Visalia Breakfast Rotary - Visalia Breakfast Rotary News

One of our newest Members, Jesse Casillas gets his blue badge after completion of the red badge requirements.
	Our business of the week was presented by Tiffany and Andre Edmonds. They have just opened Tiffany's Luxury Medi-Spa offering standard spa therapies plus aesthetic medical procedures.
Chuck Barnes gets inducted as "Mr. Costner". Apparently, Chuck's wife, Michelle dated Kevin Costner back in high school
	Larry Jones was also inducted into the Aviators Club as Kazcinsky. He and some buddies lit off some firecrackers while attending Pepperdines LA campus, but Larry never knew how the story got out.
David Lopez was our program for the week. David runs the Tulare County Youth Boot Camp which, through hard work and excercise, attempts to get through to some of our hardened teenagers with tough work and one-on-one counseling.

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January 21st

Regular Club Meeting

Lloyd Hicks, who is heading our Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts updated the club on our progress. As of today, the club members have donated $4500 which will be sent to Rotary International's Relief Fund. That fund will distribute those funds by utilizing District 7020 (Caribbean) to get the relief to where it will be best utilized. They are aimed at immediate relief as well as long-term rebuilding.
	Today was President Matt's birthday. So, in VBR fashion, his wife hijacked the meeting and had some fun at Matt's expense.
During the birthday celebration, Matt's daughters Emily and Sarah sang a beautiful song while pictures throughout Matt's life scrolled on the screen.
	Matt's reaction to the whole things. (I don't think he likes to lose the control)
Dan Boken was inducted today into the Aviators Club. Dan actually was a professional beach volleyball player, who only played one game officially and never got paid for it. "Stryker".
	Jim Preston was also inducted as "Papa Smurf", which of course is a natural fit.
Bruce Kiesling, Conductor for the Tulare County Symphony was our program this morning. Bruce gave us an awesome update on happenings with the symphony. But, the real treat came when he spoke about his "other" career composing music for Hollywood movies. This was a great program!

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Letters from our Exchange Students abroad

Hello, everyone!

So, I know I say this every month, but wow... I think this was the quickest month yet. I really feel like I just wrote my last update. I hope everyone has been enjoying 2010 so far! I certainly have! :)

New Years is so much fun here. Really, America, we've been going about this all wrong. Haha. People were so shocked when I told them that all we did for New Years in the U.S. was have parties with families and friends and such. Here, they have a bunch of fun traditions and things. First of all, every family/household/neighborhood/business/etc. makes a big doll- like a scarecrow- with the face of an old man to represent "Ano Viejo" (old year). Second, people dress up in costumes, and most of the boys and men dress up as widows to Ano Viejo. It's hilarious. They wear fake boobs, make-up, miniskirts- all that kind of thing, and they beg for money in the streets. Then some time during the night or at midnight, they burn Ano Viejo, and everyone has to jump over the fire. (We did all this in the street in Quito, before going to my aunt's house for New Years dinner and the countdown to midnight.) There are also rules and traditions to "prepare for the new year." One is that you have to have lentils somewhere in the dinner because lentils represent abundance, and if you have lentils, you won't ever go hungry. Also, at midnight, you have to eat 12 grapes so that your wishes for the new year will come true. Before the countdown to midnight, you have to put lentils in your left pocket, money in your left shoe, carry a suitcase for luck in traveling... all to arrive in the new year ready to go. Haha. I decided that next year, I'm going to have a big, Ecuadorian New Years party , and teach all my friends and family how we do it over here.

Other than New Years, not too much has been going on for me. Basically just normal life. My counselor did take me to Papallacta hot springs, and that was pretty cool. It was kind of like a spa with these big pools, but the water was naturally hot, and it's mineral water, so it's really good for your skin and health. Well, whatever benefits my skin got from it were probably canceled out by the fact that I got horribly, intensely sunburned. I tend to forget that the sun can be rather strong here on the equator, especially at an elevation of 4,200 meters. So the whole week after that wasn't too fun. Haha.

Everyone is switching host-families now. I was supposed to switch about two weeks ago, but it was decided that it would be better for me to stay with the family I'm with now. I could not be happier with this decision. The house I was going to move to is pretty far from my school, and it would be pretty complicated. That and I love my current host-family immensely. I kind of feel bad that the others have to switch and I don't have to, and sometimes I think I should so I can experience something new, but I have gotten to know the other family, and I think I will be spending a lot more time with them, even if I don't move in with them. I went to spend a night there, and there 11-year-old daughter told me that I have to stay the night every weekend. She is great, and I think I will have to follow that order! They also have a 2 1/2 year-old son, who- once he warmed up to me- spent the morning trying to kill me with a plastic pirate sword. I was so in love. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever.

