless.

“Amazing.” I finished the sentence for him.

We sat and read through the menu while a waiter took our order. Then we relaxed and chatted while waiting for our meal. Key and Minho was curious about the stationeries.

“I need to do something with those. But it’s a secret for now.” Jin Woo smiled. He then asked about the things Onew was carrying.

“Something which I need to teach you once we reach home.” Key explained. Jin Woo just nodded. A slight confusion on his face. After that, we had our lunch and made our way back.

Jin Woo

It took us quite an effort to carry all those things back to my place. But we made it anyway. Once we’ve entered my house, the SHINee Kitties were mewing loudly as they lined up near the cage opening.

“Alright, alright…I’ll prepare your milk.” I soothed them while preparing the milk mixture and placed it in the cage. The kittens started to lap it up hungrily while Jonghyun and the others placed the shopping down.

“Now then, I still need to teach you a few more things before we’re done.” Key said as he pulled me up the stairs.

Guess it’ll be a long day today. But I wonder what kind of reactions will I get on Monday in school…

Like a Brother - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

To Min Lee,

                First day of school was fine. I was shown around school by a student who’s apparently one of my neighbour as well. The school has some decent facilities. I’ve enclosed the pictures together as well as the place where I’m staying. How will things go from here? I’m not sure. Just hope that everything will be alright. You guys take care.

Regards,

Jin Woo Hyung

Jin Woo

I got up earlier today, made my own breakfast and packed lunch before getting ready for school. I took out the violin from my closet and opened the case. The memories of the effort Mom and Dad had put in to buy this for me came instantly. I closed the case and stood to ready myself for school.

As I reached school and placed my bag in class, I immediately headed towards the room that got my attention yesterday, the music room. After settling down, I took out my violin from its case and rested my hands on it. Feeling its surface once more after such a long time.

“Well, at least no one’s around to listen.” I told myself as I held the violin and started to play a tune from my memories. How wrong I was from that moment on.

Jonghyun

Our group arrived school as usual. But something doesn’t seem right. It’s so quiet at the school gates.

Key was the first one to noticed. “The crowd. Where’s the crowd?” he wondered.

“No shouting, no crying, no screaming…I wonder what happened.” Taemin added.

“It’s definitely not a holiday for sure.” Onew stated the obvious.

“Come on, let’s see if there’s anyone inside.” I said to the others as we made our way.

After placing our bags, we searched the school for any sign of people. Then we saw a huge crowd outside the music room. There was music coming from there. The sound of violin.

 As we approached, we heard whispers and murmurs from the people. Only one phrase that was heard…“New student”.

“Is that who I think it is?” I looked at Minho who was standing beside me.

“It seems to be him. Who else is the new student here?” He replied.

“Jin Woo.” Onew said his name.

Just then, the first bell rang. Which ended the surprising performance.

Jin Woo

The sound of the first bell broke my concentration. I looked around the room and to my horror, there was already a huge crowd outside the music room. I quickly packed my violin and exited the room. Pushing my way through the crowd as I rushed towards the class.

“Jin Woo…!!!” I heard a familiar voice calling behind me and I froze on the spot.

Oh no! Don’t tell me they heard it too. My face turned red immediately.

“Jin Woo. You’re violin skills were amazing.” Jonghyun complimented.

There’s no use denying now. I turned around to face him. “I haven’t played the violin for a few years.” I admitted.

There was a smile on his face, showing his tiger tooth. “Are you kidding? Even if you didn’t played for a few years, your skills are still great.” He said.

“Thanks.” It was all that I could say.

“Let’s go before we’re late for the lesson.” Onew said as we all headed to our class.

RECESS…

Jin Woo

I’ve found a perfect spot to relax and have my lunch. Under a big tree in the school grounds. On one hand, I’ve got my music book with my pencil and eraser. Continuing on the tune from where I left last. On the other hand, there’s my packed lunch for today, egg and ham sandwich. I hummed, ate and compose all at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking. Just as I was concentrating on the composing part, a shadow appeared above me. I raised my head and saw Minho.

“Hi there, Jin Woo.” Minho greeted me.

“Hi.” I replied. A bit surprised as I didn’t sense him approaching.

“What have you got there?” Jonghyun asked  from behind.

“Oh nothing, something to pass the time away.” I replied nonchalantly.

“Let me have a look…” Jonghyun snatched it away before I can close the book. He flipped through the pages and looked in detail. Then he showed to Minho.

“Onew, Key, Taemin!! Come over for a while.” He shouted for the others as Minho looked through the book as well.

