2 Festivals and
Celebrations
Battle of Oranges
The red hat people are
ordered to wear is not just any hat. The berretto frigio, a sock-shaped hat
sold on every street corner, is the symbol of the carnival itself. It is a
symbol of freedom; worn in Roman times by freed slaves. During the Middle Ages
it was on the heads of peasants rioting against feudal lords.
Back on my feet, I make
sure my hat is on, and visible. I want to get another look, but soon I am hit
again on my forehead. My head jerks back, I wipe my face, oh my goodness, it's
blood! I am going to need stitches, maybe it's a concussion!
Then I remember blood
oranges.
Shivering from the quick
succession of shock and relief, I retreat to the back of the square, away from
any flying fruit. This is the first of three yearly battles; everybody is fresh
and excited from a year-long wait. Nine teams of aranceri (orange-throwers) on
foot, wearing uniforms, hurl oranges at their opponents on horse-drawn
carriages, clad in Doctor Whoesque costumes with padded shoulders and
leather-covered cylindrical helmets. An hour into the battle, the square is
covered in a thick sludge, mixture of orange pulp and horse manure. It smells
sharp, sweet-and-sour.
Aranceri on foot rush back
and forth, to the sides of the square stacked with orange crates, filling their
shoulder bags and baggy tops. As soon as a cart approaches, they charge,
bombarding it with oranges.
"This is the moment we
wait for all the year," says Silvia, holding an orange cut in half on her
right eye. "I'll be happy to have a black eye tomorrow."
She sits with me, sipping a
glass of mulled wine. "I think carnival is good for our psychological
health. During these three days I can let it all out, all the frustrations I
have built up during the year. Afterwards I feel refreshed. Of course,
accidents happen" she adds, pushing the orange on her swollen eye,
"but you should try, it's good for you".
I am curious to know what it feels, I admit.
I keep thinking I am wearing a hat, and the public are not supposed to join in
the battle. Even so, that doesn't seem to stop hat-wearers from throwing the
occasional orange. To prevent further trouble, volunteers advise the public to
stay behind protective nets.
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"Aren't you afraid of getting
hurt?"
Massi laughs. "If you compare the risk
to the rush you get, a black eye is a small price to pay."
He fills his top with oranges. A cart is
approaching. "Come on, throw your red hat away and come with me".
I am tempted, but I decline.
-
Margherita
Vocabulary:
1. Flash: Glint,
Sparkle, Gleam चमक
2. Pile: Heap,
Stack, Accumulation ढेर
3. Mush: Mash,
Puree, Soften
4. Heck: Darn,
Blast, Curses
5. Carnival: Fair,
Festival, Celebration मेला, उत्सव
6. Slaves: Servants,
Bondsmen, Serfs गुलाम, दास
7. Peasants: Farmers,
Country folk, Agrarians कृषकहरू
8. Feudal: Medieval,
Aristocratic, Hierarchical सामन्ती
9. Jerks: Twitches,
Spasms, Jolts झटका
10. Concussion: Impact, Jolt, Collision धक्का
11. Shivering: Trembling, Quivering, Shuddering ठिठुर्नु
12. Succession: Sequence, Series,
Progression अनुक्रम
13. Hurl: Throw,
Fling, Toss फेक्नु
14. Opponents: Adversaries, Rivals,
Foes प्रतिद्वन्द्वी, विरोधी, विपक्षीहरू
15. Costumes: Attire, Outfits, Dress पोशाक, वस्त्र
16. Battle: Conflict,
Combat, Struggle युद्ध, संघर्ष, लडाई
17. Sludge: Muck,
Mire, Filth कीचड
18. Manure: Fertilizer,
Dung, Compost गोबर
19. Explode: Burst,
Detonate, Erupt फुट्नु
20. Clutch: Grasp,
Grip, Cling दबाउनु
21. Sipping: Drinking,
Imbibing, Quaffing पिउनु, चुस्नु,
22. Mulled: Pondered,
Considered चिन्ता गर्नु, विचार गर्नु
23. Frustrations: Disappointments, Setbacks,
Obstacles निराशा
24. Swollen: Inflamed,
Enlarged, Puffed सुज्यो, फुलेको
25. Curious: Inquisitive,
Interested, Intrigued जिज्ञासु, उत्सुक
26. Gigantic: Huge,
Enormous, Massive विशाल, अत्यधिक, असाधारण
A.
