Amazed at ways of other cultures

John Downes threw himself into Dún Laoghaire's festival of world cultures by working at a Fairtrade coffee stall

The man dressed as a horse, waiting patiently at the bar, looks like he could do with a glass of water. Actually, he is a bull, his wife - wearing a priest's outfit - later corrects me.

After an hour or two working at the Fairtrade coffee stall at the Festival of World Cultures in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, meeting a man dressed as a bull during my lunchbreak is something I have come, almost, to expect.

Business had been brisk all morning at the stall, situated in the festival's craft fair. I was to have a "roving" role, Peter Gaynor of Fairtrade (and the man in charge) informed me. You can move between the coffee stall and the information stall, he said. Do what you like.

Many of our clientele - tourists; Irish and foreigners living in Ireland - had heard of the Fairtrade brand before, and seemed interested in finding out more about the ways in which it seeks to promote the ethical production of coffee, tea and other products from the developing world.

Others just wanted a caffeine fix on a Saturday morning.

Daysi Zambrano from Equador sells craftwork from her country and has a stall not far from our own. It is her first time at the festival, she tells me; she believes it is a very important event for the cultures from more than 30 countries represented there. When people see my merchandise, they ask me about Equador, she says. They want to know the language we speak there.

Maybe later, when I finish working, I will go salsa dancing, she adds with a wink. I spot Garda Insp Pat Ward intently reading a poster with the caption "Who was Mohammed?" He expects a very diverse crowd at the festival, and the atmosphere is usually very good, he says. He is at the craft fair to get a feel for the place, the lie of the land, before the various concerts and events around town kick off.

Inside the Moroccan-themed Islamic tent, Hibah Aburwein from Libya explains the aim is to show people Arab culture from all over the world. Some people have questions about our culture and religion, misunderstand it, and we want to give them the right answers from the right source, she says. They had one Irish guy who said he enjoyed the atmosphere in the tent so much he had his breakfast, lunch and tea there.

A while later Peter arrives back from the launch, in a nearby park, of new Fairtrade teabags. He is delighted with the way the stall is going, he says. It is great for Fairtrade to be associated with a fun and enjoyable event like this. It shows people that choosing Fairtrade does not have to be painful, he believes.

Just across from our stall a band playing music from India is setting up. Vikas Bhat, lead singer with The Dublin Gurus, explains that many of the six-strong band are IT professionals doing this in their spare time. Liam, the only Irishman in the band, says he has been "taken hostage" by the others. "He's the real Indian," says Vikas, "the rest of us the Irish ones."

Later I leave the stall to watch the band play. The man standing next to me wearing a turban is dancing and singing along to an Indian tune which he obviously knows well. Moving his arms in ever more bizarre motions, out of time with the music, he is clearly feeling the moment. The claps and cheers from the 50-odd crowd of all nationalities indicates he is by no means alone.

Patricia Jack visits our stall on several occasions to get coffee for herself and her friends. She is dressed from head to toe in a colourful traditional African outfit called a chitenje. It is usually worn on special occasions, she tells me, such as weddings and birthdays. Today is, for her, just such an occasion: she is representing her country, Zimbabwe. At her stall selling stone sculptures, she says she hopes to enlighten Irish people about the types of good things that can come out of Africa.

Michael Murphy is working as a porter in the Concourse building where we are based. He's been at the festival for the past couple of years.

"It is very enjoyable to learn about other peoples' cultures, and to meet people doing wonderful things. For me, personally, it is a wonderful experience. I'm amazed at it. Really, I am," he says.

Taking a final walk around the craft fair just before leaving, I notice a well-to-do woman visiting the various stalls with her daughter, I ask her why she has had her face painted white with whiskers.

"I always wanted to be a cat," is her reply.