HAPPY 66th REPUBLIC DAY, INDIA! January 26th

Although I am Chinese, I have lived in India for seven years. Today is a national holiday in my host nation, celebrating the day its constitution came into force. The country pays tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, as well as heros of today and days past. The military has an elaborate and  parade of military vehicles,  various regiments, some on horseback, bands, colorfully decorated camels, elephants, and floats! Yes, there are pooper scoopers following the animal contingents. This largest parade takes place on Rajpath on the way to India Gate in the nation's capital, New Delhi where Lady and I live. Orange, white and green everywhere! Colorful turbans, demonstrations of military might, recognition of the contributions of women, precision marching -what a sight! No, we did not go to the parade this morning. We are watching it now live on TV, by my heater all warm and cozy. Unfortunately for those attending, it has been raining all morning and is cold. The security measures are unprecedented due to the presence of the chief guest, US President Barak Obama. President Obama is the first US President to be serve in this role. They arrived yesterday. Lady saw his special Cadillac and entourage yesterday as they passed by on empty streets, save the thousands of armed military guards along both sides of the road. Lady and all those at the market place had to stand back inside the market and off the sidewalk and road until all the cars passed. No cows, no monkeys, no private vehicles, buses, rickshaws, bicycles, motorcycles, taxis, or pedestrians.
Despite the weather conditions today, thousands and thousands are there in person. Lady especially loves the marching contingency of a combination of  women military officers! The Air Force has a contingency of 148 women officers as well! This is the first year women have been recognized in this way. The theme of this Republic Day is Women Power. Military women who have climbed Mt. Everest are in their climbing attire riding on a float. This parade is amazing! So many many military units and bands!
A special shout out to YAM Aunty, on this Republic Day, a special day for Indians, wherever they are. 
HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY!

BLACK AND WHITE SUNDAY

A LETTER TO MY MARLEY

My Dearest Marley,
I was a lone in a new city, in a new flat, with no friends. No one would speak to the tall white stranger. I cried out to God and He heard me. I asked for a black and tan dachshund to keep me company, and within two weeks, a call came that would change my life. I had not told a single human about my prayer. They told me you were in desperate need of a new home. Your family left China, and left you with the house helper, who could no longer care for you. When they told me your were a black and tan dachshund, I knew God had heard me! You were exactly what I prayed for! Little did I know then that black and tan dachshunds were a rare find in our province. You were not quite three years old when you became my fur kid. And from the moment we first walked in that new neighborhood, you opened doors to relationships and friendships. Humans spoke not to me, but to you! You have made the difference in not just that city in China, but in Bangalore, Shimla, and New Delhi as well, helping me break the ice and make new friends. Because of you, I have not been lonely. Because of you, I have not been afraid at night. Because of you, I get the exercise I need. You are a constant reminder that God hears my prayers. He knew what I needed, who I needed, and He gave me you. 
So many humans love you, Marley. Because of my frequent travels, you have timeshare families who take you home for awhile. You are so adaptable, and you never forget feet! You are just the way you need to be. You bring joy to so many.
You will be 14 in a few months, and your body is slowing down. You don't have the energy you used to have. Well, that's okay. I want you to enjoy your senior years. Your heater can run up our electric bill. You can still have the carrots, hummus, dip and chips you love as long as we can balance it with your special chow. You are my love, my joy, my partner, my friend, my baby boy. I treasure our time together. It is my joy to share today what you mean to me.
Love,
Mom, AKA Lady

HEART TO LILY BELLE

Dearest Lily, will you please be my date to the HEART 2 HEART VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE ? 
Yours,
Marley

IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING, THE OLD DOG IS SNORING

 I put it off as long as I could. I didn't want to leave the warm bed and my heater. When it finally let up a bit, out we went, reluctantly.

 Hmmm, the news is all wet. Can't read it. Looking for some place close to take care of business. Lady bought this raincoat for me in Hong Kong in 2004, right after I was re-homed. Okay, it's a bit snug but I can still snap it!

 Lady says I am not allowed to pee on our neighbors' tires. Can't reach anyway. I don't hike anymore.

 Done. I want to go home. It's too cold for me.

 I have to remove my muddy raincoat outside. My muscle shirt is a bit snug as well. Do I look buff? Our doormat says "WIPE YOUR PAWS HERE," so I did. My ears fly.

Lady won't let me go in until I've cleaned my paws. It rained all day long. No complaint, just fact. We worried about the puppies. Lady didn't see them. She stayed home today. It's very messy out when you travel by auto rickshaw in the rain. Back to my warm blankie and heater.

Sunshine + Carrot = Happy Boy

STREET PUPPY UPDATE

Sad news. One of the three puppies we shared with you on Lady's birthday got deaded by a car in the night. It was actually the one drinking milk with the mom. This is a common occurrence as the drivers can't see the little guys, especially at night. Well-meaning neighbors penned up the remaining two puppies in a small area of an empty house on the corner. Problem is, they penned the mom out.

