REFLECTIVE MOMENTS Spicy foods, bruised ankles and many more memories

The memories hit immediately upon the announcement that Motif would not take place summer.

“How can that be?” I asked myself, quietly and then out loud. Moose Jaw has had Motif for 40-plus years and we need it for at least 40 more — not that I will be around in 40 years to participate in the event. But surely the toddlers of today will still support a Motif of tomorrow.

I recall the first multicultural dinner and program, held if I’m not mistaken, in the social hall of St. Andrew’s United Church. Different ethnic groups provided an array of food for all of us to sample. After dinner our attention went to the stage where the groups sang and danced and proudly displayed brilliant and colourful costumes and native dress. The approval rating was unanimous — let’s do this again real soon. And so, the foundation for Motif was laid, and groups got busy to showcase their customs, their food, their dress for a much larger audience in the years that would follow.

This annual get-together was so popular that tickets sold out quickly and venues larger than the church basement had to be obtained. Again, tickets told out. Thanks to Rudy and Helen Namtu of the Romanian Club, our tickets were always set aside. If we didn’t get to their house to pay for them in a timely manner, Helen would phone with a gentle reminder, and a bit of a friendly threat to sell them to someone else on the list. She never did, but we hurried to pay, just in case, and always enjoyed the treats she always had on hand.

Eventually the event moved to Happy Valley Park after utilizing the Civic Centre and convention centre on the Exhibition Grounds until the park was ready to welcome the pavilions and food stations lining both sides of the park. The stage on the east end was adorned with a multicultural banner designed especially for Motif. There was such pride in the achievement of having a permanent setting in the beautiful park atmosphere. Our friends Rose and John in the Polish booth encouraged us to try some of their dishes, as did Mary in the Irish booth who enticed us to try a large helping of Irish Whiskey Cake, some soda bread, a bit of stew and how about an Irish coffee? Housemate obliged her then we waddled off to the next booth and the next and the next.

At the East Indian booth our friend San Basi laughed when I choked on the hot spice of the chicken and Dr. Salido grinned when I mistook a red sauce for something sweet — it was spicy and hot and I gulped the cantaloupe drink thrust into my hand.

It took three days to work our way through all the food booths, not wanting to offend anyone by not sampling a dish from each country. I learned that desserts were without the throat-burning spices and the Scandinavian ladies were eager to help fill my plate with the 10 cookies for only $1. The Scottish shortbread had already been consumed. On three occasions I was asked to be the master of ceremonies and readily agreed. With my limited linguistic abilities, I found myself continuously apologizing for butchering the names of some of the performers but they took it in stride and grinned or laughed with me.

Some of those same folks also laughed at me when one night I was challenged to perform with the Philippine group doing the Tinikling dance. So there I was with co-host Don Calfas, trying not to get caught our feet caught as the bamboo poles came together. It was a painful experience for both of us, but we explained away our ineptness by saying we hadn’t been given time to rehearse. At least we got some laughs and a bit of applause from the audience, but no one asked us back for an encore.

And so I salute the Motif committee for some wonderful years of entertainment, food and friendship. May we do it again someday. For Moose Jaw Express

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net