United Planet Blog

Post written by Lucille, a United Planet team member.

Each year, during the first weekend of July, the North of France celebrates the Festival of the Giants.

Picture taken by chaton144, Flickr

Most of the Northern cities have a patron giant to protect them. Today, there are more than 300 giants representing the cities of the region. In 2005, UNESCO added the festival to the World Heritage List. These giants are not simple statues; they are moving giants! They are made of wood and people carry them around during the festival. The giants measure between six and eight and half meters in length (20 to 25 ft).They are really heavy and are carried by six men who hide under the giants’ clothes. However, there are also smaller giants which are about two and a half to three meters high (8 or 9 ft) and are carried by a single person. Single carriers bring their giants to life by moving and turning them as they parade through town.

Picture taken by chaton144, Flickr

Binbin, the giant of my hometown, had a special parade last year for his 200th “birthday.” You may think that 200 years is old for a giant. Prepare yourself to be surprised! Binbin is the youngest of the Gayant family, the most famous family of giants. These giants hail from the city of Douai and Mr Gayant is more than 500 years old! The members of the family are Gayant, his wife Marie Cagenon, and their children: Jacquot, Fillon and Binbin. According to legend, the young knight Gayant saved the city of Douai from invasion by the Normands in the 9th century. The inhabitants of Douai made a statue in his honor and created a festival to thank him; however, the church banned the festival claiming it was idolatry. Nevertheless, in1530 the festival was revived and the city of Douai continues to celebrate it to this day. Nearby cities created their own versions of this popular festival by later “adopting” Gayant’s children or creating their own giant from medieval fictional characters.

Picture taken by costata, Flickr

Now, each year, during the last weekend of June or the first weekend of July, cities across Northern France and parts of Belgium celebrate the Festival of the Giants. Each celebration features outdoor music, a parade with costumed dancers and lots of candy for the children.
The giants often journey from neighboring cities to take part in the celebration. Lucky festival-goers can sometimes spot weddings between ally giants! It is a great moment that I was always anxious for when I was younger. I advise everybody to go, particularly if you have children!

Post written by Mia, a United Planet Team member.

The Sun, the center of our Solar System, has been keeping us warm, giving us light and supporting life on Earth for millions of years. Its presence causes day and its absence, night. It’s no wonder that for many ancient cultures the sun represented a supernatural phenomenon, something that was there to be worshipped. The Inca, some might say, practiced one of ancient civilization’s most ornate sun worship rituals.

Picture taken by Fred Lam, Flickr.

Incan culture was based on a profound connection with nature. This relationship was celebrated through religious rituals and ceremonies demonstrating the Inca’s appreciation to the Sun God for providing them with sustenance. Thought to be the beginning of the Sun’s new year, The Inti Raymi, or Festival of the Sun, takes place on Winter Solstice (June 24) and is one of the most important celebrations of the year.

Around this time of year, the cobblestone streets of Cusco fill with thousands of tourists and colorful scenery, as the city prepares for the ceremony. Folk dancers, street vendors and other exhibitions overtake the city’s ruins and public plazas in anticipation of the main attraction, the Inti Raymi ceremony.

Picture taken by ojjo, Flickr.

It’s been more than sixty years since the re-creation has taken place in Cusco’s central plaza, now known as Plaza de Armas. The main ceremony of Inti Raymi is now practiced on the Saqsaywaman fortress, a hilltop complex of ruins overlooking the city of Cusco. Personally, I think the location could not be more perfect. The huge stone ruins, carefully placed together over 500 years ago during the height of the empire, cause such an impression to the visitor that you could only expect that an ancient Inca ceremony was meant to be re-created there.

All in all, approximately 500 actors proudly take part in bringing the past alive. For the representation, El Inca (the Incan Emperor, originally claimed to be a direct descendant of the Sun God), his wife and followers dress in traditional costumes and give speeches in their native language, Quechua. The participants dance in the most vibrant clothes; perform a simulation of animal sacrifice (which originally served as an offering to the Sun God), and a group of princesses and soldiers lead the colorful procession of back to Cusco.

Picture taken by ojjo, Flickr.

Little is really known about the details of the Inti Raymi celebration, and most of what we see today is pieced together from archaeological findings, and of memories and practices that have been passed on from generation to generation to keep the local traditions alive. As Quechua is not a written language, there is no record of how the rituals were originally practiced. I think it’s important for future generations to understand the origins of their culture, respect its values, and be proud of who they are.

Post written by Li, United Planet’s International Programs Manager.

I am happy to write about our first in-person pre-departure training for United Planet’s long-term volunteers. These volunteers will take off in August 2009 to spend six months or one year volunteering at local organizations in their host communities. Their destinations include Brazil, Colombia, Belgium, Switzerland, Uganda, Taiwan and more!

