Reporter’s Notebook: American fast food brands grow in popularity in Kazakhstan

During the last decade, I traveled to Kazakhstan, a republic of the former USSR. (Kazakhstan has long borders with Russia in the north and with China in the south.) I noticed several American fast food restaurants were increasing in popularity there. I visited some of the restaurants and could see similarities as well as differences…

Reporter’s Notebook: Olad’ya is a babushka’s recipe and a delicious meal for breakfast you need to know

Olad’ya is small size pancake or fritter and a popular breakfast meal in the former Soviet Union. The recipe of olad’ya was passed from babushkas (grandmas) to vnuchkas (grandaughters) in that part of the world for centuries. Olad’ya is usually about two and a half inches long and two inches wide. Here is a recipe…

Reporter’s Notebook: How to cook squash – two delicious recipes from Kazakhstan

Squash is a vegetable and is sold at every supermarket. They are usually green and yellow colors looking like fatty comas. Some shoppers mistake the green squash for cucumbers.      I have not seen squash served too often at parties or restaurants in Oklahoma. I think it is because of the lack of good recipes….

“Rediscover the joy of creating” with the “I Can’t Write Poetry” workshop

On June 19, the Center for Poets & Writers, in partnership with Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity, presented the “I Can’t Write Poetry” workshop to get adults to reinvigorate their creativity. At the Zoom meeting for Tulsa Community College (TCC) students, in addition to the public, Crystal Patrick began the workshop by going over…

For BIPOC filmmakers, the Greenwood Film Festival tears down barriers

The second annual Greenwood Film Festival (GFF) hosted workshops and film screenings featuring short films and features from BIPOC film makers from June 8-12. As Dennis Delemar, founder of the GFF and a film director, started the Film Funding workshop, various film creatives chatted about the importance of grants, crowdfunding, cooperation with businesses, and the…

Stories of Loss, Love, and Reality Checks performed at OKSO Tulsa Grandslam

OKSO held its eighth Tulsa Grandslam in May. The winner for this year’s event was Jordan Price. She won the top honor with a tragic story of her father’s surgery. Price shared a heartfelt story about her estranged father going into high-risk surgery to remove his five aneurysms throughout his arteries, and her healing through…

First Asian American Pacific Islander Cultural Festival makes a mark on the Tulsa community

On May 14, Tulsa Global District (TGD) and the Hmong American Association of Oklahoma organized the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Cultural Festival to celebrate the global cultures of Tulsa. The festival was in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.  As Tulsans walked into the tucked away AAPI Cultural Festival on 18 th and Garnett grass area…