Welcome to my new series, “Interview With An Alien.” It’s long been a dream of mine to be scooped up by some UFO, and if not to be transported to another planet, to at least have a meaningful conversation with a being from another world. This series is for all those as crazy as I am, whose imaginations run wild in the ships of science fiction.
PART TWO: AMBASSADOR FROM THE PLANET HAPIDA 
This is Part Two of my interview with Ikira, ambassador to Earth from Hapida. If you missed the first part of the interview, check below. In this segment, we’ll talk about Ikira’s world, her culture, other species, and some of their holidays and celebrations.
S: So Ikira, do you have holidays, or cultural celebrations on Hapida?
I: Oh, yes. We love to party! Of course there is an annual celebration when we complete a revolution around the sun. It begins the first minute of the last day of the old year and concludes the last minute of the first day of the new one. It’s one time we tend to eat special foods. A lot of us avoid eating for some time ahead of it to prepare. By the way, we’re herbivorous. We also have great celebrations around the birth of a child. Since couples only have one or two children in their lifetime, as you can imagine, that’s a momentous event.
S: How do you celebrate a birth? Do people give the couple gifts?
I: Yes. It’s usually held a mincha, similar to one of your months, after the birth, when the newborn has settled into stable eating and sleeping patterns. A close relative or friend of the couple will host the party. Very extravagant—lots of decorations and gourmet mini foods. The parents sit in a decorative nest with their infant and others get to come and see the baby and bring gifts. Those who attend also receive a gift.
S: What about your religious beliefs?
I: In the past, we had an elaborate system of gods, spirits, and life essences. As our technology progressed, many people, myself included, stopped following the old religion. It is very complex, and to truly adhere to it requires a great deal of study. There is a special prayer for each day of the year, and prayers for all kinds of occasions, weddings, births, deaths, etc. Two gods, Krea and Shika, created all life on the planet. The fifteen other gods are their children, each of whom has an aspect of the planet they are responsible for. Igga is the god of plants, Chorba is the god of the rocks and soil, Dabba is the god of the air, etc. Krea and Shika also created spirits and life essences. Spirits inhabit every higher form of life on the planet, including the Kreshiks, my race. So, like humans, we have a spirit that transcends death. Our belief is more similar to some of your eastern religions, in that we believe that after death our spirits move to new bodies when babies are born. The life essences I mentioned inhabit lower forms of life, like what you call bugs, and uni-celled organisms. The air is also a life essence. This picture is one of our ancient temple sites. The tallest spire represents the major gods, the lower ones represent the minor gods, and the very small ones represent the life essences.
S: It sounds as though your people haven’t abandoned their beliefs altogether.
I: Most of us still celebrate the major holy days even if we don’t take the time to study all the requirements of the religion. Currently, a young person may choose to follow either a religious course of study or a more scientific one. Those who choose the religious course become our priests and conduct the holy observances.
S: Very interesting. I do see some similarities in your belief system and some of our eastern religions. What did you enjoy most on Earth?
I: Mostly the beauty of it, the brilliant colors. Your weather is very interesting, constantly changing. Some of it is a little frightening.
S: You must have experienced one of our thunderstorms.
I: Yes. It was so loud! Our filiki are very sensitive. I could feel the vibrations and the electricity in the air. I had to wrap my head to keep from getting a headache. I also saw some terrifying video of tornadoes and hurricanes.
S: Those can be terrifying, and very destructive. The downside of our planet’s beauty.
I: One thing I’m looking forward to is trying to learn to swim. So far I’ve only managed to wade a little. It’s a little intimidating to have water all around me.
S: I hope that’s something you’ll be able to learn, or at least wade deep enough to maybe try snorkeling. Have you had a chance to visit a seashore?
I: That was one of the first places I headed when I had time. That’s where I waded the first time. What a strange sensation. The waves push and pull. Your children are so brave. I saw a number of them dive right in and swim out a ways.
S: Many people learn to swim as children. I did, and it’s still one of my favorite things.
I: Well, I don’t know if I’ll master that.
S: What are your other goals during your stay here on Earth?
I: Of course my primary mission is cultural exchange. Earth has also sent a diplomatic mission to Hapida. Earth has an abundance of renewable food resources that would be very useful to my people, and I believe Earth will benefit from advances in renewable energy resources and space flight technology that we can provide.
S: Sounds like a very promising exchange. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today, Ikira. I hope you enjoy your time on Earth.
I: Oh, I already am. You have a beautiful planet.
S: Thank you.
Readers, hope you’re all finding our alien visitors as fascinating as I am. Join me next week when I interview Kuzh from Akmandah. Until then, fly high and free.
