Friends of the International Center, at UC San Diego Newsletter Volume XLIV, No.6 January 2017

President’s Column Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discourage- ments, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. Thomas Carlyle

How wonderful it will be to begin 2017 with a sense of stability and I Year of the Rooster thank our faithful members, our dedicated volunteers, and our commit- ted Board members for your collective efforts that clearly communicated RESERVE! the Friends strong soul. I am pleased to report that the vast majority of our programs and Saturday, February 11 activities have survived the disruptions and will continue in their new Great Hall, locations until such time as the University implements its prospective building plans that will reunite the International Center as we have International House known it. JOIN US IN CELEBRATING The Resale Shop will be located in UC 214 (part of the Chancellor’s complex between Library Walk and Matthews Quad). There is an adja- CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH cent parking lot for donation drop-offs. The Friends will also have its A DELICIOUS CATERED office in this building. CHINESE DINNER Please be aware that things are still a bit fluid, but it looks as if our then daily daytime programs will be offered as follows: VIEW FABULOUS PHOTOS OF . Tuesday: English Conversation (Gus’ Table) and Craft Circle in the A HIDDEN ARGENTINA BY Dance Hall in UC Building 409 (located between Rupertus and Russell Lanes); PROF. CHRISTOPHER WILLS . Wednesday: Family Orientation in McGill Hall in IFSO’s Conference Room A FUNDRAISER FOR . Wednesday: Wednesday Coffee in the Dance Hall in Building 409 FRIENDS SCHOLARSHIPS . Wednesday: Mommy/Daddy & Me in McGill Hall in IFSO’s Program Room . Thursday: English Instruction in the Study Abroad Conference Room To Make Reservations: in Building 409 . http:// Thursday: Cooking Classes in the Demo Kitchen at 64 Degrees on FICasia2017.eventbrite.com Revelle Campus . Friday: English Conversation (Friday Chat) in the Dance Hall in Build- Reservation Deadline, ing 409 Our evening and special programs will take place in the Great Hall Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at International House (I-House) located at Eleanor Roosevelt College, adjacent to the Pangea Parking Structure. I hope very much that you will Page 2

President (from p. 1) join us for our Ethnic Dinner/Friends Scholarship Fundraising Dinner on Saturday, February 11, 2017 to publicly show your commitment to the Friends mission. November Friends In a time more reflective of the Cold War than could be imagined, I Volunteer Hours implore you to volunteer to serve on the Board, as a program volunteer, as a host, as a donor. Please e-mail or call me! 791 = 4.49 FTEs May you too enjoy the rewards of your perseverance. Katya [email protected]

IEW Fashion Show 2016 —by Pearl Tangri Kumeria With people from across the world their unique costumes, you could Akira Kuwahara, Yuka Matsuda representing their nations through also hear about the clothes’ style and baby Meiko Matsuda, Aya beauteous ethnic wears, the In- and traditional design, as well as Sasaki, and Mariko Hattori, all ternational Education Week 2016 on what occasion one might wear five representing Japan; and lastly Fashion Show was once again held such outfits. Be it in a mesmeriz- myself, Pearl Tangri Kumeria in tandem with the Friday Inter- ing Mexican embroidered tunic, a from India. national Café. All the models were lovely saree from India, or a beau- The show’s finale had a - de gleaming this November 18, 2016, tiful dress to be worn to a Frevo lightful new twist. This year, just at the Café’s new venue, the Great dance in Brazil—the models all like their elders, children from the Hall of International House. looked fantastic. Early Childhood Education Center Every year, the IEW Fashion All participants were part of walked the runway in their festive Show keeps getting better, and this UCSD; some were international finery, representing their countries. year was no different. You could students, others family members Smiling and giggling all the way, see participants from different of international students or they were the cutest showstoppers countries walking down the run- scholars. The beautiful models you would get to see. way more or less in an order from representing the Friends of the You could also see a footfall of West to East, more specifically, International Center were: Noemi around a hundred showing their from Mexico to Colombia, Brazil, Aguirre Mendoza and Mayra presence, cheering on the models France, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, In- Nevarez both from Mexico; Maria and enjoying the event. dia, China, and ending in Japan. Ximena Trujillo from Colombia; Above are some visuals from While you saw the gorgeous Sophia Coelho from Brazil; the Fashion Show that will help girls and handsome guys flaunting Emma Forin Aubret from France; you picture the event even better.

