Mary in India

On this day I had stayed out front to have a little chat with him and within seconds the neighborhood kids appeared out of no where, "Didi! Didi! Hi! Hiiiiii Didi!" The gate is shut but they just climb over it. Ramu is pretty good friends with the girls and the come over regularly to play with him. They're such a bunch of rascals though, with all of them together I am quickly overrun! They immediately all want to (not just hold) but use my camera. Which is actually Remi's and it's not just a camera, it's an expensive camera. I agree to let them each take one picture though, I keep the straps around my neck and hold the base with my hands, this way I know they won't drop it. I show them where the button is to take the picture but with their tiny little hands they all have problems pushing it. They start to get a little too crazy and pushy so I shout "Tanba!", which in Marathi means "Stop!". (Though, I am not sure if my spelling is correct, could be spelt 'tamba' the N and M sounds are similar sometimes). It's always nice to know some command words in the native tongue, the kids will most likely listen better than if you had said it in English.

We have to be careful with the neighborhood kids in the yard though, they will sometimes steal our kids' toys. Most of the residential kids keep all their outdoor toys hidden so the neighborhood kids can't steal them. I don't know if the kids are really stealing or if they just run off with it accidentally. Kajal says they do it on purpose, she gets pretty peeved when she seems them in the yard without permission. Either way I pick up toys I see in the yard now, better to be safe than sorry I guess.