R.I.P. Filly boy

Filly, back in 2010.
My family and I made a difficult decision this Friday (two days ago). We decided that it time to say goodbye to Filly, after 17 years of companionship and unconditional love. In the past 8 months or so, Filly's health had rapidly deteriorated. He lost most of his strength and couldn't go up and down the stairs and had to be carried, he had lost his appetite and was reduced to skin and bones (something that's really serious for a dog that had always been really fat, almost obese). Not only that, but one of each of his front and back paws was positioned at a crooked angle, making it difficult for him to walk around.

But despite all those problems, Filly kept on going. There were periods of time during the past 3 years when we thought his time was up but each time, he proved us wrong. He just kept on going, no matter how much the odds were against him. But this time, we decided that enough was enough, it wasn't fair to keep him with us when he was suffering. Filly deserved to be at peace.

Christmas 2008, when Filly was healthy and fat.
We brought him to the vet this afternoon, and on our way there, I cried the whole way. I tried not to, I believe that dogs can sense someone else's emotions, which is why they're always there to comfort you when you're feeling down and they're really happy, when you are too. I didn't want my negative energy to affect his final moments, but I couldn't help myself. I raised this him from puppyhood until now and as cheesy as it sounds, he's my best friend.

I still remember the day my parents brought him home. I had no idea that he was coming home to us. It was a cold day in January and I had just finished school. I was bundled up from head to toe in winter gear and I spotted our red Previa. I waddled my way to the car and in my mom's lap in the passenger seat, was a dark brown bundle of fur. It was a surprise gift from my parents.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Filly when he was a puppy but I can tell you I fell in love. He was sassy, stubborn and rude, acted as if he owned the whole house right the beginning. But I loved him, and took care of him, I sang him songs while he slept on my leg and I told him stories about my day. He was there when my first boyfriend broke up with me over a decade ago, and he was there when my grandfather passed away 3 years ago, always patient and always comforting.

During Filly's shaggy days.
There's one memory of Filly that I remember really well. I was in 5th grade and my teacher had read horrifyingly scary Halloween stories to us in class. That night, I had nightmares and was afraid to sleep alone. I crept into my parents room and slept on the floor, next to my parent's bed. When I fell asleep, I had another nightmare and when I woke up, there was a large shadow looming over my face. I almost yelled out loud before I realized that Filly was centimeters away from my face, looking at me. I pushed him away and to my surprise (and delight), he lay down next to me for the rest of the night.

He was undoubtedly part of the family and was very much loved. But when he had to share that love and attention with another dog, he was a good sport about it. We brought home Yoshi, our beautiful akita about 3 or 4 years after Filly's arrival. Despite the size difference, they became friends and always looked out for each other, Filly being outspoken and loud, while Yoshi would silently observe and intervene if anything (or one) showed any signs of a threat to Filly.

Christmas 2008, with Yoshi.

Brother's birthday, 2010.

My birthday, 2010.
Shortly after Yoshi's passing in 2010, Filly had to share the spotlight with another dog yet again. Obi was brought home in March, 2011 and had been trying to convince Filly that they were best buddies ever since. Filly, being much older, wasn't interested in playing with a young pup with no manners. Filly, once again, became a mentor to another puppy.

I think Filly taught Obi well.

Nap time.
And Obi reciprocated Filly's kindness, during the past few months, when Filly had difficulty getting up, Obi would use his nose to push Filly up and push him to help him walk. When Filly was still asleep when someone was eating in the kitchen, Obi would go and bother him, to have Filly chase him to the kitchen, where we'd give some table scraps to Filly (even though Obi never received any himself). It's amazing how humans are the only ones capable of showing kindess and love.

When we arrived at the vet's, we waited about 20 mins in the car before Filly's number was called. Everyone, except my mom, went inside. As my dad handed Filly over to the nurse, my eyes were brimming with tears and I began to hyperventilate but I cradled his head, kissed him and whispered that he's a good dog before leaving the room.

I don't know why they don't let you stay with your dog when they're administrating the shot. I didn't want to leave Filly alone with the nurse and doctor, both who are people he didn't know, especially since I was afraid that his last thoughts were going to be that we abandoned him. I wanted to be with him while they were giving him his shot, to tell him that I was still here and that I'll be with him until the end. But I wasn't allowed to. Instead, I was outside the door, crying hysterically and hyperventilating.

