Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle

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Backdated in June 2010...

AkiraSabine(AS) was actually here at the Northwest Folklife Festival as she was writing this. From where she was, she could hear drum plates being hit with a rhythm not far away. Next to her, a group was playing a mixture of Indian + Middle Eastern rhythm with his special guitar and a lady singing some songs to it. In front of her sat a couple watching some youth skate boarding in the designated rink. She could smell the tantalizing food aroma lingering in the air with some curry spices form nearby food stands.

It's been a very eye opening day to be among the crowd checking out this festival. It's a HUGE turnout with all kinds of street and stage performances, participatory dances and  instruments workshops and all kinds of unfamiliar free hugs and some petition to get support to legalize Marijuana. Hmm!

The Space Needle - landmark of Seattle Downtown

Hula Hoop OOooOO La LA

Rain defying audience! Seattleittes have long agreed with the country song - Rain Is A Good Thing!

Participatory folk dance

AS sat here and they came sitting next to her and started playing a random rhythm

                              AS likes this! You too?

                                          Awesome!

Guitar - When You Say Nothing At All

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Akira is currently practising this song. It's been one of her all-time favourites and she's polishing up to sound like a pro like this guy below. Singing and playing at the same time is definitely ough and she's come a long way with it ever since she started picking up the guitar. That's what she likes about the guitar. You can PICK IT UP! unlike a piano which will br ea k your bone. She could bring it everywhere she wants to especially to camps and playing a guitar of course, to her, is way more cooler!

The Freestyle Flip Turn

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Akira has been watching her kiddo and the swim team a lot during their practices and summer swim meets. Those many events inspire her to pick up doing the freestyle flip turn.

Hours ago was another opportunity she had with her kiddo down at the pool trying it out and he assessing.

"Nope, you're tooooo close to the wall!"

"Nope, keep your body straight"

"Your body curved down!"

"Your legs were kicking out of the water"

"Watch me, I'll do it  s l o w l y  for you."

Finally, Akira said...

"Enough for today. I'm getting drowsy!" 

Akira is scrutinizing every step on how the flip turn is done and promise herself to try it over and over again at the pool.

"I can do it! That's for sure!"

Measurements In The USA

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Upon arrival at Seattle 3 months back...
Akira was frustrated..

She wanted to know what all these signs meant right away! She's a little mad. "Why Americans  would not just stick to the Standard International (SI) units? Why would they not standardize baggage check-in fees across all domestic airlines? Why must Alaskan Airlines charge higher? Why must Washington state incur sales tax when neighbouring Oregon state is free from it?" *OK, Akira is drifting too far away. Cheeky smile.*  Every single measurement here is in English units which didn't strike a chord in Akira until she converts them.

30 miles/hour? --> "How fast is that?"
6 feet?             --> "How deep is the pool actually?"
50 degr F?      --> "How cold is that in terms of degr C?"
1 quart?          -->  "What?"

$3.10 / gal?  -->  "Where does this gas price stand comparing dollar to dollar with home's?" When she googled, she found out there were 2 different gallons, the US Gallon and the Imperial Gallon with slight difference in terms of factor.

80 lbs?           --> "How much has this lady lost?" she wondered while watching 'The Biggest Loser' on TV.

3 months later, today.. 

Akira is still frustrated...

However, the few she knows now are

1 mile = 1.6 km  (got it stucked to her head with them popping everywhere in the American driving licensing knowledge book)

1 ft    = 30 cm

1 lb    = 600 g

1 degr F = 1 degr C x 1.8 +32 (NOT directly proportional like she used to think)

Nevertheless...

What is travelling without feeling foreign? 

What is travelling without the culture shock? 

NO FUN and definitely no blog updates here!

Ambiguous, huh?

Akira's first impression of it - "$315  9/10  for how much of petrol?"

"$2.99/kg.. hmm not cheap. Opps, no...$2.99/lb.. double not cheap"

As a Kid in USA

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My 10 year old kiddo: Soccer ball, guitars with amplifier, Wii, dozens of board games, tennis racquet, swimming gears, airsoft guns, bullet guns, rifles, gameboy, etc.

My kiddo's 8 year old cousin: Soccer ball, basketball pole,  XBox, PS2, guitar with amplifier, keyboard, creative toys, inflated pool, TV in bedroom, etc..

Observation of our neighbours: basketball poles, skateboards, scooters, and probably many other cool stuffs in the house.



School's summer break:

About 3 months and summer break is not the only break throughout the school year.


A typical schedule during school days:

9 till 3.45 pm      : at school
4 till 4.30 pm      : homeworks
4.30 till 7.30 pm : playtime outside with neighbours/ friends
7.30 till 9.30pm : dinner, shower, read and sleep


 Weekends schedule:

Play the whole day or go out for movies with eventual possible sleepover at friend's house.

Now, Akira wishes to turn back time and grow up as a kid here...

 

 While waiting to pick up kiddo and friends outside the cinema, Akira was happy to discover this.