Indonesian Cultural Night

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because they offer a unique window into how traditional culture is being passed along in modern Asia.

I've seen presentations from Korea and Malaysia; both were interesting, and there's also a Vietnamese event on February 2. But the one I'm most familiar with is the Indonesian Cultural Night, which happens this year on February 23. It usually begins in the Fishbowl, where the $10 admission buys you an authentic dinner. It's currently the only place in town to get Indonesian food; this trendy and infinitely varied cuisine hasn't yet made it to southeastern Michigan. Lots more things are happening along the hallway--a gamelan orchestra plays, and I've seen Indonesian hip-hop dancers there--and there's usually a table selling absurdly cheap batik and bagged coffee that will make you the envy of serious coffee-heads. Watch the Indonesian undergraduates as they move about and are photographed in costume with their friends. The atmosphere has the charged quality of a high school musical.