On Nov. 23, Asian and Pacific cultural SIGs came together to celebrate the annual Asia Pacific Night. The Gazelle captured the event in pictures.

Asia Pacific Night is an annual celebration of cultures from East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. First celebrated in Sama Towers, the event unites cultural SIGs such as the Japanese Food Culture SIG, Dao and the ASEAN SIG to showcase a variety of Asian-Pacific cultures.

Hung Nguyen, Class of 2020, read fortunes at Asia Pacific Night.

“This is the chance for me to demonstrate ASEAN culture,” said Nguyen. “Different from previous years, [this year] we didn’t design the booth according to regions. Instead, we tried to show an inclusive representation of what Asia-Pacific looks like as a whole region.”

Brian Kim, Class of 2020, pictured in red, tried his hand at calligraphy.

“I thought the activities were much more interactive, engaging, and demonstrative of our traditions beyond just snacks and food,” said Kim.

Students enjoyed Japanese sushi provided by ADNH. Motoi Oyane, Class of 2020, leader of the Japanese Food Culture SIG and coordinator of the Japanese booth during Asia Pacific Night, viewed the evening as both a chance to “see the similarities and differences between Asian countries” as well as an opportunity to “serve and appreciate Asian cuisine together with the NYUAD community.”

Dao, a SIG that celebrates the history and traditions of Chinese tea, serveds green tea prepared according to traditional practices. Along with tasting Dao’s teas, students could participate in activities such as “Break-the-Stereotype,” the “Chicken Fight” and a spicy ramen eating competition throughout the evening.

Sophomores Jian Ryou and Brian Kim performed ‘The Last Goodbye’ by AKMU. “I decided to sing a Korean song with [Jian] because I love spreading my love of non-Kpop Korean music to others,” said Kim. “I will probably remember this song for a long time since it was the first and last song that I sang with Brian,” said Jian. “I won't be seeing him for quite a while long time since… he may be leaving to serve in the Korean military for two years.”

NYU Shanghai visiting student Yang Gao, Class of 2019, performed 明天你好 (Hello Tomorrow) in Chinese at Asia Pacific Night. For Yang, Asia Pacific Night was a chance for her to share her culture with students at NYU Abu Dhabi. “It was a good opportunity for students to communicate and learn from each other’s culture,” said Yang. “It is interesting to experience Asia Pacific Night in a different campus!”