FALL 2006 NEWSLETTER (Thank you to production team of Nancy Hitchcock and DeVerne Jacobsen)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Rita Turek
Dear Friends of Sister City,
Our last newsletter was in
January. Since that time our local Sister City Committee has celebrated
Winterfest, sent two
delegations to Rubtsovsk and are preparing for an incoming delegation in
October. All of this work is done by members
and volunteers with a desire to be part of a collective voice to improve our
world.
The mission of Sister Cities
International is “To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding,
cooperation--one
individual, one community at a time.” Sister Cities is not only a way to
connect with the world outside Southern Oregon
but also to learn about each other right here at home.
Our Sister City Committee
meets monthly in relaxed open board meetings to plan and organize activities
that help us
grow our friendships and the organization. You will note in this newsletter that
the October 12th annual meeting invites
you all to join us at J.J. North’s, meet the Rubtsovsk delegation, and learn
more about Sister City. Please take the time
to attend . . . and bring a friend or two. Now is the time to become involved in
peace through people.
(pictures coming soon)
TWO DELEGATIONS VISIT RUBTSOVSK
Two groups of Grants Pass
folks recently visited our sister city. Lengthy planning stages preceded each
visit—nearly
two years from the initial idea to boarding the airplane! The “Public Safety
Delegation” spent two weeks in Rubtsovsk
and Moscow in late April. The “Youth Delegation” visited our sister city and
Moscow just after school was out in June.
Several members of these groups responded to our requests for newsletter
articles. Inside, we present excerpts.
These are only teasers; please read their entire articles and see more photos at
our web site,
http://www.grantspass-sistercity.com
GRANTS PASS HOSTS “OPEN WORLD” GROUP FROM RUBTSOVSK IN OCTOBER!
We have been selected by
Open World and Sister Cities International to host four young professionals in
Grants Pass
from October 6-14. This program has the theme of Healthy Communities, with the
subtheme of Social Services. Read
more on the back page. Community members are invited to meet these Rubtsovsk
young leaders at our Annual Meeting
on October 12, 5:30, at J. J. North’s Grand Buffet, Parkway and Beacon.
Brian Robinson, retired city
fire fighter and current fire science instructor, talked up a Rubtsovsk visit
for about a year
before commitments were made last fall. Grants Pass Fire Commander Brian Pike
and public safety officer Tony
Strickland joined Robinson, along with retired district attorney Clay Johnson
and his wife Huong, for a two-week visit in
late April.
This group had an incredibly
busy schedule, as they visited with fire and police officers, celebrated
Firefighters’ Day, and
observed courtrooms. They also met with university law students and
English-language students, visited local museums,
traveled to a Russian forest and experienced banya (sauna) and other Russian
customs.
All these delegates grew up
during the Cold War, and were very curious how life had changed for Rubtsovsk
citizens
since the Soviet era. They were able to talk with their host families about
these questions, and to share their own
experiences regarding the Cold War.
Clay Johnson writes about
his impressions of the Soviet Union as he was coming of age in the 1950’s, his
continuing
curiosity about Russia and Russians, and his study of the Russian language as
well as a couple of trips to Russia over
the years. His visit to Rubtsovsk, however, was the first time he could live
with a Russian family and feel free to talk
about so many feelings and issues:
“After my higher education,
my wife and I decided . . . to see some faraway places. Part of this adventure
was two
weeks in the Soviet Union and on the Trans-Siberian railway, in December of
1976. This was a fabulous trip, but I was
still a tourist. How could I really get to know the people and the country?
“This May, my dream came
true. I went to Rubtsovsk. I lived with a couple my age. We talked about the
cold war.
We showed old pictures. We ate feast after feast. I drank a bit too much
vodka. I endured the Russian sauna (banya),
including the flogging of one’s body with birch twigs. I experienced first hand
the day-to-day living of the average Russian.
I made lifetime friends. I will never be the same. The sister city program
gave me one of my life’s most treasured
experiences. Thank you!”
Brian Pike writes about his
Russian host family, the good food, and the warmth he found in Siberia. He
lived with the
Rubtsovsk Fire Chief, Pyotr, and his family:
“By the time Pyotr got home
(from work), we had the family photo album out, and I was learning about their
family, their
hobbies and the family pet. Yeska is a Siamese who did not get the word that
the cold war is over. . . . As far as he was
concerned, I was an intruder in his domain.
