Multiculturalism is an integral part of the University experience. Especially in the case of those, like myself, who have moved away from the bubble of their hometowns to be exposed to the cultural melting pot that is Higher Ed. And if we don't take advantage of this, we are seriously missing out.
The World Unite Festival (formerly known as the International Cultural Festival - quite a mouthful indeed) is organized by the Global Community Initiative and Leeds University Union. It's a celebration of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the student body through various activities, film nights and food drives that run throughout the week. The Cultural Showcase is the largest and most anticipated event, which takes place on the last day of this Festival. It encompasses performances from all corners of the globe from Polish dancing, Chinese Calligraphy, Bellydancing and fashion shows. The event was free admission and managed to procure a full house on the night, much to the delight of Faith and Cultural Rep (plus host) Steven Marcelino.
This year, I took part in the show as a catwalk model for the Indonesian Society. After two weeks worth of rehearsals, we finally had the choreography embedded to memory for our two song numbers. However, we were thrown a curveball on the day, when we were told that we would need to walk up and down a flight of stairs, in 7inch heels and floorlength dresses (..and we never even ran a proper dress rehearsal!).
The stunning traditional Indonesian clothing were courtesy of designer R. Leny McDonnell. Prior to show day, no one knew which garments they would be wearing, but in my opinion the final chosen pieces suited each model's distinct looks.
kebaya (n.) :A Kebaya is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore and southern Thailand. It is sometimes made from sheer material such as silk, thin cotton or semi-transparent nylon orpolyester, adorned with brocade or floral pattern embroidery. Kebaya usually worn with a sarong or batik kain panjang, or other traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a colorful motif.
Now that the show is over, I can tick off another bullet point on my bucket list. Definitely proud of myself for maintaining my balance in those crucial minutes under the spotlight - refusing to succumb to shaky legs and and those dreaded stairs. I was also relieved that we managed to switch costumes in time, like bonafide quick change artists. So grateful that I was able to round off my final year of Uni life with this beautiful event, great people and this memorable experience. Now if only I can get Coldplay's 'Paradise' out of my head...
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| Photo credit to Harata Ng, Aarjay Tinio and Aaran Hunt |
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