After what felt like years, the nurse came outside and told us that he was at peace. There he was, on a metal table, exactly as I had seen him a thousand times, but he wasn't there anymore. I petted his head and said goodbye for the final time.

I had arrived home about an hour and a half ago, and I still can't believe that Filly's gone. It seems weird to not see him on one of our many rugs, to no longer hear his paws make that clicky sound whenever he walks. I'll never be able to run my hands through his coarse fur again, feed him table scraps or feel the warmth of his body pressed to mine when we're both asleep and dreaming. He'll never greet me at the door again when I come home and he'll never come running when I call his name.

But all good things must come to end. Even though you're gone, I'll never forget you. Thank you for being my companion and my greatest friend, for always sticking by me, for all the memories and for all the laughter. You've always been a good dog and I can only hope that I've filled your life with as happiness as you've filled mine. You're reunited with Yoshi now and I'll see both of you again.

Forever rest in peace, Filly.
I love you, boy boy.

Read More

new san-x characters - Toromi, Nyanpuku, Sumikkogurashi

For those of you who don't know yet, San-x is releasing a few new characters! And let me tell you, they're really kawaii! I'm so excited for their merchandise to be officially released so that I can spend all my money on these little babies!

I think the last new character that was introduced was that chocolate eating bear, Chocopa, who I'm not a fan of. Before that was Piggy Girl, who I didn't really like either, except for this one plush of her that I had to buy because she looked really cute holding her mouse friend. I'll have to take a picture of that soon...

Without further ado, here are the 3 newest kawaii additions to the San-x family!

Toromi the French Bulldog Puppy!
Isn't he fantastic? Almost cuter than Obi (close but not quite). I almost died when I saw this little guy pop up as an upcoming character. Ok, I haven't really told anyone this, but I have a secret love affair with French bulldogs and pugs, they're so funny looking, it's CUTE! Yup, he's on my wishlist x 100.

Obi, transformed into a white French bulldog. I also renamed him Toromi.
I can definitely imagine this character having a lot of personality, playful and probably more than a little mischievous. Maybe it's because I'm such a dog person and I can definitely attest to dogs each having their own personality, or maybe it's because I'm totally smitten by my own dog, Obi, and I'm projecting his character into this animated rascal, who knows.

All I know is, I'm buying a plush of Toromi and probably some other items too! I have my heart set on the smaller plush and probably a memo pad but I'm not sure if I should get a pencil case or makeup pouch. Maybe both, treat myself ;).

If they sold Toromi's siblings' merchandise, I'd buy them too.

Here are the pictures of the merchandise of Toromi that San-x has lined up for release. These items are supposed to be released in October which means that they're probably going to be available on this side of the world in November.

Stationary Items.

Pouches.

And of course, the plush!

Plush keychain, ID holder and coin purse.

Next is another household pet but one that I'm not crazy about at all, a cat. But I like this cat! His name's Nyanpuku and he's a fat Maneki-neko looking cat. Maneki-neko are also known as the beckoning cat since they're supposed to bring good fortune for shop owners. I bought one for my kawaii business and one for my personal life which I mentioned in this post.

Nyanpuku, the cat king of lard.
I'm not sure if he's actually an animated Maneki-neko or just a cat that looks like a Maneki-neko. Either way, since he's so huge, he's probably a lot of good luck! Look at him, he's almost perfectly spherical!

Probably a comic about how he's so fat and round.

Apparently, there's an angel cat and a pirate cat too.
Onward with the merchandise!

Awww, so adorable!

Like with Toromi, I've decided that I'm going to get the plush and the memo pad. But I'm going to get the smaller plush because I think it looks better than the large one, it's more spherical and cute. I also love the heart on its butt.

And last, but definitely not least, is a bunch of characters called Sumikkogurashi. They are a group of dejected looking little animals made up of a polar bear, platypus (I think), a cat and a fried pork cutlet. Yes, a fried pork cutlet.

I know right?

Sumikkogurashi
Here's are the Sumikkogurashi, all stacked up onto each other. I don't know what are the two smaller ones, they look like beans but I don't think that's what they are. But then again, if they made a pork cutlet, beans are entirely possible too. Guess which one is the fried pork.

Small Sumikkogurashi plush.

Bigger plush. The pork is the second from the right.

Must have tote.