“My Russian family, though,
welcomed me with open arms and treated me like a king. I think I gained ten
pounds while
I stayed with them. The food was very good. Lots of fresh veggies, cheese,
fruit and bread with every meal. Wonderful
soups, tasty meat-filled dumplings. It was all good! The most interesting
thing I ate was one morning for breakfast,
I found a dish of salmon roe on the table. They eat it with bread and butter. .
. .
“I found the Russian people
as a whole to be very curious about Americans. What do we like to do? What are
our hobbies?
What are our families like? The biggest question was, “Why are you here in
Rubtsovsk?” The next most common question
when we were addressing groups was “How much money do you make?” It led to some
interesting discussions about
the American tax system and the general cost of living, which in some ways is
much, much higher here in the U.S.
compared to Rubtsovsk. . . .
“Too soon it was time to say our farewells. There were hugs and some tears as we departed Rubtsovsk for our four-hour
van ride to Barnaul and then
on to Moscow. In all, this was one of those benchmark experiences in your life
when you
pause to reflect about what life is all about. Is it about success? Wealth?
Obtaining more “stuff”? I made new friends
(we email weekly), ate some great food, found an appreciation for the
hard-working people of Russia, and can’t wait to
return someday. A pretty successful trip, I’d say.”
YOUTH DELEGATION IN SIBERIA
Five local teens spent the
first two weeks of their summer vacation in Siberia. Garrett, Emily, Breanne,
Tamara, and
Lianna represent three area high schools: North Valley, Grants Pass, and Hidden
Valley. All are returning to their schools
this fall, and we trust they will be sharing their Russian experiences and
adventures with their classmates and teachers.
Ruth Pepple and Rachel
Parker planned this trip over the course of a year, recruited students, met
often to prepare the
students for a positive experience, and accompanied them on a whirlwind trip.
They arrived in Rubtsovsk just in time to
participate in an all-night high-school graduation party—a perfect activity for
jet-lagged western hemisphere folks.
Our students had prepared
some projects to do with kids at an orphanage camp they visited, and they
presented a
Grants Pass Rotary Club donation for uniforms and shoes to a special soccer team
composed of handicapped young
people. Rachel Parker wrote that “the coach was so thrilled that he had tears
in his eyes as he hugged each of our kids
during the presentation.” Ruth Pepple’s emotional high point was watching the
soccer game where our youth, members
of this team, and several Russian adults played together.
Below are excerpts of articles written by Tamara, Breanne, and Rachel. You can read the full articles on the website.
http://www.grantspass-sistercity.com (coming soon)
Tamara enjoyed her host
family. The son, Alex, studies English at a special school, and Tamara plans to
stay in touch
with her family for as long as she can. The delegation did many group
activities, but had considerable time at home and
on outings with their host families, so they each had unique experiences.
“With the whole group, I
enjoyed the lake the most. It was interesting that you can stand in the lake,
far from shore,
and still have your head out of the water. With my host family, my favorite
experience of the whole trip, was the biologist
station. I love animals, and I would like to be a wildlife biologist, so this
place really hit the spot for me. The man in charge
of the place allowed me to go into most of the enclosures. I was only a foot
away from a golden eagle and a species of
hawk I didn't recognize. I was able to hold one of the four snakes that he had
there. He even had a chick of some type of
bird-of-prey. There is a vulture that has been there since 1982. They also have
80 species of plants from all over the world
that they research. I was in heaven.”
Breanne was able to spend lots of time outdoors with her family; everyone seemed ready to enjoy the summer weather:
“I visited the countryside
my second day there and I had an amazing time. It was so beautiful and we had a
lot of fun.
We did a lot of swimming and A LOT of eating. They never stop eating in
Russia! We also got to climb some rocks
and look at different views of the lake from up high. It was pretty amazing.
The lake water was crystal clear and very
clean. I really enjoyed going to some of the different lakes around the area.
“One of the days we were
there we got to go to a camp. There were so many kids there and it definitely
changed the
way I look at things. While I was there I met this really sweet girl. She was
only 8 years old and she held my hand
everywhere I went. She showed me where she slept and some things they do while
they are there and it’s so much
different from us. When I
went to leave she squeezed my hand and started crying; she told me that she
loves me and
that she would never forget this day! I am really glad I got to visit the camp
because it made me realize that there are
a lot of people who don’t have a lot of things that we do, and it made me see
how much we take for granted.”
