A Taste of the World
If you walked into the first floor of Combes last Friday, on the 21st of April, your senses would have been hit with tantalizing smells, flavors, sights, and sounds of 20 different countries. Last week, AUP's Student Government Association facilitated the Annual World's Fair. The event was formally described as "An international food festival where students can come and try different foods from all over the globe that other students have cooked." In reality, the experience of going to the World's Fair proved to be so much more.
Image Credit: Zipporah Alcaraz
"The World's Fair is an international food festival, where students can come and try different foods from all over the globe that other students have cooked," —AUP News Bulletin
Tickets for the World's Fair were €1 each. Food items cost somewhere between €1 to €3 — a cheap price to pay for your taste-buds to travel the world! Drinks were €1 each at the bar. It was definitely a good deal.
Image Credit: Zipporah Alcaraz
"I'm happy to spread the culture of my country around the world," -Jenny Voutcheva, Bulgaria
Headed by Sophomore Representative, Francesca Coyne, the Student Government Association invited AUP's approximate 1000 students of over 100 nationalities to participate. With about a fifth of nationalities represented, students in all years prepared cooking for the event in advance. Jana al-Sulaiman worked on food for the Kuwait table (pictured above) for almost six hours. Other tables worked for days to prepare the best tastes from their country to the AUP community.
Image Credit: Zipporah Alcaraz
"Never have I been so proud of Russian food before," -Kate Vorobovia, Russia
Within the three rooms, there were tables exhibiting cuisine ranging from Nigeria to Ukraine, from Mexico to Georgia, and a full bar that included French wine and exotic rum. Scents of Jamaican beef patties and California breakfast burrito wafted in the air. Music blasted over the speakers. Students, faculty, and outside guests held plates that encompassed, quite literally, the whole world and chatted in circles (in a variety of languages, of course).
Image Credit: Zipporah Alcaraz
When asked about his experience hosting a table, Halid Chrisinas replied,
"Amazing, if I have people like you," -Halid Chrisinas, Greece
The event lasted about three hours, and all of the tables were wiped empty of food by hungry fair-goers. For my first experience at a World Fair, I was truly impressed. Everyone knows the American University of Paris is incredibly diverse and rich with culture, but to see that diversity in-person and to taste it through yummy food and drinks made it all the more appreciated.
Note: Special thanks to fellow Writer Zipporah Alcaraz for the amazing photos!
