DragonTales Summer 2005

DRAGON Hong Kong International School

The Alumni Magazine of HKIS

HKIS: In the Aftermath of the Tsunami

Larry and Carol Eichert retire

Vol. 5

Summer 2005

Summer 2005 3

From the Head of School HKIS Welcomes Richard W. Mueller

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Campus News In the Aftermath of the Tsunami Experience and inexperience shared at College and Career Night Alumni gather at CAN for an evening with James Keith ’75 The HKIS Spirit Remembering Origins and Blessing the Future

HKIS DragonTales is published twice a year by the Community & Resource Development Office of Hong Kong International School.

Christina Tung Director

Reena Khubchandani Alumni Coordinator

Juana Cheung

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Faculty Profile

Public Relations Manager

Larry and Carol Eichert

James Manning Communications Manager

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Homecoming Homecoming brings back Young Graduates

Doreen Lui Secretary

May Cagulada

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Alumni Profiles

Secretary

Talking with Animal Communicator – Susan Burnett ’84 Alumni Power!

Nand Harjani ’76 Combines Passion with Work

Editors:

Reunions

James Manning

Alumni enjoy a Dinner in Boston Scirocco Shakes and Stirs with Spencer San Francisco Reunion leads the way for the 40 Year Reunion

Alumni Directory

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Class Notes

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Faculty Notes

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Reunion Notices

Reena Khubchandani

Looking for a classmate and can’t find that address or telephone number?

Email us at: alumni@hkis.edu.hk

Keep Us Informed To make sure you continue to receive DragonTales, please keep us informed of any changes in your address. Contact us at:

Alumni Office Hong Kong International School 1 Red Hill Road Tai Tam, Hong Kong alumni@hkis.edu.hk http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Hong Kong International School

HKIS Welcomes Richard W. Mueller

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n March this year, HKIS welcomed three candidates applying for the Head of School position. Faculty, staff and parents were given the opportunity to listen to the candidates’ presentations and raise helpful and interesting questions.

Our Search Committee then received all the input from various individual and group meetings, took into consideration all the comments made, reviewed final references, and then made a recommendation to the Board of Managers.

I am pleased to repor t that Richard W. Mueller was selected by the Board of Managers as HKIS’s new Head of School, and that the Lutheran Church in the U.S. endorsed this decision.

The HKIS Board chose Mr. Mueller, after a careful search process, because of his leadership skills, passion for HKIS and its mission, strong familiarity with Hong Kong, China and Asia, and his ability to set ambitious goals and achieve them through a collaborative working style. We are confident Mr. Mueller will bring the leadership and enthusiasm to lift HKIS to the next level of excellence Since 1998, Mr. Mueller has been Head of School of Nor thfield Mount Hermon School, a well-known college preparator y boarding school in Northfield, Massachusetts. He became President of the school in 2004.

Nor thfield Mount Her mon has 1155 students of many different nationalities.

During his time at the school, Mr. Mueller became intimately familiar with the educational needs of young people. His leadership style emphasized the importance of collaboration within the school community and helped to lead the school through a strategic planning process that established a new vision for the 125-year old school.

Prior to this position, Mr. Mueller was a career diplomat for thirty-two years with the U. S. Department of State. He was the United States Consul General in Hong Kong from 1993-1996 during the for mative period leading up to Hong Kong’s reversion to China.

Previously he served in the American Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1983-1986 as chief of the economic section. While on assignments in Washington, D.C. he worked for Secretaries of State George Shultz and James Baker.

Richard’s relationship with HKIS began in 1983 when his sons enrolled in the elementary school. The next year he joined the Board of Managers and participated actively in the decision to build the new high school in Tai Tam. Other in-depth Board work included issues related to HKIS’s relationship with Hong Kong, student body composition and diversity. Later, he served as chair of the Board, 1997-98, and helped establish

the agreed strategic goals which still guide HKIS today. Those goals and the clear mission and Student Lear ning Results of the school still resonate strongly with him. His younger son, Eric, is a 1996 graduate of HKIS. Family is extremely important to Richard and his wife Claire. They have two sons, Jonathan and Eric, now grown. Claire has had her own career in the Foreign Service; both share a strong interest in travel and international affairs. They regularly attended Church of All Nations in their years in Hong Kong, and Richard currently ser ves as a deacon at the Church of Christ at NMH. Richard’s keen interests include photography, reading, tennis, and baseball (a newly-minted Boston Red Sox fan!). He received his AB in economics from the College of William and Mary in 1966 and joined the Foreign Service the same year.

I am sure all Alumni join me in warmly welcoming Richard as Head of School, and in looking forward to HKIS moving positively forward under his stewardship.

I will continue serving at HKIS next year in the Head of School Office to support the leadership transition.

Sincerely yours,

James A. Handrich Head of School

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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In the Aftermath of the Tsunami

by James Manning

Concern turns to fundraising efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami

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ust a day after Christmas, south Asia was rocked by the worst natural disaster in living memory. The force created by the tectonic plate beneath the Indian Ocean slipping underneath the one loaded with the weight of Europe and Asia unleashed a massive earthquake.

Its almighty force violently shook the surrounding region, immediately toppling buildings and uprooting roads in Ache Province, Indonesia. Worse, however, was to come: the force of the plate being lifted up created a massive tsunami that sped across the open sea.

Three days before the disaster, HKIS’s Director of Human Resources, Maree Higgins, left for the tropical retreat of Khao Lak, one-hour drive nor th of Phuket, Thailand.

Maree remembers arriving in paradise: “Lush greenery and long stretches of isolated beaches, fringed by mountains.”

She was staying at the Sofitel Khao Lak hotel.

Minutes before the tsunami struck on the mor ning of 26 December, she was breakfasting in the resor t’s open-air restaurant facing the sea.

“I noticed that the shoreline had retreated as far as the eye could see.

People seemed curious. Some were even walking towards the sea. Maree continued on with her breakfast, oblivious to the danger that lay just seconds away.

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For those who saw it coming, the tsunami appeared as a frothing crest in the horizon. A few seconds later, they were caught up in a devastating white horror. “I remember it all,” she says, “the torrent of water approaching the beachside restaurant. Screams of fear filling the air.

Then I ran.

“There was no escaping it. The wave hit me head on. Its power lifted me from my feet and carried me along with whatever else lay in its path. I remember being tossed and turned as if I was inside a washing machine. There was nothing I could do.”

Maree estimates she was propelled 200 meters by the swirling tide with whatever else – tables and sunbeds and beach umbrellas – lay in its path. Miraculously, she emerged from beneath the water near the first floor balcony of her hotel, and grabbed the balcony railings.

She remembers the water at the edge of the hotel was eight to nine meters deep at this point. Anyone trapped inside below the first floor had little chance of survival.

There she clung, watching helplessly as others were sucked out with the retreating wave.

About two to three hours later, when the water subsided, Thai authorities evacuated Maree.

She sustained leg injuries and was admitted to a local hospital in Takuepa before being transferred to Bangkok for further medical treatment. The paradise resort she had entered just a few days before looked like a war zone: death and destruction were everywhere. Corpses lay piled in makeshift morgues on the beach.

Meanwhile, back in Hong Kong, news of the tsunami was breaking. The scale of

death and devastation started to sink in with successive news reports depicting the horror. It started to dawn on Maree’s colleagues in HR that she was staying in the epicenter of Thai tsunami-hit coast resort of Khao Lak. Over the coming days, attempt after attempt was made by the school to contact Maree, all of them unsuccessful.

“Communication lines were down. We had no information on her whereabouts,” recalls Head of School Jim Handrich.

“The relief we felt when eventually Maree made contact with a colleague in HR was indescribable.”

Maree remembers it was not long before the phone was ringing with colleagues wishing her well. The Middle School and HR Team sent over novels, puzzles and chocolates to help her pass the time whilst convalescing.

“Jim Handrich phoned one mor ning and excitedly told me that he had just attended a High School assembly on the tsunami tragedy where 800 students and faculty had been praying for me. This made me feel ver y cared for. I thank everyone at HKIS for their kindness.”

Back at School Back at school, the sense of relief on hearing Maree was safe was tempered by the fear that someone else associated with HKIS might have been caught up in the tsunami. However, it was the middle

ved the tsunami Maree Higgins survi

of the Christmas holiday when the tsunami struck, so there was no way of knowing until the new ter m star ted whether the school’s worst fears would prove founded.

“Agonizing as the wait was, we had no choice but to endure it,” says Jim Handrich.

“Nine days would pass before the first school day following the Christmas and New Year holiday – 4th Januar y. The death toll was rising by the minute throughout this time.

“Though we took some comfort in the fact that in the nine days since the disaster we’d received no specific word of HKIS casualties, an eerie sense of the unknown hung over HKIS that first school morning,” remembers Jim. The Hong Kong Government had made it clear that the calling of school registers across Hong Kong on the commencement of the school term would highlight other missing people feared lost to the tsunami.

“Ominously, we too realized it would only be when attendance was taken for students and our faculty had returned to their posts, that we would know those results.”

HKIS was indeed lucky: no other students, parents or teachers were injured or killed in the tsunami.

This, says Jim, is little short of a miracle.

HKIS has around 3,000 students, teachers and staff; many of who took the opportunity of the long Christmas break to vacation in or around many of the tsunami-hit areas. “We count our blessings. Parents were immediately notified of the good news,” he says.

Fundraising for Tsunami Relief The sense of relief felt that first day of term never turned to celebration. The horror and scale of the tragedy left no room for this. But thoughts did quickly turn to action

to raise money for the relief effort.

In true innovative HKIS fashion, the fundraising efforts took on a life of their own.

Some of our Middle School teachers decided that humiliating themselves for the pleasure of students was the surest way to kick the fundraising efforts off to a roaring start. What’s more, their ordeal was photographed.

“Without delving too much into the gruesome details, I have to inform you that the aftermath left teachers with hair colored brighter than a peacock’s feathers, and another teacher as bald as a coot. One of our drama teachers took fundraising effor ts to new heights by piercing his ear in the full glare of faculty and students. He acted well, I believed the tears welling in his eyes were real,” smiles Jim. Many other teachers subjected themselves to a mixture of punishment and humiliation, or opted for more conventional fundraising effor ts like baking cakes and biscuits. Students did their bit too. Some joined events, including a movie festival, a charity musical, and garage and junk sales.

Others made individual efforts, like the student who emptied out her piggy bank to help raise money for the relief effort.

The combination of many separate initiatives raised a considerable amount of money for the tsunami relief.

“I admire the fact,” says Jim, “that individuals and groups of students and teachers used their initiative to raise

cher gets a A Middle School tea i relief m na tsu “bleaching” for

money. And they did it in some amusing and innovative ways.

“Nobody at HKIS wants acknowledgment or thanks for their efforts. What we did was our small part to help those affected by the disaster,” stresses Jim.

