Francophonie Night 2019: The gastronomical and musical route to speaking French

With my very limited knowledge of the French language but armed with a huge curiosity enough to scare a cat and its nine lives, I took the plunge and checked out Francophonie Night 2019 held at the Alliance Française de Manille.

With a sumptuous dinner buffet offered by member countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie namely Belgium, France, Hungary, Lebanon, Monaco, Morocco, Qatar, and Switzerland, it was not hard to lure me in. And if the appetizing treats weren't enough, there was also the added attraction of music performances by Kate Torralba, Nyko Maca, and Radha.

Kate Torralba

It looked like many shared the same idea as I did based on the overwhelming turnout that night. This resulted in a bit of confusion as to the order of things with some already starting to enjoy the food even before French Ambassador Nicolas Galey delivered his welcome remarks and officially opened the buffet.

Nyko Maca

My initial goal of trying a little of something from each of the participating countries was thrown in the air as the lines from the Swiss and the French tables, for example, were crazy and I opted to check out the other treats from less than crowded stations. This turned out a blessing in disguise since I had a relatively easier time discovering an explosion of tastes and flavors from Hungary, Lebanon, Morocco, and Qatar. These cuisines aren't the usual fare and it was a delight to try them.

Radha

I was in high spirits once the performances started. I didn't mind at all that I had no idea what the French songs that Kate, Nyko, and Radha sang. I couldn't join along in the singing like some of the francophones in the audience did but that didn't lessen my enjoyment.

The evening also featured the awarding of the winners of the Les Marmites Francophones cooking competition organized by the AFM earlier for its students. I was stuck at the Belgian table waiting for the next batch of fries while this was happening. I didn't mind waiting since this also gave me a chance to try out a few of the beers offered. 

Overall, it was still an enjoyable night although the crowd almost made me anxious. It was great hearing a different kind of French music which isn't Claude Debussy. And I have no complaints on whatever kilograms I might have gained after enjoying the food and drinks served. I just hope that those who generously shared their respective cuisines do not take it against me the little French language that I can speak.