In keeping with my new promise to photograph more of Blingopolis before my departure, I ventured down (read forcibly dragged by Mom) to the gleefully-congested, gargantuan shopfest otherwise known as Global Pillage.
I doubt if I’ve ever seen that many thousands of people assembled in a singular entertainment venue before.
Scratch that. I have. At Disneyland.
Whilst the grown up in me could not fathom how so many people were out shopping in a financially tumultous era, the free-spirited side succumbed to the brightly lit funfair, with its delightful pastiche of sights, sounds, and smells. Grandly-designed country pavilions housed many indigenous vendors, clearly uninterested in haggling with the bargain-hunting, dirham-wielding masses.
And so, the shoppers shopped…and shopped like there was no tomorrow (which, technically, was true, as it was the last day of the festival).
Between being fascinated by multi-lingual Chinese sellers (who switched from pitch perfect Arabic to Hindi to English), to deciding which pavilion to visit next (usually the empty ones I felt sorry for), to trying to figure out why it was my mother’s personal mission to stop by every single shop (sigh), I did eventually manage to take a few shots.
If truth be told, I found myself sucked in by the sheer energy of the ‘Village’, and having my DSLR on me, definitely made the trip much more worthwhile.
As you may agree, the subject gave a whole new meaning to the expression, “Chasing the light”. Enjoy.
Awesome images!!
The last panorama is great.
I’m reminded of the time when we first visited GV when it was still by the creek where Festival City is now.
In that last image can you see the 2 brightly lit poles to the left of the ferris wheel? Between them, on big rubber bands, is a round cage into which 2 people are strapped in and then hurled into space before bouncing around a few times before coming back down to earth, thanking God, Allah, Buddah and whoever else is listening that they are still alive.
J and I did that ride – yes we did! First time for everything, they say. And the last.