Of Horses and Bulls

Horse-drawn wagons and bullock carts never fail to put me in the darkest of moods. In the first place, you load the wagon till it threatens to tip over and to add to that, the poor animal is made to pull that weight AND run. This is plain ridiculous and I shall say no more. Just stop using animals to pull load. Please. Use a tractor instead. Or any other machine.

One of the most patient horses i have ever seen. I hope you are let to retire from this dirty work very soon.

The power of being impatient, it's called

I believe in Zodiac signs as much as i believe in Bruno and his "don't eat" tricks. Not in the daily predictions, mind you, but the love signs and compatibility, et all. It is fun AND true, to an extent.
But his whole thing about Taureans being "patient", i dont know who got that from where. Maybe they thought "hey, let's just make the summer children feel better and compare them to bulls and say the have patience that can move mountains!". Amusing, and it works because we get ourselves to think we are patient and we actually end up being so. Miracles do happen, they said.
I woudnt be surprised if i am the only Taurean who is this way, though. Especially with the recent turn of events, i would not be surprised if i find a Genie in my wardrobe, willing to fulfill all my darn wishes. Finding happiness where you least expect it, or something of that sort. Are you listening, Genie?
Back to the topic, clearly the person who incorporated "patience" in Taurus was not of the same sign, if he was not playing a prank. To a certain degree, i guess you could call us patient otherwise, it just sounds so wrong.
I have been (blessed) with this disorder of making lists.
Lists of what to do.
Lists of what text books to buy.
Lists of what notebooks to buy.
Lists of what i want.
Lists of what i need.
Lists of what i should do.
Lists of what i need to do.
Haircuts.
Addition to animal kingdom.
Transportation.
You get the point.
It's obsessive and i can drive myself insane with this, with no help from my sibling, really. What's worse is that, it does not just stop at making the lists. You want to and HAVE TO do things on the list and mark it as done.And you want to get it done with before you can say "guinea pig".I.want.it.now. 
The symptoms include waking up in the middle of the night and jotting down more things in your little book.
Go to Landmark and to buy the green book you saw.
While at it, dont forget the erasers!
Oh and those colorful pencils.
Times like these i curse for not having a monochromatic vision. Things would be so much more simpler then. Or so i would like to believe. Let's not be diplomatic, now.
Those crayons , iwant. No no, i NEED.
For what? I dont know. Use it as a marker on the text book? I could take them to college everyday, and find someway to put it to use. It would fit perfectly between the pouch that contains a hundred different colored pens and the huge purse.
Why does there have to be such pretty, colorful things at the stationery shop?! Kill me now!

Oink and chop.

"MY" Bull!

Have you ever noticed a particular animal on your way to work/college every day and have taken that particular road just so that you can catch a glimpse of that animal? (I shouldn't be surprised if i am the only one =/ )

There is this bull that i pass by every morning and i have not seen a bull that big and sturdy(he could easily maul other cows to death) and it makes him look so adorable.Even then, there is something very gentle about his looks that makes him look like the most adorable animal on the planet. Hence, i HAVE to see him every morning, just brings this weird sense of satisfaction and happiness. Cheap thrills. I have never managed to successfully photograph him from a moving vehicle but this is almost what he looks like. I have even happily christened him "MY Bull" simply because i like the sound of that. :) Maybe the guy who owns him would sell him to me? I should find out.

Image from Google

Isn't this reason enough for you to get a dog? :)

The Ban On Plastic

This decision, by far, has been the wisest decision taken ever by the Government and i realized this when I went for my daily ritual of Golguppa. 

Every morning, i pass this huge heard of cattle and i cant help (i love cows and there is a particular bull in the herd that has the sweetest of faces!) but notice them trying to chew through the bazillion plastic covers in an attempt to get to the food that is inside. I have been around animals all my life, especially cows. My parents have been taking us to our farm house every summer and i have spent most of my time there in the cow shed, either feeding the cows or measuring the length of their tongues. I guess that's how my love towards animals started, i never let anyone use the bullock cart then and I still make a fuss when people around me suggest to use an animal for transport. :|

When i started reading of deaths of dogs and other animals due to suffocation caused by them trying to eat plastic, i made up my mind to give everything plastic for recycling; shampoo bottles, milk covers and even plastic covers. But since plastics like biscuit covers were not accepted because they could not be recycled, we had to throw them and this meant that there could be more animals killed (I still do not understand why people do not pay much heed to an animal that is killed due to their carelessness and get it stuck in their head that since it cannot speak for itself, it's ok if the animal suffers and eventually dies. Humans!)

Thankfully, the ban on plastic that is less than 40microns (above that, the plastic can be recycled) has been taken seriously and people seem to be following it by carrying their own shopping bags and many brands have shifted to using paper bags(that better be recycled too). Amen, to that.

So now, i can eat all my junk food in peace, without worrying about the damage my cookie's packaging cover is going to cause to the animal kingdom! Long live the animals! Oh and yes, thank you, dear Government.

Note To Self

• Never force your pet to eat. He probably isn't hungry or is sulking (wonder where they learn that stuff from) because he wants a change in his food. Forcing him to eat is only going to lead to one of the two things- A) He'll throw up, and very conveniently on your bed, while cleaning which you'll notice the presence of awful deformed things that you did not expect to find in his puke. Plus, that will be one more addition on your list of Important Things To Be Done since dog puke has this thing of seeping all the way to the other end of the mattress. And B) He'll turn out to be a spoilt brat who refuses to eat until he is fed. In my case, this animal has to be coaxed to eat. We have to promise him treats once he finishes breakfast/lunch. A change in diet is not appreciated either unless we resort to letting him have pizza with extra cheese everyday.        
                                    
• Do not watch a horror show right before you hit the sack, not even the lame Hindi one. It seems to have some sort of a lasting effect on your brain (If only I could remember class-related topics this well) and the next thing you know, you are waking up a zillion times that night and you don't even know why.
   
• Listening to the "One Missed Call" ringtone is funny ONLY during the day. Try not to even think of it after sunset. You may think that since it did not have much affect on you during the day, the same holds good for the night too. You do not want to be proved wrong. So it is best when avoided.
  
• Never ask your friend, with a vivid imagination, to scare you. And if you do, DO NOT try to imagine the scene. You do not have to prove your bravery to anyone. They say the mind is not accustomed to seeing another image of your self, with the exception of your image in the mirror (and identical twins). Hence, when you imagine seeing another reflection of yourself in the mirror, it freaks you out. I watch way too many horror films and i know i have to stop.
  
• Remember that this is all your fault. No one forced you to watch "Shutter", the Korean version of all things! You did this to yourself so you have no one to blame except for yourself.
  



I know this is a very gruesome
image. :|
But then it is not like
the lizard was
 given a choice
to make before it was
born as a lizard so
i think i feel sorry for it.
And it DIED, sticking to that glass.
Pretty amazing, huh?

• Curiosity DID kill the cat and as for that lizard, it died of natural circumstances. Try not to wonder where the blood clot came from. Plus, try not to think of it while finishing lunch, though it might be an easy way to skip the boring food, you do not want to feel nauseous and give your sibling a reason to tease you for the rest of your life.

• Instead of just "thinking of finishing the portions" a week before the exam, try to actually finish studying everything AT LEAST two days before. It is not going to be easy, but it will give you a sense of satisfaction and plus, you do not have to wake up before sunrise on the day of the exam and you can get adequate amount of sleep the night before.

• The next time someone calls you a nerd, do not think twice before whacking them and you do not have to explain why you are not a nerd.
  

• You may not be a teen anymore but that still does not change a few things. Remember this especially before you decide to take in a homeless dog/cat.
  
  
• Your mom will not let you take in a kitten and she will not give in even after listening to the sad plight (half of which you made up, just to convincer her) of the homeless animal and she will bring all your faults to your notice- about how you just want a cat to play with and she is compelled to do the other dirty works such as toilet-train it and you know it is a losing battle.Mothers can be really tough that way.
  
• It is not easy to get a kitten to shut up and they continue to shriek and bring the roof down even after being put in the closet just so that your parents find out that you took in another kitten and started the process of turning home into an animal shelter all over again.
  
• Do not try to figure dogs out, because you cant.  Either they are thinking of something so deep that it is beyond your understanding capacity or they are plain weird. While Bruno thinks that he is curing some kind of an itch that his lady-bug shaped pillow has, Benzy sits around staring into empty space which makes me wonder if she is possessed (which she probably is).

• Some dogs are genetically thin so do not try to get them to put on weight or you too will end up being the proud owner of a deranged (this has nothing to do with her half black-half white mask face) dog whose stomach is inversely proportional to her face and her legs continue to look like they would break if you sat on it. You are over feeding a dog that likes to laze around and sleep at home all day, she is bound to put that energy to use by randomly barking in the middle of the night.
  
• Too much of anything is bad. This includes watermelons and mangoes.
  
• You think you can fix your laptop, but then you also thought you could fly so sometimes, it is good to seek help.
  
• No matter how many years pass by, you will always be your older brothers vent machine. Live with it.

• It is alright to chop your hair short in the summer. It will grow back, do not worry.
  
• Some girls will never update their level of thinking; not in a million years. It is best to maintain your distance from them. You are diplomatic and nice. So what if the don't return your sweetness? You do not have to do the same because then, there would be no difference between them and you now, would there? =)

Two Brothers: The Movie

If this movie was not made in 2004, then probably I would have made a similar movie. Atleast that way my dream of spending time with tigers would have been fulfilled! The tigers, Sangha and Kumar (names in the movie) are so darn adorable!

Probably the only animal movie I am happy with (excluding the parts where the cubs are mishandled :|), the happy ending and a 'save the tigers' message plus none of the animals get killed! Also, the best part when Kumar escapes from the circus and runs away to the jungle with Sangha where they are re-united with their mother. What is not to like? It's perfect!






Image courtesy: impawards.com