News & Event
A Peek at HFI’s International day through Greece and India
Introduction
March hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
The 9th International Day of HFI was officially launched on March 19, 2023, on the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University campus. Through this event, we can understand the diversity of the world and the value of dedication from shallow todeep.
International Day is a festival that showcases the culture, art, food, and people of different countries to society and parents through students' learning and understanding. The process itself is also educational for the students. Preparing for the event involves students learning more about the culture of each country, understanding it, and presenting the cultural characteristics and customs of the corresponding country. More importantly, after the necessary costs of organizing this event are deducted，all remaining income from the International Day, such as food bazaar, auctions, ticket proceeds, booth proceeds, sponsorship proceeds, etc., will be donated to the Guangzhou Social (Children's) Welfare Institute.
Each class shone on International Day, with the Greek and Indian groups reflecting the exotic scenery of each country through Mediterranean-flavored food and Henna hand-painted tattoos and oil massages, respectively. As for the center stage, the New Zealand group brought us wild and exuberant Haka dance, the Greek group captured the sea breeze with their melodious piano, and the Chinese group, brought by the teachers, showed the tolerance of China as a country of etiquette and generosity.
Exotic Elegance
Booth display
The International Day booths are mainly prepared by the freshmen from Y9&Y10.With the anticipation and enthusiasm of their first event, each Junior student delivered a great performance. The Greek group from Gaudi's class painted their bodies to express the freedom and infinite vitality of the Greeks.The colorful paint blossomed on the body with the flower of youth, bathed in the sun of the students are so young and beautiful.
The Indian group of students from Hadid was more exotic, and in close cooperation with the Indian Embassy in Guangzhou, they invited professional Henna hand-painters and massage technicians from India to bring the most authentic traditional craftsmanship to the parents and students present. Hand-painted tattoos show the mysterious and fascinating charm of India. The intricate and exquisite patterns of Mehndi (Henna Tattoo) contain the magic that the Indian people believe in to ward off evil spirits and seek good fortune. In addition, the oil massage can bring the dual enjoyment of smell and touch, letting everyone sink into the subtle ancient oriental country.
Cuisine Fair
In addition to the unique activities, the students also brought special food from all over the world. Given the differences in tastes of people from different regions, the students actively improved the dishes to make them more in line with Chinese tastes while retaining exotic flavors and bringing fresh experiences.
Students' perception
The event's success was also due to the student's hard work over the past few months. From the end of last year, when they received the assignment for International Day, students in each class were brainstorming how to make their countryeven more innovative and attract more people to participate.
There were sweat and tears in the process. For many students, it was their first time organizing a large event, so they were tense, anxious, and overwhelmed when they encountered many difficulties.
Bernice, the team leader from Gaudi Poland, said she broke down and cried when she first received a product that didn't meet her expectations, but instead of getting discouraged, she re-planned and kept adjusting. In the last week, she was still improving the program by adding special drinks, DIY records, and other activities, and finally, it was a big success.
“Every setback means you're one step closer to seeing the dream come to pass. Although success is gratifying, it is the struggle and stress that I should be grateful for. It taught me that even the last minute is full of opportunities, and I should seize it.”
In addition, Zhoney, the team leader of the India group, expressed the same sentiment that they encountered many obstacles when negotiating with the staff of the Indian consulate. Because of some communication problems, the arrangements for International Day were not finalized until the day before. With the help of the professionals, the Indian group was able to complete the event successfully and Zhoney expressed her gratitude to all the staff who participated in the event.
Donation Plan
All proceeds raised from this year's 9th HFI International Day (including the International Day series, auctions, sponsorship fees, individual donations, and proceeds from charity sales and booths) will be donated to the Guangzhou Social Children's Welfare Institute. The orphanage will use the funds for the renovation of the campus (including the renovation of activity areas and sports fields) and extracurricular training for the children. In addition, compared to previous years, the proceeds will be used to improve the facilities of community, which is a new initiative and another step forward for International Day!
Conclusion
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the students, teachers, and people who participated in the International Day as it is your efforts and contributions that made the 9th HFI International Day possible and made more children feel the care of the community. At the same time, we hope that more caring people can participate in our activities, together we can feel the diversity of the world as one and create a more harmonious and warm society.
Comment From the Principal
“I think it's remarkable that, two years later, we were finally able to hold HFI International Day offline again, which I think has been especially hard for our senior students. They have been preparing for three years, and this is the first time their preparation can be presentedinthe real world. The sophomores also prepared for last year's International Day, but the event was canceled last minute.
We have gone through the epidemic and entered a normal category after the epidemic, and all of our lives are getting back on track. We can all meet offline. Through this event, we can show our knowledge of different countries' cultures, art, music, and food. It was also a very interesting activity, and we had a lot of fun in the process. Parents and students were able to participate in it very conveniently. We are proud that all this happiness and this kind of gathering from International Day can turn into kindness and charity, creating better conditions and an environment for the children in the orphanage to improve their lives and to keep learning.
In this sense, this is the biggest motivation for our activities to last and to continue.”- Daniel Zhu
Acknowledgments:
Writers: FlorenceYin
Interviewers: Michael Wang
Interviewees: Daniel Zhu, Bernice Wang, Zhoney Zhang
Content Proposers: Michael Wang
Pictures: HFIers
Date: 26 Mar 2023
International Department, The Affiliated High School of SCNU
