My staycation at Dog-friendly Capella!!

We used to go on plenty of road trips when we were based in NYC. Unfortunately for me, this came to an end when we moved to Singapore. One major reason is that there is a lack of pet friendly facilities in here. (boo!) When Mummy came to realise that Capella Sentosa was dog-friendly, she decided to book us a staycation!

As it is a six-star hotel, a staycation certainly didn't come cheap. There were several options for the types of room one can choose. Mummy pondered really hard and long before deciding to book the Garden Villa. Why? Because there is a PRIVATE POOL! 

Hee, I was looking forward to it like nobody's business!!

We had to take a bugy ride to our villa. 

(We come to realise that it was actually walking distance to the carpark, so after the first day, we decided to just stroll over.)

My first bugy ride!

The kind people there actually prepared a dog bed and bowl for me! And they even know to address me by my name. 

That sure was great service!

But they forgot one thing...

Mr Sammy Loo does not sleep on dog beds. 

He sleeps on THE bed.

*With a resigned face, Daddy nods*

The villa is made up of four areas - the TV area, the bedroom, the outdoor patio and the bathroom. 

And you know what, the bathroom is larger than my parent's bedroom.

#lifesucksformyparents

Besides a huge vanity area, there is a outdoor shower, a separate indoor shower and a cubicle!

So atas~

The outdoor patio was awesome as well, with two sunbeds.

In case you are wondering how lovely it would be to just laze around and suntan, you are the wrong...

The main purpose of the sunbed was for me to dry myself.. 

The best part of the staycation - the private pool!

Look how clear the water it!!

I couldn't wait to get my paws wetttttttt~

As it was a new pool, I had to take my time to orientate myself and strategize my rescue routes.

Silently, Mummy took out a green monkey from her bag and instantly, my adrenaline started pumping.

TIME FOR A SWIM!

And my staycation truly began....

MONKEY RESCUE!

Getting in the pool was easy - I just had to splash in. 

It took me a while to figure out how to jump out of the pool though. Fortunately, there were steps for humans to sit on and that gave me a place to rest before hopping out.

After rescuing monkey, I would walk around with it! 

Our itinerary for the three days was really standard - Check-in. Swim. Stop for dinner. Swim. Zzzz. Wakeup. Shit and eat breakfast. Swim. Stop for lunch. Swim. Stop for dinner. Swim. Zzz. Breakfast and poopoo. Swim. Lunch. Swim. Checkout.

Life was so good man..

My reluctant parents had to take turns sitting by the pool, tossing the monkey in. When they kept me indoors too long, I would walk to the sliding door and start scratching it. Eventually, they had no choice but to give in.

#Iownmyparents #myparentsaredogslaves

We swam so much that monkey died from rescue-overdose (Yes, there is such a thing. It is due to too many holes in him.  He just kept sinking and taking in water. RIP Monkey #4). That sucks. Thankfully, Mummy had more monkeys in storage.

Of course, besides enjoying the pool, we had another favourite thing of mine - Room service!

Time to dig in...

I had just three expressions during the staycation:

1. The "Grinning from ear to ear" look

 

2. The "WTF is wrong with you? Let me out to swim." look

3. The "zzzzzz" look

Two nights and three days in this heavenly place came and went in a snap (although I think I swam more than I ever did in my lifetime during this time). 

I was so upset when my parents starting packing up to go. 

"Can we come back again soon? Please~"

The $$ factor aside, Capella is truly a dog's dream! 

Unfortunately, dogs must be under 7kg (Little Sammy Loo went for a diet and became 6.6kg just in time for this staycation). They don't actually weigh us (pffft.. so much for my hardwork), but I guess if you are bigger, it's kinda obvious. 

The service is impeccable and we were granted late checkout too! The only downside was that it was quite inaccessible to get to other parts of the island if you don't drive. The only mode of transport was a shuttle bus (provided by Sentosa), which wasn't dog-friendly. 

As a result, we stayed in the villa most of the time. But hey, I was more than glad to. 

All in all, I loved the experience, though I couldn't say the same for my parents. *Evil grinz* I mean, not everyone would see tossing a monkey into the pool as an ideal vacation, right?

Nonetheless, I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed that I can come back here again. 

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My origami pet dogs!

Grandma bought me a really cute book from the kids section of a bookstore - Doggie Divas Origami. Honestly, the cover of the book was too princessy and off-putting that I was a bit like 'huh' when I first got it (Mummy agrees). Despite the cover, we were both quite intrigued by the contents as this interesting read actually demonstrates how to fold origami dogs! 

It even provides readers with pattern paper to fold specific dog breeds. There is also a sheet of stickers for you to customise your canines. Hee, you can choose eye colours for them!

Mummy told me that I get to keep whatever I manage to fold as my pets. Hence, I was really excited and started examining the instructions right away.

 I attempted to make myself a Schnauzer. Despite my nimble paws, my first try was a total flop. 

My Schnauzer looked more like an elephant. 

Boohoo~ 

Seeing how upset I was, Mummy stepped in and helped.

And I did my part as the crafting duo by providing eye support. 

*Glares*

After some try and error, we completed my first origami pet - Bully, the brindle Bull Terrier!

Bully is really good looking. I adore his blue eyes, pointy ears and cute white tip tail!! More importantly, he is a sweetheart and would rest quietly on my back.

Seeing how much I wanted another one, Mummy went on to make me a second pet.

