I am very proud to discover that my city and my people are becoming increasingly curious to discover other cultures. And the Asian continent is not characterized by physical proximity, and substantial resources are required in order to get there. Therefore, if the average Romanian citizen cannot afford to visit Asia, Asia is visiting us.
As a matter of fact, in these days Bucharest is hosting its second edition of Asia Fest. In five days, we get to discover a little bit of... Japan, China, Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and (partially European) Turkey. Just like for any event that involves the participation of several countries, each of these countries has to put its best foot forward, through their most interesting cultural practices.
So, what could visitors entertain themselves with?
... workshops in Chinese, Japanese and Korean caligraphy
... Japanese costumes workshop
... Indian henna tattoos
... Ikebana worksops
... painting on water
... Korean tea ceremony
... music and dance shows from each country
... parade of national costumes
... sculpture in fruits and vegetables
... Origami workshop
... Manga drawing
... movie projections
... and of course, loads of food - Chinese, Japanese (Sushi), Korean, Turkish and Indian. Some of them were even prepared on the spot.
And the list could go on. I am sure I have missed several activities, but with one activity more interesting than the other, variety was the defining word for the event. And the setting was so full, that it was hard to find your way amongst the visitors. It is hard to be present during all the activities in these kinds of festivals. More likely, I believe that they also serve in stirring curiosity among people, if there is a particular culture, or language, or topic, or artistic practice, that they wish to learn more in depth. And after all, the cultural institutes of the respective countries are always active and available for various initiatives of this kind. So, whoever wants to learn more, they have the chance.
As for me, I councluded the evening with a Sushi dinner (one of my favourite foods), which I also saw being prepared in front of me, and... I signed up for a 10% discount voucher on any trip to Asia, if taken before October 2015. If I am lucky with time and money... I will certainly be looking forward to that. ;)
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