Lack of ready food options for pets and owners in Ahmedabad

Bend recently was watching TV with Banjo, some foren channel, a programme called, ‘Heavy Petting’ in a channel called NDTV Good Times, and he discovered humans employed, to taste, to do something called pedigree quality testing. The same way he had heard of lipsticks tested on pigs lips before they are out in the market.

Either loners or busiest people on the earth keep dogs. They both do not live with their families mostly, so find two advantages in pedigreed food. One, complete nutrition; second, negligible effort required to feed the pet.

The numbers of loners or busy people increase in a city. Bend and Banjo live in comfort of Amul’s city, Ahmedabad, where half of the dogs are also vegetarians. Their owners insist and are quite convincing that a dog can eat whatever they would otherwise eat normally.

Banjo usually complains, by making a disgusted face, how pedigreed animal food tastes lame compared to the tastier options of cooked food or meat. Bend can’t help, for the local market cannot provide the variety. He barks back at Banjo because the latter wouldn’t care how human beings feel about eating the same cornflakes regularly, while watching TV.

Red and White

Photo courtesy: CEPT Website http://cept.ac.in

Or, ‘The Internet’- according to the wise men/women

There is a rumor at times that Santa dresses a combination of red and white because of Coke’s influence in the history. It is an American phenomenon, otherwise Santa used to be green and white. Ask one of my color challenged friend, who lives in America, and with whom I used to share the same green lawns, note green, and do idle nothing but gaze at the stars. This portion of South Lawns has a nice gentle slope to lay on one’s back. The lawn has a small, and only one inside the lawn, a small eight foot tree. Owl has big eyes, and when they gaze they really gaze. It was year 1998. We then felt, Christmas goes well with the soft chill of the city. This tree was frequently used as Christmas tree.

It was by sheer coincidence that I walked past the same lawns recently on the evening of 25^th December 2010. And, looking at the small area on the green lawns around the tree, it took me no time in recollecting a conversation I had a few days back, before christmas, with one of the cultural secretaries, a student of the place. He mentioned he is looking for a good Christmas party this year. He also has had ideas not only for a Santa but a Banta as well. Now, walking past the lawns I noted bursted remnants of red and white balloons suspended to the delicate branches of the delicate tree, and some remnants and discarded white paper plates around. The red and white combination was left to the next agency, the puens and the safaiwalas. In fact, in that distinguishable waste, I also saw a Classic Milds packet too, not an American product at all.  

It looked like the party went well with all jubiliancy.

“So this is Christmas…”,

John Lennon <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7TZEaO6lI>

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Puen = n. Handman

Safaiwala = n. Cleaner

Race to Liberty

India is a phunny country, some like to call it absurd too, I say the same too, sometimes. Its communal places, like hospitals and schools have alertness and educational messages, mostly on walls, and sometimes on desktop screens. These are one liners usually. Such as-

"Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself"

- Liberace

Now, who the hell is Liberace?

Mahes?

Morning sun, dew and games for the handicapped

Morning orange sun feels nice on the face. The sun is not strong, and one can feel the morning dew. This is one of the common mornings in Bodakdev of Ahmedabad. Bend is happy to see kids being loaded into the back of a tempo. They are to be transported to the play grounds at Maninagar of Ahmedabad. He is told, recently made, the play facilities are well equipped world class. One staff tells these kids are being transported to prepare for the handicapped games. The P.T. teacher dressed in white pants and white shirt is ensuring each one is tightly fitted on the back of the three-wheeler. He wants to ensure their safety on the unsafe roads of Amdawad city.

In the same compound, Banjo and some left out kids are busy in their own world. They are happy having Banjo fetch the ball thrown long-distance every time, which the dog when he brings it back drops to pant his tongue out.

Bend doesn’t belongs to the happy lot, for he notes the dismal infrastructure, slowness, condition of the tempo, frowning teacher blowing whistle all the time. He sees a team that will perform yet underperform at another handicapped games arrangement that exist in a big nation; a country that houses one fifth of the world’s population. Inside the country the differently-abled will perform, internationally not to be seen.

Or, the reason for Bends disillusionment with this disabled arrangement could be something else. It could be his upbringing, living, and the way he perceives things presently. The sun and the dew are stronger, they sooth him- also, the panting dog.

Liberty downer

I don't understand this part of the doctrine of democracy. Why do some really want liberty downest to the lowest level of an individual, like, a man's? I suggest, we bring it downer; say, to a dog's level.

