International Student Culture

‘Tis the season of hosting, visiting and making merry — with the COVID caveat that we keep our social groupings small. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about customs and etiquette in Vietnam. So if your small holiday gathering includes someone who is from Vietnam, or if you are planning a trip to this beautiful nation (COVID willing) in the future, here are a few…

Today we shine the spotlight on authors of Vietnamese ancestry. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War (also known as the American War) and the fall of Saigon in 1975 there was a great exodus and many refugees eventually found their way to Canada. By 1982 more than 120,000 had been resettled in Canada (Canadian Red Cross) – considered our largest humanitarian undertaking to that point.  Many of these families made their…

This December we’re turning our attention towards the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam and some of the wonderful aspects of Vietnamese culture. Vietnam and China have been entwined throughout their histories due to the Chinese Empire’s expansion into Southeast Asia in 3rd Century BC. As a result, Vietnamese culture demonstrates a Chinese influence. Despite this, and the influence of 19th and early 20th century French colonial powers, Vietnam retains a distinctive flavour.…

I have personally been fascinated by the sari. One of my early memories of a fashion piece that mesmerized me, was my mother’s “adapted” sari-styled deep blue attire. With our celebration of India during the month of November, and the place that saris hold in India, I decided to learn a bit more about saris. These are some of the resources that I found on this subject at University of Alberta Library…

I am in love with Ismaili cuisine. It has been a source of deep comfort for me and my family over the course of the pandemic. My interest in Indian cuisine started in my 20s, where I explored some of the excellent restaurants in Edmonton and then it grew exponentially after moving to an Ismaili community in Nairobi, Kenya for an internship via UAlberta International. Living in the Nairobi neighbourhood of Westlands,…

India is a vast country with an abundance of religious and cultural festivals reflecting the nation’s religious diversity.  Today we are shining a light on Diwali – the Festival of Lights!  Celebrated by more than a billion people from a variety of faiths across India and its diaspora, Diwali is the largest festival in India. Although celebrations occur on the same date, Diwali does not have the same meaning for everyone. Hindus…

Our celebration of India has just kick started! Here are some fun facts! Stay tuned this November for more blog posts about this amazing, unique and very rich culture! Whether you’re interested in discovering more about history, geography, economy, geology, tourism, religion, or any other aspect of this part of the world, the library is here for you! Please don’t hesitate to Ask us! if you have any questions!

As was indicated in our earlier post with some of the fun and interesting facts about Nigeria, the country has a rich literary scene. We are fortunate to have books from many prominent Nigerian authors here at University of Alberta Library, as well as many of our partnering NEOS libraries. For today’s post we’ve focused on a sampling of adult fiction by Nigerian authors that are worth checking out. This is just…

This post was written by SLIS student Heather McMullin Nigeria — the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world1 — is an economic, literary and cultural powerhouse and there is a strong contingent of Nigerian students attending the U of A. Here are some fun facts you may not know about Nigeria: Nollywood is the nickname for Nigeria’s film industry, which is second only to Bollywood…