Besieged in Bangalore

Selling fruit on the road

What began as a normal day in India turned into a paparazzi circus and I felt a kinship with Lady GaGa and The Biebs. After my previous experience with taxis and tuk tuks in India, I grabbed a brain and hired a driver to show me the sites. Rafiq was eager to show off his knowledge of Bangalore.

Devotion to Ganesha

I didn't have much time and the traffic is a hinderance but Rafiq took me to Shiv Mandir Temple where I chanted Om Namah Shivaya 108 times during Archana, performed Abhishek and ended the ritual with Havan. In other words, I poured milk for purity, repeated the mantra for dedication and devotion and finished with Havan, circling the fire three times for fulfillment of a wish, while connecting to God. I had no idea what I was doing but it was interesting to watch, listen and learn.

Bangalore is concrete, construction and confusion. I wanted to escape the commotion to where I always feel at home. I asked Rafiq to drive me to Lalbagh Botanical Garden to find a piece of serenity. I was well rewarded with the lush green 240 acre park, smack dab in the middle of chaotic madness.

I am not this modest...

I know in India, there is a need for modesty and discreetness. I try to not draw attention to myself but it is hard to contain this hair of mine, especially with the wind and dirt that covers most surfaces. It makes for a tangled mess. I wore a baggy T-shirt, knee-length skirt and trainers for all the walking I planned to do. Seemed low-key to me; just a woman out taking photos, like any other foreigner.

Taking photos in the park

In the park, I was minding my business, trying to sneak photos of the captivating people, when two men approached me, carrying a young child. He shoved the baby into my arms with no warning and asked to take my photo with the kid. Before I could say no, the toddler started to wail in protest. "Hey, I know I look a fright in this wind, but no need for waterworks." The man showed no concern for his traumatized daughter and whipped out an old school cell to take photos of me and his snot-soaked kid. I quickly handed back the kid and got out of there but not before another man approached me and pushed his wife beside me for another happy memory. Magically, four cameras materialized and he was snap-happy.

The blatant stares I received

"What is happening?" I wondered.  I have experienced other cultures wanting Westerners photos and I have been approached before but never to this extent or persistence. I would like to say it got better and I was able to enjoy quiet time but the photo taking became more insistent.  I told a crowd of men, "No," and they were almost begging as I hastened away from them. I got out of that situation as quickly as I could. I could hear R2 in my mind losing his marbles when I told him this story and him telling me I am too friendly and naive.

I made my way to the exit and found Rafiq waiting patiently for me, with the door held open. This 23 year-old man was a true gentleman. He told me with the traffic we had time for one more stop so he took me to an Aviation Museum. I have less than zero interest in museums or aviation for that matter, except to get me from Point A to Point B but he was so eager for me to enjoy, I couldn't say no.

She wanted money when she realized I took her photo

He dropped me off and reminded me I had 30 minutes before we hit the traffic to deposit me safely in the hotel for a business dinner. And R2 was worried about me leaving with this stranger!

There was a huge line up for the museum and I didn't think I would be able to get in with the time allotment but I paid my 20 Rupee entrance fee (35 cents CA) anyway. The security guard told all the Nationals to make way for me and I was brought to the front of the line, while the queue waited.

The museum was very old-fashioned compared to the glitz of the Singapore galleries so I made a perfunctory circle around the exhibits.  Little did I know, I was soon going to be an exhibit.

The crowd of people with many camera!

A small group of young men approached me and wanted my photo; again with the photos? I told them it was strange and creepy to take a stranger’s picture but that didn't deter them. They were so insistent I said, "Just one."

Dozens of people must have been watching this exchange of fake smiles and when I moved to the safety of a display, I was suddenly surrounded by dozens of girls shoving cameras in my face, jumping into the frame, shouting at me to look at them and touching my hair. The crowd started to gather and before I knew it, I was backed up against the walls with people gibbering in a language I had no way to understand.

The security guards came to try to break up the crowd and he told me to just smile, smile. I guess this was the only way he could contain the crowd, but not before he whipped out a cell phone and had his photo taken with me.  He said something in Hindi and the group groaned as I scurried out of there like a beaten dog, tail between my legs. I frantically looked for the exit and noticed the crowd was now following me. I had gone from being a celebrity to the Pied Piper of Bengaluru.

I dashed upstairs, caught my breath, managed to shove my camera into the bag and compose myself before heading outside to find Rafiq. I didn't tell him what happened because I didn't want to offend him by not enjoying the museum, or to make him think he brought me to a place where I was uncomfortable. People in India take their roles seriously and get offended if the service they provide isn't up to a high standard.

Back to the safety of the car taking photos

I searched the crowd to find Rafiq but not before teenagers in school uniforms started pointing, staring, and saying, "Wow, white woman." Now I know how the new pandas at the Singapore Zoo feel.

It was great to be back to the safety of the hotel before we met R2’s colleagues.  I told the story to some of the guests we entertained for dinner. They explained that often many Indians have next to no chance to see white foreigners. Many TV shows and movies are not accessible to many regions and often seeing a white woman on the street is a photo they want to show their friends to say they "met and spoke" to you.

The next time I go out, I will turn the tides and ask to take all of their photos. Should produce some interesting results.