Beach Ices at Praa Sands
Ice meeting the sand at the base of the low cliff behind Praa Sands Beach, West Cornwall. 6th January 2009....
Icicles at Trewellard Bottoms
Water seeping through a wall is turned to icicles, ate Trewellard Bottoms, where Geevor Mine meets the sea....
Winter Sunset at Levant
A late afternoon scene, at Levant Mine, West Cornwall. 7th January 2009....
Winter at Levant
The old electricity generator building, at Levant Mine, West Cornwall, during the recent cold snap. 7th Jnauary 2009....
The festival is being held here in Southern California. I'll be going to it, but predict there'll be little Cornish representation beyond the California Cornish Cousins contingent ( http://www.califcornishcousins.org/ ). My crusty-looking vehicle - laden in Kernow stickers - will be in the 'VIP' parking area(!) and I'll be proudly wearing my politically-defiant Kernow T-shirt, in the faint hope that it'll prevoke questions/comments. I'll also be helping-out on the California Cornish Cousins stand. If nothing else, I'll be hoping to bring Kernow's issues up to a few people.
Kernow needs more representation in Celtic festivals; there's naturally, an abundant display of Irish and Scottish pride, but few people actually know much about Kernow - especially over here.
Festival was disappointing - as expected, though. An abundance of Irish and Scottish representation, with only the California Cornish Cousins' stall representing Kernow. A few questions asked about Kernow here and there, but a general sense of unknowing. The moral? Apparently, glamour raises Celtic profile; if you're an Irish trickster/drinker or a Scottish 'Braveheart' (endorsed by Mel Gibson and Hollywood) then people want to associate themselves with you.... BUT if your Celtic nation was best known for hard work, ingenuity, and family values, people have nothing more than a basic curiosity about you and your flag. Outside the group of California Cornish Cousins..... as I say - very disappointing. COUNTLESS Scottish flags, COUNLESS Irish flags and about THREE Kernow flags - one of which was flying at the CCCs stall. Having said that..... ZERO representation for the Welsh, Manx, Bretons or Galicians. It's disappointing that on this occasion - as far as I can see - the words "Celtic festival" meant little more than dressing-up in scaggy clothing, and re-inventing yourself as a new age activist; donning a kilt and attempting a few notes on the bagpipes; or else trying to break the Caber Toss record for the day. Next to these 'Celtic' displays, the California Cornish Cousins stall oozed integrity with a select few ordinary people communicating honestly and warmly about an extraordinary Kernow. Having little interest in associating myself with the other so-called "Celtic" goings-on, I felt proud to be WHERE I was, being WHO I was; whether people expressed much interest in us, or not.
Again, good on you that you feel proud to be where you were. From the sounds of things these events in the US and Australia are often like this. Do you have any photos?
What did you expect PiC? Orange County is Republican heartland and it's my experience of most Californians that they couldn't find Gt Britain on a map let alone know anything about Kernow.
So, to answer your question - I got what I expected. I've lived in California long enough to know what to expect, but that doesn't mean I didn't hold out a faint hope for something else. Isn't life based on hope, after all?
The California Cornish Cousins group-members talk and act in a manner which makes it easy to recognise their Cornish ancestral roots. They show that they do care about Kernow, and have demonstrated an interest in the political issues which I have spoken to them about. Indeed, they want more of their members to be more politically aware of Kernow's concerns. I was very encouraged by their genuine care for Kernow - even if they themselves acknowledge the fact that they are more Califonian in identity, than Cornish. This group are putting Kernow on the map for all those who don't know... so the process of Californian people informing other Californian people about Kernow is in effect. Personally, I want to add as much as possible to this process. We should understand that Americans most certainly ARE defenders of localised independence; it's my belief that only education and EXTERNAL pressure will bring about significant political change for Kernow. As I've commented before, Cornishmen throwing a list of historical rights at the British government is unlikely to change anything. However, sowing a seed for an increasing amount of INTERNATIONAL support for Kernow from people who simply lack knowledge, but understand and can empathise with the reasoning being the fundamental political motivation, may be seen as much more productive. Again, perhaps I'm gulity of having too much hope?
Californians are familar with immigration and foreigners. A huge percentage of Californians are from other nations and other cultures; they therefore have more interest and understanding than you give them credit for. Mid-western states are significantly worse-off in their knowledge of, and interest in international geography. It's fairer to say that Americans, in general, are less globally aware than many international nations, rather than focas your comments on Californians - who are quite possibly the most culturally-aware American people. Furthermore, you would be surprised by the number of people who do - in fact - know of Cornwall, even if their knowledge is limited.
