1999 - 2009

Manhãs Caídas

Quando te vieram prender,
Eu sei sem ninguém me ter contado,
Toda a tua coragem veio ao de cima
Enquanto se ofereciam copos de vinho

Quando friamente amanheceu,
Eu sei sem ninguém me ter contado,
A morte não te conseguiu prender
Apesar de teres ido com ela.

(Agosto de 2009)

The famous tout of Jodhpur

is about 10 years old and not higher than my wasteline. He comes straight at you, eyeing you like a kill in a weird and twisted safari. He then tries to lead you inside any of the numerous shops that line up the main drags of the old town. He's a freelancer - he has no allegiance to a particular shopowner and probably gets a general commission from the whole neighbourhood or from the older and shop-based touts. He speaks fluent english and is aware of the tourist's basic needs - shopping and water.
And if you see him in Jodhpur, you know just where you stand.

Nahargarh fort...

...is one of the closest to Jaipur and a favourite "time-pass" place for the city's teenagers. The luckier ones take their sweethearts with them on the bike. Up amongst the fort's shrubs and trees, the young couples steal a smooch or two, away from the conservative stares of Jaipur's families.
The cops, once in a while, set up a road block at the foot of hill to stop the couples approaching by bike. Demanding that the girl remove her head scarf and shades to be identified - and thus be exposed together with her indecent behaviour - they threaten her with a forced ride home and a reprimand to ther parents. And they only back down after some baksheesh.

Cops and young couples become therefore involved in a romantic / immoral corruption scheme. The male loverboy would be wise not to haggle with cops before his sweetie.

BBB in da house

Foto by Vivek Menezes, 2009