The International Day held at NGGI is a typical school bazaar: the students parade into NGGi’s quonset hut gymnasium in Olympic-style, waving flags from their respective countries, some even in traditional dress.

This year, the US table was done up as a Southern barbecue featuring, among other hearty treats, a taste of Jack Daniels finest for those old enough to imbibe.

The American parents gathered mused that had they been back in Trumpland, every parent in the room would be jailed for serving alcohol at a school function. Here, there was a tiny tipple to be found at nearly every booth.

There were traditional foods, dances and songs as well. Teacher Derek Scott rendered Robert Burns’ ‘Auld Lang Syne’ using the original, more wistful melody, which far better frames the longing in the lyric than the boozy version belted out at midnight every year. All in all, a fine fete.