Dogworld

Whats with the human being's obsession with dogs.

In America, people treat their pets as their own.

They take care of them. Feed them. Walk them. Talk to them. Kiss them.

They give them interesting names often inspired from idiosyncratic cinema characters and sleazy television personalities.

Lets talk about dogs - supposedly a man's best friend. But I think they more are an American's best friend ever.
People in America walk their dogs on a leash. And they can be unleashed only in specific fenced parks or grounds labelled as "Dog parks".

This is where dogs celebrate their daily day of nirvana and find comfort in the travails of other fellow dogs. This is where they play with each other. Fight with each other. This is where human beings behave as sane creatures and respectfully look at each other (lest they dont embarass their dogs)

When the dogs are done playing they are curbed back on their leashes.

And then the owners continue walking them.

When the dogs want to relieve themselves they levitate towards certain geographic locations where the owner walks the dog too.

They relieve themselves.

And guess what happens next.

The dog-owner takes out a pair of plastic gloves from his/her pockets. And then actually picks up the droppings of the dog from the road.

And then throws everything in the nearby garbage bin. (unthinkable in India!!!)

The roads are clean. The dog-owner is saved from a fine/penalty or even a jail -term for 2 years.

And the dogs wink at the royal treatment ( "bow wow!!yeah my master cleans my S**T twice a day baby!!!")

The world is Facebook crazy.
Someone also thought Dogs need social networking. So they created Dogbook.And Catbook. Wow!
(yeah, go to FB and check it out)


American take their vacations seriously, and those with dogs need to plan additionally.

Most often they leave them with their neighbours (with notes on when to walk the dogs and how to pick up their S**T). 

Neighbours like it too.

I recently saw an ad in the apartment that said "Hi! I am in 8th grade. I want to make some pocket money. I can walk your dog every morning. Please call me at XXX-XXX-XXX"

Dog owners planning on a vacation to Hawaii would probably love the deal.


Another option owners have is to leave dogs in a dog shed.

These are communal dog shelters to take care of dogs while owners are away.

Except that they are a big business today.

They are called Dog Motels. or Dog Hotels.

Yeah you can do a google search and u ll get a host of places.

Here is an example: http://www.petswelcome.com/

The link also has tips for pets emergencies. And "how to prevent heat stroke" in pets.

There is also something called as 'Dollywood' - which is supposed to be a dog-only (thankfully) social event to guage their celebrity and status updates on Dogbook

Amazing!

Most Americans dont like to drive their own cars to the Dog Motel or Dog hotel.

So there are Dog Taxis (gimme a break!!!!!!!!!)

Like this one: http://www.seattledogtaxi.com/

Some families like to carry their dogs with them.

Yeah in the planes too.

And airlines permit dogs.

And they dont even have to buy a ticket.
And they dont have to go through security check.

Except that they should fit in a Dog basket that can be placed below the seat.

And the basket should be closed so that the dogs dont get out and eat all the food that the wild air-hostess wants to serve to everyone on board.

Also, we dont want the dogs to drive the plane.

Shopping stores have whole sections on Dog food. And Cat food.

Entire aisles are draped in Dog lingo.

They have Dog cookies and Dog snacks too. And its all so amazingly packaged.

The first time I was in the USA I hadnt realised i was in the animal section. And I almost bought a pack of Dog cookies!!

Omg!!

Thankfully I realised what I was doing!

:D

-

Its Me!

Glee In The Summer Sun

Somewhere in the busy streets of a city in New York:

A group of office colleagues in the room are busy wondering what the temperature is like outside. Its a summer's day. And they are wondering if they can step out to have some ice-cream.

They are dressed in summer wear. 

They pull out their iPhones and check the temperature outside.

A couple of them log-on to their computers and laptops to check the weather.

Some look at a cool iPad app that does a weather forecast every 10 minutes and predicts if there will be monsoon in Sahara that will cause the camels to do a salsa!

After sometime one of them decides that its too hot to go out.

Then another complains that that the dress she is wearing is too difficult to step out with.

A few minutes later a bunch of guys join the group.

The act repeats.

Smart phones, iPhones, iPads all come out and everybody is wondering if the temperature is 2 degrees up or down from yesterday.

Some of them appear to have solved the Global Warming problem of the earth.

Some others were lost if its Fahrenheit or Celsius- and accordingly if they had to complain along with the group or smile.

Eventually one of them steps out.

And then rushes back "guys! we can step out. its not bad"

"Oh is it? Great!"

Somewhere in middle of nowhere i mean...the dusty by-lanes of a sweltering city in India:

A group of young students are waiting for their school bus in scorching heat.
A business man is having a conversation with his wife in the AC confines of his car. Over the phone that is.

He steps out and continues his conversation; oblivious to the gradient of the temperature that he is about to experience. His nagging wife is not sure how to change the TV channel of his new 7-in-one home theatre set imported from Italy. 

He ends the argument. 

She begins a new one- she doesn't like the new washing machine. She prefers to warm her clothes under the open sun.
The businessman gets into his office. The cooler in his office is broken. A bunch of guys plan to fix it later in the day. The argument with this wife continues.

Two ladies are walking in the blistering heat towards their office campus.

One works for an ice-cream company. It doesnt matter.

A train is bursting with people in sweat. A bus is filled with people who are immersed in their local newspaper.

A truck driver is busy thinking if he can indulge in a Pepsi.
An insomniac has stepped out in a leather jacket. His bike contributing to the 'coolness' of the summer!

A bunch of people want to step for a cup of coffee.

One of them picks the local coffee shop.

They rush out. Within a minute they are sipping the best of coffee.