Sunday, February 20, 2011

Down and miscellaneous

Some miscellaneous stuff.

I'm in a down in the dumps mood because two cats were left in the lot next door and they have moved onto my wall and porch. How do cats know? I realize that there are people who think

"Oh, some bothersome cats. I think that foreign lady likes cats. I'll leave them near her house."

but these cats have been hanging out at my house for the last three days and you would think they would go check out the rest of the forest. Especially with Choco barking at them.

You would also think that the world has an infinite amount of feral cats and it is not something for Tanya to get upset about. She sure leads a protected life if she can waste time worrying about cats when other people are without jobs, in poor health and struggling with finding their way through life. I have 6 cats. I can't take in any more. The two in my yard will have to learn to hunt and carry on their own lives. I can only pray for them.

Lord, please take care of the stray cats. Give them food (I know that means some other creature is going to lose it's life...) Help them to find warmth in this cold. Help them live the lives You made them to live. Help me figure out what my role is in Your animal world. Please don't give me more than I can handle.

I wish I could say that it is out of my hands, that I have given it to God and won't worry about it anymore but I'd really like to just go to bed with the covers over my head.


More miscellaneous.

Someone asked about Japanese baths and why they aren't in the same room as the toilet. Japanese toilets are in a small room off by themselves (and often next to the front door. WHY?) and the tub room is in the back of the house and is a large room all in itself. Ours is completely tiled and is really a very large shower room with a tub on one side. We rarely use our bath (tub) room anymore because Tetsu and I go to the pool and use their wonderful hot soaking bath afterwards. Yes, public but male and female separate. I've written about our bathroom here and here.

And someone wanted to know how Mr. Foreign Traveler found husbands for his daughters. He went back to Pakistan, asked relatives and found a few candidates and then set about negotiating marriage plans. Tetsu and I have had long discussions (while walking around the pool) with Mr. Foreign Traveler and Tetsu's comment was that he would NEVER try to second guess what kind of man would make a good husband for Leiya. As a father, he wouldn't want to be responsible if the marriage didn't work out. To which Mr. Foreign Traveler responded that THAT was exactly what being a father is about. Taking responsibility for making sure the daughters make happy marriages. And how do the daughters feel about it? They know their father will only choose the best for them and so they are happy to leave it all in their father's hands. Yep. A big cultural difference. Not many divorces in Pakistan though... (Of course the man is allowed 4 wives if he wants...)

Now, shall I go back to bed or go sew?

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