Wednesday, December 5, 2007

NEWS: Photo feature - Indian Express


I'm a Page 3 girl! Or maybe it was page 33. Whatever .. I’m in the news and feeling quite pleased about it. This pic was taken at the Overseas Women's Foundation's Annual Bazaar on December 1st, 2007, held at the St Mark's Cathedral grounds. Dr Clown had a table there. Well, half a table. We set up shop with our wonderful 2008 calendar --- a rather delightful work of art, featuring photographs of all of us clowns - and our colourful postcards, as well as a couple of exotic cakes and muffins. We also had MUCH fun painting clown faces on lots of wonderful little children.

I had a WONDERFUL time. I wore my best new hat. In between painting faces and helping myself to clown cake, I tromped around the bazaar, meeting everyone and making lots of new friends. I also adopted two very nice puppets, a witch who now goes by the name "Mrs. Snape" and a little clown who is yet to be named (you can see him in the picture .. I have him by the neck).

I also got to have a mesmerising conversation with Basava, a large and extremely patient ox who was taking children on cart rides around the cathedral grounds. He was a quiet sort of ox. He didn't have much to say, but he turned out to be a very good listener.

Yes, it was a good day indeed. A nice nutritious clown lunch of cotton candy and something wonderful called a hog dog (which is made of neither pigs nor dogs). I even bumped into Santa Claus. Alas, I did not get a chance to sit on Santa's lap (that would have been quite a feat, as he was standing up at the time) but he did promise to send me Professor Snape for Christmas. I don’t want Professor Snape for myself, I’m a one-man clown, and that man is Shah Rukh Khan. But I know Nazu gets all weak in the knees whenever she sees Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies. I thought maybe I could hide him in her Christmas stocking for her.

The highlight of the day was when Dr. Tonsils showed up. Yes! Nazu’s daddy, who has very kindly adopted me and made me part of the family! It was his 81st birthday and so all us clowns got together to give him a beautifully tuneless rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. There was a strange expression on his face while we sang, the harmony and melody drawing crowds of curious onlookers (or perhaps music lovers). Nazu insists his expression was a combination of pleasure and embarrassment, but I’m sure it was just his pure unadulterated joy, perhaps on an empty stomach. (He left for lunch soon after).

Then on we went, and I even got to step out for some fresh air with Miss Rose. We walked down from St. Mark’s to a famous restaurant called Koshy’s. Now I’m not vain, but let me tell you, we turned plenty of heads at that fine establishment.

That was one good clown day.

No comments:

Post a Comment