Cholera in Odisha

 Latest news from my home state back home is about Cholera - an epidemic thought to have been extinct decades ago is now back as several cases has been detected in Bhadrakh and Jaipur districts. A dreaded diarrhea and dehydration causing disease, Cholera along with Small Pox used to eliminate families in matter of days and thought to be eliminated after the arrival of vaccination is raising its ugly head again.

During my childhood, I often used to spend long Summer vacations in my native village, not far from the temple town of Puri. One commonly used GALI (rebuke) in our village was BAADIPODA. Growing up in Bhubaneswar, I wasn't familiar with this slang, which literally means "Barbecued from Cholera" - a death wish curse to perish from a malignant, dangerous disease of "BADI" or Cholera, dysentry followed by dehydration due to a disease which was a scourge only few decades ago.

It's not Condom, but Cholera which kept India's population under control couple of generations back. Life then was a matter of surviving the next cholera season (small pox was a close second). Both wiped out entire homes, leaving many rudderless in matter of days. Many of my grandparent's siblings and cousins perished from Cholera. So much so that, after cremating one, there will be more dead bodies in pipeline to be picked up along with firewoods. Three of my grandpa's Cousins, 2 of his sisters and a brother, all perished from Cholera within a time frame of 48 hours.

Lack of knowledge and awareness - like soaking rice with water for PAKHALA (A staple Odia diet) from the same pond where folks washed their bottoms post ablution took a toll on hygiene and helped in spreading the disease. But  superstitions galored. During the epidemics, the entire village would shut down after dark. No sooner the twilight sets in, than the villagers liberally filled huge earthen pots outside with PITHA (cakes made from rice and grams), PANAA (a sweetened puree made from yogurt and fruits like Banana and Stone Apples or BEL) for the consumption of BAADI THAKURANI (Cholera Goddess) or Maa SITHALA (Small Pox Goddess).

Job done, the villagers rushed back to home never to dare venture out untill dawn, lest they earn the wrath of the Goddess. Not sure how far the diety was appeased, but the stray dogs of the village had a field day. They put on a lot of weight and seemed healthier and happier than their human counterparts.

Post independence, vaccinations virtually wiped out many communicable diseases. Since the MAHAMAARI or Epidemics like Cholera and Small Pox became curable, we are perpetually fighting a losing battle against the menace of explosive population growth. The term BADIPODA was relegated to the Museum of Slangs. Cancer Poda or AIDS Poda, both incurable diseases are better substitutes.

A dose of Cholera inoculations I received during my childhood was no fun. I have a very faint memory of small pox vaccine which was tattooed on my hand, the scar of which is still visible. But my first vivid memory is getting a shot (called injection in India) of cholera vaccination when I was in primary school. As the D-Day arrived I was scared to death. After getting the shot I mistakenly assumed that the ordeal was over. I was proved wrong. By evening I was running a high temperature and could hardly lift my left arm which was hurting like hell. My grandma gave me LUNA PODA SEKA, gently sponged the vicinity of the tiny orifice on my arm pierced by the needle with heated pad of salt wrapped in a piece of cloth. The pain subsided after couple of days. A piece of paper called Inoculation Certificate is all I got after bearing all the physical & mental agony.

Little I knew that this Certificate will come handy a few months later when I was on a bus to Puri days before the famous RATH YATRA. On the outskirts of the city near Chandanpur, the bus was stopped by a battalion of health officials eagerly waiting with syringe on hand. It was time to give cholera shots. I proudly brandished my inoculation certificate and they spared me.

Those who didn't meekly disembarked and lined up for the shots. A few who tried to flee were immediately chased down by the officials. Some escaped by wading over the paddy fields, melting away behind the coconut groves. Those not so lucky were grabbed by their collars and a DAMPHANA (the Odia term for thick needles used to sew jute sacks) sized needle was stabbed to their bottom with great force. They grimaced and screamed in pain, limping back to bus in full view of passengers peeping through the window. I was watching Wild Wild West enacted on the east coast of India.

Things are much better now and folks are able to overcome the fear of syringe. I think it is wise to take a Cholera booster shot to upgrade the last ones our generation took in the 1970s as it may not be still effective. Never know if your next GUP CHUP (As GOLGAPPA or PANI PURI is called in Odia) session could land you in a hospital. Prevention is better than cure and better safe than sorry.

