Dominator

I have been reading up on dachshunds since we brought Putputti (pictured above) home in January 2008. Being the most lively and unpredictable member of my family (Believe me, in my family that's quite an achievement), she's the reason for my detailed research into wiener dogs or simply 'hot dogs' as dachshunds are called sometimes. And I just can't stop laughing.

Dogs are known to have adapted their pack loyalties and behaviour to human companions and tend to treat the human family as their 'pack'. They tend to decide upon one member of the family as the 'alpha dog' of the pack (Doesn't seem too glorious a title to be appended to my Dad's name but there it is) and follow all his/her orders. Dachshunds I read are really proud dogs and totally unaware of the world's amusement at their comical dimensions. Consequently they may not be the most tolerant of kids who tug tails and pinch their droopy ears.

And apparently if they are not controlled or disciplined, dachshunds are always trying to take over the role of the alpha dog of the 'pack'. Indeed my little dog is a bit of a pest when hungry and troubles my mom a lot. My mom who was liberal in her corporal punishment for us, the 3 human siblings, now thinks that she (the dog) is such a cute 'n' adorable thing that it is impossible for hit her. Sure! Nice time to discover the inner Gandhi. Too late for us anyway. But to think of the dog taking control over the family, she with her barrel like body and stumpy little legs. Positively hilarious!

Enteyendo un poco de Espanyol

I am finally putting my 2 year old I-Pod to good use. Had bought myself a bunch of "Learn Spanish" weeks ago which I have finally started listening to using Steve Job's incredible tool of cool. The title BTW means "I understand a little of Spanish." My first brush with a foreign language was with Japanese, of which we had some rudimentary training for 2 months at my workplace orientation classes. I could not retain too much beyond "Hajimashite"(Good morning) and "Biiru o nomitai" (Want to drink beer?) but it was awesome, unabashed fun.

As I garble and mispronounce my way through my Senoras and Mooee Biens, it's a forgotten pleasure to be re-experienced. Since childhood was over and done with, the opportunity to make mistakes and be granted some sort of leniency on making them is so difficult to come by. Learning a foreign language gives me that freedom, to be able to laugh and take my mistakes as inconsequential as I try to master something that I have had very little foundation on. It's my little playground complete with slides and swings, and a stone turtle in the otherwise cramped urban ghetto of my mind. And if this play time in the sun could lead to practical use if and when I visit South America (particularly Machu Pichu and the Easter Islands) at some point in my life, what game could be more ideal!