COPAA Hosts a Grand Eid Milan Party
By Aleena Ashary
On Saturday, October 4th, the Council of Pakistan American Affairs (COPAA) hosted an Eid Milan Party at the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove. Every aspect of the party was executed perfectly; from the food to the décor to the night’s entertainment the board members of COPAA succeeded in holding the interests of their guests.
Upon entering, guests were drawn to the sweet aroma of fresh fruits and the sound of light-hearted chatter. After mingling over appetizers, the doors opened to reveal the truly grand venue for the night. A lovely sit-in dinner preceded the nights’ program.
The key speakers of the evening were President of COPAA Razaq Chaudhry and the Consul General of Pakistan Syed Ibne Abbas. Dr. Chaudhry spoke of the Council’s accomplishments in achieving COPAA’s main goals — including building relations with public officials in order to bring positive changes to attitudes and policies towards Pakistan. The Consul General commended COPAA on its great efforts and went on to encourage the community to integrate with their surrounding American communities yet maintain cultural values. He also expressed his concern on the effect of some current events, telling people not to lose hope over the current situation in Pakistan. He advised the community to be aware of news that has been distorted and to verify the accuracy of facts and figures before jumping to any conclusions.
The wonderful board members of COPAA — Ahmed Ali, Nargis Kurwa, Tanvir Khan, Hafiz ur Rehman, Javed Iqbal, Anila Ali, Farida Merchant, Shaista Khan, Hamid Malik, Farhat Zubair, Firoze Fakhri and Ismail KeeKeeBhai — were then presented with awards for their hard work and commendable efforts in accomplishing the main goals of the Council.
After the insightful speeches of both Dr. Chaudhry and the Consul General, the performances began. Although an ophthalmologist by profession, Dr. Kurwa always demonstrates a true passion for music, a passion that dripped off of every note that came out of his delicate flute. Next, a dhol player followed with an upbeat performance of the traditional dhol. The group Asian Sensations danced to a medley of music, setting the mood for the imminent open floor. The live DJ, succeeded in entertaining all guests, playing a variety of songs that started with the latest tunes and mainstream hip hop and went all the way back to the seventies anthem, “Stayin’ Alive”.
Although midnight was fast approaching, the guests showed no signs of wanting to stop. Their fatigue was well masked by the pure jubilance upon their faces. All guests thoroughly enjoyed the evening and spoke eagerly of attending next year’s grand function.
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