 The Kaaba at Night, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mosque#/media/File:Kaaba_at_night.jpg Most Beautiful Mosques of the World
Islam and Islamic countries Islam in EuropeIslam in RussiaIslam in China
Many of the countries of SE Asia are Muslim, or have substantial Muslim as well as Buddhist populations6.5 min video showing the year by year spread of Islam on a map, no words11 min podcast class on the spread of Islam, appropriate for Intermediate grades to HSMulti-episode histories of Islam on YouTube include Khan Academy (HS) and Yale University Portland’s Muslims Masjed As-Saber, largest Mosque in Portland--10323 SW 43rd Ave, Portland, OR 97219 Muslim Educational Trust--10330 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Tigard, OR 97223; Scholls Ferry & Connestoga Islamic Center of Portland, Mosque--6940 SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97008 Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon Arab American Community 15 Best Arab Restaurants in Portland (including other countries) Holidays of the Islamic year, beginning with the Muslim New Year 2023 Wednesday Jul 19, 2023 Hijra - Islamic New Year Friday Jul 28, 2023 Day of Ashura / Muharram. Sunni Muslims celebrate the parting of the Red Sea via Moses. Monday Oct 09, 2023 Milad un Nabi. Birthday of The Prophet. Wednesday Feb 07, 2024 Lailat al Miraj. The Prophets night journey to Jerusalem, command to pray 5x daily. Sunday Feb 25, 2024 Lailat al Bara'ah. Prayers for forgiveness before Ramadan. Monday Mar 11, 2024 Ramadan (start). Fast daily for a month during daylight hours. Saturday Apr 06, 2024 Laylat al Qadr. Quran/Koran revealed to Muhammed. Wednesday Apr 10, 2024 Eid-al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Saturday Jun 15, 2024 Waqf al Arafa - Hajj. 2nd day of the Hajj pilgrimage Sunday Jun 16, 2024 Eid-al-Adha. Last day of the Pilgrimage, commemorates Abraham's sacrifice of his son. Food for Body & Soul Mostly finding recipes on the Internet, I have pared down my cookbooks. Arabia & Yemen I went searching for Arab Brothers food cart (10175 SE Stark St, Portland OR; not far from Mall 205), and found the unnamed cart pictured below at that address. It doesn't look the same as the photo/business on Yelp, which offers Acai bowls & Middle Eastern fare, so I'm not sure what's the deal. The cart pictured below does offer Arabic fare. It was closed when I was there, but the signs looked like they were in business. Egypt When I found out Small Pharaoh`s Egyptian and New Yorker Food which I had seen previously amongst the food carts at 340 SW 5th St was closed, I thought it would pose a difficulty for me to get to another place on my timeline (trying to post for Islamic New Year). But as I was wandering around Old Town looking for Turkish Cuisine, I happened upon Elmasry Egyptian Cuisine which seems to have taken its place at the corner of 3rd Ave & Washington St. What a delightful little accidental find! With the guy's guidance, I ordered what seemed most traditionally authentic Egyptian (other than the usual Mediterranean dishes). I was just as gratified to find the guy is Muslim. As I thanked him for being there, and explained why I care (I love exploring different cultures and cuisines), he was so pleased at my interest, that he made my order complimentary. Another example of the hospitality I have enjoyed from people of other cultures than my own heritage. El Masry Egyptian Cuisine--243 SW Washington St, Portland, OR 97204; 3rd Ave Food Cart Pod Morocco Tangier Restaurant, Moroccan--221 SW Pine St, Portland, OR 97204 https://www.tangierrestaurant.com/ This little place is 2.5 blocks west of Battleship Oregon Memorial and the Oregon Maritime Museum, Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette. River. I ordered the Moroccan Chicken with Olive preserved lemons and rice (I would have liked to get the raisin one, but as a diabetic, they were out). This dish was very good, the chicken fall-apart tender and seasoned just right, served with a pita. I dropped the mint lemonade I ordered before I could take a photo. (sad face) Since it's not wheelchair accessible, I took some photos through the window, while they brought out a menu, and then the food I ordered. Kasbah Moroccan Café—201 NW Davis St, Chinatown, Portland OR https://www.kasbahmoroccancafe.com/ Such an inviting atmosphere! I had trouble finding Davis St, no one I asked could tell me, and sometimes street signs are lacking. It’s 2 blocks west of Tom McCall Park, and a block south of Lan Su Chinese Garden; Davis St is a block south of Everett St. I knew some streets in downtown Portland follow an alphabetical scheme, but not all of them do, and I got turned around. About Morocco Moroccan Recipes Jordan Petra House (Petra is in Jordan)--1900 NE 162nd Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684 About Petra Lebanon Nicholas Lebanese & Mediterranean restaurant—323 N Main Ave, Gresham, OR 97030
