Holy Cow, Monkey Business!

These people are at one with nature. Even though it's all urban, it's still so insanely rural, you know? Animals are everywhere. Herds of water buffalo and goats cause traffic jams in the streets. Stray dogs and chickens are everywhere and occasionally troops of monkeys. I can handle seeing these guys. It's like Sarnia's beloved Animal Farm everywhere we go. I know for a fact that there is a lizard somewhere in the bedroom we're sleeping in tonight. It doesn't worry me. Raja has promised me the snakes stay away from the cities and the tigers don't frequent these parts either.

The insect situation, however, is quite intense. We can't leave any open packages of food on the pantry shelves because they'll be full of tiny ants by morning. And those suckers bite so, thanks, kids, for crumbing-up my bed. Then we've got those big ants, regular old house flies and a cockroach bigger than my thumb (think man-hands) just hanging out in the overflow under the tap of the sink I wash my face and brush my teeth at. I found it a little difficult to use that sink when I spied it in there. It vexed me slightly.

But, sweet, merciful crap, these frickin' mosquitoes!!! More like mini vampire bats. Swarms. Everywhere. Outside and inside. Holding us hostage. Threatening us with diseases like malaria and chicka-boom-boom fever ( I forget the real  name of that last one). And making us itch something fierce. Special thanks goes to the open drainage system for making it all possible. We sleep under mosquito nets. We spray ourselves with copious amounts of bug spray- enough deet to alter our genetic codes, I'm sure. And we chase those little devils around with the electric tennis rackets day and night. My game has improved by 66%. And still we are covered in bites. I can handle bites anywhere but on my feet so that's the only place I spray on myself. Maya's legs make me want to weep.

Vera is the only one of us who's been spared. That's probably because she's developed this ingenious survival technique called, "Scream my head off unless Mommy or Daddy are holding me". My social baby who would go to everyone at Christmas has hit that "making strange" milestone just in time to ruin our trip. At least with this strategy, she is mostly protected from mosquitoes and also the rest of the family's love.
Thanks for the demo, Teja.

This girl saw a goat being skinned by the butcher on the side of the road today and asked me if it was a dog.

Raja had Maya, Teja and Ammon with him in the courtyard of a cousin's house today. I was just walking up the front path with my mother-in-law and Vera in the stroller when I heard the commotion. I still don't understand exactly what happened but it seems as though a small monkey joined the party and Raja tried to give it a banana and Ammon ran up to him with a shoe in his hand and the monkey made one of those monkey-screech noises and either bit or scratched Ammon on the leg as it took off. I think bit. Going by Ammon's reaction, I think it'll be one of those traumatized-for-life moments that will manifest itself from time to time in my boy's life. Like on trips to the zoo. Or when his own kids ask him to play "Barrel of Monkeys" and he just starts sweating and leaves the room. In short, I think I see therapy in his future. And rabies shots. See for yourself.

I guess I'll save my freak show bit for tomorrow and it's high time I talked about food. The "fun size" chocolate bars that have been keeping the kids and me plump and lethargic were about to run out, so our future was looming ominously before us until the neighbours across the street invited us in and gave us enough cadbury's to last another day or so!
Despite our critter troubles, the kids are still having a great time, Raja is living it up and I am also enjoying myself other than the occasional Tourette's-like swatting and swearing episode. Yay us.
Ciao