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This
is reason enough to instigate a
conflict in the streets of India,
as we never take anything light-heartedly
or with a sense of humour.
On the contrary, in the European
avenues, it is an entertainment
that enlivens the evenings. These
are occasions enjoyed whole-heartedly
by the imitator as well as his subject.
All European towns consist of a
vast open area, which can be called
a city square. All the major buildings
of the town are located around this
open space. They are carefully constructed
so as not to loose the radiance
and splendour of the stones. The
colourful window panes and the full
blown flowers on the window sills
add to the elegance of the buildings.
The central portion of the square
is appealingly stone paved and is
bordered either by gardens or lawns.
Most of the ground floor shops around
the square are either beer shops
or restaurants. These restaurants
serve Chinese, Indian, Mexican and
even South African cuisine.
Seats are arranged within the square
and will mostly be occupied by evening.
The square serves as the cultural
stage of the townfolk. Over a tumbler
of foaming beer, men and women discuss
diverse topics like scientific advancements,
new styles in literature, the undercurrents
and changes in the political arena.
Even revolutionary ideas are shaped
during such lively evening gatherings.
Beer gardens are not merely pubs,
instead they are places where ideas
that inspire and influence the public
sprout. The Beer Garden speeches
made by Hitler to bring the Germans
under his control are famous in
this context.
City Squares, even as they pose
as centres for serious discussions,
serve as grounds of amusement too.
Artists playing strange musical
instruments and experts in the art
of mimicking are present all over
the City Square. They are very well
appreciated and their programmes
are heartily enjoyed by the lively
excited audience in the Square.
The Square remains lively even at
midnight. The colourful lights provided
by the surrounding buildings, creative
artists displaying their talents,
horse carriages that create an ambience
of a long lost rich past. These
are all heavenly sights at the City
Square.
An evening at Marian Plats, a City
Square, still remains memorable.
The Beer Garden was crowded. In
the middle of the crowd was a young
man, his nose colourfully painted
and wearing a peculiar hat. He was
wandering rather quickly among the
crowd of people. His job was to
give the people a good laugh and
to earn money in return.
Without talking to anyone, he would
wander around and would imitate
those who walked in front of him,
mostly without their knowledge.
It is only when the onlookers laugh
that the person would come to know
that he is being made fun of. Consequently,
they too would join the laugh.
The clown has a whistle with him,
which he uses to call people who
pass by without giving him due attention.
His keen observation of the walk,
looks and the body language of a
person is clearly evident in the
humorous imitation he displays.
He went on imitating people without
any gender bias and I spent some
time observing this extremely talented
person.
Suddenly, something strange happened.
A young well-built man approached
the clown from the opposite direction
and deliberately hit him on his
shoulder. A revenge perhaps for
having been mocked before! The young
man walked away as if nothing happened.
The clown’s face clearly showed
that he was hurt. But, he without
losing his sense of humour came
to reality and blew his whistle.
The young man who had hit him, turned
back, only to find the jester showing
a red card at him. Posing himself
as a football referee, he showed
the red card along with a long blow
of the whistle.
The young man who was `declared
out’, could do nothing but join
the onlookers in their hearty laugh.
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