The sun had set and I plugged in the string lights that zig-zag up the exterior staircase and along the pergoda. The twenty of us sat side-by-side, our chairs now pushed back from the long table, belying satisfied stomachs. On the menu was Egyptian kusherie: aromatic lentils and rice topped with tomato sauce, sweet caramelized onions, and tart plain yogurt. The flavours lingered well after the meal was finished, and so did we. I held a baby on my lap and whispered in French to the North African woman sitting next to me.

I live in East Vancouver just off Commercial Drive. My house looks like a nondescript “Vancouver Special” from the street, but it’s far from ordinary by our city’s standards. Over the past two years, I have shared my home with more than 50 people from over a dozen countries.