Yesterday, in Hampi, I met a fruit seller. I had been admiring the simple work of a young woman as she decorated the dirt floor of the gateway of a guesthouse by making a design on the ground with white powder (as described in a previous post, called Colom).
The fruit seller had simple English, "my daughter" she said with a smile.
This turned my attention to the fruit seller. She had tattoos on her face, faded teardrop shapes going sideways from the outer edge of both eyes and more of these on her chin. I understand these were done when she was about 6. Her forearms and hands were also covered in designs, similar to those done in henna tattooing, but real tattoos, faded grey. She said she got these at 10. She said it with sadness.
I asked her if the tattoos on her arms were for marriage. I will never know if we fully understood each other, but she said yes. Selling fruit in the tourist part of Hampi meant she could speak some English.
Her oldest child was the one doing the decorations, she is 15. Her youngest is a baby that she breastfed while we were there. She has 7 children. Although she looked older, she said she is 32. Selling fruit in the sun and having 7 children could make a person look older.
I hope her daughters have a better life. I think they will.
I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to make a spectacle of this. But I did buy some fruit.
The fruit seller had simple English, "my daughter" she said with a smile.
This turned my attention to the fruit seller. She had tattoos on her face, faded teardrop shapes going sideways from the outer edge of both eyes and more of these on her chin. I understand these were done when she was about 6. Her forearms and hands were also covered in designs, similar to those done in henna tattooing, but real tattoos, faded grey. She said she got these at 10. She said it with sadness.
I asked her if the tattoos on her arms were for marriage. I will never know if we fully understood each other, but she said yes. Selling fruit in the tourist part of Hampi meant she could speak some English.
Her oldest child was the one doing the decorations, she is 15. Her youngest is a baby that she breastfed while we were there. She has 7 children. Although she looked older, she said she is 32. Selling fruit in the sun and having 7 children could make a person look older.
I hope her daughters have a better life. I think they will.
I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to make a spectacle of this. But I did buy some fruit.
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