Cultural Soirée 2024 – A Journey Through the Flavors and Traditions of the World

Strengthening Bonds Between the Polish and English Departments

On November 30, 2024, in the foyer in front of Aula 1000 and on the ground floor of the Clinical and Didactic Center at Pomorska Street 251, the Cultural Soirée was held, organized annually by the Council of English-Speaking Students in cooperation with the Center for the Organization and Support of Studies in English.

This year, taking advantage of the coincidence of the dates of the Cultural Soirée and the Andrzejki Evening, we decided to ask for help in the preparations from two Polish student organizations: the Polish Dental Association (PTSS) and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA Poland). Language instructors from the Center for Foreign Language Learning also joined the collaboration. Dr. Kamila Kubacka and Ms. Justyna Majkowska prepared materials for language exchange (Speak and Share) – an activity added to our scenario at the request of English-speaking students who not only want to learn Polish but also to establish relationships with Polish-speaking students. This project is part of a strategic plan to strengthen the bonds between the English-speaking and Polish-speaking communities. We are in the process of implementing this plan, which can be described with an adverb borrowed from a song by Lech Janerka – “Śmielej, śmielej…”

The World in Five Flavors

We don’t guess, but we know for sure that none of the participants and organizers can imagine a cultural evening without celebrating food. Discovering new flavors is reminiscent of a child’s game of “guess what it is?” So, those who wanted could play at recognizing the ingredients and spices used in the dishes. They could break down various types of fillings and the different kinds of dough that enveloped them. Only those who lined up in a “PRL-style queue” for baklava and kisir – a Turkish bulgur salad, bel puri – a spicy snack with juicy chutney sauces from India, ghorme sabzi from Iran – a herb dish with dried lime, chakalaka, or extremely spicy jollof rice and suya from Nigeria could play. And also (of course!) for Man’oushe bread or tabbouleh salad. Although it tastes best on hot days, did it matter during SUCH an evening?

Of course, there couldn’t be a lack of a Polish accent in the form of bigos in both meat and meatless versions, so lovers of traditional Polish cuisine were not disappointed. Finding bigos, as well as cold and hot drinks, required some time and good orientation in the building’s layout. Those who knew what and why they needed it easily found the place where they could help their throat deal with the burning problem following the consumption of jollof rice. It is worth mentioning that this would not have been possible without the funds from the Welcome to Poland project from the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Enjoying the taste of Hunter’s stew would have been the perfect culmination of Professor Katarzyna Taran’s presentation of the individual elements of the grand (called kontusz) costume of the historical shooters from the Brotherhood of Kurk Shooters. Perhaps we wouldn’t have been preoccupied with the unanswered question – why must the leather boots, an essential element of the kontusz, necessarily be red?

Autumn Evening Has Fallen. Andrzej, Tell the Maidens Their Fortune.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, in two rooms simultaneously, two additional attractions were taking place. In the room prepared for Andrzejki Fortune-Telling “Whispers of Fate,” fortune-tellers from IFMSA and PTSS, with the help of items such as a key, wax, paper hearts, apple peels, or shoes, predicted a bright future, if one can call the imminent marriage that😉. And in the room next door, students “Spoke and Shared” their knowledge of Polish and English.

Two Stories of Two Countries – Nigeria and Lebanon

The Cultural Soirée is not only a festival of flavors but also an ideal opportunity to showcase one’s country and culture. So, students from Lebanon and Nigeria boasted. Marwan and Adam presented must-see places with the Crusader Castle from the 13th century in Sidon, or the place of worship of the Phoenician sun god Baal in Baalbek. They didn’t forget to boast about the cedar tree. You will find it on the flag of Lebanon. It has occupied a central place on it since 1943 and is a symbol of strength, purity, and eternity. Students from Nigeria decided on a more spectacular introduction to their country’s story. “The Giant of Africa,” as Nigeria is called due to its vast land, diversity of peoples and languages, the largest population in Africa, and vast oil resources, introduced us to its world with a dance step. Bernardine talked about Nigeria. Those who were in room 01.11 know that it was enough to close your eyes and listen to the rhythm beaten on the congas to find yourself in Nigeria…

Right to Left

We return to the foyer in front of Aula 1000. The audience’s reactions to what the student groups from India, Turkey, and Nigeria presented changed at the pace of stop-motion film shots. It is difficult to precisely determine the proportions between the words astonishment and madness to describe the positive energy felt by those who were there and could see even a small fragment of the dappankuthu dance with choreographic elements from Bollywood cinema, the dance performance by Nigerians in an enlarged lineup, or the Turkish dance, whose Polish equivalent of the name is “The Groom’s Aunt.”

During events like the Cultural Soirée, it is clear how important bonds are in collective cultures. This was also evident during the joint closing dance Dabke. Dabke is a community dance often performed at weddings and other joyful occasions. It resembles a bit of tap dancing. Anyone who wants to practice assertiveness should try saying NO to a Lebanese person when they invite you to join the dance.

Five Stars

The evening ended, as usual, too quickly… And although, as every year, there was no shortage of sudden twists, there is something that always and invariably pleases the organizers of this event. It is the reactions, relationships, and diversity.

It was time to clean up. The chairman of the Council of English-Speaking Students climbed a ladder to take down the decorations. Five golden stars from the garland stopped at his neck.

That’s how it is. Feedback on “how it was” can come from a completely different place than expected. And not only by scanning a QR code.

Review written by Mrs Joanna Wieremiejewicz-Podkościelna

You can find photos from the event here: Cultural Soiree 2024 | Flickr