Indian Vindaloo, German Kartoffelsalat patties, Moroccan Roast Veggies, Peking Duck pancakes, Indonesian Beef Rendang... and pavlova! Flavours from around the world were enjoyed by more than 50 Rotarians and guests at the recent International Night. What great cooks we have in our community!
The night was also about celebrating the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. We currently have Laura Daniel having the most wonderful experiences on exchange in Germany, and in July we welcome Jasper Holst from Germany into our community. Jasper's host families came to enjoy a night with our members and also to hear about the exchange program. Past exchange students spoke about their year abroad - Peter Martin (South Africa) and Kate Liersch (France). John Liersch comforted the soon-to-be host families with his host dad recollections. Then Ian Penny spoke about the valuable support role of a student counsellor from his experiences. Finally Ben Bentley spoke about hosting. With his wife Joan, Ben has hosted an incredible 11 students over the years.
These are the common words from all speakers.... Challenging, life changing, fun, maturity, confronting, life long friendships, skills for life, family, learning, the most amazing experience ever.
As we know, Rotary Changes Lives.