October Adventure in Dining: the Oak Doll

Thirteen of us went to the Oak Doll, a Korean place. They put out a buffet for us. Outstanding!

La Flor de Michoacan

Our August Adventures in Dining was at La Flor de Michoacan in Natomas. Great papusas! If you go there, we strongly advise you call in your order in advance.

Photo album of Arts in River Park 2007

Arts in River Park

Music Video at Queen of Sheba restaurant

Adventures in Dining at Queen of Sheba 5/17/07

5/17/07 Adventures in Dining at Queen of Sheba

Setting up the Internation Taxi at Arts in River Park

International Taxi

2007 Campout

Let it rain. It’s hard to believe that we enjoyed such a beautiful, sunny day at the Goat Roast. By mid-June wildflowers should be abundant at Stampede Reservoir for our next campout. Trout will be awakening from winter’s nap and the sun shall shine upon us all.

When: We have reserved the evenings of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 14, 15 and 16,2006. We’ll leave on Sunday, the 17th.

Where: Stampede Reservoir, Emigrant Springs Group Camp in Woodsman Loop

What to bring: Potluck in the evenings; on your own for breakfast and lunches except Sunday breakfast at which time I'll provide pancakes. If you'd like something else to go with the pancakes bring it along to share.

Bring several logs for the campfire. Don't forget lawn chairs, your camping hat, bug juice, fishing rod and reel and angry but sweet talking worms.

As at the Goat Roast, we will probably do stenciled t-shirts. I solicit anyone to come up with a design for our 11th Campout. Please do so soon as I have to make the stencils.

Things to do: Swimming for polar bears, relaxing under the pines, talk to friends, fishing, boating (bring it if you have), hiking, and explore the wonders of wildflowers.

Where, again: Go toward and past Truckee. Turn off at Hirshdale exit, crossing the highway, pass Boca Reservoir and follow signs turning left where it says Stampede. The Group site is the first camping area after you pass over the Dam on the right side of the road.

Of Note: You will find ample parking, plenty of places to pitch a tent, some RV parking and a close proximity to the lake.

Please RSVP ASAP. As we near the time, emails will only be sent to those who do.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Picnic in the Foothills, August 19. Again, it will be in Foresthill.

Howard

530 888-7335

A great photo from the Goat Roast by Heidi Steger

To see more of her photos, click here.

2007 Goat Roast

Adventures in Dining at Kathmandu Kitchen 4-20-07

April enews is up

Read it here.

Important matters for the Goatroast

How ‘bout a Goatroast 2007 tee-shirt?

Marlene and I will make up the stencil. The image attachment will give you a close proximity as to how it will look. All black lettering will show as transparent on the stencil and colored fabric paint squeegeed over a silkscreen will fill it in. We’re presuming that it will take little time to dry; afterwards splashes of colors applied with a paintbrush will provide the fill-in colors, e.g. pick body, red hat and purple fluff.

This is intended to go on the back of a tee shirt (sweat shirt or whatever) and is approx 8x10.

If you want one, just bring a tee shirt with you and one for each of your kids. Wash and dry your tee shirt before you bring it to rid the fabric of any sizing residue from the manufacturer. I would you suggest a colored tee shirt just in case we decide on white as the first color application.

Lastly, raise your hands if you think that this is a winning idea and you’re going to bring a shirt for stenciling. This will help us in preparations. And, if you’re forgotten to let me know that you’re coming to the Goatroast, SHOUT!

Last note: It is time to make sure that the Campout is on your calendar for 14-17 June (rsvp). The last email from Sac Val RPCV indicated that “reservations required”; Not true. Reservation was made 9 months ago. Just rsvp and come!

Howard 530 888-7335

Pictures from last year's Goat Roast

Goat Roast 2006

If this whets your appetite, contact Howard at hkoons@infostations.net to sign up for this year's Goat Roast.

Music video from the bar television at Habibi

Adventures in Dining at Habibi 3-16-07

Adventures in Dining at Habibi 3/16/07

Current enews

Read the March enews here.

Next Adventures in Dining

March 16 7 pm Adventures in Dining: Habibi Cafe 7336 Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael, (916) 979-9400 Email Audrey to tell her you are coming.

Volunteers Needed to Host International Visitors

The Northern California World Trade Center is applying to be the local host for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The IVLP is a State Department-funded program that brings future foreign leaders to the United States. We are seeking to develop a list of volunteers in the Sacramento region who are interested in promoting citizen diplomacy - improving international relations "one handshake at a time." The international visitors spend two to three weeks in our country, visiting various cities in the U.S. They learn about a variety of topics, depending on their professional experience and interests. The goal of the program is to promote improved relations between the U.S. and our overseas partners. Volunteers are needed to provide "home hospitality" to international visitors. This means inviting visitors to your home for a meal, or inviting them out to dinner, or taking them to a concert, art gallery event, or a Kings or Rivercats game. You will be helping the visitors get to know Americans on an individual basis. For more information, please visit http://exchanges.state.gov/education/ivp/. For information on the Northern California World Trade Center, please visit http://www.norcalwtc.org. If you are interested, please call or e-mail Michele Gault and provide your name, e-mail address, and phone number. See contact info below.

