Thursday, March 9, 2023

Gallimaufry#72

Just a gallimaufry of photos 📷
If only we took a moment to look up 
Batu Caves
Batu Caves is one of Malaysia's biggest tourist attractions. It is the site of a Hindu temple and shrine, consisting of a series of caves.
Tourists making the long, challenging climb of 272 steps up to the Batu Caves

Thai lunch
Pad Mama Kee Mao Thale
Khao Pad Sapparod
Pad Grapow
Dawn from my airplane window




We were heading to our restaurant for lunch when something dangling over the power lines above the viaduct caught my eye. When the curious object came into view, I realized that it was a pair of sneakers! Our Italian guide explained that it was an act of shoefiti (shoe + graffiti) and apparently, it is a global phenomenon although I've never seen it in my corner of the world.

There are many theories surrounding this act of shoe-tossing and according to Snopes, suggestions include :
  •  It's the work of gangs marking the boundaries of their territory. 
  •  Bullies take them off defenseless kids, then sling them up out of reach as the ultimate taunt. 
  •  Gang members create an informal memorial at the spot where a friend lost his life. 
  •  Crack dealers festoon wires to advertise their presence in the neighborhood.
  •  The shoes increase wire visibility for low-flying aircraft. 
  •  Overly puffed-up boys who have just lost their virginity or otherwise passed a sexual milestone look to signal the event to others.
  •  Graduating seniors mark this transition in their lives by leaving something of themselves behind;   namely, their shoes.
  •  Kids do it just because it's fun. 👟
Have you seen shoefiti in your corner of the world, and do you know what it means?

63 comments:

  1. So beautiful! The view from your plane's window is stunning!

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  2. Your photos are always so colourful!
    Yes, I have seen shoeffiti in Finland too, but I didn't know what it meant.

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  3. The Batu Caves looks very intresting, Veronica. The colors are amazing.

    Warm hugs!

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  4. What a wonderful series of photos.
    Photo 3 is really great.
    The food looks delicious.
    Greetings Irma

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  5. This business of tossing sneakers over wires and other suitable places where they will hang happens here too. I know of one local tree bedecked with them but the practice, thankfully, is not widespread. I am pretty sure there is a place where women leave their bras on a fence, but I am not sure of the reasons behind that.

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  6. Love all the photos! Great sights and good food too! The shoe-tossing has happened here in the US for decades, but I have no clue why it's done.

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  7. Hello Veronica,
    Beautiful photos and yummy food. The caves look interesting to visit.
    Take care, have a great weekend.

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  8. That's very interesting about the shoes -- I've never heard/seen any of that around here. Your photos, as always, are gorgeous. And now I'm hungry! (Love those steps at the shrine!)

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  9. I can't recall the last time I've seen shoes hanging from a wire, but I know that I have in the past. Never thought much about it except - what a waste of good shoes!
    Beautiful Hindu temple - thanks for sharing!

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  10. Dearest Veronica,
    Love those Batu caves, the food and dawn images.
    Never heard of shoefiti...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  11. I have heard of the shoe thing, but I haven't seen it. Someone knows what it means but they're not saying. That's curious, too.

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  12. Wonderful photos, the food looks soooo good. I have often seen shoes strung up here, mostly on trees or street lanterns, but I don't know why! Hugs, Valerie

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  13. So many steps leading up to the caves! They have painted the stairs in pretty bright colors! The food dishes on your posts always make me hungry haha. The shrimp dish looks wonderful. The shoe picture hanging from the power lines reminded me of a photo I took many years ago in my old town. There was a pair of tennis shoes hanging from the power lines, and I always wondered what they were doing there and what the story was. And dawn from your airplane window is beautiful. You take the most enchanting pictures, my friend.

    ~Sheri

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  14. Yes and no. I've also seen a tree growing cola cans in front of a hotel in Berlin.

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  15. oooooh those caves and i love those stairs. a beautiful set of pictures and a gorgeous view from the plane window. yummy food!!

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  16. Fabulous look at your part of the world. I was intrigued by the magnificent golden statue and my curiosity learned that it was Hindu god of war, Murugan. I am always very interested to learn of the different cultures. This is an amazing series of photos and the food looks incredible! It's the young people who toss their shoes here. I particularly notice them before the long summer break.

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  17. Such beautiful photos! The caves are so cool!
    I've seen shoes over lines around here and I think it's just kids fooling around, but there may be more to it than I know.
    There is a farm near us owned by an older couple who have a shoe tree. It was filled with shoes thrown by kids, grandkids and great grandkids!

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  18. Me dio hambre que rica comida y la foto del cielo me enamoro Te mando un beso.

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  19. Me dio hambre que rica comida y la foto del cielo me enamoro Te mando un beso.

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  20. The photos are breathtaking- love the steps and the sunrise photos. All the food looks delish!

