A restful night (not) as the fair is actually religious festival also, so they were singing most of the night over the loudspeakers at the campsite next door. I finally got to sleep at about 2:30 or so. This morning we went back to the fair to walk around. Camels, pigs, horses, more camels. Most of the camels were dressed for the festival, with colorful beads and scarves. We walked through the town down to the lake where the religious festival was actually taking place. Hundreds of people bathing in the water, blessing others, getting blessed. A few of our group went down to the water. We weren’t supposed to be taking pictures, but one tourist, an Italian, continued to ignore the pleadings of the guides, watchmen, and everyone to stop. I didn’t wait, but I expected his camera to have an “accident”. At least it wasn’t an ugly American. I wonder what he would have said if someone came into his church on Sunday snapping pictures.
The barkers are relentless. Everyone is trying to sell you trinkets. “No” doesn’t seem to help. Sometimes “Go Away” works. The kid who got me last night happened to show up again, and continued to bother me. At least this time, I got his name (Ali) and his picture. One of the guys in our group began to counter them by trying to sell the trinkets he had bought back to them. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.
Walking the streets, we came upon our first monkey. Paul had said they were plentiful, but I haven’t spotted too many. We also came across a pig munching on the garbage. He was having a grand time, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant. Near there was a sign for the “Hotel Aroma” which, in that situation, didn’t exactly have the correct connotations!!! There was a booth for the Rajasthan Department of Herbal & Natural Medicine. Outreach is outreach. I wonder if they are Tweeting, also. Maybe I can write this trip off.
We went to the stadium where various events were taking place. We missed the mustache competition, but saw the dancing and turban tying. My “friend”, Ali showed up again and tried to sell me. One of our group, Sal, took some pictures of some musicians, and everybody demanded money from him. After he had exhausted the $5 he was carrying, there was a spirited discussion as to everybody else’s take.
On a more philosophical note, I just finished a book “India Calling” by Anand Giridhara. He is an Indian American, born in the US, who goes back to the motherland to re-discover his roots. He speaks extensively of the Indian culture of family and how stifling it can be, but also so warm and comforting. He explores the changing culture of India as it becomes more westernized and middle class. In many ways, I recognized the dilemmas, as he could have been describing American Jews (and probably many other immigrant cultures). And, he was describing America, also.
This struck a nerve with me as a good metaphor for current day politics in America. The New Deal has morphed into the Contract with America and No Tax Pledges. My Rabbi, Dan Zemel, once gave a sermon about how every people needs a story to tell. As the story changes, so do the people and the society. Our story is changing, and I’m not sure it’s for the better.
The barkers are relentless. Everyone is trying to sell you trinkets. “No” doesn’t seem to help. Sometimes “Go Away” works. The kid who got me last night happened to show up again, and continued to bother me. At least this time, I got his name (Ali) and his picture. One of the guys in our group began to counter them by trying to sell the trinkets he had bought back to them. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.
We went to the stadium where various events were taking place. We missed the mustache competition, but saw the dancing and turban tying. My “friend”, Ali showed up again and tried to sell me. One of our group, Sal, took some pictures of some musicians, and everybody demanded money from him. After he had exhausted the $5 he was carrying, there was a spirited discussion as to everybody else’s take.
On a more philosophical note, I just finished a book “India Calling” by Anand Giridhara. He is an Indian American, born in the US, who goes back to the motherland to re-discover his roots. He speaks extensively of the Indian culture of family and how stifling it can be, but also so warm and comforting. He explores the changing culture of India as it becomes more westernized and middle class. In many ways, I recognized the dilemmas, as he could have been describing American Jews (and probably many other immigrant cultures). And, he was describing America, also.
The middle class… had shifted its loyalties from an ideology that attended to the poor to one that served only themselves: they conceived themselves now as poorer versions of the fortunate, no longer as fortunate versions of the poor.
This struck a nerve with me as a good metaphor for current day politics in America. The New Deal has morphed into the Contract with America and No Tax Pledges. My Rabbi, Dan Zemel, once gave a sermon about how every people needs a story to tell. As the story changes, so do the people and the society. Our story is changing, and I’m not sure it’s for the better.
2 comments:
i recommend giving a counter offer to the barkers of 1 rupee. Its what we did in peru(1 sol), usually that got people to go away.
You have no sol.
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