Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

As we approach the holiday season, there are dozens of magical events going on in the Detroit area over the next month or so. Thanksgiving is a week away and, like it or not, it’s time to don our gay apparel and join in the festivities.

The holidays can be a stressful time for many so take time out and enjoy yourself!

Weekend Roundup

1. Detroit Derby Girls - Our hometown skaters open their new season at a new venue, Cobo Arena, to accommodate more fans. The double-header bouts feature The Motor City Disassembly Line, The D-Funk All Stars, and The Devil's Night Dames. November 20th.

2. Wiyos of Oz - The retro, folk band, performing at the DIA, weave their catchy music around the story of The Wizard of Oz. November 19th.

3. Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony - The Christmas tree in Campus Martius will light up and the skating rink opens for the season. Entertainment from the Mega 80's, horse-drawn carriage rides, and more. November 19th.

4. Third Thursdays - Head down to Midtown for a celebration of local art, food, and fashion on West Willis and Canfield Streets. Shop local! November 18th.

5. Rock of Ages - Catch the national tour of this award-winning musical that features songs from the 80's including hits by Journey, STYX, and REO Speedwagon. Through November 21st.

Also, the annual Hob Nobble Gobble is on Saturday, November 20th but it's quite spendy.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Roller skating down memory lane

I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates. You’ve got a brand new key…

OK, maybe I don’t have brand new skates... yet. I took a trip down memory lane last night and visited a place I spent way too many Tuesday and Friday nights in as a tween: Skate World of Troy.

It’s the place that I hung out with friends and just hoped beyond hope that that boy, the one with the curly hair, would ask me to skate during the ‘couple’s only’ song. It didn’t happen much but when it did I’m sure it made my pink diary with the key lock.

But I loved roller skating! I even practiced with the speed skating team and learned a few of the tricky jumps.

Ever since we saw the Detroit Derby Girls last year, I’ve been itching to get back in the rink. Last night was the first time I strapped 8 wheels to my feet in over 20 years and you know what? I still love it.

Skate World looked exactly the same: shag carpeting, disco balls, and space invaders were all intact.

Yeah, I tried rollerblading when they first came out and it just wasn’t the same. It was… work. Exercise. Roller skating, on the other hand, is easy and fun. It’s joyful.

Go ahead; call me a dork, old fashioned, or just plain weird. I don’t care. It took me a few minutes to get my old groove back but once I did I felt like I could have skated all night to Lucky Star, YMCA, or some god-awful song by Eddie Rabbitt.

I learned a few things on my little roller skating outing:

• My husband has never been roller skating. How do you marry a man and not know this very important bit of information? Apparently, it wasn’t that big in England.

• Who would have thunk it but roller skating is still popular! I thought we were going to pull into the parking lot and see tumbleweeds. It was adult night at the rink and it was hopping! Young adults, senior citizens and everything in between, they were all skating their socks off.  I was flabbergasted.

• Revisiting the activities that you loved when you were young not only lets you reminisce, it also makes you feel just like that kid you used to be. Seriously, I had a blast and felt a few years younger.

While I’ll definitely be doing this again, my husband said he’d rather go ice skating. And, for the record, he didn’t skate last night. For me, ice skating is one of those activities that was fun as a child but is painful as an adult. I’ll take the wheels over the blades any day.

As the cold weather heads into Detroit, it’s time to find those inside places to have fun and exercise. I think I’ve found mine.

Some of my friends skated at the old Ambassador rink, which is now Leon & Lulu’s, and others skated at Bonaventure. I’ll stick with Skate World as it holds all my youthful memories. Did you have a favorite roller rink in the Detroit area?

So, what did you love doing when you were young that you haven’t done since?

Photo credit: Flattop341 on Flickr.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

I want to thank all of you who supported me in my quest to become the Good Mood Blogger. I finished in 12^th place with 7740 votes and move to Phase 2 of the competition.

I couldn’t have come this far without your support! I will keep you posted on the next round.

Weekend Roundup

1. Whitdel Arts Festival - The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) presents this evening of art & music in the historic Whitdel Building. Plus DJ's and a silent auction. November 13th.

2. The Park Players present Palmer Park - Detroit's oldest community theater present this play set in the University District of Detroit between 1968-1972. It examines racial relations, white flight, and integration. November 12-14, 19-21.

3. Family Animation Rarities Festival - Twelve rare classic cartoons are being shown on the big screen at The Redford Theatre. Droopy, Felix the Cat, and Daffy Duck! November 13th.

4. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Zing Zang Zoom - The Greatest Show on Earth is back at The Palace and promises to delight with illusions and magic. November 11-14th.

5. Earthly Treasures Holiday Show - The annual exhibit returns to Pewabic Pottery and features hand-picked ceramic pieces from over 100 artists. Support this amazing local business and kick off your holiday shopping. November 11th through December 30th.

6. George Washington Carver Exhibition - The scientist and innovator is more than just peanuts! Explore his life and experiments at The Henry Ford. Now through February 27, 2011.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

From Japan with Love

Do you ever wonder what you would miss about Detroit or Michigan if you moved abroad? Having lived in the UK, I know that homesickness and food cravings can be overwhelming.

Of course, living in an English speaking country is a bit easier than say, Japan.

Over the past year or so, I’ve made friends with two former Michiganders who are now living in Japan. I wanted to get their take on what they missed about Detroit and Michigan. 

Angela ShetlerAngela Shetler (@ashetler) is originally from Houghton Lake, Michigan and she also spent time living in Lansing after graduating from MSU. She currently lives in Koriyama, Japan, which is 1.5 hours north of Tokyo by bullet train.