They're all cute but I don't like the pork cutlet too much (even if it is a kawaii pork cutlet). The platypus (or kappa, it just hit me that it could be a kappa) and the polar bear are the two cutest ones. I wonder what's the story behind Sumikkogurashi, if anyone knows, don't hesitate to tell me!

Surprisingly, I don't think I'm going to buy the plushes from this collection but I will be buying items that I don't normally buy for kawaii characters such as memos, pencils and stickers. Definitely a pencil case, makeup pouch or wallet though, I love the designs on them. But all this is still up in the air, so when it comes to finally making the purchase, I can easily just change my mind and end up buying the plushes.

The whole time I've been trying to make this post, Obi has been glued to me and his face was on on my keyboard, making my progress super slow. But because he's so damn cute and loveable, I didn't have the heart to push him off me.

Like my super cool pink doggy PJ pants?
It's a good thing I started working again because I'm going to be spending all my money on these San-x goodies. Screw clothes and CMA school, I'm going to stockpile my future with kawaii!

So kawaii lovers, which character is your favourite? Are you going to be buying anything?


All pictures were taken from the official San-x website.

Read More

accumulated kawaii haul (and other things I couldn't resist)

Over the past couple of months, I've accumulated some kawaii purchases and other goodies that I haven't had time to post because of my hectic schedule.

Now, I finally have some time to blog about my latest(ish) purchases! Get ready to have your socks blown off.

Latest plush purchases! Aren't they all cute?
All these plushes have been purchased pretty recently. The oldest ones are at most a month old and the newest one is about a week old....maybe even less.

Caltoy Otter Plush.
This adorable otter was purchased with the parrot and the fluffy sheep. I couldn't resist it, holding its shell like it was presenting a gift to you. The plush is made by Caltoy, who is known to make pretty cute UFO catcher prizes. You can just Google, "Caltoy Plush" and I'm sure there'll be so many kawaii plushies popping up everywhere, your brain will hyperventilate.

This blue sheep is soooo soft! I don't really know the name of the character or anything but I did see it in the UFO arcades while I was in Japan. I even tried to win it once or twice (and failed). On the tag, it says, "Baby Nature," so I guess it's called Baby Nature. If anyone knows the name of this little fluffy cloud sheep, do let me know!

Fluffy Blue Sheep.

I want to squeeeeeeeze you!

Sheep Tag.

Kawaii Little Parrot.
Is this parrot not the cutest parrot of ALL TIME?! LOOK AT HIM!!! I dare you to find another parrot that's cuter. You know why you can't find any? BECAUSE I HAVE THE CUTEST ONE EVER!

Like with the sheep, I'm not sure what's the official name of this character but he's so damn cute! All I know is that it's made by Eikoh. Look at that tuff of hair!

Butt View.
Those of you who read one of my previous posts about my wishlist, you'll remember that a certain Tuxedo Sam plush was on it. I didn't get the one that my sister has been torturing me with all summer (sadly, she did remember to bring it home despite my efforts), but I did find some pretty awesome ones.

Not one but TWO kawaii Tuxedo Sam Plushies!!!

1987 Tuxedo Sam Plush.
I mentioned in my wishlist post that I had won this bid on eBay (a miracle in itself) and I was so giddy and excited for it to arrive. When it finally did, I think on Monday, I almost peed my pants (too much info, I'm sorry). When I finally unraveled this glorious specimen of a plush, it was almost as if the Heavens were shining down on it. It's fur was a gleaming blue, as beautiful as the sky, the white as pure as snow, and the yellow as....daisies (I don't know, what's really yellow?) . But the beak and the ribbon were a little worn but other than it was perfect. I promptly carried it downstairs into the basement with me to play Persona 3.

Old School Tag.

Tuxedo Sam Ready for a Swim!
Aww, look at that! Tuxedo Sam is all set for a day at the pool (although I think he should know how to swim without his inflatable tube...). I found this in Toronto, at the same store that sold the Tuxedo Sam my sister had. I found this little guy a bit pricey but he was really cute and I haven't seen many people with him so I decided to splurge a bit.

They had other Sanrio characters that were holding onto inflatable tubes as well. They had Hello Kitty (obviously) and Bad Badtz Maru. I know they have a Keroppi and Dear Daniel one even though they didn't actually have it at the store. I noticed it one time when I was randomly browsing Sanrio's website.