Syria Habibi Syrian & Lebanese Cuisine--1012 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205  Iraq DarSalam Lazurdi Restaurant & Catering, traditional Iraqi--320 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97204 What an all-encompassing experience! The decor, the food, the extremely attentive and kind person who explained things and took good care of me. The screen on the wall has a captivating slide show of Iraq present and past. Babylon Mediterranean Restaurant--11139 SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97219 I came on a weekend, so they were closed to make products for distribution. For my trouble (I had come a long way to find their place was closed and not wheelchair accessible) they were so kind as to give me a complimentary container of exquisite hummus. Nineveh Assyrian food truck-- 728 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98506; food trucks at 4th & Plum St Found this little gem in the rough on my trip to Olympia. By rough I mean the ground where the food trucks were parked. There were tables, and the menu of every truck was truly tempting. I enjoyed the Bourek, Assyrian meat eggroll, Sweet Potato Fries with delightful garlic dipping sauce (the fries as well as the Bourek were both good plain and with the dipping sauce). The pita of the Sabich wrap was a little tough, but the filling was great. The Fattoush salad topped with crispy pita chips I preferred when the chips were not quite as crispy, and it was easier to eat as a wrap, and still good when I got home. Persia/Iran About Iran/PersiaPersian Kabab--4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR; food carts near PSU Turkey About TurkeyTurkish Agha--Eastport Food Carts--3905 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266--excellent food, service, place (82nd Ave between Francis & Center St, across from Eastport Plaza Shopping Center) Afghanistan About Afghanistan A Taste of Afghan--Eastport Food Carts--3905 SE 82nd Ave, Portland OR 97266 Wonderful food, different from the usual. A young man perhaps her son helped with translating and serving Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Food in general--about as prolific as Mexican food nowadays (showing how popular the food is), here are just a few I ran into--some I tried (with delight), some I just saw: Falahi Bros Middle Eastern Cuisine--609 W 11th St, Vancouver WA 98660 Gyro House—Cora St & 82nd Ave, Portland OR Gyro and Shawarma Grill—Eastport Food Carts on 82nd Ave, across from Eastport Plaza Shopping Center Abu Rasheed Express--315 E. Main St, Hillsboro OR Gyro Spot—Hillsboro Station Food Carts & Bar--Baseline St between 3rd & 4th Ave, Hillsboro OR Portland Gyro--food carts near PSU: 4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR Rosmary--food carts near PSU: 4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR Shawarma Spot--food carts near PSU: 4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR Shawarma Spot—Woodstock community, The Heist food cart pod, Portland OR Mediterranean orzo salad at home from the local grocery store India, Pakistan Desi Bites, Indian—2023 Chalk Art Festival, Hillsboro OR Pinch of Spice, Indian--Hillsboro Station Food Carts & Bar--Baseline St between 3rd & 4th Ave, Hillsboro OR Hyderabad Hub, Indian dishes--137 SE 3rd Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123 "Hyderabad Hub restaurant located in Hillsboro downtown. It’s specialized in making authentic Indian food with wide variety of South Indian as well North Indian food like biryani, dosa, wraps, samosa and naan bread. Most popular dishes are butter chicken, mango lassi, naan bread , samosa and biryani.” Indian Hunger Point--Eastport Food Carts, 3905 Southeast 82nd Avenue, Portland OR Dhaba Indian Kitchen--food carts near PSU: 4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR Old Taste of India--food carts near PSU: 4th Ave between Hall & College St, Portland OR  Desi Bites, Indian to the right of the red truck—2023 Chalk Art Festival, Hillsboro OR Malaysia & SE Asia About Malaysia About Southeast Asia Much of SE Asia has a substantial or majority Muslim population, beside Buddhists. For more about these countries, see: Africa, east (Somalia) & west (inclu Ghana, Nigeria) West African foods East African foods Asona Cuisine, West African (Ghana & Jamaican fusion)—at the 2023 Chalk Art Festival, Hillsboro OR Try one or more of the following: Akadi PDX, West African inclu Nigeria etc—1001 SE Division Unit 2, not far east of river/Hwy 99 Amir’s Motherland Dish, Somali/East Africa—7100 NE Glisan St, Portland; 10:30-8pm Su-Th, 8:30 Fr, 9 Sa Mira’s East African & Mediterranean Cuisine, Somali—82nd & Davis, The Yard food carts Alleamin African Kitchen, Somalian—6939 NE Glisan; Montavilla area west of 82nd, Tues-Sun 11-8pm And/or 18535 SE Stark St near Gresham Europe--Bosnia Feelings might still be tender in the Balkan states, between the Muslims and Christians. This post is not to minimize the pain of the last several hundred years, nor to trivialize complexities. This is only to acknowledge that there are Muslims in these countries. I still celebrate nearly every culture. 7 Restaurant, Bosnian—905 Main St, Vancouver, WA 98660 It may be a little hard to find, but what enchanting decor (including a charming mural), kind and helpful staff, delicious food, especially the nut-stuffed apple.
