Yesterday marked the launch of the 2007 Glasgow West End Festival, the city's largest and most popular event. The festival is a two-week long celebration of music, theater, film, dance and comedy.Byres Road turns into a pedestrian street party, crammed to capacity with people, pets, strollers, hot dog/hamburger peddlers, outdoor stages, musicians, guided walks, talks and lastly, a parade.
Gabrielle strapped securely to my back, we ventured together into the malaise and moshed our way up and down Byres Road. Jasheen played it smart and stayed in w/ Isabelle (we're learning). It was a fantastic experience seeing the city come together like it did. Being out in the crowd where all the people are... Gabrielle and I were right in our element.
We saw some pretty wild things: men on stilts, clowns, a big herd of dancing bananas, transvestites, etc. But maybe the most interesting thing I saw was a scuffle between a Chinese man and some meditating Buddhist monks. As several monks were meditating (on display), a young Chinese man stormed their booth and gathered up as much of their propaganda as he could. Arms filled with Chinese pamphlets and an incensed look on his face, the man tried to break free from the grasp of a few monks. That's what was so interesting... the image of a Buddhist monk physically restraining a man was just... mystifying. I wish I'd snapped a photo. Commonly, monks are awash with humility and serenity - images of contrite postures of meditation come to mind. And of course, the immortalized photo of Thich Quang Duc burning himself in protest of the Vietnam war is an image easily associated with Buddhist monks. Which is why this image of a physical altercation was so baffling. It's just one of those things that takes time to wrap your mind around.
All that to say, we saw some wild and crazy things at the West End Festival yesterday. It may not be the greatest show on earth, but it always provides interesting experiences and imagery.
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