Saratoga Sampler

Brazilian transplant dives into life in her new home

By Mary Ann Cook

THE FULL LIFE: Sonia Fuentes, 43, a recent transplant from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Saratoga, is a psychologist who had to rearrange her life drastically when her husband was transferred here eight months ago with his job.

Since she felt her English was pretty spotty (her only contact being two years living in England), she almost immediately signed up for English classes at De Anza College. But that was just the start. Beyond that, she's been taking neuroscience and psychiatric courses at Stanford to keep up with advances in her field.

In addition, she's taking UCLA extension classes in psychoneuro immunology and stress management. On the extracurricular side, she takes exercise classes and is a member of the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary. Total involvement in life is obviously her doctrine.

Her philosophy is that general well-being and environment affect one's mental health and that both body and mind need to be engaged. In Sao Paulo she lectured on such topics as how to manage stress, the quality of life, psychosomatic illnesses, kinesiology and massage therapy.

With her background in psychology and her eagerness to improve her English, the critical-care waiting room was a natural fit for her volunteer support work at El Camino Hospital. The auxiliary can always use volunteers. The phone number is 650.940.7214.

The Fuentes family lineup includes three offspring--a daughter is studying marine biology in Australia, older son enrolled in pre-med at Duke University, and the younger son in high school here.

ARTS ALUMS TO PERFORM: An Alumni Benefit Concert to help raise funds for the new Saratoga High Performing Arts and Lecture Center will be held Nov. 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater at the high school. Tickets at the door are $25. The new center will be built on the high school front lawn.

Alums in the performing arts will entertain. Those signed on already are vocalists Danielle Cohen, Blake Howe, Chelsea Purvis and Amy and Keri Klayko. Also performing are pianist/vocalists Cynthia Shih and Erik Johnstone; guitarist/vocalist David Herman; and actor Jim Van Over.

PAINTING PAIN: The works of Saratoga artist Nacera Guerin are showing at the West Valley College Gallery through Nov. 30. The paintings and ceramic sculptures depict a series of three women, all from different concentration camps, but all of whom share the same pain.

Although this is the 21st century, humans continue to perpetrate unspeakable crimes against others, the artist says. These paintings are designed with the hope that they can help people try to figure out how humanity can move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened age.

ENDOWMENT: The Tomodachi Endowment of West Valley College was created by students of Saratogan Ms. Tomoe Doss' Japanese language classes. This is the first time in the school's history that students in a language program have created a fund to promote the language.

Some $6,000 has been raised, thanks mainly to a $5,000 seed grant from Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer. The students are hoping to raise $25,000. The funds will be administered by the West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation, the organization that funds scholarships.

DEAN'S LIST: On the dean's list at Santa Clara University is Thomas Andrew Davies, a senior and '98 grad of Bellarmine. He is the son of Holly and Tom Davies of Saratoga. The elder Tom Davies is a lawyer whose office is on Big Basin Way.

MUSIC TRENDS TALK: Next in the Foothill Club Lecture Series is Richard Aldag, speaking on American Classical Music at the Turn of the 21 Century: Where Are We? Where Do We Go from Here? The talk will be held Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. at the clubhouse, 20399 Park Place.

Professor Aldag is co-founder and former director of the Silicon Valley Youth Conservatory. Recent trends in music and living, homegrown composers will be his focus in the talk. A donation of $6 is requested. For more information, call 408.354.2527 or 408.867.2361.

NEW GALLERY: A new gallery, The GoldHorse Gallery, 15473 Winchester, Monte Sereno, opened last weekend and features the work of local artist Elizabeth Parashis. The show, called Electric Bodies of Light and Spirit, features male and female nudes.

Parashis coordinates the models for artist John Pugh's workshop and for the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Co. drawing group.

CONCERT: Opera star Maria Spacagna will make her first West Coast appearance at a concert at Los Gatos High, Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. The famed soprano will sing Five Love Songs, specifically composed for her by childhood friend (and Saratogan) Henry Mollicone. Mollicone will also be her accompanist.

The first part of the program will feature works by Bellini, sung in Italian; Joaquin Rodrigo, sung in Spanish; and Verdi's Ave Maria from Othello. Works by Puccini, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers are also on the program. The concert is being sponsored by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Concert Association.

Contacts are Ray Strong at 408.377.1106 and Lea Frey at 408.356.5698.

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