The atmosphere buzzed with laughter and chatter. The air felt thick with the scent of dumplings, candied fruits. I saw colors, tasted the aftertaste of my bubble tea. Where was I? I was at a place full of people, crowded, almost unable to get lunch because of how long the lines were, lines to the food booths. Any degree of angle you turn, you see something similar but different, different but similar. It was almost surreal. It would be almost impossible to sleep, the place covered every human sense.
I’ve held you long enough, I was at the 2024 Chinese Culture Festival. It’s almost like a loved ones birthday, attending every year. It sounds simple, but it’s quite the opposite. I woke up around 7 in the morning, got in a carpool with a friend I was volunteering with, got to the metro, and arrived at DC. Typical DC, full of the sounds of car beeps, homeless people laying on the ground, people everywhere. Just a few blocks away, was where it took place. The closer we walked, the louder it sounded. I felt a gradient of excitement as we got there.
I sat with my volunteer, eager to start action. We picked up the boxes our instructors told us to and helped unpacked everything. We were in charge of the Gui Zhou booth. Full of Gui Zhou dolls, fans, instruments, paintings and artifacts. A rainbow on a plain white table. Each second, there are people either smiling as they walk by, or walking towards us full of curiosity. Either familiar with Chinese culture or not at all, there was such a diversity of people. Everyone is fulfilled to experience Chinese culture. Customers came, they asked and asked, about the history of the dolls, we were overwhelmed but so overwhelmed it felt exciting, it felt challenging. I recall a moment when this young blue-eyed child, peeking over the table, only showed her head. She looked at the dolls with glory, like she saw a pit of never-ending cotton candy. She ran to her mom, asking if she could buy one, with a left to right shake with her head, upsetting the child. But curiosity is what mattered to me, how Chinese culture can be celebrated by anyone.
The Chinese Culture Festival is almost like a 3 in , but better than the deodorants you buy at Target. More than over 100 booths, looking like white dots everywhere in a bird’s view. I couldn’t help but wonder, how will it be next year? “Can’t wait for next year,” I said, looking at my friend. “Me too,” she replied, grinning.