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Argentina Revealed —Photos and text by Christopher Wills On February 11, join us for our lat- Ibera, with its flocks of colorful We were welcomed into the work- est ethnic fundraising dinner, and birds, herds of roaming capyba- ing life of the Estancia Nibepo for a trip to a part of the world ras, and wetlands teeming with Aike, where gauchos herd horses that few people know about. caiman crocodiles. We stayed at and sheep across the magnificent, Tourists who visit Argentina the fabulous estancia belonging flower-filled landscape and gray usually dance a tango or two in to the late Douglas Tompkins, the foxes prowl the shores of the gla- Buenos Aires and visit a glacier founder of The North Face and cial lakes. We climbed towards in Patagonia. But Argentina is a Esprit, which is (we hope) slated the vertiginous mountains of El large country, one-third the size of to become part of the Great Ibera Chalten through fields of wild- the continental U.S. It has a wide Park, the largest national park in flowers. We visited Perito Moreno variety of terrains and climates, a Argentina. glacier just as the Notro flowers dazzling assortment of birds and Heading south, we visited were reaching full bloom, and animals, and a rich and complex the ancient cathedral towns, art- made our way above the southern history. ists’ colonies, vast cactus forests, Estancia Cristina to see the full My wife Liz and I spent a and pre-Incan ruins of the cen- reach of the Upsala glacier. month in Argentina, starting in tral Argentinian Andes. We also At the end of the trip, we went the subtropical far north, near the explored scenic areas such as Is- north again, to the coastal areas of borders of Brazil and Uruguay, chigualasto’s Valley of the Moon. Bahia Bustamante, Punta Tombo, and traveling as far south as the These remote valleys are filled and the Peninsula Valdes, which southernmost estancias of Pa- with the fossils of early mam- together form some of the most tagonia. We began by exploring mals and dinosaurs, including dramatic coastal ecosystems on the wetlands of the Esteros del one of the largest dinosaurs ever the planet. Flocks of black-necked discovered. In the Calchaqui Val- swans and vast colonies of Mag- ley we came upon colonies of ellanic penguins provided a spec- parrots that live like Manhattan tacular close to the trip. apartment dwellers in towering, And yes, we were also daz- burrow-filled cliffs. zled by the excitement of Buenos In a break from all of this Aires, with its tangos, its street amazing nature, we sampled life, and its many neighborhoods the finest Malbec wines from the such as the colorful La Boca and vineyards that thrive around the the counterculture refuge of San Central Argentinian town of Men- Telmo. doza. The vineyards, in the shad- Professor Christopher Wills ow of the snow-covered Andes, will take us through all these adven- produce some of the world’s best tures and more, after we have enjoyed wines. our Chinese meal (menu not yet final- Still further south, we arrived ized as of this writing). in Patagonia just as the wild lu- Our thanks go to Ethnic Dinner pines were reaching full bloom Chair Liz Fong Wills and Katya and the yellow Alstroemeria lilies Newmark for arranging this event. were lighting up the roadsides. For reservations, see front page.

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From the Editor: Kudos to Our International Volunteers!