Breanne says that Moscow was
an incredible experience. The group was there for three days, seeing the
historical
sights and figuring out the subway system. She closes her article:
“Overall, the trip was an
amazing experience that I will never forget . . . I am really glad that I got an
opportunity to go
with the delegation. None of us really knew each other before we went, and by
the end of the trip we all became really
close. . . . We all still keep in touch with each other as well as with our
host families in Russia. . . I also keep in touch
with some of the families the other kids stayed with. This was kind of a once in
a lifetime opportunity and I am really
glad that I got to go!”
Rachel writes of some of the changes since the Cold War era:
“This was my second trip to
Russia. In 1984 I traveled for three weeks with a group who was promoting peace
and
understanding. This was during the time when the country was under communist
rule. The contrasts between then and
now were remarkable in a number of ways. Gone was the feeling of being watched
all of the time. Though there continues
to be a curiosity about people in America, a new openness is apparent in that
Russians can now talk openly with
foreigners without fear of retribution of any kind. The general atmosphere of hopelessness has been lifted and people
believe that they have a future that they can look forward to. This is apparent when they smile and share conversations
with unrestrained feelings.”
Rachel’s host family had lived in Seattle for a short time six years ago, after the mother had worked a few years for Alaska
Airlines in the 90’s, when there were direct flights between Seattle and the Russian Far East. They were able to have
many interesting conversations about the similarities and differences between Russia and the U.S., and between pre-
and post- perestroika times.
Rachel served for six years on the sister city board of directors, and hosted Inna, a high-school student from Rubtsovsk
four years ago. She was able to visit with Inna, who is attending university out of town. Rachel was happy to finally have
the opportunity to go to
Rubtsovsk:
“. . . Now, having been there, I truly have a better understanding of the deep relationships that have developed over the
years from all the exchanges that have taken place. Though our lives in the U.S. are different in many ways from our
Rubtsovsk friends’ lives, we share the desire to be friends and learn more about each other. These relationships will be
imprinted in our hearts forever. We are alike more than we are different, and the gift of friendship will be cherished and
nourished as delegations
continue to come and go between our two cities.”
A RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
By Lianna
Even though I had been told countless times what to expect when visiting Rubtsovsk, it still didn't prepare me for my visit.
I have traveled to several different countries as a tourist, but this was my first experience actually staying with another
family, and I definitely got a different understanding.
My first impression of Russia in general (to be honest) was not very good. Upon our arrival, our luggage was lost in Los
Angeles. We had been traveling for 24 hours and the time difference was complete opposite to back home. I was miserable
and home sick but as soon as
I met my family it was a complete turn around.
My family was Sasha, Lena and Ann and they welcomed me with open arms. Language was a problem with my family,
because my 'parents' did not speak English and Ann's was very basic. We learned to communicate by hand motions,
pointing and using a lot of English-Russian dictionaries. Food was also quite an experience. I'm not a picky eater by
any means but everything we ate was new and different, even the type of water they drank was new to me. We ate lots
of borsch at our house and it's definitely the food I liked the most.
My favorite activity was visiting the summer camp. Rachel had brought all kinds of activities and crafts from Grants Pass
and when we got there we separated the kids up into groups and we each got an activity to do with our group. I had a
group of about 15 girls ranging in age from around 7 to 14, and we made bead necklaces. They were a huge hit! Even
though we couldn't communicate with words, the smiles and joy on their faces said it all. We also visited a lake several
times that was about an hour and a half outside of Rubtsovsk. We swam, learned how to play Russian games, had picnics
and had a great time
together.
I have to say the thing that amazed me the most about our trip was what a different lifestyle they live compared to us.
They appreciate everything they have so much more than we do because they have to work so much harder for it.
They live so simply, no new technology (except for an occasional computer and TV), and they grow most of what they eat.
Our trip also made me appreciate so much more the freedoms and country that we live in. No teenagers drive because
it's too dangerous, smoking and heavy drinking are socially acceptable and apartments are the most common form of housing.
