Flavors of the World
Today we had lunch in Turkey, Peru, India and the U.S. We finished up with desert in Italy and Russia. The food was great, but the people were better.
Because other cultures are fascinating to me and the kids, we headed to the State Fair grounds after tap class this morning to check out the International Festival. I was a little hesitant at first-only because I don't like juggling three kids in a crowd alone-but it was well worth it.
We spent time at booths representing different countries first. Each had several volunteers dressed in traditional clothing, many who also spoke the language. There were samples of money, fabrics, handmade items, foods, books, you name it. Many of the volunteers showed tremendous enthusiasm for sharing their country's cultures; it was wonderful to observe.
When we got tired of the booths, we went to the international food court and selected several different items to share. Hands down, our favorite foods were from Peru; although the Jamaican and Thai booths were popular with others. While we ate, we sat in front of a tall stage where there was performance entertainment from a broad range of countries. We saw flamenco dancing from Spain, several Mexican dances, a Caribbeann steel drum band and others.
Then came a group called "Legends of West Africa". This was a drum line and dancers, so full of energy that it was powerful. When they started, the drums pounded and the dancer's bodies twisted; first slow, then faster and faster. There were four women dancing and drumming with true joy in their faces-their performance was more than just a job to them. Many in the audience couldn't contain themselves and stood up to dance and move; or else clapped their hands and tapped their feet. It was captivating. The music and dancing went on and on, with none of the performers showing any signs of fatigue. When it was finally over, the children and I felt incredibly lifted up and exhilarated.
Just watching and listening to the people around us was an experience. Individuals attend the festival for their own reasons-solidarity, education, heritage pride, interest in others. At one point, I went back to Peru for more chorizo (sausage) and flan. I stood next to a young mother and son, both with lovely dark hair and long eyelashes. She was watching the stage where girls with long ruffled skirts were performing a dance that looked like something out of the old west. The mother had a far away look in her eyes and murmured under her breath
"I haven't seen that in a long time."
When I asked her where she was from, without taking her eyes from the dancers, she said Puerto Rico, but that she had lived in the States since she was twelve. This dance was from her childhood. She watched silently for a long time, but then moved on as the line shifted.
It made me wonder how many people attend the festival to get a little flavor of home. I am thankful that they shared it with us.
Because other cultures are fascinating to me and the kids, we headed to the State Fair grounds after tap class this morning to check out the International Festival. I was a little hesitant at first-only because I don't like juggling three kids in a crowd alone-but it was well worth it.
We spent time at booths representing different countries first. Each had several volunteers dressed in traditional clothing, many who also spoke the language. There were samples of money, fabrics, handmade items, foods, books, you name it. Many of the volunteers showed tremendous enthusiasm for sharing their country's cultures; it was wonderful to observe.
When we got tired of the booths, we went to the international food court and selected several different items to share. Hands down, our favorite foods were from Peru; although the Jamaican and Thai booths were popular with others. While we ate, we sat in front of a tall stage where there was performance entertainment from a broad range of countries. We saw flamenco dancing from Spain, several Mexican dances, a Caribbeann steel drum band and others.
Then came a group called "Legends of West Africa". This was a drum line and dancers, so full of energy that it was powerful. When they started, the drums pounded and the dancer's bodies twisted; first slow, then faster and faster. There were four women dancing and drumming with true joy in their faces-their performance was more than just a job to them. Many in the audience couldn't contain themselves and stood up to dance and move; or else clapped their hands and tapped their feet. It was captivating. The music and dancing went on and on, with none of the performers showing any signs of fatigue. When it was finally over, the children and I felt incredibly lifted up and exhilarated.
Just watching and listening to the people around us was an experience. Individuals attend the festival for their own reasons-solidarity, education, heritage pride, interest in others. At one point, I went back to Peru for more chorizo (sausage) and flan. I stood next to a young mother and son, both with lovely dark hair and long eyelashes. She was watching the stage where girls with long ruffled skirts were performing a dance that looked like something out of the old west. The mother had a far away look in her eyes and murmured under her breath
"I haven't seen that in a long time."
When I asked her where she was from, without taking her eyes from the dancers, she said Puerto Rico, but that she had lived in the States since she was twelve. This dance was from her childhood. She watched silently for a long time, but then moved on as the line shifted.
It made me wonder how many people attend the festival to get a little flavor of home. I am thankful that they shared it with us.
posted by CityWords at 4/01/2006 09:26:00 PM
1 Comments:
What an enriching experience--for the children, and for you. I loved the detail about the young mother and son...you captured that longing for history and home. Thanks for this post!
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