Showing posts with label Animals and other friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animals and other friends. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Monday, 12 October 2009
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Oh Kindred Spirit !
"While portraying dogs as humans may bring you satisfaction, consider that this satisfaction is, in actuality, rooted in extreme egoism, borne out of a deeper and more extreme insecurity: To see a lesser creature acting and speaking as you speak is at once validating and entertaining, for along with the silly laugh comes the calming reassurance that no other mammal on Earth can possesses advanced thought. You laugh because your place in the world remains unthreatened"
More here: http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/stop_anthropomorphizing_me
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Plant Talk : Ways of dealing with a cruel world (Part 3) - Look happy and do a little dance*
* Warning: May be construed as "Denial" in some circles, but ignore them.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
One for solace
(P.S. Holy Cow would like to add that the photo above was taken by Rattlesnake- a cousin from distant lands- when the two of them were spending a rainy afternoon on Rajpath. This fact was of course brought to her attention by the said cousin, who recognised the photo as one he took. Holy Cow had just assumed she had taken it, given her liking for mainas and such, and bit her tongue a little when truth was revealed :-p )
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
More despair at our species
The world recently lost a one eyed, three legged dog named Gus to cancer. The little creature had been given the title of the "Ugliest Dog in the World" by the most confusing and mind numbingly weird species on earth- Human Beings.
He beat several other canines to win the title apparently. I mean, let's just take a look at what we're saying here and admonish ourselves. A dog competed against other dogs for the title of the world's ugliest dog.
Admit it. You haven't heard anything sillier. You and I both know that he didn't wake up one day, look in a mirror, conclude he had a fairly good chance and saunter off to sign up for the pageant.
It's a shame indeed that beauty has come to be associated in the human world by one's physical appearance.* But when we apply our own questionable standards to poor creatures of the animal kingdom, and judge them by the same, it really leaves me grasping in vacuum for something to say.
I don't know what drives human beings to act this way towards animals. Dressing them in people's clothes, making them participate in ugliness contests, getting them married to each other...
Camus once said that man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.
Is that why we can't stand the fact that there are wonderful creatures who are quite at peace with being what they are?
Is it envy that drives people to humanise animals?
I like to think so. It's much more a reflection of reality than the alternative that comes to my mind...
Pity.
*Reminds me of a poem I read recently. Allow me to share.
A young spring-tender girl
combed her joyous hair
'You are very ugly' said the mirror
But,on her lips hung
a smile of dove-secret loveliness,
for only that morning
had not the blind boy said,
"You are beautiful"?
-- Spike Milligan
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
The battle for the shoe-box nest
After this glorious period in recent history when the Holy Cow was playing hostess and waitress to the lovely mainas, there was a strange development that set into motion much "tsk tsk" ing and other sounds of approval, disapproval, surprise, horror, glee et cetera.
What had happened was that there were unexpected visitors who basically usurped the poor mainas from their royal abode- a pigeon couple. Now I love all animals, birds and other non human life. I do. But I like some more than I do others (which is basically a better way of saying I like some less than I do others), and pigeons are the unfortunate lot that fall in the less-than-others category. I think they're great and contribute to the general pleasantness of the world in several ways, but I also cannot tell a lie and say that I think they are the brightest winged things I have ever come across.
When I discovered that they were planning to make the shoe-box nest their new home, I did feel a little bad for the mainas who had built the nest from scratch (I extend the sympathies from the particular couple that built this nest to the species as a whole). Also, I honestly didn't think the plump pigeons could shuffle in and out of it as easily as the relatively smaller and more graceful mainas could have. But I shrugged after a little shake of the head and was ready to move onto playing hostess for the pigeons.
When the poor maina arrived again, expecting to find its nest untouched, it was actually attacked by the pigeon and there was a minor tiff between the two. The fight was duly watched by the Holy Cow and her dearly beloved other, where of course she supported the maina. The other also was kind enough to sympathise with the maina rather than the pigeon.
Anyway, the pigeon won and for a while there were pigeon eggs in the nest. They didn't hatch unfortunately (and might I also add that pigeon sounds aren't nearly as musical to the ears as maina sounds are).
Then there was a period where there was no real dweller, but both maina and pigeon often came, sat around and left. The pigeon was most consistent in its presence though.
Last week, it had a visitor.
