Saratoga Sampler
Japanese students get keys to the city
By Mary Ann Cook
SISTER CITY: Students from Japan--Yoshiko Nagata, Machiko Seki, Yukie Yamada and Sanae Yagi--were housed, fed and feted with parties and field trips as part of the yearly Sister City exchange with Muko. In wrap-up ceremonies, the students were presented with keys to the city pins presented by Mayor Stan Bogosian.
Four $1,000 scholarships were presented to the Saratoga students who were the local part of the student exchange. The students were Kristen Reed, Angie Lin, Stacy Simmons and Megan Clapp. The Taiko group, led by Art and Aki Okuno, entertained.
Marlene Duffin is director of the student exchange program. Duffin's number: 408.867.1410. Applications for students 15 and older to take part in the Sister City exchange are available all year long, points out Sister City president Joan Gomersall.
In other Sister City news there are still openings for the trip to Thailand and Japan Oct. 30-Nov. 16. Frank Riddle is the one to call at 408.245.7487. He and his Thai born daughter-in-law, Jib, designed the Thailand part of the trip. John Tauchi planned the Japanese section.
Money should be in by Aug. 30 and cost is $3,500 plus $125 to join Sister City if you're not a member. Feasts for the eyes will include Bangkok's Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, alligator wrestling, and dinner at a floating restaurant where Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed.
In Bangkok the international shopping center is within a block and a half of the hotel. Gardens, temples, summer palaces--all on view.
The next Sister City event, closer to home, is the moon viewing at Hakone Sept. 15.
The evening includes Tsukimi, the Okinawan Dance Group, and a bento box dinner. Tickets are $13.50 each, available from Joan Gomersall at 408.996.8050. Deadline for tickets is Sept. 8.
SHANGHAI FOR SILKS: Speaking of trips of Pacific Rim persuasion, Joan Gomersall and Louise Webb took a flying five-day trip to Shanghai this summer, saw something of the country and gave their wardrobes a decided boost.
The trip was a promotion sponsored by United Airlines and the price was unreal: $700, which included airfare, hotel, some meals and a half day tour of the city. They upgraded this package to a hotel closer to the main part of town and closer to the silk bazaar.
This last location was important because the two purchased material by the meter in the morning, were measured for fittings in the afternoon and the outfits were ready for try-ons by Saturday. "We designed the dresses as we talked about what we wanted," Gomersall says. This casual approach must have worked out well: Gomersall came home with 10 pieces, Webb with seven.
The travelers took a day-long sightseeing trip to Suzchow, which Gomersall describes as the Venice of China.
That way they could hand over their destinations in writing to the taxi drivers. And trust they would end up where they intended. Webb found the promotion for the trip in a newspaper and they had hoped to go in April, but it was sold out.
So when it appeared again they were already alerted, phoned immediately and took off soon afterward.
BARBECUE/AUCTION: The Saratoga Senior Center will hold a barbecue and auction Sept. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the center's parking lot. Auction prizes include a weekend in a Capitola condo, Napa Wine Train tickets for two, a Fenton electric guitar with sound system and items of interest to children, including pets. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for children. Call the center at408.868.1257 for more information or for tickets.
RIDING HIGH: Composer Craig Bohmler is riding high on a crest of successes these days. First off, he's been commissioned to do a millennium pageant for the Concord Pavilion based on the life of John Muir. "It's the coolest thing I've ever done," Bohmler enthuses.
And the biggest--a chorus of 100, cast of 28 and an orchestra of 27. The four performances will be Oct. 12-14 in Willows Theater, the biggest event the Concord Pavilion has ever undertaken. Mary Bracken Phillips is the lyricist/book writer.
Besides this, Bohmler's musical, Enter the Guardsman, will be the holiday offering at San Jose Rep starting Dec. 15, will be performed at the Laguna Playhouse on Nov. 6 and will open Ashland's 2001 season, the first musical ever to be presented at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival.
OPERA LECTURE: Speaking of things musical, opening San Jose Opera Guild's fall lecture series will be Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. at the Los Gatos History Club. Larry Hancock of Opera San Jose will speak on Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky. Cost of the talk is $10 for non-members, free to members. Luncheon is $7 for all. For more information: Alice Skurko at 408.356.7651.
NOTE: The dates for the Funtimes Singers show is Aug. 25 and 26 (not 26 and 27 as their flyer had it). It's 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Congregational Church.
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