On what was designated All Hallow’s Eve here in this outpost, we all donned our finest attires and called our favorite tuk tuk driver to take us out trick or treating. Since this is not a typically Asian tradition, you cannot simply go knock on any old door and expect people to be ready, hand outstretched, with a basket or cauldron of goodies. Instead, here, people with enough foresight (read: not I) had signed up on a list to host a Halloween house. They had decorated (or not, all depending on how into Halloween they are) their houses, and kids could stop by to pick up their treats. Now, how
to know where to go? They had devised a brilliant plan; the main organizer had drawn up a map of the neighborhood, with all the addresses on the back. All we had to do was meet at their house to pick up the map, which we - after looking at it and realizing we couldn’t make sense of it – promptly handed over to our tuk tuk driver, and off we sped, into the fading sunset, to hunt for treats. It’s a funny thing, twilight; it makes people think their eyes are fooling them, which makes it easy to have some fun. With my face painted green, people would look distractedly in direction of our tuk tuk as we drove by, and then they’d hesitate for a moment, thinking they were seeing things, and then – to my kids great despair - I would grin a wicked grin and start cackling. The reaction was amazing! People would laugh, jump into the air and scream. When they tried to overtake our tuk tuk, I’d lean out ever so slightly, or even just stretch out my arm, and when they looked at me, they ‘d be so startled - but they would all inevitably start laughing heartily - it was probably one of the most surreal experiences I had ever had, but I’ve never had so much fun on Halloween night.
On what was designated All Hallow’s Eve here in this outpost, we all donned our finest attires and called our favorite tuk tuk driver to take us out trick or treating. Since this is not a typically Asian tradition, you cannot simply go knock on any old door and expect people to be ready, hand outstretched, with a basket or cauldron of goodies. Instead, here, people with enough foresight (read: not I) had signed up on a list to host a Halloween house. They had decorated (or not, all depending on how into Halloween they are) their houses, and kids could stop by to pick up their treats. Now, how 
to know where to go? They had devised a brilliant plan; the main organizer had drawn up a map of the neighborhood, with all the addresses on the back. All we had to do was meet at their house to pick up the map, which we - after looking at it and realizing we couldn’t make sense of it – promptly handed over to our tuk tuk driver, and off we sped, into the fading sunset, to hunt for treats. It’s a funny thing, twilight; it makes people think their eyes are fooling them, which makes it easy to have some fun. With my face painted green, people would look distractedly in direction of our tuk tuk as we drove by, and then they’d hesitate for a moment, thinking they were seeing things, and then – to my kids great despair - I would grin a wicked grin and start cackling. The reaction was amazing! People would laugh, jump into the air and scream. When they tried to overtake our tuk tuk, I’d lean out ever so slightly, or even just stretch out my arm, and when they looked at me, they ‘d be so startled - but they would all inevitably start laughing heartily - it was probably one of the most surreal experiences I had ever had, but I’ve never had so much fun on Halloween night.
3 comments:
And to think in this photo you appear so sedate!
And to think that in this photo you look so sedate and sweet.
What a wonderful mouse tale! And he seems quite happy to have been discovered at last. What a relief to not have to skulk about anymore and now to be fed all the best morsels and maybe some good seeds too.
Kudos to the guard and maid for talking to him also.You don't see that every day.As for Bugsy's lack of interest in harming the mouse, maybe he and this little guy were already friends in Holland and Bugsy suggested he come along?
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