fun for all Good times
fun for all Good times at the Chaldean Festival By Laura Abouzeid Charlotte Yatooma giggled as her father Stephen used all his might to swing at the “Bull Pen” to win his daughter a prize at the Fifth Annual Chaldean Festival. “We wanted to get the kids out and support the Chaldeans at the same time,” said Tanya Yatooma as she watched her husband and daughter together. The festival, held June 11-13, was presented by the Chaldean Community Foundation, the charitable arm of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Southfield. Despite the expectedbut-never-appearing rain, thousands of people were happy to come out and have fun with continuous live entertainment, carnival games and rides, merchant booths and food. Whether racing a “horse” or throwing darts at balloons, children and adults were having a great time trying to conquer the games. Prizes included an array of stuffed animals and other carnival memorabilia that were proudly carried around by their winning owners. The biggest winner of the weekend, however, was Jerry Shaba, whose ticket won him ,680 in the 50/50 raffle. Game attendant Mike, who declined to give his last name, said it was a good crowd. “It’s been great to see all the fun everyone is having trying to win prizes and participating in a little friendly competition,” he said. “The people here are very friendly and seem to really be enjoying themselves.” Many visitors sat down to relax while listening to the live entertainment, which consisted of a variety of both Chaldean and American music. There were many booths to visit including the “Sports and Custom Tees” tent where you could buy a teeshirt saying “Kiss Me I’m Chaldean,” “Pimp My Camel” or “Ok Yella Bye.” A giant chair from Royce Furniture was a hit, inspiring many snapshots. The E’rootha (Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Youth Union) cultural display booth showed off traditional outfits that were worn in different Iraqi Chaldean villages. Volunteers Nessma Bashi and Olivia Bahoora 34 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2010
Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. 3600 Wabeek Lake Drive Bloomfield Hills 9,000 Kathy Manoogian Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel 298 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009 248-515-8013 182 W. Maple • Troy, MI 48084 Tel: (248) 362-2122 Fax: (248) 362-3664 Email: attstarwonder@aol.com SEE ME FOR ALL YOUR CELL PHONE NEEDS! were eager to get the word out about the organization’s programs while also enjoying all the festivities. “One of my favorite parts of the festival has been at night when people start doing various Chaldean dances. The food has also been really good, and overall the whole weekend has been lots of fun,” said Bashi. Although the E’rootha booth displayed the diversity that exists between Iraq’s villages, it didn’t take a display to view the more distinct differences of ages and nationalities among the festival guests. Many non- Chaldeans, including African Americans, Asians, Arabs and Jews, were on hand to participate in traditional Chaldean cultural activities such as getting a henna tattoo. Traditional food included kebob sandwiches and tekratha, with special 18-inch-long meat pies made by cookbook author Samira Cholagh. “There’s been a lot more mix of cultures other than Chaldeans this year,” said Mason Katty, “although the one thing in common is everybody seems to be having a good time.” Can Do For You List All iPhone repairs, including broken glass! All Blackberry repairs, including broken trackball, charging ports, etc. Before buying a new phone, bring in your broken phone for a FREE ESTIMATE Authorized AT&T Dealer, switch to AT&T or upgrade your existing phone today Four Great Services, One Simple Bill. David Dabish, PHONE DOCTOR! CELLULAR REPAIR: LOANER PHONES AVAILABLE CELL PHONE REPAIRS ARE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO BUYING A NEW PHONE JULY 2010 CHALDEAN NEWS 35
