A Snake for Halloween!

One of our school workers caught an 11 foot (3.5m) Reticulated Python after it ingested his pet goose.

He brought it to school thinking that he had successfully killed it, and wanted to donate it for dissection but at 4pm that afternoon, it decided that it was time to crawl our of the wheel barrow we stored him in, and crawl under the school dumpster.

2 school workers and I noosed and dragged it back out, after which it decided to begin striking at us like a cobra! This was a particularly aggressive species of snake, and we were grateful it did not escape into the campus!

It was clear that it was badly injured, so we ended its misery by severing its spinal cord.

The next day, we prepared it for dissection. See the massive hump in it--that's the 12lb (5kg) goose.

Monica did a fine job organizing her 3 groups of 10th Grade Biology Students into teams to carve off skin, snip off tendons and connective tissue, and identify the organs based on a schematic of a small snake she had found for classroom demonstrations.

Just the sheer size of this large specimen provided a clear view of all the significant details without magnification. 

The dissection was quite pleasant until we opened the stomach to expose the goose. A foul stench permeated the room and caused many to choke, gag and leave the room hurriedly.

Numerous still photographs and video was captured and is now being offered to the production media class to be edited and collated. The skin is headed for tanning and mounting in the Biology Lad, and the carcass being prepared for flesh-eating beetle experiments. Perhaps we can re-assemble the skeleton after!

What a fun Halloween Gift!

~ Shien

Family Fun Day!

Our school Parent Teacher Organization threw a grand party to celebrate Fall/Harvest Festival-Halloween.

Ian dressed up as a Rogue and Aria a Zoo Keeper, but despite the initial excitement, they became self-conscious when they arrived and realized that they were the only kids in costume.

So they dressed down very quickly to blend in.

The children were gathered around the prize table to explain how the tickets won from participating in various game booths may be exchanged for treats.

The entire event was free to the school having been subsidized by the PTO!

Monica and I ran the Ring-Toss Station. It was so popular that we kept running out of tickets.

The organizers were trying to re-cycle as many tickets as possible, but the children were hoarding the tickets attempting to acquire the most sought after prizes!

Eventually, they resorted to printing more tickets as fast as they can (very American :)

Our booth was so busy and popular that we did not get to wander around the other booths, but Aria returned with a painted face.

Shortly after we heard some commotion from the dunk tank.

One of our friends, Michelle, came to tell Monica that Ian had volunteered to get dunked in the dunk tank!

Monica arrived just in time to get this sequence of photos.

Ian ended up getting dunked a total of three times!

Monica said Ian was doing a great job taunting and teasing the participants to dunk him!

He was having so much fun along with the other kids that a long line of volunteers formed to be dunked in turn!

Eventually, Ian slowed down long enough to get his face painted.

Soon, it was time for final two events--Balloon Toss and Scarecrow Decorations.

The Balloon Toss generated a lot of humorous tension.

After three rounds, we were out of time.

It was mild anarchy when the children grabbed as many water balloons as they could and began pelting each other indiscriminately!

The Scarecrow competition was very competitive, and the models were great sports as they endured getting poked, pulled and decorated!

We were hot, tired and very happy at the end of the day.

Monica  had spent all day after breakfast baking gluten-free treats for the kids and cupcakes for this event.

We now have a fridge and freezer of treats to eat!

These faces tell all...

Back home, Monica got the kids to put their costumes  back on for a photo-shoot.

We had to do something about the disappointing start, after all!

~ Shien

Family Portraits After Church

After coming home from church and lunch, we took our Harvest Time Family Portrait.

Monica found us a "pumpkin" of sorts, and being in Penang, we decided that we should take our picture with the view of the sea behind us.

~ Shien

Baking Frenzy!

Monica was inspired to bake this weekend.

Firstly because we have been hankering for some bread, and wheat is on Aria and Monica's allergy list.

So Monica got to work on some really luscious Banana Bread!

This well lofted crumb, pound cake moist, with sweet-tangy apple banana like morsels strewn throughout!

The family can't seem to get enough of this! So, like the almond butter and salsa, this Banana Bread might become a household staple. In addition, Monica attempted Soda Bread, Buttercake and chocolate muffins--all gluten free!

~ Shien

Just Another Day with Hoops, Yo-Yo & Mochi

At breakfast, Aria fended off a very insistent kitten who not only wanted to inspect Aria's cereal but also taste it.

Ian worked on a self-portrait--homework from Art Class.

Aria spent time on Rosetta Stone-Mandarin.

~ Shien

Toilet Training Mochi

After Mochi started using the litter box with the toilet seat on top, we covered a piece of cardboard with a plastic bag and placed it on the toilet.

We covered the board with litter from her litter box to scent it.

After she used it, we left some old litter and added more new.

After a few days, I began to cut a hole in the board to introduce Mochi to the bowl below.

She's started to really inspect the water through the hole, and she seems to be a bit confused, and only uses the litter one time before using the shower stall for additional deposits.

We have to be quick about resetting the litter often and quickly or we have to field the deposit in the shower stall.

We enlarged the hole, and Mochi is definitely curious.

Hopefully, she will take to her toilet training quickly.

~ Shien

Cat Toy or Furniture Insurance?

While shopping for aquatic plants to demonstrate plant respiration for Monica's Biology Lab, we discovered this lovely cat tower.

No, it wasn't exorbitant, but certainly more than we thought we wanted to spend on a cat toy.

Nevertheless, Monica reminded me that we needed a cat scratcher, which was already 1/3 this really cool tower. I think the faux fur and leopard print seduced me...

However, once home, I am so excited that we now have it--Mochi not only scratches it exclusively, thereby saving our leather couches and furniture, she weaves through the tunnels to bt at the ball and sleeps in the cup!

~ Shien

Golden Towers

The sun rose this morning casting golden hues on everything, including the 4 towers.

The sea was like plate glass, and the air heavy in its stillness.

~ Shien

Basking in the Sun

The Depths of Despair Hold No Flame

It was the weekend. We had a lovely relaxing afternoon. Soon, I had the bright idea of firing up the grill to cook some burgers.

It began as a cheery, bright sunny day (literally).


But in the time it took to try and light the fire, a torrential down-pour arrived, dampening the struggling fire...

 

Take rain-soaked air +

damp'ish charcoal +

poorly vented grill +

2 hours futile attempts to get a hot fire

= despondent cook!

There were several firsts for me this day. I've never seen a lit charcoal fire cool off instantly after adding meat, then proceed to gently dry them without a tantalizing pop or sizzle. It was like placing raw meat in a dryer on the 'delicates' setting! It merely warmed the patties sufficiently to soften them into a goo that slid inexorably through the wire mesh grill!

To add insult to injury, just after dinner (Monica saved the meal with sauteed vegetables and caramelized potato with onion), the fire roared to life--just in time for marshmallows.

I abhor marshmallows--the only reason I heat them is to make 'smores' (I like chocolate and graham crackers).

Monica joined the children in toasting perfectly bronzed marshmallows.

Even the 'fire-brick' charcoal that refused to start in my last attempt lit and produced an intense heat!

Inspired, and not wanting to waste a hot fire, Monica went back into the kitchen to gather anything she could cook in the fire!

Oiled Potatoes sprinkled with coarse salt and wrapped in foil.

Skewered Tomatoes that became fire roasted tomatoes that became a salsa after being processed with garlic, onion and cilantro.




Monica was having so much fun stoking the fire with bellows that we did not notice the plume of white ash billowing into the air with each puff, drifting then gently settling like snow in our dining and living room.

~ Shien