I finally finished my college applications! I can not believe how hard it is to write a college-quality essay in English, when you're currently living in Spanish. I would get stuck for like half an hour on a word that I could only think of in Spanish! I'm so glad to be done with all that.

I hope that everyone is doing well, and having a lovely time! I miss you all! (Though at the same time, I am freaking out over the fact that I only have 6 months left here!) Much love! Un beso!
Zoe :)

With Vegar (Norway) and Hayley (Colorado), exchange friends.
	This is ONE leaf, in the mountains of Ecuador.
On New Year's Eve with friends and cousins.
	With my host family on Christmas
At School with friends

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Halo alle sammen,

Det er meg, Daniel Lovik skriver fra Norge. Jeg er i et gode hus hvor det er varm og koselig. Siden jeg har flyttet her til denne nye familie jeg har hadde det mye bedre. De er så snill. Snøren har kom hitt og har vært her siden før Jule. Det var så bra å ha min første hvit Jule. Det laget ting mye mer koselig til meg og alle folk har se at jeg har vært heldig fordi snøren ikke vanligvis kommer før Jule og bli værende for det. Jeg liker snøren men jeg har bare hadde å mok det en gang. Hvis mer kom kansjke jeg vil ikke liker det så mye. Det har vært veldig kaldt silica minus 14 alle uke siden. Det er morsom å sa at det er blir varmer fordi det er fremdeles minus seks grader men det er sann. Jeg er veldig opprømt om neste månedere! Mange turer vil være hadde og mye vil være sett.

Hi, it's me writing from Norway. The snow has come here and has been here since before Christmas. It was so good to have my first white Christmas. The atmosphere in the house during the holidays was very nice and the snow outside made things all the nicer. The people here say that I am lucky for being here for such a lovely occurrence because the snow doesn't usually come and stay until a few weeks after Christmas. I really like the snow, but then again I've only had to shovel it once so far. If more comes then maybe I will not like it so much. Anyhow It makes everything prettier to look at. This last week it has been very cold here, around 14 below 0 centigrade. (appr. 6 'F) It is funny to say that things have been getting warmer this week because it is still -6 centigrade. I am very excited about the next couple of months! There are many trips planned that I will go on and many things that I will see.

Before coming to Norway I was told how the students can come off as cold sometimes when you first meet them. After being here for a couple months I would have to agree. Very few of the kids are friendly and open but on the whole I would say that most of the kids would fall into the category of keeping to themselves and what they are comfortable with. It's not until very recently that more of the students are willing to talk to me and share about themselves. Since my Norwegian has greatly improved I can talk to more of them in their native language and that makes it a lot easier. I think they feel more comfortable communicating to me.

Well I'm off to a Rotary Meeting tonight and then on Friday my host family and possibly a friend from school will be going to a cabin in a place called Nesbyen for the weekend. Great things are unfolding!

Ha det godt,

Daniel Lovik

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January 14th

Regular Club Meeting

Our Club Membership chair, Todd Martin, talks to the club about the importance of bringing in new members. We have a net increase of approximately 7% and our goal for the year is 10%. Be sure to consider all of your friends, vendors and competitors for membership in our great club.

Bob Dickey, our President-Elect, is our business of the week. Bob's company, Moonlight Maintenance, does residential and commercial cleaning, plus windows!

Jim Reese was inducted into the Aviators Club this morning. Because Jim didn't supply a story to Matt and the fact that Matt knows not to mess around with Jim too much, he was assigned the call sign, "Jim".

Tom Collishaw was also inducted today. Tom had an experience in college with Bob Marley but didn't inhale. Tom's call sign, "No-Spleef" (you can ask him all about it).

Raman Verma just got back from India where he purchased a gift for the President's wife. Thanks Doc!

Our speaker today was Iris East, development director for Visalia Emergency Aid Council. Iris spoke to the club about all of the progress that they were making and also updated us on our Bicycle Giveaway program.

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January 7th

Regular Club Meeting - Happy New Year!

Brian Rouch gets inducted into the Aviators Club. Brian had a three story fall down a flight of stairs in college and landed right in the middle of a group of about 50 students. His call sign is that of a big bird who cannot fly or land: "Emu"

Dru Quesnoy also got inducted this morning. Dru actually was commissioned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan to create a bust of both of them for the Ronald Reagan Library. We just call her "Ms. Picaso"

We had quite a few traveling Rotarians today which included Marty Prah.

Our program today was Mark Dwelle, a native Visalian who helped spearhead the Visalia Skate Park. The Park just celebrated it's 10th anniversary and Mark brought us up to speed on the effect it has had on the community.