The 10th Surrey Fusion Festival on July 22 and 23 was once again a huge success. It’s an annual reminder of why my family is so happy to be living in Surrey. I can’t imagine a better place for our kids to grow up and experience the joy of this great multicultural city, and to have so much fun while learning not only about their own culture but developing a genuine interest in the many other cultures around us as well. 
This includes all the different kinds of music, dancing, and fashions, not to mention the fantastic variety of cooking styles and foods. I counted more than 40 nationalities with their pavilions representing countries from every part of the globe – all proudly displaying their own cultural distinctiveness and yet everyone was enjoying the cultures of others. The whole experience made realize how lucky I was to have found this great place to live, and how much I want my kids to grow up in this environment of peace and mutual respect.
Like a lot of other families that I met at Fusion, we settled in Surrey several years ago and decided this city offered something really special. In our case, we came from China and we are very keen on having our two young boys learn their Chinese language and culture so this involves extra work and studies. 
But at the same time, by living among other families from other countries who also do the same thing, our kids learn the value of culture itself. And I think this is a truly great way to appreciate others and to develop a desire to learn more about all the different people on this earth. It’s really sad that in many places in the world so many kids – and their parents – don’t get this get this opportunity. It makes me really value what we’ve got here, and I want to say thanks to everyone who made the Fusion Festival happen. That includes the City of Surrey, all corporate sponsors, the entertainers, the volunteers, and the thousands of people who came out to the event. The weather was great and Holland Park beside the Surrey Central Shopping Centre was an exciting place for the whole weekend. If you didn’t get there this year, you should be sure to put it on your calendar right now for next year.
