Despite clouds, Moon Fest brings community together

Though the clouds hid the moon Friday night during the Moon Festival at the Asian Culture Center, the people in attendance didn't seem to mind.\nFrom toddlers to grandparents, there was something for everyone. \nThe ACC served moon cakes filled with red bean paste or lotus seed paste, hot green tea, hot chocolate and s'mores. \nThe Taiwanese Student Association began the evening with a game that is a combination of charades and telephone. Five participants had to relay Moon Festival-specific messages, including "moon cake," "rabbit," and "lantern," by using body language and hand signals. Each participant passed the message down the line, until the last contestant had to guess the word. \nBloomington residents Kathleen Chmelewski and her husband George Rehrey have been taking their daughter, Evelyn, 10, to Moon Festivals throughout the country for the past nine years. The family is new to the community, and said they wanted to visit the ACC and meet representatives of various countries.\nIn a mesmerizing duet, sophomore Pearl Kim played violin while Keitaro Harada played the saxophone in a sonata by Jean-Marie Leclair. Kim said the two practiced together a few minutes before performing, but it was mostly improvisational skill.\nGraduate student Haiyan Liu, said this is the first Moon Festival she has attended in Bloomington. \n"Moon festivals in Taiwan seem more formal and might include a banquet dinner, but I like the informal fun and conversation here," she said.\nJanice McCabe led 15 participants in a brief yoga exercise. She demonstrated a half-moon pose, which she said is good for students who have been sitting down all day. \nBloomington resident Anthony Prince came to the Moon Festival with his girlfriend, who is taking a Japanese class. "I like exploring things that involve different cultures," he said.\nThree members of the IU Chinese yo-yo club performed tricks. Two sticks, one in each hand, are tied to a string. A large yo-yo with a wide middle is placed on the string, and the user manipulates the yo-yo by pulling the sticks. The crowd applauded its approval when club members sent the yo-yo high into the air, and then caught it and continued with the routine.\nACC Director Melanie Castillo-Cullather said she was pleased with the turnout, despite the moon being somewhat blocked.\n"It's too bad it's cloudy," she said. "I think everyone had a good time"