Main Street

Daughter tells worldly tales in email

By Mary Ann Cook

THE WORLD IN 365 DAYS: Kari Byron is a Los Gatos High School and San Francisco State grad who decided to take a year off for a round-the-world trek. She left in early November and has been emailing her dad, Dennis Byron, her adventures from all sorts of foreign ports.

She and her friend Dawn Gilbert headed for the Cook Islands for the first touchdown of their trip. Then it was on to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, Tokyo, Nepal and India. Still to come: Egypt, Israel and Turkey, and then summer in Europe.

Here are some of her impressions thus far: In Bondai Beach in Sydney, Australia, she dared her dad and anyone else to find an ugly girl on this topless beach. "This must be where the beautiful people go," she said.

In Kuta, Bali, the merchants have "one hand over their smile and the other in my wallet." She and Dawn made friends with a Balinese girl, Komang, who wanted them to see her temple. But first she had to clothe them in the required sarong and sash.

They took part in a ceremony that included flowers, rice and rose water sprinkled over their heads. Kari was also threatened by a growling monkey, which Komang chased away by hissing at it. The visit "left me with an uneasiness I couldn't cure. I felt guilty and sad--Komang's family lived in a two-room shack with no doors--because I have a full stomach in every sense. Lesson learned. Life appreciated in a new way."

In Tokyo: "Men read porn on the subway and piss in the streets but Buddha forgive [me] if I blow my nose in public. That would be beyond rude. I love women in kimonos shuffling into doors of skyscrapers with huge TV screens on the outside.

"I hate seeing women with whip marks on their back at the baths. It is a dangerous balance of tradition and technology. It is a society of severe cultural oppression, but the streets are clean and there is very little crime...Lost in symbols, Kari."

Papa Byron manages Fred Sands Landmark Properties in Campbell. Mom is Sue Byron.

VALENTINE STORY: Here's a romantic tale concerning two retirees. Janice Salsbury wed Donald Black of Almaden Valley on Valentine's Day. The two had been a steady item for some six years, but only recently decided to make it official.

Janice's daughter, Terri Kay, a home-decorating wholesaler who loves all the hoopla of an event, made the wedding arrangements, which was held at her Danville house. There were family members only--her two offspring, his three and their four (combined) grandchildren.

Dinner after the ceremony was held at Danville restaurant Piatti. Donald is a retired banker; Janice a retired administrative secretary for the city of San Jose. Both share a love of camping; indeed, they met on a camping trip. She had camped through the years with a cousin of his and he asked to come along on one trip. Later on, she invited him to join her for a New Year's Eve dinner she prepared and they've been together ever since. "I chased her till she caught me," he laughs. "She's fantastic company."

"We were comfortable with each other right away and our families enjoy each other," adds Janice. Sounds like a fine fit. The only snag seems to be fitting everything from two houses into just one.

Her son, Scott Salsbury is a '69 grad of LGHS, owns Scotty Construction company and is a longtime member of the Loma Prieta School Board. Scott's wife, June, is business manager for Loma Prieta School. Daughter Terri graduated from LGHS in '71. The bridegroom's offspring are Donna Buccino, Linda DeArmond and David Black. Linda is a nurse at Los Gatos Community Hospital.

AIR FORCE 1: Randy Mikkelson flies all over the world on Air Force One with you-know-who and has for the past year and a half. He works for Reuters News Service. Journalism has been his bent since his early years. A graduate of Los Gatos High School, he earned a masters in journalism from the University of Minnesota.

He won scholarships and was editor of the college newspaper, earning his way through the graduate program. A mountain product, he attended Loma Prieta and C.T. English schools. He is the son of William and Janice Trieglaff.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK: Alexa Schloh is accruing an enviable academic career: She has been on the Dean's Honor Roll in every one of her three years at UC-Santa Barbara. She won a four-year Regents Scholarship there, and is majoring in art history and archaeology.

Beyond that, she intends to get a master's degree in architecture, which should come as no surprise when you recognize that last name. Proud papa is local architect and community activist Gary Schloh, who often wins the Best Architect Award in the Best of Los Gatos contest conducted by this paper. He's also won Best Civic Volunteer of the year.

Schloh has been instrumental in keeping the streets of Los Gatos cleaner and has served on the Parks Commission for the past two years. Alexa's mother is Erna Schloh. Alexa is a '96 grad of LGHS.

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