Some may not want to see it
On Wednesday I went to Lopinot with two friends to shoot some footage for a project I am doing with them (the same project that led me to find Celine, the little girl who makes jewelry out of ixora flowers). It was about nine or ten in the morning and we were peacefully shooting footage by a river ... water babbling, birds chirping, bamboo creaking, breeze ruffling the leaves. All of a sudden we heard that dreaded noise that often upsets tranquil nature lovers ... a rackety old car approaching, blaring Indian music. Two Indian men and an Indian woman promptly jumped out of the vehicle and, without any delay, started setting up their pot under the thatched CPEP structure.
One man explained to me that the fire is made with wood from telephone poles, since that wood burns very well.
My friends and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes, acknowledging that our quiet retreat was no more. It always amazes me (and others I know) why people would come to a peaceful place like a river or beach to blare music. Anyway ... I asked one of the men if they could turn off the music for about ten minutes, since we wanted to record the sound of the river on the camera. He happily obliged and, once we were finished recording, they proceeded to offer us drinks. "Wha' yuh drinkin'?" When we all said we would have Coke, they looked shocked: "Allyuh ent takin' nutting harder?!"
Another cook-up point on the ground
We ended up drinking Coke and liming with them for a five, whilst they explained that they did this every Wednesday to relax ("while de chirren in school") and that they always had such a good time that even the state of the country was the furthest things from their minds. They looked blissfully happy, almost drunk - although they may not have been inebriated yet. We understood ... since that day, lost in the tranquil greenery and old time feel of Lopinot, crime was the furthest thing from our minds as well.
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The river limers' menu, apart from alcohol and chaser, was not for vegetarians: beef, chicken and ... something that made us all cringe (even though they swore it was delicious)! If you are an animal lover or vegetarian and don't want to look at this graphic photo, then don't scroll down. N.B. I am both animal lover and vegetarian, yet I felt compelled to take a photo of it ...
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Roasted goat head, ready for the pot.
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Elspeth
posted by Elspeth at Friday, October 21, 2005
2 Comments:
It's kind of compelling, in a goulish sort of way...
I think total strangers being good to total strangers will always happen. It's just not the kind of thing that sells papers - so we don't hear about it unless we experience it personally or hear about it from someone else who did.
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