Went to interesting diversity festival in an old neighborhood that is somewhat revitalizing, much of it through new...
Went to interesting diversity festival in an old neighborhood that is somewhat revitalizing, much of it through new groups of immigrants. Historically, much of it was Italian, and I'm guessing at least half of that was southern Italian and/or Sicilian for Reasons (Yes, you've seen too many movies, except the basic facts are true. No, really, they are really true.). Partial listing: Laotian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Peruvian, Puerto Rican (yes, they're citizens, I know, stahp), Jamaican, Sudanese, Ethiopian (seemingly more than one region or group?).
Only went for a couple hours - Too Darn Hot (points for reference, bonus for what the reference references - cheat code: Shakespeare). It was 89 degrees and No Shade. Lots of food choices. Had the best darn fried okra since I was in the South, y'all. Had a Chinese "meat pie", which was a new thing to me (It's not a dumpling!). Loved watching the Lao, not Thai, place make real deal green papaya salad - in a big clay mortar and pestle and everything! Discovered something called limber (noun, not adjective).
It's Puerto Rican, and it is what a popsicle would be if you just poured it into a small plastic dixie cup and froze it without a stick. It comes in fruit pulp flavors and ones made with milk and spices. I had a coconut one and it had coconut milk and spices in it and it reminded me a lot of horchata (which is a Mexican drink, not a frozen treat). Also a very large Peruvian tamale. P.S. I have had Peruvian food several times, never in Peru, and it has always been Darn Tasty. P.P. S. If you would like to learn Spanish, hang out at this branch of the Salvation Army. They would love it if you stopped by, and I swear nobody speaks Spanish as rapidly as people from Puerto Rico. It's like having reverb in my head. I would hear everything they said, and then like 3 seconds later, my brain would play back a complete instant translation. Because it went by so fast that my brain had to catch up.
There was also music and performances. Saw two different groups doing various "belly dancing" styles. Saw some Argentinian tango, including milonga, heard some Indian music (sorry, unable to say what region), klezmer, and New Orleans/Django/20's/30's style jazz.
One of the belly dancing routines was a fusion of Chinese classical dance with tribal done to the non-operatic part of The Diva's solo from The Fifth Element. Using that music was a really cool idea. The dancing was, uh, a work in progress. I thought the troupe was great, though, for being the first one I've seen that included people of color, men and women, and all body sizes. Really all body sizes. The other troupe was more classical cabaret, raqs sharqi, and included some more traditional garb, as well as cabaret type garb. They also were body-inclusive. Props for that.
One thing watching them made me realize: the belly dancing in central North Carolina was at a really high level. I mean, I recognized that people were very good (national competition winners, some had performed internationally), but whether tribal, traditional, or fusion, even the amateurs were far more finessed. The people I saw today were doing great, but there was just something lacking in smoothness, like it was technically correct, but just not quite there. Anyway, I'm not gettin' up in front of strangers half dressed, so I got nothin' but admiration for these people.
Only went for a couple hours - Too Darn Hot (points for reference, bonus for what the reference references - cheat code: Shakespeare). It was 89 degrees and No Shade. Lots of food choices. Had the best darn fried okra since I was in the South, y'all. Had a Chinese "meat pie", which was a new thing to me (It's not a dumpling!). Loved watching the Lao, not Thai, place make real deal green papaya salad - in a big clay mortar and pestle and everything! Discovered something called limber (noun, not adjective).
It's Puerto Rican, and it is what a popsicle would be if you just poured it into a small plastic dixie cup and froze it without a stick. It comes in fruit pulp flavors and ones made with milk and spices. I had a coconut one and it had coconut milk and spices in it and it reminded me a lot of horchata (which is a Mexican drink, not a frozen treat). Also a very large Peruvian tamale. P.S. I have had Peruvian food several times, never in Peru, and it has always been Darn Tasty. P.P. S. If you would like to learn Spanish, hang out at this branch of the Salvation Army. They would love it if you stopped by, and I swear nobody speaks Spanish as rapidly as people from Puerto Rico. It's like having reverb in my head. I would hear everything they said, and then like 3 seconds later, my brain would play back a complete instant translation. Because it went by so fast that my brain had to catch up.
There was also music and performances. Saw two different groups doing various "belly dancing" styles. Saw some Argentinian tango, including milonga, heard some Indian music (sorry, unable to say what region), klezmer, and New Orleans/Django/20's/30's style jazz.
One of the belly dancing routines was a fusion of Chinese classical dance with tribal done to the non-operatic part of The Diva's solo from The Fifth Element. Using that music was a really cool idea. The dancing was, uh, a work in progress. I thought the troupe was great, though, for being the first one I've seen that included people of color, men and women, and all body sizes. Really all body sizes. The other troupe was more classical cabaret, raqs sharqi, and included some more traditional garb, as well as cabaret type garb. They also were body-inclusive. Props for that.
One thing watching them made me realize: the belly dancing in central North Carolina was at a really high level. I mean, I recognized that people were very good (national competition winners, some had performed internationally), but whether tribal, traditional, or fusion, even the amateurs were far more finessed. The people I saw today were doing great, but there was just something lacking in smoothness, like it was technically correct, but just not quite there. Anyway, I'm not gettin' up in front of strangers half dressed, so I got nothin' but admiration for these people.
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