| When I first met Mary Jane at the recent
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| | your home. My first visitors were a
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| Canadian-US Servas Conference in
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| | couple from Denmark, who helped me better
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| Vancouver, her youthful radiance struck
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| | understand what Servas represents.
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| me. I thought she might be in her early
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| | Because Servas was started in Denmark
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| fifties, and then she revealed that she
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| | under the name Peace Builders and later
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| is 70! No wonder - here is a woman who
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| | changed to the Esperanto word Servas to
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| exudes optimism, who always has a smile
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| | serve, I realized that the purpose of the
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| on her face. As a long-term member of
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| | organization was to build peace one
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| Servas in the United States, Mary Jane
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| | person at a time. That was for me!I have
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| has travelled the world, and by being a
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| | had over 300 Servas visitors in my 28
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| host she has brought the world into her
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| | years in Servas and have learned so much
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| home - in fact in almost 30 years she has
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| | from their questions about who I am, what
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| opened her home to around 300 travellers
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| | I believe, what the USA is or is not, and
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| from all over the world.Starting with her
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| | how much more there is to learn. There
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| childhood during WWII, growing up with a
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| | are many ways to travel and see other
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| mother from Austria-Hungary and a father
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| | places. One of the best ways to travel is
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| from Japan, Mary Jane's intercultural
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| | through the open wide ranging
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| sensitivities got sharpened very early,
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| | conversations with a travelers whether it
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| and her commitment to social justice
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| | be in their home or mine.3. Please tell
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| started when she was very young. Today
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| | us a few stories about some of the
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| she is involved in a whole range of
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| | international visitors that have stayed
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| causes in San Francisco and her time and
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| | at your home or travellers you connected
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| dedication are making a difference - Mary
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| | with, and tell us how some of these
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| Jane builds peace one person at a time.
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| | experiences have opened your eyes..The
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| Here is a dynamic woman with a truly
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| | Russian Connection:
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| interesting story:1. Please tell us a
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| | One of my visitors was a teacher in
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| little bit about yourself. Where are you
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| | Russia and wanted to see inside a San
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| from, what is your profession, where do
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| | Francisco public school. I arranged for
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| you live now?I was born and raised in
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| | him to visit a second grade class. The
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| Pennsylvania. My parents were college
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| | students enthusiastically welcomed him.
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| educated but were looked down upon by the
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| | He pulled up a bill out of his wallet and
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| locals as foreigners. My father was
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| | showed it to the class. He asked the
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| prevented from becoming a citizen due to
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| | class who the man was. Many hands went up
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| the federal 1924 Asian Exclusion Act
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| | and he discovered that they all thought
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| until the early 1950 when the law was
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| | the person to be Abraham Lincoln, because
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| changed.Mary JaneMy mother lost her
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| | he was on money and had a beard. But, no
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| citizenship because in the 1920s when my
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| | it was Lenin who was also famous but in
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| parents were married, a woman who married
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| | Russia. And where is Russia? Here on the
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| a foreign man would loose her
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| | map was Russia and here is San Francisco.
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| citizenship, no matter if she was a birth
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| | I came away with a conscious awaking
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| right citizen or a naturalized one. This
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| | about my cultural lens. As I look at
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| was not the case for men. Thus, my mother
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| | different situations as I travel, I may
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| was naturalized twice. This law was
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| | not perceive them correctly. I need to
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| eventually changed in the 1930s.
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| | reflect, discuss what I think I perceive
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| Citizenship and human rights became an
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| | and ask for clarification.
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| important issues in my life.As a first
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| | Discovering antique quilts at Esprit, of
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| generation American, with a mother from
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| | all places:
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| Austria-Hungary and a father from Japan,
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| | A Servas visitor from Australia, was an
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| you can imagine the stares we received as
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| | artist who wanted to see the wall
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| a mixed race family with a 5' 10"
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| | hangings at Esprit, a women's clothes
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| Caucasian mother and a 5' 6" Asian dad.
