Event:
Sama-Sama Food Fair
Location:
Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur
Date:
19 March 2016
Description:
An Asian gastronomic food bazaar selling exotic foods from Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, and many more. There were also an array of exciting activities provided; from a community dance and cultural performances to craft and cooking workshops.
Review:
We arrived in time just to witness the Indian classical dancers from the Mahavidya Dance Theatre. Dressed in rich, eye-catching colours of red and gold, their fancy get-up did not hinder the girls from dancing their hearts out.
After their captivating dance performance, Alfred Ho took over the spotlight. Despite being visually impaired, Alfred masterfully strummed the guitar and got the crowd on their feet to evergreen oldies, such as La Bamba by Los Lobos (1995) and Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets (1955).
There were also various food stalls in the arena, selling local delicacies as well as other famous food from neighbouring Asian countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, and so on.
We grabbed this opportunity to taste some food we’ve never tried before like Pais Pisang (steamed banana parcels) and Hinava (native dish of Kadazan-Dusun) from Sabah, Mee Kolok (dry noodles) from Sarawak, and Indonesian chicken rice.
Besides food, the Myanmar stall was also selling handmade merchandises such as notebooks, T-shirts, paintings, ukulele, and postcards made by the Burmese children of the Hands of Hope organization. Part of The Picha Project, the students of UCSI Cheras hoped to raise funds through this project to support underprivileged families and students from the refugee community.
Later on, the Burmese children — dressed in their cultural costumes — entertained the crowd with their bamboo-sticks dance performance and singing from the Hands of Hope choir. Some of the audience even participated in the fun when the kids taught them how to dance with the bamboo sticks.
We also checked out the craft and cooking workshops located at a corner of the fair. Eager members of the crowd tried their hands in painting batik cloths, while others gathered to watch cooks dispense their culinary knowledge. There were also potted plants available for sale.
Final Verdict:
Overall, the Sama-Sama Food Fair (which literally means “same-same” or together in English) event was decent enough to attract curious passers-by of all ages and races. Apart from learning and experiencing new things; family and friends were able to dig deep, and bond over the exotic flavours of Asian food, as well as the exciting and fun-filled activities provided.
The celebration of our diversity and unity of both our Southeast Asia and Malaysian heritage would have been perfect; if not for the sweltering heat and limited areas for shade. Despite all that, cool and refreshing drinks quenched our thirst throughout, as we cheered and clapped during the artistic performances.
We commend Think City, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Lab DNA and Citi Foundation for the excellent job done in organizing the event and bringing different people together in harmony.
Rating:
Passion is the path to peak performance, and what we saw here was a group of people coming together out of a passion for what they do. So, we give the event a passionate rating of 8 out of 10!
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” -Bishop T.D. Jakes
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