Cultural Evenings, a Significant Addition to GEO 15

Cultural Evenings in GEO 15 are significant in three ways. First, this was the first time the events were introduced and held in the history of the GEO program. Second, while the cultural evenings resemble much the group presentations held in past GEO programs, they are special in the sense that they provided an avenue for students to immerse themselves in the history and culture of the country they represent. Last but not the least, they serve as a very important opportunity for students to get to know each other deeper, thereby paving the way for greater cooperation and union for the most awaited event of every GEO vacation camps: the team country presentations!The first cultural evening held in January 18th Wednesday showcased refreshing and exciting series of events, namely the fashion show, the limbo rock competition, and the sing-and-dance presentation. I will, however, organize my thoughts in the following passages by only citing the things the teams presented that left deep impressions in my mind.

Congratulations to Team Seychelles for having won first place during the first cultural evening event! What was particularly special about your fashion show was the use of Afro-American hairstyles (or should I call them wigs instead?) The turtle was also a major feature which undoubtedly gave laughs to the audience and amusement to the judges. The use of an artificial campfire contraption in your sing-and-dance performance also added an air of tribalism as well as showed your ingenuity to the people on that night. Last but not the least was the tall yet extremely flexible girl who won the limbo rock contest, greatly catapulting the team to the first position!

What struck me about Jamaica that night was the intricate and detailed creation of the so-called reggae-inspired clothing closely the country's flag. The modern dance performed during the sing-and-dance portion also stood out among other teams who highly relied instead on tribal and ethnic-inspired music.

When one wishes to witness close resemblance real warlike Pacific island tribesmen and gorgeous female inhabitants donning their ethnic outfits, Tuvalu is the team to see! The wild native boys appear to have convinced the audience and the judges that they have successfully internalized their roles as ethnic Tuvalese while the females did not fail to catch everyone's attention by their talent and style.

If only the sing-and-dance performance was the sole event in that cultural night, many including myself will agree that Kenya should have bagged the golden prize. The professional choirmaster who conducted the group, the singers who seem to memorize the Kenyan native song by heart in the country's native language, and the passionate instrumentalists, successfully captured the hearts and minds of the audience and judges alike.

Thinking that I have already witnessed a fantastic night on Wednesday, January 19th’s (Thursday) caught me in surprise. Indeed, human's potential in the field of arts seem to be endless! How much more if they become professional artists in the future?

Team New Zealand, the only country that was not phased out since the beginning of the GEO vacation camps, garnered the best prize of that night thanks to its excellent performance at the sing-and-dance competition and the competitive spirit of its members at the limbo rock contest. As an audience, it is quite noticeable that the male break dancer (who also won at the limbo event) played a very important role in orchestrating a synchronized spectacle that very much fits the beats and the sudden changes of their chosen background music. Cheers and shouts of amazement even from the rival teams filled the festive atmosphere that led New Zealand to the top.

Though South Africa was given the silver trophy, one does not fail to admire the stretchable back of its female member who persistently tied with New Zealand's break up dancer until the judges ruled that there will be two winners in the limbo rock contest instead. Hurray! What sunk deep in my mind about South Africa's sing-and-dance performance was the dancers masked in savanna animals and the nostalgic songs from Lion King and the "Lion sleeps tonight" by the Tokens.

When I remember Panama's sing-and-dance performance, I recall how they danced at the famous Korean pop song tune 'Please be my baby' by Wondergirls and how their dance highly resembled the Korean pop artists themselves. I feared that the use of Korean songs might spell doom to their points but they still managed to grab the third place probably because of their amusing romantic short play.

I have to say that I was quite impressed by the sing-and-dance performance of Singapore when they all of them did the fan dance with people in the middle holding up the important elements of the Singaporean flag. Indeed, their synchronized movements and astounding display met with awe by the audience and the judges in that night. Also, to be able to make skyscrapers as fashion apparel amused everyone and reflected a degree of ingenuity in the part of Singapore.

Belize may have been last among the teams presented at the second cultural evening but their attempt to display a nationalistic atmosphere with their soldier-like marches marked their significance in that night. With little more effort and a fighting spirit, they can soon the tide to their favor in the most anticipated Group Presentations in the following weeks. Great job and do not forget to have fun Belize!

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By Gerard Bambilla, English Clinic TA