The three-day training was held in Rowe, nestled in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts. We stayed at a comfortable old New England farmhouse, originally built in 1776. We ate the freshest and healthiest gourmet vegetarian food you can imagine! The kitchen’s delicious cuisine and willingness to cater to special diets, from vegan to high protein, really impressed us all. Their hands nurtured our bodies, as their hearts nurtured our souls.

This training was a great forum for the volunteers to meet each other, share common interests, and get to know the United Planet staff. They received answers to their questions on what life would be like abroad and were able to process their expectations, fears and excitement for their upcoming adventure.

Our activities and discussions covered a range of topics including culture shock, international volunteering, identity abroad, health and safety, and more. We asked the volunteers to explore challenging topics on many levels, to look for and analyze cultural patterns, and to step outside their comfort zone. These simulations aimed to give the volunteers a sense of the complexities they may encounter overseas. While everyone appreciates this experience now, we know the real value of the training will come once they arrive in their host communities and have to put these new skills to the test!

We look forward to sharing some of their stories with you once they have embarked on this challenging and rewarding experience abroad!

Post written by Manuela, a United Planet team member.

Tomorrow the grand opening of the 21st summer Tollwood, an international cultural festival, will take place in Munich’s Olympia Park. Tollwood draws over two million visitors each summer, who not only come from Germany, but from all over Europe to enjoy the festival’s medley of culture, cuisine and craftwork.

Similar to Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Tollwood lasts for 25 days and showcases theatre productions from around the world, concerts by national and international rock and jazz stars, performance groups and bands from all genres. This year for instance the Scottish singer Amy MacDonald will charm the audience with her delightful songs. Other noteworthy performers include Lauryn Hill, Milow, Foreigner, Al McKay und Solomon Burke, Gentleman & The Far East Band and Simple Minds. The best part is that more than 70 percent of the shows are free!

The festival offers the chance to discover diversity through the arts. By sauntering through the “Market of Ideas” you can admire international handicrafts and taste culinary delights. Your journey will start with a real Weisswurst, or Bavarian veal sausage, followed by a stopover in the Palm Garden, and finishes shortly thereafter in the Buddha Garden. At Tollwood, there is culture for everybody! I especially enjoy spending time with friends soaking up the festival’s colorful atmosphere on balmy summer nights.

You may have noticed from the previous post on Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures that Germany celebrates several cultural events during the month of June. Which festival is better is open to dispute and will depend on who you ask, as Berliners and Münchner have an ongoing rivalry. If you love one city, then you hate the other one. Each city has a distinct identity and culture. One thing is for sure: Berlin is an inspiring multicultural motley with a touch of craziness, while Munich is an inviting “city with heart” that cultivates a strong arts scene! While I’m from Munich, I have to admit that I actually love both of them.

Pictures taken by mr.gears and LuxTonnerre, Flickr.

Post written by Lucille, a United Planet team member.

端午節欢迎你! (Welcome to the Dragon Boat Festival)

Last Sunday, the banks of the Charles River in Boston were transformed into a Chinese village, complete with dragon boats, traditional dancers and musicians. Today, I want to allow all of you, who unfortunately were not there, to travel to China with a description of Sunday’s events!

The Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the memory of Qu Yuan, a folk hero, poet and politician, who lived some 2300 years ago during the Zhou Dynasty. He was exiled for opposing an alliance between the state of Chu, where he lived, and the state of Qin. When the Qin conquered the Chu capital, it came to light that perhaps Yuan was right to be reluctant about the alliance. In desperation, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself. The local people are said to have paddled their boats to find Qu Yuan’s body and to scare the fish away so that they wouldn’t eat him. To honor the legend of Yuan’s death, the Chinese hold an annual day of boat races.

This weekend marked Boston’s 30th year celebrating the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. The main festival attractions are the races, which include the Hong Kong Cup, the Club competition, the women’s race, the breast cancer survivor race and the youth race.

The dragon boats are a sight to see, with over 20 paddlers moving the boat along in unison. They resemble very long canoes and are powered by a crew of paddlers, one drummer or coxswain, and one sweep or tiller. I was particularly impressed by the team who won the women’s race. The average age of the team was 72 and the oldest woman in the boat was more than 90 years old!

The most widespread activities during this festival are the boat races, but many performers, craftsmen and food vendors were also present to celebrate the festival. I noticed a lot of people preparing and eating zhonzi (粽子), or rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves.

In the arts and crafts section, there were calligraphy tables where visitors could have their names written in Chinese characters. Children could also cut and color paper dragon boats. The children were so proud to do those little things and to show them to their parents! And it was so nice to see all these children, Chinese or not, absolutely fascinated by all the Chinese activities offered during this festival!

