He positions me, camera ready, in front of a group of men. Three older men are steadying another younger boy in what appears to be some sort of ritual. Our friend motions us to take a picture. I do not know what is happening, but I ready my Cannon EOS Rebel. Presumably the pain is lessened by the white powder surrounding his mouth, but the man still cringes in agony.
Someone hustles the man into the parade as another group readies itself for the ritual piercing.
Young boys of about ten are pierced, as are groups of three men. The men are jabbed through the tongue, together forming a connected chorus line of shared anguish. When this is finished, our friend leads us through the middle of the parade, directing my camera toward the dancers, the band and the pierced men. I am furiously snapping pictures of flashy headdresses, beating drums and dancing children, all the while wondering to myself what I am doing here. The film runs out.