Back Home Maree was released from hospital after 20 days of convalescence. Back at HKIS’s Tai Tam campus, the horror of the tsunami seems a million miles away.

“I was lucky. I have since learned that half of the guests and staff in Sofitel Khao Lak hotel lost their lives to the tsunami.

“Since returning to Hong Kong, I have seen the pictures of the resor t on the Internet. It’s a wasteland,” she concludes.

The tsunami will go down in history as a tragedy of biblical proportions. Though it would be insensitive to suggest that any good resulted directly from the events of 26th December, the aftermath did see the world unite behind the relief effort.

No previous disaster has seen such a rallying of fund raising effor ts inside HKIS, and these efforts go on to this day.

At the World’s Fair this year, for example, toys were sold to raise money for tsunami disaster relief, and HK$110,000 raised for the Tsunami Villiage Relief Organization.

There are also a number of other initiatives planned over the coming weeks and months.

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Experience and inexperience shared at College and Career Night

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tudents this year did not simply want to meet with professionals, they wanted to meet with people who were undecided. Alumni shared their own stories of hesitation, unknowing and doubt with students and their parents over choosing their professions. Alumni recounted how they had fallen into or worked in certain directions before realising what they wanted to do.

keting speaks about mar Randolph Chung ’94

Alumni College and Career Night was held on March 1, 2005 .

Many, many thanks to the alumni, parents and faculty, as well as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for their participation in a truly valuable program.

s Ken Rohrs repesent presented Baylor Josh Begbie ’96 re

d Charles Wan ’00 Jaime Chou ’00 an

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ce advise about finan

Hong Kong International School

tment banking speaks about inves Rob Gvozden ’87

the noble profession

of teaching

Alumni gather at CAN for an evening with James Keith ’75

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ver 25 alumni and the HKIS community gathered at the Church of All Nations to listen to, James Keith ’75 U.S. Consul General to Hong Kong. Keith Bradsher ’82 Hong Kong Bureau Chief of The New York Times was emcee and Jim Handrich welcomed our speaker. The audience was delighted with James’ candor, humor and insights on the topic: America and Asia: from Commerce and Visas to Geopolitics and Terrorism.

as Wong ’78 Reena K with Thom

Mr. Parks and his

of aking with the class James Keith ’75 spe

mother Mar y Parks

2005

Guests enjoy some a question from James Keith takes

light refreshments

the floor

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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The HKIS Spirit

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’m from the class of 2001 and I just wanted to send you some interesting information and photographs. HKIS offered me the great opportunity to volunteer in Asia, and I have often felt the desire to continue doing community service. In August of 2004, I spent the month voluteering at a Kindergarten run by the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The funniest thing I saw was children (mostly street kids/orphans) wearing HKIS jackets and other clothing donated by HKIS. I just wanted to share with the HKIS community the outreach of the school and remind everyone that what you do does make a difference.

Victoria Lyo ’01

Remembering Origins and Blessing the Future Alumni Coordinator bids HKIS farewell

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rigins seem to become more significant as we get older – ask any of our TCK alumni and they’ll jump at the chance to tell you. Feeling left out while I laughed with Bhabiji my greatgrandmother, my mother said, “Now that Reena’s here you’ve forgotten about me”.

Her laughter stopped and she said in what seemed like an unnecessarily serious tone, “One must never forget one’s origins”. I didn’t mean to remember her words. The next year Justin Hardman ’89 and I were trying to put a presentation together for homecoming when we found that there was no written history of HKIS. Origin, prime mover, history, founder, father whatever it may be called we had to dig for it.

Over the years my friend Judi Rower ’75 helped with building more alumni bridges (and knitting blankets for my babies) and her Dragontrain told stories of a magical place with bonds that carried over continents. Mark Kwok ’74 gave the Alumni Board a solid founding and Rob Dorfman ’72 coined the phrase “alumni as the institutional memory of HKIS”. With solid class agents the

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program grew, Christie Yih ’95 was faithful as ever organizing the reunion in Boston and Metta Dael ’93 in New York.

Tom Warden ’79 should win the most suppor tive alumni in HK award while Tim Gregg ’93 should get best writer.

Bijoy Goswami ’91 has the distinction of having given the most talks on campus.

Kenneth Koo ’79 without whom the framework of the Alumni network and Board in HK would have fallen apart, I’d give the most spirited alumni award to and no one would disagree! I’m grateful to Rohini Chotirmal ’89 for focussing the Board and to Todd Wong ’81 for his work on the first alumni prom. Andy Chworowsky ’81 has been our emcee of choice and Tim Zee ’84 a super duper Annual Fund cheerleader as his classmate Wendy Hsu ’84. I shall miss my friends at HKIS. As we dug deeper into the original documents supported by the funding that you all provided we found tall tales and legends that needed corroboration. Bob Christian and other teachers provided ample help but not just help. The spirit with which all these people, faculty,

Reena with her two children, Annika and Om. admin and alumni wrote, was what I had to ensure was reflected in the book. I saw this ‘original spirit’ on a trip to Foshan in Marty Schmidt’s and Zella Talbot’s mighty will to serve and in the love of Lois Voeltz who passed on her stories to me to pass on to the researcher of what is now the HKIS History Book project. The HKIS history project will be ready in time for our 40 Year Celebrations.

When you look at and smell the wonderful original documents there’s a loving sound in the writing that is strongly American, Christian and International.

The origins you might think are different from HKIS today but the mission remains. I’m taking with me as I leave HKIS after 5 years, the spirit of HKIS of dedicating my mind to inquiry, of respect for others, compassion, ser vice and understanding. I take your leave in an attempt to share with my infant and toddler their origins and to live the HKIS values for them.

Reena Khubchandani

Hear all!!! Here all!!!

A new Alumni Service for you!

Announcing the launch of the new and improved, HKIS Alumni website at

http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni/ If you have any questions or recommendations, please email alumni@hkis.edi.hk

Enjoy – it’s free!

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Larry scuba diving

Larry Eichert

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arry Eichert, originally an art major turned science enthusiast, came to HKIS in 1988 as biology and AP biology teacher and boys basketball coach. Over the years he has served HKIS as science dept chair, science curriculum coordinator and ran the scuba club. He was also class advisor for the classes of 1997 to 2001, and our list could go on... He enjoys photography, scuba diving, exploring nature, research work and laughing with his beloved wife Carol. You will rarely see Larry without his trademark smile.

How did you get your job at HKIS and when?

My formal contact with HKIS came when David Rittmann called me to inquire about one of my Form’s student teachers who had submitted an application to HKIS. He called back a second time for more information. That led to a series of follow up calls. He then asked me if I would consider a “call” if one were offered. One thing led to another and suddenly I had 2 different job offers. After much prayer and deliberation both Carol and I felt HKIS was the place for us.

What was the cost of a Star Ferry ticket in 1988?

I’m not sure but I know it was less than a dollar. (30 or 50 cents maybe)

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What are some memorable experiences from your teaching career?

There are so many that it’s hard to choose one or two. I need to categorize them into two main groups: working with students and professional development.

It has been my privilege to have taught all grades from kindergar ten through to graduate school and each level provided unique learning experiences. The most memorable are the ones when students that you have taught many years ago call you, or stop by to say hello and express their gratitude for things that you said to them or decisions you helped them to make (which I long since had forgotten).

What an awesome thought that your words or teachings have had a major impact on their lives.

The second area would be coaching: where you work together as a team to reach goals and achieve what was considered to be impossible at the beginning of the season. Finally, the opportunities that I have had to undertake research work with universities in medicine and life sciences. This work has made it possible to travel around the globe and experience places, people and things that others only dream about.

What do you love about teaching biology?

The most exciting thing about teaching biology is opening students’ minds to what is possible and helping them to realize that they are part of God’s order of creation and not apar t from it. It is fascinating to realize that you are working with the world leaders of tomorrow. Their attitudes toward good stewardship of the natural resources and the environment will determine the future of this planet.

How has HKIS changed you?

How have you grown at HKIS? How have I changed? I have become older, slightly heavier, have much less hair, and have many more grandchildren.

HKIS, its students, faculty and staff have broadened my horizons toward the world and understanding of different cultures and their values. I have become a much more tolerant person, open to many new ideas, and I have gained a more global perspective toward life and in dealing with others.

Larry with his girls

Looking to the future

The safari man

What changes have you seen at HKIS since the early days? What features about HKIS would you like to see endure in the future?

It has been my privilege to see HKIS grow from a single campus with two buildings to two campuses with four buildings.

Such a large increase in the school population, faculty and staff has changed HKIS from a small school community to a small school district. There was a time when you knew almost everyone at HKIS on a personal basis. Now you only see some of the faculty, in your own building, at faculty meetings. Another major area of change is an increase in the number of teachers from various nationalities, yet a decrease of the number of nationalities in the student body. I would like to see the blend of various teaching styles and learning styles continue to mesh together with the original philosophy that was envisioned by the founding fathers of our institution.

What do you predict for the future of HKIS? At the present time, I feel HKIS is at a crossroads in its history. Its direction will need a unification of purpose and vision that will enable it to progress into the technological future while still preserving its heritage, high academic standards and ideals.

Are you in contact with any alumni?

It is a pleasure to get e-mails and notes from former students and to see them return to say hello. I enjoy hearing from them and what they are doing in their lives. It’s amazing to find out what they have already achieved and the positions of responsibility that they hold at such young ages. We truly have prepared them to be citizens of the world. Each one is a valuable resource and supporter of the school. Their talents need to be tapped for the betterment of the school.

What is most important to you?

The most impor tant things are my relationship with God, my wife, family and others.

We can’t imagine real retirement for you, so what’s the next chapter for the Eichert’s?

For the next chapter, our first task is to complete our move into our new house in Florida. Then reality will set in. At the present time I’m looking into several tentative options for par t time employment. However it will have to be something that will not interfere with travel to see family, relatives and friends.

The couple in 1988

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Carol Eichert is off to Florida Carol at the pyra mids

What was the cost of a Star Ferry ticket then?

C

arol Eicher t star ted at HKIS in 1989 correcting building defects in the faculty apar tments for the high school. She then worked in Exter nal then ...

Relations and worked on preparations for the dedication of the high school. She has been secretary for the head of school and for the director of admissions. In 1991 she became college counselor where she’s been helping students with their tough decisions ever since. We’re now wondering what to do with the homecoming tradition, Cookies with Carol, after Carol retires.

How did you get your job at HKIS and when?

I came to Hong Kong with Larry in 1988 and there was not a job for me that year.

So I spent 3 years volunteering with AWA and became Chair of the Education and Scholarship Committee and then the Chair of Charitable Projects after that. I enjoyed awarding scholarships and giving away AWA money to wor thy recipients. I also worked par t time managing Bed & Breakfast Homestays Hong Kong. In 1991 I bought the business. That same year Bill Boyd decided to leave College Counseling and I was hired as his replacement. The rest is history.

