The 'Alien' Invasion.

I thought of what theme i would take this year as i did in the past. I focused on Saris last year and the year before on cameras or photographers. Then what cuaght my eyes most this time was the presence of Westerners mostly tourists in the crowd. It was a very pleasant surprise ans so i decided to chase after the White folks with my camera.

They could be from any parts of Europe or the United States and Canada., the might be Ausies or Kiwis. Their presence was quite obvious and make for colorful addition to the whole sight and scene .  

It was like watching East meets West at all levels; that of physical as well as spiritual.. This was something that was not common in the past.. There was more sense of reverence in the past especially from the onlookers who kept their distance and observe in silence. Thaipusam today is more of a carnival which is okay as time goes by most things change from deep rooted devotion to decadence; the real becomes 'Plastic'  a copy of.

One will rarely find Malays hanging out for the show, perhaps because it could be Haram or prohibited. but in the old days ten  or twenty years ago Malays and Hindus alike lined the streets to watch the processions. It make me feel like this phenomena is indicative of insensitivity towards cultural and spiritual values in a society.  In the past it was fun for school children to the waterfalls to watch Kavadis, tody most children don't know what it is.

This is how i would like to grow old!

She stood there pure in Mind Body and Spirit.

The lady in the Green Sari stands in contrast against the lady in the tight pants.

When you are moving around shooting pictures  under a scorching sun and the smell rises from the ground around you and you behold this sight in a moment in time...here is where East meets West, your heart tells you; it is a picture well worth taking.

Her Golden hair and how she arranged it makes this picture more stronger by the presence of all those Indian men in the background. Look at the colors on her as compared to the rest of the picture. 

Having lived for 21 odd years among the Whites in the United States and everywhere else I chance to meet them, I will always have a very healthy respect for their manners and the way they carry themselves among strangers when the travel.

This is what being a tourist is all about. This is being an artist is all about.

I hope that  there will be many more years when this spiritual event will be around  as it bring together people from far and wide to celebrate it.