This lovely bright green parrot had crawled (upside down) down the wire
What had happened was that there were unexpected visitors who basically usurped the poor mainas from their royal abode- a pigeon couple. Now I love all animals, birds and other non human life. I do. But I like some more than I do others (which is basically a better way of saying I like some less than I do others), and pigeons are the unfortunate lot that fall in the less-than-others category. I think they're great and contribute to the general pleasantness of the world in several ways, but I also cannot tell a lie and say that I think they are the brightest winged things I have ever come across.
When I discovered that they were planning to make the shoe-box nest their new home, I did feel a little bad for the mainas who had built the nest from scratch (I extend the sympathies from the particular couple that built this nest to the species as a whole). Also, I honestly didn't think the plump pigeons could shuffle in and out of it as easily as the relatively smaller and more graceful mainas could have. But I shrugged after a little shake of the head and was ready to move onto playing hostess for the pigeons.
When the poor maina arrived again, expecting to find its nest untouched, it was actually attacked by the pigeon and there was a minor tiff between the two. The fight was duly watched by the Holy Cow and her dearly beloved other, where of course she supported the maina. The other also was kind enough to sympathise with the maina rather than the pigeon.
Anyway, the pigeon won and for a while there were pigeon eggs in the nest. They didn't hatch unfortunately (and might I also add that pigeon sounds aren't nearly as musical to the ears as maina sounds are).
Then there was a period where there was no real dweller, but both maina and pigeon often came, sat around and left. The pigeon was most consistent in its presence though.
Last week, it had a visitor.
This lovely bright green parrot had crawled (upside down) down the wire
Had a look at the nest
Was a bit startled to find the pigeon staring at it
And decided to take another parting look at it's would-have-been home before flying off, no doubt a little disgruntled.
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
One afternoon, with five mainas and a little awe
I sit here on my bed next to the window. It is cloudy, and feels like it has just rained though it hasn’t. There is a silence that is only enhanced by the distant crowing of the crow far away.
Suddenly, the silence is broken by the frenzied chirping of three little maina babies that reside, safe from prying eyes and claws, inside the shoebox-nest that my mother and I made for them. Their mother has returned, with something to eat. She squeezes into the nest- it’s small, and there’s three of them in there after all, along with twigs and leaves and yes, even a peacock feather. The chirping becomes more frenzied and louder as they all reach upwards towards her beak. They stretch their little bodies as much as biology would allow them to, their mouths open revealing a triangle of yellow. When I see them I am reminded of how, as a child, pictures of open-mouthed baby birds used to remind me of samosas because of their yellow colour and triangular shape. It makes me smile now, as it must have then.
Their father still visits. This is the most amazing part. And the female maina still comes out of the nest to let him go in and have a peep at his little ones.
Now they have both flown away, leaving the babies in the nest. It is quiet again, as the babies know they can’t make too much noise, as it might be dangerous.
Who taught them that?
Who knows? Who can tell?
Suddenly, the silence is broken by the frenzied chirping of three little maina babies that reside, safe from prying eyes and claws, inside the shoebox-nest that my mother and I made for them. Their mother has returned, with something to eat. She squeezes into the nest- it’s small, and there’s three of them in there after all, along with twigs and leaves and yes, even a peacock feather. The chirping becomes more frenzied and louder as they all reach upwards towards her beak. They stretch their little bodies as much as biology would allow them to, their mouths open revealing a triangle of yellow. When I see them I am reminded of how, as a child, pictures of open-mouthed baby birds used to remind me of samosas because of their yellow colour and triangular shape. It makes me smile now, as it must have then.
Their father still visits. This is the most amazing part. And the female maina still comes out of the nest to let him go in and have a peep at his little ones.
Now they have both flown away, leaving the babies in the nest. It is quiet again, as the babies know they can’t make too much noise, as it might be dangerous.
Who taught them that?
Who knows? Who can tell?
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Realisation dawns in the form of leopard play
I saw a leaopard cub playing with it's mother's tail lazily while lying on the branch of a tree.
It pushed and pulled it this way and that, and every time it tried to keep the tail down it would rise up again.
I saw that, smiled with my entire being, and said to my mother
"When I see this, I know why I am alive and what is the meaning of my life"
Those who are confused, it might help to see this.
