Our Time Is Up (A Festival Experience): Blogophilia 25.7

This is Week 25 of Year 7 in Blogophilia!


Our time is almost up this season,
Just two weeks remain to write!
Time to put those pens to paper
And let those ideas take flight!
Good Sunday morning, Earthlings. It's that time of the week, time for a new topic and pictures, time to share your thoughts, poems and stories with us! :)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/marvin-martian/blogophilia-week-257-our-time-is-up/779359282085291

Bonus Points:
(Hard, 2 points) Incorporate 2 Motown song titles
(Easy, 1 point) Mention a clown


So our time is up soon for the summer season of Blogophilia, and so it is for summer festivals.  I had the opportunity to go up to the Arab Fest in Milwaukee, WI - I was looking forward to it.  And the three of us, my husband Mike, my son Chad, and I all had a fun & interesting time there.

Walking into the west end of the Summerfest grounds, there was this so called Christian group, handing out pamphlets and other "Christian" information, as some kind of quiet protest and rather than a picket, it was hate type information against Arab people in general, across the street.  I tried to ensure that my husband and son NOT engage with these people, to just keep walking, and keep going right past them, they were both handed this same booklet.  It's a comic book style set up, depicting money and greed - worshiping wealth over helping others as being an Arab "king".  When I actually looked at it, I was irked that my son something like this.

Seriously, this type of thing is NOT Christian teaching, and Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, I tell you, I know a Christian when I see one, and these people definitely are NOT it.  I'm sure they think so.  On the way out, walking past, a man was there that was NOT there when we walked in, asking about my son and the love of Jesus.  I just firmly told this clown, "You people need help".  And kept walking.  According to Mike, he had this dumbfounded look on his face, as if he didn't understand.  Well, I know my faith.  I am taught not to hate others.  With this type of message to others, their fate is Signed, Sealed and Delivered, so I hope that they wake up and use some sense about their beliefs.

But, I digress...  We went in, and looked at a couple of the out door markets they had there.  Both had multiple vendors, and it was really neat.  Some of the things are Egyptians, and parts of northern Africa are considered part of the Muslim faith block over there, in the Near/Middle East Asia.  One of the vendors have anklets...  I like those.  One of my friends had given me one years back, and that style anklet is my favorite, with the small jingles on them.  We also learned a little bit of the culture and beliefs.  It is curious that just as with OUR faith, some do misinterpret things to do evil, rather than good, and these few bad apples spoil it for the bushel. 

After looking through the various vendors, and signing a petition for a lady who came as a sexually abused teen, who wanted to seek safety here in the states, because she was basically a sex slave where she was.  After 10 years, she tried to apply for citizenship.  She was denied.  Now, 20 years after she has been here, and yes, the government knows she's been here, the government now wants to deport her because she is an activist, and quite a strong one, for issues like sex slavery and other issues that tackle international and domestic treatment of others.  So I signed a petition and a post card on her behalf.  It's cases like this that make it so people come here undocumented.  We also learned about some of the other things that are a part of modern medicine, farming, etc are based at least a little bit on Arab contribution.  Our numbering system is an Arabic  system.


Alien jazz trio


Arabic Band


Then, we went over to the Miller Lite stand, where they had belly dancers, a female group singing Arab style songs, as well as a full band with bongo, keyboard, another key/string type instrument, guitar, and a singer, and they were pretty good.  The announcer came down and got a group of us going on teaching us how to do a dubka (dub ka) which is Arabic line dancing.  We hold hands, and do a few steps.  Your left foot steps 2 steps to the right, then left foot kick, and a step to the right.  It took me a bit to catch on, because we lead with our left foot, but move to the right...  Then, there were other ones, too, a total of 3 variations on this line dance.  It was so fun!  I just wish that my joints worked better...  I had to sit down after a bit, and my left hip just was not going to take much more in this dancing thing.  :(

The band I danced to is an Arab singer named John Khoury - and here is his link...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR9aIcmFpqg


doing the dubka


After watching belly dancers, singers and bands, we went over to see what else was being offered.  There were games for small children, even slightly older children, food, and we got to sample Arabic lemon chicken and spicy chicken.  All good...  And then off to a food demonstration.  We got to sample salad as well as stuffed grape leaves.  Even got the recipe for the grape leaves.  :)


Food demonstration


To finish the day, my son and I went on the skylift to check out the grounds.  Arab Fest only took a small portion, and all in all, we had a very nice time.  Hopefully, we will be able to go next year, to have a bigger experience for it.


skylift



Topic:  Trevor
Bonus Points:  Tyler and Linda
Picture:  Jessica
Word/phrase  1) alien jazz band  2) birth of be-bonk  3) Walking base  4) swing band  5) dixieland  6) skinny on music  7) lullaby  8) Spanish guitars  9) Jammin' up Hip St.  10) Jammin' Men  11) Marti Gras  12) Jazz dance  13) modern art  14) wall art  15) celebration  16) performing arts  17) creative thinking