Dubbed the ‘Food & Cultural Festival 2016’; R.E.A.L International School, Cheras Campus held its annual International Day celebration earlier this year. It was a day filled with fantastic food, fun and festivities as students, teachers and staff alike transformed the school into a vibrant and colourful ‘international centre’ of sorts; with everything you need to know about the four featured countries of China, India, the USA, and of course, Malaysia. Intricately decorated booths were set up to represent each country and its diversity.

Entertainment came in the form of a Chinese fan dance, a classical Indian folk dance, and the traditional ‘Zapin’ performance, to name a few. Besides the standard posters, flags, maps, photos, illustrations, cultural costumes, and games such as hopscotch and carom, a couple of booths even went the extra mile by building miniature versions of the Statue of Liberty and Taj Mahal! Visitors could even try their hand (literally) at a game of Batu Seremban, a favourite childhood pastime of many Malaysians who grew up before the days of smartphones and social media. Every year, R.E.A.L Schools’ much-anticipated International Day event serves as a platform for students’ creativity, knowledge, and soft skills to flourish.

This article was originally published in The Expat magazine (July 2016) which is available online or in print via a free subscription.