On the afternoon and evening of December 22, the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language organized the International Cultural Day to welcome Christmas and New Year 2012. More than one hundred international students and nearly one hundred and fifty Vietnamese students of the Faculty and teachers of the Faculty participated in this festival.As usual every year, the Cultural Day had an afternoon culinary program and an evening cultural program. International and Vietnamese students had ten booths selling dishes from many countries. Vietnamese students sold traditional dishes such as fried spring rolls, salads, vermicelli with grilled pork, pho rolls, sticky rice with gac fruit, bamboo rice... Japanese students sold traditional Onigiri rice balls with Miso soup... Chinese students had wontons and sesame rice balls... Korean students sold spicy Tokkbokki soup and Mantu cakes (like small pillow cakes) which sold out the earliest. Cuban students had a special cocktail called Mojito. Russian students sold pancakes with milk or squid, Mongolian students had Buuz cakes with salad. Ukrainian students had a potato flour cake called Vareniki... The food booths were all awarded different types of prizes by the judges such as best-selling dish, most delicious dish, most beautiful decoration...
This year’s Vietnamese cultural exhibition also focuses on introducing paintings of cuisine, houses, etc. The cultural program started at 6 o’clock with about 20 special performances by international and Vietnamese students with familiar songs such as the choir “My homeland Vietnam”, “Drum rice”… Russian, Chinese, Thai, Mongolian, Ukrainian students… all had special performances, receiving many rounds of applause from the audience. Representing the teachers of the Faculty, Ms. Bich Nga and Mr. Thien Nam sang a duet of the song “Send you at the end of the Red River” which was considered extremely impressive.
In the exciting and bustling atmosphere, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Son, Vice Principal of the school, representing the Board of Directors, attended. In addition to giving a speech of encouragement, praise, and New Year greetings to the students, he also brought a big surprise when he went on stage to participate in a very passionate and skillful Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk song. Many former students who are working at embassies, companies, etc. also took this opportunity to return to visit their old school.
This is an activity that has become a tradition at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language before students enter the Christmas and New Year holidays, contributing to making international cultural exchange more lively and meaningful.
