Feelin' Kind of Festive (In Photos)

Before another round of sheesha, Virali, Rishabh and I are of to visit Chandigarh's Rose Garden for the Rose Festival. Sounds a lot like something we have back home (Whetstone), but it's always worth it to see how Indians do things.

  And... it's like a county fair: stands with food, sales, and plenty of rides (including a very enthusiastic ferris wheel), and many, many exhibits of flora. There's even a cultural exhibit in which I get to see an old-fashioned cart (still used today), well, and decorations straight from Punjabi cultural heritage. In fact, this has everything but the farm animals and funny little arts and crafts that are applauded with little ribbons.

When we decide to take a snack, it's these egg-shaped, hard pieces of fried dough, which are filled with a broth and eaten whole. It takes a few tries for me to learn how to get the whole thing in my mouth without choking.

A armed guard looms over the festival, as if waiting for zombies to attack.

The old-fashioned Punjabi scene

America: You're doing children beauty pageants wrong.

 

 2. What's that flora???

Whenever I go somewhere new with my mother, the first thing she notices is the local flora. I took her to the Columbus Conservatory a few months ago, and it took us about 45 minutes to get into the actual building because she was so interested in the everyday flora! So when I see an interesting plant, I think of how she'd examine it, trying to figure out what it is. So here's your chance mom: tell me what they are!

  

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