 

Foreign policy and human relationships

 Many of us have this question in our mind that in spite of Pakistan being the breeding ground of terrorism, why countries still support it and remain neutral whenever India retaliates militarily or diplomatically being a victim of terrorism directed from across the border. At best these nations do perfunctory, statutory condemnation, preferring to call terrorists as gunmen.

I am no foreign policy expert, but here is my 2 cents of common sense, based upon what commoners like me encounter and familiar in our world every day of our life. I remember a scene from iconic Amir Khan starrer movie - "3 IDIOTS". When the comic character Chatur was inadvertently making fun of the college principal by reading from an altered script, the Minister sitting next to him was bursting with laughter. But no sooner the fun was directed at him, than he became serious and went over the stage to kick the poor reciter's butt. In the 1980s there used to be a saying in US State Department about Saddam Hussain who then was friendly towards America - "He is a bastard, but our bastard", until he went out of hand. In our common men's (women's) world, we keep relationships with folks with the full knowledge of the fact that they are bastards, but are our bastards, until one day they kick our butt really hard.

Like good girls get attracted to bad boys, sometime good people are attracted to bad folks. They are kept in good humor as long as they harm others, but not us. We only realize the hard way only when our butt is at the receiving end. Until then, we care less. I am reminded of the proverbial tale - "If you keep snakes in backyard thinking that it will bite only your neighbors, then you live in a fool's paradise. One day it will turn its head at you". Similarly, we in our small real life keep snakes in our backyard for various reasons - personal, social and financial. We care less as long as the snake keeps biting our neighbors fully aware that one day it could strike its ugly fang at us and inject its toxic venom into our veins. By the time we realize, as per this Odia proverb "NEDI GUDA KAHUNI KU BOHI JAITHIBA (The jaggery from the palm would have reached elbow), which simply means it's a case of too late.

We, who live in cities and villages encounter such human conundrum on a regular basis. Now consider the world as a global village. Foreign policy and international relationships is based on hard realpolitik, not emotions where a nation's self interest is primary and preserved at any cost. Like in real life friends turn enemies and enemies turn into friends like drop of a hat. A la sinusoidal waves, changes happen fast and relationships swing to and fro like a pendulum. Stray dogs who always fight but make up and make love during their mating season, repeating every year. We have seen humans repeat the same behavior everywhere and I am sure I am not the only one who noticed this.

Now looking in a holistic way, Pakistan is not only a bastard, it is an important bastard to USA and the other countries which matter in international politics, China, Russia, Middle East, NATO etc for various reasons - strategic and military. That is simply because of Pakistan's very geographic position and it having nuclear weapons. However brilliant our Foreign policy may be, when push comes to shove, like we just saw in the recent 3 days war between India and Pakistan, the rest of the world chose to remain neutral. China, Turkey, Azerbaijan (it hardly matters anyway) sided with Pakistan, overtly or covertly, with China providing real time satellite imagery to Pakistan. For their own selfish reasons those world powers who matter still continue to hyphenate between India - Pakistan. Though we would love to see this change, it is unlike in unforeseen future. Foreign policy is filled with hypocrisy and double standards. It always was and going to stay same way, whether it's foreign relationships or in our daily life.

Raja festival of Odisha - 2025

 The month of June is regarded as the beginning of summer in USA, whereas in Odisha, my home state back home in India it marks the beginning of the end of the blistering, hot summer season. RAJA SANKRANTI is a popular festival during this time of the year - especially in the long, culturally rich coastal Odisha welcoming the monsoon rains which brings down the scorching heat. The festival invariably comes in mid June per the Gregorian calendar and marks the beginning of the summer crop plantation, especially rice. Raja festival isn't native to Western Odisha and frugally celebrated there.

The festival of Raja is also considered as the harbinger of the cooler rainy season, as the South West monsoon rolls over the state from the North East, lashing it with silvery stripes of rain. The nimbus cloud bearing dark sky gets alive with the spectacle of flashes of white lightning as if zillions of flashlights are switched simultaneously in the sky, a la the zigzag lights on circus stage. During daytime the rain is often followed by the sky getting rewarded in the form of a garland of rainbow. These long awaited rains bring much needed relief from the long streak of heat and prickly humidity, healing the parched earth dried from a long, extended Indian summer.

As the silvery monsoon rains ornament the thick humid air, the perfume of PODA PITHA (baked rice cake) pervades the environment. Young and old alike play on DOLI (swings), with men snarling their blackened teeth and girls exposing red pouty lips - post effect from chewing PAAN (betel leaves filled with colored condiments and scented tobacco for those habitual with the stuff). The drenched earth, now softened by the fresh summer rains on parched earth accompanied by petrichor, gets ready for tilling, marking the beginning of the KHARIP crop farming season when water supply gets plenty following the monsoon rains. 

I still cherish the memories of my trips to our ancestral village near Puri for a fun filled lunch of GHEE (clarified butter) laced NADIA KHECHUDI (coconut sprinkes sweet rice), thick sweet DAAL (Lentil soup), an array of Curries and fries, washed down with KHIRI (sweetened skimmed milk). It would invariably be followed by an afternoon session on the RAJA DOLI (swing). Dinner would be PITHA (Rice cakes) and more varieties of PITHA - the icing on the cake would be occasional PODA PITHA made from ripened TAALA, fruit from tall palm trees, as a fitting finale to a day of RAJA MAUJA (fun).

I remember the tall palm tree standing taller than the surrounding Coconut trees behind our house in our village, right behind our home facing a green pond perennially covered with a cessful of watercress in its dark, stenchful barely visible water where locals wash their utensil as well as their buttocks post defecation. During the early monsoon close to the 3 day long Raja festival these large brownish-black color fruits from the palm tree, looking like coconut sized plums with a yellowish orange pulp ripen and fall off from the tree. Many roll into the green swamp. Those who survive make their way to make PODA PITHA of different flavor. I was sad to hear that particular palm tree ruptured from its middle as it couldn't withstand the devastating force from Cyclone Fani a few years back, closing a chapter of the history of my ancestry.

A few summers ago in Odisha, on the morning of RAJA Festival I switched on the TV. A promotional song LEMBU, ATI CHUPUDILE PITA (Excessively squeezed lemon tastes bitter) from an Odia movie scheduled for the RAJA release (same as prominent Bollywood movies go for Diwali Release) was playing on screen as an Odia actress danced to the tune of a song from that movie. 

This was followed by an interview of the actress. It didn't go unnoticed to me that a discussion about an Odia movie, between an Odia anchor and a leading Odia actress getting released on a leading Odia festival, was taking place with a typical accented Odia with almost an equitable spread of 50% Odia, 30% English and 20% Hindi. Speaking in pure Odia is a sign of being a GAUNLIA (from village origin) these days, whereas talking accented Odia sounds so cool. A lot of billboards and commercials on local newspapers take pride in pronouncing RAJO instead of RAJA. 

A person usually speaks with an accent when speaking a language other than his or her mother tongue. Odisha is perhaps the only place on earth, where some (certainly not all) natives not only love to speak their own mother tongue with an accent, also chose to write it in another accent, e.g, RAJA as RAJO, MANSA as MANSHO bear testimony of it. Wish you a Happy RAJA (certainly not RAJO) from the bottom of my heart. Have a feel and fill of RAJA MAUJA - bound by the rules of social distancing as Covid may be down but not out as it has started showing its ugly head again.

Happy birthday Binod Kanungo - writer of Gyana Mandala

 Today is the birthday of one of Odisha's forgotten heroes. His name is Binod Kanungo, the man who wrote GYANA MANDALA or Encyclopedia in Odia.

Born this day in the year 1912, Mr. Binod Kanungo wasn't highly educated, nor he earned any fancied degree. But he was a brilliant student and a voracious reader. Like many famous creative persons he was a school dropout, though he left pursuing formal education for a different reason. Inspired by JATIYA KABI (National Poet) Bira Kishore he decided to drop out of school on 10th of April, 1930 to join the Freedom movement against the British on full fledge.

After being released from the jail, in post independent India he had the option of plunging into the more lucrative profession of politics. But spreading knowledge was his motto, so he settled down in Cuttack which was the happening place Odisha at that time, a counterpart of our present day Bhubaneswar. To give him company was his frugal possession of a 1 Rupee note, a cotton shirt, a MASINA (plain mattress) and his most prized material - An array of books.

He never pursued formal education, nor thrived for a degree which could have landed him a decent job those days. A la the famous dropouts Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, he went above and beyond doing a job. He wanted to do something more contributory and beneficial to the society.

So he started writing GYANA MANDALA or an Encyclopedia in January, 1954 - a first of its kind in Odia and in Odisha. It took him six long years to collect, compile and present all the necessary information in an age when Internet and Google were strictly fantasy. On 2nd of December, 1960 his baby - PRATHAMA SANSKALANA or the first edition the first ever Odia encyclopedia was born.

Winner of the Odia Sahitya (literature) Academy awards and Civilian Award Padmashree, he carved his niche before passing away in June, 1990 - the same month he was born at the age of 78. May Odisha produce more pioneers like him.

The Odisha Bengal marital alliance

The hot news from back home is Pinaki Mishra, a multiple time Member of Parliament from Puri constituency, the constituency of my native village got into a marital alliance with the flamboyant female MP Mohua Moitra from Odisha's neighboring state of Bengal. 

Earlier Raja (Kings) and Maharaja (Emperor) used to marry their daughters and sisters off to their counterparts to bolster goodwill between the Kingdoms in order to buy peace or further strengthen their empire. These days Odisha and Bengal are at loggerheads due to government of Bengal's plan to construct a Jagannath temple at Digha near Odisha's border. This is seen by Odias as a needless attempt by Bengal to claim Lord Jagannath who is very close to the heart of Odias as their own and reduce the importance of the centuries old Jagannath Dham in Puri to just another temple. Hope this marriage will go a long way to bring peace and harmony between the people of Odisha and Bengal.

Marriages between Odias and Bengalis aren't anything new. Almost all of these marriages fall into the category of love marriages (The term love marriage is a misnomer as in many cases it is self negotiated or self arranged marriage of convenience rather than any kind of true love associated with it. The usual disclaimers apply). Most of these marriages to my knowledge are between Odia girls and Bengali boys. It probably got to do with the prevalent myth chose that the soft spoken, "Bhadralok" (gentleman) type, wife worshipping/fearing Bengali boys make perfect husbands. That's why I know more Odia girls end up marrying Bengali boys than the other way round. 

Odias and Bengalis are lot similar. I have many Bengalis friends. The states of Odisha and Bengal bordering each on the eastern coromondel coast of Bay of Bengal have a lot of similarities - from the dress they wear, the language they speak. They share common food habits, festivals, culture and traditions. Many call each other's state their home. There is hardly any Odia who has never been to Calcutta, nor any Bengali who has never visited Puri, a favorite holiday destination of the neighborhood state from all classes. Each year Millions of Bengalis throng the temple town of Puri, enjoying its pretty, pristine sandy sea beach. You can say Bengali is the 2nd language of Puri as the locals speak it in typical Odia accent to communicate with the Bengali tourists. Shops and restaurants all over the town have signs and hoardings written in Bengali. If for some reason Bengalis decide to stop coming to Puri, rest assured the township's economy will collapse like pack of a cards, at least temporarily.

Odias and Bengalis look very similar. Few years back a PANDA (Priest) in Puri mistook me for Bengali and started chasing me - "OH DADA, ESON ESON (Bro, come with me). I immediately switched to Puri accent, "HAIYE MALIKE, AME PIRA BALI SAHI LOKA" (Boss, I am from the local Bali Sahi, adjacent to the temple) faking the Puri accent, for being originally from that area. The Panda got confused and disappointed for dealing with a local chap, a stingy fellow Brahmin, not a vulnerable tourist to be ripped off. Still not giving up on me he made a last attempt - "HAU, MAHAPURU 10 TA TANKA DIA", "OK, master. Pay me 10 rupee in the name of God". I replied back, "Bhaina (my elder bro). I don't have a single penny in my pocket". As I moved on, I heard our frustrated Panda bad mouthing behind me -"KANGALA KAHASE AYA", "where from this impoverished bankrupt guy has come" ! (We Odias switch to Hindi when we get excited). It was quite a funny experience for me.

Years ago amidst skyrocketing prices of potatoes in Odisha the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal, a high producing state of this vegetable regulated its supply to other states to control prices in their local market. Meantime in Odisha, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has good terms with West Bengal Chief Minister, wrote her a letter seeking her intervention to ensure a smooth supply of potatos from Bengal as it has stopped supply of the tubers to other states.
Now coming back to potatos, in Odia and Bengali we have a term called ALUDOSH (the potato flaw). Pronounced in different accents in Odia and Bengali, they mean the same connotation in both languages. Overall it denotes Idiosyncrasies or unusually irritating attitude, usually lascivious behavior by men towards women, though not just limited to it. That is exactly seemed to be happening between the both neighboring states. The Potato politics due to the ALUDOSH from both sides have stung the consumers for whom the vegetable is a staple side item to their primarily rice based diet.