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 Buddhist shrine at Tola Angkor Asian Market--11320 NE 49th St, Vancouver, WA 98682 Life & Teachings Quick summary of his teachings: Comprehensive discussion of Buddha and influences A discussion of the different dates and types of celebrations for Buddha’s Birthday in various countries 10 Famous Buddha Statues (Note: the Buddha has been depicted in many different styles and poses) Statuary I happened upon at Portland Nursery--9000 SE Division, Portland, OR 97266
Buddhist Shrines/Temples Top 10 Most Beautiful Buddhist Temples in the World 10 Famous Buddhist Temples Nam Quang Vietnamese Buddhist Temple--3337 NE 148th Ave, Portland, OR 97230 Great statuary, gardens, places to meditate. Lots of interpretive signs, some with English translations. Leave your shoes at the door of the Temple and your cares at the gate. Master Kevin was so wonderfully helpful! Wat Buddhatham-Aram--4350 NE 133rd Ave, Portland OR Only caretakers were here when I found the place. They have event space for gatherings. Chùa Linh Sơn Buddhist Temple--2535 SE 118th Ave, Portland, OR 97266 Next to a Vietnamese restaurant, the gates of the Temple were closed when I went to see it. A tantalizing huge statue was frustratingly behind a tall tree from my view. Buddha's Birthday was May 5 in 2023 (see also the linked discussion at top of this page). Bửu Hưng Tu Viện Buddhist Temple--17808 NE 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98684 Photos taken Dec 22, 2019. Links to a few of about 40 Buddhist Temples/Centers listed in the Portland OR area
Mt. Adams Zen Buddhist Temple at the Trout Lake Abbey--46 Stoller Rd, Trout Lake WA 98650 We had a wonderful adventure exploring the Mt Adams (WA) area July of 2021. For more about that, see: Mt Adams Buddhist Temple at Trout Lake Abbey website
Buddhist Holidays & Ceremonies Top 5 Buddhist Holidays 3 New Years (Jan, Mar, Apr), Magha Puja (March), Vesak (May), Dharma Day (July), Kachina (Oct-Nov) Photos below from a friend's memorial a few years ago. Cultural Connections & Countries “Buddhism is the dominant religion in Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mainland China [those that dare to be religious], Hong Kong, Japan, Tibet, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Kalmykia and Vietnam. Large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India and South Korea. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists”, though only an estimated 18% of China's population practice Buddhism, whereas about 97% of Cambodians, 95% in Thailand, 88% in Myanmar, and 70% in Sri Lanka are Buddhist. The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle WA had exhibits for immigrants from China, Japan, Vietnam, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), and a sample Buddhist altar at the time I visited. See 2nd link below.  WING LUKE MUSEUM OF THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN EXPERIENCE--719 S. King St, Seattle WA 98104 India—land of Buddha’s Birth, Life, Teaching, and Enlightenment Though India was the birthplace of Buddhism, only about .7% of the population in 2011 (unchanged from 1951) still practiced Buddhism, according to Pew Research. Yet there remain many shrines to Buddhism in the land. I couldn't travel to India, but pictured below are my explorations of Indian culture, not all of it Buddhist. I didn't have a chance to try all of the Indian restaurants/food trucks below, but I did try the mixes and prepared foods. 12 of the Most Famous Buddhist Temples and Monasteries in India Info on India's religious make up from Pew Research Chutneys Indian Restaurant, 3000 SE 164th Ave #100, Vancouver, WA 98683 Burma/Myanmar Top Burmese Burma Joy is a fun place to go if you can manage the tight streets, traffic, and parking challenges. The travel video I checked out makes going to Burma itself look really enticing (though not wheelchair accessible). Top Burmese Burma Joy--1305 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
Cambodia & Laos Mekong Bistro--8200 NE Siskiyou St Suite 111, Portland OR Delicious food, often live music (see event link below), friendly & helpful service, plenty of free off-street parking, at least mid-day. Not sure when there's live music in the evening. China Links for more Chinese culture, including performances, gardens, museums, more food and restaurants, etc.Wong's King Seafood Restaurant, Portland, OR--closed by COVID 2020; now the location of Excellent Cuisine Chinese Food Restaurant; 8733 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97266 Japan Japan is reportedly about 70% Buddhist, including those who practice both Buddhism and Shinto. I love children's books because they are simplified learning, as you can see below.More about Japanese-American experiences at