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The lower deck was $1.70. I never rode upstairs, which was probably $2.20, because you had to pay to walk up the stairs and then walk down again on the other side. That didn’t make sense to me!

What were some memorable experiences in your teaching career?

I have enjoyed each new senior class since my first graduates in 1992. Every year is special. Each class has its own personality too. When I was still teaching classes I taught Study Skills and Career Exploration. Both were fun. The Study Skills were taught double track – those working on high school skills and those planning ahead for college. That class had freshmen through to seniors. For Career Exploration we invited many successful people in Hong Kong to present on their careers. We had a Tai Pan, an editor of B Magazine, the head of DHL and the list goes on. Each shared his or her story and I think we all learned from them. Now some of those grads are in management positions. It is a joy to see and hear about their successes.

What is it you love about counseling?

It is never dull, boring or repetitious. Kids are always special, each in his or her own way. It has been my pleasure to touch the lives of so many of them. If I counted numbers over the years it would be more than 2,000 students. When they come back to the office or I hear from them through e-mail it is always fun to learn their stories, plus those of their classmates with whom they have stayed in touch. I have been a part of their joy with weddings and babies, and sadly some funerals.

Tell us about your family.

Our family has grown over the years we have been at HKIS. When we came we had 5 children, 3 were mine and 2 were Larry’s, but they were all grown up and living in the states. They are now all married and we have been blessed with 12 grandchildren and 2 more who came along with the marriages.

When we first came to HK we had only the twins who this year will graduate from University of Notre Dame and Valparaiso University and are now 21. The ten others are nine years old and under. We hope to be able to spend more time with them in the coming years.

How has HKIS changed? How have you grown at HKIS ?

HKIS has changed a lot since I worked with the Dedication in 1989. The Common has become classrooms and the cafeteria is now a faculty lounge and bookstore, and the physical changes go on. The sizes of the classes have increased. In 1992 I had 114 seniors. In 2003 we had 197. The faculty also has grown. It used to be more like a “family” where you knew many people even from the other campus. Then we had 59 on the HS faculty, last year there were 84.

The total enrollment was 1950 back then, now it is 2576. I thank HKIS for the many oppor tunities I have had for personal growth during my years here whilst attending professional conferences, through my memberships in professional organizations - NACAC and OACAC, the daily associations with wonderful colleagues, the faculty and staff and the joy of living in Hong Kong for 17 years.

Money cannot buy these experiences.

We have become truly rich, even though we may not be wealthy.

What changes have you seen at HKIS since the early days? What feature about HKIS would you like to see endure in the future?

Are you in touch with any alumni? What value do they have in the present and the future of HKIS?

Much of that I’ve said in my answer above. In addition I would say the complexion of the student body has become more Asian and the faculty has become more diverse. I would hope for the future that HKIS stays true to its mission statement and that it never loses being American – that’s what made us different over the years and I hope it will stay that way.

There are many international schools, from many other countries, but we were the first American school and I would like to see HKIS remain “1st”! Maybe Thanksgiving Day could be a school holiday again, as it used to be.

Many alumni come to visit every year.

Some who are working in Hong Kong have represented their alma mater for me at the Alumni College and Career Fairs.

Others have been speakers for the Transitions classes. The Alumni Association has promoted other activities to keep the grads in touch with their HKIS ties. May all that continue.

What do you predict for the future of HKIS? May HKIS celebrate as many successes in the future as it has in the past. With a new head of school who has strong American roots, I expect there may be some changes at HKIS and I know he has the wisdom to make them positive ones.

What is most important to you?

My faith, my husband, my children and grandchildren, my friends and my health are all important to me.

leading tour groups back to the Far East.

Those are some of our ideas. I’m sure others will surface too. I am looking forward to spending a lot of time in our pool. It will also be fun to visit our children and grandchildren since they will be much closer. We want to give a war m welcome to any of you who choose to visit us – we will be at 8807 Stone Harbour Loop, Bradenton, FL 34212, just south of Tampa and near Sarasota. Our e-mails will be ceicher t@gmail.com and leicher t@gmail.com and together we can be reached at c a r o l a n d l a r r ye i c h e r t @ ya h o o. c o m We’ll answer all of you! Do stay in touch.

We can’t imagine you really retiring, so what’s the next chapter for the Eicherts?

We’re off to Florida, first to settle in to our new home and then to decide what we want to do in our spare time. We have thought of several possibilities, part time work in education, private counseling, volunteering in the community and

11 of 12 Their grandchildren

Kung Hei Fat Choy

n North and South Korea In no man’s land betwee

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Homecoming brings back Young Graduates

By May Cagulada

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n Wednesday January 5, 2005, 117 alumni came back to HKIS for HKIS’ annual homecoming festivities, 75 of them from the class of 2004. The other alumni attendees came from the classes of ’03, ’02, ’99, ’97, ’96, ’95 and ’80. A record number joined teachers, Jim Handrich and Christina Tung for the special homecoming barbecue lunch at the high school cafeteria, while others joined various events like cookies with Carol, the tent reunion in the plaza, a basketball game, and finally dinner and drinks at Fat Angelo’s in the evening. Thanks go to Tisha Wong ’75 for organizing a very successful homecoming event.

Mark your Calendar

Homecoming December 15, 2005 (Thursday) And January 4, 2006 (Wednesday) Be there!

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HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Talking with Animal Communicator Susan Burnett ’84 Sue was at HKIS from 1981-1984 from the ages of 15-18 when she left for Nova Scotia to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Her brother James ’85 also went to HKIS. She has lived in London, Canada, Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong doing painting commissions, exhibitions, teaching art and meditating. Through her gift as a psychic, she has ‘cleared’ several spaces worldwide, done thousands of readings, has been inter viewed on radio, in newspapers, magazines and recently appeared on Lonely Planet 6 degrees Hong Kong on Discover y Travel and Leisure channel. She is now a professional animal communicator helping animals in Hong Kong and Thailand.

Sue: Do you have a pet?

Reena: Yes, a cat Arius.

Sue: He’s 11 years old.

Reena: Actually, he’s 9 years old, wait a minute…1994…2005… yes, you’re right Susan, he’s 11!

From there on it was hard to end the conversation with soft-spoken Susan…

What’s your background as a psychic?

I was trained in healing in Hong Kong, Nepal, Thailand and Canada. My grandmother was a natural healer who also trained me and constantly reminded me to practice and play with my abilities.

As a child, I could talk to animals and seemed to ‘know’ if something was going 16

Hong Kong International School

to happen. I could find lost things, see spirits and ghosts. One of my spirit guides was always with me; my family always humored me by calling him my imaginary friend.

What’s a ghost as opposed to a spirit?

A ghost is a spirit who is between two places-earth and where it is supposed to go next-whereas a spirit is a being who comes to visit from that place. Often ghosts don’t even realize that they are dead.

and afterwards you can feel that it’s not as dense but much lighter. It was great to feel that the employees were once again comfortable in their workspace as well as satisfying to have helped release the ghost. I was taught that it is a stage of growth and transformation for the spirit to move to the next stage of its existence.

Do you cleanse places? In other words aren’t you also a ghost buster?

(Sue doesn’t like the word ‘ghost buster’) Yes, I‚ve done ghost ‘removals’ worldwide. In Canada, there was an owner of a Physiotherapy clinic who wanted to ‘clear’ his building. His employees had experienced windows dropping, lights and machines going on and off and equipment moving about.

Often when a ghost is present, one experiences a noticeable drop in temperature, as well as a feeling similar to walking through a cobweb and hours later still feeling all ‘creeped’ out.

Everyone had experienced this except the owner who wasn’t entirely convinced he had a ghost. One Sunday the cleaner came in and got so frightened that he called the owner from the parking lot, refusing to go back into the building. The owner realized it could be affecting his business and hired me immediately.

When I entered the building with a team of people, it felt really ‘heavy and dense.’

To ‘cleanse’ a building one uses symbols and infuses it with balanced, harmonious energy. It can take three to four hours,

How did you come to communicate with animals?

Tell us about your experiences in Hong Kong.

I have been able to communicate with animals since childhood. All children can actually; one just tends to forget when faced with the skepticism of adulthood.

One enjoyable part of my job is to remind animal owners that they already communicate with their pets and how to do so more clearly and easily.

In 2002, I was looking for a teaching job, here in Hong Kong. I was walking on the beach in Lamma when a dog named Patches came up to me and said, “You can talk to me can’t you? You’ve GOT to tell my owner something for me…”

Being able to communicate with animals still meets with some skepticism, so I was a bit hesitant in relaying the message, as I live on Lamma I wanted to remain as ‘normal’ as possible.

Patches wasn’t having any of it. “I AM SOOOOO ITCHY !” He said and quickly sent me his experience throughout my body. I was literally insanely itchy from head to toe, it was awful, I had to tell his owner.

“Tell him to stop using the green shampoo.” He said.

I finally got around to telling his owner that I talk to animals and he denied using any green shampoo. I was a bit upset with Patches for blowing my cover.

Then, weeks later I found out that the owner’s helper was using green dishwashing liquid on the dog every time he went to the beach which was 4 times a day. The fact that it was green made the guy into a total believer. They stopped using it and now Patches is okay. They introduced me to other people and that’s how I got star ted here in HK. I never thought I’d be doing this for a living.

Have you ever spoken with Hong Kong race horses - you could make a fortune...

I have worked with race horses here in Hong Kong. To be able to work with them and communicate clearly, I had to promise them that I would refrain from betting, as it would be unethical.

I was very lucky to get into the paddock area at the races and say hello to the horses as they went by. The well trained horses would say “Please don’t distract me, I’m focusing on my job” and others,

less well trained would say “What am I doing here?” They had no clue what they were doing. I’d tell them, “Pass a few horses sweetie, run fast and pass a few”.

Do you communicate in words or pictures?

I often get a quick flash of a picture.

Once, I was waiting for a client, who went to the restroom and I started to speak with his dog about his favorite food. He said “I LOVE pencils!” I doubted what I had received and asked him to send me the message again. He sent me a picture of a dog bowl overflowing with pencils.

We stopped talking, as I couldn’t believe a dog would love pencils. When we got to my client’s apartment, I noticed that every single wooden object had been gnawed down. When I asked about his furniture, he said his dog was responsible for it and that if I even dropped a pencil the dog would eat it within seconds!

cultures that it helped me with my communication skills. It made me realize that there are many different perspectives and gave me a very global view of the world at an early age. I got a lot of confidence going to HKIS and liked that all the different nationalities got along really well. I liked how we could be individuals. I’m sure that the amazing art classes and studio at HKIS was the reason I went to Art College.

In the last year, I’ve been in email contact with Ann Mulligan ’84. I hadn’t spoken to her since graduation; she found my name on the HKIS website so I’m very grateful for it.

Sue is currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand, doing research for a television series for Discovery channel on communication with elephants. To contact her please email her at holanga@rocketmail.com

What memories do you have of HKIS? HKIS was great because there were so many different nationalities and

Alumni Power!

The Annual Fund this year was such a resounding success in no small par t because of our Alumni volunteers serving on the Annual Fund Cabinet and Ball Committee. This is the first time we’ve had four alums serving on the committee, it is also the first time that we’ve had so many alumni tables at the ball.

Our serving alumni include the 2005 Annual Fund Alumni Co-Chairs Timothy Zee ’84 and Ning Li ’76. Timothy has

twin daughters in R1 - Morgan and Madison, and has also served on the Alumni Board and HKIS Board of Managers Committee - Institutional Advancement. Ning and Margaret have two children at HKIS, Jacqueline and Victoria.

A special thank you to Wendy Hsu ’85, who broke the mould when she became our first ever alum chairing the Ball this year. Well done Wendy!

Gisa Lee ’80 continued to be a source of guidance and wisdom ser ving her second year on the Ball Committee, Gisa also has a child, Godwin, at HKIS. Finally, we’d like to thank Deirdre Chan ’85 and Pattie Bossany Gordon ’84 who added more than a little panache serving on our Publications Committee.

HKIS is indebted to you all. Many thanks!

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Nand Harjani ’76 Combines Passion with Work

Nand with his sons

O

n graduating from HKIS, Nand Harjani went on to Pepperdine University (Malibu, C a l i f o r n i a ) to study Business Administration and Management. He later went on to obtain an Advanced Business Degree.

However, his academic background would not lead him naturally into his future career path. Nand is a Master of Energy. What’s that?

“Someone who is very adapt, capable, and well versed in working with the Universal Energies (Prana/Chi) in “fixing” real psychical conditions which affect people,” explains Nand.

In today’s phonetic world, millions of people are turning to the likes of Nand to realize the benefits of harnessing natural energy. Many find it helps them to maintain good health and stay young.

Others find that it’s just the tonic to reduce their stress levels and take control of their lives. Athletes visit Nand to improve their spor ts performance.

Some even attribute amassing their fortunes to emerging practice of energy harnessing.

Little wonder then that Nand, one of the principals and founders of Creative Life Sciences (CLS), is doing so well. His company is fast becoming a leader in the blossoming “psychic industr y”. The

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Hong Kong International School

company distinguishes itself in offering intuitive sessions for individuals and business enterprises in energy balancing (energy medicine), among other things.

Headquartered in Southern California, CSL has expanded rapidly. Today it has branches in Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Arcadia, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, and Sacramento. The company has also expanded into Asia, setting up offices in Hong Kong and Taipei.

“Our goal is to add more locations both in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

As you might expect, with offices dotted throughout California, CSL attracts some of States rich and famous. Though Nand, the soul of discretion, declines to namedrop. “What I will say is that all of our clients are unique and special, famous or not” Nand has been attracting a fair amount of media attention himself, appearing on numerous television shows. He’s also been involved in energy medicine experiments with the University of California. And he was invited by the California Community College (College of the Desert) to teach meditation.

Nand still harbors fond memories of his time at HKIS. “HKIS taught me that it’s OK to go after my dreams and anything is possible.”

This self-belief and confidence, he says, underpins his success in his chosen field.

Being a psychic is more of a calling than a profession: “It’s my life, and my work.”

Nand says anyone considering entering his field should first examine the reasons why they want to be a psychic. “Their intent is most important,” he says. “For me it’s humbling to go with my heart and to do what I love.”

Asked about his most treasured memories of HKIS, and who was his favorite teacher, Nand pauses and smiles. “Now that’s a trick question…let me see. My memories are too numerous to mention them all…

“I had about 76 students graduating in my class,” he says, pausing to think, “and I was one of the few that actually went the four years of high school at HKIS. That’s one memory.

“Then I have fond memories of the sporting facilities and opportunities in music and extra curricular activities. But most of all my memories are of the people.

“The teachers are great at HKIS. It’s difficult to single one out as ‘the favorite’ because there are so many. Names that come immediately to mind include Bob Christian, Earl Westrick, Paul Carlton, David Kohl, Manual Koo, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Johnson, David Meyers and Art Himmler.” he concludes.

You can contact Nand at: NandH@att.net

Alumni enjoy a Dinner in Boston

M

iltinnie Yih, former development director at HKIS, kindly organized a reunion dinner for 15 on February 15, 2005 at East Ocean City Restaurant, Chinatown, Boston.

Bruce Kelsh, UP principal and HKIS alumni supporter remarked “Boston had ‘balmy’ weather for the HKIS gathering at the restaurant in China Town. Recent grads (Class of 2004) joined those going back to class 1989 to renew friendships and share stories”.

Ingrid Chen ’04, one of the attendees said, “It’s so surreal to see all HKISers sitting at a table in Boston’s Chinatown.

I felt like I was back in the HKIS cafeteria, except for the fortune cookie part. Boston University’s great, I love all the professors here (there are actually professors older than Mr. Eichert!), but HKIS will always be my first love.”

Mi Kyung Kim ’04, also at dinner, said she sees other alums at least a couple of times a month, since Boston is a relatively small city. I like Boston and I’m having a great time here, but nothing compares to Hong Kong.”

Erica Fung ’98 said, “I am now in my second year at Harvard Law School. It is really nice to catch up with everyone at the dinner - especially my sister’s classmates (Veronica Fung ’04).”

“Thanks Reena and Miltinnie for organizing this. Sam and Erik – good to

see that ’89 is represented. And, yes, Abby Darby ’04, HKIS and Har vard really did each raise $250,000 for tsunami relief. Thanks ever yone for coming! Great Chinese food!”, said head of school Jim Handrich.

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

19

Scirocco Shakes and Stirs with Spencer It was a Happy Hour event on February 17, 2005 and the conversation went like this, Spencer Chiu ’93: (He was HKIS’ Alumni Coordinator before I was hired in 2000) So how many alumni are in contact with HKIS now?

we gain them through the website update form. Whomever thought to put that up in the 90s had tremendous foresight and HKIS owes them for this blessing. Do you know who came up with the online update form, Spencer?

Reena K: We get 2 – 7 updates from the website every day.

Spencer: (smiling coyly as he turned pink)

Spencer: From the online update form?

Reena: Yes alumni find the HKIS site and look to see if they are on the online directory. If they don’t find themselves then they update their information online.

At the rate we lose alumni through moves,

) Bill Stork (first right

20

the class of 2000 with students from

Hong Kong International School

Reena: No! It was You? I’m so happy to be telling you this!

2000 stalwarts in ties – Edward Tsui, Charles Wan and Jaime Chou. Doug Hong ’90, Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89 and Ingrid Wong ’92 attended, as did Daniela Che ’01 who left early as her beautiful canine was not welcomed in the restaurant as much as we had hoped.

The next HK area happy hour is scheduled for September 2005.

Spencer: It was Miltinnie and me, yes!

Ever yone joined in as we celebrated Spencer’s contribution to his alma mater.

Bill Stork was there as were class of

ug Hong ’90 and encer Chiu ’93, Do Ingrid Wong ’92, Sp irmal ’90 Rohini Balani Chot

San Francisco Reunion leads the way for the 40 Year Reunion One hundred and fifty HKIS “survivors” assembled in San Francisco over the July 4 weekend, 2004, for a four day extravaganza reunion. Headquartered at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, cour tesy of Chris Myers ’76, 87 actual alumni and their families gathered on Friday evening for a gala reception. A chinese instrumental group provided by Carol Lei ’71 added background atmosphere to cocktails and nibblies.

Lots of time disappeared as friends recognized each other and then introduced their spouses or families.

Plans were made for the next day and several groups went out after the official reception ended.

Saturday morning saw a group going to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum with Dave Kohl (ar t faculty ’73-80) where our guide turned out to be an HKIS mom from the early 70s, (Gloria Lannon). Another group took a China Town walk with Andrew Grzeskowiak (english faculty 77-79). Both groups met up with the class of ’84 at - go figure Dim Sum at the Four Seas Restaurant.

Fourteen tables with 10 at each table, surrounded by gaudy red walls, dancing dragons, and various Chinese landscape scenes. 47 alumni then dashed up to Sausolito to board the Hawaiina Princess, a sailing ship which took us around the bay and under the Golden Gate Bridge...arranged by Dan Byrne ’77. Different groups later gathered for impromptu dinning in the evening, several of which were in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Sunday morning opened with devotions at the hotel. Kevin Kwok ’79 hosted a

wonderful catered picnic at China Beach near his home in Sea Cliffe. Perfect weather and a clear view of the adjacent Golden Gate Bridge made the event even more memorable. Capping the weekend was the Sunday evening banquet at the Hotel. Alumni were present from the earliest class (Karen Cheeney, ’69), although the majority of alumni were from classes of the ’70s and ’80s. Bob Christian regailed us with tales of the founding “adventure” and little known events throughout his years of dealing with the Hong Kong Government, the Cultural Revolution, various US Consulate events, the American Fortnight, and events related to the Vietnam War. Vows were made to do all that we can to make the 2007 40-year reunion the best possible reunion. Pledges to invite long lost classmates and to bring our own children back to the “scene of the crime” ended a most remarkable weekend.

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

21

’68 Edmond Chen exc2404@hotmail.com

’69

with interesting and innovative products/services. Geographic areas include Asia and America. Please contact me, veldakwan@yahoo.com

’72

’75

Debbie Smiley

Judi PORTER Rower

David Vaughn

ManaMW@aol.com

jrower@hotmail.com

david@pyramid.se

Manuel Michalowski: lives in MD. He attended HKIS high school and went on to get a MLS from the University of Nor th Carolina, Chapel Hill (1997). He now works as a wine consultant for Kysela Pere et Fils.

Dan Fischer: now resides in CA. He taught in HKIS between 1989 to 2002.

His daughters Faith Fischer ’94 and Sarah Fischer ’96 and son Nathan Fischer ’98 all attended HKIS.

’70 Rick Brackmann

brackman@advancenet.net Alex Koperberg: currently resides in CA. He received a PhD from Abilene Christian University and is now a teacher of LAUSD AP physics and Honors evolutionar y biology.

John Tsun-Fung Wong: http://jwongphoto.com – currently lives in TX. He attended HKIS from his sophomore through to his senior years with brother Richard Wong ’71. He went on to get a BA from the Ar t Center College of Design and now works in advertising photography.

’73 Lynn BARRATT Frau

’71 Wilfred Koo

wk@givenchy.com.hk

arriva@telus.net Gary K. Anderson: currently resides in OR, and attended HKIS in grade 8 and from his sophomore to senior years.

He now works as a missionary.

Akinori Fukue

fukue@wondernet.ne.jp Velda Kwan: I am tr ying to set up an international business in alternative healthcare after working in the investment management and advisory field for over a decade (Merrill Lynch for 7/8 years). I would appreciate inputs from anyone, ideas, resources & connections, even joint par tnerships

22

Mark Allen Shostrom: presently resides in CA. He attended HKIS from grades 8 to 10 and in his senior year. He works as makeup artist, sculptor and writer.

Hong Kong International School

’74 Scott Kendon Waterman

swaterman@mn.rr.com Russ Kinkade: currently resides in WI. He went to HKIS in his junior and senior years and went on to get a BA from Cedarville University.

Dear Classmates Remember when you knew all the words to “American Pie”?

When Wednesdays meant “Serendipity”?

When you had to ask, “Is it A-day or E-day?”

When Mrs. Kwok (the THIRD 9 th grade English teacher that we drove off) told us that if we didn’t want to be there, we could leave. And the whole class did (led by Mike McCoy)?

It’s time to throw on a pair of jeans (or tug, grunt and wriggle into one), dust off the old yearbook and try to figure out which long haired boy turned into that balding man across the room.

It’s been 29 years since graduation.

We’ve had several reunions along the way, but you pretty much had to be in contact with one of the organizers to be included. Now, thanks to Al Gore inventing the internet, we should be able to reach a lot more people.

Our 30-year anniversary is coming up, and I’ m going to start the ball rolling.

I need to know if there is any interest in having a reunion. Right now there is no date, place or agenda. I just want to find out if there is interest. If I get 10 or 15 positive responses, we’ll run with it.

(David Knisely, I know you are out there lurking. You are in this with me!!)

Email me privately if you think it sounds like fun. I understand family/school/work concerns. We can make it family friendly, or take a cruise, families included, so that most of the work is already done for us or just plan a weekend. Tell me anything that would be impor tant to consider when we are putting plans together. If you have email addresses for other classmates, send them to me. If they aren’t on the train, I’ll write to them personally.

While you are on the computer... take a look at the pictures from our 20th reunion:www.geocities.com/~petersparty My email address is jrower@hotmail.com “Please Mr. Postman, look and see.

Is there a letter in your bag for me...”

(The Carpenters, #44 on Billboard’s top 100 March, 1975) Looking forward to hearing from you.

Judi (Porter) Rower

Amy Grove Stephens: I live in the Colorado Springs, CO area and worked for Focus on the Family for ten years in public policy and youth development.

I currently have my own consulting business, which allows more flexibility for my family. I have been married 20 years and have one son, Nicholas, 12 years old. My dad still lives in Hong Kong and I hope to return soon for a visit. I spent 4th grade in the HKIS apartment complex in 1967 and star ted school when HKIS was newly built. What memories! Best Regards to all who remember those days.

Kerry Prielipp: Kerry and Rene Prielipp announce the bir th of their first child, a daughter, Lily Ann Prielipp on Nov. 13, 2004.

Kerry is employed

by Oracle Corporation and Rene is a (mostly full-time) Mom and par t-time chiropractor with her own practice. Kerry and Rene live in the foothills outside Denver, Colorado.

’76 Brad Doyle

bdoyle@jbdoyle.com Melissa Ann Payne (Grove): presently resides in Geneva, Switzerland. She attended HKIS from grades 3 to 7 with sisters Amy Stephens (Grove) ’75 and Laurie Miller (Grove) ’78.

’77 Rosemary Garvey

(Sweden Geographical Class Agent) smxo54n@tninet.se Jill Liddiard Hedenstad kj.hedline@verizon.net Jill Liddiard Hedenstad: I attended HKIS for 5 years, from 1969-1973 with my three sisters, Frances ’71, Wendy ’73 and Anne ’79. I ear ned my BA from University of California and MA from UPRS. I now live in Santa Barbara, California with my husband Kevin, a digital designer and graphic ar tist. I am a publisher, editor/writer and my company, Silk Road Publications produces academic and non-fiction texts. I would love to get in touch with so many of my classmateshave tried emailing HKIS about 8 years ago to stay in touch, but no luck at that time. Also interested in reunions with classmates! Please contact me at kj.hedline@verizon.net.

Nancy Cordova Carrero: Hello from Colchester, Connecticut USA. Barbara Schwertdmann Easton dropped me a note and strongly suggested it was time for me to send an update. She’s right, I believe the last update I sent was a photo of my two babies in elementary school. Attached is a recent photo of my two babies, TJ and Crystal, and the real baby of our family, Lady. TJ will be 21 in August and is working at a local day care

center in Colchester CT. Crystal will be 18 in June and is heading for college in October at the Ar t Institute of For t Lauderdale in Florida to pursue her passion for photography. Every so often I search the web to try and find Nancy Dupuy and Debi Chiao, but I haven’t had much luck. If anyone has a clue where they might be hiding I’d love to track them down. My email address is: necordova@adelphia.net and I look forward to hearing any news from friends in the class of 1977.

Lynn Altmayer: I am now living in Ohio with my husband Scott and 3 daughters Kirsten 18, Hiedi 16 and Sonja 7. I am teaching 1st grade at a Christian School and I also teach Sunday school. My oldest daughter will attend Malone College in OH to major in nursing this fall ’04. Hobbies and interests: scrapbooking, sewing, white water rafting, piano and training my dogs to be therapy dogs. I feel HKIS was a great influence in my faith and Robert Matthews my track coach was instrumental in building my self-esteem.

I believe HKIS was the best school I attended in K-12.

’78 Richard Grayson

rgrayson@cboil.cnchost.com Kerry Cahill

boyko@idirect.com Bryan J. Anderson: he now resides in MN. He attended HKIS from his sophomore to his senior years together with his brother Gary Anderson ’73 and his late sister Diane Anderson ’69.

’79 Kenneth Koo

kkoo@tccgroup.com.sg Stephanie Koo Randall: presently resides in Kuala Lumpur. She attended HKIS from grades 1 to 12 with brother Kenneth Koo ’79 and sister Sandra Koo

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

23

Smith ’78. Thanks for tracking me down.

Since graduating in 1979, I attended Tufts University and received a B.A. in International Relations. I stayed in Boston for about 5 years, worked at Bank of Boston (now no longer!) and Shawmut Bank (also no longer!). Met my husband, Jon Randall at Tufts. We got married in 1985 in Boston. In 1988, Jon got transferred to Chicago and we stayed there till a year ago when he got an assignment to go to Kuala Lumpur for about 3 years... so here we are. We have 2 daughters, Julia (almost 9) and Emma (6). We’re really enjoying KL and our girls are also attending an international school-The International School of Kuala Lumpur... brings back lots of memories.

Haven’t kept in touch with a whole lot of HKIS friends... exchanged e-mails with Patty Reckendorf ’79, kept in touch with York Wang ’79 and Phebe Liu ’78.

Anyone know the whereabouts of Eve Sweitzer ’79? Will send some pictures soon! That’s it for now!

Daniel Mckinney ’79

This photo was taken in December 23, 2004.

Anya, Rebecca, Dan and Ariel Mckinney Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2005!

’80 Patrick Pang

pepang@aol.com Ian Drew Goepfert: he currently resides in Maine. He attended HKIS in his junior and senior years with sisters Karen Goepfert ’87 and Laura Goepfert ’82.

He now works as an engineer for Fairchild Semiconductor and is a member of technology development group. Responsibilities include advising senior management on technology roadmap, developing the next generation

24

Hong Kong International School

integrated circuit architecture, and intellectual proper ty strategy, and identifying and negotiating technology based acquisitions.

’81 Anna Agell

agella@blazenetme.net Karen Staniek-Gerhardt

staniek.gerhardt@online.de Anna Agell and Karen StaniekGerhardt: Plenty of news from our classmates this time, so we’ll get right to it! We received an update from Jenny (Fung) Brandemuehl: She is still in California living in a Silicon Valley suburb and just started a job as a senior director for Gap’s Old Navy business. Before that, Jenny worked for Hewlett Packard for 12 years (10 full-time, 2 part-time), and then started 2 consulting businesses.

She is having a blast switching from technology to clothing/accessories. My office is in San Francisco with a beautiful view of the waterfront and the Bay Bridge.

Hate the commute but love the job.

Life is really busy but wonderful... no complaints. I am also about to join the board of directors for a women’s non-profit organization that provides financing/training to people on a low-income to star t their own businesses - I’ve been a big believer of microenterprise development and really want to give back to the community. Great excuse to hang out with some fantastic wonderful women leaders.

Jenny has two sons, Adrian (8) and Wesley (10). She writes: I wrote my (college) thesis on sex role stereotypes and now after having 2 boys, I’ve decided that people who believe gender differences are only due to socialization were people like me before they had boys. The first words out of Wesley’s mouth when he was a year old were “dirt, truck, hub cap.” It’s hard-wired. It’s also hard-wired for boys to be little destructomatics. They’re ver y nur turing boys but can in a minute, destroy things!!

Fascinating....

Also from sunny California, Margret Kim sent us the following: I’ve been practicing law in California for the last 17 years, specializing in environmental and Margret Kim energy law. For the last 5 years, I’ve been appointed by the Governor to serve as General Counsel and Deputy Secretary for the California Resources Agency and now as the Public Adviser to the Califor nia Energy Commission. I also devote considerable time on China’s environment/energy issues through a non-profit organization I recently co-founded (w/my husband who is also from HK) in California dedicated to assisting China’s transition to a more sustainable energy and environmental balanced future. It looks like I may go back to China to help promote transparency and public involvement in the environmental and energy regulatory process. If anyone is interested in this area or would like to learn more about China’s energy and environmental challenges, please call or email me.

Cheers! Margret And more news from the West Coast; Anne (Eu) Warren writes, “I have been living in San Francisco for 4 years (!) and think I have finally adjusted to smaller city living. Having lived in New York city for 14 years before that, it took awhile to adjust to the different pace and mentality out here. We are definitely living on the left coast! I am married and my husband Sean and I have one son Aidan who is seven. Sean works for a finance company in Palo Alto and I am at home. It has been wonderful for me to be able to spend time with Aidan and to have time to volunteer at his school. I also volunteer with the Junior League here in San Francisco. We are enjoying living here and have been able to explore the area quite a bit (north to the Wine Country and Mendocino and south to Carmel and Big Sur). Living here, you really lear n to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors and the environment. My brother Robert lives here with his family (he has 3 daughters) and it has been great for us to have them in the city as well. “Anne’s older brother

Doug still lives in Hong Kong, so Anne and family have a good excuse to head over there.

Mike Harshfield writes: First and foremost... I resigned from Mac Donald’s at the end of 2004. After relocating back to Chicago in April 2004 from the Philadelphia area, I decided I had enough and wanted to find something else to do with myself. After getting almost 8,000 sites up with a new high speed infrastructure and getting beat up ever y day from either the cor porate people or the owner operator’s I decided there had to be something better.

I am currently looking into lots of options from wifi organizations to interactive marketing/gaming organization to real estate development to consulting, etc.