Friends of the International Center ber of interna- has been very fortunate to have tional volunteer many international visitors take on chefs that gave leadership roles in our organization. depth to the pro- This has always been so, and I think grams. Guests here of Rea Costly from England will remember and Renate Berthold from Germany, the delicious Oc- both of whom served as Friends Vice tober 2014 Ethnic President. There were many others. Dinner prepared However, with the encouragement by Shohreh of, and at times actual recruitment Karimaghaei by, President Katya Newmark, the that introduced numbers have increased greatly. us to the sophisti- Family Orientation team (March 2016): Nancy Homeyer, There are internationals, such as cated Persian cui- Macarena Galaz, Yuka Nishibori, Noemi Aguirre, Barbara Michelle Brown from Canada and sine of her native Fitzsimmons, Diana Saunders, Wen Gu, Joengmin Choi Mariko Usui from Japan, currently Iran. The number serving on the Friends Board, but of international sous chefs and serv- language, Diana Saunders from unquestionably the largest numbers ers is far too large to list here, but I Great Britain, runs the Friends are program leaders. can’t refrain from mentioning former Intermediate English class. Diana The Mommy/Daddy & Me pro- UCSD graduate student Richard also volunteers with Family Orien- gram, for instance, is run by a group Chim from Hong Kong, lately joined tation that currently counts among of international moms consisting by his mother, Gladys Wong. its other international presenters: of Bree Chunharas from Thailand, The stream of international Emma Forin from France, Yamuna Cathy Lin from Taiwan, Huanwei visitors that participate in significant Mohanram from India, Yuka Nishi- Cui and Wenjing Den from China, ways in Wednesday Coffee is espe- bori from Japan, and Nasim Googol Yuko Takehara from Japan, with cially long, but let it be said that from Iran and Australia. Another Mariko Usui as chair. When Cathy many activities are led by them. By loyal presenter, Macarena Galaz and Huanwei temporarily left on way of examples, Lexi Jiang from from Chile, lives temporarily in trips to their respective home coun- China, Pearl Tangri from India, Los Alamos, NM, but is expected try, the group was joined in Novem- Susan Louise Sonnesen from Den- back soon. ber by Yuka Matsuda from Japan. mark, Marie Perroud from France, While our internationals con- This international team operates and Mayra Nevarez from Mexico tribute greatly to the functioning well, and resourcefully, with the sup- eagerly shared their enthusiasm for of the Friends of the International port of Friends Alice Blake-Stalker certain crafts by demonstrating the Center, they, in turn, thank us for and Georgina Sham. art of crocheting flowers, making providing them an opportunity to Until the loss of our Interna- banners, and fashioning jewelry and “give back” and to practice their tional Center kitchen, the Inter- snap purses. skills. They thank us for helping national Cooking Experience was Many of our Resale Shop’s steady them adjust to a new country with imaginatively chaired by Tashu workers are from foreign countries. a different culture, often with a very Malik from India and Keiko Hirai Among the nineteen volunteers this different language, but no less im- from Japan. The Friends Dinner So- Fall, seven were internationals. They portantly, they thank us for helping cials benefitted from the talents of come from three different continents them gain the confidence to go on Dagmar Bocakova from the Czech and are: Noemi Aguirre and Mayra with work elsewhere. In many cases, Republic and Audrey Leriche from Mortz from Mexico, Cida Coelho Friends provide essential letters of France, members of a triumvirate and Daniela Schmitt from Brazil, recommendation. leadership team. Irene Moon from Korea, Pearl Tan- Alas, this is a major problem for Similarly, our International gri from India, and Fatima Zandi the Friends. There is a constant turn- Kitchen lunches and Ethnic Dinners (currently on leave) from Iran. over of international participants in have always had a significant num- A teacher of English as a second leadership roles. Their departures

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leave us saddened and often at a as needed, the Friends Welcome! booklet, a compendium of useful infor- loss on how to fill their positions. mation for new UC San Diego international arrivals. Wen feels confident Such is the case of Wen Gu, that she can do so from afar! a native of China who came to Like others, Wen became an integral part of our Friends community, the U.S. by way of Australia. Wen and as you can see from her farewell note to our President, her stay at jumped in to help the Friends wher- UCSD was greatly enhanced by the circle of friends she was able to form ever she could, including accepting through our offerings. the position of the Friends Assistant Treasurer, a role she continued Dear Katya, to fulfill even once she assumed Thank you for the amazing job of keeping IC stay for these months. We all a paid position with a local real really appreciate what you did for Friends, and we know that it’s the hardest estate agency. However, Wen has job. However, you made it! International Center is really the home to us, so we now moved to New Jersey, where can’t really imagine what our lives would be without IC. her husband was offered a dream I know all of my friends from IC and it’s my life in the U.S. So I greatly appre- job with Merck. Even so, Wen has ciate all of the efforts and the hard work you did for us. You’re sooo wonderful! assured Nancy Homeyer, our Fam- I’m so sorry that I can’t stay to take on the Treasurer position, but thank you ily Orientation chair, that she will for offering this great opportunity to me. I feel so sad that I can’t stay and do it! continue to prepare for reprinting, As I said, I’ll always be there to help no matter what you need in the future. IC is my home in the U.S. and I’d love to do anything good for it. I hope you like the bookmark and will think of me when you use it. January Calendar I wish you all the best in your life. Please stay in touch and I’ll keep you Please check time and place updated with my life. Thank you for everything! for all events. Lots of love, Wen Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Gus’ Table, 10:00-Noon Another person who will be greatly missed is Noemi Aguirre, a Jan. 4, 18: Family steadfast Resale Shop volunteer, a Family Orientation presenter, and a Orientation, 9:15 lively participant in the Tuesday conversation group. Wrote Noemi shortly before her return to her native country: Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Wednesday Coffee, 10:00-Noon Dear All: I want to say thank you for all these months of friendship and great talks! Mommy/ Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: For all your kindness and all the things I have learned from you! I couldn’t imagine Daddy & Me , afternoon my days in San Diego without you. This has been a wonderful experience and I Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: Intermediate will take every person and every moment in my heart forever. English, 10:00-11:30 I wish you all have a happy Holiday Season, and please keep in mind that you always will have a friend and a house in Mexico. Resale Shop Jan. 10: opens in I send you hugs, kisses, and best wishes! Building 214 With love, Jan. 10: Board Meeting, 10:00 Noemí A. Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31: FIC Craft Circle, 1:00-3:30 Jan. 12: Int’l Cooking Wednesday Morning Coffee Experience, 9:00-1:00 —by Georgina Sham Jan. 13, 20, 27: Friday Chat Learn new skills or sharpen previously learned ones. Wednesday Coffee’s Group, 10:00-Noon tentative activity schedule for the month of January is as follows: Jan. 16: Martin Luther King Jan. 4: Fold origami cranes with Marie Perroud. Day; campus closed Jan. 11: Learn how to apply Zentangle patterns to making jewelry. Jan. 25: Reservation Jan. 18: Turn t-shirts into shopping bags—a popular project. deadline for Ethnic Dinner: Jan. 25: Make button necklaces under the direction of Susan Louise FICasia2017.eventbrite.com Damsgaard from Denmark, who is eager to share her expertise, but is still not sure when she will be leaving us.

