The Asian Community of Colorado celebrates the victory of Mayor Paul Tauer of the City of Aurora.
By Elnora M. Mercado
November 28, 1999

The mansion of Purnima Voria was decked out with Christmas lights outside and inside as Asian community leaders of Colorado gathered to celebrate the victory of Aurora Mayor Paul Tauer. Why in Golden, Colorado and not in Aurora? It was because Purnima graciously offered her beautiful, spacious home as the site for the Asian community to meet with the Mayor and his First Lady. And what a glorious evening to celebrate!

After cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a toast of champagne, (courtesy of Tini Malik) the guests sat down on the carpeted basement where Purnima, Past President, India Association of Colorado, welcomed the guests of honor, Aurora Mayor Paul and Mrs. Tauer. Mr. Sum Nguyen, President of the Asian Trade and Cultural Center and the Unified Nationalist Vietnamese Committee of Colorado introduced the important Asian leaders among them: Dr. Alok Sarwal (India), Dr. Paul Lin (Taiwan), Tink Malik (Pakistan), Gloria Williams (Filipino), Thong Nguyen (Vietnamese), John Yee (China) Patty Coutts (Thailand) and many others. Many came in their native attractive attire, making the scene very colorful.

The guests were treated to a live in concert of Indian Classical Music by Pandit Shambhoonath Sopori on the sitar and his son, Dr. Bhushani Sopori on the tabla (drums). The Pandit has been playing the sitar for 65 years, composing and modifying the classical music which had been handed down from his ancestors for hundreds of years. Dr. Bhushani Sopori, a scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, says he has been playing the tabla since he was three years old. Even without written scores, he knew exactly when to come in to join his father in creating beautiful, haunting music. We could have listened to them all night. Dr. Alok Sarwal, President of the India Association of Colorado, gave the closing remarks and offered gifts of CD Indian music to Mayor and Mrs. Tauer and another to Purnima.

The delicious dinner (from Star of India) consisted of chicken curry, a variety of vegetable dishes including chick peas, spinach, and eggplant and more.

The evening ended with the cutting of the congratulatory cake by Mayor and Kate Tauer.

Elnora M. Mercado is Managing Editor of the Philippine/Asian American Times.