Different Moods
Street Food
You might have noticed, I rarely post pictures of the people I meet on our travels. That is because I rarely can muster up enough courage to ask them for their pictures. It is easy to click things that do not talk back, like the stuff in the picture above, so colorful, easy to shoot, and no chance of offending anyone by mistake too.
For a pleasent change, the stall owners demanded that I take their picture too and not just the food stuff they had and I gladly obliged. Their grins incresed when they saw the image on the display of my camera. Sesha (my husband) was as usual standing far away from me, and watching the scene.
Almost in TearsWe met this kid standing quite alone with her school bag and all, quite tearful. When Sesha inquired what was the problem, she said "Nani chali gaye hai udhar, mugjhe daar lag raha hai" (Granny has gone that side and I am afraid). To amuse her we took her photograph and showed it back to her. It distracted her just a little bit. And soon enough, other people came and told her to come with them, as her Nani was visiting someone and she would be late.
The good thing in this trek was that even the remotest of the villages that were not connected by road or had a doctor, still had school. I am not sure about the quality of education, but places like Jhinji that are really small maybe not more than 40-50 household too had school. The sad part is people often ask for common medicine like crocin and combiflam (sir dard aur bukhar ke liye) as it is not easily available in the villages.
Smile and Hesitation
The Brat Pack (No points for guessing who is the gang leader in this one)
And here is a picture I am really fond of. The women and the kid saw us passing by from a distance. I gave her a tentative but big smile. She came near to me leaving her work just like that and I mustered up enough courage to ask her if I could take a picture? She nodded her head and sat down (while standing she is quite tall and so slim). I clicked the photograph and showed it to her. She made her eyes very wide and smiled at me again. I moved on, just a few words exchanged but it was wonderful taking her and the kid's picture.
Labels: Kuari Pass Trek
posted by Mridula at 12:13 AM
16 Comments:
I didn't get many picture of people because it seemed rude to just snap away and it felt odd asking strangers if I could take their pictures.
I especially like that last picture, too. The woman is quite lovely and very unselfconcious.
I AGREE. The woman is lovely and what make her lovier is she is totally unaware of the fact that what a beautiful and expressive face she possesses. :-)
Nice pictures!
True... Taking a picture is a bit like stealing part of someone's life. What's more, as a foreigner, I could hardly take pics in India without having someone asking me for money...
Mridula, I have to admit I have not been here in a while. I'm so sorry too because the pictures are wonderful. I will have to back track on a few of your posts! I think it would be fun to travel with you and stand next to your husband watching. I would love to just see as you are asking to take pictures and finding what looks like a great shot!
Travelling is not just about visiting places but also about meeting different people.n mridula u have done this so wonderfully.This is wat i feel make difference from the arm-chair tourism.
Lily I understand your predicament. That is why I feel so happy when some of them demand that I take their photograph, like the people in the first picture. And the school kids too wanted to get photographed again and again. Ohterwise, it is a difficult decision, asking someone for their photograph. But the lady in the last picture had such a presence that I just could not trying my luck. It also hepls that I can speak in Hindi with them.
I agree Alka, I was quite taken in my the lady's presecne.
Erasmus, I wonder if asking for money happened in the more touristy parts of my country? It has happened to me once too in Ladakh and I was quite taken aback!
Tracy, come this way and we will definitely meet and who knows we may manage to go somewhere together.
Maverick, arm chair tourism! Now what kind of a tourism is that? No tourism at all if you ask my opinion :)
Mridula, disagree with you here.. i find arms chair tourism also good... like visiting your blog is arm chair tourism for me... and let me tell you it is wonderful ;)
Wonderful photos there... loved the last one - lady with her kid.
arm-chair tourism!! he he.. even I do that a lot :)
ps: Need details about Sikkim, will mail you later.
Great pics Mridula. I have to agree with a lot of others here that I like the last picture best. The unassuming beauty of the lady and the innocence of the girl are so beautiful.
That is one lovely lady in the last pic, I usually avoid taking photos of people because I don't like to ask, but I'm trying to overcome that, at least occasionally. I do cringe at how intrusive some fellow-tourists can be, though, and sometimes I just don't want to draw people's attention to the fact that I'm interested in what they are doing.
I love armchair travelling, don't know what I'd do without it! By looking at sites like yours we get to travel vicariously with you and share in a little of the beauty you saw, even though I know it's not the real thing.
Very nice pictures indeed...man, is that "channa chor garam" in the street food picture ? I love those..they even had an old hindi song about it. this is what I miss the most - the roadside joint for snacks ! ;-)
Nilesh, I have two special commentors on my blog, you and Camelpost (on everything else). Both of you leave no links where I can reach you, yet you come often enough!
Going by the response here, I can see there are many people who are fond of armchair tourism, me it leaves me very restless and I often come away feeling, 'so many places so little time and so little money too (at least to visit foreign destinations).' Not that I don't enjoy reading travel accounts but for me nothing beats being at that place myself! I hope I am making some sense in what I am trying to say?
Prashanth, thank you. I have never been to Sikkim till date :( thought it is very very high on our to do list.
I am myself very fond of the last picture TP.
Quaminante, before you, Nilesh and Prashanth said the same. I do enjoy reading travel accounts but for me there is nothing like being at a place actually. For me, the two things are separate, I love travelling and I love reading about travel but the latter is reading for me (and I love reading), not travel!
Karthik, I am not sure if it is 'chana jor garam' or not. But I am also quite fond of it. I think the song is from a manoj Kumar film 'Kranti.'
actually its easy to take pictures of people with their permission, especially if they are vendors.
i tuk fotos of market vendors in Tanjore Market. Tanjore is a place in TamilNadu and known as Temple Town.
When I was in Mumbai, I took fotos of reception guys in Essel World and Vada Paav vendors.
Thanks for taking the pictures. I enjoyed them so much.
Mridula, *this* is an awesome picture!
Sathish it is easy for some but not for many others, and I unfortunately fall in that category!
L>T, I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Chronicus Skepticus, thank you.
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