Noticing

"Drum, madam? Very nice sound." (Demonstrates)

"No thanks."

"Very nice sound, madam. I make you good price." (Demonstrates rubbing his finger on top of the drum.)

"No, I have one."

"I make you best price. You tell me your price."

"No, I have one already."

"Very nice, madam. Best quality. Best sound, cheap price." (Continues to demonstrate.)

Me: "No, no. My son has one. He plays it all the time."

Drum Seller: (Leaves.)

Khalifah: "I'm totally pulling out the kids thing on people. My son has that. It works."

*

I love the things people notice when they first come here.

Khalifah has noticed:

~ The notches on the coconut trees. (For climbing.)

~ The different colors of bindi on women.

~ The way we make everything from scratch.

~ The plethora of insects.

~ Roosters in the morning.

~ Crazy bird calls.

~ Pigs running around.

~ That people burn their trash fires very close to their houses or close to the road. We had a discussion about this. There is almost no wood here, so people aren't afraid of houses burning down. With only stone or concrete or marble, there is much less fire danger.

~ Orange flags on a banyan tree.

~ A tall man coming through a very small doorway in the electronics store.

~ The bread in the tiny Indian restaurant falling on the floor, and the man putting it right back on the pile.

~ How coated with old food the pot in the tiny Indian restaurant was. (I swear, I have blanked those things completely out of my awareness.)

And about a thousand other things.

She's such a great, open, curious girl to have for a visit.