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< September, 2008 >
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Coming Soon...
Sunday, Sep 7
11:00 AM Greek Festival
12:00 PM Brazilian Day Festival
12:00 PM House of Panama Lawn Program
03:30 PM 1st Annual Brazilian Day Parade
Tuesday, Sep 9
10:00 AM FREE Admission to Museum of San Diego History
Wednesday, Sep 10
06:00 PM SummerBash 2008

Arts & Artifacts
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUMS
GALLERIES
PERFORMANCE VENUES

Ongoing Local Events
Farmer's Market and
Asian Bazaar
Asian Pacific Historic District
Tours
Spanish Story Time
Los Bilingual Writers
House of Hungary Playhouse
Japanese Crafts
Little Italy Mercato
Joy Luck Club
Les Miserables

Music & Dance
Athenaeum Mini Concerts
Sunday Swing Dance
English Country Dancing
Children's West African
Drumming
Afro-Cuban Percussion
Salsa Dance Class
Zydeco Dances
Caballero Latin Jam
Tango Classes
Viennese Waltz
Bohemian Polka
Tahitian & Hula
Persian Tango
International Dance Association

Welcome - Hola - Salaam - Banga Wa - Mabuhay - Namaste
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The City of San Diego is home to one of the most vital culturally diverse populations to be found anywhere. The Participant Observer is a web-based magazine dedicated to discovering and showcasing the wide variety of culturally interesting events, people, places and organizations our city has to offer. Our frequently updated Events Calendar provides comprehensive information about current and forthcoming events in San Diego. In addition to covering local events, The Participant Observer publishes features and articles about cultural events and phenomena happening around the world. We urge you to explore the many other resources our site provides. We encourage article and event submissions from our readers. If you create an account on the Participant Observer, you will automatically receive a weekly email update of upcoming events, important reminders and notifications.

Help Us Promote Multi-Cultural Knowledge and Understanding!

Also on this Site...
This Month's Cultural Tidings
Last updated by tjon on 09/06/2008 11:27 PM (Read: 36 times)

All Things Cultural from Around the World

[Read More] 170 more words - 10 pages Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Indonesian Vegetable Curry Soup (Sayur Kari).
Last updated by tjon on 09/06/2008 11:24 PM (Read: 14 times)

[Read More] 467 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


A Southern India Hindu Wedding
Last updated by tjon on 08/30/2008 12:00 AM (Read: 2922 times)

This article describes wedding customs and rituals celebrated by Tamil Brahmin families in southern India. My name is Lakshmi Appachar and my family follows the Brahmin tradition. The pictures shown in this article are actually from my own wedding which took place recently. Writing this article enabled me to relive a very important and pleasurable event of my life and it also gave me an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of the significance of many of the rituals.

By Lakshmi Appachar

[Read More] 1791 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Indonesian Culinary Adventure
Last updated by tjon on 08/30/2008 12:00 AM (Read: 2777 times)

Gado-gado is a popular Indonesian dish that hails from the island of Java but is found throughout much of Indonesia and Malaysia. Like many Indonesian meals – and gado gado is a complete meal- it creates a melody of tastes; at once spicy hot, sour, sweet and very slightly salty. The ingredients vary from place to place and from cook to cook. Typically it is served at room temperature but it is best if everything is freshly prepared and still slightly warm but not hot. The word “Gado-Gado” simply means “mixed-up.”

By Tom Johnston-O'Neill

[Read More] 1840 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Culture Cottages of Balboa Park
Last updated by tjon on 08/30/2008 12:00 AM (Read: 2509 times)

One of San Diego's unique treasures that has escaped the notice of many of the city's residents are the International Cottages of the House of Pacific Relations (HPR) in Balboa Park. Balboa Park has the distinction of being the nation's largest urban cultural park, the home of fifteen museums, the Organ Pavilion and the San Diego Zoo, and is visited by hundreds of thousands of San Diegans and tourists each year. Yet many long-time residents are unaware of the many programs and opportunities provided by the HPR cottages, located off Presidents Way at the South end of Balboa Park.

By Shanti Hofshi
Photos by Emily Johnston-O'Neill

[Read More] 1018 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Little India in San Diego!
Last updated by tjon on 08/28/2008 12:07 PM (Read: 9701 times)

Located just on Black Mountain Rd. a block north of Miramar Rd. is a group of restaurants and stores that have become a haven for South Asians and anyone else who enjoys Indian food and culture.

By: Lakshmi Appachar
Photos by: Jayanth Mandayam

[Read More] 1189 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Spotlight: AFS International Exchange Student Programs
Last updated by tjon on 08/27/2008 05:16 PM (Read: 1810 times)

AFS is one of the largest volunteer-based organizations of its kind in the world with more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide and more than 8,000 in the U.S. AFS specializes in exchange programs for high school students and young adults. AFS brings young people from all over the world to study in America and provides opportunities to American students to live and study abroad.

By Michele Silverthorn
Community Development Specialist AFS-USA

[Read More] 665 more words - 1 page Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


San Diego's Chicano Park
Last updated by tjon on 08/27/2008 03:59 PM (Read: 2021 times)

If you've never visited San Diego's Chicano Park, you might imagine that it is just another typical park; grass and trees, playgrounds and picnic tables, weekend gatherings of families and friends. However, unlike other parks, Chicano Park is steeped in a profound socio-political history of Chicano life in our city.

By Jordan Tresham and Tom Johnston-O'Neill
Photos by Shimona Carvalho

[Read More] 1295 more words - 6 pages Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail


Finding the International in Comic Con International
Last updated by tjon on 07/27/2008 12:00 AM (Read: 3224 times)

It's called "Comic Con International." Just how international is our city's largest annual convention that The Union Tribune has called "A United Nations of Nerds"?

By Tom Johnston-O'Neill
Convention Photos by Shari Johnston-O'Neill

[Read More] 2429 more words - 4 pages Add Comments Printable VersionPrint E-mail this Article to a FriendeMail



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Recipe of the Month
Indonesian Sayur Kari
Recipe Archive

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Cultural Tidings
Tidings Archive
• Chicano Park
• Spotlight: AFS
• Little India in San Diego
• Bobalicious
• Punjabi Tandoor!
• Easy Adobo
• Spanish Village and Lucy Wang
• The Amazing Mata Ortiz
• 99 Ranch Market
• Houses of Culture
• Hindu Nuptials
• Culinary Adventure

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The Girl from Foreign
by
Sadia Shepard


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99 Ranch Market
Asia: Journal of Culture and Commerce

Culture Words
Class: a category of persons who have about the same opportunity to obtain economic resources, power, and prestige.

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