Michele Gault

Executive Director

Northern California World Trade Center

One Capitol Mall, Suite 300

Sacramento, California 95814

Direct: +1 916 319-4276

Fax: +1 916 443-2672

mgault@norcalwtc.org

www.norcalwtc.org

Take Your Business Global! Learn about opportunities for selling your products or services internationally at the NCWTC's "Exporting Fundamentals" seminar, March 8, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. More info

Final Two Peace Corps General Information Meetings of Winter Quarter

Wednesday, March 7^th 5:20 pm

Soc Sci 1100 (Auditorium)

Wednesday, March 14^th 5:20 pm

Soc Sci 1100 (Auditorium)

RPCVs are always welcome to attend and discuss their experiences with the guests.

Jack Knettle

Peace Corps campus coordinator

Internship and Career Center, 230 South Hall

Telephone: 752-8234

jknettle@ucdavis.edu

Winter Quarter office hours:

Tuesdays 11-3 and Thursdays 1-3. 

Peace Corps is a 27-month commitment that gives the volunteers
international professional experience, a substantial benefits
package, and the adventure of a lifetime. Our volunteers provide
technical development advice and efforts to their communities;
create a good image of Americans in foreign lands; and return to
the United States as part of a body of citizens versed and skilled
in cross-cultural relations. 

The Goat Roast

That's G-O-A-T R-O-A-S-T, as in PIG.

It's hard to shed our earlier vision of the sub-terrain, roasting goat with a ring of salivating, hungry RPCVs and families awaiting excavation. So, we'll retain the "Goat Roast" vision but most likely substitute pig for goat. Perhaps we should more appropriately be calling it Luau. Pork may be the carnivore's choice of the two, but for those adverse to all meat there will be plenty of dishes from which to choose. Was there ever a RPCV potluck where this was not true? One thing for sure that RPCV-training, or in-country service accomplished is the production of great international cooks! I will also be repeating last year's smoked turkey. It had the strange phenomenon of completely disappearing by the time I had finished carving.

This email is your second reminder. Set Sunday, April 29, aside, two months from today. It's Goat Roast, Pig Roast, Luau Day at my house. You may invite friendly friends and family. It starts at 5:00AM when the pyre is lit and progresses throughout the day until bodies full bellies barely navigate back home.

Those not wanting to miss the initial phase are invited to spend the night Saturday. To help in preparations, please RSVP with the number in your party as soon as you know who's coming.

Hope to see you. (And, don't forget the 3-night, 4-day RPCV Campout at Stampede Reservoir starting 14 June! Again, open to all.)

Howard Koons

Malaysia in the 60's

530 888-7335

Faith shows how to wear a sari

For Peace Corps Day, Faith Boucher and Mark Stivers went to St. Francis Elementary. Here Faith shows how to put on a sari.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Poster Day at UCDavis

Friday, February 23, is Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Poster Day at UCDavis. Jack Knettle, PC Campus Coordinator is seeking RPCV's to participate in this event. He would like to have posters with pictures of your PC experiences, as well as how their PC experiences have led to other opportunities in your lives. Other possibilities include power point presentations, slide shows, and displays of artifacts from your PC experience. Other ideas are welcome.

The show runs from 11am to 3pm, and he will appreciate any amount of time you can give. If you can contribute, or know of someone who can, please contact Jack Knettle at jknettle@ucdavis,edu His phone number is 530-752-8234.

February enews

Click here to read the full text.

Adventures in Dining at Symposium

For a change, we went to a restaurant in Davis and thereby got some Davis people who we hadn't seen before. Big fun!

Letters home from the Peace Corps

Peace Corps Writers has agreed to edit a collection of Peace Corps letters to be published as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. We are happy to say we will be advised in this project by Andrew Carroll, editor of the best selling books of “war letters,” featuring the extraordinary correspondence of American soldiers from many eras. Andrew Carroll is the Executive Director of the American Poetry & Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization he co-founded with the late Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky, which distributes free books throughout the country to promote literacy.
read more...

Brenda Jew Waters' pictures of Midwinter Dinner

Brenda's Midwinter Dinner pictures

Kiva.org

I just made a loan to a small Third World business using a website called Kiva.

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the business is going.

When the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

Photos from Midwinter Dinner

2007 Midwinter Dinner

Midwinter Dinner

The midwinter dinner had even better food and entertainment than last year. The latter was provided by the Sakura Minyo Kai dance group (see video below).

RPCVs wanted for Peace Corps Day

Hi there,

My name is Kim Frisella (Guatemala 98-2000) and I teach at St. Francis Elementary School in Midtown Sacramento. I am hoping to post a message in the next SacValley RPCV newsletter. I am looking for about 6 RPCVs to speak to grades 3-8 on Peace Corps Day. I have hosted this day the past few years (not last year as I had just had a baby!) and would like to continue the tradition. I don't have a date yet, but if the message can be posted, I will organize with the speakers and find a good day we can all agree on (end of Feb./beg. of March). Hope this all makes sense.

Thanks a lot,

Kim

nopetsx2@yahoo.com