Saturday Chasing Pigeons

And this is what I've been doing this weekend.... Chasing flying Pigeons. Unlike in the Philippines, birds here in Singapore and fearless. They gather around you to peck the food you throw.

Most of the times even if you shoo them they just hop and RUN away instead of FLY. So on a hot Saturday afternoon, I have decided that I am in much need of a pam-porma shades. But being the cheapskate that I am, I went to Little India for the everything $1.90 Store. 5 minutes later I was off weaving in and out the backstreets of Hindoo, Baboo, and whathaveyou lanes with may aviator shades, backpack, my Holga, Digicam and a tourist map. Bwahahaha. Yeah I know, I'm a poser.

For a Saturday, Little India was a little quiet and the usual mass of our dark skinned foreign workers, were not to be found. My initial plan was to take portraits of them and print it out from the nearby photo store. I contented myself on sitting on a side street North-Indian canteen while watching a song and dance number by Amithab Bachman in his 30's and a captivating leading lady with flat belly and brown eyes. 

Them Pigeons were everywhere.

I kept half of the prata I'm eating (sadness) and walked to the little park I passed before. I threw a piece a size of my fingernails. The clouds went dark with the mass of wings and feathers (I'm exaggerating) and they descended on me, specifically beside my feet.

I weaved my camera in the midst of them to no avail. They were enjoying the prata bread. 10 seconds later, they began scattering again, some are looking at my direction waiting for another bit. I did not fail them. This process repeated five times until I realized that I am actually giving away my 3 dollar snack. So, I poured a generous amount of curry on it and gobbled it before the gazing pigeons.

 

Needless to say, their interest in me were gone as I swallow the last morsel of bread. At this point, when they wont come near me, I began chasing them. I started shooing the remaining birds near me, but when they just hopped instead of fly, I made noises and threw my (holga) lens cap at them. This generated the desired reaction.

I kept chasing them for the next fifteen minutes and I wonder what I looked like to the Indians at the park and the foreigners at the hostel across the street.

Pretty neat eh?