In the Indonesian spirit of ‘gotong royong’, which means ‘working together’, the College hosted an Indonesian-themed banquet in conjunction with two Year 10 Food Technology classes and the Languages and Cultural Programs Faculty.

Even more than just working together, ‘gotong royong’ is a tradition passed down from generation-to-generation, so much so, that it has become a habit, something that is innate and done even without any indication or being asked. By putting in ‘gotong royong’ people quickly realize that the community around them will assist and work together towards a common goal. By knowing and doing this, a good work and living environment grows because people instinctively know that they are not alone.

Walking through the corridors of the main building on Friday, 7 November, you could have easily been mistaken for thinking you were in an Indonesian food court. The aromas of fresh galangal, garlic, peanut satays, palm sugar and rich curries were wafting through and whetting the appetites of everyone passing by.

With the arrival of early evening, seventy staff members, families, and friends of the College converged on the Auditorium to delight in the sights, sounds and tastes of Indonesia. Guests enjoyed a range of Indonesian foods, including: Spring Rolls, Chicken Satays, Nasi Goreng, Gado-Gado, Balinese Chicken, Yellow Fried Chicken, Kare Ayam (Chicken Curry), Beef Rendang and Indonesian Braised Beef.

As the evening began to wind its way through entrees and mains, Adelindo Angklung treated guests to a repertoire of traditional and modern rhythmic bamboo melodies using the traditional West Javanese musical instruments, Angklung. Adelindo Angklung interacted and engaged the audience through their own performances before inviting guests to participate in a workshop and learn to play the Angklung themselves.

After the musical sounds wound down and guests finished indulging in Steamed Banana Puddings with Coconut Custard and Dadar Gulung (Pandan Pancakes filled with Coconut and Palm Sugar), Rindang Adelaide performed the Saman dance. The dance, also known as the dance of a thousand hands, originated in Aceh, a province in North Sumatera. It tells the tales of traditional stories from local ethnic groups in Aceh as well as featuring numerous Islamic elements and prayers.

The evening ended with a cup of Kopi Bali (Balinese Coffee) and nineteen talented but exhausted Year 10 students made their way home after weeks of preparation.

A large vote of terima kasih (thanks) goes to Adelindo Angklung, Rindang Adelaide, Nicole Cross, Sonya Chapman, Tamra Cross, the Year 10 Food Technology classes and members of the Languages Faculty for their contributions in making the evening such a success.