It is time for the Rodents!

After a good few years of living with dogs, cats and birds and studying their behaviors, i have always wanted a rodent to get to know the specials better and well, because they said i could not have a tiger in my room. I decided against mice because i heard they bite a lot and i wanted something a little more cuddlier. The guinea pigs! They are the cutest things ever, almost like soft toys. :) Have to design their cage a little bit to keep them entertained. I decided to name to boys Aito, (pronounced AH-ee-toh, Japanese for affection) and  Yorisou (pronounced Yoh-ree-sowh, Japanese for cuddle). I have heard that they recognize their humans and purr when they are happy, they sound so adorable! And i already heard Aito make this cute, soft sound.  Maybe I'll see how well they learn mazes and recognize voices. :)

Aito is a week old. Getting used to his new home :)

 

 

Yorisou is 3-weeks old and fatter and calmer!

Aito trying to hide under Yorisou. I hope they stop being shy very soon!

A couple of people have told me that rodents stink a lot so it is tough to maintain them but i think, that is a matter of opinion. I have seen people give away their dogs of three years because they realised that pets need a lot of attention which was too much work for them. I have never given up on an animal before so i dont see why this time is going to be different.

it

My first (of many, i hope) rodents. I will do everything i can to make sure you live happy, Aito and Yorisou. Time for some unconditional rodent love. :D Bruno is stalking the piggies with a curious expression on his face. :D P.S: These photographs were taken without flash because they are still getting used to me and the flash would blind the poor rodents.

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.

Overcoming fear

The day had finally arrived and everything seemed to be going way too fast for it to register in my brain. I was not thinking clearly as i heard a familiar voice blaring over the speakers. The Principal. Had his voice always been this squeaky? 

I felt my stream of thoughts drift away to insignificant things. This was one of the defense mechanisms i had developed against stress which worked wonders to a certain degree. My hands felt numb and i looked down to realize i was clenching my fists. A quick turn towards the array of seats behind me to notice any familiar faces. None. I had to do this alone and this time, there was no out. 

I told myself that it is not a big deal, it is just one of those many fears that i have to overcome and it would be best if i try not to fret about it and end up making a fool of myself on the stage. Embarrassment. The thought of it made me shudder. A lot of people have over come their fear by facing it, i told myself, so just do it.

An entire week seemed to have passed by the time i was called on to the stage. I wished i would dissociate into another personality, one that could deal with facing an audience. I really hoped something of that sort happened, just as long as my prophecy of making a complete fool of myself would not come true. No such luck that day.

The stage was too bright, i could barely see the audience. I tried hard not to squint as i cursed my sensitive eyes. The optician was right about my eyes being unhealthy; I wonder how those pupil-dilating fluids work? FOCUS. Had i dissociated yet? Had another personailty taken over? I tried to remember events from my childhood. Nope, still the same personality. Dang. 

With no other option left, i took out my little sheet of paper on which i had written my speech. Is it just me or is this stage burning hot? I dint remember writing the speech with a fountain pen. Why were the words shrinking in size? Should i start reading, yet? Or do i wait for a couple of minutes more? Why does everything have to be so quiet around here? A little bit of music would not hurt anyone. I have always liked the thought of a background music.

Taking a long breath, i promised myself that i would not ruin this. I held the speech firmly in my hands and began to read, ignoring the audience. I was told that this trick works wonders in situations so i gave it a shot since i dint have many options at that time, really.

A good couple of minutes later, i looked up. I had done it, i had read out my entire speech and it did not take as much time as i thought it would. I did it, with no mistakes, no stammering and no pausing. There was no standing ovation but i felt good; i felt the people giving me a huge round of applause, all in my head. As i got off the stage, i realized, sometimes all a person needs is that one tiny push to overcome a fear.

I remember going home that night and marking Stage Fear off my list.

"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