19 days to go August 15, 2008

before I fly off to the USA! I’m a little worried about how I will adjust to life over there but hey, I’ll be back in 2009! So far, I have made definite plans to go to 3 major dogs shows. Westminster is probably out since I’ll only be going for shows that Audrey and Arson’s breeder will be going to and they have not decided yet. 

 

I’m heading over to Lexington and compared to Singapore, its really…..different. Its known as Horse city and there are loads of horse farms there.  It should be an eye opening experience!

 

I’ve only mentioned this to some people but the reason why I am heading to the US is to take a course in dog grooming. I’ll also be taking the chance to get valuable handling/show/doggie tips from Audrey and Arson’s breeder. I definitely feel its a once in a lifetime opportunity and can’t wait to get there!

 

 

This will be the first time that i will be away from my family for such a long period of time. Plus, i’ll be thousands of miles away! Yikes! The school I’ve enrolled in is known to be one of the best grooming schools there are in the states and i’m looking forward to learning as much as possible! However I can’t help feeling apprehensive and wondering if I’ve made the right decision to plunge into this career choice. 

 

I’ve been asked many times why I don’t just take a course locally but to be honest, I really want to learn show grooming and not just pet grooming. I just do not see myself being able to learn that locally. I’ve come across so many groomers just opting to shave dogs down because its the easiest solution and being rough to the dogs. It’s made me want to learn how to be able to make a dog look like how its suppose to look like and to treat them with the respect and care that they deserve. There are so many dogs that do not look like their breed because they have been shaved down to the skin! I think its pretty satisfying to be able to help transform a dog and make it look its best eh?

 

I’ve always wanted to work with animals and choosing to go to the US to study grooming is probably a sign that I will work with them permanently. Its definitely not a career choice my mom envisioned me going into but I’m glad for all the financial and emotional support she has provided. With both parents in the financial sector, my mum’s friends are shocked that she is allowing me to go ahead and pursue this passion of mine. They are not surprised that I want to do it…less surprised than I was when I decided that its something I should go into!  

 

I’m feeling a little weird now that there are so few rabbits in my home. I’m definitely going to use this time to decide if I will get out of rabbits (at least for a while…) or to import even better rabbits than I’ve previously had. Its something that has been going about my brain for the past few months and I will need to decide before convention. I will still go for convention but whether I will be buying is a major question mark. 

 

I really enjoy rearing rabbits but do not feel that there is enough interest in Singapore to allow me to go all out and bring in the breeds that I have been interested in. I like raising babies and tracking their development to adulthood. I love predicting how they will look like when they are adults. I’ve not been 100% satisfied with the rabbits I have/had and hence did want to bring in better rabbits. Now, I’ve really been questioning myself as to whether that would really be the right decision. Should I continue to strive for better rabbits or give up and stop?  Its a difficult decision because I’ve kept rabbits for so long but its definitely something that I must ask myself.