a good day...

selling, janaki ghat, varanasi, march 2012

it was a good day for them. actually a damn good day. not sure where the entire tourist coming from. they were indian. in front of the ghat. stranded there, just before the ceremony in the evening and the kids, the flower candle seller were jumping on them.

they were quick. shouting, multitasking, serving one customer and keeping an eye out for the next one, not forgetting to take the money at the end. that’s important.

on of these flower candles cost 5 rupees. you have to light them up, drop them into the gangehes around sunrise or sunset. it should give luck.

for the kids it gives money.

selling, janaki ghat, varanasi, march 2012

i see every day the same characters again, mornings and evenings.  The guy on the assi ghat who wants to convince us to by 5 candles for each 5 rupees, smiling. He is a quite tall, trouser pulled up, tight together with a belt. Very proper dressed.

or the little girl from tulsi ghat, which tends to spend at least 10 minutes trying to convince customers to buy a candle of hers, runs along with them, sits next to them, talks, just looks at them, till they buy.

or the one i met. he had a yellow shirt, i took images, he asked me. one time, two times. I said no. out of principle cause I wanted to do it at the end. Because if I would do it now I would do it everyday and with everyone. Too many kids here. Every other minute one kid asks me.

bad excuse. i have to find a fair system. but do i have to find a fair system?  is it then about pittiness rather than respect and equality. 

guy, selling, janaki ghat, varanasi, march 2012

Your shirt fits to your flowers- I say

Yes I know- he smiles. Wide, open mouth. He might be around 10, sometimes difficult to say.

I smile

Do u want to buy flowers, you can buy whole basket for 100 rupees- he asks again.

I am thinking.

That would be fun. A whole basket at the last day. All for me, a bed of flowers. Would be fun. i smile.

Ok- I have a deal- on the last day I buy your whole basket for 100 rupees. But just on my last day.

he smiles, i smile. we shake hands. deal. Is it equal and fair? not sure. but it is not pittiness. That’s for sure.

guy, selling, janaki ghat, varanasi, march 2012