Almost Famous

I opened up this laptop to find the keyboard teeming with ants. Raja said they probably crawled in there because of the warmth, but I think they crawled in there for the crumbs. I brushed them off as well as I could but they keep emerging from under the keys. Not to worry as these are the same little guys I brushed off  of a pair of undies before slipping them on, as well as a pillow I was about to lay on to sleep for the night. They are everywhere. You just have to accept it.

You see, visiting India is a lot like camping. And I hate camping. The last time I went camping, it was to chaperon the teenage girls from church for three days. Less than 24 hours later and I was on the lam. I promised myself  I would never do that again. Why-oh-why didn't I marry a man whose parents live on a cruise ship?
One moment, I gotta kill more ants.

So today was "Thanksgiving" in this particular state here in India, and I tell ya, even though there wasn't a speck of turkey in sight, almost everyone nodded off for a nap at one point today. It's universal! Except these guys were thrashing at mosquitoes in their sleep. It's so weird, they just lay down on a cot in a room full of people and noise and within seconds you hear snoring.  No fancy sheets, no memory foam, no blaze orange earplugs. Incroyable!

I took my girls across the street to visit the Doctors/Lawyers neighbours in what we call "the big house", to wish them a "Happy Pongal" and to show them the girls' dresses. (Ammon chose a shirt with Popeye on it and it kind of looks like Popeye isn't wearing pants, so I wasn't in a big hurry to show him off, poor fella. Plus he's having a ton of fun with the neighbourhood kids.)
Raja had just informed me that the nice lady I had been visiting with there the day before was actually a famous Bollywood actress. Cool, eh? I always considered myself the type to not get swoony about famous people, but I can't help but feel pleased that she held my baby and used my camera to photograph me making a fool of myself because they let me join in this game they were playing.
Even though I have my own pictures from my own camera, I don't feel it's fair to share them because I didn't ask permission to put them on the internet (a conscience?!), so here is a pic of her and her husband at their wedding that came up from a google image search:

They and their family were so fun to hang out with. Would it be too presumptuous of me to suggest I be cast along side her in her next film, should the role of  chubby, bumbling, white, female buffoon need to be filled? 

I'll have her agent call my agent.

See what I mean? Put on some pants, Popeye!

Vera in her little maroon and gold number, being held by Uncle Pulla Reddy

Teja and Maya sporting their fancy new ensembles.

There you have it. Another family holiday has come to an end and I don't even know if there was fighting or not. And I have a strong craving for pumpkin pie.

Arrivederci!