Match the words with their meaning.
a.
mush 
iii. a soft thick mass or mixture
b.
jerk v. to make something move with a sudden
short sharp movement
c.
concussion vi. a temporary loss of consciousness
d.
hurl i. to throw something violently in a
particular direction
e.
pulp vii. the soft part inside the fruits and
vegetables
f.
clutch ii. to hold something tightly
g.
sip iv. to drink something, taking a very
small amount each time
B.
Write 'True' for true statements and 'False' for false ones.
a.
The tourists are informed to wear a red hat through public notices. True
b.
Aranceri seems dressed in Doctor Whoesque costumes. True
c.
When a cart approaches, aranceri run away from the square. False
d.
The narrator feels bored during the festival period. False
e.
The volunteers encourage the visitors to join the battle. False
f.
The narrator accepts Massi's offer. False
C.
Answer the following questions.
a.
What does the red hat symbolize?
=
The red hat symbolizes freedom and is a symbol of the carnival itself.
b. How does the narrator feel when she wipes her face?
=
The narrator feels shocked when she wipes her face.
c. What does the square look like after an hour- battle of the oranges?
=
After an hour of the battle of the oranges, the square is covered in a thick
sludge, a mixture of orange pulp and horse manure.
d. How do aranceri members chase the cart?
=
Aranceri members chase the cart by running after it and hurling the last of
their supplies.
e. Does Silvia enjoy this carnival? Why?
=
Yes, Silvia enjoys the carnival because it allows her to release frustrations
and feel refreshed afterward.
f. Why does Massi say, "Forget the nets"?
=
Massi says, "Forget the nets" because he believes that to truly
experience the carnival, one must be in the middle of the battle.
Grammar I
A.
Change the following sentences into indirect speech. The beginning of each
sentence is given.
a.
"Are you working tonight?"
Agaman
asked Timothy if he was working that night.
b. "Is this the road to the station?"
A
stranger wanted to know from me if that was the road to the station.
My
friend inquired her if she had done her homework.
d. "Have you been to Paris?"
The
tourist was asked if he had been to Paris.
e.
"How long have you been working in this company?"
Usha
inquired of Anju how long she had been working in that company.
f. "What flavour ice cream did you have at the party?"
My
mother asked me what flavor ice cream I had at the party.
g. "Have you studied reported speech before?"
The
teacher wanted to know if they had studied reported speech before.
h. "Where will you stay tonight?"
I
asked him where he would stay that night.
i. "How many players were shown yellow card by the referee?"
Sumangal
asked his friend how many players had been shown yellow cards by the
referee.
j. "What magic did the medicine have on the patient?"
Sarita
wanted to know from Sommaya what magic the medicine had on the
patient.
B.
Change the following remarks into reported speech.
a.
Kritika asked me, "Why did you go out last night?"
= Kritika asked me why I had gone out last night.
b. "Who was that beautiful woman, Usha?" said Sunita.
=
Sunita asked Usha who that beautiful woman had been.
c. "How is your mother?" said Gaurab to Yang Dolma.
=
Gaurab asked Yang Dolma how her mother was.
d. My friend wanted to know, "What are you going to do at the weekend?"
=
My friend wanted to know what I was going to do at the weekend.
e. "Where will you live after graduation?" said my teacher.
=
My teacher asked where I would live after graduation.
f. Anusha said to Melisha, "What were you doing when I saw you?"
=
Anusha asked Melisha what she had been doing when she had seen her.
g. I said to the pilgrim, "How was the journey?"
= I
asked the pilgrim how the journey had been.
h. "How often do you go to cinema?" said Krishna.
=
Krishna asked how often I went to cinema.
i. "Do you live in Patan?" said the Principal.
=
The Principal asked if I lived in Patan.
j. Niraj said to Luniva, "Did Phadindra arrive on time?"
=
Niraj asked Luniva if Phadindra had arrived on time.