With this in mind, on a national scale, the biggest hurdle is not making American people understand WHERE Kernow is, it's getting them to understand the concept that the British political system is not like the American one. Disenfranchised Cornishmen have much less power for political change than disenfranchised American people. The recent sweeping victories by the Democrats reveal that if Americans aren't happy with their political situations, they can change them on a significantly localised level. If only the same could be said for the British political system.
And.... the ruling political party in Orange County has little bearing on the tone of the festival. It attracted people from all around Southern California, many of whom did not even have American accents.
I'm very-much a believer in standing tall, even if there are few others as back-up, so yes - the pride comes with the honesty of my regard for Kernow - my home.
I was wearing a political T-shirt, so this attracted some questions, photos and comments. I was pleased to have - at least - planted a seed which may have resulted in a handful of people Googling Kernow and researching more. I'm more than happy to talk at length about my beliefs, and found that there was a reasonable number of genuinely interested listeners.
Unfortunately, I did expect the festival to be the way it was. There was a great deal of unnecessary theatre, and plenty of opportunity for New-Age followers to sit cross-legged on the floor and play harps. American people are very keen to associate themselves with a smaller group or identity, so there's the real danger that a 'Celtic festival' is more a celebration of social difference and rebellion, rather than true ethnic diversity and identity. This is my central problem with these festivals.
I'm a Cornishman; I have little patience for showmanship (beyond The Minack).... or anything which smells of phoniness. Nobody should underestimate the challenge for a stubborn Cornishman to conduct his life in Southern California!
I only had a couple of photos featuring myself, my wife, and a couple of the California Cornish Cousins. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the festival, and I valued it as an opportunity to meet some of the CCC members, more than anything else!
The California Cornish Cousins will be holding their June 2007 meeting in Grass Valley, Northern California. This is an area in the north-eastern part of the state, which was a well-known location for Cornish settlers in the mid-1800s. There are several Cornish placenames, and the town raises its St.Piran flags and prides itself on the quality of its Pasties. I'm hoping to find a little bit of home away from home when my wife and I hope to join the group, next year!
Well perhaps times have changed since I lived in California. Anyway it was my mistake not to clarify that I really meant native American Californians in my post. As I lived in Los Angeles for four years I am well aware of the great ethnic and cultural diversity in California. I stand by what I said about most of them not finding Gt Britain on a map because that was my experience.
And I maintain that that remains a fundamentally American problem, not specifically a Californian one. Statistically, I may agree that many Americans don't have a great knowledge of world geography. Americans - for the most part - have had little motivation to be interested in the world outside their large and powerful nation, and I believe that this is the specific fault of the political/educational system(s). Most people understand the American people from the perspective of not caring because they are not interested. I have found that many American people do care, and in the face of failing politics, are motivated to care more. They may be increasingly interested in the objective world beyond that which a strongly biased media creates, but lack a sound knowledge base on which to be inspired and develop that interest. I believe this is an important point to make because not being educated on where Great Britain is located on the world map is one thing, not caring is another. The Californian Cornish Cousins are motivated (for ancestral reasons) to further their education and care about Kernow. In turn, their presence at Celtic festivals may arouse a level of general 'celtic Kernow curiosity', and motivate others to care and investigate with one of the greatest research tools known to man.... 'Google'.
The greatest thing about the United States is the potential for change. Political/regional independence still affords the American people the power for localised change. The sharp and marked decline in popularity of the Bush Administration in the context of the failing war with Iraq, plus the wide mainstream popularity and vast success of the BORAT movie (which clearly set-out to humiliate America), reveals that American people can look at themselves in a critical light, and be motivated to educate themselves. It is in this that I base my hope in identifying an America which does care enough about the outside world to educate itself.
You make no distinction between knowledge and concern, and evaluating anything to do with the number of people who can/cannot identify and locate countries of the world accurately on a map without making such distinctions is meaningless - especially within the context of myself and my expectations (or lack of) at a local Celtic event. Bringing it back to your question; I was as disappointed at the Celtic festival as I expected to be, but still not enough to become disillusioned by hopelessness.
Did you know that there is an USA Branch of the Celtic league? The address is:
Stephen De Villo
USA Branch Secretary
C/o PO Box 20153
Dag Hammarshjold Postal Centre
New York
NY 10017
and the website www.celticleague.org
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