What is the common thread? Smaller companies with an opportunity to get an equity stake and help build something more meaningful. My wife is fully backing what I am doing and enjoys having me at home right now. Our daughters turned five in December and are growing rapidly - they are enrolled in a Chinese culture school which includes lear ning to speak/read/write. They have some Spanish training with members of the family and of course speak English.

Looking forward to reading about others and what is happening in their lives.

More news from the windy city — Gemma (Walker) Fillmore has been living in the US off and on for the past 20 odd years after finishing school in the UK. Married for 14 years to an American called Ernie, she lives in the suburbs of Chicago in a town called Libertyville.

Children - have twin girls - age 4 - no pets.

Worked for Nabisco Foods in NJ up until 3 years ago when Kraft Foods Global acquired Nabisco. Since I then relocated to the Chicago area last year.

My position is a Senior Manager of Transportation Procurement negotiating contracts for the distribution of Kraft Foods products throughout the world And from across the pond Sandra (Torgersen) Richez sends more news from la belle France: Has it really been almost 25 years?

Doesn’t seem that long ago... here’s what I’ve been up to the last 23 years:

My life post-HKIS took my family to Rio de Janeiro, and me off to Tufts U in Boston. After a BA and 4 years in the hotel business, I followed my heart to Paris and got a Masters in International Hospitality Management.

After our degrees, my Frenchman and I were married as Monsieur et Madame Richez. We both worked to open EuroDisneyland’s resort hotels here, then I moved on to a job in education & career counseling with Cor nell-Essec. Our 3 children were born in the meantime, and they are indeed a rambunctious Franco-American bunch!

2 years in the fast lane with Vivendi (Veolia Environment) in HR, and now I am at home building up my own business as a learning & development specialist (well, that is my alibi, but I am mostly investing more time with my family and enjoying the French way of life!).

For all those high school and college years of running, I can’t bring myself to do it anymore except for one 2 km race per year that I do for the kids! Now I am into skiing and rowing, which is a lovely spor t, especially since we live on the Seine River.

I haven’t been back to HK since graduation, but I look back with great fondness and dream of returning for a visit. I’d love to hear from classmates, it would be fun to share everyone’s 10 lines of biography - life post-HKIS. I am terrible at keeping in touch, my apologies go out first to my closest high school pals And that’s your cue, people! Put pen to paper (or hit that keypad) and let us in on your news! PLEASE also let us have your updated address, (email if possible) so we can get out all the reunion stuff... we’re aiming to start getting everything out late spring or early summer. As you know, the venue is decided on: Boston, city of beans and cod. We still haven’t fixed the exact date, so let us know if you have any preferences. Anyone who has any ideas or suggestions about what places/ events are MUST HAVES let us know.

Morgen Gillis: We just wanted to pass on our new mailing address. We are still in Singapore but have moved to a new complex. For those of you out of town we now have an official guest room and

will not have to kick Ian out of his room when there are visitors - so come and see us!

John William Taylor: he currently resides in Ontario, Canada. He went to HKIS in his senior year together with sister Jennifer Taylor ’83 and brother James Michael Taylor ’85. He went on to get a degree in ar t histor y from McMaster University and now works as a landscape architectural project management consultant.

’82 Margot HAMEL Hutchins

Margotandjim@mindspring.com Sheila BAKER Gujral

Sheilamcneila@hotmail.com

Gar y Coonan’s best man Gar y and Ruth Anne Coonan

Sheila Baker Gujral: Bill Bossany has recently changed jobs to become the Managing Director of Teal Medical, a small disposable medical supply trading company. He is still in Guam but travels a lot and sees his sister Pattie ’84 every once in a while in HK. Gary Coonan got married on December 28, just days before his 40th (right under the wire, Gary). His wife’s name is Ruth Anne and he has known her since his college days.

Ruth is an accomplished designer and did much of the design work on the new facility at his company. Ruth Anne came with four cats and two small dogs, and Gary already had two large Rottweilers, so they have quite a menagerie. Gary and Ruth Anne honeymooned in Hong Kong and Thailand, and visited some of Gary’s old haunts. Roger Cormier has recently re-connected with his Hong

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

25

Kong friends. He tells me that after Hong Kong, he went to the University of Minnesota, where he received BAs in both English and Jour nalism Roger Cormier is a cover boy (broadcasting focus). Roger met his wife Katie while working for a performance incentive company.

In 1991, Roger took a position with a multi-media organization based in Chicago. He travels throughout the US, Canada, Alaska, and Mexico (about 3035 weeks a year) and fishes on average 100 days annually.

(My sister Julia saw him on a fishing show years ago.)

In 1997, Roger and Katie married and built their Katie, Thomas, and Roger Cormier home in Maple Grove, a Minneapolis suburb. They have a 4-year old son called Thomas, and are expecting another child in April of this year. In addition to work and family, Roger says, “his free time is spent outdoors as much as possible.” I fish for fun as well as for work! We stay in good shape. We have season tickets to both the MN Vikings and MN Timberwolves, and as such we are long-suffering fans of both teams. In fact, my horn helmet, purple and gold face paint, and pompom hair Vikings garb have put my mug on ESPN Spor tscenter, Monday Night Football, a VISA halftime commercial, and countless other broadcasts. If you’ve ever noticed lunatic Vikings fans on any football broadcasts, you may have seen me.” So, I guess Roger really hasn’t changed at all. Linda (Erickson) Evans writes in also. “We’ve moved to Mundelein, Illinois. Brooke is in 7th grade and plays basketball on a school team and a traveling team. Brian is a high school PE teacher and Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Mundelein High School. I am an LD Resource Teacher in Lake Villa, but in the fall of 2005, I start a

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Hong Kong International School

new job as a Learning Oppor tunities Program teacher for 1 st -3 rd graders in Island Lake, IL. I continue to enjoy working in Special Education.

We have our 17 year-old dog, Sidney, and a two year-old dog, Duke. (My parents still live in Peoria, IL and my sister and her husband live in West Des Moines, Iowa.)

I look forward to reading what everyone’s up to.” Victoria Lion Monroe writes, “My husband and I had our second child, a little girl - Linden Squires Monroe on September 30, 2004. We are planning a trip to NYC in May and plan on visiting with Alison McKinnell King and her family!”

Pat Brennan Hinder ’81 and her sister Eileen Brennan Burkley ’85, and Link ’85 — a friend of the Engelbrechts.

We met at a bar on the upper west side and then headed over to a Chinese restaurant (Ollie’s) for a sumptuous repast. After dinner, we had a digesting walk and went over to a lounge near the Natural History Museum for after-dinner drinks by the fire. It was a great evening.

The morning before, I got an e-mail from John Potter addressed to the crowd and wishing us all the best. It reminded me of getting telegrams in Hong Kong.

Hopefully he and Bells can join us next time.

Margot Hamel: presently resides in NJ. She attended HKIS from grades 4 to 11 with sisters Lisa Hamel ’79 and Cynthia Hamel ’85 and brothers Henry Hamel ’81 and James Hamel ’84. She got a BS in health fitness from Springfield College.

Johnny Reizman tends his garden We have a picture of Johnny Reizman tending his garden in Oregon. I am jealous, as I live in a heavily shaded town (it is called Maplewood, after all) and can grow very few vegetables.

And finally, a multi-year update. We had a Chinese New Year get-together in New York City on February 5th. In attendance were myself, my husband Gautam, Bill Engelbrecht ’85 and his brother John Engelbrecht ’82, Ian Goepfert ’80 and his sister Karen Goepfer t ’87, Alison McKinnell King ’82, Mike McCormick ’80 and his wife Tracy, Mary

’83 Brett Rossuck

KitchenCowboy@aol.com Michaela Fountain: now resides in Bilgola Plateau, NSW. She went to HKIS in grades 6, 9 to 12.

Jay Lloyd Templeton: currently resides in Hong Kong. He attended HKIS from grade 7 until he graduated from High School with brother Jim Templeton ’73 and sister Betsy Templeton ’75. He went on to get an MBA from Texas A&M University and now works as a teacher/writer. He owns a small English language school in HK and also writes financial articles for Quamnet (and, until it recently flopped, Spike Magazine).

’84 James Hamel

jaham1@yahoo.com Ian Goepfert, Eileen Brennan Burkley, Sheila Baker Gujral, Karen Goepfert, Alison McKinnell King, Mary Pat Brennan Hinder, Bill Engelbrecht, Link, and John Engelbrecht at Ollie’s celebrating Chinese New Year in Manhattan (The McCormicks somehow didn’t make it in the picture.)

Patricia Bossany

gordon@tkf.att.ne.jp Chris Reed

Switzerland Geographical Class Agent Chris_Reed@capgroup.com

Amer Ali Quraishi: now lives in TX. Attended HKIS in grades 5 to 12 and went on to get an MA from Rochester Institute of Technology. He now works in investment banking.

Miki Ikemura Katagi: 20 years after graduating from HKIS, I am back in H.K. with my husband and two daughters.

I never imagined I would be back here to live again. When my husband was relocated to H.K. last year, from Shanghai, we couldn’t get our children to attend HKIS. You know how there is a long waiting list! But we love where we live - Discovery Bay - Away from the busy city and traffic!

’85 Michael Taylor

michael_taylor@ca.pepsi.com Lori Delahunty

dscvrme@hotmail.com Michael Taylor: By the time this issue of DragonTales hits the newsstands, our plans for a 20-year reunion in San Francisco on the weekend of September 16-18, 2005, will be in full swing. Valerie Hinsley (Smith) has done an unbelievable job getting this project off the ground. A small group of ’85 alumni consisting of Valerie, David Jones, Lanchi Venator, Lori Delahunty and myself are organizing the event and we’re trying to get the word out.

If this is the first you’ve heard about it, please check the website, www.hkismyreunion.com , for more details. You can also give me a call (647-290-6251) or drop me a line at Michael.taylor@ca.pepsi.com.

The plan is to gather informally as people arrive on Friday evening (Sept. 16).

Saturday will be open for people to spend the day exploring the city and surrounding area (Chinatown, The Wharf, streetcars, Ghirardelli Square, etc.), or to do whatever they might like.

The official reunion “event” will be on Saturday evening (Sept. 17) and will be a combination of planned shenanigans, retro music, memor y sharing, food, libations and, perhaps, even a

spontaneous jam session with whoever is in the mood (there are certainly enough musicians in the class!). More plans will have been finalized by the time this is published, so please visit the reunion website at www.hkismyreunion.com, for full details about the event.

It’s been a blast hearing from so many friends over the past few months, as the news about the reunion spreads. To name but a few, we’ve heard from Devon Williams, Mark Lutz, Peggy O’Sullivan, Anne-Marie Bauman, Brian Boggess, Christine Madden, John Tan, Rob Paterson, Jayce Henderson, Chris Sinfield, Tara Costello, Jeff Sneddon, Fiona Ekander, Stephanie Baum, Vanessa MacDonald and a whole host of others. For many of us, it has been 20 years since we’ve spoken, and reconnecting has been quite extraordinary. Geographically speaking, our paths have taken us in diverse directions all over the world. Many of us, like Wendy Hsu and Ronen Zion, live in Hong Kong, and are still actively involved in HKIS life. A whole slew of us live in either Canada or the U.S., and the rest are scattered around the world.

