Hey
Holy Shit
The cows are holy here in India. It's why there is no beef to eat and why there are cows roaming everywhere, from the alleyways filled with garbage to the busiest intersections.
Cow dung is also everywhere, and in fact, one of the first things I did upon arriving in Varanasi was to plant my foot smack dab in the middle of one. With so much cow dung all over the place, the people have come to use it as cheap fuel, for cooking fires. Some also use it to make money off tourists, like myself and Benjamin.
Today we were walking along the ghats and came upon three young girls making cow paddies. They had a silver bowl with manure from which they would grab a ball, flatten it out, and smack it against the side of a building (where it sticks) to dry in the sun. They asked if I'd like to take their photo. I said, "No rupees," as it seems nothing can be done in India without a fee. "No charge," their sing-song, sweet voices rang out in unison. I had my doubts, but when would I get another chance to photograph children working with shit?
Of course, after the click of the shutter, the girls surrounded us with their nasty poopy hands, and asked for 10 rupees. "You said no charge!" I cried. "No, 10 rupees for photo," they pressed, getting closer and closer with their hands covered in manure -- I could see now that it was laced with bits of straw. I became convinced they would smear the cow dung all over us if we didn't comply to their fee.
"Give them the money," I said to Benjamin without hesitation. Thank God we had 10 Rps -- it's hard to keep small bills around here. I think they wanted 10 rupees each, but after giving the bill to one girl who ran off, the others followed... probably to fight over it.
Both Benjamin and I agree that the 'shit paddy scam' is the best and most creative we've encountered so far...
Cow dung is also everywhere, and in fact, one of the first things I did upon arriving in Varanasi was to plant my foot smack dab in the middle of one. With so much cow dung all over the place, the people have come to use it as cheap fuel, for cooking fires. Some also use it to make money off tourists, like myself and Benjamin.
Today we were walking along the ghats and came upon three young girls making cow paddies. They had a silver bowl with manure from which they would grab a ball, flatten it out, and smack it against the side of a building (where it sticks) to dry in the sun. They asked if I'd like to take their photo. I said, "No rupees," as it seems nothing can be done in India without a fee. "No charge," their sing-song, sweet voices rang out in unison. I had my doubts, but when would I get another chance to photograph children working with shit?
Of course, after the click of the shutter, the girls surrounded us with their nasty poopy hands, and asked for 10 rupees. "You said no charge!" I cried. "No, 10 rupees for photo," they pressed, getting closer and closer with their hands covered in manure -- I could see now that it was laced with bits of straw. I became convinced they would smear the cow dung all over us if we didn't comply to their fee.
"Give them the money," I said to Benjamin without hesitation. Thank God we had 10 Rps -- it's hard to keep small bills around here. I think they wanted 10 rupees each, but after giving the bill to one girl who ran off, the others followed... probably to fight over it.
Both Benjamin and I agree that the 'shit paddy scam' is the best and most creative we've encountered so far...
posted by Cheryn at 6:15 PM
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