Chinese Exchange Students
Dear Editor: This Christmas holiday, two fabulous Chinese girls will be with us in town. They are from Kunming, Yunan province, in the South of China. Kunming is a place called “spring city” because it has four seasons of “spring.” It’s a warm place with flowers blooming all year long. The two girls are exchange students at MEHS. They want to say hi to town and make more friends here.
One girl’s name is Sally, Chinese name is YANG, Jinglin.
She says, “My first impression of Sitka is friendliness and enthusiasm started with the first day I came here, which totally drove all my concerns and worries away. I enjoyed the gentle life pace here a lot: the type of life that allows me to sit in a café spending a whole afternoon enjoying a pleasant shaft of sunshine with accompany of a piece of bewitching music. Besides, people here are so warmhearted and helpful; they always try their best to help each other and follow their words. I shall never forget the local concert I watched with Summer and the Radio Theater performance held by Sitka Drama Community, because they were so amazing and made me realize that everyone has its own special way to shine and nothing is impossible with the power of cooperation.
Worth mentioning, I pretty appreciate I got a chance to play the Chinese Zither for my dear classmates and teachers at MEHS during Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been learning this traditional Chinese instrument, which is called “Gu Zheng” in Chinese for five years, so I really want to introduce it to everyone due to my deep love with it. I really hope everyone can enjoy my performance. In the Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s my honor to give a presentation to the Chinese classes here in my school to show them the origin of this festival and how do people celebrate it. During Alaska Day, with Summer’s help, I became part of the Chinese Dragon parade wearing traditional Chinese dress, holding the well-designed dragon sign and walking in the crowd. I’m so proud of myself for being a Chinese girl who got the opportunity to live in Sitka.
In a word, for me, Sitka is not only the paradise of humans, but also the silent shelter of dreamers. Most essentially, it is a place that I shall remember forever.”
Another beautiful Chinese girl’s name is PU, Yangxuehe. She wants you to know her.
“I’m Yangxuehe Pu, you can also call me Judy. There are 56 nationalities in China. They all have their own culture. I am from one of the ethnic minorities, called “the Hani nationality.” I started traditional Chinese dance when I was six. I really love dancing and singing. When I’m alone, I’d like to listen to the music, and sing along with it.
Actually, I’m not confident enough when I came here. Soon, I got homesick. Surprisingly, people in Sitka are very nice and friendly. They chat with me, share things with me. When I have problems, they often give me their helping hands. This is my first time to Sitka, Alaska, to experience many different customs. There are many differences between Sitka and my hometown. Sitka is cold to me.
There are snows on the top of mountains even in a sunny day. Kunming is around with mountains, however, Sitka is near to the sea. Many people have their own ships. It is so cool to go fishing in the sea. If I have a chance, I do want to go fishing with them.
What the most amazing thing is that without too much pollution, the view in Sitka just like the picture that is painted by a famous artist. I’m so glad to come here for the whole school year, and I’m also looking forward to more amazing things that will happen to me in Sitka!”
The two girls will be spending the Christmas vacation in Sitka while most of their MEHS classmates will be going home for the holidays. They would really enjoy the opportunity to meet more Sitka families and to share their Christmas customs and celebrations. If you are willing to invite them to share a little time with your family or at an event that you are attending, I think you will find it a fun and rewarding experience. You can contact me at 738-5092 or ssummer_shen@hotmail.com.
Summer Mayo, Sitka
Fish Lunches
Dear Editor: In this season of gratitude I am reminded of the locally-sourced fish lunches provided through the Sitka Conservation Society’s successful partnership with the Sitka School District. This program has expanded to once a week in all schools thanks to state funding, and it is a joy to see students enjoying truly nutritious food on lunch trays every Wednesday. It is my hope we will continue to fund programs like Fish to Schools that support local fisherman and provide nutritious meals for our children.
Thank you to the Sitka fishermen whose contributions are essential in making this program a model for schools around Southeast!
Rebecca Himschoot, Sitka
Christmas Dinner
Dear Editor: We have been having a community Christmas dinner for over 30 years. Isabella Brady, former president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, started this dinner for the community so that there would be a place for people that were missing their families in the villages and the lower 48 to get a delicious meal. She also hoped to help out the homeless who had no place to go for a Christmas dinner. Delivering meals to the shut-ins, police and fire departments who had to work on this special day was also one of her goals.
As camp mother Margaret Gross Hope stated at our ANS meeting three weeks ago when she was advocating to save this dinner and have it remain as a legacy of Isabella Brady’s life’s work, ‘‘the whole thing took off and became one of the highlights of the season, we’ve always had a Christmas dinner.” And she is so right. There are not too many other functions in our community where you can see people from all walks of life getting together to share a meal on such a special day. You practically see everyone you know, as many come for not only the delicious meal but the wonderful social aspect of the season. No matter what your religious or spiritual affiliation is or not, you will be greeted with a warm welcome. People drop in from 1-4 p.m., come and leave at will, and enjoy the magical decorations, holiday music and the Christmas spirit. And the best part is, a volunteer smiles and says, ‘‘Please have a seat, we will serve you.’’
I am happy to report that Gary and Tamara of Foreign Automotive Repair have donated $250 to support our dinner. Chef John Gallagher has agreed to be the kitchen manager and oversee the prep cooks. Things are rolling along, considering we got such a late start. We are still in need of more donations if we are going to have this dinner and a Santa Claus with presents as in the past.
Also in the past, whereever you sat, there was a Christmas ornament or knickknacks in front of you and you were invited to take it home or trade with your neighbor while munching on candy, nuts and fruit. I have a full scope view of this dinner and it is my intention to carry out all the traditions of the days gone by. Another tradition, is everyone volunteers and nobody gets paid. Families spend their morning together and come and help out together in the afternoon teaching their children the value of community service.
We will have a meeting this Thursday at the ANB Founders Hall at 6:30 p.m. We need your help. Please come and keep this community legacy alive for our children and their children.
Christmas blessings to all.
Debe K. Brincefield, Chairperson
Sitka Community Christmas Dinner
