This Himalayan orchid reminds me of Mithu, my childhood pet parrot. As a child I had rescued Mithu who was wounded by falling from a tree after a storm. She became the vigilant gatekeeper of the house, screaming every time I stole bananas from the kitchen and hid in the verandah to eat. Alas, the long lost tropical childhood! For work I am now in the Alpine zone, where we no longer have a verandah or a parrot. But our patio is adorned by another import from India, the moon or moth orchid, standing vigil, just like Mithu.