| Mabi |
Posted
on 19-Nov-00 11:28 AM
"The world's coming home to America, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. From America's Hometown — Welcome Home!" That's the lyric in the radio spots for this year's America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. Posters, advertisements and flyers invited the public to celebrate the United Nations' International Year of Thanksgiving in Plymouth. Delegations of dignitaries and performance groups from 28 foreign countries took part in the parade. The stage was set up at Memorial Hall, the waterfront and along the route of the fifth annual Majestic Parade of Thanksgiving i.e. the court Road, Main road and the water front.
The parade took off from Holmes Field in North Plymouth at 11 a.m. Saturday, and followed Route 3A south through Plymouth center to Water Street. Participants marched north along the waterfront where the historic “May Flower” is preserved along side of the “Plymouth Rock” to Memorial Hall.
The parade stretched a distance of 2 miles and took nearly 2 1/2 hours to finish.
The dignitaries were greeted by a 30-member color guard from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and presentation of the flags of all 178 United Nations member countries. Three howitzer cannons fired salutes and the giant American flag used in last year's ceremonies unfurled from the Rock's portico.
The parade had six divisions. The first included military units from all branches of the service and was led by Plymouth's high school band. The second division included representatives from over 40 Native American tribes. They also had Native American cultural pavilion on the waterfront starting from (Friday) through Thanksgiving Day.
The other four divisions of the parade consisted of international units with a variety of bands and the many drum and bugle corps that have traditionally provided the heart and soul of the parade. There’re mariachi band from Mexico (the colorful costume worn by females reminded me of the Tharunies of western Nepal), very romantic folk dancers from Brazil with “Gouche” style outfits, drummers from Japan, dancers from Senegal, Ireland and Israel and representatives from Pakistan Hondurus, Senegal, Bolivia, Turkey, Barbados etc.
Nepal made a very distinct and unique presence with the contingent of 15 Nepalese Led by Mr. Pralahd KC. of Boston. Five Nepalese men were dressed in traditional “DAURA RA SURUWAL”, Tibetan styled “Bakkhu” and “palpali dhaka topi” (courtesy of PremLa), while the women were elegantly wrapped in their bright and colorful saries, of course, with “palpali daka khasto”. Puku (Pralhad’s daughter) looked very cute her Bakkhu.
The large crowds on the pavements cheered as the Nepali marchers greeted them with continuous “Namates” and chanting of “Mt. Everest”.
The Gintangs of Madals played by Kanaiya and David may not have been loud with the rest of fancy bands but definitely audible enough for Ambika and Pralhad dai to rock with Nepalese movements. And left a marked peculiarity from the little Irish Riverdancers.
This parade also sported Plymouth's first large helium parade balloon, a 14-foot floating globe gliding down the street surrounded by the 178 United Nation flags. The vintage cars and aerial displays worth mentioning.
The efforts made by Mr. KC, under very short notice, to represent Nepal in such an International event is certainly laudable and more avenues should be sought to propagate our unique Nepali image.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 19-Nov-00 10:35 PM
It is basically a great thing to hear about Nepalese representing
themselves as "Nepalese" everywhere, in stead of a constituent
of big South Asia, which basically lumps us together with Indians
and Pakistanis,causing our identity to melt away slowly.
I am not a racist, nor a jingoist.But I remember an incident when
a small girl in Atlanta asked me what is difference between us
(Nepalese) and Indians? She was grown up here,so naturally she
had problem understanding the difference.
I thought for awhile, and replied to her:"Probably, they are more
prone to lie while talking/dealing.We are relatively more honest."
(Punascha::I have great respect for intelligent and honest Indians brethren, and have intense antipathy for dishonest and liar
Nepalese.)
Now as second generation American Nepalese are growing and being
matured, we need to ,at least , take care that they don't feel
unwitting about their ancestral land, and heritage.They should
realize that there is pride and honor associated with being
descendent of Nepalese origin.
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