Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Sea of Heads
I didn't get a chance to update my blog yesterday because we leave work early to avoid traffic due to the Ganesh festival.
As always, a lot of fun things happened during the past weekend. Telling them all in one post will be too long. So I'll write about them during this week. Here is a sneak preview:
- playing basketball, in the snow, in India (and saw Santa too !)
- visiting a TV studio and getting a Satellite Communication 101 lecture
- me, BS-ing about being a new Hong Kong film star and got some fans while bored waiting for a bus
- monkey that smokes and talk on the cell phone
But to start, I want to talk more about the Ganesh festival.
Last week we went to see the 42 ft tall Ganesh. Apparently, the start of the 10 days festival isn't really that exciting. The most exciting part is during the end of those 10 days.
On the past Sunday, the 9th day of the festival, we were walking on the street checking some area around. We passed by a parade sorta crowd. Well, can't really say it is a parade because there is only one truck and there were only around 50 people. There were 2 camels heading the crowd. We thought it was pretty cool, so we decided to walk towards them to take some close up shots.
Camels leading the crowds.
From the stuff of their skin, it seems like it is a tradition to cover themselves with pink powder. We walked closer and toke some shots. Those pink dudes went crazy when they see us with our cameras. They grabbed us to dance and shout with them. Rohit and I, being the all friendly Canadians who don't want to go against the wish of 50 pink dudes, danced along with them on the street.
So happy, so crazy, so pink.
And the aftermath ? Well, the pinkness says it all.
Don't show that face man, we know you like pink. Is ok to admit it, Rohit.
When we think acting like morons dancing with pink guys on the street will wrap up the experience we have of this festival, we thought wrong.
Other than the little parade that we experienced, the streets and malls seemed pretty empty that Sunday. I was quite surprised and thought Sunday is a rest day kinda thing where people stay in their houses. We decided to go for a movie which required us walk pass where the 42 ft Ganesh is. And again, to my surprise, we see the reason why the rest of the city is so empty.
Ahhhhh ........
Luckily, we learned our maneuver-thru-the-crowd-while-being-squished skill from all the clubbing experience we had back in Toronto. We thought that was crazy. But again, we were wrong.
After going to the theatre and failed to get tickets for a show, we hanged out in the mall a bit. After sunset, we started to walk back. We know there will be a big crowd at the 42 ft Ganesh area again, but we decided to fully experience India and not take the auto rackshaw. But not only did we fully experienced India, we fully experienced India in a compact form.
That place was packed. Really packed. No, it was really really really packed. We couldn't even move. Could barely breath. The people around you are basically squishing you (not that they want to). You can only move when they move. And for me, being 6 ft 3 tall in a country where people's average height is probably 5 ft 5, all that I can see, is the sea of heads. Never in my life have I seen that many Indian heads before.
The sea of heads.
That was intense. The police couldn't control the crowds at all. Actually, I should make it more clear. The only ONE police I saw was trying to yell at people not to push by blowing his whistle and being squished at the same time. Oh yeah, and sticking his stick high up so people can see.
At that night, when I think back, I realized how dangerous that was. Especially for the families who have elders and kids. There were no police. No medical station nor medical personnel. No nothing. If you slipped and fell on the floor, it is game over for you. You will end up under 3124545341 people's shoe. It'll be hard to imagine for those of you who haven't experienced it. But for me, this is the first time ever since I've came to India that I got a chill to the bone after realizing what I've gone thru.
Yesterday, the 10th and last day of the Ganesh festival, we went straight home after work and didn't go out.
As always, a lot of fun things happened during the past weekend. Telling them all in one post will be too long. So I'll write about them during this week. Here is a sneak preview:
- playing basketball, in the snow, in India (and saw Santa too !)
- visiting a TV studio and getting a Satellite Communication 101 lecture
- me, BS-ing about being a new Hong Kong film star and got some fans while bored waiting for a bus
- monkey that smokes and talk on the cell phone
But to start, I want to talk more about the Ganesh festival.
Last week we went to see the 42 ft tall Ganesh. Apparently, the start of the 10 days festival isn't really that exciting. The most exciting part is during the end of those 10 days.
On the past Sunday, the 9th day of the festival, we were walking on the street checking some area around. We passed by a parade sorta crowd. Well, can't really say it is a parade because there is only one truck and there were only around 50 people. There were 2 camels heading the crowd. We thought it was pretty cool, so we decided to walk towards them to take some close up shots.
Camels leading the crowds.
From the stuff of their skin, it seems like it is a tradition to cover themselves with pink powder. We walked closer and toke some shots. Those pink dudes went crazy when they see us with our cameras. They grabbed us to dance and shout with them. Rohit and I, being the all friendly Canadians who don't want to go against the wish of 50 pink dudes, danced along with them on the street.
So happy, so crazy, so pink.
And the aftermath ? Well, the pinkness says it all.
Don't show that face man, we know you like pink. Is ok to admit it, Rohit.
When we think acting like morons dancing with pink guys on the street will wrap up the experience we have of this festival, we thought wrong.
Other than the little parade that we experienced, the streets and malls seemed pretty empty that Sunday. I was quite surprised and thought Sunday is a rest day kinda thing where people stay in their houses. We decided to go for a movie which required us walk pass where the 42 ft Ganesh is. And again, to my surprise, we see the reason why the rest of the city is so empty.
Ahhhhh ........
Luckily, we learned our maneuver-thru-the-crowd-while-being-squished skill from all the clubbing experience we had back in Toronto. We thought that was crazy. But again, we were wrong.
After going to the theatre and failed to get tickets for a show, we hanged out in the mall a bit. After sunset, we started to walk back. We know there will be a big crowd at the 42 ft Ganesh area again, but we decided to fully experience India and not take the auto rackshaw. But not only did we fully experienced India, we fully experienced India in a compact form.
That place was packed. Really packed. No, it was really really really packed. We couldn't even move. Could barely breath. The people around you are basically squishing you (not that they want to). You can only move when they move. And for me, being 6 ft 3 tall in a country where people's average height is probably 5 ft 5, all that I can see, is the sea of heads. Never in my life have I seen that many Indian heads before.
The sea of heads.
That was intense. The police couldn't control the crowds at all. Actually, I should make it more clear. The only ONE police I saw was trying to yell at people not to push by blowing his whistle and being squished at the same time. Oh yeah, and sticking his stick high up so people can see.
At that night, when I think back, I realized how dangerous that was. Especially for the families who have elders and kids. There were no police. No medical station nor medical personnel. No nothing. If you slipped and fell on the floor, it is game over for you. You will end up under 3124545341 people's shoe. It'll be hard to imagine for those of you who haven't experienced it. But for me, this is the first time ever since I've came to India that I got a chill to the bone after realizing what I've gone thru.
Yesterday, the 10th and last day of the Ganesh festival, we went straight home after work and didn't go out.
