The Flemington Reading and Writing program and the Flemington Neighbourhood House had an international food day on the fifth of September 2000. It was part of the celebrations in Adult Learners' Week but mainly part of our Centenary of Federation studies.

It was a lovely sunny day and about seventy or eighty people from the classes came and also most of the teachers attended. Also a local councillor, the local newspaper with a photographer and other people from our neighbourhood joined in too.

Almost all the students brought some food from their culture, some of the representatives were spring rolls from Vietnam, Kim chi - fried noodles from Korea, pastries from Somalia, chicken curry from Afghanistan, pasta and pizza from Italy, some special lemon rind chicken from East Timor, meat slice from Argentina, cakes from Hungary and even some Aussie pavlova and lamingtons! (Very sweet for me). I brought some rice paper rolls with pork and chicken and vegetables.

The food day was a happy day, everyone was talking and really knowing each other. We could alternate our food, all those cultures on one plate. International food day was an exciting day, it made me feel closer with everyone. It was a chance to understand other countries that I've just heard of but never known. Yet on food day I had a chance to know about Kim chi, Korea's food, and I learned how to make it from the Korean lady who cooked it.

Later many people stayed in the big room after eating and sang some songs from their country. Some people danced and our teacher sang a song with an older Chinese man. We all said it was our best day, we feel closer to one another, thankyou everyone at Flemington Reading and Writing it is essential we do it again.