November has always been my favorite month of the year. The air seems sweeter, the sky bluer, and the sun more warm and radiant. November is the time for pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie, pumpkin and oxtail cous cous, pumpkin ginger bread pudding, Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pancakes (for Adam, Thien eats banana blueberry pancakes), Thanksgiving, first batch of homemade eggnog, and Christmas tree decoration (at Mama’s).

If I were in Texas, Adam and papa Fred would make a fire about this time. Papasito has this awesome fire pit made from an end of a huge propane tank (it has made the list to be the family heirloom). Then we would roast the last of the habaneros and jalapenos from the garden with bacon and cream cheese. The sizzling sound of the bacon fat dripping on the scorching wood usually drives us frenzy. After gobbling down a whole stuffed habanero in one shot, gung-ho Adam and Rebecca would have to flap their tongues like some nuts while smokes seeping out the their ears (Thien does not de-seed completely, hee hee). Oh well, since those two would be a little handicapped after that brave episode, more yummies for evil Thien!

November in India does not come with the turning of the leaves but the gorgeous weather brings much comfort to my nostalgia. Today I woke up at 2:00p.m hungry like a bear. Adam fed me some chicken momos (dumplings) with hot sauce then we ventured out for some more snacks. It felt so good to be walking under the warm sunlight, observing all the happiness around. Happy Thien wants to give everybody bear hugs, with drools and paws and everything. Since I didn’t really dare to hug anybody, I took lots of pictures instead. Of course the Bunster sang the “Thien took wayyyyyy too many pictures” song, but he’ll be thankful when he is creepily old and his memory is dimmed. Thien will remind you of the good old days, Bunster… with kick-ass illustrations too!