The marvellous success of GIIS Spirit of Asia Carnival for Integration 2011 was an outcome of enthusiastic participation from community members, parents and friends of GIIS combined with impeccable teamwork from students and teachers. The theme of Carnival for Integration was befitting of Singapore’s spirit of cultural harmony and offered a platform to draw students and the Singaporean community closer through a myriad of activities.

Kaleidoscope of Integration dance

The carnival was declared open at 10am by Mr Charles Chong, Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat SRC and Guest of Honour at the event. Time stood still for the next 5 hours as spirited dance performances, talent tests, treasure hunt and interactive games kept hundreds of carnival revelers from all over Singapore busy. The aroma of tantalizing cuisines from all parts of Asia wafted through the carnival marquees, enticing everyone to partake in refreshments not once but multiple times.

Mr Charles Chong was received at GIIS by Mr Rajiv Vasudeva, GIIS Singapore Country Director, Mr Kaustubh Bodhankar, Deputy CEO, GIIS and GIIS Principals as well as student council members. After garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Mr Chong proceeded to the main marquee where he planted a white teak sapling and declared the carnival open.

A competent team of emcees kept the audience informed

Showcasing Singapore’s rich heritage were dances - Kaleidoscope of Integration by GIIS students, a classic oriental dance by the People’s Association, a traditional Malay performance and a Lion dance enjoyed by an appreciative

audience. In a special gesture to reach out to senior citizens from the local community, Mr Charles Chong distributed goodie bags to residents of Lion Befrienders and Sree Narayana Mission, who were specially invited to enjoy the festivities with GIIS.

Malay dance

During the event, Mr Chong was invited to open a unique exhibition titled GIIS: A 9-Year Journey through Integration, a pictorial exhibition showcasing GIIS’s commitment to integration in the form of serving the less privileged in Singapore, participation in Singapore national events such as President’s Star Charity and the Chingay Parade, student exchange programmes with local and overseas schools and regular academic interactions with local schools.

Carnival in progress

With the help of all GIIS students and teachers, Mr Charles Chong added the finishing handprint on a 2.7m high Chinese lantern to enable GIIS make its maiden entry into the Singapore Book of Records with the most number of handprints -3260- on a octagon lantern made up of flags of 52 nations – home countries of GIIS students worldwide. The five colours of handprints represent the five colours of GIIS logo and the octagon shape is symbolic of the number 8, auspicious in Chinese culture. It was a joyous moment for the students and teachers when the audience broke into rapturous applause once the lantern was lit, bathing the darkened school hall with a sea of warm lighting.

Meanwhile, carnival

celebrations continued with rising popularity and cheers on the main stage with competitions such as Taste of Singapore: an Ad making contest, Hip-hop Dance, One Minute Fame as well as for Mr and Mrs Carnival, a competition for couples, with the first prize for the latter being tickets for 2 to Mumbai. In multiple locations on campus the fizz was increasing for the Asian Costume party with young children dressed in authentic Asian costumes to a talent hunt in photography, Café Time, Vegetable Carving and Colouring competition for kids. On field raged a cricket match with both teams comprising of the best GIIS parent cricketers and a soccer match for boys with a robust participation. The Raffle Draw kept carnival participants surprised by revealing great prizes at intervals and Tambola brought about participation from passive participants.

The Chinese lantern with 3260 handprints

The perfect implementation of carnival activites has come about as one voice, one triumphant team represented by students and volunteers assigned with duties to teachers from all 3 campuses as well as GIIS staff members. Each member of the organising team has gone beyond their calling and weaved together the event in one lovely web to capture unforgettable moments of multi-racial harmony.

Link to view the GIIS carnival festivities:

https://picasaweb.google
. com /GIISHQ/SOA2011#