Category Archives: North American

Fat Tuesday on Wednesday Morning

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This morning a coworker brought Fasnacht to work for breakfast. I had never heard of it before so I was glad she provided a written description:

Fasnacht is a yeast-raised potato pastry that is deep-fried like a doughnut. The name fastnacht is German for “fast night,” and the tradition of making them began with the Pennsylvania Dutch as a way to use up the lard, sugar, fat and butter that are forbidden during Lent.

My coworker got them from her local grocery store. She lives in Pennsylvania where the Dutch culture is still very prevalent. However, I don’t think they are common in stores located in the Washington, DC area, which is why this is my first time eating it.

The box of Fasnacht came in glazed, powered and plain. I grabbed the glazed, as that is my favorite type of doughnut. While the Fasnacht looks like a doughnut, its consistency is a lot thicker. To me, it tasted like coffee cake or King cake to make a Fat Tuesday reference.  In addition, I think it’s fascinating how a pastry can be made from potato starch instead of flour.

All in all Fasnacht is a tasty pastry. I just wonder if it is really a once a year treat. I’d love to try it again.

My hair in African braids

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This weekend I had my hair braided by West African women at a salon in Virginia. In African and African American cultures, women express the beauty of black hair in so many ways: straight vs. curly; relaxed vs. natural; braided vs. locked; long vs. short, etc. While it is nice to have these options, I have worn the same relaxed hairstyle for most of my adulthood. I know…pretty boring. Thus, I was glad to go back to braids after not wearing them for several years.

African braiding, a true art form, is just one type of hair expression that comes in various creations such as cornrows, twists and individual braids and that can be worn in different styles such as a French roll, updo or ponytail. For me it took five long hours to have my hair braided individually. However, through the restlessness of sitting that long, I enjoyed listening to the stylists speak in Twi, a Ghanaian dialect, and to lively African gospel music. For a moment, it felt like I was in another country until I felt two women tugging on my hair in opposite directions. Ouch!

Nowadays black women are not the only ones wearing African braids. African American men and women of other races, including Asian, Caucasian and Latino, are also sporting these styles.

A gift from Japan

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC celebrates Japan’s gift of 3,000+ cherry blossom trees to the United States in 1912 to symbolize their enduring friendship. During the two-week long festival, locals and tourists from around the world participate in fun activities such as art exhibits, a parade, fireworks and cultural demonstrations. Today with my friend Denise and thousands of other visitors, I went to see the main attraction: blooming cherry blossom trees located around the Tidal Basin. While these beautiful trees can be seen all around the city and adjoining states, there is something special about seeing them against national landmarks and hearing foreign languages all at once.

The festival started March 27th and ends April 11th. It is a great way to celebrate the beginning of spring and to learn more about Japanese culture. If you can’t make it this year, consider a trip to DC next spring.

African American Museum featuring Romare Bearden

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It’s great to visit a place and get more than expected. That’s what happened to Jonathan and me when we visited the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. We went there to see the Romare Bearden exhibit and got so much more.

Romare Bearden, an African American artist, is known for his creative and textured collages through various photographic processes: etchings, aquatints, collagraphs, photo projections, lithographs and screenprints. Through his work, Bearden illustrated African American experiences, including slavery, civil rights, religion, love and jazz music.

Upon entering the museum, we learned that actors from the Arena Players, a renowned African-American regional theater, were performing excerpts from August Wilson plays to show the similarity in themes and universal relevance with Romare Bearden’s work. We came in on the end but were able to hear one song and two readings. The performances were well worth our visit, and we had yet to see the exhibit.

The Romare Bearden exhibit included 75 works and explained in detail how Bearden produced different art forms. It also relayed how many writers, including August Wilson, Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison, were inspired by Bearden’s work, which led them to used his artwork as the covers of their books.

Another added bonus to our museum visit was the Ulysses Marshall exhibit titled “Storytales.” This artist was also inspired by Bearden and produced mixed-media paintings that incorporated elements of collage and print-making. His work on display pays tribute to the sharecroppers, bluesmen, rural families and ancestral figures that form the continuum of African American experience.

If you are unfamiliar with Romare Bearden or Ulysses Marshall’s work, I encourage you to seek it out. Their works give beautiful and vivid illustrations of social and cultural issues facing the African American community.

In addition, the museum’s permanent exhibits focus on the history of the African American community in Maryland, including farming, politics, medicine, sports and education. There are interesting objects on display such as Dominique Dawes’ gymnastic leotard from the 1996 Olympics and medical tools used by Dr. Ben Carson.

If you are ever in Baltimore, definitely visit the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. It’s worth the trip.

“Cultural” Magazines

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Out of curiosity, I purchased Vanidades, a women’s magazine written in Spanish that focuses on beauty, fashion and entertainment.  My Spanish level is conversational so I was unable to fully translate all of the articles. However, I did get the gist of the stories on actors, models, politicians and musicians and picked up trends on fashion, home decor and travel.

Initially, I assumed the magazine would only give me a glimpse of the Hispanic culture and important issues to this community. However, beyond language, I did not recognize a major difference between this publication and other women’s magazines. There were stories on popular actors such as Sandra Bullok, Cameron Diaz and Laurence Fishburne; Italian designers; and musicians like Lady Gaga, Fergie, Rhianna and Gwen Stefani. Furthermore, featured articles included travel in Madrid, a 50-year timeline of top models and the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Lastly, the advertisements were similar to most magazines (e.g. Covergirl, Pantene and Downy), but the ads were written in Spanish and featured mostly women of color.

Through this experience, I was reminded to not judge a “magazine” by its cover. And even if the magazine focuses on a certain culture, I can still read interesting articles and get the latest news on different issues. My point…pick up “cultural” magazines or read them online to see what they have to offer. If anything, practice reading in another language.

Other suggested “cultural” women magazines: