International Day

This is a piece of writing from 11EFI written by the students in groups about their International Day experience. It was an amazing day enjoyed by our whole community.

On the 26^th September 2013, the English Language Learning Community celebrated International Day. Special guests were invited to a welcome in the cafeteria to begin the day. Our Principal, Brent, spoke to the assembled audience telling us that it is the people who are the most important part of Hagley.

One important aspect of International Day at Hagley was the fun everybody had. Throughout the day everyone had a smile on their face and a warm hello to all the new friends they met. It was good to see the teamwork displayed within the ethnic groups as they worked together to present their culture, their heritage, their costumes and their food in the best way possible. 

Another aspect of the day was the food prepared by each country involved in the day. In many cultures, hospitality is always accompanied by food and the more food available the warmer the welcome. It was certainly a very warm welcome this day. People visited each room where they were greeted with an abundance of ethnic food to taste: sweet, sour, spicy, colourful and aromatic foods were all offered. Visitors found the food very tasty and often came back for seconds. They loved the samosas, the buchingae, the baklava, the sushi, the falafel, the moon cakes, the varieties of rice and the Chinese tea. They asked for recipes and how long it took to prepare the food. The enjoyment was obvious as was the pride of the cooks who prepared it.

Along with the food preparation, students also wore their national costumes, which were bright, colourful and interesting. The clothes were often combined with dancing, singing and lots of noise. The beautiful Korean and Chinese national dresses were exquisite, often made of colourful silk and highly decorated. The African clothes were bright and were matched with colourful headgear. Not only were the people dressed beautifully, so were the classrooms. The Chinese outdid themselves with a technological light and picture show. The Afghans displayed a pair of unique and very expensive large carpets, which showed an Afghan bedroom decoration along with mattresses with pillows.

Another important aspect of the day was the concert in the cafeteria with the traditional music and dancing of each country.  It was a visual and aural feast of cultural movement and sound. From the rhythmic Samoan dance which transported the audience to the beach to the very nationalistic Chinese dance and the professionalism of the performers. The delicate movements of the Indian dancer delighted the audience and the Koreans combined their dance with song. The Japanese were strong and very loud performers, along with the Bangladesh and Kazakhstan items. It was a fantastic show and a fitting way to end the day.

Throughout the day the weather continued to brighten until by 2pm the day was sunny and warm, which reflected how everyone was feeling. International Day 2013 at Hagley was a wonderful, memorable and exciting day.

11EFI