Walk all around The Peak

Checking back from all the excitement and festivities of the New Year.. Chestnut here...

My pug sis, Pepper, and I spent 2 whole hours up at the Peak today. Wheeww, boy am I tired. With the increasing humidity and warmth, as well as walking almost vertically to get to the Peak, we are tired!

We walked up to the Peak with our mum. From thereon, I was determined to walk the whole loop that starts from the Peak Lookout Restaurant ending up on Lugard Road. Mummy thought it was so funny that I had so much energy, only to find ourselves back where we started after a whole hour's worth of walk.

We have Peaked, and now we can't get up.

Pugs and kisses!

On the 2nd Day of Lunar New Year...

Hello my friends! It's Pepper here today...

I have to spill the beans on my brother, Chestnut. He's a 'fraidy cat.. Yes, MEEOOOOOOWWW.

Yesterday morning, which is the second day of the Lunar New Year, Mummy and Daddy took us downstairs to observe the traditional Chinese lion dance taking place at our apartment complex. From several stories above, we could already hear clinging and clanging raucous caused by the cymbals and drums. Needless to say, I was not so into it all, but as usual Chestnut, who thrives on such excitement and noise loved it.

Daddy tells us that the lions are meant to scare the bad spirits away so we will have a good start for the new year, but they seemingly also scared my brother away! My nosy brother, Chestnut, was very curious in observing the two dancing lions at first, however, when a white lion approached him, he got so scared he ended being wedged underneath the balustrade of the water fountain. Daddy had to retrieve him as he was just a step from falling into the fountain! And what a sight that would have been!!! My brother detests water. That was hilarious because Chestnut always likes to play with bigger creatures multiples of his size, but I guess not this time with the white lion!

Ok, we've had too much clanging now. We need some good rest before we check in again. 'Til then check out our video clips of the lions dancing.

Pugs & smooches,

Pepper

Lunar New Year, Year of Rabbit

Gong hay fat choi (Gong xi fa cai)! We are celebrating our first Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. This year Pepper and I are celebrating with Mummy and Daddy the year of the Bunny Rabbit.

Today, we received lai see (or red envelopes) filled with $$$, unfortunately $$$ is not directly useful to us. We prefer yummy treats of either Smooches or Nuzzles. Mummy and Daddy say that receiving red envelopes mean prosperity and good fortune. As children, they were delighted to receive these lai see. Well, like we said, lai see is not directly useful to us. Mummy contends that with enough lai see we can buy our favorite Canine Caviar beef tendons. Ok, let's start counting up our lai see then...

Tomorrow, in line with tradition, will be a dragon dance taking place downstairs at our apartment complex. Mummy and Daddy are bringing us down to view it along with whatever festivities that entail. Chat with you after the Dragon Dance.

pugs and kisses!!

Happy New Year!!!

Wow! What a year it has been! Pepper and I have had quite some experiences to recap...
The major thing that happened was our move to Hong Kong in 2010. Asides from the move, we made new friends, met up with old ones and have discovered places in Hong Kong where we might not otherwise have been to with our Mummy and Daddy.

After all the madness of last night's countdown, we made it to Central Piers today. The lights, ferries and water are not unlike South Street Seaport. And oh, what another adventure. All around Central we're so reminded of how truly it is like our hometown in New York City. The crowds, bustling traffic and city lights are stuff that so remind us being in Midtown.

WE promise you more descriptions of the new sights and sounds!! Next time, we might even land ourselves a rickshaw ride ;)

Til then pugs and kisses. Smooches to all... Meeeoow and mooh.

Chestnut and Pepper

Healthy living in Hong Kong

Happy Holidays from Chestnut and Pepper! We are enjoying our new adventure and home here in Hong Kong... But being in a new and unfamiliar place, Mummy and Daddy say it's been more difficult to find our stuff for puggy upkeep here. The Hartz wee pads have been replaced by a Japanese brand wee pad that measures smaller in size (lengthwise and width). Is everything just smaller here too or are we getting chunkier?

