Tibetan Buddhist prayer sticker that I bought from the Tibetan refugee
As some of you may know, I had the pleasure of visiting a festival in Franklin, Tenn., this past Saturday that I found extremely interesting. Clearly, I’m somewhat of a travel and culture buff (hence, this blog), so as you can probably guess, the festival was something of a multicultural fair, aptly named “Celebration of Nations.”
The little square which served as the venue for the festival had tables, booths and tents lining its outskirts, each promoting or representing a different country or cultural organization. I must add here that there was also a large stage which held different ethnic and cultural performances and concerts throughout the day. This added a nice backbeat to the festival and enriched the overall experience.
I felt so inspired by the festival that I decided to do something different with my blog this week in response to it, just to change things up a little. From memory, I’m simply going to list the booths and displays that stood out most in my mind and jot down why they caught my especial attention and what I learned by visiting them.
So, here we go:
- Norway – The Norwegian stand really stood out to me because it was one of the only booths that gave out samples of traditional food. They served us tasty treats from sweet, dessert-like pastries to a refreshing cup of fruit soup!
- Compassionate Nashville – Obviously, this booth was representing a local organization, not a country. Compassionate Nashville is a group of people dedicated to raising compassion and awareness of others in the Nashville and Franklin areas. They meet once a month (always at a different venue, such as church buildings, coffeehouses, event centers, etc.) and center their meetings on visiting singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, dancers, storytellers and other creative expressionists who tell their stories of compassion through fine arts and music, in hopes of inspiring others.
- Tibet – This display was run by a Tibetan refugee dressed in traditional Tibetan Monk garb. His story was extremely intriguing, and he taught us a little about the Tibetan Buddhist religion and the governmental oppression he had escaped from. To show my support, I bought a sticker from him that had a famous Tibetan prayer inscribed on it.
- TFLI (Tennessee Foreign Language Institute) – This organization particularly piqued my curiosity because my father is the president of an institute that teaches English in foreign countries, so I was especially interested in this group’s objective and purpose. Turns out, TFLI is an organization that helps equip native English speakers (namely, Americans) to feel comfortable teaching English as a second language to foreigners here or abroad. Their goal is ultimately to promote global unity.
- India – This stand was run by a group of native Indian women. Two or three were selling and painting authentic henna tattoos, and one was standing behind a table selling traditional Indian jewelry, some of which was even homemade. It was all beautiful and captivating, and I have decided I am now a fan of Indian style and fashion.
- Exile International – This Christian-based group works with child soldiers and abuse/rape victims of in Congo and East Africa. They offer these children hope, healing and love through things like art therapy, peace-teaching and reconciliation training.
- Chile – Last but not least, I came to the Chilean booth. Two native Chileans were working there, selling various traditional Chilean souvenirs and statuettes. Both women were eager to share their culture, and I really enjoyed talking to them and learning from them.
So, there’s my list. These are just a few examples of what the festival had to offer, and are the most memorable experiences of the day in my mind.
Have you ever been to a festival like this? If so, please share your experience(s)!
CulturalDiscoveries 