For those living in Croydon, the past two weeks alone have been filled with unpleasant things; just a few being: housing struggles, violence and multiple deaths. With it seeming as if there is no end in sight to these now-common events, it's easy to forget that there is a community within Croydon. Today, many - including myself - were reminded of something those in a community have the joy of doing together. Eating.

My family and I had been walking back from the library when, by chance, we happened to come across nearly 15 large stalls. Each with a flag representing which country they're selling traditional food from. Full of excitement, we had to walk past and take a look at all of the different options. 

There was a glorious range of food; Spanish paella, German sausages, Turkish desserts, staple dishes of Jamaica, India, Mexico and Korea, as well as two stalls solely dedicated to churros and crepes. However, it wasn't only food being sold. A stall sold cardigans inspired by Native Canadians. There was also one selling authentic Jamaican rum cake. And multiple sold natural products; from soap and perfume to herbs and seasonings. 

In the end, we decided to go to one of the stalls selling churros, the stall selling Jamaican food and the one selling Indian food. We bought churros in sugar and cinnamon; jerk chicken with rice and salad; and a mix of chicken tikka masala and lamb curry with vegetable rice.

The churros - we ate immediately. They were sweet and crunchy yet soft inside. The jerk chicken was quite possibly the juiciest and most flavoursome we've ever had. The chicken tikka masala paired with the lamb curry was nearly impossible to stop eating. 

Overall, my family and I had a completely positive experience- happily having conversations with strangers and enjoying beautiful food.