Dear San Diego,
Welcome to the latest edition of the San Diego Participant Observer! This issue brings you a recipe for the light and tasty Tahitian Ia Ota, otherwise known as Poisson Cru. It's a delectable fresh ahi tuna salad that is sure to delight. We made it for this week's Worldview Project Book Club meeting (we read The Moon and Sixpence), and the recipe, the national dish of Tahiti, was a huge hit. Our book of the month selection is The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri. The novel follows three Swedish-Tunisian sisters from childhood into adulthood as their lives diverge across Sweden, Tunisia, and the United States. And our international music suggestion is Fatou by Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, whose music fuses traditional Wassoulou sounds with contemporary styles such as jazz, blues, afro-pop, and electronic music.
On to the events!
Festivals and celebrations begin with Saturday's trio of events: the Songkran Thai New Year festival celebration at National City Muay Thai Academy on Saturday, the House of Spain Lawn Program at the International Cottages, and the 54th Annual SDSU Pow Wow. On Sunday, there will be an Afrodiaspora Celebration Day at the Quartyard.
Lots and lots of music and dance events to enjoy in the coming days, starting with the Folk and Such Dance Party on Saturday at the Balboa Park Club. Numerous events happen on Sunday, including the IDASDC Spring Dance Festival (also at the BPC), a Native American Flute Circle at Mission Trails, Stravinsky’s Petrushka at All Saints Episcopal Church, Danish String Quartet & the Danish National Girls’ Choir at Conrad Prebys PAC, and The Colorful World of Music: From Balkan to Eastern Europe at Point Loma Assembly. Next Thursday brings An Ode to Esperanza Spalding & the Music of Brazil at the Jazz Lounge, and Jamaican artist Protoje at Music Box. Next Friday, Indian classical violin duo Ganesh Kumaresh and Kumaresh will perform at the Royal India. Also next Friday, the Center for World Music's Passport Series moves to the Mingei Museum for a concert of Bulgarian traditional music with Ivan and Tzvetanka Varimezov. Remember, our readers get a discount if you use the code "The WVP" when you purchase your tickets. I'll be there, will you?
There are a variety of talks to expand your historical and cultural knowledge, starting with Saturday, when playwright Josefina López will talk at Point Loma Assembly about her artistic journey and life. Next Wednesday at USD, there will be a talk on Migration and Indigenous Healing Practices in a Global Church. Next Friday at UCSD, there will be a talk on Chinese Global Environmentalism.
Film festivals and special movie screenings include tonight's film Trois Amies at the San Diego French American School, Wednesday's screening of Alvira Notari - Beyond Silence at the Digital Gym, and next Thursday's showing of Il tempo che ci vuole (The Time It Takes) at La Paloma. Next Friday, the second part of the San Diego Arab Film Festival will commence, with films showing throughout the weekend at the Museum of Photographic Arts. Also next Friday, Crazy Rich Asians will screen at the Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy.
Book talks include Monday's talk with Patrick Radden Keefe at USD, when he will discuss his new book London Falling; Lina Meruane's Wednesday talk at UCSD about her works and life; and next Thursday's Warwick's online streaming talk with author Kate Hilton, who will talk about her new book The City of the Muse.
The theater season is underway in earnest, including several plays for the younger set. Plays include August Wilson's Fences at the Old Globe, Disney's MOANA Jr. the Musical at Theatre for Young Professionals (opens Friday), Monty Python's Spamalot! (School Edition) opening next Wednesday, and Matilda the Musical Jr. at The Bornemann, which gets underway next Friday.
And there are various other events that may prove to be both interesting and enjoyable, all taking place on Saturday, including the exhibit ¡Viva La Raza! at Woo Studios, the Print as Protest exhibit at Chicano Park Museum, a hands-on Miso Soup workshop at the Japanese Friendship Garden, and lastly, the stand-up comedy performance by Akaash Singh at The Magnolia. Lastly, the Worldview Project, which produces this newsletter every week (and does lots of other stuff too!), is a non-profit organization. Supporting cross-cultural awareness, understanding, and engagement has never been more critical than it is now. As you may have noticed, we don't annoy you with advertisements or constant fundraising appeals. But we need your support to continue to do what we do. In particular, we are seeking our readers' help in funding the further development of our Cultures in the Classroom™ curriculum project to inspire children to connect with and appreciate the wonder of cultures around the world. You can show your support by clicking on the "Donate to the WVP" button above and making a tax-deductible donation to the WVP. No donation is too small— even a dollar would be appreciated!
Cross-Cultural Events in the Next Two Weeks:
Festivals, celebrations, and community events: Songkran Festival • House of Spain Lawn Program • 54th Annual SDSU Pow Wow • Afrodiaspora Celebration Day • Cervantes Festival • House of England Lawn Program • Cervantes Festival and Don Quijote Read-A-Thon • House of Palestine Lawn Program • WorldBeat Cultural Center’s 34th Annual Global Earth Day Festival • Fundraiser: Chinese Historical Museum Spring Banquet • UCSD Egyptian Open House • WOW Festival 2026. Music and/or dance performances: Music and Dance: Folk and Such • Reik • IDASDC Spring Dance Festival • Native American Flute Circle • Stravinsky’s Petrushka • Danish String Quartet & the Danish National Girls’ Choir • The Colorful World of Music: From Balkan to Eastern Europe • An Ode to Esperanza Spalding & the Music of Brazil • Protoje • Ganesh Kumaresh and Kumaresh • Bulgarian Music: Ivan and Tzvetanka Varimezov • Vocal Music Workshop with Tzvetanka Varimezova • Al Samah • Raga Resonance • Ziggy Marley • Ali Paris • Il Volo • Iam Tongi • World Harp Music: Tasha Smith Godinez • Música en la Plaza: Carlos y Charlos. Interesting talks around town: Josefina López • Migration and Indigenous Healing Practices in a Global Church • Chinese Global Environmentalism • Reimagining Engineering Through Indigenous Use of Materials • Rick Steves. Film festivals and special movie screenings: Trois Amies • Alvira Notari - Beyond Silence • Il tempo che ci vuole (The Time It Takes) • San Diego Arab Film Festival • Crazy Rich Asians. Books and literature lovers are sure to enjoy: Book Talk: Patrick Radden Keefe • Lina Meruane • Kate Hilton • Bard Birthday Party. Food and Drink events: Workshop: Hands-on Miso Soup. Local theatrical productions: August Wilson's Fences • Disney's MOANA Jr the Musical • Monty Python's Spamalot! (School Edition) • Matilda the Musical Jr. • Beau Jest • Monty Python's Spamalot!. Visual Arts events: Exhibit: ¡Viva La Raza! • Print as Protest • Journey of a Persian Carpet • Art Alive and Bloom Bash. Comedy performances: Akaash Singh • Naomi Watanabe.
Everyone here at the
San Diego Participant Observer and the
Worldview Project wish you fulfilling, illuminating, and culturally-rich experiences in the days ahead. See you next week!
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