By Kathy Huynh | May 2, 2024
The International Bazaar is a well-known spring event at Woodlands. It celebrates the diverse cultures of students with ancestries from all over the world. There are many booths at the showcase. Each represents a different country.
In anticipation of the event, Nisali Seneviratne - the team leader of the Sri Lanka booth - was interviewed.
The Woodstock (W): What motivated you to pursue the position as booth leader?
Nisali (N): I wanted to take the initiative to create the Sri Lanka booth because last year, nobody else really wanted to do it, and so I decided, ‘Hey, why not?’ And that was a fun experience, so I was like, ‘Why not do that again?’ This year, we have more people in the booth. It’s nice having other people help you represent your culture at your school.
W: What kinds of foods are you planning to serve? How do the foods represent your nation?
N: A lot of the foods are either traditional or commonly found among people in our country. Some of the traditional stuff would be kokis and milk coffee, and other things that are found in our country but aren’t necessarily traditional would be short eats, patties, and falooda.
W: Do you have any other items or activities that will go along with your nation’s booth?
N: We have a trifold that talks about different aspects of our country ranging from geography to festivities and our culture. Right now, it’s just the food and the information.
W: Is there a traditional outfit that you would like to share?
N: I’ll be wearing an osariya which is common in our country. Its drapes are unstitched and there are no cleats. There are no frills at the waist. There are also different kinds of traditional clothing men wear such as a sarong - a piece of fabric that covers the lower half of your body.
W: What’s your favourite part of the event? Is there anything you’re looking forward to tasting or watching?
N: It’s being able to give food to other people and seeing the reactions. Seeing them be able to enjoy it - because it’s so nice watching people enjoy something that’s part of your culture.
If food, displays, and an opportunity to learn about different cultures appeal to you, the International Bazaar might be the perfect lunchtime experience for next year!
Pictured (left to right): Nisali Seneviratne, Samindra Piyarathna,Uchisda Ratheesh, Vaisnavi Prabaharan, Harini Gananathan, and Jaslene Heer
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