In an effort to bring the culture of southeastern Asia to central Texas, an international organization will host its first Indonesian Festival this weekend.
Persataun Mahasiswa Indonesia diMerika Serikat, PERMIAS, will host the cultural event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Architectural Quad.
“The concept of the Indonesian Festival is based on Indonesian Student Association’s goal to promote Indonesian culture and to create a sense of fellowship with residents at the local community,” said Timothy Sitorus, industrial engineering junior and Festival Project Manager. “[It] invites its participants to experience the multi-layered heritage of Indonesia.”
The Indonesian Festival will focus on engaging others in Indonesian culture through a food bazaar, cultural dances, a musical performance, a fashion show and traditional games.
One dish students will be able to try is authentic chicken satay, a traditional Indonesian dish with skewered, grilled meat served with sauce.
As for music, the festival will feature an angklung, a traditional musical instrument made from bamboo. The instrument consists of a bamboo frame that holds several carved tubes, which are then struck to produce different notes.
Anis Wahida, a student at the University Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP), said the festival is not limited to Indonesian students and that she finds the Indonesian culture to be similar to her own Malaysian heritage.
“The Indonesian culture is similar to the Asian culture,” Wahida said. “They are so polite and soft-spoken with others. They will not speak directly if they know it will hurt someone’s feelings. So I think holding this cultural festival is to the benefit of their generation, a new generation that can appreciate one another’s cultural differences.”
Alfino Lubis, Texas A&M PERMIAS chapter president and petroleum engineering graduate student, hopes the event will be able to involve the local Bryan/College Station residents in learning about the Indonesian culture.
“We’re very excited about [the Indonesian Festival],” Lubis said. “Hopefully we can share with the local community our diverse culture through the traditional performances, foods and more.”
