Utopia 2010

On 21st of August, our very own SIBM-B had turned into an international airport. For the very day, we had become the melting point of diverse cultures: a mini America, to an extent. Or maybe mini olympics. Or maybe an atlas with living people inside it. Or maybe a documentary showcasing garments from different nations. Or maybe an international online travel portal. Or maybe something else that subscribes to the internationality I want to convey.

There was love. And there was war. Teams from various nations across our blue-green planet showcased their cultures through various acts, and also competed against each other. Students from Japan (who didn't perform; but then they've already done enough: thank you toyota and all your electronic cousins; also thank you for being brave enough to forget and forgive the Americans) were there. So were the Chinese. Charlie's chinangles performed an incomprehensible Chinese pop number. But if nothing else, they did raise the temperature (they helped us believe that maybe the Chinese do not consider us to be their "biggest" enemy, contrary to a popular online poll). There were students from ASEAN nations Indonesia and Thailand. Then the ones with vuvuzelas weren't behind either: the South Africans. Our dear neighbours Bhutan also had a team (they didn't perform either; but again, it doesn't matter: they were the only ones who supported us in UN assembly once upon a time in recent history). But the top three teams were the musical Sri Lankans, the hot (for women only) Afghans and the sweet Nepalis. In the end, it was the Afghan team that won the top prize for their fashion show.

Overall, it was amazing getting to interact with all these students from different nationalities. And it was heartening to know the respect they have for our country.


By Jitesh Sharma, 10-12