Multicolored lanterns strung across the ceiling and the smell of steaming Asian food set the scene of the fourth annual 2012 Island Bazaar on Saturday afternoon.
A joint effort between the MSU Japan Club and the Taiwanese Student Association, the event was held at First Christian Church, 1001 Chester Road, in Lansing, and attracted a crowd of more than 200.
Paddy Lin, president of the Taiwanese Student Association, said the bazaar was a chance to gather students together to chat and celebrate the culture of Japan and Taiwan.
“We wanted them to have a space to enjoy and talk to people from everywhere,” he said.
According to the Office for International Students and Scholars, there are 80 students from Japan and 187 students from Taiwan at MSU.
MSU Japan Club president Shohei Ueno said what was special about the bazaar was the collaboration between the two student associations representing the island nations. The event brought together two nationalities and provided cultural experiences the other couldn’t, he said, and many of the Taiwanese dishes at the event had a spicy kick.
“We can’t make Taiwanese food, but Taiwanese (students) can,” he said.
Performances and activities incorporated a number of audience interests.
The MSU Japan Club’s performance intertwined the traditional with the modern. Beginning with Japanese dance Soran Bushi, the group took the crowd by surprise as the sound of oriental flutes transformed into LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” and the students broke out their best hip-hop moves.
The event also featured an eating contest with seven pairs of contestants competing to be the first to finish three courses — ramen noodles, Taiwanese spicy noodles and green tea ice cream with wasabi, an extremely spicy paste often referred to as Japanese horseradish.
“We wanted people to test weird food,” Lin said.
Friends of TSA members, graduate student Rebecca Lin and junior Joanna Chuck have been attending the Island Bazaar for the past four years.
“There are more people here and … more (of a) variety of races (this year),” Chuck said.
The women both agreed their favorite part of the event was the food. Along the sides of the hall, there were half a dozen booths offering items such as Taiwanese popcorn chicken, braised pork rice and bubble tea — meals that brought back memories of home in Asia.
“We miss the food (back home),” Chuck said. “It’s nice to have something that reminds us of home.”
As Ueno glanced around the crowded room, he said he was pleased with the turnout this year.
“I think people are having fun with the food and performances,” he said.
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