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March 15, 2003
The Smell of Curry and Wet Dog
Today was such a beautiful day (10 whole degrees Centigrade!) that I decided to take some time away from the computer and take the dog for a walk. The sidewalks were very wet since the warm temperature had melted the rather high snowbanks created by driveway shovelers, and I cursed myself for not wearing boots. Even the dog wasn't crazy about walking through ankle-deep puddles.
It was mid-afternoon, but I could smell the delicious scents of curry dinners being made. One of the nice things about living in a mostly East Indian neighbourhood is that the streets always have interesting and tasty-smelling aromas around dinner time.
I remember my mom telling me that the Indian men in our neighbourhood were afraid of Zoë. I found this hard to believe, considering my dog is scared of the vacuum cleaner. She had never been aggressive to anyone, and only barks when someone knocks on our door. I also found it hard to believe that my mom would generalize an entire ethnic group like that. I found out today that she was right.
I saw grown men trudge through snow, or walk into the busy street to avoid sharing a sidewalk with my dog. One elderly man had placed his lawnchair at the end of his driveway, and was sitting down enjoying the sun until me and "Killer" came close. He actually got out of his chair and hurried to the house until we had turned the corner.
Maybe dogs aren't kept as pets in India. Maybe they're considered vermin.
Then again, maybe they were avoiding me.