Lord Martin Lives!

For a few reasons I havent updated for a while, mainly because I havent had any time for the last 2 weeks.

Secondary to this is the fact when I started I writing this, it was meant as just one post. But inspired by the fact that this was how Soseki Natsumi ended up writing I am a Cat I have decided to have a think about where the story is going before posting more and writing in howling continuency errors!

Also, I have been reading Collapse by Jared Diamond, and wanted to add in some ideas from this.

Give me a week and it'll be updated weekly again.

Labels: books, fish photo, tropical fish

Posted by itakitez at 1:10 pm | Permalink | Comments

I have now surpassed the twelfth day of my rein and I have to admit that all is going superbly successfully. The main issues that I mentioned last time have all been resolved and the tank has been turned from a hostile land into a fat beautiful land. All this was achieved due to my natural aptitude as the chosen leader of Tepaitank. Sadly, there are a few negative items to report. I decree that it is best to start with these.

The first issue has been the mysterious death of our beloved teacher. She became induced by a bacterial infection and though we prayed to the Gods to save her, these requests remained unanswered, as the gods merely walked on past, ignoring her plight. For this reason we have all started looking around Tepaitank for a suitable Remorial to Education. Without her I have taken it upon myself to keep educating the unfortunate souls who are born without wisdom. I do believe that some of her most able students have not taken her death well. One has dropped from being the best to well, moderate at the most. He's a Senior-Fry, Matthew, Mark or Michael, I don't quite remember his name though he's thought to be educated well in the social-sciences. He was claiming that the Gods were not really Gods at all. If I remember his words correctly, he supposed they were "another, different type of living animal who are in fact arrogant captors of us; naturally free fish. As such these cruel keepers should be punished."

Well, I have never heard such blasphemy before! I was shocked, so shocked that pure emotion. Sheer anger ruled my mind for the following moments as I mauled the mischievant with malice.

Once my blood had cooled and I had regained my consciousness. The classroom slowly opening up from the red tunnel of rage, softening slowly till just a black shroud surrounded my eyes, which was thankfully quick to dissipate. There before me was a badly injured fish, marked by teeth all over. His class mates; all mouths agog, stared aghast at me. I too hovered over this young-fry's body, before one of my body guards reminded me of who I am, asking for my permission to take him to the sick room.

Of course, my state of mind rapidly returned to normal and I had almost forgotten about this infortunate incident when we were about to dismiss. It was only when my bodyguard returned that I realized I had other issues to deal with and may soon have to replace myself. Once that time occurs, those assembled in front of me would no longer benefit from my Divine instruction. I invited them to stay longer, an offer not a single fry refused.

This extra class time I allocated to answering the unexplainable, of which there had been many instances since The Event. The first problem had been with the strength of the current in our new home. Well, just this week that subsided, so my explanation was simple. The Event caused these turbulent torrents, they were mere aftershocks from the earthquake or water rushing back from where it came from the Tsunami. Then they asked why the ground has changed and water is so much thicker. Well, these I naturally attributed to the new environment, although I must confess, I am not so sure about the water being different anymore. I know that when we first arrived it had a funny taste that some could not adjust to, and most definitely it became more acidic so harder to breathe. Now I am not quite sure whether it has improved in quality, or we have just adjusted to it?

Right then and there, whilst contemplating the water-problem I solved the sun-issue. I still receive complaint that the sun no longer burns a yellow light, instead it is closer to blue. This some claim proves that we were not survivors of The Event. A flash of inspiration solved this on the spot, I proposed a new solution, that the sun has always been that colour. Their memories are not 100% reliable, but we know logically that the sun could not just change colour so rapidly. Henceforth, it must be the former and not the later at fault. At first, the fry were reluctant to accept this new theory, but my faithful body guards applauded so strenuously that the others soon caught up. All in the room had gone white-with-shock. I attributed this to their stupidity in thinking that the sun would not remain constant!

During this undulant clapping I began to feel myself distancing, being drawn from the crowd. I was experiencing another revelation. Seeing how quickly this educated crowd accepted my word, it occurred to myself that it would be best to remain in charge of educating them for their whole lives. This is the only way to make sure that such hearsay as, 'God not existing', can be prevented from becoming common, and ensuring that my Divine knowledge is passed as effectively as possible to the fry.

After class had been dismissed, the rapturous applause was still filling my ears whilst I swam around my tank buzzing from such a tremendous brain-wave as my education policy. It prevented me from thinking up new strategies. Instead I focused on introducing Adult-ReEducation. I mean, surely the elders have as much right to the latest information as the fry do? In such a trance, my freed mind was able to look down at my subjects as an observer. From this perspective came wondrous confirmation of how brilliant the original plan was, whilst de-necessitising the adult reforms. I watched a Fryshman educating his father during their evening swim round my tank.

By focusing my energies on the young I can benefit all, how absolutely tremendous!

Immediately I began my memoirs. In future, these documents, of which you are lucky enough to read, will become the sole educational text for Tepaitank, spanning all: History, Philosophy, Science and Religion.

I am Lord Martin, Divine ruler of Tepaitank, Sole-Confishdente of Himself, Fair and Just Defender of Morality and Law, Your Beloved Leader.

Labels: fish photo, philosophy, tropical fish

Posted by itakitez at 1:43 pm | Permalink | Comments

Seeing as one of my favourite things in life is hunting , I thought it impolite not to talk you through a typical chase.

These pictures were recorded just after I decided the white fish above needed a quick rough and remember session.

Here, we start out stalking the prey, I have him in my sights, but instead of taking him head on, Ill swim to my left, use that tree as cover and take him from behind, allowing me a good firm hold on the tail. The throbbing pain will remind him who's in charge here!



Now, the other fish see me coming and know to clear a path, the victim however, is blissfully unaware of my approach from behind. Before he can turn I inject the speed, he tries to run, but he's no match for me, I have more speed and its not long before I get a chance to nip his arrogant little tail before watching him run away.




Then, my job over and done with I retreat behind my bodyguards to chat and lark about good hunting.

Labels: fish photo, tropical fish

Posted by itakitez at 3:32 pm | Permalink | Comments

The professor and Michael swimming and chatting in the tank

Well, I truly had no idea what was going on. I vaguely remember The Event, but only as a great upheaval, oh, such a stressful time moving is. I must admit I was very happy with my home at the University there, I found Fishop such a charming little place, you know lovely owner that she is, always smiling at the customers who come in. Oh, and the variety of fish in there it is staggering. I think that was my favourite part of being a lecturer there was always hearing new stories from different part of the globe, hearing new languages and meeting the owners of these and other curious dialects.

Now, here in this little tank, I know, I shouldn't really complain, I mean, there is more room, here, it's definitely more luxuriant than I'm used to. But, honestly, I'm just a simple fish, I chose the simple life, I admit: the food in Fishop was a little bad, and the bed was too hard, not enough room and zero privacy from the students. But I was there for the students, to help educate them in the ways of a tank, help them to be brave before they moved on. Well, regardless, I really didn't want this assignment, but the Chancellor of the University told me he was about to implement a 'Corporate Restructuring', which meant I either had to retire from my position and only draw my Finshion from the food, or accept a new position. Now, I suppose, it was nice of him to give me a warning and ready my students for my departure. They were so sweet, especially Michael, my brightest student. He jumped into the net after me to make sure I wouldn't be bullied in my new home. Oh, such a promising career at the University, just thrown away, I mean he was just finishing his Thesis, 'The Structure of Fishiety', which looked like a mind blowing theory for a truly fair Social Fyshstem. He's such a sweet boy you know, that even when I told him to get out and not sacrifice these opportunities for me he refused, telling me that it was 'an unjust action, by an unintelligent individual, who I refuse to condone by continuing to remain within his corpus.'

Well, he does still need helping with his communication skills, sadly, like all great minds his words are easily overcomplicated and those holding a lower lexis are left perplexed by his syntax.

