Nerve Endings Firing Away

This weekend we went to the WorldFest, an annual festival featuring international groups in Bryan-College Station. Last year, it was organized in Downtown Bryan. This year, it was at Wolf Pen Creek in College Station; actually walking distance from our old apartment. The Wolf Pen Amphitheater is a perfect venue for this fest as it has a huge stage for performances; some which included Japanese drum band, Bollywood dances, Marimba among others.

The festival was dotted with stalls from countries represented in College Station and manned mostly by student associations from Texas A&M. Kids were given blank notebooks called “International Passport” and were encouraged to go to each international stall, talk to people, and get their “passport” stamped. This not only gave the kids a reason to approach the stalls but also be exposed to international culture and cuisine (food samplers).

However the best part of the WorldFest are the food stalls. We sampled spring rolls from Malaysia, chicken on a stick from Indonesia, and gyros from well…America (although technically they are Mediterranean). We even got a free wellness exam in an AARP bus sponsored by Walgreens; finally placating Ash who has been pestering me to get my cholesterol tested. It was funny to see a kid approach the AARP bus asking for a “passport” stamp; as if old people should be in their own country. We watched a few performances but the Bollywood dances performed by local desi kids were amateurish at best. I can’t blame them really considering we have seen better stuff on Boogie Woogie.

I stand corrected on the food being the best part. People watching is far better especially given the wide array of interesting characters around dressed in international traditional attire. Overall, the atmosphere is festive, friendly, and colorful. We were lucky that it was a great day to be outside. The photos below are just some of the people we encountered: