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