The 17th Annual International Dinner and Performance Night was held on Sunday, April 9, at the University YMCA. More than thirty different countries were represented through a wide variety of food and entertainment. The photographs on the next three pages show some of the people who participated in the event. Entertainment included:
- music by the Gorilla Parlor Tango Band
- pieces by Elgar and Faure performed by Heejung Kim, cellist accompanied by Teresa Loy on the piano
- traditional Greek dances performed by members of the Hellenic Student Association
- a demonstration of Kata, by Ivan Feitl
- a dance by the Philippine Student association
- traditional Irish music by Mind the Gap
- a spectacular Singaporean Lion Dance
The annual Cosmo Award was presented to Pratik Singh and Claudia Rodrigues
for all their dedicated work, over the past years, that has exemplified
the ideals of the Cosmopolitan Club.
Ivan Feitl, the co-emcee for the evening (along with Claudia Rodrigues)
closed the evening with a thought about the unity of all people. Ivan
chose a quote, taken from the book The Art of Happiness by Howard C. Cutler,
M.D. and Dalai Lama (p.90), that illustrates the Dalai Lama's—and
hopefully, many of our—ideals.
Echoing the words he had spoken in Arizona many months before, with a gentle simplicity he answered, "Whenever I meet people I always approach them from the standpoint of the most basic things we have in common. We each have a physical structure, a mind, emotions. We are all born in the same way, and we all die. All of us want happiness and do not want to suffer. Looking at others from this standpoint rather than emphasizing secondary differences such as the fact that I am Tibetan, or a different color, religion, or cultural background, allows me to have a feeling that I'm meeting someone just the same as me. I find that relating to others on that level makes it much easier to exchange and communicate with one another." With that, he rose, smiled clasped my hand briefly, and retired for the evening.
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| Adam Duus, Australia & fellow international cooks on the stage receiving applause from appreciative diners. | Claudia Rodrigues & Ivan Feitl, co-emcees for the event. Claudia was the co-recipient of this year's annual Cosmo Award. | Susan Taylor presents one of the two Cosmopolitan Club Awards given this year to Pratik Singh. |
| (Photos by Ron Peters) | ||