About me
My name is Guido Pedretti. I am originally from Switzerland, a small nation around the center of Europe. Switzerland has three main languages, Italian, French, and German, which are spoken in different regions of the country, with the most common being German. I was born in Ticino, a small Italian speaking canton in the south of Switzerland. I moved with my family to the United States when I was fourteen years old.
The pandemic struck in the first year that I moved. Indeed, I spent most of the lockdown period studying English, as I had learned only the basics while I was in Switzerland. Currently I am a Senior at Laurel Springs Academy. Ever since I was a child, I developed a powerful passion for world mythology, a passion which I also had the possibility to pursue in my studies, along with studying the Religions of the World.
My greatest ambitions (for life) are becoming a writer and keep studying mythology.
Basil
Basil is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. His color is called “Blenheim”. This is… well, another legend to be told: Blenheim was the name of a battle led by the Duke of Marlborough. His wife, the duchess, Sarah Churchill, had some Cavalier Spaniels with the same color as Basil. As she waited for news of her beloved husband, she used to press her thumb on the head of a mother-to-be female. When news came that the battle had been won and the Duke would be back at home, the pregnant Spaniel gave birth to five puppies bearing a thumb-shaped mark on their foreheads. The personality of Basil is best described as: a sun ray.
OUR JOURNEY’S COMPANIONS, THE DOGS
Eugenie
Eugenie, nicknamed Gigi, is a Scottish Fold. This cat breed originated as a genetic mutation which first appeared in a cat named Susie in Scotland. As a result of this mutation, cartilage through the body is modified, and the ears fold, making Eugenie and other Scottish Folds resemble owls in appearance. This is fitting in the video, after all, since owls were associated with the goddess Athena. Eugenie is an independent and agile cat who is sweet to people but also likes to have time for herself.
Beskar
Beskar is a German Sheppard, as large as friendly. He was originally born in Germany, where he was fated for a career as a show champion. However, he wasn’t ultimately able to follow this path because he was slightly too tall. For this reason, he came to live as a pet in the United States. His name is derived from the fictional metal within the Star Wars universe; still, I nicknamed him Zeke Midas Wolf after the animated character of the same name. There is a long-lasting competition between him and Oscar; despite the obvious size difference, Oscar always wins!
Bartholomew
Bartholomew is a ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who was named after a fictional Aberdeen Terrier within the English writer P.G. Wodehouse Jeeves series, specifically the book The Code of Woosters, one of the funniest works in all literature! Our Bartholomew is much sweeter than the original one, though.
Thoreau
Thoreau is a black and white long haired chihuahua. He was named after the poet Henry David Thoreau, an American poet who found inspiration from nature. If it were up to him, he would never go out and would always lay down on a sofa. How to disagree…
Oscar
Oscar is a blue long haired chihuahua, he loves to make transoceanic flights between Europe and the United States, is very independent, is (or believes himself to be) always right, and can be very grumpy. He was named after Oscar Wilde.
Blake
Blake is a Pomeranian, as small as determined, but also affectionate and playful. He was named after William Blake, a writer and poet known for creating a new mythology.
Fourier
Fourier is a blue and tan Pomeranian. He is a playful ball of energy and sweetness. He is named Fourier after both Joseph Fourier, a physicist and mathematician, and Charles Fourier, a philosopher known for imagining utopian societies based on socialist principles. The first was a suggestion from my father, who is scientific-minded, and the second was my and my mother’s idea, since we are more philosophically inclined. So Fourier is the sweetheart of the entire family!
