Inspired by the pre intervention, I invited the bartender Jason Mou to join the intervention. Thus, this intervention would include two parts, the first is cocktail making experience and the second one is cooking experience.
Date: October 27
Participants: Yuyun Ma, Jason Mou, and 3 other participants
Duration: 3 hours
1. Activity Introduction and Icebreaker (30 minutes)
Objective: Introduce the purpose of the intervention and create a relaxed atmosphere for conversation.
Process:
Introduction: I briefly introduce the purpose of the intervention, which is to explore culture, emotions, and identity through the experiences of cocktails and spices.
Participant Introductions: Each participant shares their background, including their hometown and the food they miss most from home.
Icebreaker: Bartender Jason Mou would prepares a cocktail based on each participant’s hometown or cultural background, using their introductions as inspiration. During the process, Jason explains how the ingredients relate to their cultural connections, encouraging participants to recall memories of home and cultural identity.
2. Cocktail Interaction (40 minutes)
Objective: To guide participants to reflect on the cultural connections between their hometown and the new environment through the experience of making cocktails.
Process:
Participatory Cocktail Making: Participants work with the bartender to create a “hometown flavour” cocktail.
Guiding Questions:
- “Why did you choose these ingredients? How do they represent your hometown?”
- “How would you adjust these ingredients to better fit the local taste?”
Cultural Sharing: Each participant introduces their creation and shares the inspiration and challenges they faced during the process.
Guiding Questions:
- “What special cultural meaning does this drink have in your hometown?”
- “Do you think this flavour would be well received by people in the new environment?”
3. Spice-Themed Cooking and Sharing (40 minutes)
Objective: To stimulate cultural memories and identity through a spice-themed cooking experience.
Process:
Spice Selection: Each participant chooses a spice that represents their hometown and prepares a small dish using that spice.
Guiding Questions:
- “What symbolic meaning does this spice have in your culture?”
- “Are you able to find this spice in the new environment? If not, have you found a substitute?”
Similarities and Differences: While tasting each other’s dishes, participants share the similarities and differences in how different cultures use spices.
Guiding Questions:
- “Is this spice commonly used in your hometown’s cuisine? Are there similar spices in the new city?”
- “Does learning about how different cultures use spices help you understand other cultures better?”
4. Discussion on Culture and Emotions (30 minutes)
Objective: To explore identity, cultural memory, and adaptation through food and drink.
Process:
Open Discussion: Guide participants to reflect and share how they find cultural belonging through food in the new environment.
Guiding Questions:
- “What emotions does this drink/food bring up for you? Does it remind you of home?”
- “Through these experiences, what challenges do you feel about adapting to the new city’s culture? How has food helped you connect your hometown with the new environment?”
5. Exploring Urban Spaces and Food (30 minutes)
Objective: To discuss the relationship between urban spaces, food, and cultural adaptation.
Process:
Space Perception Discussion: Use guiding questions to explore how participants find familiar food or locations in the new city.
Guiding Questions:
- “In this city, where do you feel most connected to your hometown? Why?”
- “What foods or dining places help you feel at home in the new city?”
Comparison and Adaptation: Encourage participants to discuss differences between the ingredients in their hometown and the new city, and how they use local ingredients to recreate dishes from home.
Guiding Questions:
- “What are the differences between commonly found ingredients in the new environment and those in your hometown? How do you use local ingredients to recreate dishes from home?”
- “Does this comparison help you better understand and adapt to the culture in the new city?”
6. Summary and Feedback (15 minutes)
Objective: To summarise the intervention and collect feedback on the process and depth of discussion.
Process:
Personal Summary: Invite participants to share what they gained from the activity, especially whether the experience of making cocktails and cooking deepened their sense of cultural identity and adaptation to the city.
Feedback Session: Distribute a simple feedback form to collect participants’ opinions on the activity flow, interaction, and discussion depth. This feedback will help improve future interventions.