B. Burnett is in London, Mike Medina is in Hawaii, and Chad Forrest is in Shanghai. Professionally, we are musicians, actors, bankers, lawyers, bottlers, doctors, jewelers, writers, retailers, freight forwarders... and the list goes on.

Please help us get the word out if you happen to know of or can get in touch with any alumni who may not have heard about the event in San Francisco. If you are not sure whether or not you’ll be attending, I ask that you please consider joining us. It promises to be a laid-back weekend in a world-class city, in the company of some very special, old friends. Hope to see you there!

Wendy Hsu: It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed! I moved back to Hong Kong in 1993 and was here to witness Hong Kong’s Handover in 1997.

Has it changed much since then? Most definitely! It’s been a rollercoaster ride for HK... the economic crisis of 1998 and SARS in 2003. But 2005 has brought HUGE changes. The ‘feelgood’ factor is back, business is booming, tourists are

back, and the proper ty market has re-bounded with a vengeance. Everyone has their eye on China, and Hong Kong is an integral part of that equation.

I’m with Tiffany and Co. (you know what they say, diamonds are a girls best friend) and still in love with HK. Many of the old places are not around, the ‘Shack’ was knocked down years ago. People have moved on (I hear Joe from the candy-van at the bottom of the HKIS hill emigrated to New Zealand years ago, and started a booming business growing flowers) An urban myth perhaps?

But, the energy is STILL HERE! I’ve recently reconnected with many alumns as I’m Chairing the HKIS Annual Fund Ball 2005 (at the InterContinental Hotel.. or known as the Regent Hotel in 1985) to raise dollars for the School. It’s a huge challenge, as last year the Ball raised US$600,000. Donations are always welcome! Looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.

Grace Soon (GEE) Ajemian: Hi to all, I’ve been enjoying all the updates and walks down memory lane as our 20 year reunion is being planned, and am glad to reconnect with some of you. The reunion website is great, thanks for ever yone’s effor ts toward that. I have been moving around throughout Canada and the US since I left HK, and even though I consider myself a west coaster, I’ve been in Pennsylvania for a year now. I have been married for 9 years and we’ve enjoyed a lot of travel and adventure together in that time, though I haven’t made it back to HK since I left. I hope soon to - it currently lives in my memory as it was in 1985 when I graduated!

These days I spend my time working in my studio on sculpture (mixed media) and completed a Master’s degree in Consciousness Studies last fall.

My email is grace@cds1.net for anyone who would like to get in touch again. I’m glad we’re having a reunion, and I am looking forward to reconnecting with old friends after all this time.

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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’86 Francine Jacome

francine@jacomenet.com

Sylvie Lanchi’s daughters Sophie and

Lanchi Venator: My husband, Brian Klingborg, and I have been in New York since 1997 - hard to believe. I would say that we are officially New Yorkers and are living the typical New York life. Brian works as a General Manager for the Nor th American office of a Japanese children’s educational book publisher, Kumon Publishing North America. At night, he doubles as a writer. Recently, he wrote a couple of episodes of Winx Club (on daytime Fox). It is a cartoon series featuring girls with superpowers which is good because we have 2 girls (see below for more details). The series is already in progress. His shows will be aired this Spring. So watch Fox and buy Kumon books for your kids!

As for me, I just left 5 tough years as a management consultant with A.T. Kearney. I did the whole thing, travel, long hours, cried at work, questioned my ability to have it all - a family and a career.

As of January 2005, I joined American Express to get off the roller coaster and to seek better work / life balance. the commute is amazing - 20 minutes door to door. No airports, train stations or car rental places to contend with. It has been an adjustment, but a good one for the family. And the answer for me is, I can’t have it all, but I can have what is most important to me.

What is most important to me now, aside from my husband, are my 2 made in New York girls, Sophie (4.5 years) and Sylvie ( 2 years). They may not know what it is like to have grass under their feet, but they know the difference between an express and a local train and how to have everything you need delivered right to your door!

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Hong Kong International School

Leah BOGGS Goslen: My husband Ted and I thank God for our beautiful son Thaddeus Palani Voggs Goslen, born June 3, 2004. So, probably by the time you read this, we’ll have celebrated his 1 year birthday. Also in 2005 we celebrate our 11th year wedding anniversary.

I’m still in the East Bay Area of California working par t time in music ministr y as well as a full time Mama now. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Sandra Mills ’86? Please check out my website at www.Flightunes.com

Erin Barrett: I’ve known Devra Grace Langford since she was three and I was four.

It’s not like we’ve ever been completely out of touch. If I ever needed her, I knew I could make a phone call or two and track her down. And over the years, that’s exactly what we did from time to time.

I knew, for instance, when she adopted Simon — her Jack Russell. She phoned during her process of leaving the world of organ transplant nursing for something a little less emotionally draining. I remember being in awe of her as she spoke of quick air dashes across country with life-saving organs on ice. Today, her life is equally foreign to me as she’s constantly on the go, leading workshops and conventions and making sales to emergency room physicians and nurses.

She also knew about my marriage, the bir th of my 2 children, Georgia and Jackson, and my difficult divorce. She knew about Jack, my new husband and

writing partner when he came into my life, as well. But beyond talking every year or so, we really hadn’t been in each other’s lives since high school, which made the last year that much more extraordinary for both of us.

Sometime in March of 2004, Devra decided to fly out from Dallas to visit me here in the SF Bay area. We clicked like it was 1984, and had the most wonderful time. So good, in fact, I flew to see her in May of the same year. She’s been out here twice more since then — once for the all-school HKIS reunion in the city (Summer 2004); once last fall. Her brother Paul ’84 and his wife Jennifer also came out for the 2004 reunion. It was great to catch up with him after so many years, and wonderful to meet her for the first time.

Now it seems Devra and I are two peas in a pod, not unlike the good old days back in Hong Kong. We email on a constant basis, talk ever y few weeks over the phone, and are planning trips to visit in person in the coming months. I’ve been amazed at the sense of being with family that I have when I’m with Devra. You can have wonderful friends in your life, but there’s something really unique that we share with others who’ve experienced growing up in Hong Kong. It’s been a great coming home for me to have her in my life again.

Devra and Erin check out the Devra, Steve, Erin ai Golden and Jack out for Th Gate Bridge. food in Dallas.

Julianne (Coleman) Kemp: How to summarize the last 20 years? After College (in far off California, which I never would have considered except for the HK experience - which made California seem close) - I worked in Silicon Valley for 10 years with my college beau, and now husband, Todd Kemp. Eventually, after

much deliberation we “escaped” (my ter m) from the SF Bay Area in 2000. We are in Colorado south of Denver. We were in search of a more family friendly area, and at least enough space to host a guest or two and a dinner par ty larger than 4. We’re enjoying our neighborhood, which is far from the bustle of city life. Denver itself would seem a suburb compared to HK! While in Colorado I’ve been at home with my children, Elise-6 and Collin-4.

This year, I’m thoroughly enjoying the outside work — I’ve added work back into my life. I am currently doing systems and process design for a community association. For years I did this same work at Sun Microsystems. Now, however, it’s par t-time, from home, working with others who are understanding of background noises like “Mommy!”

Kevin Tsai: On October 5, 2004, Jerry Hsu made the big plunge. Jerry always had a taste for beautiful women, and his wife Lulu is no exception.

The wedding was at Four Seasons Shanghai, and I was honored to be his Best Man. Finally, after 30 years of knowing Jerry, he concedes that I am indeed the best man. Present were ex-HKISers: John Hsu and Leslie (Choy) Hsu, Jack Hsu, and Leslie Fong. Keiki To ’86 is in Vancouver and owns a very successful specialty tea business. If you’re into tea, you must check it out (www.herbalrepublic.com).

Laura (Stanesa) Joseph ’87 is a beautiful mother of two beautiful daughters, is my colleague, and is also a big shot at a major software company in Redmond. My email: parabems@gmail.com.

Tim Flannery: lives in TX and is working as a cor porate director in banking and finance and as a credit software support person.

Jimmy Williamson: currently lives in DC. Yes... I stuck to my plan and I am now a par tner at Gensler practicing architecture and interior design! Stay in touch!

Leah Boggs Goslen: resides in Califor nia and works as a Minister of music. My husband Ted & I celebrated our 10 year marriage anniversar y on July 16, 2004! A little over a month before that on June 3, 2004 our first child Thaddeus was bor n! God is good!

The class of 1986 rules !

’87

Ashley Van Wormer: now residing in NC. She attended HKIS in high school together with sister Stephanie Peck Adams ’85 and went on to get a business degree from Wake Forest University.

’89 Jennifer Fresco

jennifer.fresco@custom-accessories.com

Gareth Matthews

Angela STICH Easterwood

Gareth.matthews.wg98@wharton.upenn.edu

angelappg@aol.com

Jeffery Tsai

Michael W. Thompson

jeffreytsai@mac.com

Michael.Thompson@hornets.com

Bobby Kwan: currently lives in Shanghai. He attended HKIS in grades 7 and 8 and in high school with sister Louisa Kwan ’83. He went on to get an MBA from the United States International University and now works as an assistant manager in retail network development.

Kitty Kay Chan: presently resides in VA. She attended HKIS in her junior and senior years and went on to get a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Southern California. She now works as an economist at the Federal Communications Commission.

’88 Prescille CHU Cernosia

prescillechu@hotmail.com Molly GISS Wadhwani

molly_wadhwani@scualum.com Debby Tuck

deb70@yahoo.com Amy Elizabeth Costello: I attended HKIS in 8th and 9th Grade. I’ve been living in South Africa for the past three years and travel regularly around the continent. I work as the Africa Correspondent for an American public radio program called, “The World”.

Christine O. Dunn: currently resides in Boston. She attended HKIS from her sophomore through to her senior years together with sister Alison Overholt ’94.

She received a master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and now works as a journalist for Bloomerg LP in Boston, Massachusetts.

Erik Muther: Attended the Boston reunion where I met with Sam Templeton also from class ’89. I’m working in Boston on a consulting project with Accenture. It was fun to catch up with Sam Templeton ’89 and the rest of the HKIS crew. I am a good father of a 7 month old boy Simon who is at home with mom in Philadelphia. We welcome any HKIS alums to Philadelphia.

Sam Templeton: Sam and his wife Heather live in Boston where he works for Fidelity Investments. He enjoyed catching up with Erik Muther at the Boston reunion.

