On December 12th, the NPUST Indonesian Student Association put on the “2022 Wonderful Indonesia Culture Festival” at the university’s Shuyun Hall. The event was kicked off by NPUST vice-president Shang-Ming Ma, International College dean J.C. Leong, OIA chief of education, Ian Chang, OIA chief of cooperation, Chun-Yi Lee and other university representatives. Adding to the prestige of it all, Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mr. Sandiaga Uno, made a special video to send his blessings to the organizers and participants.
NPUST vice-president Shang-Min Ma thanked the Indonesian Student Association for organizing the grand event, saying “through this activity we can enjoy traditional Indonesian dance, music, and delicacies—and all the participating faculty, staff and students have a chance to experience authentic Indonesian culture. We wish everyone a successful activity”.
International College dean J.C. Leong said “this year’s Wonderful Indonesian Festival has brought us rich and exciting content. We are very appreciative of our Indonesian students—Atiek Rahmawaty and her team members— for working hard for a month to prepare this festival. We hope that everyone will have fun and enjoy the experience.”
The schedule was filled with exciting music and dance performances, including a traditional Angklung (musical instrument) performance, a dramatic Kecak Dance, a Bambu Gila dance, Pencak Silat (Malay martial arts/ Indonesian boxing) demonstrations, a Manuk Dadali dance, and the highly popular Saman Dance (a traditional dance of the Gayo tribe in Aceh, Sumatra).
Fashion and art were also on display, with Indonesian handicrafts and Batik (dyed cloth) set out for viewing, and students from Indonesia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Belize, St. Lucia, and Mexico all modeling traditional Indonesian costume in a gorgeous fashion show.
When it was time to eat, a variety of traditional Indonesian foods were served up, including Soto Ayam chicken soup noodle rice (one of Indonesia’s national favorites), Siomay steamed fish dumplings with vegetables and peanut sauce, Es Kopyor sweet coconut drink and other traditional foods and refreshments.
Hopefully the activity offered encouragement to any of the Indonesian students who might have been feeling some homesickness after being away for so long—and also that teachers and students at NPUST gained a deeper understanding of Indonesia’s rich and diverse culture.
