august 15: my other Independence Day, part 2 - whistles instead of sticks, bubble men and Irishman-mobbing

Above picture: If you didn’t get hit by a stick

At Lalbagh, if you took too long looking at a beautiful flower exhibit then a) police officer with a stick would show up and start swinging or b) young security guard with a whistle would show up and start blowing it right in your ear and tell you to move on.

Above picture: Making people happy one bubble at a time

Lalbagh had “bubble” men all over the place working their magic, making the young and old smile.

Above picture: Viva India

Above picture: Yet another mobbing of the Irishman

I met this fair-skinned fellow at the Parikrma Foundation. He is spending the summer teaching photography workshops at Parikrma schools.

Before he arrived in Bangalore he spent a couple of weeks touring around Palestine with some of his Irish friends. The guy is super intense. I have been thoroughly questioned on the motives behind providing micro-finance to the poor (Note: He doesn’t buy it).

Anyways, because of him we were mobbed by groups of young Indian boys all day. I don’t know why but young Indian men love scrappy-looking Irishmen. He told me that people come up to him all the time and ask for his picture.

A couple of times the Irishman-mobbing crowd got a little too big and I would get “sloppy seconds” a plenty.

Lesson of the day: Don’t travel in India with scrappy-looking Irishman.