We arrived sometime around or after 4 p.m. and spent some time exploring everything the event had to offer. We walked around the Common, where all the food vendors and the Global Stage were set up, and then back to the field where the arts and crafts were being sold. I saw a few people with Asian-style paper umbrellas, but I never figured out where they got them. I also saw this, which cracked me up:
Towards 6 p.m. Mari's bellydancers started arriving, and Brooke went to hang out with them for awhile. I took my own solitary stroll around the grounds, this time heading out the gates and up onto the tall Riverwalk walkway to get some aerial shots.
Then I headed back to the Global Stage for the bellydance performances. At first I was sitting off to the side, so I couldn't really get a good angle, but after the Indian dancing started wrapped up, a few spaces opened up out front, so Brooke and I met up and wormed our way in, and Kelly joined us in the same area.
We watched three guys do a very energetic Indian dance (here's a movie), and then it was time for Alchemy, Savannah Winds, and their guest bellydance troupes from all around Georgia and South Carolina to take the stage. You can find pictures and videos here.
Some little girls danced, and they were so cute:
You can see a video of them here.
After the performance we went to congratulate the dancers and say happy birthday to Mari. Then we went to grab some food from the India tent.
This is my meal, the Maharajah Platter. It consisted of rice, puri (deep fried whole wheat bread), chole (garbanzo beans in mildly spiced gravy), samosa (lightly spiced vegetables and potatoes wrapped in flour and deep fried), masala dosa (crepe made of lentil and rice), and karanji (pastry filled with shredded coconut, nuts, and raisins). I didn't really care for the masala dosa, for whatever reason, but everything else was fantastic. I'd love to learn how to make karanji.
Once we were finished eating, we took one last circuit around the darkened grounds, and I bought some hand-etched lacquerware boxes from Linda Tong. I used to have one, which I purchased from her at Christmas Made in the South, but it was lost in the fire. Now I have two: a round box and a box shaped like an egg. She wrote "Arts in the Heart of Augusta 2006" inside each one in her delicate, beautiful script for me :) If you're interested in her stuff, here's her website.
It was a really fun night! Great food, beautiful performances, and wonderful things to look at.
And I was so happy to spend a day with my best friend. I haven't done that nearly enough lately. Thanks, Brookie :)
4 comments:
Wow, sounds like quite the festival. A couple weekends ago I went to the Greek Festival in downtown Los Angeles. That was plenty of fun and good food but not as interesting as your event seemed to be.
I did learn though that Ouzo is not a drink I particularly care for. While I have on occasion enjoyed a piece of licorice, a powerfully alcoholic drink that tastes and smells overwhelmingly of licorice is not my idea of tasty. Still, it was a learning experience and I plan to have many more of those :-)
Hmm... what you call dosa is probably known as 'thosai' around here. Btw, that looks like a plain thosai, not masala thosai. I love thosai... if it's done right, it's pretty good. I normally ask for mine to be extra-thin so it's slightly crispy. ^_^ Masala thosai is usually thosai with a mixture of potatoes and veggie stir-fry inside... yummy stuff. ^_^ Oh, and samosas around here are normally made in a triangle. I don't know why... they just come that way. Odd, ne? Glad you had fun.
Btw, you look lovely in the bridesmaid dress. Such a pretty colour, that dress. Looks good on you. ^_^
Dawn
Thank YOU, Heather, for going with me, too. :D I had SO MUCH fun, and it was SO nice to hang out with the bellydancers; if I can't dance right now, I'm more than happy to show some support, and hang out with my girlz! ;D
The Indian food was great, although I think maybe we should hit up Bombay Central around suppertime one evening, and just order whatever dishes' names sound prettiest. ;)
I like ouzo, my younger brother drinks it, and gave me the first shot of it I ever tried. I like some licorice candies, too, but I'm quite fond of the ouzo, too. It reminds me of a medicine we would get when we were very young, and had a cough.. ;)
And Hea, Dawn is SO right, you DO look great in that dress, and that color IS beautiful on you!! :D Ooooh, I can't wait to have all three of my girls with me, all of us dressed up, and being the knock outs we are... ;)
James, Arts in the Heart is Augusta's biggest festival. This was its 26th year. We also have a thing called First Friday where downtown comes to life on the (ahem) first Friday of every month, and there's a Hispanic Festival too. But Arts in the Heart is ginormous. (It's supported by the Augusta Arts Council, which is set to lose 1/3 of its funding when the city of Augusta stops giving them money starting in FY '07 ;P)
I've never tried Ouzo, but I'm not a big licorice fan either, so...
Dawn, my list is solely based on the menu they handed out, so I have no idea about the accuracy! Brooke was saying something when we were in line about the masala dosa having a filling, though, and mine surely didn't. (There was a little cup of spicy soup and some green paste on the side, neither of which was particularly tasty.)
Slightly crispy might have been better! Mine was just soggy and bland.
Mmm, samosas.
And thanks! I'm really happy with my choice of bridesmaid dress :)
Brookie, I'm all about Bombay Central. Just tell me when, and I'll go get a half-off gift certificate ;>
Mmm, medicine, delish. ;P
Your wedding is going to be so much fun :)
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