On the evening of Nov. 28, the Marketplace became a stage and a cultural fair for Asia Pacific Night. The Chinese Culture Club, Dongari — the Korean Student Interest Group — and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations all took part in hosting an event meant to engage NYU Abu Dhabi students with the food, music and culture of the Asia Pacific region.

During the event, various stands were set up to represent the different countries in the Asia Pacific region, all of which boasted different activities and snacks typical of these countries. Students also had the chance to enjoy a variety of performances put together by their peers, who showed off their cultural heritage. The Marketplace offered a range of foods from the region and students who found currencies hidden around the Marketplace were offered a free bubble tea.

“I really enjoyed the event. I liked the last performance a lot, because it was a spontaneous dance by the Korean contemporary dance group. I also liked the food that was there,” said Julie Liu, Class of 2021, reflecting on the event.

On Saturday Dec. 1, the Caribbean Students Association celebrated the start of Carnival above the West Dining Hall with the final event of their Caribbean Culture Week: J’ouvert. The event included lots of music, authentic Caribbean food and colorful powders to celebrate NYUAD’s first Carnival.

Carnival — one of the most important festivals celebrated in many Caribbean countries — is comprised of various events, one of which is J’ouvert or “day opening,” which marks the official start of the Carnival. Students were given a taste of the tradition with music from Reggae Beachfest’s DJ Teddy Jam. Colorful powders and water were provided so students could cover themselves in paint and dance along to the music in true Carnival tradition. Authentic jerk chicken, rice and peas were also served from Reggae Bird Caribbean Cuisine for students to sample.

“We [got] a really good turnout, we’re really impressed with the number of people who came out,” said Netanya Keil, Class of 2021 and the CSA event planner. “We may not necessarily do J’ouvert again [next year], but we will do something related to carnival.”

On Nov. 28, Charles Siebert, Professor of Practice of Creative Writing, read a few chapters from his upcoming novel, The Nut, as part of the Faculty Reading Series. The event was facilitated by Josefina Dumay Neder, a Literature and Creative Writing student in the Class of 2019, and food was provided for the audience.

The book is a conversation between a man and microbes and a reflection on the human body and human mortality. Professor Siebert read the first chapter of the novel and briefly described the second chapter. Neder gave an introduction of Professor Siebert’s work at NYUAD, and as a journalist and writer. The reading was followed up by a discussion of the work mediated by Neder and the professor himself. Bhrigu Bhatra, Class of 2021, enjoyed the reading and the conversations it prompted.

“It was mesmerizing,” said Bhatra. ”It was also terrifying, confronting these issues of mortality. It makes you want to savor the time you have a lot more. It also gives you an appreciation of the human body.”