Global Cafe: Reunion Island

22 August 2017

A popular event series where residents share their home culture with the UniHall residential community.

On Tuesday 22 August, as part of the beloved Global Café series, UniHall traveled to Reunion Island through the eyes of presenter, Laure Lawlin (current University Hall (UniHall) resident).

Residents saw K Common Room decorated in mesmerising landscapes of this tropical paradise, and the Dining Hall serving iconic dishes such as the sausages in a spicy, tangy sauce and the warm pineapple cake; many residents came down to learn more about this beautiful place.

Just residing near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, the French region, Reunion Island has about 851,000 people from all diverse backgrounds. Laure shared some of her own experiences and information regarding the attractions of this place, alongside the rich history of this place (undergoing several name changes before settling on Reunion Island). Residents were quite surprised when Laure shared how there are 25 cities in total, with another one in development.

“I come from Christmas Island where there are no cities at all! This just emphasised the sheer size of Reunion Island,” says Dewi, current UniHaller.

Throughout the presentation, the sounds of ‘oohs’ and ‘ah’ were a recurring phenomenon as all guests learning something new about a place that was relatively unknown. She dispelled some myths that people commonly had in regards to an island, saying that it is quite developed (I.e. there is WiFi and towns present throughout the island). She elaborated on how Reunion Island has some areas offering more adventurous tourist attractions, including the iconic Piton de la Fournaise, which is one of the world’s few remaining active volcanoes! Even the surroundings waters are home to various shark species!

Following the informative presentation, with Laure creating some very entertainingly witty remarks, the Kahoot quiz brought out the competitive nature in the room. As seen in the results, all guests took home some valuable information and felt happy to be exposed to another culture that is present within UniHall.

Residents then immersed themselves in the atmosphere of Reunion Island, by sampling some of the delicacies offered such as the tamarind water – delicious!

A big thank you to Laure for such an amazing presentation on her hometown, in which she did a spectacular job! Many of residents now have Reunion Island listed as a place to visit in the nearby future!