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A New Cooking Experience —Photos by Katya Newmark The loss of the Friends International Center kitchen has led to experiment- ing with new approaches. The pictures seen here of a new cooking class format tell a lot about how carefully everything was arranged by the instructor, Vaughn Vargus, the professionally-trained Sr. Executive Chef for Dining at UC San Diego. The class was held on November 10, in a beautiful demonstration kitchen, and featured a modern Thanksgiving menu complete with turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, candied yams, cranberry chutney, green beans, and dessert—all in keeping with tradition, but presented in updated ver- sions. Thus, the green beans were not doused with Campbell’s mushroom soup, but rather sautéed with grape tomatoes and presented with crispy shallots. More amazingly, the star of the show—the turkey—came in two variations: one, handsomely roasted in its entirety; a second, splayed. Should you wish to know how you spatchcock (the official appellation) a turkey: you cut out the backbone, press the turkey to flatten, and proceed to cook from there! Instead of the usual apple pie, there was a Tarte Tartin, an upside-down apple pastry, served with ice cream. Wrote Friends President to Chef Vargus in an e-mail to which she at- tached 17 photos from the event: “I truly cannot adequately express my deep appreciation for the cooking experience you provided our lucky international participants yesterday, not to mention Cindy and me. Our thank-you to you and your staff for insuring that the setting at 64 Degrees was so inviting from the moment we walked in: from the table setting with its printed menu, to the spa water, to the screens with the Friends of the International Center name.” Here follow a few other comments from participants:

What fun we had with Chef Vargus, helping with preparations of a traditional American Thanksgiving meal. YUM! January’s class is anticipated to be on the second Thursday, and we hope soon to announce the class schedule through June. Classes will start at 9:00 a.m. and will be held in the demonstration kitchen of Revelle College’s din- ing complex, 64 Degrees. The theme of the January class is not yet revealed (I heard a rumor that it might feature scrumptious vegetables). Reservations will be registered to the first lucky 14 internationals who come with $10 in cash as soon as the event is formally announced; $10 is quite a reduced price due to subsidy by the university. In an effort to insure that everyone has an opportunity to attend our cooking classes, priority will be given to a participant who has not yet attended a class, and we will continue with waiting lists and our efforts to offer additional cooking opportunities, so that we can continue to offer wonderful cooking opportunities for all.—Cindy Tozer, Friends International Cooking Experience Chair

The class and meal were outstanding and both Cindy and I note that if we were to attend such a program elsewhere, we would have to pay a minimum of $60/person (likely even more, because we had so many dishes and high quality ingredients). We are grateful to Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, Juan González, for partnering with Friends to cover the cost of this rewarding experience.—Katya Newmark

The lunch was so great and delicious that I have never tasted in Hong Kong. The turkey, bread stuffing, apple pie … all were wonderful and savory. With the generous and charming instructions of the chef, Mr. Vargus, Richard (Chim) and I learned so much for cooking and enjoyed so much. Thanks a lot Katya, Cindy, and Mr. Vargus!—Gladys Wong

Hello Katya. Thank you for the e-mail. It was my pleasure, truly, to cook for your group. I had great fun getting to know you all and learning from the group. I look forward to the next opportunity.—Vaughn Vargus, CCE, CCA, Approved Certi- fication Evaluator, Sr. Executive Chef

