Wanshang hao. Konnichiwa. Namaste.
What do Ancientworld scribes and autumn leaves have in common? They change during the fall. You may have noticed there are new names under Scribes list on the worldpage. We're very pleased and happy to say that Shanti Ashoka and Shibori Murasaka have joined our own Aria Murasaka as the new scribal team. Please, stop by and make them welcome. They're a lovely group of ladies, and I don't mean just their avatars! You'll find them fun, funny, and very helpful. I'm sure the Orient will see a resurgence of activity soon, thanks in large part to their plans for the future. Whatever those may be!
Recapping Goldfest!
For Goldfest this year something new was attempted. A short four day festival presented by four of our eight ancient worlds. The Orient joined, Germania, Hellas, and Mesopotamia to present several enjoyable activities, including puzzles, quizzes, two (count 'em!) costume contests, a magnificient Golden Tour of Ancientworlds treasures, and a trip down the Yellow Silk Road to see the Wizard of AwZ. All the visitors this reporter talked to declared it one of the best fests in AW history. So, if you missed anything or just want to revisit the fun, links to the activities can be found on the Goldfest 2005: Magical Mystery Tour thread at AncientWorlds Celebrations.
Group News
The Art of AncientWorlds is kicking around a new suggestion from Lalita Ashoka, who posted, "I hope you all are having a great fall, my favorite season. Speaking of which, how about a theme for our resident artists (and photographers) this coming few months.. or a challenge of sorts to come up with artwork and photos with a winter theme? Of course our Australian members can focus on summer, as that is the season they are headed into." So, we'll be watching to see how the mini-challenge comes out. If you're an artist and you're not a member ... you should be! Or if you like to discuss or look at art, this the group to join. They're working now on opening a Renaissance board, so we hope to see some terrific art there soon.
The Ten Philosophers Haiku This group has a thread called "Word Play." The challenge is to take the word of the day and use it in a haiku. A recent word offered was
exigent, this is
Paton Caledonii's offering:
"This word play haiku / Is an exigent task since / The word is irksome." Stop by and see what the word of the day is today. Maybe you can come up with next month's haiku.
Bharat Mata Diwali, the Festival of Lights, was celebrated in India on November 1. Feiyan Zhou recently posted that, it "marks the ending of the old lunar year and the beginning of the new. The term itself is derived from the Sanskrit deepavali. Deepa means lights and avali means row. This five day Hindu festival is celebrated in many ways throughout India, but each version features rows of lights, which are lit to greet Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity." If you'd like to know more about India, its customs, art and culture, be sure to look into this group.
Archaeological News: Dong Pagoda to be Restored
Quang Ninh VIETNAM, Oct 25 — a project to restore the ancient Dong (Bronze) Pagoda in Quang Nih province is underway. The Dong pagoda has been a major destination for Buddhist pilgrims who come to visit "the ancestral land of Viet Nam's Buddhism" since the 10th century. The pagoda was built during the Le dynasty (1428-1527) approximately 130 km northwest of Ha Noi. Every year a three month long Spring Festival is held in the region and Buddhist followers make the pilgrimage to the temple to make offerings to Buddha. When the pagoda is restored, it will be appears as a giant bronze lotus blossom on Yen Tu mountain, the highest peak in the area. Read the entire story at VNA Net
Notice of Staff Changes
Well that's it for this reporter, boys and girls! It's been fun, but my press pass has expired. Next issue, you'll be hearing from new Orient co-editors, Aria Murasaka and Shanti Ashoka. I'll be acquiring a new press pass and a new hat when I join Laurels Curius and Heraklia Aelius as one of Acta's General Editors. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings this past year and keep reading!
