Japan Fest 9-17, 9-18.

JapanFest is Saturday and Sunday 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Get Ready! Big Fun coming!

Japan Valiant in Face of Quakes, Tsunamis

This is a blog about Japan and its culture. Today...March 11, 2011...a giant earthquake measuring 8.9 on the scale hit the Japanese town of Sendai in North Central Japan. Later in central Japan more shocks. A short time later a horrible tsunami hit and tore things up horribly. Then the huge tsunami went smashing across the Pacific hitting Hawaii and the West Coast of the U.S. But Japan had a very harsh set of blows. The people of Japan have great art, dance and film. But also most importantly ...they have huge amounts of courage. Let us pray for the good people of Japan.

Japan, Okinawa and EXCITING JapanFest!

The great JapanFest event is coming this Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and September 19. This is a beautiful annual experience here in the Metro Atlanta area. Once again the two-day event will be held at the Gwinnett Center Convention Center located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, Georgia 30097. I know that all people, adults and children will get a huge amount of fun out of this colorful, exciting cultural time of celebration! There will be fun crafts for the young people and unusual cultural things for all the adults in attendance. The very diverse elements of all Japanese society will be presented. Things like the classic dances of all parts of Japan, martial arts, bonsai, lovely original classic folk music, anime, and company exhibits will all be a part of the exciting, gorgeous activities. I am especially interested in the work of the people of Okinawa. The work of the members of the Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin-Kai will be presented to all. This is an exciting group that does wonderful things to show the contributions of the Okinawa prefecture to the incredible beauty of the totality of all Japanese culture. Get ready for some truly great times at the 2010 JapanFest. Come on all of you! You will have a marvelous great time this coming Saturday and Sunday at JapanFest at the Gwinnett Center Convention Center located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, Georgia 30097.

'World Thinking Day' a Happening Time!

This afternoon was a great time here in Atlanta. Attended World Thinking Day over at a school in Midtown. My sons two daughters are Girl Scouts and this was a great cultural or perhaps I should say cross-cultural opportunity for them and all the other girls and adults at the event. There were displays and food from many countries like Japan, India, Italy, Germany, and Poland. It was a sparkling great time and the best thing was I could tell this poignant cultural experience was a beautiful thing for the children. You knew their creativity was greatly enhanced this afternoon. Since I grew up in a small town in Southwest Georgia I think I am so lucky to be in a vibrant urban metro area like Atlanta where girls and boys can enjoy eating sushi and kielbasa and other delicious foods from other lands. It is very interesting to see kids learning about the Far East, Europe and of course the Middle East. What a marvelous thrill of an experience today has been.

JapanFest '09 was so super 'Cool'

I am tired this evening. Thoughts of Japan are in my soul tonight. Believe me JapanFest 2009 here in Metro Atlanta was such super fun. Things of Japan are so 'Cool.' So good seeing people from all over the big South having a really great time. The little children looked great, the young and old had a lot of style. Well, it was a mighty fine experience, this JapanFest. Wonderful this chance to truly dig the fascinating culture that is that of Japan. Now to relax this evening while watching a fresh episode of 'Mad Men."

Reminder: JapanFest blossoms 9-19, 9-20

JapanFest will start up here in metro Atlanta next weekend. Remember, the days are Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20. The grand two-day event will be at the Gwinnett Convention Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway. Japan has a long beautiful cultural history that embraces so many art forms. Lots of super dance performances showing the wide spectrum of styles from both Japan's main island of Honshu and the famed island of Okinawa will be given. Since a lot of us enjoy the interesting flavors of food from Japan, rest assured there will be lots of that delicious cooking also. People will also enjoy the martial arts demonstrations and the cultural activities. Get ready for Japan fun next weekend.

Grand art of Okinawa, Hopper, Warhol

A little special recipe of sweet culture shock produces delightful electric thrusts in one's brain waves. I used to enjoy seeing the old masters paintings in the museums but then a little later in my life I found myself jumping for joy kind of like listening to early Basie. My joy came about because I got in the know about very brilliantly simplistic artists like the strange genius, the soul known as Edward Hopper. His works possess a sensitive tone that are infused with the vigorous machinations of a very sleek sense of mystery. Then of course there is the clever iconoclast of American art the man named Andy Warhol. Just studying one of his rather regular guy kind of art works can of course refresh the human mind. Culture is such a blend of crafty ideas as well as incredibly depth-filled hours of just looking at all the wondrous stuff. Once in a while I go off into the massive ocean that is the culture of the Japanese. It is so fantastic when one experiences the thrill of seeing the folk dances of Nippon. Of course a huge favorite is seeing the tremendous cultural delights of the Ryukyuan people, those dances are so unusual and full of human interest. It is great this sleek pastiche of grand works coming from Okinawa, in other words the main island of the Ryukyuan archipelago. This fine island is now part of Japan. What a glorious cocktail it is, this grand modern libation that is contemporary culture.