Travelsmartplanet

New Zealand art is influenced by the Maori culture. You can see the influence here by the swirl of this sculpture. Look at the small shapes – they’re all animals.

Our guide threw some sweet corn on the cob into Parekohuru, their largest mineral pool. Mother Nature then took care of the cooking. In 8 minutes, lunch is ready. How smart those Maori people were, to find such a terrific place to live.

Thermal pits are common in the central area of the North Island of New Zealand. The Maori used them for cooking and bathing. How clever. 

In Whakerewarewa, New Zealand, the Maori way of life is preserved. The hot thermal mineral baths were an important part of their life. Here these hot thermal pools are designed for easy sitting, entry and exit. You can see the younger generation enjoys them too. This was the young lad who earlier jumped into the freezing water for visitors (see earlier Instagram) so it must have been especially yummy for him to soak in the warm water.

These are North Indian hot (both ways) appetizers served up in an adorable cart. I love it when you eat in a restaurant where you wind up with a collage of ethnic flavors which highlight Canada as a wonderful kaleidoscope of people. The butter chicken poutine says it all – east meets west in Sault Ste. Marie at Rasoi. In Hindi that name means kitchen, and the northern Indian fare here comes straight from home traditions.
https://www.rasoiindiankitchen.ca/

Let’s start with the aim of the Teersi Duniya Theatre group itself, which is to highlight theater focusing on social justice. Different cultures get to take the stage, whether they be Indigenous, Palestinian, Israeli, Armenian, Rwandan, Iranian, Turkish or whatever. The theatre’s goal, as mentioned by their artistic director Rahul Varma, is that we are all one people and it takes stories of everyone else to see ourselves.  Varma says, “the only way to tell stories in a new way is to get new storytellers into the room”.

So Stephen Orlov’s story Birthmark is about families. In writing this, he was asking himself why Jews who founded Israel to end their centuries of oppression were now dispossessing another people that had lived there for centuries. Michelle Soifer, the director, says we have in this play, “two young adults filled with passion and drive…  and the chutzpah to do something about it”.

Canada as a nation is made up of many communities of people who may have been displaced by war and conflicts. Living here in Montreal we have Jewish and Palestinian cross currents. Though families  may have immigrated here and now raise their families in this safe haven, the memories of their living history or those of their parents will always shape them. The children get stuck between the two solitudes: perhaps the need to avenge their families’ past or to just ride along safely here for their future.

Though this is a story of the Israeli vs. Palestinian conflict, it raises the universal problem of parents or caregivers who live with a family member who thinks differently, or even perhaps might be mentally challenged or elderly, and the parent must learn to live with the pain of not being able to fix things (which they might have caused), or even change them.

Natalie Tannous gives a strong performance as a mother conflicted by secrets in the past and fears for her child ‘s future.  Howard Rosenstein is her gentler counterpart, with his own untold secrets and the consequences of not listening to a child. Stephen Spreekmester creates two very different characters, and does them well – one of an observant Rabbi and one of a tough RCMP officer.  Patrick Keeler  as Nelson, the Jewish child finding solace in religion, and Dalia Charafeddine as Karima secretly planning revenge for her parent’s death, give us two very realistic diametric opposites on both sides of this divide.

The simplicity of Sabrina Miller’s set design, using floor squares and wall hangings to identify rooms, walls and doorways was very effective.

We learn that words matter: why do we refer to the Israelis as extremists but the Palestinians as terrorists?

Location: Mai Centre, 3680 Jeanne-Mance
corner: Milton
Dates: Nov 3-18, 2018
Price: $17 – $25
Tel: 514-982-3386
www.m-a-i.qc.ca

The Miami Beach Kizomba Festival (MBKF) marks its 5th year of bringing people together from across the globe to celebrate African culture, music and dance.

Kizomba is a slow, sensual dance and musical genre originating in Angola in 1984, a more modern music genre mixed with African rhythm and usually sung in Portuguese.  Kizomba means “party” in Kimbundu, and that is just what you are going to get at this festival.

Not to mention outstanding workshops, world-class dance instruction and lessons, unforgettable music concerts, live musicians and performing artists, superstar DJ’s  and sunrise beach parties, night parties, and pool parties.

MBKF takes place at the iconic Eden Roc Hotel, August 22-27, with live performances by Yola Semedo and Jennifer Dias. You can choose between a Party Pass, Weekend Pass or Full pass. If you like dancing, join the celebration at the Miami Beach Kizomba Festival, a great atmosphere of people from all over the world partying all night under one roof.