“What is it?” Taemin asked.

“Look at this.” Minho passed the booked for the others to see.

They stopped on one of the pages.

“Think we should try it?” Key asked.

“Why not? That is, if Jin Woo doesn’t mind of course.” Onew said as he looked at me.

“Well, I can’t say no right?” I replied with a smile. Jonghyun’s going to get it from me later.

“Ready guys?” Onew looked at the others who gave a nod.

“1, 2, 3…” Onew said as they started to sing from one of my composed songs.

From that moment, my mind seemed to be blown away by their voice. All this time, no other people can carry the songs I’ve written that well. But what I’m hearing is perfect harmonisation. As though my songs were all the while written for them in mind. Once they stopped, my mouth was wide open.

“Errm, if you continue to gape longer, you’ll get a fly into your mouth.” Jonghyun joked as he passed the book back to me.

“You guys were perfect. No one can sing my songs as good as what you all did.” I said as I stood and took back the book.

“You didn’t have any idea who we are? Do you?” Key asked.

“No.” I answered him. Confused at the question.

“Think carefully…long and carefully.” Taemin said as they all stood together.

Wait…They look really familiar. Something seems to ring in my mind. Those looks…the hairstyles…the crowd yesterday…something I should’ve noticed while working in the music store. Then, a sudden realisation came to my mind. I felt like I’ve been struck by lightning.

“You…You guys are a boyband…SHINee” I stammered.

“Seems like you finally got the idea.” Key replied.

“Well, I really have no idea when I first came here.” I said.

“At least you know now.” Minho replied.

“Mmmm…He’s good at cooking as well. The sandwich taste so good.” Onew said from where he was crouching. Wolfing down a piece of my lunch.

“Hey…go get your own lunch.” I slapped his hand away as he tried to reach for another piece.

“Well, we didn’t had much because there’s nothing appealing in the cafeteria.” Taemin replied.

“Can you cook for us, please?” Jonghyun asked.

“No.” Was my answer.

“Please…” Minho tried as well with his puppy eyes look.

“No.”

“Please…” Taemin.

“No.”

“Please…” Onew.

“No.”

“Though I cook for the others most of the time…at least help me handle these terrible picky people.” Key pleaded.

“No.” I’m still standing firm on my grounds.

They all then turned towards Jonghyun.

“What? I have to do it too?” He asked.

“If you don’t do it, we’ll never get our free meals.” Minho told him with a slight threatening edge in his voice.

“You guys are serious about this. Don’t you?” He asked.

“Yes.” There was a unanimous answer.

“Fine…!! I’ll do it…But nobody is to leak this out or I’ll have their heads.” He warned before approaching me.

I wonder what he’s going to do…

Jonghyun

Never in my life have I ever embarrassed myself for this. I hope the others appreciate what I’m about to do. I approached Jin Woo who’s a bit confused, standing in front of him and holding onto his shirt sleeve. I then gave my best puppy eyes look and swing my body left and right.

“Please cook for us…” I feel like I wanted to kill myself on the spot right that moment.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone held their breath. Then, he laughed so hard he was squatting on the ground as though his stomach is going to split. I felt my face becoming red hot. I’m so going to get the others for this.

“How can you guys do such things and get away with it?” Jin Woo asked as he tried to calm himself down.

“If we wanted something. We’ll try all we can to get it.” Onew said as he and the others tried to hold their laughter.

“Fine…you win…at least Jonghyun got what he deserved for snatching my music book.” Jin Woo smiled at me. So that was for payback.

Just then, the bell rang. Signalling the end of recess.

In the evening…

Jin Woo

I was on the way back from work when I caught faint mewing sounds coming from the alley. Curious, I went to have a look and found a cardboard box with five kittens inside. An orange, white, grey, black and brown. They’re roughly 6 weeks old. Having a soft spot for cats, I immediately fell for them. Luckily I can keep pets where I’m staying. But there’s just one problem…My hands are full with groceries and utensils since I promised to cook for SHINee.

I was in a dilemma…I wanted to bring the kittens home. But at the same time, my hands are full. What should I do?

Just then, a thought came to my mind. I placed down my groceries and fished for my phone from the pocket.

Jonghyun

We’ve just got back from a variety show recording when my phone rang. I flipped it open and saw Jin Woo’s name displayed on the screen. “Yes Jin Woo hyung?” Something that we’ve agreed to call him since he’s older than all of us.

“Jonghyun, are you guys still out?” He asked.