Mark Williams and his wife, Hiroko.Mark Williams (@markmatsusaka) is originally from Toledo but we won’t hold that against him. He spent 10 years living in Detroit and wears his love of the Motor City proudly. Williams lives in Tokyo with his wife and daughter.

On food

I missed Mexican food while living in the UK. What food do you crave?

AS: The first thing I say when asked what I miss about home is "food." Mexican food is my favorite and it's nearly impossible to find here.

MW: We also miss Mexicantown! We were regular customers at El Zocalo. You cannot find decent Mexican Food in Tokyo, period. Before my father passed away in 2003 (just 2 weeks after my daughter was born) we took my mom and dad to El Zocalo. We ordered the margaritas and my dad noticed we had a wobbly table. He asked a waiter if we could do something about it and the waiter said, "If you drink that margarita, the table won't wobble any more." Needless to say, that waiter got a great tip from my dad.

AS: Navigating a grocery store in Japan also takes a while to get used to, and it's next to impossible to get ingredients that are foreign or out of season. I also love books and movies (and the incredibly-bad-for-you popcorn), so I miss the many bookstores and option to catch a movie at the last minute. The selection of English books here is small unless you order online, and movie release dates are often several months later than those in the States.

Favorite restaurants?

MW: In Farmington Hills we used to always head to Green's Burgers for the sliders and my wife's favorite, chili cheese fries. Also in Farmington Hills we loved going to Priya on Grand River for the amazing Indian Buffet there.

Also, I need to put a final note about the Coney's in Detroit. I loved them for breakfast. Here in Japan you just plain can't go out for breakfast. I really miss the country omelets you could get. They were huge. You just don't see portions like that here in Tokyo.

What do ask your family or friends to send you in care packages?

AS: My requests are usually food related. This ranges from junk food (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Cheetos, Butterfingers, seasonal or holiday candy) to baking supplies (spices, chocolate chips, mixes). I often just say "surprise me", and have gotten wonderful books, DVDs, mementos, etc.

My friends and family have been really great about putting together packages that capture a sense of home. Donuts from Quality Dairy. Graham crackers, Hershey bars, and marshmallows so I could make s'mores in the summer. Spartan gear and Biggby coffee. They really are packages of care, and that helps a lot when living far from home.

On Detroit and Michigan

What specifically do you miss about Detroit or Michigan?

AS: I miss the friendliness and the diversity of Michiganders. I miss being able to go to the gardens at MSU in fall and spring. I miss being able to drive to a cider mill, or the lakes, or Bronner's.

MW: I miss going to see the Tigers. When my daughter was born, during the slow parts of the game I used to love to take her to the merry-go-round to ride the tigers and the baseball Ferris wheel. When Paws came over she was beside herself. Here in Japan she still loves the big characters in suits. Japan seems to have a monopoly of those for sure.

AS: I miss the people. Being active online helps me stay in touch with everyone back home. It's also a way for me to support and promote the creative energy coming out of the state, such as Handmade Detroit and TEDxDetroit.

Detroit has a global image problem. Do you see much of that in Japan?

MW: All around the world you will hear folks bad mouth the city of Detroit. Truth is that they never lived there and they have no idea what they are talking about. The disturbing trend of piling on Detroit just has to stop. Hopefully with Twitter, Facebook, and other venues, I can do my part to change that trend with some positive stuff that I always liked about the city.

How do people react when you mention Detroit or Michigan?

AS: The majority of the reactions have been very positive. Usually one of the first connections to be made is President Obama's "Yes we can" slogan. Michigan doesn't always ring a bell for people, but they often know the Great Lakes.

Many thanks to Angela and Mark for sharing their experiences. My husband and I hope to visit Japan one day and I'd love to meet my new friends in person.

Photo credit: luckygun on Flickr.

Burning Effigies or Remembering what we have

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November" is the beginning of a traditional rhyme that goes along with the festivities of Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a failed attempt to blow up Parliament and assassinate the King of England.

Today, Bonfire Night is celebrated throughout the UK with fireworks, bonfires, barbeques and burning effigies. For us, it was a special day to hang out with our friends. 

So, maybe it's time to burn an effigy. Not an effigy of Guy Fawkes but of the image that we thought our life would be like once we moved to the United Sates and Detroit.

Perfect house, picket fence, bright new shiny cars, and all that.

Yeah, it’s time to burn those “perfect world” images and look at what we do have. So many wonderful things have happened that we weren’t expecting; it’s time to be grateful for and embrace all the good that has come into our lives.

Detroit has met and exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds. Every time I turn a corner or delve into the internet I find the most amazing places and people. Seriously, I could blog about Detroit forever and not run out of fantastic content.

Which leads me to blogging. Yes, I knew I wanted to start a blog before we moved back but it never occurred to me how many new opportunities would arise just from being a blogger.

Almost every article and post written about Detroit comes to the same conclusion; it’s the people that make this city so great. When I look around at all the new friends that we’ve made it truly astounds me. People from all walks of life and different backgrounds, we are blessed.

We had become couch potatoes back in the UK; we weren’t really engaged with our community and only went out with our friends occasionally. Here, we are constantly meeting new people and exploring new ideas.

We are living.

Last night, my friend Chris Kaufman (@kauf) posted this quote by Sparky Anderson on Twitter:

As long as you remember where you are from, you will always know where you are going.

We know where we're from and now we know where we’re going. And, we’re quite excited about the possibilities. It may take a little bit longer for that perfect house and picket fence but once we get there it’ll be the best damn picket fence ever!