Carnivaaal: A Beginning

Carnival season is here! From now until March, it's the best Dutch excuse to dress up, paint their faces, and start drinking at breakfast. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, it's hard not to join in.

As a friend would say (and these Dutch would agree), "an empty hand is a sad hand".

Well, these hands are happy.

As are these heads. Check out the headdresses!

Like the people here, they are taaaall...



...all over the place (!)

...but timeless in their beauty.

As I try to make my way through the crowd, my chorus of sorrys and excuse mes are lost somewhere in the carnival music, and Dutch ladies in fancy dress chide me, "Use your elbows, not your words!". Somehow, I feel suddenly at home.

After living in Delhi, I guess chaos becomes a part of you.

And yet you can find tranquility in every moment, especially on those rare days when the sun is out.

It's hard not to smile with all those clowns around!

When the Dutch get drunk, they like to stand around and pose stick their tongues out for pretty much anyone with a camera.

Sometimes scarily so.

Alcohol brings out the best in people, clearly.

One of the things I love most about the celebrations (and this little town) is that everyone gets involved. And they only get more into it as they get older! Just look at these couples, in a parallel universe, they could almost be past/future reflections of each other. Almost!

The festivities go on all day, all that drinking and dancing and drooling and high-fiveing each other -- with beer. But at some point, time (and people) just chill, stand still...

and watch the leaves fall around them while they still can.

And then drink and dance some more,

till the skies are as coloured as they are and the lights twinkle at them

from the outside as much as the inside.

This is what the best days are made of.