Can a Shiba be Trusted?

I spent Sunday with my family. It was my mom's birthday and we decided to have a BBQ. Since the house is in a wooded area with no neighbors in sight, I decided to let Simba be free and off leash. This is one of his favorite things in the world. He prances around and smells everything. Yesterday he even ventured into the woods, which immediately made me nervous because there are a lot of deer that he would undoubtedly chase. But Simba ran freely and then came back within a matter of minutes.

When the grilling began he was so totally transfixed that he did not move a muscle. He sat nicely right next to the meat and hoped that something would fall to the ground or his consumption. Even though Buddha was equally as mesmerized by the platter of meat; I couldn't trust him to stay. He seems to have less concern for coming back if he is off leash and he is always looking for squirrels.

The risks outweigh the benefits of allowing dogs to go unleashed, at least in my perspective, but I can say that I love seeing the look on their faces when they have a few moments of unrestrained bliss! Maybe if I move to a state that a) doesn't have a leash law and b) has wide open spaces for the dogs to roam c) and my dogs can be trusted to come back ....maybe, MAYBE then I will let them walk around without a leash.

Death Of A New Doggy Bed

I was so excited to replace one of the old doggy beds that the pups had been using. The colors had become dull and it wasn't much of a bed anymore. On several occasions I had bought expensive beds for the dogs and only one of those beds has survived thus far. This time I found a very classy looking red bed that would match with the home decor. The boys seemed to be adjusting to the bed so I left it in the living room for them to lay in and woe and behold I come home to a shredded bed and two guilty looking dogs. Were they giving me a hint? Was the bed THAT hideous? I'll never be sure but I'm not buying another dog bed....at least not for a while ;-)

Puppy Love

The pups are always eager to see us when we return after a long day of work. It seems that even the special frozen treats that I make for them every night do not hold their interest for too long. The Dog Whisperer would not be happy because upon entering the doorway, my pups jump up on me. Buddha howls while Simba flattens his ears and make funny noises. Simba then proceeds to bite at my clothes. They act as though they have been alone for weeks without food or water. Quite the contrary! I do everything I can to make their day by day experience a pleasant one. I concoct elaborate treats, I take them to the dog park so that they can run, I give them toys to keep them entertained, leave the TV on for good doggy movies and even leave the windows open so that they can hear the outside world.

Alas, the pups miss their pack at the end of the day. I'm sure that being alone in a house all day is worse than going to work all day.... I take that back. They can have my job and I will have theirs! ;-)

The Husky Code

I've heard a lot of stories about how high strung Huskies can be and how some of them are extremely prey driven. My Buddha bear is very relaxed and aims to please. He loves to eat and will come wake me with gentle kisses but if that does not work he will jump on the bed and move closer until I get up. Upon eating his delectable food he will lick his bowl and his brother's bowl several times and then come looking for me. As soon as he sees his bed, couch or other fluffy object he dives straight in and puts his head between the cushions. It's always at full speed! He proceeds in this fashion for a few minutes and then he lays on his back while stretching and making random sounds. Buddha is not a typical Husky because he actually does not enjoy howling or speaking. I can get him to speak once in a while but he prefers to be silent.

He is entirely a gentle soul and if he upsets me in anyway he gets visibly sad and his tail ever so slowly goes down.

There are too many things that make Buddha unique but one of the most endearing attributes is that he will sit at my feet or next to me while I am eating. Since I am a vegetarian, most of my food is not to his liking. But he patiently sits and at the end of the meal I will give him a little piece of whatever it is that I am eating. Typically, he is not a fan of veggies but he kindly takes a sniff moves his face away in disgust but then proceeds to slowly take the food from me. I like to think that he does not want to upset me because while I watch him he pretends to chew and as soon as he can manage it...he spits it out somewhere else.

What can I say? Buddha is the coolest, kindest Husky I know!

My son has swagger

Simba likes to pose and his pictures always look fantastic but Buddha must have taken some lessons from his older brother. This picture reveals his baby blues and his inner Casanova!

Shahs of STUPID

I was recently introduced to the show "Shah's of Sunset". It is a show about Iranian Americans in Los Angeles. Scratch that, it's about spoiled rich Iranian Americans living in "Tehrangeles". I'm not sure how these people were found but they are NOT a good representation of Iranians. Sure, Iranian people are gossips, wear a lot of makeup and do believe in plastic surgery but it is not accurate to represent the entire people as all of these negative character traits. I was disgusted watching these petty, pathetic individuals talking behind each others' backs and wasting money. On the very first episode, one of the females got mad at another female because she thought she had said that her dress was from the store H&M. She nearly lunged at the woman from across the table.
Should I be surprised? It is "reality" television after all and if there weren't disgusting individuals and everything was "normal" would people even watch? However, as an Iranian I would like to make it clear that not all Iranians are the same. Some of us have never had plastic surgery, don't have to wear only Gucci, drive designer cars or gossip at every chance. There is some truth to some of these stereotypes. Here are a few fun non facts about Iranian Americans:

1) Iranian men are totally mama's boys. Yes, they are. Sure there are exceptions to this rule but it is disappointing that this flaw from the old country has followed to America.

2) Iranians have to show one another up. If I have three degrees my cousin has to have four. If I am a nurse, you have to be a doctor. It's always competition. This type of competition shows how sad their lives are that they have to always compete even with someone who is NOT competing.

3) Iranians are doctors, lawyers or engineers. TRUE! It used to mean that a person who was not one of these preferred professions was a loser. The times are changing but there are still many in the community that hold true to this belief.

4) Iranians gossip. YES. I feel like  most people gossip but Iranians do generally have a special talent for gossiping. Indeed we are notorious for it. In fact, I do recall a time when an Iranian girl was gossiping about me two feet away from where I was standing. I hate gossip so I confronted the girl upfront. Plenty of us Iranians don't gossip but hey it's indeed a work of art. ;-)

In a time when Iran and Iranians are getting a bad rap in the media, it was in poor taste to allow this show to air. We already have to fight other issues on an international scale but this just adds to all the misunderstanding of our rich, ancient culture.

Red Buddha Photography

I have had a lot of time to think about the things that make me happy during my illness. I have meditated on how to get healthy again and how to turn my hobby into something more. I have more and more people asking for photographs and I am excited that it gives me something to focus on besides law. So Red Buddha Photography was born! I really love capturing photos of our furry friends because there are so many different kinds and I think the camera can truly catch their essence. Humans are cool too but I am totally in love with taking photos of animals, especially dogs.

Anyway, I can't wait to see what this new chapter in my life brings!!