Our American participant, Leona, felt in the mood for some reflection - of the international and deep kind. Thus, enjoy her essay on integration, diversity and spicy soups!

Leona at our international evening.

The volunteers stagger to the breakfast table around 11am on Sunday morning, after a full day and night exploring Odense.  Rubbing the sleep from our eyes, we are delighted to find an international feast awaiting us – French toast prepared with love by Hester, crepes, sausages, omelets, fried vegetables with spices, hot dogs, hummus & pita bread, havli, and many more non-traditional breakfast foods.  Overflowing from the table was far greater amount of food than we imagined we could ever possibly eat!  Undaunted, the volunteers and leaders raised our forks, delighted to taste some of these new flavors on our tongues.    This international breakfast feast started me thinking of the old adage: variety is the spice of life.  Variety is exactly what I love about being in Vollsmose.  If variety is the spice of life, then Vollsmose is an amazing blend of the most diverse, exotic and delicious spices I have encountered, mixed into a delicious soup.  The residents of Vollsmose can be compared to a wide variety of colors, textures, sizes and tastes from all over the world.  Perhaps half a century ago these spices would not have been found in Danish food.   Could such a diverse mix of Danish and Eastern spices actually result in a tasty food dish?  Absolutely, I say. 

A typical multinational dinner at our camp.

The soup is not perfect of course.  Yes, I’m sure there are a few moldy vegetables in the broth, and perhaps the concrete pot it is served in is not a fancy new pot.  And it does seem that some of the spices are clumping together and perhaps the soup has not been stirred enough. But this does not mean that the entire dish, or any of the particular ingredients, deserve such a bad reputation.  In fact, what it means is that every single bite of the soup is a new and unique flavor.   Eventually, over time, like any good soup, the flavors will blend and mix more.  Some soup will be taken and new ingredients will be added. Vollsmose is a dynamic soup.  If there was a way I could scale the walls of the tallest building in Denmark and shout to everyone to try the soup — to give it a chance and taste a few spoonfuls — I would do it.  But I can’t (building prohibitions and such).  So I joined the “Global Views from Vollsmose” workcamp instead.  In coming to Vollsmose, I hope to embrace the soup and enjoy each unique bite of it.  Perhaps I can encourage others to do the same.   The United States had her largest immigration over 100 years ago when western Europeans immigrated in large numbers to the new land, in search of a better life.  At the time, we were proud to be nicknamed a great “Melting Pot” of cultures.  America was built by immigrants and for immigrants.  I hope that Vollsmose and similar areas can become a great “melting pot” today.  From what I can tell, the only difference in today’s immigration is that the new ingredients added every day are mainly from the East and Middle East.  Far more exotic, but just as delicious — if only people give it a chance.  My suggestion: Just try it! Don’t be afraid of what you might have heard about the Vollsmose Soup.  

In the week since we arrived, the volunteers have been enjoying meeting many children and adult residents of Vollsmose.  The exotic and diverse “Vollsmose Soup” is a big hit with the international volunteers.  Is it better to stick with the same taste every day, just because it’s what is familiar?  Well, if our international brunch table was any indication, I would say no – exotic flavors are a big hit!  Somehow, some way, we managed to enjoy and finish every last bite of the international foods. Diversity is the spice of life, indeed. Bon appetit!