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Undergraduate Study Abroad Exchanges —by Kelly O’Sullivan Sommer, Director, Study Abroad Friends Scholarship Committee agreement on a campus that has Chair, Ruth Newmark, asked never had one is not as easy as it me a few weeks ago to tell her may seem! As we started asking (and you) a little bit more about questions about the approval pro- Kelly and Jan Tuomainen at the 2016 Holiday Party the undergraduate level students cess, as well as the mechanism for who “study abroad” here at admitting and registering these credit for their courses as though UC San Diego. Believe it or not, students, we ran into a lot of blank they were their home institution we only have about 130 study looks, quite a bit of head scratch- courses. This ensures that study abroad students here this Fall ing, some “I don’t know” and a abroad students continue to prog- Quarter. These are the UCEAP few “We can’t do that!” ress toward graduation in a timely Reciprocity students who are That did not deter us. Dean manner, which is critical to the suc- primarily oriented and advised Simmons was given the charge cess of all study abroad programs. by the International Students and by campus leadership to establish While we asked around cam- Programs Office (ISPO). These some Strategic Educational Part- pus for a protocol to guide us, the students are not to be confused with nerships (SEPs) with campuses University of Oslo was moving the more than 4,000 international abroad that were identified as hav- forward and recruiting students. undergraduates who are pursuing ing the highest number of research Realizing that we were going to be their full degrees at UC San Diego. ties with our faculty. One arm of up against a time crunch in devel- We are hoping to increase the each SEP would address student oping new policy at UC San Diego, number of study abroad students mobility. We moved forward to we approached our partners at in the coming years under Dean connect with the University of UCEAP to see if they might help Kirk Simmons’ leadership. Oslo, Norway, that was very inter- us manage this, our first campus- Why don’t we have more ested in establishing a reciprocal based, tuition reciprocity exchange study abroad students here at UC exchange for our students. agreement. They readily agreed San Diego? Historically all under- The biggest hurdle we faced and we now have one more agree- graduate exchange agreements was trying to figure out how to ment that UCEAP is managing for were managed by the system-wide make the exchange equal course us with the University of Tasma- UC Education Abroad Program equivalencies, so that the courses nia, Australia. (UCEAP) which is housed in Santa our students would take at the We hope very soon to establish Barbara. This meant that the only University of Oslo would be rec- some policy here locally at UC San “study abroad” students that UC ognized on their UC San Diego Diego to allow us to start manag- campuses received were those who transcripts as UC San Diego cours- ing our campus-based exchanges were part of the bilateral reciprocal es and calculated into their UC and admit our first official UC San exchange agreements that UCEAP San Diego GPAs. This is typically Diego “study abroad” students held with its partner universities how reciprocal exchange agree- through these exchanges. We will around the world. About eight ments work at universities across keep you posted on our progress. years ago, due to restructuring at the U.S.—students at each campus Happy New Year! UCEAP, the Office of the President pay their home tuition and receive began to allow individual UC cam- puses to develop and manage their own bilateral reciprocal exchange agreements. When Dean Simmons joined Friends sponsor International Café the IC team, we started looking into with an Estonian menu establishing some of these, as we began to receive an increased num- Friday, February 3 ber of invitations from universities Noon-1:15, Great Hall, I-House. abroad and inquiries about these from our own faculty. Establish- Cost: $5 ing a bilateral reciprocal exchange