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| | designer and distributor. I said I did
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| You can't imagine how we were treated
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| | not think they had quilts but would call
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| growing up during W.W.II with a German
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| | to see if we could visit them. Much to my
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| speaking mother and a Japanese speaking
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| | surprise, the company headquarters was
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| father.As a child, I was familiar with
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| | filled with antique quilts, the company
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| discrimination in society. When a very
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| | provided a catalogue of their quilts
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| blue black Kenyan and a Japanese American
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| | which could be purchased and there were
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| from the Relocation Camps could not find
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| | open visiting hours. No, there was no
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| a place to rent in the
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| | publicity about this display and the
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| Philadelphia-Trenton area, they came to
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| | company preferred word of mouth. When we
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| live with us. And there were others that
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| | visited, I did not know as we walked
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| stayed with us over the years, but that
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| | through the large brick walled building
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| was before the 1964 Civil Right Act
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| | whether to look at the fabulous quilts or
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| disallowed discrimination.Although I
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| | at how the company headquarters was
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| wanted to be an engineer like my dad, I
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| | organized. I realized that these quilts
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| realized after my second year in college
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| | were made by women and were such designs
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| that this would not be possible. In the
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| | as white on white squares that would be
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| 1950 women were not considered for
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| | seen at the Museum of Modern Art a
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| engineering jobs. So when the Russians
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| | hundred or so years later. I realized
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| launched Sputnik, the United States
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| | that my visitor had shown me part of San
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| launched a recruitment drive for math and
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| | Francisco that I was completely unaware
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| science majors to become teachers.That is
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| | of, but thanks to her I learned about
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| how I was recruited into the education
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| | them. When the company was sold, the
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| profession where I have worked for over
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| | quilts were donated to a museum for all
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| 35 years. I had many roles related to
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| | to see.Learning about Tajikistan:
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| education in public and private schools,
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| | One of my most recent Servas visitors
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| at the university level and with the US
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| | was from Tajikistan. I must say I did not
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| Department of Education -- teaching,
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| | know anything about this country or even
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| educational program evaluation, gender
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| | where the country was on the map. So I
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| equity/civil rights/
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| | went to the World Fact Book developed by
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| de-segregation-integration, grant
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| | the CIA. Yes, the CIA which offers very
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| writing, budgeting and administration.
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| | current country specific information
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| Today, I am retired, but still work part
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| | freely on line. I learned that it was in
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| time as a Title I math tutor to enable
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| | Central Asia and formerly part of the
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| low achieving children to become
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| | Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union left,
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| successful in their regular classrooms.I
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| | there was no structure of government.
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| live in San Francisco which has a rich
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| | Tajikistan was destabilized by civil war
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| history of civil right activism and
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| | which has resulted in tremendous personal
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| provides many opportunities to support
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| | losses, economic crisis, deep poverty and
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| peace and social justice issues. My life
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| | other social problems. Tajikistan had the
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| is enriched by my many volunteer
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| | lowest per capita GDP of all the 15
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| activities.2 You have been a Servas
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| | former Soviet Republics. Muborak, my
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| member for many years now. How did you
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| | guest said that many have left Tajikistan
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| hear about this organization and what was
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| | for safety and economic reasons and they
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| your first travel experience like?As a
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| | send money home. For those that remain,
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| teacher you have a large block of time to
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| | the economy is very poor--the teachers
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| travel in the summer. One summer, I
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| | receive $2 per month, the physicians $5
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| visited Denmark and had the opportunity
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| | per month and the public servants do not
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| to have home hospitality though the Meet
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| | always receive their government pay
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| the Danes arranged by the Danish tourist
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| | checks. Under these conditions, bad
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| bureau. I was impressed by the experience
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| | things are happening.The whole interview
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| and all during my sabbatical trip round
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| | with photos is published at Travel and
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| the world, I kept searching for home
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| | Transitions - InterviewsSusanne Pacher is
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| hospitality opportunities.It was not
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| | the publisher of a website called Travel
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| until 1977, when a cousin from Austria
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| | and Transitions( Travel and Transitions
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| visited me here in San Francisco, told me
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| | deals with unconventional travel and is
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| how she was traveling around the US for 3
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| | chock full of advice, tips, real life
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| months with 5 others and visiting
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| | travel experiences, interviews with
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| Americans using Servas. I was delighted
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| | travellers and travel experts, insights
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| to discover such an organization existed
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| | and reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| and joined Servas immediately -- first as
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| | contests and many other features. You
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| a host and then as a traveler.My first
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| | will also find stories about life and the
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| travel experience with Servas was as a
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| host. Because I have a history of having
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| | our own personal life-long
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| people stay in my home, having Servas
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
|
| visitors came easy. It is only a two
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| night stay and a good conversation. Being
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| a host brings the travel experience into
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
|