Here's Goofy, the Basset Hound. 

Sorry for the blur photo as Goofy was really active and would not stop moving!

Like Bully, little Goofy has a white cute tail. His long dopey ears and white broad chest are so adorable too. Oh oh and his eyes are yellow. 

*Envious*

Lucky for me, my paper pets got along just fine. 

They love to just hang out together and stick close to me. 

Hee, my furry back is their favourite hangout spot. I had to keep real still to prevent them from rolling off! 

 Proud Pet Origami Owner - one little boy on each paw!

I had a ball playing with them. But stupid Mummy had to spoil my fun (as usual) by taking them away for safekeeping. Nonetheless, I'm loving my new pets!

And yap, guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

I gave Mummy a new challenge - to create an origami Sam!
Hee, too bad her crafting Xp is still low and need some time to experiment.
Keeping my fingers crossed and I can't wait to see a paper me!

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From Bangkok with love..

My parents went for a short vacation to Bangkok. 

Yes, they abandoned me. Nasty people right?

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time and I'm quite sure it won't be the last. 

Boo~

Anyway, as per all other trips, they came back with tons of loot for me! (It's their way of compensation to me, and hey, I'm certainly not complaining!)

The first and foremost - Treats. Tons and tons of treats.

Hee, Mummy loves buying treats that ain't available in Singapore to give me some variety! And yes, pizza is on the menu.

*Wriggley dance*

Of course, with mummy as the main shopper, non-sensical gifts are just part and parcel of my overseas souvenirs. I'm not fond of them in general, but whatever...

Since I do look dashing in the bow-tie, I guess I will make do.

Done with the usual, expected stuff. Time for some out of the box products!

One of the highlights of the trip for Mummy is to check out thai designer dog products. And boy was she blown away!

Introducing barketek!

This M-Mod single dining bowl is just the perfect height for me to drink my water and stay hydrated. More importantly, I love how each piece of wood is special and unique!

The lounger bed, a medium rectangular hammock, fits me like a glove! 

It's so comfortable (comes in grey and green) and taut. 

Yes, in case you were wondering, this bed is easily dismantled and even fitted into Mummy's suitcase. She actually checked in the bed with luggage. Haha. Well done.

My own barketek bone! 

This bone is handmade by the underprivileged in Thailand. Besides being a great toy, part of the proceeds goes to benefitting the needy. It's hard to resist toys made with love and a charitable cause!

Hee, after taking some shots, Mummy placed my new bed in the bedroom right beside her. 

Okay, I approve!

Up next, my new doggy lamp from Propaganda!

I was just making friends with him (Hm, let's call him Hikari!) when I realised something amiss about him.

*gasps*

"MUMMY! HIKARI SHITTED ON THE FLOOR!"

In awe with the perfectly shaped orange poop (and surprised that Mummy didn't freak out about it), I went on to sniff it out. 

Okay, I'm not exactly fond of a dog that poops orange shit. *Shrugs* 

But welcome to the family, Hikari. *Paw pats*

Mummy's note: Actually, Hikari's poop is the step-on switch for the lamp! Awesome isn't it!! Step on poop if you want light. Nice~

The best gift for me had to be this...

My Qualy Cat!

I could hardly believe that Mummy actually bought me a cat!

Say hi to Neko! 

(yes, I am clearly a japanese manga fan, not. I just lack creativity.)

Wondering what Neko is?

She is actually a food storage container and the base can also be used as a feeding bowl.

Brillant huh?

The design comes in both cat and dog shapes. But to add some variety to our home decor, Mummy (with Godmummy's inputs) decided that a cat would be a better fit. 

Ain't Mummy's purchases amazing?

Good eye Mummy, good eye.

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Real me vs. fake me

Which is cuter?

Definitely the one on the right.

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Samlion...

I went to Dr Vanessa Lin (my vet) once again for a blood test review (I've had three blood tests in the last 3 months as I was high is WBC and protein level and dehydrated. My WBC count returned to normal after one month but protein level remained consistently high). 

The good news? I am officially given the bill of health! Yes, my protein level is finally normal!

Hooray~

Just when I was basking in joy....

this happened.

Yes. I am ringless. My gorgeous brown markings are gone (for now). 

*Bursts into tears*

Mummy noticed that I was scooting a lot and kept nipping at my butt area. She initially thought that I just needed my anal glands expressed. However, when she finally took a closer look, she was appalled to find that the bottom of my tail (nearest to my cute little tight butt) was sore from my incessant chewing. 

Dr Lin wasn't very pleased about it either and decided to shave me down to examine it further. 

Thankfully, the area was small and concentrated and I was sent home with some antibiotics, a cream and...

yes, the cone of shame.

T_T

*Thunder and lightning*

I'm officially Sam, the depressed dog.

This cone is hideous. People with dogs avoid me like a plague (they must think I've some incurable disease) and mummy wouldn't stop laughing at how clumsy I am. 

Life suckssssss...

Make it better please, Mummy?

Seeing how miserable I was, Mummy suddenly had an idea on how to cheer me up. 

"Really?"

She took off the shameful cone and whipped out my lion mare.

YES! This is brilliant! From a different angle, my shaved tail actually resembles that of a lion!

Why did I not think of that?!

So yes, I am officially a legit lion!

RAWRRRR.. I am a SAMLION!

Isn't this just so appropriate??

Guess I'll remain as a Samlion till my gorgeous tail grows back.

Thank you Mummy!!!

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