ROANOKE VALLEY IS ∞ KISU OL MU P ∞ Ó L N I A J I I R A N O L G F Around Our World O ROANOKE VALLEY SISTER CITIES, INC. P U O J L N E O ∞ W P S ∞ K Ô O -L Volume 23, Issue 1 | January - June 2020 Like us on Facebook! V ∞ SAINT SISTER CITIES Hopeful reflections for a challenging time By Rebecca Chang Year at the Taubman Museum. At the Roanoke-Lijiang co-chairwoman time, our friends in Lijiang were under [email protected] tremendous pressure to find medical supplies, whether from local sources When we welcomed the New Year or abroad. It should have served as a of 2020, no one expected what would warning sign for us; in early February, follow in the spring. By the end of medical masks and other essential January, people around the world supplies became hard to find here in the watched COVID-19 evolve in Wuhan, In concert at the Chinese New Year celebration are United States. The good news is that (from left) Yi-Wen Evans, Andy Wang, Jane Wang, China, at a time when millions of Chinese government soon brought the Patrick Branch, Benedict Goodfriend, Jahanvi Patel people were traveling home to be with situation under control and our friends and Trinity Paschal. their families and celebrate China’s in Lijiang were freed from their dire need careful, be strong.” most important holiday. For Chinese- for protective gear. Instead of “Happy And yet, despite these events, spring Americans, it was an anxious time with new year!” my correspondence with our came to the Roanoke Valley with flowers many of us having families in China. On friends in Lijiang has changed to, “Please the eve of Chinese New Year, the Chinese stay at home, don’t go out,” or, “Be very (Continued on Page 6) government decided to lock down the city of Wuhan and the surrounding area, and many other cities in China followed In this Issue: suit. Roanoke-Lijiang report Page 1 & 6 There is no doubt that the Chinese Sidebar: report from Taiwan Page 6 New Year of 2020 was a quiet one. Empty streets, closed shops, and people President’s report Page 2 -5 wearing masks and other protective Mark your calendars! Page 3 equipment presented a grim start to Young Artists Showcase 2020 winners Page 4 spring. Even so, those of us in America RVSCI intern report Page 5 did not realize that what we saw and Roanoke-Wonju Page 7 heard on the news would soon be our Sidebar: Med. student touches base Page 8 own reality. On Feb. 1, we celebrated Chinese New International Day of Friendship Page 8 Roanoke-Opole report Page 9 Sidebar: Mayor reaches out Page 10 Roanoke-St-Lô report Page 11 Sidebar: A WWII memoir Page 11 Roanoke-Kisumu report Page 12 Roanoke-Florianópolis report Page 13 Sidebar: recipe for authentic feijoada Page 14 Thanks to members & donors Page 14 Roanoke-Pskov report Page 15 What is Amazon Smile? Page 16 A message from SCI leadership Page 16 Officers and donation/membership info Page 17 Trey Hung Tu and Jane Wang celebrate Lunar New Year at the Taubman Museum of Art. Volume 23, Issue 1 January - June 2020 President’s Report Ticking off accomplishments before quarantine cancellations By Mary Jo Fassié President, RVSCI [email protected] In spring 2015, I became your Roanoke Valley Sister Cities president. Like many who start a new job or position, I began my volunteer role with plans for this organization. I’m pleased to report that I have been able to realize most of my seven goals. Here are those goals and examples of their accomplishment Mary Jo and Roanoke College intern Katie Webb at the Lunar New Year gathering at the Taubman Museum on with the help and collaboration of our Feb. 1. committee chairs and board members: Carilion (RUC). (Poland has been added as through reciprocal cultural, educational 1. Encourage and facilitate sister city a medical exchange at Worclaw University, and professional exchanges via activities internships for university students both and RUC nurses exchange with Wonju.) and programs. (Korean language classes here and abroad with local businesses, 3. Develop and maintain municipal and cooking lessons and fall festival; schools and nonprofits. (We now have partnerships between Roanoke and Chinese fall dinner and cooking sessions; interns from Roanoke College and Hollins our seven sister cities as we identify, Kisumu committee relationship with University volunteering with RVSC, are implement and sustain collaborative Support Aid Ministry and the GLAC school continuing the established St-Lô intern projects. (From 2015-2019, all of our cities in Kisumu; Skyping between Brazilian and program and have added an agreement were visited at least once by the city chairs; Roanoke middle school students; Polka fest with Lijiang Teacher’s College.) relationships have grown, and projects with the Chardon Polka Band.) 2. Continue to expand medical have increased.) 