|
The Mail Bag |
|
Ruby Sentman Thompson Thank you for the update. It was so long ago, 1967 - 69, that my husband, Dick Sentman, our three children and I were in New York at this time getting to know each other and a wee bit of Swahili. The Knudson children lived over us and kept throwing water balloons that always seemed to land near or on us. I sent my kids to Central Park by themselves. They had a great time and said there were many really kind people there sitting up in the trees and having a wonderful time. Some were singing. I sent them to a Presbyterian Summer program and found them playing in the water from a fire hydrant. And that was just the beginning of our time. In the long run the Knudsons became wonderful friends, the kids never really understood about the flower children, and I suppose the fire hydrants are still used by children. Best wishes. Ruby Sentman Thompson Jack Paarlberg I will try to forward a letter to the editor to the Portsmouth Herald that I wrote concerning a local school's contribution of two goats to the people of Rwanda. I wrote it with tongue in cheek, but received replies saying, "Wow, I didn't know that." Funny, after spending two years with TEEA in East Africa, my family and I expressed the same thing, "wow, I didn't know that." Sincerely,Teunis "Jack" Paarlberg, TEEA 1968 - 1970: Dear Sir: Recently the Herald published a picture of some local school children presenting a few goats to the people of Rwanda. Although this is a very commendable and worthwhile gift, sometimes the gift is not always used for the purpose it was intended. For example: Within the countries of East Africa and those nearby, when a dignitary or important person visits the shamba (farm or compound) of a family, the road or pathway is often lined with stalks cut from banana trees, and upon leaving, the guest is given either a firm friendly handshake, or a live chicken, or if the guest is really, really important, a goat. After some of my visits to up-graders from the teacher training college to their homes, I would get a chicken. After observing the small children's bloated bellies caused by the lack of protein in their diet, a type of malnutrition called "kwashiorkor," I would always return with a dozen eggs maintaining "they must have come from that wonderful prolific chicken," and always a bunch of bananas, which they mash up, steam, and cover with a gravy of groundnut sauce. The dish is called "matoke," which is not only delicious but nutritious. The local students are to be commended for their thoughtful and important gift to Rwanda. They have learned about that wonderful feeling that it is far more blessed to give then to receive. Let us hope that the new owners of the goats get visitors no more important then school teachers. Sincerely, Teunis Paarlberg Lucy Larom Hi Ed, I hope you're doing well. I haven't talked to you or heard from you for a long time and noticed that my last e-mail from TEA was dated in 2005. I moved to San Diego in 2001 to be resident grandma for my first and only granddaughter, Maia Gavrilla Larom, born on May 11, 2001 to my son David Larom and his wife Nancy Loevinger. My daughter Kathryn Mara Larom lives in NYC and will be married to Mario Diaz in Puerto Rico in June. I am doing well. Recently I have become involved with Amnesty International. Through this involvement, and subsequent connection with the local San Diego population of Acholi refugees from Northern Uganda and their supporters, I have become aware of the genocide in northern Uganda. We have recently had the great privilege to have Mr. Olaro Otunnu here to meet privately with our group and speak publicly on the campus of the Univ. of San Diego. Mr. Otunnu served for some years as Under Secretary-General for the United Nations and was very active in child advocacy. Mr. Otunnu has put forth a great challenge to the San Diego community to spearhead a campaign of information, advocacy and action to end this genocide and the displacement of almost the entire population of Northern Uganda. I am writing you to ask what degree of knowledge the TEA group has about this situation, who we have on the ground in Uganda, to what extent the members may be willing to be involved in action, what recommendations they might have to help us run an effective campaign and what other input they might provide. Thanks so much! Lucy Larom. Ben Sauers Your newsletter was interesting. Good to see the contacts that are being reestablished and aid given. With TEAAers aging as fast as I , there will soon be fewer, and one hopes the schools will not become too dependent. You need to create an endowment so that aid can outlast us. Thank you for holding it all together so long. Ted Housman We have moved, finally, to Cape Cod, MA as of May '05. After 20+ years of summers here and 5 years of looking for a retirement home here, we did it. At age 66 I have joined the legions of survivors of heart by-pass surgery. We canceled our Jan. '06 trip to Singapore to visit our older daughter Karen, who is Asia Pacific general Manager for Chanel, so that I could have surgery. Following the one week hospital stay I returned home for the 4 to 6 week recovery. That gave me time to read Kennedy's book, BLACK LIVINGSTONE, about an American missionary/explorer in the Belgian Congo and the TEAA newsletter #14. I'm in no condition to re-climb Mt. Kilimanjaro just yet, so I'll just have to settle for Hawaii in Dec. '06. Hank Cheney ... reports that he and his wife have recently gone full time RV. Their contact information is now: Henry C. (Hank) Cheney, 2040 West Main St, #1322, Rapid City, SD 57702-2446, (cell): 607-725-4453, Phyllis Schelske Dear Ed. Thanks for sending the very newsworthy and interesting newsletter. Enjoyed reading it. Although I am not familiar with many of the names, I certainly know of the places they write about. You certainly put in a lot of time and effort in keeping everyone informed. It is very encouraging to hear about all the projects, etc, carried on in E.A. I would enjoy returning some day. We were very good friends with Senteza Kajubi -- in fact were invited to his daughter's wedding in Boston. Will look forward to the next newsletter. Phyllis Schelske Paul Andersen Though distanced from my Ugandan experience in formative years, the newsletter evokes vivid and fond memories. I have but two collegial relationships left from Busoga College, both Brits. I was the Jackie Robinson of education in Jinja and thru more bluster and diligence than talent, made some impact. I enjoyed reading Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari because I took much of the same overland route from Jinja thru Khartoum to Cairo in 1966. In many ways, I think I would benefit and contribute more now than forty years ago but though the spirit is willing, the body is unforgiving. My best regards, Paul C. Andersen TEA '64-66 Edith Henderson Ruby Hi Ed, I've just retired from the Seattle Public Schools so will need to have my e-mail address changed to Jim Gilson, ... in an email entitled QSI administrators notes that "Hal Strom (3B) will be departing from QSI International School of Vladivostok in Russia to become the Director of QSI International School of Chisinau in Moldova. The school in Vladivostok will close for the time being in view of a paucity of international families in need of an international school." Betty Coxson [on hearing of the reunion in Seattle]. Dear Ed, Seattle is a good choice for me. I just celebrated my 80th birthday so at this time everything seems tentative although I try not to think that way. Betty |