Building Community With My Roommates

Some of my favourite Eating and Greeting happens at home when we extend the invitation to people throughout our communities.

I'd rather keep it manageable so that we can be present with our guests - and free to do it often. Within 6 degrees of separation, we know the whole world!

These are some of the most dear people in my life, and this is a favourite event. I love that my roommate had the idea to invite asian friends who are away from family and home and the familiar, who all together we could celebrate and acknowledge culture and family traditions.

Maybe it's not obvious to you yet, but I'm not Asian. My family is a mosaic of British Isle - notable English and Irish. But I've grown up in a predominantly, and sometimes aggressively Anglophone small community in Ontario, Canada - while attending French Immersion and learning about someone else's culture, history, language. I have always had a passion for culture and other people's experiences and perspectives. With a high empathy and a big desire to invest in others.

Years later, I find myself in a church that is the majority from an asian descent, appreciating dear friends who are usually have a different cultural heritage, living with two Chinese roommates. And I love it! And it has opened so many experiences in my life and really enriched my life!

Our strategy was that each of the 3 of us roommates would have 3-4 guests who know each other or someone else in the room. We had 10-12 guests, three hot-pot set up and we delegated the add-ons while providing the mains, broth, and gas for the stoves. We did this type of event often, though the celebration and focus would change.

This year, our roommates have changed twice. One roommate moved back to her home city and we added a roommate who grew up in Kenya. Then the other roommate moved home during Covid-19 and one of our neighbours from downstairs temporarily moved into her room. So with all of the changes, our strategies have changed. Making lemons out of lemonade.

How do you build community?