Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Allie the Rickshaw wallah

I only started the blog this week and already I have come across a few people who want to share their rickshaw stories with me. Who knows this may develop into a rich tapestry of human experience delivered at running/riding pace. That's just fast enough to get you there but slow enough to to see (smile at) what or who you are passing.

That reminds me of a movie I watched once and there was one scene in it that stopped me in my tracks. I can't remember how it went but this is how I like to remember it.
The protagonists were in a hurry it was crucial that they got away from or to something as quickly as they could but the elder (Indigenous Australian I think) he kept sitting down or wandering slowly, dwelling on one place or another. "What's the matter with you?"
"I can't go too fast my soul won't know where to find me" Proclaimed the old man. Well it went something like that can't remember for sure but the moral is sometimes we've just got to slow it all down so our souls can catch-up! That's fairdinkum!

So anyway I contacted that guy Allie and his publicist/friend shared Allie's Rickshaw-wallah motto with me.

"Shangri-La Is the legendary Heaven On Earth that everyone is always seeking. This imaginary Shangri-La has become synonymous with a mystical paradise on earth. Our goal is to offer you a heavenly ride that is always tranquil, safe and courteous."



Allie plans to pull his rickshaw from Oceanside (somewhere between Long Beach and San Diego CA, USA) to Las Vegas. Possibly a Guinness Record!


Allie and a friend


Have a nice day.

2 comments:

gs said...

david
thanks for introducing me to your blog.i liked it and will be visiting it often.the latest issue of 'the economist' carries an articled titled "colonial yokes are not bad for all". it refers to the back to the wall fight of the kolkata rickshawwallahs.

David J said...

Hand pulled rickshaws are very controversial and can be regarded as degrading to the person who pulls them. I hope the people who take a ride are appreciative and pay generously.
It would be such a tragedy if the honour was abused.