Serge the Concierge

I'd Rather be in Essaouira in June for the Gnaoua Festival

A little magic and music in a different setting can have a restoring effect on many of us.
I was left dreaming of being able to make it to the Gnaoua (Gnawa) Festival in Essaouira in June (26 to 29) after reading Rockin' the Casbah (Steve Dougherty, NY Times).
Call it Moroccan Roll if you will.

The festival site describes Gnawa as "the descendents of slaves originating from Black Africa who established brotherhoods throughout Morocco. They are made up of master musicians (maâlem), metal castanet players, clairvoyants, mediums and their followers".
As for the tradition "the most spectacular and important ceremony is the Lila, whose function is essentially therapeutic" and "during the celebration the maâlem and his group call on the saints and supernaturel entities to take possession of their followers who fall into a trance".
They link Gnawa to Haïtian voodoo and Brazilian macumba.

Here is a short lesson on all things Gnawa (also from their site):

GLOSSARY
Gnawa : plural of Gnawi. A generic term which includes all members of the brotherhood including the master musicians, castanet players, clairvoyant healers and the followers of the cult.
Maâlem : master of the ceremony
Moqadma : priestess
Tallaâtes, chouwafates or arifates : clairvoyant healers
Mlouk : supernatural entities
Guembri or Hajhouj : percussive 3-stringed lute
Aouicha : small guembri
Qarqabats or Qraqech : metal castanets
Tbel : drums
Ftouh errahba : beginning of the mlouk repertory of songs
Derdeba ou Lila : Ritual of possession
Hal ou jedba : transe
Koyo : Pre-Islamic musical repertory

If you plan a trek to Morroco for the event, in the US, Sahara Soul Travel offers a One Week Package that includes 3 days in Marrakech and 4 days in Essaouira during the Festival.
The package does not include airfare and it is not clear if it includes tickets for the Gnawa.

More Moroccan Bits: Kasbah du Toubkal, a moroccan retreat in the Atlas mountains

Japanese Delicacies: Monja-yaki (dried squid, corn and cabbage)

I am staying away from art and craft today for Tokyo Thursdays.
Instead I went looking for Foodie Bits and was lucky to find a flurry of details on Japanese Delicacies organized by region on the Japan National Tourist Organization site.

I decided to showcase one dish amongst them all, Monja-yaki, a popular dish in Tokyo.

Here is how JNTO describes it:

"Monja-yaki was originally eaten as a children's treat in downtown Tokyo. Now it is established as a specialty of Tokyo. First, you cook ingredients such as dried squid, sweet corn and cabbage on a heated cast iron plate. Then you gather these ingredients together on a plate and build a circular wall with a hollowed-out space and pour a watery batter mixed with flour into the hollow. You scrape the half-cooked part around using a small spatula and scoop up the cooked part stuck to the back of the spatula into your mouth. This dish originated either in Asakusa in Tokyo or in Gunma. At present, Tsukishima in Chuo ward is known throughout Japan as "Monja-yaki Town". Please take that extra step and try this dish when you visit the Ginza area"

My illustration comes from their piece.

I found this Play by play about Monja-yaki on Treasure Chest.

SunnyPages compares Kansai versus Hiroshima style of this dish.

Bon appetit for Tokyo Thursdays #39

Last week: 'Only the Carp that can swim up the Yellow River can become a Dragon' (Koi Nobori)

'What to wear in Mumbai?' Anything but Black (via Globespotters)

Most leisure or business travelers visiting Mumbai have planned their trip in detail.
One thing that they might not have carefully considered is the clothes.
Anand Giridharadas offers some suggestions in Dressed by the Best: What to Wear in Mumbai? (Globespotters).

He mentions Priya Kishore, founder of Bombay Electric who confesses that the biggest mistake she made was bring a bunch of black clothing with her and had to get rid of it as it did not work in the local hot weather.
She suggests adopting the kurta and describes it as "closely related to the kaftan, and comes in a mind-boggling array of styles: with sleeves or without, with buttons or a slit, long or short, formal or casual. You can choose from a jewel-encrusted luxe version by Elizabeth Hurley or Nalandda Bhandari, a fashion-forward version by Manish Arora, a minimalistic rendition by my own store’s label, Gheebutter, or something cheap and cheerful by Fabindia. The wonderful thing about the kurta is that you can wear it to a dinner party or a night club, a street market or a temple, and not seem out of place anywhere".

Any suggestions?

I found this selection of kurtas on Exotic India.

Related: "Heal your Body through your Clothes"

Less Gas, More Sweat: Bike to Work Week 2008 in Full Swing in the US, May 12 to 16

So wrapped up was I in getting ready for my US Citizenship Test (on May 12) that I almost missed looking into Bike to Work 2008.
It started on May 12 and is in full swing in the US until May 16.

Some people are dedicated riders all year round as Bike Commuters highlight.
Check the State by State Event List compiled by The League of American Bicyclists.
On the practical side, they offer Tips for Commuters addressing clothing, why commute by bike, commuting and public health and more.
Decided to join the fun, use the Bike to Work Week, Map Your Commute tool.
Across the country, many sites promote local events with a flurry of logos and slogans.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin suggests joining as a way to save money on gas as illustrated.

Great ideas from Bike Iowa as well as safety tips:

• Ride on the right.
• Always ride in the same direction as traffic.
• The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists.
• Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs, lights, and lane markings.
• Always use hand signals to indicate your intention to stop or turn to motorists and cyclists.
• Always wear a properly fitting helmet.
• Ride predictably, ride in a straight line and don't swerve in the road or between parked cars.
• Be visible, wear brightly colored clothing at all times.

Not to forget California with Bike to Work Santa Cruz (Monterey Country), nice poster.

In Nevada, Muscle Powered documents what's happening in and around Carson City.

End of the roundup.

Feel free to send us your local site, events and art work and I will mention the best of them.

Other 2 wheel stories: Cycling in High Heels, Green and Stylish the Copenhagen Way

Mr. Tang's Billionaire Guide to Beijing (via The Independent)

Sir David Tang starts his And finally... the billionaire's Guide to Beijing for The Independent's Sunday Magazine by describing a stroll around Tiananmen Square as romantic. He offers the Summer Palace as the place to relax and Green T House as the Top Table in town.