Two Indian tablecloths sat beneath plates of homemade traditional meals, while Vietnamese rice paper rolls glistened in the light streaming through arched church windows.
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Thai curry puffs broke open with spicy aromas, Mississippi corn puddin' was a surprising treat, and Chilean fried dough pumpkin sopaipillas introduced the Valley to a new cuisine.
In collaboration with Ricky's Place and Bega Multicultural Centre (BMC), an international lunch was held on Friday, March 22, with guests invited to bring along cultural dishes and share conversations.
Kay George, who described flowers as her life-saving passion, created floral arrangements along the expansive neighbourly tables, where Chileans spoke with Brazilians who shared a laugh with Sri Lankans and Australians alike.
A Chilean couple who had just moved to Australia shared the vast differences between their new life in the slower-paced Merimbula, with organised town-planned streets, a complete opposite to the partying lifestyle of their home in Chile.
Cayce Hill, the manager of BMC, said it was nice to have a day to specifically celebrate multiculturalism and diversity, and to share culture.
"I think that's the best part of being in a multicultural society is you get the best bits of all cultures, and, I mean, food is a really good example of that, food's the best way to come together," Ms Hill said.
"It's also funny because time is different in cultures, so that's why it's great to have the open doors from 12pm to 2pm, and the support of Ricky's Place is obviously amazing."
Sharon Cornthwaite from Ricky's Place shared how the lunch was the perfect example of two community groups blending together as one, revealing the district's supportive spirit, while Mandi Rush from Sapphire Community Pantry said she was stoked by the outcome of the event.
"Today's lunch pretty much means that we are promoting a multicultural Bega Valley and we support all those people that are moving into the area, and we would love to be able to introduce them to what we do and who we are, so they can make use of our services," Ms Rush said.
"Because settling into a new community is very difficult, and [today] just shows what support is out there for people in the Bega Valley from different cultures, and people experiencing different things, and we hope we were able give [those who attended] a really good experience and show what we can offer the community."