Rio sitting in the jungle.
I had been wanting this plush for a longest time but I was never able to find it for a reasonable price. They had one in a bigger size too but I find it's so much cuter when it's smaller and much more portable too! I bought Rio at Otakuthon at the end of July when I went with Suzy. I almost missed him completely since most of the plush that seller had were all Rilakkuma. Rio was buried underneath all the other kawaii but I'm glad that I decided to riffle through all the plush to see if there was anything else. It obviously paid off in the end! He was the last one too!

Butt View.
The next plush I bought was at Otakuthon as well, from the same vendor. Again, she was the last one and I couldn't resist taking her home with me as well. The character's name is Chou Fleur and it's from San-x. What I find funny is Chou Fleur actually means cauliflower in French.

Une vraie chou fleur (A real califlower).
So uber kawaii.

San-X's version of Chou Fleur.
Here's the actual Chou Fleur that I bought. She looks so cute in that bow and little dress! I figured that she should be with her fellow vegetables. They look like they're having loads of fun together :)

My next batch of goodies is something that I had ordered eons ago and just never got around to taking pictures of. I ordered from the seller but put if off for about a month since I was going to be away in Asia and didn't really have access to the internet. I finally paid her when I got back and received these soon after.

Bag of kawaii.

Arpakasso Makeup Pouches!!!!!!
These two were the most anticipated items from this order. The moment I saw these, I HAD to have them! I couldn't decide which one looked better, pink or blue, so I got both.

I was a little disappointed with them because they're SMALL. I expected them to be the same size as a regular makeup pouch but they're about half of that. I have enough room to push a lip gloss and a small container of cream and it's already bulging a bit. But still a must-have for every arpakasso fan ;)

Kawaii Toys
I'm not a huge fan of toys, I mean I obviously was when I was a kid but now as a collector. However, I do collect Takochus and sometimes I'll buy a cute blind box or small figurine whenever it's kawaiiness is up to my standards. These ones reached my kawaii meter.

Newest Takochu Additions.
These adorable and beautiful octopi are called Takochus. I've been buying these for about a year but they're hard to find. I don't know why I've never done a post about them since I have quite a few of them. I'll make a post with all Takochu collection soon. Anyway, as far as I know, there are many different types of Takochu and their purpose (other than to look cute and pretty) is for you to stack them as high as possible without them toppling over. As I mentioned, they're hard to find and when you do find them, they're pretty expensive. Unfortunately, I didn't see any of them while I was in Japan, or else I would've tried to get a whole bunch.

Apparently, they only way you can actually "buy" Takochu is through a type of game prize machine. But not a UFO catcher, where there's a crane that drops down and tries to grab the goods. Here's a visual to help you understand it better.

Takochu Machine Picture taken from here.
Basically, there's a scooper near the platforms that hold the takochus. You have two choices to make. The first is you're supposed to time to scooper properly so that it'll scoop as many takochus at the bottom as possible. The second choice is for you to decide when to drop the takochus you scooped up onto the higher platform since it'll be moving back and forth. You're trying to push the takochu on the upper platform to the lower platform with the takochu that you've scooped up. Once you get enough takochu to push the ones off the lower platform, it'll fall into the prize hole where you can grab your prize and be on your merry way (or continue to drop a fortune).

Alex and I had played these types of game prize machines before and they're a lot harder to win at than the UFO catcher machines. Usually, you had to spend at least 500 yen (about $6.50-$7) to win anything while you can easily win at a UFO catcher with 100 yen ($1.20) if you know the tricks (which we learned pretty quickly).

Back View.
All takochu have those characters written on their backs with the circle. I guess to show that they're authentic Takochus?

Itty Bitty Furry Kapibarasans.
The first one that I bought of these was actually Regent-kun, the purple one. At the time, it was the only available so I didn't have a choice in choosing which one I wanted. Then, I bought another Kapibarasan (brown one) but it was on a four-leaf clover with a strap. Now, I finally bought the original Kapibarasan and White-san together. They're so soft and they really remind me of my hamster. Minus the smell.

Tiny Furry Turtle.
I couldn't this turtle because it was so small and furry. I mean, look at those eyes, they're so droopy and sad looking. It's just begging to be adopted. Now, he'll have lots of friends with Kapibarasan and his group of buddies as well as the white Sugarbunny in the next picture.