 Lady has been getting them out to play. Erin and Brooke (one of my timeshare families) came home from church with Lady to hang with me and see the pups. Lady calls the light one Duke and the brindle one Bo. They love to be held.

 Mom dog didn't mind. Other folks are afraid to pick them up when she is around.

 Remember the biter? He tries to bite tires as cars go by. He doesn't seem to mind either. See his tumor on his side? It's getting larger.

 I took the girls to the play on the playground. I used to slide by myself but those days are history. I'd rather go with Brooke.

Erin and I went to read the latest pee mail. She gave them a couple of my gently used toys and something soft to sleep on. We feed them puppy chow in milk. The neighbors just give them milk.
The neighbors finally decided to just pen the pups at night when the humans in cars coming home to park couldn't see them. We think that is a better plan. When they see Lady, they come running. She had to out-run them to get to the store to buy milk.
We love puppies.

LADY'S IN MUMBAI

Lady left me. Nawwwww, just till Thursday. Her work took her to Mumbai, which used to be know as Bombay. It's much warmer there. Uncle Steve picked me up and took me to his house with Daniel, Erin, and Brooke. They gave me the doughnut for Christmas. Good news is, she sent my carrots and hummus with me!
Well, I weighed in on Sunday, and gained half a pound. Uh oh. I'm at 27.4 again.

Lady says: "Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I am blessed!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADY

No balloons -I don't like them. No signs- I can't reach and scotch tape is challenging. No flowers -I don't have a wallet. No cake -I am culinary-challenged. But, I have lots of love for Lady, and friends to help me celebrate!

 Tate, Elizabeth and Micah's parents provided a pizza pawty. The best part? THEY'RE NOT VEGETARIAN! Lady got veggie and we had PEPPERONI from PIZZA HUT! Where's Tate?

 Little Katie really liked me, and in true toddler form, dropped lots of pizza!

 Tater tot is always good for scraps, but he won't share his milk.

 After Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Roger, I took Lady out for a quick walk. It's impawtant to make sure older humans get exercise.

 Sarge and Ranger, this is the culprit -the face biter. He's the street dog on our lane, basking in the sun in our park, acting like he didn't bite me. Well, I should have stayed away from him. In the daylight, he doesn't bother me.

 In India on your birthday it is traditional to pass out chocolates. Lady likes me to tithe my treats. Well, the red female had three puppies! We just found them last night. She has been hiding them. I LOVE puppies. In celebration of Lady's birthday, we took them breakfast.

 And I ate a yogurt frosted dog cookie!

She's a bit snarky, but loves Lady. Street dogs don't stray from the neighborhood. They stay on their street and run off any other dogs who try to come on their street. According to our neighbor, who feeds them every day, people feed them to earn merit with their god. They also feed the squirrels and birds every day. They hope the dogs will keep away intruders. The dogs know who belongs and who doesn't. They chase cars and bark a lot. They are not inoculated or neutered. I am not allowed to play with them, but I LOVE puppies.
Lady was given TWO birthday cakes, and ONE isn't chocolate! It is another tradition to feed a bite of cake to your mom, dad, honored guests. I got a tiny bite of the vanilla cake!
Well, I think I've done a pretty good job of insuring Lady had special day. Of course, every day with me is SPECIAL!

5TH ANNUAL PET BLOGGER CHALLENGE

Lady here:
I'm participating in the 5th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge. Click on the link for more information and join in! It's open to anyone.

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about. 

My first post was January 3, 2005 about Marley's first Christmas with me. We were living in China. I had been writing "Marley Stories" for kids in the US. I have many teacher friends, and Sunday School teacher friends whose students loved hearing about Marley's adventures. The kids wanted to see pictures and know more about life in China. My friends suggested I write a blog. It was a way of sharing about the culture and my life without advertising who I was or where I was. I didn't need any more marriage proposals or requests to sponsor someone to study in the US. This gave me anonymity, and it was fun. Marley's World is about life in Asia through the perspective of a well-educated Chinese dachshund now living in India with an American vegetarian mom. Our audience has grown to include other pet bloggers whom I didn't know existed.

2. Tell us one thing that you accomplished on your blog during 2014 that made you proud. 

I guess it is a poor reflection that I can't think of anything. 

3. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own blogs? 

It's best to be consistent. If you go long periods of time without posting, you lose your readership. I travel a great deal, especially in the summer. It's been difficult to write when Marley was not with me. I didn't want to change what I am writing about, and make it my travel log. I want it about Marley's perspective. I learned that a little encouragement goes a long way.

4. What have you found to be the most successful way to bring traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content? 

I'm not sure I have succeeded in this area. I need to read what other bloggers write.

5. What was your most popular blog post this year?  

Did it surprise you that it was your most popular? LADY'S BIRTHDAY Coincidentally, today, January 10th is my birthday. I was surprised. I posted a lot of photos of old Delhi, local food, the beautiful place I was taken for my birthday, and of course Marley. Next were the bogs on Marley's weight challenges, Mota Bacha, or Fat Baby.

