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So we all got dressed up for the Fair... |
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By Anna Kritina Bautista
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Monday, 05 September 2005 |
IUB's fourth International Fair kicked off to an early start on Sunday the 4th of September. Colorful country booths lined up in the front of Sports Halle greeted hundreds of runners of the Halbmarathon hosted by IUB.
Its participants and their families poured in to visit the various booths that had been set up by different countries. The beautiful sunny weather added a lot of energy to the fun international atmosphere, especially the with the country flags of IUB students strewn before the finish line. The twelve countries represented at the fair include: Bulgaria, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Sri Lanka, Tanzania & Zimbabwe.
 
In spite of the short preparation time and a very busy O-week, the groups were able to pull off a great job at decorating their booths and cooking. These were already set up by 10:30am. The booth organizers dressed in their traditional attires, served native delicacies while selling jewelry and other souvenirs from their countries. The Pakistani booth offered Henna painting while the Zimbabwean booth boosted the occasion by playing international music.
At noon, the dances kicked off, starting with the Bulgarian dance by the Bulgarians who gladly invited the audience to join the circle. The Ethiopians then put up a lovely performance in their colorful national dresses. Another energetic group dance by the Romanians followed. Ending the dance sessions were the Filipino girls doing a Muslim-inspired scarf dance.
The occasion was a perfect stage to showcase IUB's unique internationality, with most of the freshmen eager to participate. The festivities lasted until 1:30pm, and were followed by a football match between Africa and Western Europe. One must say, this was the biggest International Fair IUB had ever had, not only because of the number of countries represented, but also the number of visitors. It was most surely a perfect way to mark what one could possibly call, the last stress-free weekend of the semester. |
