International Day

International Day – I remember the excitement of the Multicultural Festival in Canberra when I was growing up – the sights, the music, the colors and tastes but most of all the smells – pungent Indian aromas, popcorn and kebabs and the mouthwatering smell of the kranskys (German sausages) cooking were always a favorite of mine.  We would go with my family and Oma (grandmother) and try some different foods.  Foods that we had never seen, smelled or dreamed about before. They weren’t available in a mere 20 minutes via Uber Eats.  Certainly not in those days.  Certainly not in Canberra.  I would listen to the foreign music and watch the dancers in their kaleidoscope of costumes and dream about going to explore these exotic places when I was old enough.

Now I live with my own family in the UAE and multicultural is a part of everyday.  My mum is visiting and the boys were very excited to be able to show Grandma their very own International Day, taking place right in their school.  The sights, sounds, smells and sensations far exceeding that of anything that my 7 year old self all those years ago might have thought could exist.

This once a year school festival celebrates all the nations that work together to make this school and community as wonderful as it is.  In the most exciting and surprising ways, children from all over the world come here every day to learn and grow in the shadows of a world of differences, yet all the same.  Today celebrates that in the best way possible – a Parade of Nations, followed by food, music, dancing and performances.

We arrive early and line up in the sports hall for the parade.  Australia doesn’t have too long to wait as I admire the Armenian costumes in front of us and the Austrian costumes in line behind us.  The children are all excited and the noise in the hall rises to the ceiling and echos the excitement back at us.  I spot Jordanian and Sudanese friends and say hello whilst we’re waiting.  Our little group of Aussies are decked out in green & gold with flag tattoos on our cheeks.  There are a couple of t-shirts with “I come from the land Down Under” and pictures of koalas, platypus and kookaburras.  Two of the little girls carry toy kangaroos and I wrap a flag around my shoulders as the UAE anthem is played and the parade begins.

We walk out into the bright sunshine and I lift the flag above my head as we walk through the crowd waving.  Australia is ushered into line and we stand together to watch nation after nation represented: Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czech Repulbic, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, NZ, Oman, Pakistan, Phillipines, Russia, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, UK, Yemen…..and this is only a few of them.  Each is represented by a costume, a song, a flag and smiling children who are proud of their country and their heritage.

After about 20mins mine are running off to play with their friends as I am left to hold the Australia placard and watch the remainder of those still to come.  Then it’s finished and the food stalls are opening.  Harley has spotted cupcakes and has already been begging for one for a good half hour.  I take him over to procure one from the UAE stand.  There are green, red, white and black iced cupcakes laid out in a flag pattern along with a dazzling display of other food.

I’m very keen to explore but it’s only taken us 2 minutes to lose Grandma and Jasper so Harley and I find a table instead and sit down to eat the cupcake and some Lebanese delights – tabbouleh, vine leaves and dips.  Lebanese is one of my all time favorites.  While we’re eating we’re found by fellow Aussies Melissa (Miss Universe) and her girls, Ivy & Sophia who are in the same years as my two.  William, her oldest, is off somewhere with his friends.  We chat for a bit and then Harley wants pizza – from Italy, of course.  “Grazie” I make his recite as he takes a slice.  “Prego” comes back the welcome reply.  Ah, Italy!  Italian is a all time favorite.

Russian Information

While we’re eating pizza we run into Tatjana and Nikola and try to help with answers to some of the days’ trivia questions but my general knowledge turns out to be paltry (clearly there is more travel to be done!).  The most famous pyramid?  Khufu.  India’s national fruit?  Mango.  Brazilian river? Amazon (at least I know that one).  I talk for a bit to an Iranian lady sitting at our table and then have a quick look at some of the other stalls when Grandma returns with Jasper.  They have been collecting passport stamps from all the stalls whilst sampling some of the offerings.

The Iranian stall has lovely pictures and plates with lovely patterns displayed.  The Russians have sweet offering, beautifully crafted shawls and an information board full of pictures, a map and interesting facts.  The Filipinos have a dazzling display of color and food, the Brits have shortbread and little pots of strawberries and cream and I admire the costumes of the women sitting in the Afghani stall.

The school is buzzing as the performances begin on the main stage.  There are jazz and piano performances, dances, singing and duets.  Egyptian folklore and Indian dancing, Lebanese, Palestinian and French.  There are more performances inside as well as artwork and other displays.  I don’t have time to take it all in.

