Territory - Part 3: Lazy Lu
Christmas and New Year in Belgium. It is always a wonderful, busy time. Meeting friends and family, eating good food, laughing, reconnecting in conversations while walking. And telling stories. Stories about monkeys and leopard soft toys, for instance (see Territory 2 ). At many a table, theories were built about nature and nurture, about instinct or learnt behaviour. People shared pictures of leopard decorations, leopard-patterned clothes, leopard shoes and handbags. Then it was New Year’s day, time for the traditional new year’s wishes and exchange of presents. My godchild gave me a fairly impressive box. Not heavy, but bulky. Out came a leopard. A beautiful plush imitation of the real thing. And so I left Belgium, with a leopard - since been named Lazy Lu -in my suitcase. During my first week back it rained all the time. So Lazy Lu stayed inside. He is far too beautiful to get soaked, isn't he? Besides, those monkeys don't show themselves when it rains. They sit on...