Price of potato had reportedly shot into Rs.50 per kilo. It made the Odias mad, threatening Bengal for not releasing enough of the tuber to its neighboring states. Bengalis weren't too happy about it. There is an age old saying in Africa "When two elephants make love or war it is the grass which suffers". It is always the hapless consumers who bear the brunt. The brewing potato fight between the states could have been stopped by making them agree to rather brew some potato based Vodka. That can sooth their nerves by sitting together and having a friendly chat imbibing that fiery drinks together.

At that time, I suggested a solution to this ALUDOSH. Pappu (Naveen) and Didi (Mamata), the most eligible bachelors from the states should have tied the marrital knot. It didn't happen. Now that another celebrity alliance have actually tied the knot, hopefully this marriage between Mishra and Moitra will go a long way soothing the nerves between Odias and Bengalis, from claiming the patent of Rasagola to Lord Jagannath.

 

Ides of June

 The first week of June also reminds me of couple of events of far reaching consequences. One is the Operation Blue Star, which happened this week exactly 41 years ago in the year 1984.

Congress party which perfected the art of mishandling crisis (Bangladesh war of 1971 being the exception), completely blew the Punjab situation out of proportion by catapulting Bhindranwale, a Sikh with a flowing beard and aquiline nose from a small time preacher into a big time martyr. (BJP is fast catching up with Congress in mishandling issues - the longer is its tenure in power, the more screw ups are in making. But that's a different story for a different day). 

As Khushwant Singh mentioned in his autobiography, Giani Zail Singh, India's ex Home Minister and President famously described Bhindranwale as SADDE DANDA or "our stick" to beat the Akalis with. Congress party wanted to use him as an useful idiot to settle score against its opponent. Eventually the so called useful idiot became a genie escaped from the bottle and the DANDA became a huge stick to cause pain to Congress and the nation's backside. 

Bhindranwale's myth still lives on. It's not unusual to find T-shirts figuring his turbaned head and cassettes containing his speech in parts of Punjab, especially in the rural areas. His simple but powerful one liners like 'JO DARTA WOH SIKH NAHI AUR JO SIKH HAI WOH DARTA NAHI' (one who fears is not a Sikh, one who is a Sikh never fears) caught the imagination of the Sikh youth.

The violence and senseless killings reached its peak in the late 1980s when the Punjab problem seemed beyond solution. I met an Odia guy, who was lucky to survice one such attacks in JCT Mills, Phagwara. One night, a bunch of terrorists entered the plant compound and wrapped up those from outside of Punjab they could get their hands on. Then they forced them to stand in a line and shot them randomly. 

But before doing their cold blooded target practice, those heartless folks took some time to play with their victims who were crying and begging for their lives. Our Odia guy was standing in a dark corner. In the commotion, he decided to take his chances. He slowly stepped backwards, jumped off a wall and ran away, luckily surviving the volley of bullets sent after him. The darkness and his luck saved him. The next morning (Night time bus services were banned in Punjab those days) he left Punjab once and forever, determined not to return ever again. His story sent chills down my spine.

Sending out the Army into the Golden Temple to flush out terrorists was akin to bringing down a house to get rid of rat menace. Operation Blue Star on 4th June had its series of consequences. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards not long after the operation to flush out terrorists from Golden Temple. Khushwant Singh who once used to be close to her family, especially to her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, but later fell out of her favor after Sanjay's death in an air crash, still wanted to visit her place to pay his last respect, in spite of their estrangement. When he was about to leave he got a call from a well wisher - "Sardarjee (as Sikhs are addressed), have you lost your mind by any chance ? Don't ever dare going out now. The goons of Congress are dragging Sikhs out of vehicles, roasting them alive. They are going to make a Sikh Kabaab (barbecue) out of you". 

Indira Gandhi's death was followed by killing of many innocent Sikhs who were buthered by hired Congress goons. The Sikhs retaliated by killing many innocent Hindus in Punjab as the terrorism continued for many more years to come.The other event in June is the 36th Anniversary of the Tiananman Square massacre in China. The famous picture from the 1st week of June 1989, of the lone young man standing bravely in front of a Tank carries a lot of connotations.

