The Good Person of Szechwan

"The Good Person of Szechwan", a play by Berholt Brecht, will be performed beginning at 8 p.m. Friday (19 February) in Ransburg Auditorium's Esch Hall on the campus of the University of Indianapolis, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis. Tickets (available at the door) are $10.

Here's a summary of the plot: When three gods come to earth in search of a thoroughly good person, they encounter Shen Teh, a goodhearted but penniless prostitute, who offers them shelter. Rewarded with enough money to open a tobacco shop, the “Angel of the Slums” Shen Teh soon becomes so overwhelmed by the demands of people seeking assistance that she invents a male alter ego, “Tobacco King” Shui Ta, to deal ruthlessly with the business of living in an evil world. One of Bertolt Brecht’s most celebrated works, this intercultural play blends his fascination with Chinese theatricality, German politics, and American detective novels into a fast-moving, comic consideration of Right and Wrong in the real world.

For more information, contact Valerie K. Miller Wahlstrom, 317:788-2183.

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Beijing Dragon Show Acrobats at Westlane

Indianapolis' Westlane Middle School students got a taste of a different culture when the Beijing Dragon Show Acrobats performed at the school on December 17, 2009, writes Indianapolis Star reporter Gretchen Becker.

The Washington Township school has had partnerships with Chinese schools since 2006 and offers Chinese classes for students. In addition, teachers and administrators from Westlane have visited China, and Chinese staff and students have come to Westlane.

The photo, from The Star, shows Westlane sixth-grader Delvon Hunt, 13, spinning two basketballs with the help of Zhang Fenggang.

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The Award Winners are Announced

Awards for the just-completed 2009 International Festival have been announced. First and second place awards are given to Nationalities Council of Indiana member-groups in each of five categories: theme, educational value, creativity, quality and food. In addition, the best overall culture booth received the grand prize trophy, nicknamed "The Betty".

Winners are as follows:

Creativity: 1st - Confucius Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis; 2nd - India Association of Indianapolis.
Educational value: 1st - Indiana Association of Chinese Americans; 2nd - Italian Heritage Society of Indiana.
Quality: 1st - Sons of Norway; 2nd - Scottish Society of Indianapolis.
Theme: 1st - Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis; 2nd - Swiss Club Of Central Indiana.
Food: 1st - Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis; 2nd - German American Klub.
Best Overall Cultural Booth Trophy: Indiana German Heritage Society (pictured).

This year's Volunteer Service award (nicknamed "The Steve") went to Dan and Sophia Anderson.

The outside judges for the awards came from IUPUI.

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The Surging Spring Tide

A reception is planned from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday (23 September) for the opening of "The Surging Spring Tide" in Ransburg Gallery, Good Hall, University of Indianapolis, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis. After the reception, there will be a talk about Chinese painting.

The exhibit, by painter Xiao Jinhui, Shandong University of Art & Design, China, will be open through Friday (25 September). It's sponsored by Asian Programs at UIndy. Information, Dr. Phylis Lan Lin, 317:788-3288.

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Ethnic Fairs This Weekend

Greek, Native American, German, Scottish, French, Chinese -- "welcome to the world in Indiana isn't just a slogan this weekend: check out these ethnic festivals in the Hoosier heartland!

36th Annual Greek Festival, today and tomorrow; Carmel.
35th Annual (German) Oktoberfest, today and tomorrow; Indianapolis.
19th Annual French Market, tomorrow; Indianapolis.
18th Annual Scottish Festival, tomorrow and Sunday; Columbus.
2nd Annual Chinese Festival, tomorrow; Indianapolis.
Andersontown Powwow and Indian Market; tomorrow and Sunday; Anderson.

Don't forget Indy's International Festival, coming up in November!

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Indiana's China Ties in Spotlight

Gov. Mitch Daniels (on a trip to China) helped unveil a new bybrid bus line from Columbus-based Cummins Inc. that will be used by the Hangzhou Public Transit Authority, reports Inside INdiana Business. (The unveiling is pictured, at left.)

But there's more China news than that this week. Eli Lilly & Co., is congratulating two of its employees, Helen Huang and her husband John He, for their work in helping other Chinese become acclimated to Indiana (an ad featuring the couple ran in The Indianapolis Star's business section on 9 September). He is an organic chemist, and Huang a bioanalytical chemist. He has been a six-term president of the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center.

And, today (10 September), a feature on the International School's new Mandarin Immersion program ran in the paper's "North Indy" section. Sherry Yang is the instructor.

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September is Ethnic Festival Month!

The glorious weather of September means more ethnic festivals than there's time to attend!

Some of those on the calendar are:

Oktoberfest sponsored by the German-American Klub, on Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis: 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 September

Little Italy Festival in Clinton: 4, 5, 6, 7 September

Kenya Festival at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis: 5 September

Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Carmel: 11-12 September

Chinese Festival in Military Park, Indianapolis: 12 September

French Market at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, Indianapolis: 12 September

Scottish Festival at Bartholomew County Fairgrounds, Columbus: 12-13 September

Andersontown Powwow in Athletic Park, Anderson: 12-13 September

Irish Fest in Military Park, Indianapolis: 18-20 September

(Hispanic) Fiesta on the American Legion Mall, Indianapolis: 19 September

Scottish Highlander Festival in Trafalgar: 26-27 September

There are more details on these (and many other events) at the Nationalities Council's calendar: click here. (And, don't forget that Indy's International Festival is coming up in November!)