Korea This was one of our little adventures into a cuisine we hadn't experimented with much yet, fall of 2022. We did enjoy the food. Some can make you cry in delight, one or two of the appetizers brought hot tears of almost regret (spicy hot Kimchee). In 2023 while visiting Olympia WA I found the Korean War Veterans Memorial. K-Town Korean BBQ Restaurant--8723 NE Hwy 99, Vancouver, WA 98665 Korean history Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington State Capitol campus, Olympia WA Mongolia Chang's Mongolian Grill--San Rafael Shopping Center, 1600 NE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97230 (just north of Halsey St & the Goodwill store, south of Winco, Wells Fargo etc--one of several locations) I give this place high marks for easy accessible parking as well as being a great place for people with dietary restrictions. You can adjust how much salty/soy and how many carbs for yourself, before your meal is cooked in a healthful way. The staff is friendly and helpful, the decor is pleasant and appropo. The restrooms are not wheelchair accessible: it was hard enough to enter, but I almost couldn't get out of the ladies'.About Mongolia, including history Malaysia, Singapore, & Indonesia My folks spent 18 months in Malaysia about 20 years ago, and my mom being interested in exploring cultures and cuisines, collected some recipes. She was so impressed that they could cook by smell, and that they were so dextrous. She saved the wrapping from a gift, and I used that to make a cover for the recipes she brought home. I was excited to find a place that serves food from Singapore, but despite the advertised hours, and the sign saying he'd be back at 4:15, he didn't make it back by then. I waited an extra 5 min, but it was a very hot day, so I couldn't wait longer. I can only assume that something came up and then he was detained longer than expected. The pictures on his food truck were very appealing, though. 21SG Foodie Singapura-- 2280 NW Burnside Ct, Gresham, OR 97030 (Gresham Food Carts) Gresham Food Carts--indoor & outdoor seating, a play area . . . Other Asian foods included Indian, Thai, and Lao fusion. There were hot dogs, Mexican, Mediterranean, Ukrainian, etc as well. Some of the outdoor seating was very appealing. 26 min informative tour guide for Borobudur & Prambanan 10 min video Borobudur & Prambanan Nepal, Tibet, & Bhutan Nepali Kitchen & Chai Garden--3434 NE 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97213 a little peace of paradise from city life Namo Buddha Himalayan Cuisine--the Heist food cart pod, 4727 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97206 menu link at The Heist link below The Heist Food Cart Pod in Woodstock community--4727 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR 97206
Taiwan Taiwan Bistro PDX--11136 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219 Taipei Noodle House—11642 NE Halsey St, Portland OR; Wed-Mon 11am-9:30pm Yi Fang--Taiwan Fruit Tea at Washington Square Mall--9585 SW Washington Square Rd, Portland ORAbout Taiwan, including history Thailand Thai food is very popular, no problem finding it. Following are some I found & foto'd. Montira's Thai Cuisine, replaced by The Dalles Thai Cuisine--302 W 2nd St, The Dalles, OR; loved it, went twice Yellow Curry Cozy Thai--20 N. Holladay Dr, Seaside OR Thai Time Vancouver--11310 NE 49th St Suite 107, Vancouver, WA 98682 Talay Thai Cuisine--13510 NE 84th St #109, Vancouver, WA 98682 and more . . . About Thailand, including history Vietnam Explored Vietnam through food, books, memorials. Kim Huong Vietnamese Restaurant, 2950 Silverton Rd NE, Salem, OR 97301 Unprepossessing exterior, lovely interior with delicious food and kind, friendly service. A Dong Asian Market next door. 15 best Vietnamese inspired recipes Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial
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Wheelchair WomanI've been in a wheelchair for 30+ years. It poses some challenges for traveling. Maybe others can benefit from my experiences. Archives
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