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The Glasgow Mela - a celebration of South Asian culture held every June - is now a fixture in Kelvingrove Park. Seehttp://www2.seeglasgow.com/glasgowmela/ See also Mela 2010: http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/2010/06/mela-2010.html |
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| These ladies were lovely |
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| Trapeze act |
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| Balloons everywhere |
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| There was great Indian and Pakistani food available; some opted for the chips and candy floss vans. . . |
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| . . .but the Fast Food Falooda stall hit the spot |
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| The dancers attracted a lot of attention. . . |
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| . . .and you could hardly get near the stage for some reason |
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| I've seen a lot of Indian dancing, and whoever this lot were they were as good as any I've seen |
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| I guessed they must be professional, especially when they gathered round this tree to be photographed |
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| No symbolism at all going on here |
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| The fountain was a popular perch |
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| A difference in sartorial style; the Mela is hailed as a coming together of all Scots - 'One Nation' as it says on website - yet the reality is that in everyday life there is not a lot of mixing going on; apart from the liberal middle classes of all shades and origins, Hindus and Sikhs (see Glasgow's Sikhs) don't mix that much with Muslims; the different Muslim communities have issues of their own; and for too many whites, all South Asians are still Pakis |
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| All over there were little groups giving impromptu shows |
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| A helpful signpost. . . |
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| . . .leads you to the Lost Children |
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| Sounds awfully patronising thing to say, but it was all really colourful |
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| Mr Bones |
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| Missed this procession alas |
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| Familes could relax in perfect safety. The Mela is quietly but very efficiently policed. I saw a drunk come lurching into the Mela area just a few yards from here - within seconds, he was surrounded by cops who emerged from the shadows and quickly huckled him off - squeaking in outrage - to a police caravan, where he was possibly treated to a lecture on respecting other cultures. As so often in modern urban life, when you see a large and harmonious gathering in a public space, it is safe to assume you are seeing a monitored event |
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| A wee rest |
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| Quiet places 1 |
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| Quiet places 2 |
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| Quiet places 3 |
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| Quiet places 4 |
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| Quiet places 5 |
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| Quiet places 6 |
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| These dogs got a lot of pats |
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| Note the hamster wheel on left |
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| Never seen this before - guy was amazingly fit |
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| I wondered if a sage would appear between the feather boas and start explaining the hamster wheel as a metaphor of some kind; I suppose it was just another fairground attraction |
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| Going home (in step) with a tiger |
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