Irvine Global Village Festival, October 3, 2009

"More than 10,000 guests will travel the world at the City of Irvine’s Global Village Festival. Boasting artistic cultural performances on five stages, this annual festival’s live entertainment is a mosaic of music and dance representing more than 50 cultures from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Immerse yourself in cultural displays, world religion information, and creative demonstrations. Indulge in international cuisine, explore our world marketplace and keep the little ones in motion with hands-on art projects, games and activities in a giant, interactive Kids Village. "

After reading that info, I told my wife we better go see this festival pronto. The Global Village Festival turned out to be more village than global but there was no admission and parking fees so there was really no reason for me to bellyache. I was just disappointed....I was expecting more, a lot more. Anyway, Irvine is a city not too far from ours so it was worth the drive and the time we spent there.


The path to one of the parking lots

One of the five stages at the site

The Pinays manning the display booth said they'll have a better one next year and they will also have a food booth.

Native Indian booth

At the Czech-Moravia-Slovakia booth table of alcoholic beverages, I noticed a tall can of Budweiser, a popular domestic beer, so I asked the lady manning the booth the reason for its presence. She pointed to me the beer can next to it with a Budweiser label also. She said they've been making and selling their Budweiser beer in their native country for 700 years but they cannot legally market it in the US under the same label. Corporate dictatorship or sound business practice?

A long row of booths selling ethnic food

One of the open air stages

Civil War era encampment in Huntington Beach, September 2009

Last September 5, I went to Huntington Beach Central park to see the annual gathering of civil war buffs and their encampment. I was surprised at the size of the encampment and the number of participants in their authentic costumes. They easily outnumbered the visitors/onlookers! When I was strolling at their "village," I felt like I was transported to their era by a time machine.

Next year, I'm going to bring my grandchildren to their encampment and war re-enactment because it is a good learning experience for them to see history alive and in the flesh.

This guy is displaying the various weapons used in combat during this ugly phase of US history

The confederates assembling for a big showdown with the union contingent

The northern or union contingent preparing to meet force with force

The conferate troop marching to battle to the beat of a drummer boy

The artillerymen waiting for the opportune moment to rain in death and destruction

Not my kind of fighting! Opponents lined up against each other, face to face and exchanging shots like they are on a target range.

Casualties start to mount

The victorious contingent returning from the battlefield

A field hospital doctor explaining what he had to do when the dying and wounded start coming in