6. What was your favorite blog post to write this year? 

I think Home From Summer Camp. I knew our readers would be happy that Marley and I were back together after two months apart, and I couldn't wait to share it. I love that pet bloggers can relate to such a separation whereas non pet families may not.

7. Has your policy on product reviews and/or giveaways changed this year? 

If you do reviews, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all?

If you don’t do reviews, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way? 

No, I have not done reviews. Living in India precludes participation in most product review opportunities. Mail is not reliable. I could review other things I guess, but that's not the purpose of my blog. Where else can you get a glimpse of what it is like to have a dog in India?

8. What’s your best piece of advice for other bloggers?

Write what you know and share what you want to share. I'd love to have a larger following but that's not why I write. 

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2015?

I'd like to be more consistent, and take better photos, write more songs and poems, and update the look of the blog. Those were popular posts in earlier years. I think the photos from China were much better. Marley could go anywhere with me in China, so we had great opportunities. I didn't travel much and most of the time I could take Marley.

10. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?  

I don't know how to do Photoshop and I don't know if I need it. I want to make the blog look better, but not sure what to do. What would you like to read about from Asia? 

Thank you for getting this far! Please come often to Marley's World and leave us a comment.

BITE UPDATE

Lady went over my face with a wet cotton ball and found a hole on my face. It isn't deep -the street dog didn't get a good hold of me. She disinfected it, and it burned. I got hummus and carrots. 
We didn't go by him today. Thanks for caring.

A Time to Bite

In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, it talks about there being a time for everything under heaven: a time to be born, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to build and a time to tear down. You get the picture. Well, it doesn't say anything about biting.
 We had five little kids under 8 at our house for dinner tonight, for an early birthday celebration for Lady. We had pizza. I can count on Uncle Levi to give me pepperoni. After we saw them all off, Lady and I were walking back. It was dark. I don't see well. Lady didn't even see the street dog all curled up. I almost peed on him. He let me have it! Lady hollered, I barked and snapped, the street dog tried to bite my head off. Lady scooped me up to higher ground. We both shook all the way home. He bit me on my face, but not too bad. It didn't bleed like my other bites. She's still looking for holes. Guess I shouldn't have snapped at the little human in our 'hood  this afternoon. He shouldn't have banged on my head. He called it petting. I disagree. 
Well, it was a scary thing, reminiscent of when I was bitten so many times in Bangalore. Every bite meant five trips to the vet for afterbite shots. Hope we don't find any deep holes in me.

I AM A SENIOR DOG

I don't chew furniture
I don't jump up on furniture
I don't pee in the house
I don't chase the ladies
I don't run to the door every time someone is in the stairwell
I don't bark much at all 
I don't hike my leg
I don't have excess energy
I don't drag Lady around the block
I don't get all vocal and frenetic when Lady comes back from a trip
I don't hear well or see too great anymore
I don't play tug-o-war or fetch
I don't want to walk the entire block anymore
I don't have all my hair

I am a senior dog.

I am wise
I am well-educated
I am well-trained
I sleep a lot more
I want to eat whenever I am awake
I tolerate toddlers well
I am patient
I cuddle
I move a lot slower 
I ache when it is cold
I know what I like
I soak up sunbeams
I am calm
I am loyal
I never forget a friend 
I love unconditionally
I lick 
I know I am loved 

I am a senior dog.

* From Lady: Please consider adopting a senior dog in need of a home. I am sure many of you can attest to the fact that in spite of the effects of aging, they are great companions. They deserve to enjoy enjoy their senior years in a safe, loving environment.

A NEW WILLIE DUCK!

My little buddies from HP, Wyatt and Tate got back from their time in the US today. They brought me a new Duck Dynasty Willie Duck! Baxter, are you jealous? 

 He's got a beard to rip off and a bandana and everything!

 Thanks, Wyatt and Tate!

I love my new Willie Duck!

 Happy Birthday, Wyatt! Four years old! With his new cooking tools, he made his own birthday cupcakes!

 We let Tate blow out 3 candles for his birthday January 19th. Happy Birthday early, Tate!

 I sat at the kids' table but I couldn't have a chocolate cupcake. I had hummus and carrots instead.

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGSVILLE FAMILY!

It's 2015 in India, so I wanted to be first (except for maybe Bella, Roxy, Dui and my Downunder friends)!
My Highlights for 2014:
*  Summer Camp in Shimla, out of the Delhi heat
*  Friends from Shimla coming to visit me
*  My pawsome birthday party in May
*  Road trip back to the mountains
*   Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa
*   Meat
My New Year's Resolutions:
*   Eat more meat
*   Share more with the poor dogs on my street
*   Sleep more
*   Lose the extra weight so I can eat more meat
*   Make more friends in Blogsville 

 Lady served my favorites (except for meat) at our party!

 Lady had a moustache party. I look ridiculous!

 Aunty Gretchen looks funny!

 Aunty Delena and Sabra came to our party! They are one of my timeshare families. They brought cookies!
Happy New Year!!