The dance and music performances really complemented the boat races. A lot of Chinese songs are related to water, and the traditional musical instruments, such as the Chinese flute, piano and violin, are very good at imitating and evoking the sound of water. When I closed my eyes, I could recall images of the Chinese water villages of Tongli or Zhouzhuang, where I spent some time last summer. The performers were very good, and having the shows presented both in English and Chinese allowed me to escape to China during one afternoon!

Post written by Dominik, a United Planet team member.

Every year on Pentecost weekend, the city of Berlin comes alive for the Carnival of Cultures. Over 1.5 million Berliners take to the streets to enjoy this multicultural carnival. The celebration includes a procession of 4500 people representing over 70 countries through both music and dance performances. On the green field at the Blucherplatz, one can see acrobats, wizards, tightrope and stilt walkers as well as percussionists and curiosity marketers. Over 950 bands play on four stages throughout the weekend. The city also puts on a street festival, where people sell typical food and art from all over the world at over 380 booths.

After the Berlin wall was torn down in 1989 many artists and people from places all over the world came to the city to live and work here. Then, in 1996, the idea for the first Carnival of Cultures was born. The carnival was created to show visitors and citizens alike, just how cosmopolitan, multicultural and passionate this city really is.

The carnival has become a big family attraction, complete with picnics and child performers. A few years ago, the organizers added a children’s carnival, where kids can demonstrate their talent and artistic skills to festival-goers. It’s a great time to be in Berlin and witness its multiculturalism!

Post written by Empar, a United Planet team member.

The arroz con leche (rice with milk) is one of the oldest desserts in Spain. Arroz con leche is prepared all over Spain, with several small regional variations, but the basic ingredients are the same: rice, milk, sugar and lemon or orange peel. It is also possible to find this dessert in other Spanish speaking countries, such as Peru or Costa Rica. In other countries, you often find arroz con leche with other flavors added. In the north of Europe you could eat it as a warm meal instead of as a dessert! But the origin of this dessert comes from the Muslim world and was imported into Spain when the Muslims conquered the South of the Iberian Peninsula.

Picture taken by bmoreno2000mx, Flickr

The ingredients of arroz con leche:

• Rice (1 and a 1/3 cup of 250 ml). Use Spanish type rice (short wide grains).
• Milk (1 gallon)
• Sugar (12-13 full soup spoons)
• Salt (1/2 coffee spoon)
• 4 Lemon zest (only the yellow part of the peel, since the white part is bitter)
• 4 Cinnamon sticks

Picture taken by Helechos Helene, Flickr

Directions:
Peel the lemons and place them in the milk, together with the cinnamon sticks for at least 12 hours (e.g. the night before preparing the rice).
Heat the milk over medium heat) together with the lemon zest and cinnamon sticks until it starts boiling (to get the aroma). Remove the lemon zest and cinnamon sticks, and then add the rice. Cook it for 1/2 hour or until it is well done (you need to stir the rice from time to time, checking it so it doesn’t burn). At the end, add the sugar and the salt (and some more lemon if you want to strengthen its flavor). Stir for 3-4 minutes more, and remove it from the heat. Serve it in a large, shallow glass pan and sprinkle some ground cinnamon on it. Let it cool for about one hour, and then put it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, although one day would be even better for the rice to fully absorb the milk.

Picture taken by Xurri, Flickr

Serve the arroz con leche cold. It should be half-liquid, never solid, but you can increase or reduce the amount of milk if you prefer it to be more or less liquid.
And now comes the best part… ENJOY IT!!!

Post written by Marie, a United Planet Team member.

Founded in 1946 by Jean Zay, the Cannes Film Festival is the most popular film festival in the world. The 62nd annual festival, hosted by French Actress Isabelle Huppert, just wrapped up on May 24th.

The red carpet has been rolled out! The Festival de Cannes screened 52 feature films from 32 different countries this year. Among those unveiled in the official selection, including off-competition screenings and the parallel section “Un Certain Regard,” which is aimed at boosting film talent. This year, for the first time in the festival’s history, an animated film was screened at the opening ceremony.

Picture taken by MyCine, Flickr

Well-established Asian and European directors dominated the list of 20 films competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or in the main selection. These films include Quentin Tarantino’s much hyped Inglorious Bastards and Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist. Festival favorites, directors Pedro Almodovar and Ang Lee, also presented films in this year.

French cinema was well represented on its own soil this year, with four French films competing in the official selection. Jacques Audiard entered his prison drama, “A Prophet”, one of the buzz films in this year’s competition. In “Wild Grass” from Alain Resnais, Georges, a character of mysterious and disturbing impulses finds a red wallet that glows seductively, and pursues the owner, Marguerite, a busy dentist who has a pilot’s license and wants nothing to do with him. Gaspard Noe’s “Enter the Void” and Xavier Giannoli’s “A l’origine” rounded out the French entries in the main festival selection.

