This is the week of the Autumn Festival in Mussoorie. Every night there has been a different presentation of music and dance. Three of us went to see the “Boogie Woogie” show on Monday night. It was held in the “Rink” an old skating rink.

When we arrived, it was packed. Around the edge of the ……. people were standing on chairs, so that we couldn’t see a thing. Finally we stood at the back of the center aisle, and standing on our toes we could get a glimpse of the stage. After a couple of minutes one of the guards spotted us in the crowd, and sent one of his people to usher us up to the front for a good view (sometimes it’s nice to be a foreigner!). We sat on the floor for awhile, then a group of young guys invited us to join them, despite already being 6 people on 4 chairs. So, we crowded in, and began cheering with them.
For those who don’t know what “Boogie Woogie” means here (and I didn’t), it is a dance contest. Teenagers danced for a minute or so each to popular movie music. The crowd was easily as interesting as the performers. When somebody popular came on stage the sound was deafening.
On Thursday, I went with my Sikh friend, Bir Sahney, to hear a Panjabi singer named Jassi. The music was full of energy, and fun. It was interesting to see all the local dignitaries hanging out on stage during the performance. When Jassi wasn’t singing they would chat with him. It seems to me that face plays an important role in Indian culture.