Howdy everyone!
 
Imagine yourself wearing different types of Thobe or Algerian dresses and you aren’t bothered about having to capture your photos by yourself because you are sure that the cameraman has captured every pose and every angle of your attire. Imagine your friends calling you and pleading you to perform Dabke at their wedding and are willing to reschedule their wedding date for that. Imagine your day going bad but then suddenly you meet a bunch of people greeting you with a smile you haven’t seen for long. Oh wait! You are thinking it’s so weird because everyone has that amazing smile.
 
Texas heat is growing up on you and you don’t want to imagine anything anymore, you just want to have something to drink and you suddenly remembered your Indian friend’s suggestion to try out Chai. If I ask you to imagine more, you might end up grabbing some Thai food and Bangladeshi Khichuri just because you don’t want to let that hunger of yours stop you from reading this blog.
 
Melting Pot is an annual event which focuses on creating awareness among people about other countries’ culture, food, people and just about everything that a person can think of by inviting various student organizations. This was my first Melting Pot event that I attended and here are some of the things that I learnt and felt worth sharing with everyone:

 

 
Bangladesh:
Ethnic foods: Khichuri, Doi-Mishti, Biriyani, Pitha, Shingara-Somucha, etc. are some of the mouth-watering items that one should not afford to miss.
Festivals: Durga Puja, Christmas, Eid, Buddha Purnima, Holi and Pohela Boishakh.
Tourist places: Cox’s Bazar, Sundarban, Rangamati, Sajek-Khagrachori, Sylhet Tea Garden and Kuakata Sea Beach.
 

Nepal:
The dance says it all! They both showed it on stage that they didn’t need a presentation to portray the rich culture that Nepal has and made us stand from our chairs to capture it.

 
 
 
Indonesia:
National Motto of Indonesia is “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” which means “Unity in Diversity”.
Popular dishes are: Sate, Soto, gado-gado, rendang, etc.
The Javanese Batik and Kebaya are popularly known as Indonesia’s national costume.
  
Arab countries:
Ethnic foods: Baklava, Manakish, Shish Tawook, Halva, Falafel, etc. (there are so many that you might spend more time in eating than roaming around visiting places)
Clothing: Thobe, Algerian wedding dresses, etc. (Collection is as big as the food varieties they have!)
Dabke is a Levantine folk dance which has circle and line dance techniques.



Thailand:
Known as the Land of Smiles and is home to more than 40,000 Buddhist temples.
Classical dance is called “Ruam” and there are six different forms of Thai dance.
The famous Thai musical instrument is called “La Knad”.
Oh! how can one forget Thai food! Say “Khob Khun” if someone offers you Thai food, it means “Thank you”.
 

 
 
Desi Aggies group:
Chai, chai, chai! Head over to BSM Church near Northgate area on Friday evenings from 8 pm till midnight. Enjoy games, snacks and the vibrancy of the place while having a cup of Chai!



Imagine…. oh no! you are tired of reading that word now. Well what are you waiting for then? Get out there, stop imagining and start answering your curiosities with the experiences of people around you. Meet them, greet them, love them, and cherish their existence in your life. If you aren’t planning to go to the Moon or Mars, I’d suggest, you save up your money to visit these places, learn their culture and feast on to some delicious food.

Organized by the Indian Graduate Student Organization (IGSA)

---Pavan Kulkarni
Pavan Kulkarni is a Masters student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering