US President Barack Obama's state dinner for the prime minister of Japan offered guests a haiku [url=http://www.scarpeeccoitalia.it/offerta-ecco-uomo-yucatan-sandali-espresso-cocoa-marrone-nere.html]ECCO Uomo Yucatan Sandali Espresso Cocoa Marrone Nere Italia[/url] , some R&B and the specter of chopsticks — for those brave enough to go there.

The president welcomed guest of honor Shinzo Abe with a toast over sake that included a poem about spring, friendship and harmony, declaring himself the first president to recite a haiku at a state dinner.

????President Barack Obama introduces Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, as he host him and Abe's wife Akie Abe, right, at the State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 28

Abe, in return, went with R&B: He quoted the classic song ""Ain't No Mountain High Enough"" to convey the strength of the bonds between the U.S. and Japan.

First lady Michelle Obama found another way to pay tribute to the guest nation, wearing a purple, sleeveless gown by Japanese-born designer Tadashi Shoji.

With fewer than 200 guests, it was Obama's smallest state dinner, and it had a decidedly low celebrity quotient.

""Star Trek"" luminary George Takei was back for his first state visit since the Clinton administration. TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes, mastermind of the hit shows ""Grey's Anatomy"" and ""Scandal,"" was a first-timer.

Asked about her chopstick skills, Rhimes waggled her hand uncertainly. Takei, by contrast, said he'd grown up with chopsticks.

Takei's husband, Brad, wondered what the big deal was.

""Is that exotic for the White House?"" he asked.

Anyway, no worries: There was flatware for those wanting to play it safe.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson turned up with R&B singer Ciara, fresh off attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend with his grandmother.

""She's back in Virginia,"" Wilson explained of his grandmother. His new date, for her part, took plenty of time to arrange her gown just so — twice — for the cameras.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who also served as ambassador to Japan, arrived at the White House in the role of seasoned veteran of state dinners.

Asked how many he'd attended, Mondale mused: ""I'm not sure. Thirty?""

""When I was vice president, I had to go,"" he confessed.

On a celebratory night, the violence unfolding not far away in Baltimore cast a shadow.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred, was among the guests. Asked about the decision to play Wednesday's game in Baltimore between the White Sox and the Orioles in a stadium closed to the public, he said, ""We made a decision based on safety concerns,"" adding that both teams were cooperating in ""a very difficult situation.""

Guest chef Masaharu Morimoto, of TV's ""Iron Chef"" fame, and the White House culinary team served up a meal fusing American and Japanese influences: Think Caesar salad tied up with Mizuhiki paper cord. American Wagyu beef. And cheesecake — made with tofu and soy milk.

Tables in the East Room sported the new White House china that the Obamas unveiled this week, featuring stripes of a ""Kailua blue"" hue inspired by the Pacific waters that are dear to the Hawaiian-born president and the Japanese as well.

As with every state dinner, it was all part of a carefully laid plan to promote friendly relations between the U.S. president and the leader of the guest country. That would be Abe, who joked at a Tuesday luncheon that he dared not overdo the drinking at dinner because he's addressing a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.

Even the after-dinner entertainment was aimed at bringing together the two cultures. Cast members from the film adaptation of ""Jersey Boys"" were performing selections from the jukebox musical, which was popular in Japan.

The White House state dinner has become an especially rare commodity under this president: This is just the eighth state dinner for Obama over more than six years in office. That's the smallest number since the six dinners that Harry Truman played host to over eight years in office, according to the White House Historical Association. Obama has at least one more dinner in the offing, for China in the fall.

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BRUSSELS, March 22 (Xinhua ) -- Ukraine crisis is a "game-changer" for NATO allies who must strengthen their economic and military ties, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a speech at the Brussels Forum on Friday.

The Secretary General set out three priorities as he called on allies to reaffirm their "commitment to collective defence, strengthen support to Ukraine and the wider region, and to make clear that we can no longer do business as usual with Russia."

Rasmussen said the September NATO Summit in Wales will be a key one for allies to ensure they have the full range of capabilities to deter and defend against any threat.

The Brussels Forum, organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, is an annual high-level meeting of the most influential North American and European political, corporate, and intellectual leaders to address pressing challenges currently facing both sides of the Atlantic.

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PUTIAN, Fujian Province, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese four-man group crowned the quaternion while Russian gymnasts won the other events at the 25th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Putian, China.

Chinese quaternion athletes Li Zheng, Rui Liuming, Zhang Teng and Zhou Jiahuai delivered an excellent performance to extend their lead over Israel and Britain. The group is given 30.340, the only score more than 30 in all categories.

Zhou Tong, coach of the group, told Xinhua that the boys keep training together for 5 years and they get what they deserve.

""They were the gold winners of twice Asian Championship and twice World Cup. They are always getting better. They did a good job today with the highest score.""

Chinese girls won the silver medal in Trios as the Russian Group Belkina Valeriia, Nikiti. [url=http://www.cheapreplicacollegejerseys.com/]Cheap Wholesale Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapnhljerseysreplica.com/]Cheap Replica Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysreplica.com/]Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapnbareplicajerseys.com/]Cheap NBA Jerseys China[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapnbajerseysreplica.com/]Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapmlbreplicajerseys.com/]Cheap Replica MLB Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapmlbjerseysreplica.com/]Cheap New MLB Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapcollegejerseysreplica.com/]Cheap NCAA Jerseys[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapsportsjerseysshopwholesale.com/]Cheap Jerseys China Free Shipping[/url]   [url=http://www.cheapsportsjerseysshoponline.com/]Cheap Mens Jerseys[/url]