022 Why I sometimes feel like an old lady

We often associate seniors with specific activities and old-fashioned hobbies, like collecting stamps. Sometimes my friends joke that I was born in a wrong decade and I should be retired now and spend the longest holidays in my life. Well, sometimes I think that they are right and the only thing that is missing is my retirement pension. :)  Of course, I know that those are stereotypes. This blogpost doesn’t mean to offend anyone and it was just written for fun!

1.       I love mushrooming…

…and most people I met in the woods are retirees. Who could explain me one thing – everybody likes mushroom risotto or mushroom ravioli but nobody likes picking mushrooms!

2.       A cup of tea with biscuits? – Yes, please!

Dunking biscuits in tea tastes so good! I don’t know why, but many people find it a little bit old-fashioned. Well, it isn’t the most elegant way of drinking tea, so it is just better to do it in the privacy of home.

3.       I love plants!

Many seniors keep plants at their homes. This activity gains on popularity thanks to social medias. But let’s say honestly – it is easier to find a plant in a home of an older lady than in a teenager’s room. I love plants but I have no idea why ferns grow better at seniors’ houses than in mine…

021 Guinea pigs myths

If you think that guinea pigs are hilarious pets who sleep most of the time, you are 50% right. The other half is reserved for being an annoying creature who demands more food! There are many myths about those animals and today I would like to debunk some of them.

1.       Guinea pig are little

Many people find those animals little because they see guinea pig babies in zoological shops. Meanwhile, when they grow up, they become big. An adult guinea pig is about 30-35 cm long!

2.       Guinea pigs don’t like human attention

Guinea pigs love humans and being caressed by us! Sometimes my pets demand loudly to take them out of their cage and hug them. They are very trustful and they can even go asleep on your knees.

3.       You can take your guinea pig on a walk

Never! Although you can buy a leash for your pet in a zoological shop, it isn’t the best idea to use it on your pet. Guinea pigs’ spines are very sensitive, so it is a high risk to damage it. Moreover, they are a bit fearful creatures, so a dog barking can give them a heart attack.

4.       Guinea pigs are stupid

Guinea pig are rather intelligent pets. They are capable to respond to their names, they know when their owner is angry with them and can respond to some simple commands.

5.       You can keep your guinea pig with a rabbit in one cage

People tend to think that guinea pigs and rabbits have the same needs. However, many rabbits are carriers of a dangerous bacteria for guinea pigs – e. cuniculi. The infection may cause even death of your guinea pig!

6.       You can keep only one guinea pig and it will be happy

Guinea pigs are herding animals and it means that you should keep at least two guinea pigs in one cage. A lonely guinea pig can be depressed and even die because of its broken heart and missing the other one’s companionship.

020 Our guinea pig had an operation

Well-balanced diet and regular vet check-ups didn’t guarantee health for our guinea pig. A few months ago, we felt a lump on Sasha’s body. The first thing we did was taking our pet to a veterinary clinic. We got the information, that the lump is just a defect and it isn’t dangerous for our guinea pig. Meanwhile, the lump got bigger and bigger. When we touched it once, we had an impression that it is painful for Sasha. We took him again to the vet’s and we learnt the tumor must be removed. It was a very stressful time for all of us. We didn’t know if Sasha would wake up after a general anesthesia and how painful the removal would be for him. Fortunately, the operation succeeded and Sasha is back with us. The post-surgical wound is healing and he feels better now. That’s a big weight off!

019 Beauty is a relative term

In the 21st century, everybody has access to the Internet and many social medias. Our Facebook or Instagram accounts aren’t used only for communicate with our friends, but also to observe people we admire – influencers, models… Every day we contemplate bodies of athletes, dream lives of perfect men. However, nobody should torture himself with jealousy or complexes because the beauty is a relative term.

Did you know that the ideal of beauty is strictly associated to a culture? In different regions of world, other features are appreciated. For example, in Brazil or Venezuela, slim bodies aren’t as attractive as female silhouettes with rounded hips who resemble the guitar shape. What is more, African ideals of beauty are very diversified and can be sometimes even awkward for the rest of the world! Have you ever seen the images of Ethiopian women wearing lip plates? Or “giraffe women” of Burma who wear brass necklaces to make longer their necks? Of course, the beauty standards don’t affect only women – for example, in Maori culture, men get facial tattoos who are the symbol of courage.

Canons of beauty vary according to the region, culture or to personal preferences. We should remember that, even if some of those ideals can be strange and inexplicable for us, we must respect them. What is more, the richness of the canons can be useful because it teaches us the acceptance of our bodies and self-love. And sometimes, our complexes, the things we find unattractive in us, can be something beautiful for someone else.