The best part of the trip was I didn't get just one side of Russia but two. We spent 8 days in Rubtsovsk and 3 days in
Moscow. The Moscow part of our trip was where we got to do all the touristy things and I got to know the other people
who went with me a whole lot better. We made so many memories in such a short period of time, from getting locked in
a bedroom, to learning how to decipher the metro system (I'm the master by the way), and also experiencing Red Square
and all the history it has to offer. We took a boat ride down the Moscow River and a bus tour to all of the major attractions
of the city. All in all it was not only an experience of a lifetime but also an amazing experience to see how another part
of the world really lives.
YOUTH DELEGATION THANKS COMMUNITY DONORS
By Ruth Pepple
Thank you to the contributors named below and others for your support of this youth delegation.
Rob and Mary Hambleton of Soul Canyon donated an evening of information and exercises about self identity and using
those gifts to assist in
understanding team concept .
Two businesses contributed to the delegation’s classy nametags in both English and Russian. Katia Ogan of Liturgical
Vestments provided the Russian translation in several choices of fonts for Lowell Gibson of Recognition Specialties to
provide the finished
project, which was a pleasure to wear.
Carey’s of Oregon gave us a discount on candy, which helped us share the gift of Grants Pass with Rubtsovsk.
Partnering with this delegation, Grants Pass Rotary Club demonstrated to the citizens of Rubtsovsk how non-profits
support those who are less fortunate. They donated funds to purchase soccer equipment for the handicapped soccer
team and the supplies we took to the orphanage summer camp where we played with the children and camp staff. The
donation made our participation a memorable event for both Russians and Americans.
With the change the exchange rate and increased prices this summer, the gift from the Active Club made it possible for
the students’ costs to be more nearly what was expected. Many friends also donated items for the garage sale to offset
these unexpected costs.
Evergreen Federal contributed books and pins from this summer’s public art display, and real estate offices and others
offered pens and other small
items that could be handed out to students of School #1.
Marilyn Somics of TravelHost helped us make airline arrangements.
We thank all community members for their interest, shown by words of support and questions about the results. This is
part of such a rewarding
experience.
MORE CHILDREN’S BOOKS
SHIPPED TO RUBTSOVSK
Thanks to donors at Winterfest, two more “M Bag” shipments of books are on their way to the Central Rubtsovsk Library.
Library Director Nina
Fominykh wrote to thank us for a 60-pound shipment they received in December.
At Winterfest, Ruth Pepple provided bookplates for donors to write their name in selected books to provide shipping costs
for the remaining 120 pounds of books collected in 2005 by students in the South Middle School Builders’ Club. Donors
include Morgan Williams, Carol Ponte, Leatha Button, Maxine Davis, Christina Swanson, Robert Frantz, Judy Bunner,
Barbara Paulson, Dennis Stanley, Jean Brown, Susan Jordan, and Sylvia McLoughlin. We mailed these books in late
March. It may be several
months more before these arrive in our sister city library.
We shipped one other donation this year. Surgical sutures donated by Three Rivers Hospital were shipped via the
Nazarene Ministry of Portland. After six months, four cartons of sutures were received by the Bragins, Rubtsovsk
physicians who hosted Rita
and Tom Turek in 2004.
NEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR SISTER
CITY
The following people have volunteered to serve on the Grants Pass Sister City Committee Board of Directors, beginning in
October. At the annual meeting that month, members will be able to cast ballots for new directors to replace those going
off the board. The twelve-member board meets monthly to plan and implement our projects. All are welcome at these
meetings and are encouraged
to talk with a board member about ideas for future projects and involvement.
Judy Gosnell has a long-standing interest in Russia and world peace through citizen diplomacy. She has traveled to
Russia several times, and is a retired teacher. She served briefly on the board several years ago, and has developed
and maintained our web site
since then.
Brian Robinson, a retired firefighter and current fire sciences instructor at
RCC, organized the public-safety delegation
to Rubtsovsk this spring.
Tom Turek, physician, was a member of the Heart-to-Heart medical delegation to
Rubtsovsk in 2004. He has continued
to be active in the
organization since then.
Clay Johnson, recently retired attorney, was part of the public-safety
delegation in April. Although he can't start serving
on the board until Jan 2007, he says that he wants to help an organization that gave him an incredible opportunity.
Please send corrections to webmaster.