Armchair Travelling the Globe

Throughout Winter, our Lifestyle team decided to bring some travel into our home, by virtually visiting different countries around the world. Residents learned of cultures and traditions, and tasted the most amazing foods. We visited South Africa, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Italy, Hawaii, India, Mexico and Russia.

CHILE

Our Chilean festivities kicked off with a traditional dance by HillView staff member Rossana, herself being from Chile. Jess taught us about the local geography and culture, whilst Ashmore & Merrimac Chefs John and Kerrie tempted our tastebuds with some local dishes – traditional Pastel de Choclo (Chilean beef & corn) and Leche Asada (a roasted milk flan).
Chile is affectionately known by its inhabitants as the “pais del poetas” or the “country of poets”. This is because two of the country’s most well-known and beloved literary figures were the poets and writers Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda, who both won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

JAPAN

Our next destination…Japan! We savoured the yummy flavours unique to Japan, including sushi, and tried our hands at Origami, as demonstrated by Yuki. A brief history of Origami: Whilst paper was first invented in China around 105 A.D., it was brought to Japan by monks in the sixth century. Handmade paper was a luxury item only available to a few, and paper folding in ancient Japan was strictly for ceremonial purposes. By the Edo period (1603–1868), paper folding in Japan had become recreational as well as ceremonial, often featuring multiple cuts and folds. By the late 1800s, the term for paper folding had morphed from orikata (“folded shapes”) to origami.

HAWAII

Aloha! We recently escaped to Hawaii (how lucky are we!), a theme that all Residents and Staff really enjoyed. We learned many things about the island, including the fact that there are are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: Vowels: A, E, I, O, U and Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W.
Did you know that more than one-third of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii? 
My goodness, our International days have been a huge hit with our Residents over the last few weeks. By bringing cultures and tastes from around the globe to HillView Care, we have uncovered some serious passions (especially for the food!). Showcasing the delights of Russia and New Zealand…next stop, the gym!

NEW ZEALAND

Continuing with the New Zealand theme for our global ventures, our Residents recently crafted a Poi. Poi is the Māori word for ball on a string. According to legend, a poi was traditionally used by the Māori people to develop wrist flexibility for the use of weapons during battle. Eventually Māori women would use a poi in their traditional dances. Poi performances are still practised in New Zealand today.

ITALY

Italy was last, but very much not least on our list, with a renowned culture celebrated for its amazing food, music, history and art.
What many of us probably don’t know is that Italy has only been a country since 1871. Before that, the boot-shaped peninsula was made up of separate territories such as the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Despite its young age – and its relative size – Italy has made a big impression on the international stage