We sit down again but not for long as Harley wants to try out the football.  The IFA coaches are on site with a soccer game and it’s popular with the up to 10yr old male population!  Coach Frank is on hand to give Harley a bit of extra help and Jasper gives it a good boot but mummy scores straight off, smack bang in the middle of the 5 goals.  No roar of appreciation from the onlookers but Jasper congratulates me with a high 5.  “Super good for a mum” he says.  Humph, tough crowd!

Back to the table again and I leave the boys with Grandma for a few minutes and take a walk.  The Egyptians have the largest vat of beans I’ve ever seen, scooping them into containers for passers by to try on the run.  There are bain maries full of other food, I continue on past South Korea, Brazil, Japan and France – it all looks so wonderful.  Not just the food either – the signs and decorations, flags and information.  So much work, so much effort and so much pride.  It’s wonderful to see.  Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and the children run around, collecting more stamps and snatching morsels of their favorites then running off with their friends.

Back at the table and Jasper has sampled some of these delicacies: sushi from Japan, croissants (an all time fave) from France along with Camembert on baguettes, some South Korean sweet treats and a (bit too) spicy kebab from Pakistan.  Egyptian doughnuts (zalabya) and a sweet milk drink (sahlab).  I’m impressed, I could never get him to give these things a go at home.  Grandma has tried some Indian (all time fave – are you sensing a theme here?), an apricot crumble cake from Italy, a Turkish (fave) mint tea and an Iranian rosewater drink.   Jasper has sampled too, with mixed reactions.  This is way more adventurous than he’d normally be.

I watch some of the costumes, beautiful Russian ladies in their national dress, exquisite Indian saris, a Japanese girl in a kimono looking as elegant as ever, despite her young age.  There is a US footballer and I have spotted the Statue of Liberty walking around.  The Yemen ladies have some amazing headdresses.  There are a number of Egyptian pharaohs and some Greek boys in foustanella (kilt like garment).

There are more performances, wandering drummers and some traditional tanoura dancing.  All the clothing is so colorful it’s hard to tell the performers from the crowd.  There are more performances on stage too – another group of Indian dancers from the (slightly) older children.

Indian Performance Group (l-r) Reyansh, Saketaram, Aarav,  Bhoovi, Samaira,  Amaya, Bhoovan, Rubina  (photo by Roopa)

By now the food frenzy has calmed down a bit.  There is a group of boys playing soccer out the back of the oval and groups of ladies chatting with kids running around everywhere.  It’s getting hot and the sun is streaming down on all the stalls.  All the work and anticipation that has been put into the morning has given way to a satisfied commotion.

The boys find out that there are treats available in exchange for recycling goods so we pack up our plates and cups and take them to the stand.  Sure enough, treats are dispensed for items placed in the correct bins.  They’re doing a thriving trade and I wonder if there is a way we can improve on this next year?  There is a hug skip out the front of the school that I know will be full at the end of the day.  Perhaps we can bring our own plate and cup for the day and reuse, rather than recycle.  Harley thinks it’s a good idea but I know who’ll be carrying everything home!

I also contemplate with Melissa and one of the Aussie teachers, what we might be able to do next year.  Without a doubt, the idea of a sausage sizzle is the best idea.  I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this before, what is a school carnival without an Aussie sausage sizzle?

With sausages on my mind,  I hope next year the Aussies will be represented by a stall too.  I don’t even think when I call the boys on with a “yalla” and it’s time to go home.  My Arabic is limited to say the least although it’s hard to resist a few of these useful phrases.  We gather bikes and a few treats that haven’t yet been sampled and head home with two tired boys.  I remember being tired at the end of the Multicultural Festival too – full of food and tired from watching dances and listening to exotic music.  I don’t, however, remember a Multicultural Festival in Canberra ever being quite this colorful, tasty or, in fact, multicultural!

Shrika (in traditional Indian dress – salwar kameez) & friend (in kimono) (photo by Lalitha)[/caption]

Good To Know

The National Multicultural Festival still takes place in Canberra every year (mid February).

Would I Return?

Yes.  For all of it!  How lucky we are to be able to attend something like this just up the road from where we live.  A very special thank you and acknowledgement to all the parents who spent an incredible amount of time and energy planning, preparing, cooking, cleaning up, setting up and serving.  You have done the children, the school and the community a great service with all your efforts.

Photos without direct credits belong to the author.