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Asian Art Exhibit at Garfield Park in Indy

An unusual display is on exhibit at the Garfield Park Arts Center, 2432 Conservatory Drive, Indianapolis.

The "Asian Arts Exhibit" features artwork and cultural regalia from Asian artists and artwork from Asian-American children in Central Indiana.

Exhibiting artists include: Heidelberg Bayquen (oils), Lou Hii (Chinese papercuts -- such as the one pictured), Linda Evans (Japanese embroidery) and Kim Le Tran (Photography Exhibit, "Daily Life of the Vietnamese People in the Recent Years").

The exhibition runs through 29 May. For more information, call 317:327-7091.

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Windiana Performs at National Chinese Language Conference

Valparaiso University’s Confucius Institute is sponsoring a performance by Windiana concert band at the closing session of the National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) in Chicago on 2 May. Thousands of educators from across the United States are attending the conference – an annual meeting promoting Chinese language education and fostering global competence among U.S. students.

Led by Dr. Jeff Doebler, associate professor of music and director of bands at Valpo, Windiana will perform several arrangements of Chinese folk songs during the conference’s closing plenary session at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Chicago. During each of the past three summers, Dr. Doebler has led Windiana on tours of China that received national media attention.

NCLC is co-sponsored by the College Board, Asia Society and Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The Confucius Institute is a non-profit institute established and funded by the Chinese government to promote cultural, business, educational, artistic and government exchanges. Valpo’s Confucius Institute is working to develop exchanges between northern Indiana and the province of Zhejiang – which became Indiana’s sister province in 1989.

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High School Students to Test Chinese Language Skills

Students from five Indiana and Illinois high schools will match their proficiency in the Chinese language during a Valparaiso University-sponsored speech event on 29 March.

Valparaiso’s Chinese and Japanese Studies Program and the Confucius Institute are sponsoring the first Indiana-Illinois High School Chinese Speech Contest to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their skill speaking a language increasingly important to American businesses, said event organizer and Chinese professor Dr. Benjamin Ridgway.

Approximately 50 students will participate in the speech contest, with students coming from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Naperville North High School, Benito Juarez Community Academy in Chicago, Northridge High School in Middlebury and Brownsburg (Ind.) High School.

Students with one or two years of high school Chinese will participate in small group dialogues on topics related to everyday life, while students with more than two years of Chinese language study will present individual speeches.

Each student’s performance will be evaluated by panel of Chinese language teachers and native Chinese speakers from the community: Jianyun Meng, director of Valparaiso’s Confucius Institute; Yueqin Wang, visiting Chinese instructor at the Confucius Institute and an assistant professor of English at Zhejiang University of Technology; and Ning Schultz, instructor of Chinese at Culver Academies.

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Year of the Ox Celebrated at Clowes in Indy

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Year of the Ox Celebrated at Valpo

Valparaiso University will celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox, on 27 January with a dinner and musical performances as part of grand opening week events for the Harre Union.

The Chinese New Year Celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Harre Union Ballroom on campus. Tickets are $15 for the general public (children under 6 are free of charge) and may be purchased at the Harre Union Welcome Desk, by calling (219) 464-5415 or online.

The menu includes Gongbao chicken, Chinese ribs, spicy tofu, traditional Chinese vegetable dishes, fruit and Chinese desserts.

The dinner program will feature a slide show of photographic highlights of the University’s interactions with China in 2008, skits written and performed by Valparaiso’s Chinese studies graduate students and Chinese music performed by students.

The Chinese New Year Celebration is co-sponsored by Valpo’s Chinese and Japanese Studies Program and Confucius Institute.

Chinese New Year Spectacular in Indianapolis

Inspired by the spirit of an ancient culture, Divine Performing Arts brings to life classical Chinese dance and music in a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show coming to Indianapolis' Murat Theatre next month.

The New York-based company, including dancers, singers and musicians, performs at 2 and 7:30 p.m. 31 January. You can see video highlights of a performance here.

Tickets range in price from $20 to $120. They're available by phone at 317:239-1000 or 317:239-5151, at the Murat Theatre Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. The performance is sponsored locally by the Indiana Falun Dafa Association.

It's Purdue's International Week!

A series of events showcasing a variety of languages, cuisine and cultures will take place at Purdue University during Purdue International Week today through Saturday (22 November).

The kickoff event, called The Amazing Race, was at 1 p.m. today. International Week also will feature one-hour sessions of different languages including German, Hindi, Urdu, Japanese, Russian, Italian, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic. Food from these countries will be served during the sessions, which are free and open to the public.

The Singapore Food Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (22 November)at the University Church Fellowship Hall, 320 North Street, West Lafayette.

The complete list of the times, dates and venues of all the events taking place during the Purdue International Week is here

Purdue International Week coincides with the International Education Week, which promotes educational programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and seeks to attract scholars from abroad to study in the United States.

