Wellington - The TSB Bank Arena was as crowded and chaotic as a Bangkok back-alley this Saturday after thousands of Wellingtonians crammed in for the city`s first South East Asian Night Market.
The ground floor of the Arena was decked out with food stalls from nations as various as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Hungry Wellingtonians had much to choose from and they could be seen chowing down on South East Asian classics like pad thai, pork buns and satay sticks.
Non-stop entertainment was provided throughout the day and included traditional cultural performances such as an Indonesian wayang kulit puppet show, Thai kick boxing, a batik printmaking demonstration and plenty of singing, dancing.
United Future MP Peter Dunne formally opened the market and said the huge turn out was a sign the event which continue for years to come.
Labour Minister Darren Hughes spoke on behalf of Prime Minister and the government.
He said events like the Night Market were a great way for kiwis to learn about the various cultures of South East Asia which was important as all of the 10 South East Asian nations were now represented in the New Zealand population.
The event was organised by the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) with the support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the Wellington City Council.
Mayor Kerry Prendergast said the council was very proud to support the event which she felt was an opportunity for us as Wellingtonians to come together to celebrate our differences.
Night Market visitor Nick Woods from Upper Hutt said “seeing all the different cultures is interesting, but the crowds are a bit much.”
It sounds like Wellingtonians are getting a real taste of Asia, the good and the bad. Simon Scott
Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz (August 18, 2008)