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Yikes! I’m A Guinea Pig!

By Chantal Riviere - Nov 09 , 2010

And I am being tested on learning to blog.

I’m learning to blog. This should be fun. I am looking forward to that.
As a guinea pig, I will respond to rewards.

Okay, maybe I have more intelligence than a guinea pig, but truly when Andrea and Michael said they wanted me to blog, it was as if they said they wanted me to teach Chinese.

How do I get started?

How do I get people to find my blog?

How do I post my blog once I’ve written it?

Where do I begin writing?

At least I knew what a blog was. Only because I had been to the movie, Julie and Julia, with my mom. Before the movie, I didn’t even know what a blog was.

Guess I’ll learn. I am looking forward to that.

On Friday I took my granddaughter to a pet store to see a guinea pig.

It was brown and white.

I am black and white, and my name is Chantal.

I am an older guinea pig, so teaching me anything is more difficult than teaching a younger guinea pig.

Repetition and reward, and I will learn. Such a challenge for the ones who teach me.

With most animals, they don’t necessarily want to learn the tricks or skills. It is the master that wants them to learn for the master’s needs, pleasure or convenience.

And usually the master’s motivation is always for the master’s gain.

Interesting concept.

Have you ever been used as a guinea pig, and if so, do you want to share how and the outcome?

Also if you have any ideas on to what could possibly be the motivation for my masters to be teaching me this?

http://www.facebook.com/michaeldrew Michael Drew

LMAO, couldn’t help but to laugh.

In South America they eat Guinea Pigs. We promise not to eat you up and spit you out.
- Chantal Riviere
  
  not going to spit me out hey? then are you going to swallow me?
  
  they would make awful small meals, kind of like us eating a chicken. with the pork taste
  
  maybe I can start a new market for guinea pig meat in Alberta, thanks Mike, they would be fun to raise.
  
  hummmmm interesting
  - Lady Di
    
    Just say they are organic, you will make a fortune!!
    di
http://www.facebook.com/brandon.r.allen Brandon R Allen

Anytime you put yourself out there and expand what has previously been thought not possible, you are in essence your own personal guinea pig. Eventually blogging will be old hat and then you will have to come up with something else. Not to freak you out or anything….just sayin’.
- Anonymous
  
  i think you are right, it is the cycle of life, when the fun is gone, time to do something new
Chantal Riviere

Humm, I didn’t realize that I had said anything that made it sound that I didn’t think it possible.

It is just such a learning curve, and I am far behind.

And I do agree, there is always something new and exciting to learn.
Kipchoices

sometimes I feel like an elephant or worse yet, a zebra…… guinea pigs are so soft and discreet…….
- Chantal Riviere
  
  now that was interesting. why would a zebra be worse than an elephant. I would think the other way around, a zebra seems so elegant and pretty, an elephant just big and clumsy.
  
  and the guinea pig in the store was just hard as a rock and solid.
Kipchoices

forgot to add love your site and your blog and the skills of blogging are something on my do to list……. and seeing as you are clearly the expert I shall defer to your expertise – if a guinea pig is capable of teaching a zebra or an elephant???
- Chantal Riviere
  
  I am so far from being an expert, and was saying to a friend that by the time I am comfortable with this social media, it may be old technology.
  
  I couldn’t find your profile, or anything about you, how do I do that?
Jon

You sure don’t look like any guinea pig I’ve ever met?
- Chantal Riviere
  
  well thats nice, and the one we saw in the pet store didn’t have near as much shape as I do. so I was thinking that I wasn’t really liking the reference of me to a guinea pig, but some thoughts are hard to change
Lady Di

Well, now, Chantal, you have made me learn how to READ a blog. Way-to-go Sista!
We “withit girls” gotta keep up with the times, apparently! If only they didn’t move so fast!
All the questions you raised at the start resonate with me too. Finding the time to just sit down at the computer is a challenge. I am still trying to find time to go visit a good friend who lives out in the beautiful countryside!!
- Chantal Riviere
  
  Thanks for reading my first post.
  