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Hola Friends of the UCSD Programs questioned the logic of walking up and discussed. I quickly accepted the fact Abroad Office, down a metal staircase in a lighting that my clothes would always stick to Have you ever seen the rain? storm. me, and my laundry would never dry. California rain doesn’t count, not My bunkmate and I have cuddled Have you ever played with a four- even El Niño rain. Costa Rican rain on the front porch of the Estación day-old calf? is a weather phenomenon that can’t Biológica while singing “Little Bitty I was kind of scared to, at first. possibly compare with anything else Pretty One,” watching in awe as the They like sucking on your fingers, in the world. I’ve run out of my tent lightning faded into the night, and and they have teeth. Turns out it just at one in the morning in the drought- complaining when we were sum- kind of tickles. When the calf sucks stricken Area de Conservación Gua- moned back inside for a night lecture. on your fingers, you have to put your nacaste—weeks before the rainy sea- Have you ever seen a table with no middle finger and ring finger togeth- son started—in order to retrieve my field guides on it? er, while your pinky finger and pointer backpack from the tree it was leaning Its really, really weird. Tables finger stay on the sides of the calf’s on and bring it inside my tent, where should have field guides: those books mouth. The calf sucks on your fingers it would be safe from the rain that are an integral part of the dining ex- as if they’re an udder. had just started. I very quickly picked perience. How else can you identify Have you ever seen a fer-de-lance? up the habit of keeping plastic bags all the plants and animals you saw I haven’t either, unfortunately. Or inside my backpack, because it could that day? Without field guides on the fortunately, I guess. A fer-de-lance is start raining at any time of day and table, people are forced to continue an incredibly poisonous snake, and it’s I disliked having soggy biology notes. their lives in unhappy ignorance, nev- found around the Rio Peñas Blancas, Twice, when I was hiking around the er satisfying the curiosity that comes among other places. It’s brown and Rio Peñas Blancas with other stu- with seeing an insect they’ve never small and will bite if you anger it. But dents and a few teachers, our hikes seen before. Field guides should be just because I didn’t see it, doesn’t ended with wet hiking pants and mud- piled in a moderately messy manner mean my friends didn’t. They found dy boots and drenched daypacks. in the middle of a table: books on in- one curled up in the rocks near El Rio I spent three lazy afternoons in sects, birds, frogs, mammals, and Peñas Blancas, and I got to live vicari- the back of Eladio’s Refugio near El plants are a must. ously through their pictures. I also got Rio Peñas Blancas playing cards with Have you ever sweat so much that to hear Eladio Cruz’s account of the students, teachers, and trail guides, you think it’s raining? time he was bitten by a fer-de-lance. while it poured merely feet from us. If this is a bodily function that His story was recounted in Spanish, I picked up the habit of never wear- you would like to experience, I would a language that I am still learning, but ing my rain jacket when hiking back recommend a trip to Isla Violin, lo- I’m pretty sure blood came out of eye- up to the Estación Biológica, even if cated just off the coast of Sierpe in balls. Eladio’s, not the the snake’s. it was dumping buckets from the sky, the Southern Pacific side of Costa Have you ever watched the sun because I would get so sweaty that I Rica, north of Corcovado. That island set over Monteverde? would think the jacket was leaking. was the definition of hot and humid. It’s a sight I don’t think I will ever Have you ever seen a lightning Once, I pulled my camera case out forget. The entire town looks down storm? of my pocket after a 30-minute hike over a heavily forested mountain with I have. I’ve eaten dinner on the and it was dripping water. And by wa- the greatest plant diversity I have back porch, on the second floor, of ter, I mean sweat. Jumping into the ever seen. The light reflects off the the Estación Biológica and watched ocean to escape the heat was a com- dark green leaves, and the light green the lightning hit the TV towers at the mon activity, as was showering. How- leaves, and the brown bark, and the continental divide of Costa Rica. I’ve ever, we’d start sweating the second leaves that are glistening with water tried and failed to take good pictures we left the water. My tentmate and from the rain—and the sight is abso- of the lightning while my friend played: I decided on the very first night that lutely breathtaking. I was fortunate “Have you ever seen the rain?” by sleeping in our sleeping bag wasn’t enough to witness this on my walk Creedence Clearwaters on his phone. really an option, so we slept on top of home almost every evening. I sat in every creative position imagin- them. Every few hours, when the hot Have you ever been biologizing in able just to get a better view of the stickiness just got unbearable, the the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve? constantly moving lightning. Later, I idea of abandoning all clothing was No other forest can compare.

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Within the span of five hours, I and down the Reserve, pointing out irreemplazable. Pura vida! watched a colony of swarming army plants, insects, and birds to each oth- Mukta Kelkar ants, accidentally kicked an assassin er and trying to identify them. Muir College, Environmental bug that mimicked a tarantula wasp, Nunca olvidaré mis experiencias. Systems major and hiked up to the continental divide Costa Rica siempre tendrá un lugar EAP, Spring 2016 of Costa Rica. My friends and I stud- en mi corazon. Estoy seguro que voy a ied for our midterms while hiking up regesar. Gracias para este oportunidad

