Easter Egg Hunts with Eggs by the Thousands

by Jamie Rhein on

Our son cried all the way through his first Easter egg hunt. Some older kid had jumped the gun and began to scoop up plastic eggs before the official start. Our son was right behind him and didn’t quite get why we stopped his pell mell trip across the park. He was 2 years-old and refused to pick up another egg. He even ignored the chocolate candies wrapped in the bunny foil. We picked up those for him until the sound of his crying was too unbearable. Afterward, he sobbed all the way through the duckling parade and refused to wear the duckling costume he made with his sister’s help out of a paper shopping bag. Hey, all kids ages four and under were in paper bag duck costumes, so, no, he wasn’t mortified. He was just in a mood.

If you feel inclined to take your children to a major Easter egg hunt, here are three offerings that are bigger than a neighborhood park’s. First, there’s the historic Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn the Monday after Easter. This year it is April 9. As always, the event is free. The only requirement is that you have a child with you that is 7 or under and that you have a pass from the U.S. National Forest Service. Here is a link to the forest service’s website that gives information about the how to get tickets.

One of the largest egg hunts is at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. The children and eggs are in the thousands. In Fremont, Ohio at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, there is an Easter Egg roll similar to the one at the White House. Hayes is the U.S. President one who started the White House tradition. The Hayes Easter Egg Roll is held on the center’s lawn and includes many more activities. For admission, bring three hardboiled, dyed eggs.

Erotic Art: A Museum Quest

by Jamie Rhein on

When I read Willy Volk’s post about the erotic images of Khajuraho in India, it got me thinking about erotic art and where to find it. Not that I’m planning on taking a world tour or anything, but it’s interesting to see how various cultures display erotica in museums and the place erotica has had in the arts throughout history. There are several places to visit where the aim is not to titillate specifically, but learn more about the human response to sexuality, beauty and, yes, of course, sex.

One place I came across is the Erotic Art Museum in Hamburg, Germany. I remember Hamburg to be more of an industrial looking place built back up after World War II. The museum looks as if the exhibits are superb. The website is entirely in German, but you can get an idea of what’s there. In one of the small photos across the top, it looks like they’ve acquired one of the wooden penises from that Japanese Penis Festival–or perhaps from the time of the Trojans? Just kidding about that. I would like to know what the origins are, though. If you click through the website you’ll find the virtual gallery that has larger images. Informative and slick.

For some odd reason, there is a cartoon figure of Santa Claus on the museum’s homepage. Since I can’t read German, I have no idea what that’s about. Is there secret side to Santa? Here’s a link to a rundown of erotic art museums in Europe.

The Proliferation of Southern California Film Festivals

by Neil Woodburn on

There used to be only a few film festivals on this planet and only one or two that actually mattered (i.e. Cannes and Sundance). The festival scene, however, has drastically changed in the last number of years as independent films have become more and more popular. As a result, film festivals are popping up like prairie dogs across the globe.

Nowhere is this proliferation of film festivals more evident than in Southern California. Of course, SoCal is home to Hollywood, so it is only natural to see such interest in films. And yet, I am still surprised by the fact that there are at least 14 substantial festivals honoring the motion picture industry within a two hour drive of Hollywood Boulevard.

Westways Magazine has thoughtfully put together a helpful article detailing the very best. This includes the more prestigious and recognized, such as the Los Angeles Film Festival and the AFI Fest, as well as the less well-known, such as the Silver Lake Film Festival which kicks off May 3.

Film fanatics also interested in the rewards of a local road trip, can head north on Highway 1 to check out festivals in Malibu, Ojai, and Santa Barbara. Or stay in town and celebrate the cultural diversity of Los Angeles by attending the Pan African Film Festival, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, or Outfest.

Yep, we got ya covered here in Southern California!

Khajuraho and the Temples of Porn

by Willy Volk on

Located in central India, Khajuraho is famous for its fabulously sculptured temples resembling huge, melting candles. More than 1000 years old, there are about 20 temples (out of an original 85) remaining today. In addition to their size, the temples — dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Jain — are noted for depicting graphic sexual acts. Some of the images, in fact, are so explicit you might blush.

Although the Khajuraho Temples feature carvings both internally and externally, they do not contain sexual themes inside the Temples or near the deity. Although there are various hypotheses concerning why the temples were designed with such graphic depictions, there’s no doubt they’re gorgeous, intricate, and well-worth the visit — despite the relative difficulty in reaching the site.

Don’t have time to check out the Temples right now? I bet you DO have time to check out the galleries on Flickr and Sunya, as well as the trip report from Stephen and Klaudia.

Take notes. You might learn something.

Salzburg’s Easter Festival. Get Cultured

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’ve ever been to Salzburg, Austria, perhaps the mountains come to mind. After all, this is where Julie Andrews as Maria ran up over the hill with her arms flung wide. The tradition of music in this city continues to flourish since the time before Amadeus Mozart first licked his fingers across a keyboard when playing and composing for the royal courts.

These days, music is still a huge force in this gorgeous city. One time of the year to catch the best of the best in the Baroque tradition is for the Salzburg Easter Festival (Osterfestspiele Salzburg) that starts this Saturday. It always starts on the Saturday before Palm Sunday so you can keep this in mind for next year or the year after that or the year after that. The schedule is actually set through 2010 so you can plan ahead. Starting this year is the production of Wagner’s opera “Ring der Nibelungen.” The festival also has music performances by the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra.

This festival is not a street fair, drop-in variety exactly, but seems to be a who’s who in the world of high brow culture. If you want to feel like you’re among them, this is the place. If you do head to Salzburg any time soon, try a Mozart ball chocolate. They are marzipan on the inside and chocolate on the outside. You’ll know what I’m talking about. Mozart is stamped on the paper covering and they’re sold everywhere. Since Salzburg has several festivals throughout the year, there is something for everybody.