Day 20: Cultural Night Chaos

Cultural Night. The phrase alone sounded like a perfectly curated Instagram post—colorful costumes, delicious food, and cheerful vibes. But as I quickly learned, the reality was far messier, especially when you’re a reluctant participant.

It all started two weeks ago when our class rep, Aiman, announced that our batch was “required” to contribute to the event. “It’s a chance to show off our creativity!” he said, as if that was an incentive. I’d been roped into the planning committee purely because Amanda joined, and, well, the opportunity to spend time with her made the chaos a little more bearable.

Fast forward to today, the actual night. The campus was buzzing with energy. The auditorium was decked out with flags from dozens of countries, fairy lights strung up along the walls, and a stage that was somehow still being assembled despite the event starting in an hour.

I arrived late (fashionably, I hoped), only to be met with a flurry of activity. Amanda was standing near the stage, directing a group of performers while holding a clipboard. She looked like she belonged on the cover of Event Planner Weekly.

“Eddie! You’re late!” she called out, her tone halfway between exasperated and amused.

“Traffic,” I replied, though the truth was that I’d gotten distracted scrolling Instagram.

“Good timing. We need someone to manage the backstage queue. Can you handle that?”

Apparently, “handle that” meant wrangling performers who were either panicking about their routines or completely indifferent.

**********

Backstage was pure chaos. The traditional dance group was rehearsing in one corner, their intricate sarongs swishing with every step. Meanwhile, the food team was arguing over where to set up the laksa station, and a group of musicians was frantically tuning their instruments.

One guy from the musical act turned to me. “Bro, do you know where the mics are?”

“Uh, no, but I can find out?” I offered, realizing I had absolutely no authority here.

Somehow, in the span of an hour, I became a problem-solver. Missing props? Ask Eddie. Someone forgot their lines? Eddie to the rescue. One of the food stalls ran out of cups? Eddie sprinted to the nearest convenience store.

By the time the event started, I was exhausted.

**********

Despite the chaos, Cultural Night turned out to be a huge success. The traditional dance group nailed their performance, the food stalls were packed, and the musicians got a standing ovation. I even managed to catch some of the performances in between my impromptu errands.

Amanda found me after the show, a tired but satisfied smile on her face. “You did great tonight,” she said.

“Me? I was just the guy running around like a headless chicken.”

“And we couldn’t have done it without you,” she replied, patting my arm.

Okay, I’ll admit, I floated home after that.

**********

Lesson of the day: Cultural Night might be chaotic, but a compliment from your crush makes it all worth it.