I really like Sanrio's Sugarbunnies and it's a shame that they don't make more products of them in North America. They're pretty popular in Asia, at least more popular than here. When I was in Tokyo, they had Sugarbunnies toys at McDonald's as part of the Happy Meal for crying out loud (and being a total idiot, I didn't buy any. What the hell was I thinking!? But in my defense, they weren't that cute, just lame looking rubber keychains).

Now I know there's two main Sugarbunnies, the white and the brown one, Shirousa and Kurousa. Shirousa is the white one and Kurousa is the brown one. I think Kurousa is MUCH cuter than Shirousa even though he looks sad all the time. I guess his sadness just makes him cuter.

Hands up if you think Kurousa is cuter.

Shirousa from Sugarbunnies.
I had actually wanted to buy Kurousa if they had it but obviously they didn't so I settled for the next best buy, which is Shirousa. Would've been awesome if they had the other one though. I've been trying to get a cute Kurousa plush for the longest time but they're always so expensive since you can pretty only get them in Japan. Darn you Japan!

White-san Toy Figurine.
I was surprised at how big this figurine turned out to be actually. I expected to be really tiny, more like re-ment size. But it's a good thing that it was bigger than I expected since it's more value for my money, hahaha! I had thought that I also bought the Kapibarasan one too but I guess I didn't since it wasn't in the package. I'm thinking about getting Kapibarasan too but it's not worth it for me to buy the figurine and pay for shipping and there isn't anything else that I want at the moment.

I love the Rilakkuma Sweets collection, it's the only collections by Rilakkuma that I adore. I think the designs are really nice and I like sweets, so what can I say? I don't usually buy memo pads either since I can hardly bring myself to write on them but these were too pretty to pass up.

Rilakkuma Sweets Memo Pads.
I obviously had to get this, just because it's fat Mamegoma. How can you not like fat Mamegoma? He's FAT AND ROUND! I bought both of the pads available and they just keep extending! They also include mamegoma-shaped erasers (which I will probably never use and cherish forever).

Fat Mamegoma Memo Pad 1.

Fat Mamegoma Pad 2.

I had seen other kawaii lovers have Hannari Tofu plushes that were in a container. I've always wondered where they found it and if it's rare or something since I hardly see anyone have it. I was lucky enough to spot this and was able to get it. Unfortunately, the container was a little cracked and broken when it arrived. I'm not sure it arrived like that or if it was the result of something of mine putting too much pressure on it. But you can't tell unless you really look closely and it's on the side of the container anyway.

Hannari Tofu Chilling in the Fridge.

Korean Makeup Goodies, Holika Holika.
Lastly, I also purchased two makeup items from a Korean brand called Holika Holika in Toronto. I have no clue about makeup (that's my sister's department) so please be patient with me if I get every thing wrong about makeup. All I know is you apply it to various parts of your face.

Holika Holikda Purchases.

Samples.
They also gave us some samples when we made the purchase. The wine mask should be interesting.

Oil Queen Cotton Pact.
Let me be honest, the main reason I bought this is because it's cute. It also functions as a mirror so at least there's something that I know how to use. According to the salesgirl, I'm supposed to pat some of the powder on my face after I'm done doing my makeup so that it'll stay on my face. Is she right? Makeup lovers, enlighten me, because knowledge is power.

Pig Nose Clear.
I have a serious blackhead problem. It's not as bad as it used to be when I was in my teens but it's still noticeable and it drives me INSANE! It's also really gross and I've tried so many blackhead treatments (like the ones that remove the blackheads, they work but they keep coming back, what the hell!?) and I'm hoping that this one will work.

I'm supposed to rub this on my nose and then rinse it off, as per the salesgirl. This better work or else I'm going to drive back to Toronto and yell at her for getting my hopes up in thinking that this'll cure my blackhead problems.

The cream is actually really smooth and easy to apply though and my nose feels really smooth after I rinse the cream off.

In totally unrelated news, I started kickboxing again on Wednesday after 4 months of not working out. IT WAS TORTURE! It didn't help that my teacher totally changed the workout and we're basically doing the P90X. All my muscles are sore and I can barely stand up straight since my core feels like it really doesn't want to straighten out. It wasn't bad on Thursday, I was a little sore but today, I woke up and I could barely get out of bed. Seriously.

It's like my body had a delayed reaction. Whenever I sit down or lie down, I have a really hard time getting up because everything hurts. I can only hope that it'll get better tomorrow (and not worst).

My body's initial reaction to getting into shape again.

Now.
Only Phil knows how much it hurts.

Read More