It’s finally 2019 and the holiday (the serious ones Halloween, Christmas and New Years) are behind us and now maybe I can get back to a normal routine…one can only hope.   Here’s hoping that you all survived the food, drink and good cheer and are successfully returning to the humdrum of work—a government that is ah….yeah and all the rest–welcome to the rest of your life….HELP

 

 

 

 

 

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” — Maya Angelou

 

 

 

 

 

 

After just purchasing tickets for the

 

 

Central Florida Highland Games

January 19-20 2019

For Brochure:

http://www.flascot.com/forms/CFHG_2019_Brochure.pdf   

 

For tickets:  go to http://www.flascot.com/

Click on information (top of page) and scroll down on the drop down to tickets—just click there

 

which includes

 Pipe bands lead colorful clans with the Parade of Tartans on the Ceremony

Dancing competition (traditional dances of the Scottish Highland)

Pipe & Drum bands

Archery Shoot longbows and recurves for prizes and tournament,

 Border collies and shepherds thrill the crowd with feats of herding.

Highland  cows (better know as coes)

Country dancing

a bit of mead or a shot of Scotch as well as locally crafted ales.

Savor meat pie, haggis, bridlies and fish and chips to name a few

Buy your own little bit of the culture from the merchants that feature everything from kilts, tartans, bagpipes, weapons, jewelry and much more`

and of course there’s entertainment for wee ones as well

 

And I got to thinking what better way to learn other cultures than by attending events like these and while I am more like visiting family as I am from so many clans from McClellan to Swann, to actually from the Scot clan itself—and many more, it still is a fun reminder of the things of my ancestors which can’t hurt.

 

If you are or are not of Scottish descent it might well be a place for you to learn more–see the dress the games and learn the Songs of this proud race from the cold recesses and mountains of the British Isles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know very much about, honestly, about the Middle East, and yet I’ve played a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures. The thing that I notice is that we’re all – there is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture. And, after all, we’re all from Africa originally. Meryl Streep

 

 

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For instance there Chinese New Years  which takes place in China from Jan. 28  – Feb. 19th.  In fact this new year will be the year of the pig (a zodiac sign)

 

 

In London for instance there are several celebrations:

The 2019 Chinese New Year Parade

2/10/19

It is a large parade thru out Chinatown as well as Trafalgar square

It is in fact free to view and is reportedly the largest Chinese New Years celebration outside Asia.

There are several other events in London to celebrate this Asian holiday—check them out at https://www.timeout.com/london/chinese-new-year-in-London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Accordingly, globalization is not only something that will concern and threaten us in the future, but something that is taking place in the present and to which we must first open our eyes.” –Ulrich Beck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For something a bit more exotic:

 

 

Khamoro – World Gypsy (Roma) Festival 2019

https://www.khamoro.cz/en/

A celebration of Scandinavian and Scandinavian/American folk music  in northern Minnesota.

 

 

 

 

This is just a small glimpse–google your state for ethnic and/or cultural festivals-or religious ones too which may have ethnic angles–I have not touched on Japan, India, nor many other countries thru Europe and Asia and all of Africa and then there’s all their religions and how they impact that section of the culture—-this is a small blog and this is to get you to start thinking and see if you can’t find your education on the world….while having fun and adding new tastes to your pallet—you never know how it can change your life and enrich your life style and don’t forget making new friends….which could make not only your life but the world a bit better place.

 

 

 

 

The opportunity here in the U.S. is so unique because we are so diverse, with so many different cultures living together. Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, all with their own connections to the spiritual aspects of food and with lessons that we can learn from each other. Marcus Samuelsson