The Last 2 Years

I am fine and things are swell.  I am sitting in a small town in South India and watching the rain as I write this.  Yes I am in India!  It’s been almost 2 years. So many things have happened and my mind has just been exploding. That’s what India does. It’s an assault on your senses.  Food, smells, noises, traffic, colours, people, stray dogs.  Yes stray dogs.  I hardly saw any in Singapore - and never ever in the sanitized part of the city. Here, in India, the roadies (that’s what I like to call them) are everywhere. On the road, near shops, restaurants, temples, inside apartment complexes. Everywhere.  And the laws for roadies are pretty good –better than those in Singapore.  I had to lookup Indian Animal laws for an issue that the community was facing in our apartment complex in Bangalore so I am pretty well informed about my rights. I’ll tell you about it soon. Bangalore, the cosmopolitan city, that’s where I landed.  I wonder what makes it cosmo – the North Indians?

I landed in Bangalore in a dark, dingy box as part of the airplane cargo! NOT FUN. I was furious when I got out. I knew something was up at the airport checkin counter itself when She was acting cool. Way too cool. And He kept asking has the crew being informed that there is a dog on board. He was a bit anxious.  I knew something was up right then. Actually I should have guessed it earlier. The week before I suddenly started putting on a bit of weight and She kept weighing me every single day and looking at the machine in despair as the needle kept moving. Oh such a cheapo! She was thinking of the extra luggage weight that I was going to be!  That trip was NOT FUN.   And worse was to come. We landed in our apartment and it was full of ticks. You heard it right. The entire house! They were crawling on the walls. I kid you not. It was a nightmare. I’ll write about it later.  Oh! The poor thing that stayed there before us!  We somehow made through the night and the very next day went to my cousin Sufi’s place for respite. We went in an auto rickshaw with loud music and traffic sounds everywhere and my tail hanging precariously outside, practically scraping the road!  My mind was exploding.

Now cousin Sufi has to be a separate post.  It took almost a year for us to be friends. Ok that’s a stretch – It took us a year to just become cordial thanks to all the efforts that I made.  He is a spoilt insecure brat and would bark at anyone who petted me! And so much restless energy.  He jumps from one couch to another, from the floor to the bed, from the bed to the chair and so on. No wonder they call him ‘The Flying Sufi’. Well we are kinda ok with each other now and meet often. That’s the thing with family you just can’t escape them.  Sigh. 

I also met a lot of lovely people and dogs in my neighbourhood. My neighbours just adored me and our doors were usually open so I could run from one house to another. And there was so much food in that house.  It all stopped when She realized that the next door mom was giving me chocolate despite being made aware of the list of forbidden items!  They were put on probation for a while and then it was back to fun times sans chocolate.  It was like a never ending party and I got so many cards and toys from all the lovely folks around us that it was overwhelming.  I even had a separate birthday party! 

And when it got really cold in Bangalore and my nose turned brown, we went on a beach vacation. Yes. My nose turned brown. Brrrown. Even I was confused. I saw myself in the mirror and it was completely brown! I had to look at my old photos to confirm that it was indeed black at one point.  So off we went to the sea side. I’m not much for the waters but it was fun and I could roam off leash everywhere in the resort.  And they serve you chai and ‘bhajjis’ on the beach!

We have a car here and so no more pleading with cab drivers. Yay! We can travel easily but I had no idea what was in store. We went to Kerala, Chennai, Pondicherry and then did a west coast trip from Kerala to Karnataka to Goa to Maharashtra! I tell you my mind is still exploding with all that is happening.  I went paddle boating in Chikmangalur, slept in a trailer park in drunken Goa, planted trees in a forest for 10 days in Pondicherry, gazed at the blue waters of the Arabian Sea from the steepest cliff I’ve ever seen  and ……. I can’t think anymore. My mind just stopped.   

Oh. A pig just passed by I’ve got to go bark at it. 

What A Dog Teaches You

An email forward that says it all !

