Saturday 23 June 2007

o i do love a festival

Well not much has happened in the way of writing today (though the day is not yet over and for some reason, I get my best writing done around twilight or late in the night...not sure why that is, just know I need to leave ample time in the day to just mooch around). But mum came up and spent the day with me. It also happened to be Katoomba's Winter Magic Festival, complete with a parade, market stalls, musical acts and people swathed in lots of velvet, corsetry and silly hats. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun - pictorial highlights below.

We wandered up and down the main street for a while. I bought a skein of the most gorgeous hand dyed merino (because I am determined to finish knitting a scarf this winter, damnit); a present that I'll probably give Imogen for Christmas of a pink and purple felt bag made in Nepal to raise money for an orphanage; and mum bought us both some beautiful jewellery. Then, having had enough of the crowds, we went to Lilianfels for our playing-at-being-ladies high tea. I love hanging out with my mum!

this little girl was the first I saw dressed up after mum and I met at the station and she looked so chuffed to be in her princess dress - the kids by and large had the best costumes!

part of a dragon, I think it was made by kids at the primary school and I'm guessing this guy was their teacher (or dragon wrangler)

tilted main street and gorgeous blue sky

part of an inexplicably long chunk of the parade - a whole bunch of Falun Dafa supporters/practitioners. there was a marching band, drummers, dancers and people with quite alarming banners showing Falun Dafa practitioners being tortured in China, along with one that simply said in big letters "Falun Dafa is good" - well, it does come from the land of propaganda, doesn't it? I'm still not sure why it took up so much of the parade, and as it was the last group to march it made it end on kind of a downer.

We couldn't work out where this group was from - a commune or something? All the men had bushy beards and all the women were in shapeless dresses with long, usually braided hair. Wherever they were from, they were very happy-looking and energetically danced to some great folk music.

1 comment :

  1. Hello, woke up this morning wondering how you were, so cause I am so busy trying to make my thesis make sense, I checked your blog instead of calling which is very antisocial I know.Its probably 2am in Australia, thats my excuse. Anyhow, I am so so happy you are back at Varuna being suppported in your gorgeous work. I am coming home July 15 so I cant wait to see you and read some of the Varuna inspired genius. Love BekC

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