On December 5th at 11:00 AM students from around the university gathered in front of the Library and Convention Hall to take part in the “2022 International Culture Day and Gingerbread House Making Competition”, which was organized by the NPUST Office of International Affairs (OIA). As part of the festivities, a cultural market was set up by students from 10 countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Eswatini, Belize and Haiti. In addition to gourmet foods, there were also a variety of cultural experience activities going on, with prizes given out to participants who earned enough points. Singing and dancing performances by Belizean and Indonesian students and traditional music performances by Indian students were also spread throughout the afternoon, making for a lively and culturally-rich experience on the warm December day.
NPUST vice-dean, Shui-jen Chen, made some remarks at the event, saying “thank you to the Office of International Affairs for organizing the event. Art, music, and dance are beautiful cultural manifestations that speak to people’s hearts and which can be passed on from generation to generation. Today, teachers and students from the school can experience the rich and diverse cultural backgrounds of our international students. And those from abroad can enjoy some of the foods from their hometowns. Due to the epidemic, international students have not returned to their homes for almost three years, and so they have been looking forward to this for a longtime. Today we gather together—and together, we share the joy.”
The booths set up at the market were very diverse, with students from all over the world demonstrating their superb cooking skills and presenting the lovely flavors of their hometowns. Students from India made Samosa dumplings stuffed with spiced potatoes and herbs, the Indonesians prepared halal rice dishes, and the Haitians had empanada, vegetable broth, gnocchi, and Haitian red bean pork fried rice on the menu. The Malaysian students added to these with curry fried noodles, pan fried cakes, and other appetizing cuisine. Students from Vietnam, Nepal, Pakistan, the Caribbean, Eswatini and Thailand also showed their many talents in the gourmet arena, presenting special dishes that attracted students and teachers from around the school. Games and traditional cultural experiences were also going on at various booths at the same time, so that as the patrons took in the tastes and smells, they could also win prizes and learn new things about their schoolmates’ cultures!
The second main feature of the day’s activities was the “Creative Gingerbread House Competition”, which was held in the Creative Ideas Lab. For the competition, staff members and students from the school formed teams. With one local and one foreign member on each team, the participants had to make the best use of their language skills as they worked together to create gingerbread houses full of ingenuity and imagination. A total of 48 groups signed up for the event which gave a real “global village” feeling to the Christmas activity.
Due to restrictions, many overseas students have not been able return home for nearly three years. And so, the Office of International Affairs has been taking the school’s foreign wanderers into consideration—and even more so during the various holiday seasons when longings for home can be particularly strong. With festive activities organized on campus, the OIA hopes that the interaction and cultural exchanges between students can relieve some of that homesickness and also leave the students with good memories of their times at NPUST.