It is an image of defiance and a strong desire for freedom by the contemporary youth. Sadly the Chinese government effectively quashed the freedom movement. The movement became dormant, but is far from dead. Quarter of a century later in that nation well connected with microbloggers it's sitting on a tinterbox who knows one day could implode any moment. History could be made any time. One never knows.

Memories from Graduation party

 Summer in America is time for young minds graduating from Schools and Colleges, followed by Graduation parties to celebrate the occasion. I am reminded of one such graduation party evening couple of years ago. The crowd consisted mostly of PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) - Gujaratis, Punjabis and South Indians. Incidentally we were the only Odia family present at the occasion.

My son got busy with his friends and my wife found ladies for company. I was quietly sipping a large Mango Mohito cocktail at a corner by with me and myself as company. Sensing my loneliness a guy approached me, sitting next to my chair. After we exchanged perfunctory pleasantries, as normally Desis (an ubiquitous nicknamed for folks of Indian origin in America, often in a deregatory way) do, the Gujarati man asked which part of India I was from. I replied - "I am an Odia from Odisha". He appeared confused. I continued - "Have you heard of Jagannath temple in Puri. I am originally from that place", hoping it could ring a bell. 

"Oh, Jagannath Dham ?" - He exclaimed and went further "We have the Lord's Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad every year." I responded - "Of course, you do. But Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra is very special. About a million congregate on the world famous occasion. Puri is in Odisha". He said - " Oh, is it so ! I thought Puri is located in Bengal". 

The ignorance about Odisha and Odias wasn't new to me. In one of my trips to India, inside my Paris to Delhi flight I was sitted next to a Punjabi lady who was traveling with her baby. During our tete-a-tete she mentioned that she lives in Boston and glad that her long journey ends at Delhi. I said to her - "I am not so fortunate. It will be at least a five hour arduous wait in the middle of night with jet lag at the Delhi Airport before I catch the morning flight to Bhubaneswar". 

Now I could see surprise in her eyes - "Bhubaneswar ? Where is it and how far from Delhi ?" I replied - "It's the capital of the state of Odisha". "I am sorry, I have no idea where is Odisha", she said. "Well, do you know Jagannath Puri ? " was my response thinking the better known Lord Jagannath temple of Puri will at least ring a bell. The Punjabi lady's eyes sparkled a bit as she suddenly came with an answer - "I have a relative Jagannath Puri who lives in Greater Kailash, Delhi". I got my answer. 

It was getting late in the evening at the party. The western sky suddenly turned darker, cool wind started blowing as harbinger of impending rain, brutely forcing the giant crimson son in the horizon into hibernation as constant drizzle forces us to get inside the house. I had already imbibed couple of large glasses of Mango flavored Mohito cocktails. My bladder was full. I went inside looking for bathroom and found it locked and occupied. I checked back minutes later. The bathroom was still occupied. My bladder was about to burst and I desperately needed to open my valve. The sole unisex rest room kept on being occupied, testing my patience. 

Twilight had given away to darkness outside as rain had tapered into light drizzle. Looking around and making sure no one was noticing, I ventured to a corner of the fence to relieve myself, whistling a song, letting out a jet stream. As a fitting finale I was about to shrug off the residual piss - a rare pleasure to urinate under "MUKTA AKASHA" (open sky) in America, looking around to make sure no one was noticing my sneaky escapade. 

So I thought ! All of a sudden I heard a growling sound of a big, burly canine across neighbor's fence. It was followed by loud barking, only the wooden Deewar (fence) separating us. Not impressed with me encroaching its neighborhood territory, the doggie was standing in two legs on the opposite site of the fence, snarling, baring its fangs just inches away from me peeing and him peeping through the the narrow gap. The fence saved my day. Otherwise a scene of the doggie pulling me, catching me pants down and I screaming at my top of my voice trying to extricate myself from the mess would have been enacted. If someone recorded the act, the video would have got multi million hits on YouTube, making me an overnight superstar celebrity. It could have made headlines in the local Newspaper "Cocktail led to Cock snatched away by a doggie". Glad it wasn't my day being a celebrity. Since then every graduation party I attend or is invited to reminds me of this memorable incident.