3/09/08 - Second Visits (3)

As a foreigner and spending his eighth year in the US, now I understand the meaning of community and religious organizations here.

Maybe particularly in Flushing, Queens, NY, heart of most truly ethnically diverse community, each religious organization functions as school, day care center, place to meet up, place to go for helping/supporting each other, other than just praying every weekend. This is a situation I had not realized before.

Certainly how they organize and what they do each weekend is a bit different from religion to religion, but the unification of a group of community members looks similar.

Towards the end of the day, I just saw an unusual building on Parsons Blvd. It looked to me like Las Vegas-like tropical coconut trees on top of the building with the shape of the top of the facade similar to that of the top of a castle wall. Suddenly one guy wearing a turban came out from the door. Actually there was no sign except in their own language.

I was not sure but wondered if that was a temple. The door was not locked. I opened and then saw many randomly removed shoes. many people wondered about me and asked. I explained that I was hoping to speak with someone there, and I was asked to wear yellow scarf on my head.

Each person pointed me to another person until I reached two older gentlemen
wearing nice turbans and beards at the end of the carpet. Although it was a totally foreign atmosphere to me, I was not so nervous, maybe because many kids were cheerfully running around all over the place inside. They seemed so happy.

It was a Sikh temple. They understood my project explanation and nicely said they should be able to do a drawing session with children from their associated school. Also, they think they can bring their kids to other religious organizations to do other drawings as well. That was very nice. By the way, I guess this is me, as Japanese perspective, no bias, their faces were always pretty serious face so I was a bit becoming nervous. I realized there was a subtle cultural difference. It is a matter of getting used to it, though. I remembered when I talked to Germans in Germany I had a hard time to understand if they were upset or not. (laugh)
I have been told similar stories from my American friends...

Next week, I will come back with materials to explain the drawing sessions more thoroughly.

Oh wow, this project has suddenly moved forward!
I now have to look for kids to participate in drawing sessions from outside the religious organizations, as well as one or two more participating organizations.

I hope it works out...