Fez Festival of World Sacred Music

by Erik Olsen on

What ever happened to the Fez? I mean, the Shriners tried so hard to make the upside down measuring cup hat a fashionable item, and in the end, hardly anyone wears a fez anymore. Distressing, that. Nothing makes a great party like a bunch of people wearing fezzes.

Well, the next best thing might be to visit the place that the fez was invented (note: I have no idea if this is true, I’m just assuming) Fez, Morocco. And if you go now, you can catch all the excitement of the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music. Founded by a Sufi scholar, the festival brings together artists from a spectrum of spiritual traditions for a week and a half of madcap musical performances, and also film screenings and a five-day conference focusing on spirituality, globalization and the environment.

The event this year takes place from June 2 to 10, with concerts scheduled at several places in Fez, including the gardens of the Dar Batha Museum, the courtyard of the Bab Makina Palace and the Dar Tazi Gardens.

Hee Been, Korean Restaurant Buffet, Sushi, Lounge

by Adrienne Wilson on

On my way into the Hee Been Korean Restaurant I had planned only to order takeout and retreat back to my cozy hotel room across the street, but when I stepped inside something instantly changed my mind and I requested to be seated instead. I’m pretty sure it was the decorative and traditional style uniforms worn by the wait staff that took me by surprise and swept me into a small Korean world far from Korea. My waitress was pleasant, glowing and full of recommendations in very broken English. I started with an order of Korean raspberry wine and a bowl of miso soup.

I’ve had few experiences in the past with Korean food and always enjoyed what I had eaten, but could never remember the names of dishes.  This being the case I decided in wasting no time trying to describe what I had placed on my palate in the past and went all out in attempting to order a new dish, but failed.

“May, I have an order of the Yook Hwe,” I asked.

“You’ve had before?” said my waitress.

“Um, no?” I replied.

Perhaps she didn’t take me for the adventurous foodie type who would have enjoyed the thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin with fresh pears, chopped garlic with sweet soy and sesame sauce. I placed my need to taste something extremely unique on the back burner and with her recommendation – the Bul-Go-Gi. She then asked if it would be okay to cook it in the kitchen instead of at the table, which I was quite alright with since I didn’t want to feel the heat or like I was in someone’s kitchen. Maybe another time, but for interested party go-ers the option is there. When my dish or many dishes arrived I was awe-struck and watering at the mouth at the same time. The Bul-Go-Gi is a thinly sliced boneless rib eye steak marinated in a special sauce and is accompanied by several other items like kimchi, radish, potatoes, sprouts, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, and rice of course. After finishing almost everything I wanted to pop, but before I could say my final goodbye’s and pay my bill, I was given a small serving of a sweet tea (the name of which I’ve sadly forgotten). It made for the perfect completion to the meal.

Not in the mood for Korean? Try the sushi from the sushi bar or look for other Japanese fare on the menu. Most dishes range from $11-$21 and the two person casserole dishes go from $32.95 up. The atmosphere is causal and perfect for families or a romantic evening out.

Hee Been Restaurant is located at 6231 Little River Tnpk., Alexandria, VA 22312. Ph. 703.941.3737. Web: www.heebeen.com

Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off

by Erik Olsen on

I don’t listen to the BBC nearly as much as I’d like. I get the world news on NPR every couple of days, and I’ll always watch a Monty Python if it comes on the tele, but for the most part, the vast expanse of BBC programming remains a mystery. But I should listen more. Not only does the BBC have a tremendous amount of great content online, but the interface of the site is very nice and the site is extremely user-friendly. Which all brings me to the fact that I happened upon a great little show last night called Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off. I’m sure there are going to be many a BEEB fan out there who knows this show well, that me saying I’ve never heard of it is like someone saying they’ve never heard of the Simpsons, but hey, what can I say. I’m an American. I’m focused. But anyway, the show is about a sort of British doofus who travels around and files little audio dispatches about the people he meets and the places he goes. In special under-stated British fashion it is subtle, but often clever and hilarious. I urge you to give it a listen.

Fresno?!?!

by Neil Woodburn on

Fresno was often the butt of many jokes on road trips in my youth.  It was a small city we blew through on the way to much nicer places in the mountains of California’s Sierra Nevadas.  We never really stopped, unless it was for gas, but we did mock it with a combination of ignorance and big city condescendence.
 
This is no longer allowed, seeing as my girlfriend is from there. 

About six months ago, I traveled to Fresno for the first time as a destination instead of a pit stop.  The obligatory this-is-where-I-grew-up tour was rather surprising.  Fresno, as it turns out, is actually quite a nice place.  But don’t take my suddenly biased word for it.  The New York Times also agrees.  They did a highlight of the city yesterday in their weekly column 36 Hours-which, until recently, I would have thought was 35 1/2 hours too long for Fresno.  

Take a moment to read it over.  If you’re one of the naysayers who have preferred the city in your rear view mirror over the years, you’ll be surprised to learn about its “subterranean arboretum,” microbreweries, the Meux Home Museum, a “health oasis garden,” nearby rock climbing, and plenty of great ethnic restaurants. 

I’m amazed that the cultural highbrows at The New York Times failed to mention that Pulitzer prize-winning author William Saroyan was born in Fresno and that half of his ashes are buried here as well.  Today, the city continues to embrace its famous son with writing contests, a theater, archives, and even a monument.

Guess I should have done more than just stop for gas all these years. 

University of Alaska Museum of the North

by Erik Olsen on

Did a small post yesterday about odd museums like the great toilet museum in India. Myself, I’ve never visited the toilet museum, but I confess that during a recent trip to India, I noticed a conspicuous scarcity of toilets. So perhaps it is to the museum they went. No matter. Now I am posting about a more serious museum. And a cold one.

If you happen to be in Yukon country anytime soon, you might visit the University of Alaska, where the Museum of the North will open its new wing on May 1. The architecture here is said to be dramatic and conveys a deep sense of Alaska and the Alaska experience. The new gallery will offer visitors a 2,000-year spectrum of Alaska’s art…from ivory carvings, rock sculptures, right up to the frozen whale penis coat rack for your home (OK, kidding about the last one).

But seriously, the new art gallery and museum might make a very nice cultural stopover in an otherwise exclusive outdoorsy place.