It was the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, when a Rakhi (sacred thread) is given by a sister to her brother, signifying the bond of protection and kinship between them - but there is also a delightful story taken from the epic Mahabharat that Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, tore off a strip from her sari to tie round the wrist of Krishna, to stem the flow of blood, when he was injured in battle, he never forgot her act of kindness and remembered her all his life. And so it can represent a wider bond.
The workers at the local fine dining restaurant lined up respectfully, as the owner and her delegation moved around from each one to the next tying the Rakhi thread and wishing them good luck, a tika was rubbed onto the forehead and a sweet given to each. This was a chinese food restaurant and the image of Buddha looked down inscrutably on the proceedings. Were they given the day off? Of course not, business as usual !
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