It's a jungle out there.

So maybe it's not technically jungle, more like dry forest. But still. There are some animals in my life that I feel need mentioning.

There's a toad that lives in my bathroom. He seems to get pleasure from jumping out of dark places and scaring the gajeebas out of me at night. One time, I walked into the bathroom for only a minute — no more — and I came out to find him staring at me from the step. Staring. Like a tiny, evil, warty demon-statue.

We also have two roosters who like hopping up things. Early in the morning (while the tin is still cool), they jump up the rungs on the fence and onto the roof. Pitter-pat go their little feet as they wobble around just before they jump off with flapping wings. Combined with the crowing, they make the most irritating/humorous alarm ... at 5 a.m.

I've gotten used to the site of pigs roaming everywhere, but lately there are three piglets who sneak through the cracks of our fence, into our backyard and run around, snorting up a storm. Granted, they're cute. As cute as pigs can be anyway. But they seem to be absolutely terrified of me — despite my constant assurances that I don't eat pork here for fear of cistercercosis*. (Seriously, if you saw what they were eating, you'd be paranoid, too.)

I can't continue without mentioning our pet monkey, Garu. He's a 3-month-old baby who likes to chew on my fingers (don't worry; he doesn't really have teeth yet). He also gets these moments of adorable shyness, where he wraps himself in an old t-shirt and hides his cute little monkey-face, then screams bloody murder when you walk away. Oh, Garu ...

Also, the dogs have organized. They now run in gangs around our neighborhood. Though mostly harmless, they're trying to chase all the mototaxis (three-wheeled motorcycles+taxi seat = mototaxi) out of town by barking threats at them. I fear they're fighting an uphill battle.

I could mention the donkeys, turkeys, cows, horses and vultures ... but I think you get the idea. It's like they're purposely interesting because they know I'm watching them.

The reason I´m totally OK with eating so much chicken.

Our monkey, Garu.