Dear Donors, For my study abroad, I went to Ber- lim populations in Europe. Although like any other that I have ever experi- lin. Although this choice may seem we discussed some important legal enced. I shall never forget the sunny rather odd, given that I am an as- aspects of integration and cultural day I spent strolling on the Corniche, piring historian of the Middle East, I assimilation, far too much of the a seaside promenade, with the waves had very good reasons for choosing content in the course was mired in of the Mediterranean gently rolling Berlin; namely, I chose to study at the post-modernist theory, which seems onto the rocky shore, while the air Free University of Berlin, because I little more than over-inflated gibber- was thick and heavy with an oppres- have always heard that Berlin was a ish that scholars use when they wish sive humidity. It almost seemed as if I cosmopolitan city, with tons of culture to sound profound and knowledge- had strayed onto another world. and history. For these reasons, Berlin able. The highlight of that class was As for Berlin itself, I had the seemed for me to be the best choice. a visit to the Sehitlik Mosque, which chance to visit many Cold-War-era I took four classes, two of which has been around since the end of the buildings and monuments. My fa- were German. Although the German nineteenth century. vorite two would be the Marx-Engels classes were the reason why I came Monument near Alexanderplatz and to Berlin in the first place, I knew that the entire quarter of Friedrichshain, I would have some difficulties. In par- which was in East Berlin during the ticular, the version that is taught is Cold War. Walking down the three- not the one that I grew up with. To and-a-half-kilometer-long Karl Marx me, Swiss German sounds more mu- Allee was like a blast from the past. sical and fluid, whereas High German Somehow, those old Stalinist build- sounds awkward and simply ghastly. ings just seem a little out of place in a Although that class fulfilled its pur- Şehitlik Mosque modern city like Berlin. pose, I can’t pretend that I enjoyed I had many wonderful experienc- Lastly, I had the chance to con- hearing a language so near and dear es in Berlin—far too many to list in a duct archival research at the Aus- to my heart eviscerated. humble report. I shall name but a few. wärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) The other two classes were “Ber- First, Berlin’s proximity to other parts in Berlin. This was a wonderful experi- lin: History, Memory, and Literature” of the world enabled me to use it as a ence for me, as it gave me valuable and “Islam in Europe.” The first was steppingstone to more adventures. I insight into what I can expect as a mainly a literature class, which dealt was able to go to Dublin for the 100th graduate student. with the depictions of Berlin and its anniversary of the Easter Rising, I tried to convince my parents people from the Second Reich until which I found incredibly moving. It was that they should move to Berlin, but the present. Although it delved a little a time for celebration, but also a time they weren’t having any of that. Nev- bit into the history of the city during for reflection and remembrance. ertheless, I will return there soon, each period, I found it to be too little I also had the chance to go to with any luck. for my taste. For my taste, the best Beirut, which meant a lot to me as Thanks to the generosity of the thing we read in that class was Der a scholar interested in the Middle Friends of the International Center, I Untertan, by Heinrich Mann. I enjoy East. I was a bit intimidated at first, was able to do all of this. It would not works of fiction with psychologically but I quickly found the people to be have been possible without such kind complex characters that cannot be extremely friendly and willing to ac- assistance. My warmest thanks, placed into simple categories. commodate a somewhat lost tour- Christian Hillman As for the class on Islam in Eu- ist, whose two-years of Arabic quickly Eleanor Roosevelt College rope, I was again hoping for more evaporated upon arrival. It was a History major historical analyses of Islam and Mus- culinary and a cultural adventure un- EAP, Spring 2016

January 2017 Friends of the International Center, UCSD Newsletter Page 10

Friends of the International Center Board Roster, 2016-2017

* designates Executive Committee OFFICERS President * Katya Newmark [email protected] 2nd Vice President, Membership * Renate Schmid-Schoenbein [email protected] Recording Secretary * Lynn Jahn [email protected] Corresponding Secretary * Eleanor tum Suden [email protected] Treasurer * Karen Davis (through Oct. 2016) [email protected] * Ruth Newmark [email protected] Financial Advisor (appointed) * Joan Adamo [email protected] UCSD Chancellor’s Designate—IC Dean Kirk Simmons [email protected] Immediate Past President * Joan Adamo [email protected] Parliamentarian (appointed) Carol Smith [email protected] Members-at-Large (appointed) Michelle Brown [email protected] Alma Coles [email protected] Candace Kohl [email protected] Cindy Tozer [email protected]

STANDING COMMITTEES (each committee chair gets one vote, unless otherwise noted) Communications Kristine Kneib [email protected] Development Katya Newmark [email protected] Hospitality Elisabeth Marti hostFIC@mail,ucsd.edu Scholarships Ruth Newmark [email protected]

PROGRAMS English Conversation Nori Faer [email protected] Family Orientation Nancy Homeyer [email protected] FIC Crafts Circle Jennie Chin [email protected] International Cooking Experience Cindy Tozer [email protected] Mommy/Daddy & Me Mariko Usui [email protected] Alice Blake-Stalker [email protected] Resale Shop Marion Spors [email protected] Wednesday Coffee Georgina Sham [email protected]

