Cultural Night
The unforgettable cultural night cum campfire was the result of cohesive efforts put together by the school, the Vietnamese volunteers, and us. In order to prepare for the big day, the staff actually requested each student attending the cultural night cum campfire to bring in a couple of firewood to start the magnificent fire that we witnessed and keep it burning through the chilly night.
When the blazing sun was beginning to set and the all-too-familiar sound of the school gong greeted our ears, we could observe the staff moving swiftly to set up the stage and audio equipment, and the students carrying in the firewood with much gusto. The kind gesture of the staff and help extended by the students were testament of the Vietnamese culture - anything that a Vietnamese does, he does it out of consideration for the welfare of others, rather than for himself alone. We could sense their enthusiasm and excitement towards the display of our various cultures, customs and religions through the gargantuan efforts injected by them in the preparatory stage and in the many informal conversations we held with them prior to the campfire. On our part, we could not aid much in the setting up of the place and ensuring that the audio equipment were in working condition, but hopefully we did help in the final decoration with our creativity fuelled balloon sculptures.
The preparatory stage soon took a backseat as dusk settled and the much- awaited campfire was officially declared to have started by the amicable Principal. Excitement and tension rang high in our camp as we changed into our respective traditional costumes and conducted our final group rehearsals to ensure smooth sailing of the event. Hopefully, the performances, which portrayed the legend of Chang E, the Chinese wedding, the rituals during Hari Raya Puasa and the memorable Bollywood Shava Shava dance, did match their anticipations and delight them. Our final item was the dedication of three songs- “ Singapore Town”, “Chan Mali Chan” and the Chinese version of “Home”. Though they may not fathom the lyrics of the latter two, hopefully our sincerity and emotions did strike a chord in their hearts. En route to the last stanza of “Home” was the most heartfelt moment for me as we were presented with flowers from the students and the teachers.
The performances put up by the Vietnamese students and volunteers were unprecedented for me. I was exposed to the Vietnamese dances and costumes. The slideshow put up by the volunteers was undoubtedly laudable and educational as we were given the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the numerous facets of Vietnam, ranging from her history to culture to people and to the places of interest.
The grand finale was the campfire marked by the towering inferno, the cackling of the flames and the searing heat emitted. Though the fire sounded intimidating, it did nothing to stop us from encouraging one another, be it strangers or friends, to join hands and waltz around it, to the tunes of a couple of Vietnamese songs. It was clearly a celebration of the human spirit and served as a reminder of the importance of unity for the human race. Though the joyful laughter and heartwarming songs came to an abrupt end, I am sure they, together with the other pieces of incidents that occurred that night and the other thirteen days, will always occupy an immovable and special place in our hearts and minds.
Written by: Mae Chyi