Ann Katz Festival of Books

This year's Ann Katz Festival of Books at the JCC Indianapolis includes a special exhibit of artwork from Israeli children, a film, book sale and (of course) a terrific mix of authors.

The three-week-long event runs 29 October through 20 November at the JCC, 6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis.

The complete schedule is here, but of special note to this website are these two:

* The 7 p.m. presentation 12 November by Andrei Cherny, author of The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour.

* The 7 p.m. presentation 13 November by Jennifer 8. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food (did you know there are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's combined?).

Celebration of International Cultures

Valparaiso University will host a Celebration of International Cultures tomorrow (16 October) in honor of the inauguration of the University's 18th president, Mark A. Heckler, according to the Office of University Relations.

The showcase of Valparaiso's international study programs, international students and international service projects and research will take place from noon to 3 p.m. in the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources and is free and open to the public.

During the Celebration of International Cultures, organized by Valparaiso's Office of International Programs, the public is invited to talk to students and faculty involved with Valparaiso's Confucius Institute, German and French clubs, International Student Association, medical mission trips to Central America, water quality research in China, and other international organizations and study programs. An alumna and Valparaiso business owner also will discuss her native country of Macedonia.

Music and dancing of various cultures will be performed throughout the event and photographs taken by students participating in Valparaiso's study abroad programs will be displayed. Refreshments highlighting the food of various cultures will be offered, including pita bread with minted cucumber and hummus dips, Ethiopian honey bread, baklava, vegetable pot stickers, spanikopita and Chinese almond cookies.

Valparaiso has won national recognition as a model in preparing its graduates with strong cross-cultural skills and global awareness, receiving the prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization earlier this year. This fall, the University also set a new high in international student enrollment, with 245 students on U.S. student visas registered from more than 50 countries.

Ethnic Influences at Hoosier Storytelling Festival

America's immigrant heritage is a recurrent theme for the Hoosier Storytelling Festival, set for its 21st run 8-11 October in downtown Indianapolis' Military Park and across the street at the Indiana History Center.

Some of the featured storytellers at the event, sponsored by Storytelling Arts of Indiana, are Charlotte Blake Alston (African), Brenda Wong Aoki (Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Scottish) and Gene Tagaban (pictured; Cherokee, Tlingit and Filipino).

To find out more (and, to buy tickets), click here.

Mayor Ballard and International Connections

The Indianapolis Star reported this morning (in that "Just One Minute" box on the front of the Metro Section) that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard had named Ricardo Gambetta to head the city's Latino Advisory Council.

Except that Gambetta, who headed up Latino Affairs for former Mayor Bart Peterson, moved to Washington, D.C., several months ago.

So...we don't know who heads up Indy's Latino Advisory Council yet. There's no active link on the mayor's Office of International & Cultural Affairs page for the Latino Affairs heading.

And, there aren't any details available either for the Chinese Festival scheduled for 13 September. The city's website says "information coming soon".

Here's Gambetta's email to NCI:
Washington DC, July 25, 2008
Dear Friends:
I have just learned about today’s newspaper story in which is it reported that I will be leading Mayor Ballard’s new Latino Advisory group.
I just want to clarify that the story of my return to Indianapolis is untrue. I have been and will continue to work for the National League of Cities leading a new Immigrant Integration project in cities and towns across the country.
It is work that I greatly enjoy.
While I miss my friends in Indianapolis, I am not returning at this time and I have no idea who is going to head the Mayor Ballard’s new Latino Advisory group or going to serve as members. Whoever it is, I wish them the best in working for and supporting the community that all of us love and respect.
And if you are ever in Washington, DC, look me up !
Regards
Ricardo Gambetta
Manager,
Immigrant Integration,Inclusive Communities Programs.
Center for Municipal Programs and Resources
National League of Cities.
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W
Washington, DC 20004
Ph: (202)626-3153
Fax:(202)626-3043
Email:gambetta@nlc.org
www.nlc.org


UPDATE (Monday, 28 July):
The Mayor's office has deep-sixed the original link. Here's all we know about the Chinese Festival. (Hint: not much.)

Confucius in West Lafayette

Purdue University has a Confucius Institute, as does Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

In partnership with Purdue's China Center, CIP promotes Chinese programs and studies on China, initiate and foster Chinese language and cultural programs to serve Purdue University, the greater Lafayette community and the State of Indiana.

It provides information and expertise on Chinese culture and language education in business, global engineering and tourism for academic programs, research project teams, community outreach and K-12 schools.

Seems there are now 210 institutes in 64 countries, with a total of 500 planned by 2010.

Once upon a time, Germany had Goethe Institutes everywhere. Guess we can see where power is shifting these days.

Tour the IMA in French or Chinese

The next "World Language Tour" at the Indianapolis Museum of Art will take visitors through the European galleries in French. Meet at the entrance to Gallery Level 1 at 6:30 p.m. 15 May for the free tour.

Rather hear it in Chinese? Meet on Gallery Level 1 at the IMA at 2 p.m. 17 May for a free tour of the Contemporary Galleries.