Close Communion with Critters and Things

communion--

3. association; fellowship.

4. interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication: communion with nature.

5. the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation.


Mussoorie is looking quite pretty these days. We have lots of sun and the temperature bumpers between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime. It is the gift northern India is given after the swamping rains. October is a month of partying for Indians and it all culminates to today, October 26, which happens to be Diwali. Comparable to Christmas in the West, kids get presents, homes are dressed with lights, and crackers (FIRE crackers) go off anytime day OR night.

In the spirit of celebration, I decided to dress up in my finest silky Arabic pants that just scream, "PAAARTTYYYY!!" They are too much fun to wear due to their numerous variations of display. A person almost must walk around all day like she is a high-stepping militia woman while enthusiastically doing star jumps at random. This all comes on the tag above the washing instructions.



















Our furry little friends the monkeys have only gotten crazier, bolder, and friskier as the seasons have changed. When is the mating season? Who knows!! But there seem to be quite a few moms with babies clinging to their chests around our campus. These pictures tell the story of my mornings, ripe with monkey-sightings while I change in the girls vistor's locker room at our gymnasium. In this instance the little baby was hanging on to mama's belly as she lazily made her way along the ridge 5 meters directly across from my window. They were a cute pair. However, the couple I did not take a photo of were the ones getting busy in plain sight at 8 in the morning. They certainly were not photo worthy and most definitely NOT cute.



"You want to make a run to JUNK STATION??? Man, I wonder what they sell there!!" Literally. This is one of the local shops in the bazaar.

Just in case you were wondering, we do have a pet that shows up at our house infrequently, but especially at nighttime. His name is Sting and, well, doesn't this photo just say it all?! He's a scorpion. I don't even flinch at happenings like this anymore. Although he's not illegal to eat (as cows are thus the beef run to Delhi...which actually only leads to more questions; in reality it's not illegal, just unfavorable in the Hindu faith) he definitely would not be substantial enough to satisfy. Rats. My encounters with creatures of all kinds have increased by 250% by living in India. As the monkeys swinging above my head and across my path can attest, sometimes I wonder if I am not living in a zoo.