Buddha Comes to Hobart

I was just going about my business at lunch running errands, and the police had Collins Street closed off.  A quick glance down the street revealed tinsel-decked vehicles, so I thought I was about to have a Close Encounter with Christmas Well Wishers (blech!).  Scott, brave and protective husband that he is, gave me a kiss, warned me to be careful fo the Tinsel Monster, and kept going on his merry way.  I bravely continued down Collins Street towards Medicare, ready to scream over the noise if Christmas carols reached my ears, and came upon something unexpected: Buddha was riding the Tinsel Monster!  I then remembered reading that there was a Buddhists conference in town, World Buddhist Sangha Youth Conference to be exact. 

Somehow the Buddhists lining up for their dragon parade seemed an interesting contrast to Collins Street’s usual pedestrians.  Not that it’s unusual to see a Buddhist on Collins Street (they do have a centre on this block, after all), however I’m ashamed to say that usually they are grossly outnumbered by bogans.

I didn’t have my camera with me so had to make do with my phone.