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  21. love Thai foods.... delicious.
    Thank you for sharing interesting photos

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  22. Oh dear, nice food, nice photos and nice time you had. I followed your blog, kindly follow mine. Thank you so much.
    http://www.worldviewcaptures.com/2023/03/2-candleriggs-glasgow-street-photography.html

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  23. I have seen shoe graffiti in our country in multiple places and have heard many of the same possible theories surrounding it as well.

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  24. These photos are lovely
    https://www.melodyjacob.com/

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  25. Oh wow so many fun eye catching photos here. You captured so much. The Batu Caves look like a wonderful place to visit and gosh all the yummy food I am so hungry now!

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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  26. I'll bet the caves are amazing, I'd love to visit there. Lunch looks totally delicious!

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  27. The Thai lunch looks sooo good!

    Yes, I've seen shoefitti, but never knew what they meant!

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  28. my dear, I like your photos and thank you for presenting them to us! About the culinary ones... I have to say that I got hungry ☺
    as for throwing shoes, I think it's about graduating seniors mark this transition in their lives by leaving something of themselves behind; namely, their shoes or the Kids do it just because it's fun.
    Hugs and blessings, Veronica ♥

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  29. Hindu temple and shrine look really impressive. And so many people!
    The food looks delicious. I think I have an appetite.

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  30. That's funny about the shoes, they have a different meaning here, if you ever see them hanging off a power line it means there is a drug house nearby

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  31. Hello Veronica :=) The hanging chandler is very pretty,the Batu caves must be very interesting to visit, and the many steps are colourful. I have seen the shoe tossing before in other countries but not here in Portugal. Your meals all looked appetising. I'm always looking up at the trees and birds because that is where my main interest lies, but thankfully their are people like you who notice other intriguing things. Thank you!

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  32. beautiful photos today Veronica - so many sights to see - you made me hungry again too!

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  33. Beautiful photos! I love your gallimaufry (although I can never remember that word!)
    Thank you for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/03/i-wish-i-was-there.html

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  34. Beautiful
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  35. I have been to the Batu Caves.. many many moons ago. The steps were not so colorful back then.

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  36. What lovely photos and that lovely food again I do hope this time you saved me some heheh! :-)

    Have a gallimaufrytastic week 👍

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  37. That is a lot of steps to climb, but sure the result is well worth the effort. Looking up (and down) can often result in great images. I have seen shoes dangling from poser lines, but never knew there was a term for it.

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  38. The food looks good. All the photos are lovely.

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  39. Love seeing your part of the world thru photos!!

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  40. Yeah. We have those sneakers hanging on powerlines in Finland too. 👟

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  41. Wonderful! I would like to invite you at
    MosaicMonday

    Here https://happy-hour-with-picts.blogspot.com/2023/03/mosaicmonday-no-22.html?m=1

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  42. The photos of Batu Caves are beautiful, and the food looks delicious too.

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  43. We have seen shoes hanging on power lines a few times but had no idea why people would do that, now we know. The Batu Caves looks quite interesting.

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  44. ...the colorful stair caught my eye! Thanks for sharing, enjoy your week.

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  45. wonderful! have a great day! :)

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  46. WOW, so much to see and do! I've seen shoefiti only a few times. The first time I saw a pair of sneakers dangling from a power line, I thought it was just an accident. Little did I know it was the start of a trend. lol

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  47. So interesting and beautiful gallimaufry! Very interesting space that cave!
    The dawn is amazing! So nice that you did the photos and shared.
    Happy WW, dear Veronica! A fabulous week ahead! 😘❤️

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  48. Yum! What a feast. We toured an amazing cave in Arizona called Kartchner Cavern State Park. We couldn't take any photos. So I won't be able to share it on my blog. But it was surreal. Thank you so much for commenting on my book cover!

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  49. Oh the food. Oh the food. I love your food.

    Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ♥

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  50. Okay, thanks! AND NOW I'M HUNGRY & I don't know what I'm gonna pick!!! bummer!!!!! Have a great day!

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  51. Your amazing Thai lunch looks so good, I can almost taste it from these gorgeous photos you've shared. I hope you have a beautiful and blessed week!

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  52. Those colourful stairs look so striking from the distance. Shoes over wires happen here occasionally, but I've never heard of any other meanings than just kids' idea of fun.
    Beautiful dawn photo from your airplane window. I hope you are having a great week.

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  53. The Thai food looks so yum!!
    I haven't seen shoe-graffiti around here but I've heard about it and seen pics. I never knew there were this many theories, tho'. Thank you for researching and sharing your findings. Very interesting!

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  54. Lovely variety of images!

    Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!

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  55. Many steps at the colourful stair - I like it colourful!
    The view from the airplane is amzing,
    greetings from a sunny Germany (now)
    Kirsi

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  56. I'm getting hungry coming here at 5 pm! Captivating photos!

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  57. Your blog makes me crave all that food, every single time. That sneaker trivia was quite something, sweetheart.

    Batu caves are beautiful.
    Love xoxo

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  58. Great pictures... I always enjoy your content and pics dear :-)
    Beauty and Fashion/Glamansion/Rampdiary

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