On Three Wheeled Mobile Temples and Colourful Feet

On a quiet side street I heard music, chanting and tinkling bells and caught the aroma of incense.  Nothing unusual in India, but this time it was coming from a mobile, motorised shrine.  I hadn't been up close and personal to one before, it was delightful.

I dropped a few rupees in by way of thanks for a cheering sight, sound and smell.

It was only after looking at the picture closely, that I fully realised how striking the sari on the woman was.  I've finally become accustomed to Indian colours as evidenced by my feet:

They've got a lot brighter since I moved to Mumbai.

A sad day for footwear

Alas a trip to shoe street looks necessary to replace the pink flip flops which pass as work shoes because they're not made of rubber.

Shiny, Sparkly Things

I'm a practical shopper, I don't spend much on things unless I really need them or they're technologically perfect for my requirements. I compare prices and styles and make my mind up in a logical manner. I'm not swayed by designer labels or plush store interiors or over attentive retail staff.

Things have to be practical, I want to know I'll get good use out of them. Shoes have to be able to match a lot of outfits and not fall apart after a few wears.



Bollocks, I seem to have accidentally bought a pair of stupidly expensive silver flip flops. I can't imagine how that happened.

Shopping

A trip to Nguyen Trai today and for once I remembered to take my camera. I'm glad I did because I managed to track down the elusive ladybird motorbike helmets. I've seen them being worn but this is first time I've managed to photograph them in captivity.


Also available in blue:


Vietnamese shoes are wonders to behold, check out the ones below. Leopard skin fabric, gold spindly heel, equally golden platform sole, broad ankle strap and bloody huge faux jewel.



I'm prone to the odd fashion crime when it comes to shoes so there are times I'm relieved that my giant Western feet can't be forced into things like this.

While on the subject of shoes, you might think that Converse have a wide enough range of baseball boots and shoes to satisfy everyone. Not at all. They haven't considered the needs of the Glam Rock Seventies Revivalists.



Thanks to the Vietnamese knock off shoe industry their needs are satisfied.

Shoes in the house?

I'm going to take some pictures of the house but haven't got around to it yet, To motivate myself I'm putting up a mini-posting which ought to shame me into being more productive. Time will tell though, I have a high shame threshold.

We are good tenants and don't wear shoes in the house, neither does anyone else so there tends to be a big collection at the front door at times.

On permanent display are the "gate shoes", rubber flip flops for shuffling back and forward the three steps from the front door to the gate when visitors or bill collectors arrive.

Label Babel

I went to "Shoe Street" and snagged myself a pair of Clark's sandals and some pretty flip flops orignially destined for New Look. Choice of shoes isn't something I've had recently so I bought all that fitted including a pair of gold shoes which I suspect may never see the light of day. Not all the goods are genuine of course, you have to be careful otherwise you're going to end up looking pretty silly.



"Watch the Nem Levi's Commercial, Cong Away Sin". Indeed.

Mistranslations always appeal to me and in the marvelously named "Fashion Monkey" Stephen got a nice t-shirt with an even nicer label



Of course I was too big for all the female clothes, but what do I care, I got shoes!

Saigon Cyclo Challenge

Saturday the 8th of March was the Annual Saigon Cyclo Challenge, a fund raising event for Saigon Childrens Charity held at the Taipai International School. As you'd expect it's a cyclo race sponsored by foreign and local companies with employees taking part.



It's not as easy as it looks and some of the participants take it very seriously. As well as prizes for winning races there's tough competition to win the Best Cheerleader competition. They strutted their stuff in the opening parade.



Stilts were very popular, traditional dress and more modern interpretations were on show.



I didn't see any of them fall.

The bulls shoogled their buttocks:



The cheerleader leader lead the cheering with inexhaustible enthusiasm



The girls from Catwalk dressed like cats



and walked



it was clearly hard on the feet.



Other girls from I don't know where dressed in gold tutus and tails and also walked in inappropriate footwear.



I couldn't work out the significance of the tiger and grass skirt combo



but it was all for charity so I can't be too critical.

I tried and failed to get a good picture of the professional cyclo drivers but they were too fast for me.



A good day and the unseasonal rain stayed off until the last race.

If I've got it right clicking on the title of this post should take you to Saigon Children's Charity site where you can see what it was all in aid of and see much better photographs of the day taken by a man in a pith helmet.