Now, where was I?

Ahh, that's it, so Michael, the sweetheart saved me from the loneliness I feared most of all in the new tank. I mean, other fish are fine, but I really don't know how long I could last without being stimulated by intellectual conversation. However, that should have been the least of my fears. I always thought the University was a simple sacrifice you know. The points listed above were my continual little grievances; auch! You would never guess the shock I had in the new place. It was worse than the hours of earthquakes I experienced during The Event and the aftershocks last until this very minute!

Had I been a very lucky fish, I could have lived out my long last days in a quiet little tank with just a few other fintellectuals for company, meeting for fish-flakes every evening before a shirt stroll round the tank and retiring to bed early. Well, this was not going to be that kind of placement. For starters, the tank, although it is beautiful has an overwhelmingly fast current. An elderly fish like myself finds it very difficult to fin against that all day, sometimes I can shelter behind the trees but its such a popular place to rest that I let the other, young fish rest there as well, I mean their fins are too small to keep battling that force all the time.

I have mentioned that Michael made the journey with me; well, there are nine of us in total: Three Royal ??Swanfish and six, loyal, servant Swanfish, I am one of the latter and feel proud to be so close to Their Majesties. However, one of the less able students, goes by the name of Martin is having the hardest time of all. Sadly he is one of those born with a brain, but not enough of one to know how to use it! He heard Michael saying that it is a perfect opportunity to establish a 'Fair Fyshstem' instead of a 'Fishtocratic' community. Well, I don't quite think that Martin really understood what Michael had said as he went cross-eyed and excused himself by saying he needed to do some 'Bowling Team Practice'.

Well, I thought that would have been the last civil conversation between the two as Michael can't stand jock-fish and as for Martin, well, he can't understand what's being said to him. He is such a simpleton, instead of approaching the Royalty as he should have he continued to nip their fins and run away. Such a mark of cowardice. Since Michael had been so kind to me, I wanted to make sure Martin wouldn't do the same to him, so I decided to have a little talk to him about bullying. Now, he is an awfully big chap so instead of saying the word bully I used another word, I can't remember what it was now, I mean it can't have been too important, but I remember our conversation started like this.

"I'm sure you understand that your punishment of others is unfair."
"Damned sure this punishment is unfair, I mean here!" He replied.
"Good, so maybe if you're nice to them and reward them it would be nicer for everyone?"
"Reward, yes, maybe my punishment is a reward for them." He seemed to be confused, so I tried to explain more.
"Right, stop, punishing them, just reward them instead."
"Yes, punish reward." I really didn't feel he was understanding me, so I tried to simplify more.
"Let's just change our perspective. Now, imagine if you were a little fish and not such a big one. How would you feel if you were nipped by you?"
His eyes seemed to glaze over. I could tell that he was having trouble understanding me, I re-explained.
"Perspective is when you look at something from a different way." He remained stone-eyed. I decided my words were too difficult still, so I tried to talk to him like a baby. I continued,
"so if you look at the pyramids in Egypt. From the side they look like triangles right?"
"Triangles."
"From below they look like squares."
"Yes, squares."
"But really they are pyramids, yes? Well, that's perspective."
"Ahh, perspective, triangles, squares, pyramids" Gotcha.
"Good, I'm glad we understand each other."

Well, I tried my best to help Michael, maybe return the favour you know. I just don't think I will survive here very long, not with the sun changing colour and times, and what not, it makes all the stress buldge up inside me, now I'm just fit to burst. Well, there's also the current and the water, the water isn't as good as the University. In fact I am pretty sure that my life at the University was more luxuriant than this. Well, I really hope that Martin doesn't bully my Michael. Something did seem to glimmer in his eyes when we spoke.

I just hope that my words will remain with him.

Photos: Top, Tepaitank, our home; Below, The Proffessor and Michael

Labels: fish photo, tropical fish

Posted by itakitez at 2:44 pm | Permalink | Comments