Greetings from the Orient!
As we head into the busy holiday season, we invite you to take a break from that to-do list and relax in the Orient. A drink and a snack at
The Kublai Khantina is certain to give you that proverbial second wind!
The Changing of the Scribes
On the heels of Goldfest comes seasonal change and the Scribal changeover. This year we bid a fond farewell to
Shibori Murasaka and welcome
Lara Vardhana. Though we will miss Shibori, our beloved Lady of Kimono, we wish her a restful retirement and thank her for her many significant contributions to the Orient, from her stunning graphics to such award winning events as
Sung Tzu's Apprentice murder mystery,
The Legend of Lady White Snake opera and the
Tamamo No Mae puppet show. Fortunately, Shibori has not gone far, and welcomes us to visit her
Mei Li Lien Teahouse in Xi Hue and her
Kimono Shop in Kyobashi. Sayonara Shibori-sama!
The new season brings with it our newest scribe, Lara, who many of us already know as Lalita Ashoka, one of the Orient's founding members and fabulous first scribes. Lara is a warm, friendly, talented lady with a knack for graphics, such as the shadow puppet graphics for
Bima
and the Naga, and designing interesting and attractive hoods like
Bihar and the city and districts of
Mohenjo-Daro. She also has an engaging sense of humour and a gift for making members feel welcome and teaching us how to jump the hurdles of coding and home decorating at AncientWorlds. Be sure to drop by her home and and say hello.
Sunshine and moonglow,
Lanterns through changing seasons ~
Bright Orient Scribes.
Goldfest 2007
There was a fine turnout of visitors to the Orient during the recent GoldFest. The day's activities were centered in
The Autumn Moon Puppet Theatre where puppet shows in various Oriental traditions were staged.
Laughter could be heard at the schemes of the Nose Master and murmurs of appreciation at the beauty of Tamamo No Mae. Applause greeted the success of Hoa Minh Long and heads wagged in consternation at the selfishness of Prince Wicked and at the plotting of Duryodhana. Theatre goers were most fortunate that the event was catered by our renowned barkeep,
Kenji Ashikaga.
During the intermissions, when they were not eating and drinking, many of our theatre patrons took a
Cruise on China's Grand Canal and challenged themselves with the
Asian Puppetry Quiz, after reading through the articles written to accompany the plays.
The Orient is very honored to have received three
Gem Awards for our Goldfest events!
Construction Workers Wanted!
The Orient still has a number of undeveloped hoods. Pay a visit
The Orient Neighborhood Hall and click on the Progress Report button to see where you might like to help!
Dream Destinations: Kerala - again!
India seems to be a popular travel destination among members of AW. For this edition of Dream Destinations, just follow the elephant to take a look at the beautiful pages which
Mirjam Nebet has made to display the photographs from her recent trip to Kerala.
Orient Site Map
Have you ever forgotten where you saw that interesting group or hood home in the Orient? Help is at hand!
Aria Murasaka has created a wonderful Oriental site map to help us navigate our complicated world. Take some time to explore this most useful resource. You'll wonder how we ever did without it!
Archaeology News
Excavations in an Eastern Wei dynasty cemetery in China's Hunan Province have yielded ceramic sculptures and well preserved murals.
Ancient Henan tombs excavated
Scientists are using jade artifacts from Asian museums to trace ancient sea trade routes.
Ancient jade and sea trade
Archaeologists have discovered females buried with swords in Cambodia.
Women warriors in ancient Cambodia