For Tickets:  Buy Now

Location: Eden Roc Miami, 4525 Collins Ave, Miami, FL 33140
Dates: Wed, Aug 22 – Mon, Aug 27.  2018
Time: various – see schedule
Tel: 914-226-9554
thembkf.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: miamiandbeaches.com

Established in 1877 part of a vibrant creative community, the RISD Museum’s art represents diverse cultures from ancient times to the present. Their newest featured exhibit – From the Loom of a Goddess: Reverberations of Guatemalan Mayan Weaving Costume and Textiles is presently on display.

At the heart of Guatemalan Maya culture lies weaving. For more than 2,000 years, Maya women have woven intricate textiles on backstrap looms, and this exhibition celebrates Maya weaving today in southern New England’s thriving Guatemalan heritage community. The objects on view include textiles and garments made before 1917 and donated as a collection to the RISD Museum in 1982.

Displayed alongside these historic pieces are new works by Providence artist Sandra Lopez Naz and videos commissioned from local artists that show the resonance of Maya culture within contemporary conversations about activism and artistic production.

Exhibition Events:

Location: RISD Museum , 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
Date: until Aug 19, 2018
Hours: Tues–Sun, 10 -5 pm, 3rd Thursday of each month, open until 9 pm
Tel: 401-454-6500
risdmuseum.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: goprovidence.com

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one the nation’s most cheerful springtime celebration. The 2018 Festival, March 20 – April 15, includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is kicking off kite season. Held on the grounds of the Washington Monument near 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, DC, the Blossom Kite Festival is family-friendly, free and open to the public.

The seventh annual Blossom Kite Festival showcases the creativity of kite makers and skill of fliers from across the US and other countries through a variety of competitions and demonstrations, Rokkaku Battles and the Hot Tricks Showdown. Bring your own kites or children can make a kite at an activity station (while supplies last) to fly on the Public Field. Kites will also be available for purchase onsite.

Photo Credit: National Cherry Blossom Festival

2018 Activity Schedule:

Competition and Demonstration Field

Kick-Off Parade…………………………….…………………………..10:00 AM
Kite Ballets & Demos…………………………………………….10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Adult Kite Makers Competition……………………………….11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wind Jammers and Wings Over Washington…………….12:00 – 12:30 PM
Demonstrations…………………………………………………….……12:30 – 1:30 PM
Hot Tricks Showdown…………………………………………….1:30 – 2:30 PM
Rokkaku Battle………………………………………………………2:45 – 3:30 PM
Wind Jammers and Wings Over Washington………………3:30 – 4:00 PM
Kite Arch and Awards……………………………………………..4:00 – 4:30 PM

Family Field

Practice Fly for Youth Kite Makers……………………………10:30 – 11:00 A
Youth Kite Makers Competition……………………………….11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Youth Kite Makers Awards………………………………………12:00 – 12:30 PM
Blossom Build-off Competition………………………………..12:30 – 1:45 PMBol Races………………………………………………………………2:00 – 4:30 PM

Location: Grounds of the Washington Monument, near 17th St NW and Constitution Ave., Washington, DC 20006
Date: Sat., March 31st, 2018 (Rain Date: Sun., April 1st, 2018)
Time: 10 AM – 4:30 PM
Tel: 877-442-5666
nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

The 33rd Annual Whitehall Lecture Series, Heroes of the Homefront: World War I and the Faces of Wartime America, commemorates the roles of American soldiers and supporters during World War I.

Each lecture will provide a unique range of historical perspectives, including those of political and military leadership, the Doughboys on the front lines, minority infantrymen conscripted to battle, and women on the homefront and abroad.

Heroes of the Homefront will evoke a new appreciation for America’s participation in World War I and address the ways in which American culture was changed forever because of it. When possible, a book signing with the speaker follows each lecture. All lectures start at 3:00 pm.

February 18
The Last of the Doughboys:
The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten War
by Richard Rubin
February 25
World War I:
The American Soldier Experience
by Dr. Jennifer Keene
March 4
The Second Line of Defense:
American Women and World War I
by Dr. Lynn Dumenil
March 11
Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I
and the Making of the Modern American Citizen
by Dr. Christopher Capozzola
Online visitors can experience each lecture via a free Livestream broadcast at http://flaglermuseum.us/programs/lecture-series where visitors may listen live, see the presentation and ask the lecturer questions.

Location: The Flagler Museum, One Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Date: See Above
Time: 3pm
Tel: 561-655-2833
flaglermuseum.us
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: thepalmbeaches.com