5. Collaborate with organizations in internships in cooperation with the 4. Provide opportunities for diverse Roanoke and our sister city countries Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine communities of the Roanoke Valley to that share similar goals. (Roanoke Arts (VTCSoM) and Radford University experience and explore other cultures Commission, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke College and their International Film Festival; Hollins University and Roanoke Valley high schools with the Young Artists Showcase.) 6. Network with other sister city organizations in the USA associated with Sister Cities International to share and discover new ideas. (I attended state and international meetings and networked with Richmond, Newport News and Norfolk sister cities members.) 7. Promote the mission of RVSCI via social media, our newsletter “Around Our World” (AOW) and an updated brochure and website. (All accomplished with even a second updated brochure ready to distribute. See at www.rvsci.us.) RVSC’s updated brochure is ready for distribution. (Continued on Page 3) Page 2 Volume 23, Issue 1 January - June 2020 (Continued From Page 2) * * * Bestpitch about RVSC membership data; intern Megan Caldwell; Before everything came to a halt in Representing RVSC at the Roanoke Meeting with Roanoke Arts and Culture April due to the virus, RVSC was able to College Internship Fair; Coordinator Doug Jackson for an carry out our mission in the Roanoke Attending the Roanoke College interview featuring art teacher Kim Valley by: International Film Festival’s French film Spencer from Roanoke Catholic and JANUARY and reception at the Taubman along with students Seaira Siv (1st place) and Zach Meeting with Dan O’Donnell and several members of the St-Lô committee; Llavore (3rd place). Phil North at the Roanoke County Attending the RVSCI corporate board APRIL/MAY Administration Building along with Bill meeting at the Center in the Square Working on editing the RVSC brochure Bestpitch to discuss the fall invitation to board room. with designer Jeana Aaron, Ann Opole, Poland, city officials and artist; MARCH Hackworth and Bill Bestpitch; Attending a meeting at Roanoke College Picking up artwork at Roanoke Catholic, Participating in a Zoom meeting with for the International Film Festival Arnold R. Burton and North Cross Brian Counihan and Jean Broyles to committee; schools; discuss Wonju Sister City; Preparing and submitting the Roanoke Setting up, monitoring the judging and Holding a Zoom RVSC Corporate Board County grant application online; greeting parents and students at the meeting; Greeting the Wonju medical students at reception for the Young Artists Showcase With the recommendation of RVSC board Jean Broyles’ reception; at the Roanoke City Main Library; members, canceling all RVSC spring, Attending the Kisumu, Kenya, photo Sending the list of winners with summer and fall activities due to the presentation by Bill Modica and Barb addresses to Treasurer Bill Bestpitch to COVID-19 pandemic. Adams from Support Aid Ministry. distribute over $600 in prize money for I admit that dealing with a pandemic FEBRUARY the Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Young was not something I was prepared for Representing RVSC at the Lunar New Artists Showcase; when I took on this role of president five Year with board members Jean Broyles, Signing letters of support from RVSC and years ago. Since April, we had to cancel Bill Modica, Linda Harrison, Patty the City of Roanoke for the mayors of so many wonderful projects (Chardon Suppes, Rebecca Chang and the Lijiang Lijiang and St-Lô as our cities abroad deal Polka Band, Annual Dinner and Local committee, and Roanoke College intern with the pandemic ; Colors) and exchanges (medical students Katie Webb; Preparing an art quiz for the Roanoke from France and Poland, interns to and Attending a meeting at the Taubman Arts Pop weekend; from St-Lô, as well as our planned fall along with Lijiang co-chair MeiLi Setting up the RVSC display board and visit from the Opole delegation and Foy and members of the RVSC/Arts Young Artists Showcase artwork at the artist) for the rest of the year and are committee (formed by Vice Mayor Joe Taubman for the Roanoke Arts Pop trying to envision virtual activities where Cobb and Taubman Executive Director on March 6, 7 and 8 along with board possible. It is a challenge, and we would Cindy Petersen with input from Hollins members Jean Broyles, Anne Marie love to hear from our members and the University and Roanoke College); Green, Ramona Kirsch, Linda Harrison community if you have any suggestions Meeting with Jean Broyles and Bill and John Makay; and Hollins University as we move forward during this crisis. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! June July September • 23: RVSC Annual Meeting via Zoom, • 30: International Day of Friendship • 1: RVSC Corporate Board Meeting, 5 7 p.m.