Jaipur Stroll

I love to walk around the Purana Seher (Old City) of Jaipur. There is nothing better than an aimless walk through the crowdy streets and gallies of the Pink City. Especially after studying Hindi at samsthan (institute) for 8 hours a day, when the brain starts having a consistency of a milkshake...

Well, the scenario is usual. You walk - they call you. Who? The shopkeepers. After all, I am the potential paisewali. I am white, so I must be rich. I am white, so I must be a tourist. But sorry guys, as much as I would like to please you, I don't need postcards, silver jelewry, fake gems, puppets, bangles and so on. I live here. Maybe if you have drain unplugging device, a cocroach spray or a toilet cleaning bleach - I may be interested. Otherwise, so sorry...

Two days ago, while on my walk I have passed a few shops where the dukhandars tried all what possible to stop me. I didn't, I carried on. But hey, finally I came accross a line of shops where no one was bothered with me. No one called. No one jumped out of the shop to stop me. What's going on? I have lost my celebrity status.

Perplexed I walked in to one shop to see why I was such an unimportant customer. After all, shop looked attractive and colorful. Well, soon enough I found out why I wasn't any good to contribute to a daily earning of the shopkeeper. All shops that I got ingnored by were selling all what's necessary for the anyesthi samskara - funeral and cremation. Well, I guess, once upon a time I will be a customer in such a shop, but at that time, probably it will be someone else buying gear there on my behalf...