Sunday, September 30, 2012

International Festival



I have been looking forward to this event for a few weeks.  It is an annual event celebrating cultural diversity. As the website says. "The festival is a traditional celebration that honors the heritage and diversity among our residents through music, dance, demonstrations, authentic foreign foods, edu-tainment activities, cultural displays and an international bazaar". It draws in people from surrounding counties as well as here in Bowling Green.  

They put together a Passport Booklet with information from the 35 countries represented at the festival. As you visit each booth you are given a flag sticker from that country to go in your Passport Booklet. Several of the area schools give students extra credit for bringing their Passport Booklets to school with many or all of the different flag stickers. Even one of my daughter's college classes is giving extra credit for an upcoming quiz if they bring their booklet to class with at least 10 flags in it. We got 22 of the 35. 

These are the shirts that I picked up today.





I love sampling some of the foods from the different booths.  Today I tried African Donuts, Japanese Pancakes and Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls.  Each one was very tasty. I even brought some of the donuts home. 

While the food is a great part of the festival, the entertainers are my favorite part. There are three separate stages with performances going at all times throughout the day. 



These ladies are from a local Greek restaurant and perform their traditional Greek dance at the restaurant on certain nights.








They sling their heads a lot in their dance, hence the odd hair in this shot.


Their Belly Dance is one of the crowd favorites, especially with the guys. They are quite good and can move their stomachs in ways no one should be able to. 









I don't know how she dances, especially with all the hip shaking that she does, with the knife on her head. 














It was so sweet when the lady's daughter came up on stage to dance, and she could do the dance pretty darn good too.










 
The West African Drums and Dance was one of the best. The 
drumming beat of the music along with the expressive dance was fun and entertaining. The group's name is Sabari Bengoma and the dancers are the TWAA Dance Company.  


Usually I bounce back and forth between 

the stages. But, I stayed for their full show.








Each drum had its own sound and each drummer had a solo at one point or another.











Mr. Maurice Moro played the African Thumb Piano and explained how to hold your hands properly to do so.

He also played the 
Likembe. 





The Likembe close up.

There was Traditional Burmese Dance.  They asked the Burmese Community to dance along with them. The gentleman on the end, and the lady with the yellow scarf, had such fun dancing along. 




I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the Bosnian Children waiting to perform.



From where I was standing, I was only able to get a shot of the beginning of their performance. As they began dancing several people got in front of me. grrrrr

There was Celtic music from the group, Feckless Fear Deuig. (say that three time fast) 



I thought it was cute that the smallest one in this group was the one doing the hair for her fellow Traditional Chinese Dance performers.







Another of the Traditional Chinese Dance performers.









HuDost- 
Eastern Country
Fusion with yet another dancer with a knife across her head.





The Japanese Bon Dance was interesting. The leader of the dance group asked for volunteers from the crowd to dance with them. He gave them a jacket/shirt like the dancers were wearing and told them what to do as they went along.









There were three circles of dancers, one around the other.  Several times in their dance they would all come together in the middle as they danced. It was a fun performance.










This little cutie was one of the Japanese dancers.  She did her best to keep up but had to have a little help every now and then.


I wanted to see the performance of La Luz Del Mundo Dancers but missed it. I got back to this stage just as they were finishing their last dance. But they were happy to pose for a picture for me. 












This gentleman was attempting to teach people basic Chinese.
















And, I had to capture the drums sitting near one of the stages when I saw the shadows they were casting.


It was a great day for a festival, with perfect weather and tons of things to see and do. I already look forward to next year!


Linked to:

Thursday, September 27, 2012

My Little Girl

Performed By: Tim McGraw
Album: Greatest Hits, Volume 2


Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you
Though you think you already know


Though you think you already know.

2010




               2004

I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.


September 27, 1994


Your beautiful baby from the outside in,
Chase your dreams but always know the road
that'll lead you home again.








2012






Go on, take on this whole world,
But to me you know you'll always be,
My little girl.







2002





When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone.






2007


Now look at you,
I've turned around and you've almost grown.







2012

Sometimes you're asleep I whisper,
"I Love You" in the moonlight at your door.
As I walk away, I hear you say,
"
Mommy Love You More".


2000




Your beautiful baby from the outside in,
Chase your dreams but always know
the road that'll lead you home again.








2011






Go on, take on this whole world,




2009









But to me you know you'll always be,
My little girl.



1995






Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand.
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know,

2012














He's the half that makes you whole,
He has a poet's soul,
and the heart of a man's man.

I know he'll say that he's in love,
But between you and me,
He won't be good enough.


2011                                        2012



Your beautiful baby from the outside in,



2004




Chase your dreams but always know the road
that'll lead you home again.







2011





Go on, take on this whole world,






2012



But to me you know you'll always be, 
My little girl.






2001







Happy 18th Birthday to my Beautiful Baby Girl. 
I am very proud of the young woman you have become.

I love you!!


Linked to Hootin' Anni's Thursday Theme Song