“Not really. We’ve just reached home.” I answered him.

“That’s great…I need your help. Bring another person to come along if possible. I’ll cook dinner for you guys later as thanks.” Jin Woo said.

“Alright…where are you now?” I asked. He then gave the location. Luckily it’s not far from here. I hung up and looked at the others.

“Jin Woo hyung need some help. Onew, can you come along?” I asked.

“Sure.” He replied.

“The rest can stay for a while. Jin Woo hyung will cook dinner for us later.” I told the others as I head with Onew to Jin Woo’s location.

A few minutes later…

Jonghyun

You’ve got to be kidding me. I stared at the kittens in the box. “You seriously want to keep them?” I asked Jin Woo.

“Well, I always have a soft spot for cats. And they are a cute little bunch. I have to keep them.” He replied with a pleading look in his eyes. I then looked at Onew, who was standing as far away as he can from the box.

“I guess you’re not going to carry the box?” I asked him. Onew shook his head.

“Fine, I’ll carry the box. But you still have to follow us.” I told him.

“Where to?” He asked.

“The vet of course.” I replied while bending down to carry the box.

Luckily the vet is not far from where we are. And it’s still open. We brought the kittens for a checkup and a bit of cleaning. After that, the doctor prescribed some medicines and advised us on what to buy and how to care for them. Jin Woo noted everything down while I called the others at home to buy a few things from the pet shop and explained the whole situation.

Onew paid for the fees and carried the medicine. We then headed towards Jin Woo’s house to meet up with the others.

Jin Woo

I was so grateful that Jonghyun and the others are willing to help me out. Once we reached home, Minho and the others were already waiting outside with some items and supplies they’ve bought from the pet shop. I opened the doors to let them in.

“Thanks guys.” I told them as Jonghyun went to place the box on the floor.

“It’s nothing.” Taemin said.

Key was kneeling beside the box as he looked inside. “They’re just so adorable.”

“We’ll setup the cage and other things. You go and prepare dinner first.” Jonghyun said as they started work.

They take a lot of care in setting up the place for the kittens. I was planning to prepare spaghetti with alfredo and cheese with Onew’s help. Key mixed the specialised milk powder that we got from the vet with water in a feeding dish and placed them in the cage. Taemin was putting on the finishing touches to the cage while Jonghyun and  and Minho transferred the kittens to their new home.

Once ready, I set the pot on the dining table while Onew placed the dishes and cutleries. I went to look at the kittens. The cage was spacious with a litter box placed right beside it. Inside was the feeding dish and a blanket for them to sleep in. A few toys were placed on top of the cage with a small chalkboard hanging.

Jonghyun

“So Jin Woo hyung, what are you going to name them?” Minho asked.

“Well…I have the perfect name in mind.” Jin Woo answered as he took the chalkboard and started scribbling. Once revealed, it went like this:

SHINee Kitties Land

Orange = Tiggy

White = Snow

Black = Panther

Grey = Cloud

Brown = Choco

SHINee Kitties. A lame attempt. But the kittens are so cute as they slept after drinking the milk. Everybody then washed their hands and sat around the dining table. Ready for dinner.

Jin Woo

“Thanks for the help guys. Hope you’ll enjoy the dinner.” I told the others as I lifted the cover.

“Mmmmm…smells good.” Taemin said as everyone took their share and ate.

“Taste just as good too.” Key said.

“Thanks for the compliment. I used to cook for my younger brother when my parents worked.” I explained.

“Well, at least it paid off.” Minho complimented.

“You guys really took great care to setup the place for the kittens.” I told them.

“Well, we have Roo in our home. This is just a simple task.” Onew replied.

“Who’s Roo?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Roo is Jonghyun’s puppy. 6 weeks old Daschund.” Taemin answered.

“I didn’t know you have a puppy.” I looked at Jonghyun.

“That’s because you didn’t ask.” He replied.

“You can come and visit when you’re free. I’m sure Roo will love you too.” Key invited.

“Thanks…maybe next time.” I replied.

“Since tomorrow’s a weekend, we can go out shopping.” Jonghyun suggested.

“Shopping?” I asked in confusion.

“You need books on cat care and other things since you got here right?” He asked.

“That’s true.” I answered.

“And we’re free on the weekends as well.” He said.

“But don’t you guys have your schedules?” I asked them.

“Nah. They keep our weekends free since we’re still studying.” Onew replied.

“Then I guess it’s settled.” Key decided.

I wonder how it will go tomorrow…