It did not live up to the expectations that were anticipated by the audience and onlookers. I didn't want to go but from what I heard from my seniors, Diwali celebrations catered by the last batch was done really well. Can't say the same for this year.
The first day was songs. Traditional would have worked best, since Diwali is a celebration of traditions. Apparently someone thought it would be appropriate to sing Bollywood.
The second and third day was lunch. Well known in South India for its signature style of cutlery, they decided to provide a rather pricey meal. Since most Indians and Sri Lankans here aren't literally from India and Sri Lanka, I disregarded the fact that the meal wasn't vegetarian. It's Diwali. There are religious standards to uphold.
Then came the flash mob. The Indo-Lankan Amalgamation, as it should be known has a spectacular seventy-six member count. Excluding myself and say ten others, sixty-five members. The flash mob was only thirty members strong making it less of a flash mob and more of a coordinated dance-off.
Seven dancers wore traditional clothing, the rest paraded around in short shorts and T-shirts. One student had his university lanyard on. They seemed to be going for a red and yellow vibe, probably to commemorate the flags. The energy of the group was weak, maybe ten dancers were enthusiastic about the dance, others were just moving. By the end, when the last three songs played, enthusiasm rose to around twenty members.
It seemed they were more interesting in the spectacle of the show, a presentation to exclaim to the university screaming, "We Exist!!" instead of caring about the festival and having an innate desire to spread their culture among their peers.
The first day was songs. Traditional would have worked best, since Diwali is a celebration of traditions. Apparently someone thought it would be appropriate to sing Bollywood.
The second and third day was lunch. Well known in South India for its signature style of cutlery, they decided to provide a rather pricey meal. Since most Indians and Sri Lankans here aren't literally from India and Sri Lanka, I disregarded the fact that the meal wasn't vegetarian. It's Diwali. There are religious standards to uphold.
Then came the flash mob. The Indo-Lankan Amalgamation, as it should be known has a spectacular seventy-six member count. Excluding myself and say ten others, sixty-five members. The flash mob was only thirty members strong making it less of a flash mob and more of a coordinated dance-off.
Seven dancers wore traditional clothing, the rest paraded around in short shorts and T-shirts. One student had his university lanyard on. They seemed to be going for a red and yellow vibe, probably to commemorate the flags. The energy of the group was weak, maybe ten dancers were enthusiastic about the dance, others were just moving. By the end, when the last three songs played, enthusiasm rose to around twenty members.
It seemed they were more interesting in the spectacle of the show, a presentation to exclaim to the university screaming, "We Exist!!" instead of caring about the festival and having an innate desire to spread their culture among their peers.
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