Transportation modes available to Banjo

In Ahmedabad, year 2010, mass public transport vehicles such as the public bus, known as AMTS, is a complete no for Banjo. His presence may create panic and scare otherwise ordinary people traveling by the bus. He is already a perceived danger when he walks the streets- a fifteen month old Labrador pet. It is highly likely that the kind-man (man-kind) may protest his presence in the bus too. Well, things are not that bad, for Banjo is among the lucky few of his kinds around. He has other personal modes of transport available too, although walking is his favorite.

Let me tell you, he is crazy about the Bullet, a heavy motorcycle which his master Bend owns. Since a few decades, the production of this R(G)oyal Bullet has had ceased in Royal England as old generation bikes have given way to the new. And, recently, these Bullet bikes have found a new immense popularity in India with a certain youth – the youth which can afford it. The Bullet which never ditches you, has style, is louder in loud streets, and is relatively a comfortabler and an exciting ride. Banjo would always insist for a ride.

Car falls later in Banjo’s preference list. Bend usually drives it with the windows up, closed, and perhaps Banjo doesn’t likes its secure cut off air with the outside world. There is a risk that Banjo may jump out of the window in excitement of the smells outside or eye contact with the other dogs on the street. Inside is a micro-climate envelope, where this contact, in particular smell contact, is broken. Climate changed, just images the dog may be observing. It gets more boring in winters, for in summers the dog at least has the air conditioner to eat up? Bend learns, you rob a dog of his smell, you rob him of everything. On longer drives on highways, country sides, Banjo prefers to curl himself for a comfortable doze in the car. It is beautiful when the sun shines through the glass and the living creature is sleeping quiet.

Halfway during one seemingly long morning walk with Banjo, one day, Bend chose to return home in an auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw driver was surprised with Bend’s question if he wouldn’t mind a dog. The poor looking wrinkle faced man laughed on an unusual question. He was amused to see two smart chaps early in the morning, requesting a paid ride. Bend thought Banjo would love auto-rickshaw too because he himself loves the sound and air of it. He was keen to take a note of Banjo’s reactions. Rather, the unconcerned dog preferred to bark at the street dogs he came across, and aroused their curiosity in return too. Banjo didn’t find anything special in the alternative transport form, except for the driver, who perhaps just loved another small excitement in his life, otherwise a tough day, which has become a regular, just about to begin.

Bend uses Banjo to take notes

How much Banjo makes it easier for Bend to gather a few notes, only Bend knows.

These days, local Gujju shops have started to put air-conditioned cooling and glass partition at their front- be it an ATM, a bakery, frozen meat shop, or a local grocery store. These are only a few though. When the dog walk is accompanied with a purpose of some errand in these shops, Bend would have to leave Banjo outside these spaces. This has a few reasons- one, when these spaces are empty, Banjo is scared to venture inside and starts barking on the door with only his face inside; and when the place is full of people inside, people express either fear or joy, like, “oh my god, dog…”, or, “O mumma, see, kutro*”. Banjo, depending on the friendliness in the atmosphere inside, would venture inside.

In one such incidence, outside an upper crust café bakery in Bodakdev, a Rabari*, sees Bend pat Banjo on his neck and fluff some love massage. It is an unusual sight, for the Rabari himself realizes WTF is he doing here in a city begging and why is he not with his goats. Surely he has Bodakdev contacts, or he is from nearby. He assumes Bend is friendly, cannot help his habit or need, and asks him, “Saab*. Can you give me some money to buy some atta* for the kid?” There are two, less than ten year olds dangling on him or running about in yonder. They are happy. Bend doesnt likes to encourage begging, so he doesn’t say anything. The Rabari is disappointed.

A few moments later, a fat, round and big guy gets out of his heavy big car, BMW type make, or similar. Full of fat, vulnerable as an animal, he is fast paced in his steps towards the bakery; gets startled when he suddenly notices Banjo unknowingly blocking his way. He requests in his commanding voice, “Please, can you control your dog?” Banjo has been standing unchained at the bakery door hoping to get in. He is standing free, head shaking, tounge out in hope.

Bend is somewhere in vicinity, taking notes how as time changes, people now talk more of two extremes that is India.

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Atta: (noun) Dough
Kutro (noun) Dog
Rabari: (noun) Grazer from Gujarat, India
Saab: (noun) Sir. (Similar to Sahib (Colonial))