SPECIAL COMMITTEES Annual Membership Dinner Katya Newmark [email protected] Scholarship Awards Ruth Newmark [email protected] Audit Committee Nancy Homeyer (chair) [email protected] Ruth Newmark [email protected] Barbara Fitzsimmons [email protected] Computer Lou Adamo [email protected] Ethnic Dinners Liz Fong Wills [email protected] Friends Dinner Social Katya Newmark [email protected] Historian Ruth Newmark [email protected] Holiday Party Barbara Fitzsimmons [email protected] Newsletter Ruth Newmark [email protected] Publicity Kristine Kneib [email protected] Sports: Football Judith Muñoz [email protected] Visit an American Home Elisabeth Marti [email protected] Website Katya Newmark [email protected]

LIAISONS (no vote) Oceanids Eleanor tum Suden [email protected] Int’l Faculty & Scholar Office (IFSO) Roark Miller [email protected] Int’l Students & Programs Office (ISPO) Dulce Dorado [email protected] Study Abroad, UC San Diego Kelly O’Sullivan Sommer [email protected] Campus Support Group Advisor Corinne Cramer [email protected]

January 2017 Friends of the International Center, UCSD Newsletter Page 11

IC Holiday Party

On December 2, Friends and IC staff enjoyed a lovely Holiday buffet and camaraderie at I-House’s spacious, light-filled Great Hall. We thank the Dean’s Office for hosting the event, Jan Tuomainen and Barbara Fitzsimmons for co- chairing the party, Candace Kohl for the seasonal decorations and raffle prizes, Friends scholarship recipient Olga Lazitski for telling us about her doctoral research on the influence of the media on U.S. and Russian politics, Katya New- mark for updating us on the status of Friends programs, and Carol Smith for photos. ✄

GIVE THE GIFT OF LEARNING: HONOR SOMEONE SPECIAL with a gift to the Friends of the International Center Scholarship Fund Friends of the International Center, UC San Diego Birthday ------In Honor In Celebration of ------Anniversary icfriends.ucsd.edu Congratulations ------Other ------In Memory [email protected]

Name of Honoree ______The Friends of the International Center Newsletter Address______is published monthly, September through June. City ______State _____ Zip______All material submitted must be received in writing by the editor no later than the 10th of the month Message ______prior to publication. Name of Donor ______Editor: Ruth Newmark ([email protected]) Address______City ______State _____ Zip______Contributors: Joan Adamo, Jennie Chin, Nori Faer, Nancy Homeyer, Kristine Kneib, Katya Amount of Gift Enclosed: $ ______Newmark, Renate Schmid-Schoenbein, No donation is too small. Georgina Sham, Marion Spors, Eleanor tum Suden, Cindy Tozer, Mariko Usui, Liz Fong Please make your gift payable to Friends of the International Wills Center Scholarship Fund and mail to: Friends of the Interna- tional Center, UCSD International Center 0018, 9500 Gilman Contributing Photographers: Katya Newmark, Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0018. Your gift is tax deductible. Carol Smith ✄ Circulation: Renate Schmid-Schoenbein IC TELEPHONE NUMBERS Please report all address changes to Friends of the Friends Resale Shop (858) 534-1124 International Center; the U.S. Postal Service will International Center Main Office (858) 534-3730 not forward the Newsletter.

January 2017 Friends of the International Center, UCSD Newsletter Page 12

FRIENDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG. University of California, San Diego U.S. POSTAGE International Center PAID 9500 Gilman Drive, #0018 SAN DIEGO, CA La Jolla, California 92093-0018 PERMIT #1909

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January 2017

Friends of the International Center Friendship • Scholarships • Hospitality Supporting international education at UC San Diego and the International Center for 55 years

(Please print) MEMBERSHIP*

Name ______$ 35.00 member ___ $60.00 supporting member Last First ___ $100.00 sustaining member Spouse/Partner______$ 1,000.00 life member Last First ___ $ 500.00 non-profit corporate membership ___ $ 1,000.00 corporate membership Address______*Includes spouse/partner

City______State______Zip______Membership and donations are tax-deductible. Make checks payable to: Phone______E-mail______Friends of the International Center UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive #0018 ___I wish to make a donation to Friends Scholarships $______La Jolla, CA 92093-0018 ___I would like to receive the Newsletter in electronic form ___I am interested in these volunteer opportunities: ______E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (858) 534-0731

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Friends of the International Center is incorporated as a non-profit educational charitable trust by the State of California and is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Thus all donations, including resale items, are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law for those donors who itemize their donations.

January 2017 Friends of the International Center, UCSD Newsletter