World of Entertainment

It seems like the activities never cease around here. This past weekend certainly didn’t disappoint, as Jason and I ventured up to New Plymouth for WOMAD, World of Music, Arts and Dance. A three day affair filled with musical talent from all around the world, we were certainly exposed to music we wouldn’t have looked at twice in the store. An impressive event, where nearly 10,000 flocked to this small coastal city of only 55,000, WOMAD had a little something for everyone. The setting was Brooklands Park in the heart of the city. One main, permanent stage set up in the “bowl” drew the largest crowds, with performances running every other hour. On the off hours, acts performed on 4 temporary stages set up throughout the park. Setting up our blanket and chilly bin, we camped out all day. While at first seeming cumbersome to move every hour to see a new act, it did provide necessary movement and stiffness/blood clot prevention. The acts weren’t the only attraction. There was also an array of ethnic food, craft stalls, cooking displays by the artists themselves, and even workshops and conversation stages where you got a more up close and personal visit with the artists. While the weather didn’t cooperate much to our likely on Saturday (the sky opening to pouring rain by 6:30pm), the 3 day spread meant we could catch acts on Sunday that were missed the day before.

Oh, and the people watching wasn’t bad either. Have you ever noticed there are no overweight hippies?