Asia day is a day to celebrate all of the different countries and their respective histories and cultures.
Similar to the Boulder Asian Festival in August, this day is dedicated to the annual coming together of the Asian community in Boulder. Activities like food tasting, Tai Chi demonstrations and Xin Jiang Dance lessons were available throughout the entire day. Presentations on the biodiversity, history and culture of different sub regions were also given to give the audience a balanced perspective on the different countries of Asia.
Some of the events during Asia day included Indonesia and Indonesian cooking. Instructor Margaretha Sudarsih, along with Indonesian students, made presentations on the different languages and dialects of the country as well as the lives of individuals from Jakarta, the capital city.
“It is a great way to get the Asian community of Boulder together to celebrate their histories,” said Nick Williams, a 24-year-old linguistics graduate student. “It’s a way to share these things with everyone and become educated about different peoples and their cultures.”
Toward the end of the event the audience was taught how to say a few simple Indonesian phrases such as “Hi” and “How are you?” For the finale, the speakers taught a traditional Indonesian dance that the audience was allowed to participate in.
Diane Shimamoto, an 18-year-old freshman English and history major, said she came specifically for the Taiko presentation.
“I came to see Taiko, the Japanese drumming, but I think that the diversity of the events are really great,” Shimamoto said.
Another event was the Korean holidays and spring holiday food presented by Jongwon Kang and Hyunsook Moon. One of the holidays discussed was Daeboreum on Jan. 15, which celebrates the great full moon. This day is dedicated to the greeting of the moon, celebrated by kite flying and having bonfires.
“It is so interesting to bring so many different cultures together,” said Lauren Borkowski, a 21-year-old senior geography major.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Adrienne Abrams at Adrienne.abrams@colorado.edu.