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What A Dog Teaches You


A dog teaches us a lot of things, but we never seem to take notice. These are some of the lessons you might learn…

* When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
* Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
* Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
* When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
* Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
* Take naps and stretch before rising.
* Run romp and play daily.
* Thrive on attention .
* Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.
* On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
* When you’re happy dance around and wag your entire body.
* No matter how often you’re scolded don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.
* Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
* Eat with gusto and enthusiasm, stop when you have had enough.
* Be loyal.
* Never pretend to be something you’re not.
* If what you want lies buried dig until you find it.
* When someone is having a bad day be silent, sit close by… and nuzzle them gently.

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Top Dog - Djokovic

Djokovic's lucky charm, Pierre the toy poodle, was not able to enter UK due to quarantine rules. Pierre was nonetheless able to provided guidance, support and luck telepathically resulting in Djokovic's sensational win at Wimbeldon and sealing the World Number One status. Congratulations to Pierre!

From this link
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Pierre, the white toy poodle, is tennis great Novak Djokovic’s security blanket, lucky charm and mascot, all rolled into one….Team Djokovic is comprised of Novak’s girlfriend, his coaches and Pierre, who gives the tennis champ an air of calm just by being in the stadium on his own special cushion….unfortunately for Novak, the British Animal Quarantine laws are proving a formidable roadblock for Pierre’s presence at all lawn Wimbledon championships now being played in London….. according to the british tabloids, Novak himself appealed to the “highest level” of british diplomats to secure an entry visa for Pierre, but to no avail….Pierre will have to settle for a cushion in front of a wide screen television at the Djokovic homestead where he will bark his approval whenever Dad serves an ace…. Pierre has his own Twitter account and Facebook page, so he’ll be able to keep in touch with all of Novak’s fans around the world….

Let's get on the "BAN"dwagon

In true San Francisco style, there is a proposal to ban all pet sales..  

At the least, banning puppy mills and kitten factories will be a good start and hope more cities worldwide get involved.

Link to the news item:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/26/local/la-me-goldfish-20110627

If the proposal is accepted - you can buy live animals to eat but not as pets - now that's a topic for another day :-)

Little Nina

She looked tiny and fragile and so very lonely. She'd being attacked by rats and left with a big open wound.  She put her paws on my knees, and greedily snatched the treat from my half opened hands.

Impulsively, I decided to foster little Nina, a 2 month old puppy. She hadn't found a home, she was all alone in the back room at the shelter and had very little human or dog interaction. I thought of the delicate, frightened pup, I thought of puppy cuteness and I thought of Polka getting a playmate.

We welcomed Nina with giddy excitement. She was less than half of Polka's size. I put my hand forward to pet but she put her head down and went on her knees and shivered. Little Nina was scared, viewed everyone with suspicion and crawled with her head down like a tunnel rat. It was disturbing and sad to watch her move and I wondered what life had offered in her brief 2 months existence!

I was trying hard to make her feel welcome and comfortable - bribing her with treats and toys, getting down on all fours and waiting for her to approach me, taking her in my arms  - but nothing worked. Little Nina just shivered and took a step back at every attempt. All my efforts were in vain...

But that was not the case for Polka - she was able to work her charm. Initially, it was a slow dance. Polka moved forward aggressively, Nina retreated instinctively. Polka pawed her persistently, Nina stayed her ground. Polka continued to paw, Nina joined in the fun. Polka became dominating, Nina submissive... and the dance continued. Soon, they found their rhythm. Polka became gentler and Nina braver. Polka became less insecure of the new puppy and Nina more trusting of all of us. It was wonderful to watch as they learned to play together, share toys and become best of friends.

Under the tutelage of Polka, Nina blossomed little by little. I was the one who was suppose to teach, foster and bring my experiences 'to the table'. Instead, I had nothing to offer but a lot to learn. 

I learned to be patient while Nina was getting paper trained. I learned to be tolerant and accepting as she learned to stand her ground. I learned what it means to protect as Polka came in between every time I tried to scold Nina. And I learned to let go.

Little Nina found a family but she preferred to go back to the shelter. She now has her own "nerd gang" and is healthy and happy. Lots of love and luck to you dear Nina!