It pushed and pulled it this way and that, and every time it tried to keep the tail down it would rise up again.
I saw that, smiled with my entire being, and said to my mother
"When I see this, I know why I am alive and what is the meaning of my life"
Those who are confused, it might help to see this.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
The dog who found sleep on my feet
Hum aapke kadmo par
Gir jaayenge ghash kha kar*
(Taken using a friend's cellphone camera)
*What is ironic is that I was the one khaoing ghash and nearly fainting from joy that threatened to kill me, because of him.
Gir jaayenge ghash kha kar*
(Taken using a friend's cellphone camera)
*What is ironic is that I was the one khaoing ghash and nearly fainting from joy that threatened to kill me, because of him.
The Maina Series- The Fifth and Final Part
See parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Some anecdotes not captured photographically.
Throughout the time they were around, I did not need alarm clocks as they would create a racket with the million different types of sounds that mainas make. They also caused me to sometimes wake up and smile, without even opening my eyes. Just the knowledge that they were around made the whole world better.
The building is quite a tedious process. They actually do jodo-ofy the house, tinka-tinka ikattha kar ke ( putting it together stick by stick). During this process, the female maina I think, is in the driver's seat. She would be present constantly, like a supervisor. Her partner would bring a stick, look at her and bob his head a little as if seeking approval. She would then make a "trrr" type sound after which he would make his way into the shoe-box to fit it in somewhere. It was real teamwork. And also extremely cute.
Once the eggs had hatched, the male didn't just fly off to find another mate. He stuck around, and often came and stood just outside the shoe box calling to his female. She would then come out, and let him go in to see the eggs he had helped make. Most lovely.
Mainas who choose to come and live near me, are bound to get five star treatment. They were given fresh water in a small clay diya every morning, and spoilt senselessly with various delicacies ranging from light and not very sweet Marie biscuits, to coconut cookies, to butter cookies, to chocolate cream filled cookies. Also, they didn't seem too impressed with me when I gave them brown bread. Who would be, after all this?
They also managed to, a number of times, tilt the diya over causing all the water to fall all over the cookie crumbs making a sick little mess on the ledge of the window. And yes, I scolded them a little for the same. Not the first time, not the second time, but the third.
All the eggs did not hatch. Only one did. There was some noise and squeaking for some days after which there was silence. One fine day, they were all gone.
The shoe-box remained though.
And we are most delighted to share that it is now home to another maina couple, and three fine little pearly white eggs.
Throughout the time they were around, I did not need alarm clocks as they would create a racket with the million different types of sounds that mainas make. They also caused me to sometimes wake up and smile, without even opening my eyes. Just the knowledge that they were around made the whole world better.
The building is quite a tedious process. They actually do jodo-ofy the house, tinka-tinka ikattha kar ke ( putting it together stick by stick). During this process, the female maina I think, is in the driver's seat. She would be present constantly, like a supervisor. Her partner would bring a stick, look at her and bob his head a little as if seeking approval. She would then make a "trrr" type sound after which he would make his way into the shoe-box to fit it in somewhere. It was real teamwork. And also extremely cute.
Once the eggs had hatched, the male didn't just fly off to find another mate. He stuck around, and often came and stood just outside the shoe box calling to his female. She would then come out, and let him go in to see the eggs he had helped make. Most lovely.
Mainas who choose to come and live near me, are bound to get five star treatment. They were given fresh water in a small clay diya every morning, and spoilt senselessly with various delicacies ranging from light and not very sweet Marie biscuits, to coconut cookies, to butter cookies, to chocolate cream filled cookies. Also, they didn't seem too impressed with me when I gave them brown bread. Who would be, after all this?
They also managed to, a number of times, tilt the diya over causing all the water to fall all over the cookie crumbs making a sick little mess on the ledge of the window. And yes, I scolded them a little for the same. Not the first time, not the second time, but the third.
All the eggs did not hatch. Only one did. There was some noise and squeaking for some days after which there was silence. One fine day, they were all gone.
The shoe-box remained though.
And we are most delighted to share that it is now home to another maina couple, and three fine little pearly white eggs.
PS- Turns out it didn't end there. Story continues here
The Maina Series- Part 4
For part 3, go here
The house was finally deemed fit enough to re-build this...
to house these....
The house was finally deemed fit enough to re-build this...
to house these....
Part 5 here
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