Mummy and Daddy say never fear... WE found a place Whiskers N Paws in Ap Lei Chau for our Wellness brand dog food. We even shared some with Seva, while Mum and Dad were away on holiday and we stayed over at Seva's home with her parents in Repulse Bay. We played, played and played for 5 days! Seva loves our Wellness dog food too...

Another day before we got extra Wellness, Mummy made us a very special treat of chicken, rice and veggies.

Mummy's recipe below for healthy home-made dog food---

400 g skinless chicken breast (organic free range chicken preferable)
2-3 carrot sticks (diced/chopped)
1/2 stalk of celery (diced/chopped)
half capsule of probiotic (optional)
1 cup uncooked rice (more if you like, as cooked rice can keep in the refrigerator a few days)

Wash rice once or twice. Place into cooker and press to start rice cooker. Alternately, a small pot used to cook the rice will suffice but must watch the pot carefully for under or overcooking the rice.

Wash chicken breast thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Please on a ceramic dish. In large deep pan, fill with ~1/3 or ~1/2 water. Boil water in pan. When water has boiled, place a boiling/steam rack into pan and place the chicken and ceramic dish into the pan. Cover with lid and let steam for about 10-12 minutes (until fully cooked).

After chicken has been fully steamed, let chicken cool for 15-20 minutes. Shredding the chicken during this time will allow the chicken to cool quicker. Let rice cool for 10-15 minutes as well.

With measuring cup, mix proportions of chicken and rice equal to dog's size and proportion of food usually eaten per meal amount. Top chopped carrots, celeries and vegetables over chicken and rice. Add a half capsule of probiotic (can be purchased at CitySuper or 360). Probiotic helps aid in digestion. Mix everything well. Voila! Yummy home-cooked dog food is ready to be served.

Veggies can be kept raw (just wash thoroughly) since essential vitamins can vanish when cooked.

Enjoy... we know you might be too busy eating the homemade dog food to look up and follow anymore.. we have done the same

New friend from Repulse Bay

Pepper here posting to the pug blog. We're just back from a delightful weekend of exploring Hong Kong by car, paws (and feet) and sea. Mummy and Daddy took us out to Repulse Bay this past weekend where we made a new friend, Seva, a 5 month old female black mixed pup from the HKDR.

Mummy says Seva is just like me, nerves abound probably because of the rescue. Nevertheless, like Seva, I have a wonderful family to love and kiss me. I even kissed Seva's mummy b/c she's so enamored with me. Seva, though, was a wee bit jealous.

WE had so much fun playing then afterward walked from Repulse Bay to Deepwater Bay where Mummy, Daddy and we sat down by the Thai shack next to the beach. Mummy and Daddy enjoyed some quite delish Thai food which really tempted us, but alas, we weren't allowed any.

Well if more weekends were spent like this we sure are really enjoying Hong Kong.

Chestnut's Birthday and Halloween

I didn't have high hopes of celebrating my birthday and Halloween here in Hong Kong since Mummy had managed my expectations that it would be rather difficult to find a customized pet costume, and albeit not one but for two, since I did arrive with that annoying pug sister of mine, Pepper-Marli.

Behold, Mummy and Daddy come home extremely excited on Friday with some delicious smelling contents in a box. I was only allowed to sniff but not look. Turns out that the contents in the box was my cake from Three Dogs Bakery. Mummy said she would have baked me one just like I had for my 2nd birthday which I spent in Ithaca. But she didn't have all the materials here for baking me a cake.

Saturday afternoon rolls around... And with a knock on the door Auntie Michelle and Uncle Greg appear with a gift (too bad non-edible) as well as my Corgi buddy, Jasper, from New York! It was the best birthday ever with my fave foie gras baked treats from Bouchon in New York i.e. asides from the birthday party I last had with Spanky Doodle Dandy. We sang, blew out my candles and had some yummy-licious carrot cake topped with yogurt frosting. All that sugar got burned off with a walk to the Peak. I was so very excited to be reunited my pal, Jasper.

Well, if all my birthdays are going to be like my 4th birthday I am sure lovin Hong Kong all right! Off now for some leftover cake 'fore Pepper Marli nabs my share too.

Pugs & kisses! Meeoowww...

Chestnut