The God of Small Things.

When I turned 14, my mom gave me a book. It was called the God of Small Things. It's about these young Indian twins trying to understand their family legacy and the world around them. They're bright and sort of odd. Like wild turkeys - majestic but infinitely silly. Their family breaks their hearts and they grow out of it sooner or later.
I liked it a lot. I read it again when I was 22 or something. I wish I brought it with me.
Because the book dictates the smallness of our world.
This is the smallness of my world now.



I stroll into Zoo Coffee and get a ...coffee. It's usually a latte but sometimes I spice up my calorie intake and make it a White Chocolate Mocha. Yum.
Sometimes I get a cookie but I don't anymore. Too expensive and not enough chocolate. A blog about that later...perhaps.
See the zebra butt? I wait in line beside it. My head sometimes touches the tree leaves. I'm tall already but in Asia I'm superCALIFRAGILISTIC-tall. I know it. Everyone knows it. The cardboard guy knows it. He doesn't check me out. I don't notice. I'm too busy staring at the baby pandas forever trapped in their verticality. I sometimes pet them. Sometimes. The name of the game here folks...is...*sometimes*.

Then I try and mark...




I mostly just fall over from the *awwww* and the cuteness that makes me superWarm and Cuddly inside and reminds me how much I really love these kids.
I mean, how do you mark this? You don't. I correct some of the spelling mistakes and *maybe* suggest an expression or two but I feel like I learn more from these kids than they learn from me. Jeez, that's not good.

Sometimes I try to be very strict.


And because I'm strict my kids respect me and are super afraid of me.



After a good dose of discipline, I hug my kids pretty tight or kiss them, or hug-and-kiss-them

OR
I do the unthinkable....and
give them my camera.......








And then there are the smiles I've traveled miles to see.



I-lost-a-tooth-and-didn't-do-my-homework smiles!


I'm-hiding-behind-a-book smiles! (she's my stellar student)


High-five-Leo-SMILE


look-teacher-i-do-yoga-as-well smilezzzz

hahahaha!!!! They're HILARIOUS!!

After 5 days of hard work...the weekend comes and well..with it...comes:

Newfound friendship.


Meet Rach. She's from Oregon and married.


I adore her. She spots me, we gossip, we trade shoes in the subway and she supports my impromptu photoshoots




Big strolls (through the city)



And pastries (DISCLAIMER: I don't eat [a lot] of sweets during the week when I do yoga so on weekends..I...kinda do)








AHHH!!! what's this dog doing in the pastry section?!??!?!
I'm...leaving him here. Beeecauuusseeeeeee I LOVE DOGS SO MUCH. SO SO SO MUCH.



I topped my cake with a strawberry tart. It was orgasmic. Better than sex.

Speaking of dogs, this weekend I saw PUPPIES.






That's a week. Of small things. And I'm not rushing. Cuz time flies anyways.
And before I know it, I'm in England.


And...well..to be honest I should re-read The God of Small Things. Cuz I feel like those indian twin kids. Foreign to myself, trying to cohere my mind and body and still...growing up. :)