A celebration of nations: ‘Twenty countries in twenty steps’

Westminster school and college brings together foods and cultures of different countries.

ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to educate students about various cultures through taste and sound, Westminster School and College held their 10th Annual International Food Festival titled “A Celebration of Nations” on Saturday evening. 

Groups of students and teachers participating in the event decorated 30 booths, each representing different cultures within Pakistan and other countries’. Foreign office missions also provided their support with ingredients for cuisines, brochures and posters about interesting places for stall decoration and other instruments such as costumes that assisted the groups in their attempt to provide participants with the real taste of cultures.

Each stall engaged a group of students and teachers who offered food items and answered questions about various cultures. PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY

Each stall engaged a group of students and teachers who not only offered food items, but also answered questions about different national and international cultures.  Students who had been part of the project said that they had several meetings and had done their research before representing the country,

“One can learn so much about cultures just by having food and listening to their music,” said Afreen Hamza who had come to the event with her family.

Each stall engaged a group of students and teachers who offered food items and answered questions about various cultures. PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY

Hundreds of people elbowed through the rush making it to their favourite destination. Visitors enjoyed a feast of sights, sounds and smells, sampling and buying food products whilst enjoying the cultural displays, music and the company of friends and family. The festival featured a scrumptious medley of Middle Eastern and South East Asian, European, Central Asian, African, Chinese and Japanese fare.

The countries/regions represented this year were United Kingdom, USA, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Mexico, South America. The Pakistani regions included Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.



Hundreds of participants, mostly younger people, crammed the event. “I had to elbow through a massive crowd to get to new stalls. But I have tasted so many new things, so it was worth it,” said Rida Khan “I feel like I travelled to twenty countries in twenty footsteps” Her friend Ayesha Ikram added.



The initiative by the school brings together people each year to raise funds for charity. This year the main aim of the festival was to promote tolerance and make students appreciate the fact that cultural diversity is recognised, respected and celebrated.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2014.