Thursday, January 5

 

 

We had an eatly breakfast, after which Anil drove Irma to Divine Supermarket for groceries.

She arrived back to announce that Anil would wait outside to take us to Samudra Beach. We unpacked the bags, packed the dog, and then set off.

We began by sitting for an hour or so outside the Oyster restaurant drinking lemon sodas, while Elvis played in the sand. It dug big holes and then filled them on.

Some big chickens wander past us as we leave to walk further down. I catch one as we pass the Blue Moon craft shop: not just “crafts”, I might add, but “crafts and beyond”. I fail to find out what lies beyond crafts because I get engrossed in photographing the chicken.

We will have finger chips and onion pakora at the Sea Gull and then wander back to find a rickshaw.

In the evening I will notice how very similar the kitten and the puppy seem in what they play with and how they play. Elvis has now discovered the big stuffed heart it has had all along, and will spend a long time playing with it: dragging it around, dropping it, running away and then running back again to grab it. Polly will do something very similar with a cardboard-and-string thing that Irma has made for her.

Towards the end of the evening Elvis will play in the house while Polly plays on the terrace. With the terrace doors closed they will notice each other for the first time but not have the chance to touch each. They will slowly start watching each other until they have their noses pressed up against eith side of the glass.