Reflection Assignment #5

The multicultural event that I chose to go to was the Aloha Festival at Tempe Town Lakes. I fell in love with the Polynesian culture as a little girl when my mother signed me up for hula dancing. Although my dancing did not last long, the love for it is still there. I love going and learning about Polynesian culture and seeing them dance. So to say the least, I enjoyed going to the festival. When I was on my way to Tempe Town Lake, I knew that I was going to see a lot of Polynesians there. My personal perception and understanding of the group was that they are very loving and welcoming. They are friends with everyone and treat their guests like family. My perception of them is also that they love to dance and eat. The dances they do all have a meaning and story to them and their food is awesome.
After participating in the event, I realized everything is true. At the festival there were two stages. On one stage were some Tahitian dancers that looked so amazing while dancing. I was amazed at how fast they can move their hips. I was able to talk to the wife of one of the dancers who was performing later in the evening. She talked about how much fun her husband had coming to this event and performing for the audience. She also felt that it was a great time to spend with her family. On the other stage they had singers performing their Hawaiian modern songs. They were just singing their hearts out. Just by walking from one vendor to another you were able to learn about the culture. On one side of the festival they had little workshops, one of which were for the little kids where they could make Leis out of paper flowers, yarn, and straws. Right across from that was a place where you could learn how to play the Ukulele. Here you could all sit down and they would hand you the ukulele and teach you the notes to a song. Once everyone learned the song, they would play it all together. The workers were so happy to be there. You could tell they loved what they were doing. Along with the learning stations, the festival also had different venues where you could buy souvenirs. They had one where you could buy traditional Polynesian foods, clothing, and toys. They also had ladies making real flower leis by hand. The air was filled with the aroma of the different types of food. It was so tantalizing. I found out that they do love to eat. How could you blame them? After sampling some of their BBQ chicken and having some of their noodles, I did not want to stop—It was so good.
Although I am no expert on this culture, this information has helped me. In my church, I am one of the leaders for the 8-12 yr old girls activity days. This is where we meet once every other week and do different activities and projects. I was able to use what I’ve learned from the festival and help teach the girls how to make leis and Hawaiian skirts. Later, I taught them an easy Hawaiian dance. Then they performed for their parents at a recognition night and were able to teach their parents the dance. What I learned helped me teach others so that they will become more diverse and open to other cultures.