No, really, stop touching my kid!

Here is a new concept for us: people-complete strangers-wanting to take pictures of our child.  We have had people ask, not ask, and ask us to join them in the photo as well.  Yesterday we went shopping in Dehra Dun with several school staff members.  Once someone asked if they could take a picture with me and Oliver, another person asked if he could take a picture through the bus window as we were waiting to leave. Today as we were walking around the bazaar at the very top of our foothill, a family stopped us and asked if they could "please take a picture with your child." We said no, he's tired, and kept on walking.  Oliver had better not turn up in an advertisement for Coca-Cola here.  I try to see their side as to why they might want a picture of Oliver.  Say I was walking through Millennium Park, would I ask a family from a different country, with a different look from my own, if I could take a picture with their infant?  Nope.  I still don't quite understand the novelty of him. Sure, he is cute as heck with blue eyes and fair skin, but so are many people on television and in advertisements here.  I just don't get it.

Then there's the touching...my god, the touching!  It never ends!  People pinch his cheeks, grab his hands, kiss him, rub his head, tickle him....and the entire time I am looking at them as if to ask, "Do we know you?"
I have pushed hands off, asked them to stop, TOLD them to stop, even turned and walked away.  Leave...him...alone!  Yesterday there were groups of young children all over Dehra Dun begging for money.  They brake your heart.  Barefoot, filthy, eyes desperate, they follow us westerners until they have either wandered too far, or they finally understand we are not giving them any money.  I swatted away several hands yesterday and used a tone of voice that will come across the language barrier "NO!  NO TOUCHING!"  They would try to grab his legs or poke his cheeks and squeal "BAAAAY-BEEEE!!!!" Our Aussie friend Craig (6'5", deep voice, imposing posture) would run interference for us and boom, "GO AWAY!  NO! NO! NO!"
It's shocking that as aggressive as some people can be to get to Oliver is exactly as aggressive as we need to be to get them to stop.  In his carrier we keep his hat on at all times (can't touch what you can't see!) and keep one hand on him as well...ready to swat!  I wish I could relax as Andy has told me many, many times to do, but I can't seem to help it.  My natural, strong, mama-lion reflex says leave him alone or you'll have to deal with one very angry woman.  Back up, keep walking, there is nothing more to see (or touch) here!