Sunday 24 June 2007

Asian Mela

I popped over to the Asian Mela this afternoon. It was a gross disappointment of the highest order. I guess this must be due to the nasty weather.

However, something did catch my eye; it was the only stall/attraction where anyone had bothered to stop at.

It was a spectacle so bad that my toes were curling. You can't even say that it was so bad, it was good. No sirree. It was so bad, it was abysmal.

It was the wrestling. I apologise for not knowing what Asian Mela is or what it celebrates, but I don't actually understand the link between phony play fighting and an Asian cultural event. Maybe wrestling is an age old metaphor for good versus evil and a display of religious enlightenment. Or is it just that the organisers were desperate to fill a plot in the middle of the Common?

Either way, it was like driving past a car crash. You really shouldn't look because it's so terrible, but you just can't help it. [I've always loved the term car crash television. It's completely accurate].

I'm sure wrestling is completely staged and has that kitsch quality about it, but it's kind of fun in a violent and Neanderthal way. I cringed at the way the wrestlers were thrown across the ring. Instead of bouncing off the ropes and hurtling back with a double salko ending with a pile drive, they teetered across the ring like they were in stilletos, threw themselves against the ropes and danced back to belly flop the enemy.

I wandered off in disbelief and pretended to be interested in Saris and sweetmeats. I walked in a complete circle and had the misfortune to pass by the wrestling event again. This time, I saw a man in the ring holding up a horse brass. Silly me, it was a wrestling champion holding aloft a belt with gold plastic panels stuck on. He lacked menace. Then sure as day follows night, a girl from the audience berates him. We are lead to believe she's an ordinary punter, until she removes all her clothes (not quite, but caught your attention), and gives him a real pasting. Acting classes dear? This bunch sure as hell haven't been to RADA.

3 comments:

Hugh said...

Hi - you should have stopped by the Plumstead Common Environment Group stall whilst you were at the Mela. I popped up to Plumstead Common specifically to catch up with Simon (Sibonetic), and stayed an hour or so chatting with him. I agree the weather was terrible - the food stalls were quite expensive too, when compared to places in East Ham like the Mobeen, or Sweet & Spicy in Brick Lane. I heartily agree the wrestling was terrible, though my view from the PCEG stall and Gazebo was thankfully limited!

Anonymous said...

It's very quiet 'round here Dr Pangloss. What news in the shire?

Anonymous said...

hi -just came across this post by chance. I think what you may have seen was actually a game called kabbadi. I vaguely remember seeing it. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabaddi

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