  It should be an interesting journey.
Anna-Lynn

Interesting concept – the master teaching the animal for the master’s gain – Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, uses the concept that “first you train the master and then you rehabilitate the dog”. I guess it depends on which state the animal is in – trained, trainable or totally out of control.

Blogs are interesting – a good way to explore different concepts –
- Chantal Riviere
  
  Hi Anna, I guess I never think of a trained animal in any other way, other than for the masters benefit.
  
  Just like when my dog was trained not to jump on people. Or now with my one cat, Yippie, he is trained not to come into the house. Those are only things that really do benefit me.
  
  So your info about training the master first is good.
  
  And yes my master is well trained in this.
Kikiduwasnu

My mother loved to tell stories about a pig her father (your grandpa’s brother Carl Pfannmüller) brought from the market – they didn’t have a farm, they lived in a city, but they had a large garden. This pig had at least the intelligence of a dog – my mom loved it and had a lot of fun. But you know the natural end of a pig in our society / Hope you won’t land in the pan and they don’t make sausage. We would miss you!
- Chantal Riviere
  
  cute,
  
  or bacon, ya, I would miss life.
  I was told once that when ever they want to test something in science with a man, a pig is frequently used.
  
  A friend who public speaks, and makes mention of this frequently from the stage,
  
  and then jokes about men being pigs,
  
  why did they have the pig in the city? and did they eventually eat it?
  - Kikiduwasnu
    
    of course they ate it – but my mom refused to to it – you can imagine it’s hard to eat one’s friend )
    But even you have to be careful – they also eat Guinea Pigs – especially in South America it’s a delicacy!!
Dunsprigg

Chantal…. sentences short…. thought evoking… reader engaging… not bad for a GUINEA PIG… now only if……. humans could REFORM….
- Chantal Riviere
  
  So all I did was follow instructions, as I am a GET er DUN girl,
  
  a very close friend and I always kind of joke about being get er dun girls, and we have painted many homes, cleaned yards, moved people, done many many things all in the get er dun spirit.
  
  so, what you get in dun? any blogs, can you link me to yours?
captbob

I know the answer to the last question. They want you to succeed wildly, and then they sell ad space, and make money while you do all the hard work!

You are black and white? I’m glad that skunks are not trainable. That would not suit you.

Christina, my daughter has a blog, which is really good. Blogs are a showcase of talent.
- Anonymous
  
  so are you willing to share your daughters blog post, so we can read it?
  
  who are you referring to, that they want us to succeed? who is the THEY?
Dyhughes1651

Hi Chantel I found you with out much difficulty . I’m not at all sure what a Blog does or is for but here you go a great opportunity to educate me . Enjoy ….
- Anonymous
  
  well first education will be my name, it has no e in the first name, just a’s
  
  ah, there is so much, and I still have no clue as to how to post these,
  
  someday,,,,,,,
Mdschellenberg_7

Great blog – you are a good writer Chantal!
Marietta
Shirley jeffery

Sounds like this will be interesting. I’m sure you will enjoy it.
- Anonymous
  
  not sure it will be as much fun, as we have had at times
Juli

Great post Chantal. I’m looking forward to reading more about your life as a guinea pig.
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http://www.facebook.com/MyJobIsMom Kirsten Nelson

I’m a mom of 2 little boys. I always joke and say that they are my guinea pigs in the laboratory of parenthood. It would be more accurate to say that I’m their guinea pig as I’m learning about juggling all the roles of mom, wife, entrepreneur, etc. Two excellent things about being a guinea pig (1) guinea pigs are fuzzy and fuzzy = cute (2) it is a very powerful way to learn about more than the specific area you are being tested in. It will show you things about yourself you would never learn otherwise. Dive in and enjoy the ride!

Yikes! I’m A Guinea Pig!

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