Anatolia Relived in LA
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the second issue of Pacifica Institute’s quarterly local newsletter for the Bay Area community.
This issue is woven around two festivals that Pacifica Institute sponsered in the past months and the ashura activities in the area.
The “WOW!” factor for the month of April was surely the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA. The whole region of Anatolia, including cross sections from many other civilizations appeared in Los Angeles for four days. It was exciting to see the green tomb of Rumi under the LA skies. Tea and simit, a Turkish style pretzel, tasted just as great as the ones at Blue Mosque Square in Istanbul. We have included pictures and an article written by a festival goer entitled “Discovering Turkey: Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival” for those who were unable to attend the festival.
The highlight of May was the 4th Annual International Children´s Celebration. In the previous years, the Children’s Celebration was held indoor with only a few nation participating. This year the organizing committee raised the bar, with fourteen nations taking the stage outdoors at Golden Gate Park. An article is included highlighting the event .
Pacifica Institute organized the Noah’s Pudding activities in January. Many volunteers were busy cooking the traditional pudding, while others were distributing it to sister communities and organizations. “Pacifica Diary: A Night of Dessert Inherited from Noah” provides an in-depth look at the Noah’s Pudding Night activity. The article “Interesting Facts: Where did Noah’s Ark Land?” is for those who are wondering the whereabouts of the Ark. A delicious Ashure recipe is in Recipe Corner along with the traditional stuffed bulgur-ground meat recipe from Southeastern Turkey.
Please energize the connection from your end by letting us know what you think about the newsletter (pacificasv@pacificainstitute.org). We are looking forward to getting your feedback. Have a great summer!