However, unlike last year, the Palme d’Or was not won by a French film. This year’s winner was Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon”. Last year the award when to “The Class” from Laurent Cantet. Nevertheless, Charlotte Gainsbourg, a French actress was named best actress for her leading role in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, the highly controversial film that depicts physical abuse and the torturing of her husband. Jacques Audiard won the “Grand Prix” and Resnais received the lifetime achievement award. Although the Festival de Cannes is an international film festival, it is France’s biggest and most important film festival of the year. France’s strong showing at the annual festival is also a testament to the influence of French cinema and culture on this global industry.
Picture taken by Haydenfilms, Flickr

Post written by Caiya, a United Planet team member.

It is a joyous thing to have a new baby in a family. Babies not only bring us joy but also hope. Parents will do their very best to ensure that their baby has a bright future.

In Tibet, before the baby is born, it is customary to ask Lama to tell where the best birthplace is for the child. A Lama in Yushu told us that the best place for my grandson was in Yushu. Afterwards, we invited monks to pray for the unborn baby’s health and intelligence.

Throughout the pregnancy, he mother isn’t allowed to eat anything she wants. She is forbidden to eat meat from other families or meat from animal’s that were killed by wolves. It is widely believed that if a mother eats this meat, the baby will be stillborn or the baby’s gender will change. Instead, expectant mothers will often drink butter tea and broths which have been made by their own families.

During the birth, there are many things that Tibetans do to help relieve the mother’s pain and to ensure the baby’s future health. . We use butter which is round and has been blessed by a Lama as ocytocic to stimulate contractions and ease the birth. If the baby is a boy we use a white kip to wrap him up. If it is a girl, we use a black kip. For protection, we also sew an amulet onto the swaddling clothes.

Once the baby is carried home we put butter on his head and bring him to the family temple. This is so Buddha will bless the infant and bring him good luck. Then, when the baby is a month old, he is given a name by either a Lama or elder member of the family. After 100 days, Tibetans are finally allowed to take photos of the infant. It is believed that if photos are taken earlier the baby will get sick.

Many beautiful wishes will be sent to the baby. However, the most important wishes come from the parents. They should send all their best hopes to their children, because it is believed that parents’ hopes are pure-hearted and will come true.

Post written by Krista Laux, a United Planet volunteer.

The cherry tree (Sakura) is a distinctive part of the Japanese landscape. The trees, which only bloom for two weeks each year, display pale pink flowers that fall to the ground like snow. They line the streets on back roads in urban areas, and can be seen bunched together in parks. In the Tokyo area, the cherry trees blossom at the end of March, and the flowers fall off the tree by mid-April. Hanami, or flower viewing festivals, have been around for centuries, and are held all over Japan at this time. At Hanami festivals, people gather together and enjoy a sort of picnic under the blooming trees, with food, drink and singing. It is a special time for the Japanese people, and a treat for tourists to see.

When I planned my volunteer trip to Japan with United Planet, I chose the month of April because I knew the weather would be nicer than in the rainy season of summer. I had heard of the cherry trees, but I had no idea that I would be lucky enough to see them in their beautiful, fully bloomed state. But three days after my arrival, I had my first Japanese lesson. And instead of learning the language, I got to see this bit of Japanese culture up close.

We drove to a nearby park and set up a picnic blanket in the shade of the trees. The park was full of people, some with families and some with pets, eating and playing games at the dozens of vendors lining the walkway. Another United Planet volunteer, Osheyho, and I were treated like to delicious Japanese food and tea that was brought by the rest of the group. We ate sushi, and enjoyed rice cookies and desserts. We spent most of the time asking questions about Japanese life and customs, and answering the dozens of questions about ours. I felt amazed that all of the things I take for granted in my everyday life could be so interesting to someone else. It was rewarding to share my experiences.

Occasionally, the petals of the cherry blossom would fall off the tree with the wind and shower down on us. We would stop talking then, and watch the beauty of the petals fall to the ground. After we ate, Osheyho and I listened to our group sing songs about springtime. I had never experienced something like that before: the singing was so appropriate for the occasion. When it came time to leave, I made sure to get a picture of the group, and pictures of the cherry trees, just in case I am never able to witness it again.

I can’t adequately describe how I felt being there. I was homesick of course, but I felt so comfortable during my visit, and welcome. This festival was one of many times during my stay that I felt like a guest of honor. The kindness of every person I met will never be forgotten. I am so glad that I took on the opportunity to volunteer in Japan, and I’m crossing my fingers that my next quest will be as rich and rewarding as this one was.