The MICDS Passport Series imaginatively traveled to Pakistan last week! The Passport Series offers on-campus events where MICDS parents and guardians learn about different cultures and foods while expanding their international knowledge. Thank you to the MICDS parent volunteers who organized Friday’s wonderful event: Fatima Ahmed, Shaista Ali Siddiqui, Roomana Arain, Brondy Leung and Sherry Ma.
“Presenting the Passport series on Pakistan was an enjoyable and collaborative experience,” shared Shaista Ali Siddiqui. “We enjoyed the teamwork involved in organizing the various aspects of the presentation, and we were grateful for the opportunity to present different aspects of our culture and country to an interested and engaged audience.”
As guests entered the Middle School Alumnae Room for the Pakistan Passport Series, they were met with sights and sounds of Pakistani culture. The event organizers wore the national attire of Pakistan, the Shalwar Kameez. It consists of a Shalwar, which refers to loose trousers, and a Kameez, which refers to a shirt. Both men and women can wear it, and it comes in a variety of styles and colors. Some women also wore a Dupatta, a long scarf typically draped to the side or over the shoulders or head.
There were also tables and posters set up to show a variety of objects and pictures of jewelry, intricate embroidery, cricket bats, dolls and other artifacts. Once everyone had arrived, some of the parents gave an introduction to Pakistan followed by 5th grader Myra A. presenting on Lake Attabad. She shared how this lake was created as a result of a major landslide, but it is slowly disappearing due to its melting glacial water source. Attendees then watched a documentary that was put together by Roomana on the landscapes, food and handicrafts of Pakistan. It also highlighted music in different Pakistan provinces.
Smells of delicious Pakistani cuisine wafted through the room during the event. Here’s a look below at the menu of popular Pakistani delicacies that were provided.
Food:
- Chicken Samosa – pastry filled with spiced chicken meat
- Vegetable Samosa – pastry filled with a spiced potato and pea mix
- Chicken Tikka cubes – chicken marinated in spiced yogurt and barbecued
- Haleem – a popular slow-cooked stew typically made on special occasions with lentils, barley, beef and spices.
- Chicken Patties – a puff pastry filled with chicken meat, less spicy than the samosa
- Chutney – tamarind dipping sauce for samosas and chicken
- Raita – traditional spiced yogurt dipping sauce with ground cilantro and mint herbs
Dessert:
- Gulab Jaman – soft and sweet dough balls in a sugar syrup
- Halwa – a traditional delicacy made with cheese, eggs and sugar
- Shahi Tukra – A traditional bread pudding, made with fried bread soaked in a saffron custard sauce
- Citrus Cake – a traditional style citrus-infused almond cake
What a fun way to learn about Pakistan while at MICDS. Don’t forget to join us at the next Passport Series Event on Thursday, November 7 from 12-2:30 p.m. in the Olson Hall Presentation Room. We’ll be learning about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights!