A Day at the Funfair

Summers last pretty short in Sarajevo. As it is so, people in this city enjoy every single shiny day outside in the Sun. On such a sunny day, we spent a few hours at the travelling funfair. I didn't want to miss it because I deeply believe in the importance of the noises, smells and the tastes of the sweets, fast food, rides and balloons at the funfair. They truly characterise a funfair atmosphere and take their colourful place deep down inside us as our basic childhood memories. However, as you grow older, you start to notice how small and slow the children's rides actually are and see them in a newer light. All those merry-go-rounds, teacup rides, Ferris wheels, train rides, mirror mazes, and jumping castles look more symbolic than they actually function - as it happened to me this time. 

While Milou was riding a car on the merry-go-round for the second time, I was watching her as well as the other children all of whom had different expressions on their faces. Luckily, Milou's dad was shooting photos of them all. When I had a closer look at the photos later, I got even happier to see those faces with all those unique expressions as I remember them. Milou's dad had done a great job. 

'The girl on the merry-go-round' by Emir Isovic

At each ride, I noticed some of them were not enjoying the ride but since they didn't have any other choice like getting off the car in the middle of the ride they were gazing yielded stares around and soon they lowered their heads as if to tell me there is no fun in going round and round and returning to the same point. Surrounded with all those colours flickering fiercely, sounds and smells, for a split second, the merry-go-round seemed to me like a smaller, slower version of life and the children seemed like adults. Imagining so, it wasn't hard to speculate on their gestures and expressions. Well, the attraction of the merry-go-round was not the same to all children as the mere beauty of life doesn't lure everyone. 

'The boy riding a car on the merry-go-round' by Emir Isovic

Some children were staring around defiantly as if to remind me 'Every one of us leads their own life. Do you think it's fun to be watching others and their boring lives?' Stern and questioning looks his were. I felt a little bit embarrassed when his eyes caught mine.

'Ride of Happiness' by Emir Isovic

Some children were enjoying the rides to the full as this boy did. He enjoyed the ride and made those very moments extraordinary. Nothing around except the fun and happiness he was experiencing mattered. While I was watching him, his chubby figure turned into the image of a grown-up man who only cares about how much he can make use of the moment. And then I thought perhaps this boy will not remember vividly how long the ride lasted or such answers but his face will widen with a big smile whenever he passes by a travelling funfair. Soon, I found myself apparently daydreaming while I was supposed to see if Milou was safe in the car she was riding.  The ride had already ended when I heard somebody calling my name. It was time to head for another attraction at the travelling funfair.