Cynthia Su-Lee Tsai: I currently reside in Massachusetts and work as an attor ney and manager of special projects (Asia/Latin America) in the Massachusetts Office of International Trade. I’d love to hear from anyone who is currently in the New England area. I’ve been living in MA since 94 when I came here for law school. I eventually received an LLM in international banking law and finance as well and am a member of Massachusetts Board. After practicing project finance in a local fir m, I now oversee the Commonwealth’s trade and investment matters in Asia and

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

29

Latin America. I am currently a single mom to Gabe who is 9, and Coco who is 7.

Eveline Chang: presently lives in CA. She attended HKIS in high school together with brother Stephen Holland Chang ’91. She went on to get a degree in MSW Community Organizing/Clinical Practice from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and now works as a director of youth leadership & activism programs.

’90 Betty Chung

chungbyc@aol.com Wendie Leung: I’m back at Hong Kong Inter national School working as the Librar y Assistant in the high school library. I’ve been in Hong Kong since December 1996 after graduating from George Mason University (Virginia) with a B.A. in Biology. I’ve been working in the library for five years. I didn’t graduate from high school at HKIS, I graduated form St. Timothy’s School (Maryland).

’91 Desmond Chu

deschu@netvigator.com Angela Teng

ateng2002@kellogg.nwu.edu Christine “Rio” Gaxiola Sikes

Christinegaxiola@yahoo.com Heath Van Luchene

HeathRona@aol.com Sunny Tan: With the successful IPO listing of Luen Thai on July 15, 2004 (the project that he managed), Sunny Tan assumed the role as the chief financial officer of the company. Luen Thai is one of the leading apparel supply chain service providers with 17,000 employees worldwide, producing over 50 million pieces of apparel products from casual wear, career wear, intimate wear, fashion

30

Hong Kong International School

and spor ts and active wear for customers such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, UNIQLO, Dillard’s and Limited Brands.

Prior to this appointment, Sunny held t h e p o s i t i o n o f v i c e p r e s i d e n t fo r f i n a n c e a n d wa s r e s p o n s i bl e fo r formulating and implementing mergers and acquisitions business strategies as well as the financial management capital fund raising exercises. He was instrumental in the recent successful listing of Luen Thai Holdings Limited on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

Sunny has several years of experience in the investment banking industr y: prior to joining Luen Thai in October 1999, he wor ked at Merr ill Lynch’s investment banking division. He holds a master of science degree from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in bu s i n e ss admi ni strati on from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Stephanie Lape: Hi! Just wanted to give you an update on my life here in the midwest.

This has been a crazy year for me! It was a long hot pregnant summer with my 2 year old son Lander as we awaited the birth of his baby brother Kalen Alexander on September 2nd, 2004. My husband Lon was able to rush home for 2 weeks of R&R during the bir th (he is currently deployed with the Ar my Reser ves in Iraq).

It was tough spending the holidays without Lon, however I had my hands full with a newbor n and a 2 yr. old. We still had a great celebration with it being Kalen’s 1st X’mas. Please continue to pray for our soldiers in Iraq. We are so proud of Lon and the 172nd Transportation Company who put their lives on the line daily as they transport water, ammunition, and other supplies.

Thanks!

Mieka Rhoades: lives in MN and works in corporate interior design management.

Hope all is well with the class of 91. Hey Bijoy, who’s got the Axe? haha!

’92 Timothy Chen

Timothy.Chen@morganstanley.com Iain McGlashan

imcglashan@mac.com Iain McGlashan: currently lives in Nova Scotia and has just got his copy of the latest DragonTales, thanks for all your hard work! It is great to read about all my friends from HKIS!

’93 Timothy Gregg

timgregg@hotmail.com Amy Ruhter

Aruhter@iesabroad.org Sean Christopher Ward: currently resides in Australia. He works as a finance adviser in business compliance and regulation.

’94 Tiffany Bissey

tiffany.bissey@ey.com Michael Pemper

mpemper@hotmail.com Norman Ho

(Singapore Geographical Class Agent) romanic@singnet.com.sg Anna-Clare Mari Capper: currently residing in Australia. She attended HKIS in R1, R2 and grades 1 to 7 with sister Rebecca Capper ’75. She studied Mandarin at the University of Hangzhou and now works as a broadcast journalist.

Roy T. Bas: I’ve been in touch with 3 of my classmates from the Class of 94.

Well... thank God for “Friendster”, we

eventually got electronically united and before we knew it... we were having some sort of reunion dinner at the Peak (but Riz couldn’t make it that time... band commitments).

Lermin Kwan is now in Boston doing his masters in counseling psychology. Still not married but currently attached. He travels briefly to HK during the summer to visit his parents.

Howard Tang is in HK... posing as a male gigolo during his spare time... when he is not busy doing real work... freelancing something... can’t remember exactly what, but it had something to do with advertising... I think!

Rizwan Farooqi, plays guitar for his band, has his own column in BC magazine and works at HKIS. One of our targets this year is to get together and relive some of the past glories in the soccer field... after shedding some weight, of course... and getting enough people to play. Cheers.

’95 Christie Yih

xt_yih@yahoo.com David Cheng

dcheng23@hotmail.com Ryan Broich: presently resides in Minnesota and wor ks as a catastrophe claim representative. attended HKIS while my family was living in Hong Kong. We lived in Hong Kong from 1980 through 1985 and I attended HKIS as a child. I will be visiting Hong Kong in April of 2005 and would like to visit. Would this be possible?

Edward Park: now resides in San Francisco, CA. He attended HKIS from grades 3 to 12 with sister Christina Park ’98. He received a BA from Connecticut College and now works in financial analysis with Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth.

Stephen Chin: It’s been a long time since I dropped a message to all HKIS alumni. First of all, happy new year to everybody!! I still live in Seoul, Korea.

I received a medical doctor’s license in 2004 and finished my internship at Kyung Hee medical center in Seoul. Now, I am performing my military duty as a medical officer, which will be completed in 2007.

Internal medicine will be most likely my specialty after my duty is over, but not sure yet.... hehe... It’s a lot of fun to receive and read HKIS alumni magazine and hopefully I can find some of my old HKIS friends in near future. Have fun and take care!! p.s. let me update how some of alumni in Korea are doing. Hwan-yee Chung ’93 got married to Hyun-ki Cho ’95 last year.

Hyunki is working as an analyst at the Seoul branch office of Union Bank of Switzerland. Hwan-yee is busy as a violin tutor. Also Ga-young Moon ’94, living in Seoul, got married to a pathologist last year.

Timothy James Zenner: currently resides in MO and works as a chef at the Liluma Restaurant. Its been such a long time. It seems as though HK was a distant dream. I’m married to Barbara Sharon Zenner. No kids yet, although we have a cat and a dog that may as well be.

We have a house in the south west part of the city to go with our simple yet beautiful life. ANYONE traveling through St. Louis please call and make arrangements to stay with us (sure beats a hotel and bad food!).

Michael Allen Smith: lives in VA and is working as a young entrepreneurs organization networking coordinator. He is engaged to be married on July 2, 2005!

Check our www.carinandmike.com.

Sara Dallaire sdallaire@tiffany.com

Sara Dallaire, Sarah Immel Fielding and Kate Strom in NYC. Richard a n d d o e s marketing for Kraft.

Kate Strom is living in New York City and is finishing law school at Seton Hall this spring. Sara Dallaire is living in New York and works for Tiffany & Co. doing Public Relations. Hope all is well!

Ethan Saul Alter: http://www.ethanalter.com - presently lives in Brooklyn. He attended HKIS in high school and went on to get a degree in B.S. radio, television and film and now works as a film critic and journalist.

Jonathan Chen: http://www.spock.org/ - residing in NY. He went to HKIS in high school with his brothers Christopher Chen ’99 and Timothy Chen ’01. He got a computer science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and now works as a system administrator and programmer.

Sofia Gunawan: Looking back into the year, we both feel that a lot has happened and we’ve both grown up a lot more... We all know that’s an on-going process with us. But we’ve put together the highlights of this year to share with you. God bless you all in the coming year with plenty of spiritual and mental wealth.

’96 Fahd Hakim

Fhakim@usc.edu

Jennifer Doman Jenginad@hotmail.com Kelly Bissey kmbissey@holycross.edu

Sara Dallaire: Sarah Immel Fielding is still living in Chicago with her husband

Sofe Year 2004 recap – Doug and

Some highlights of Year 2004 from Sofie: Sofie’s new project Hobbies Central opened its door in January and her new project Sofie g’s design was established

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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in April. Sofie and Doug went to Colorado, 10 days of outdoor fun and endless eating (as always). The couple moved into their new countr y and seaside home in Clearwater Bay, found 7 days prior to their old lease expired. Sofe spent her birthday in November, hiking near her home. Met up with Linne Tsu at Sofe’s store. Miyuki also visited during the summer.

Michael Will: I work for Peerless Importers Inc. who are responsible for supplying the greater New York area with fine wine and spirits. I personally work in New York City ser vicing and supplying 60+ bars, clubs, and restaurants. Currently live in Long Beach out on Long Island.

Mark Lloyd Neighbors: http://markneighbors.com - presently lives in NY. He a attended HKIS from grades 6 to 9 with sister Ruth Neighbors ’91 and works as an administrator for the Fulbright Scholarship Program at the Institute of International Education.

’97 Meghan Smith

meghan.smith@regis.edu Lisa Tan

lisa@lisatan.com Tim Lo

lo_tim@hotmail.com Victor Yeung

vhy1@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Victor Yeung: and Marcus Ko ’95 bumped into Jim Handrich at lunch at Luk Kwok Hotel in Hong Kong. Victor had just finished his pediatrics clerkship, and passed his examination. He has entered the surgery block at HKU.

(Left to Right) Victor Yeung ’97, Jim Handrich and Marcus Ko ’95

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Hong Kong International School

Ian Yeung: Ian has just finished a junior ophthalmology resident job near Liverpool, England. He is moving to the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK to pursue a PhD. He would love to hear from fellow HKIS alumni who might be visiting the United Kingdom, especially Northern Ireland.

Tracy May Lyn Yuen: currently lives in England. She attended HKIS in R1 and grades 1 to 3 with brothers Jason Yuen ’92 and Kelvin Yuen ’90. She got a degree in LPC from Nottingham Law School, England and now works as a trainee solicitor and forensic analyst.

’98 Cheryl Yip

yippiec@hotmail.com cyip@ucla.edu Sarah Yeung

yeungsarah@hotmail.com Erica Fung: attended the Boston reunion. I am now in my second year at Harvard Law School. It was really nice catching up with everyone here in Boston at the HKIS alumni dinner - especially my sister’s classmates (Veronica Fung ’04).

I also have a brother who’s still at HKIS (Brian Fung - grade 7). I was class of 1998 but left HKIS in 1995.

Lucie Jugant: attended HKIS in her sophomore through to her senior years and went on to get an MA in international affairs from George Washington University. She now works at the Office of International Programs as an overseas studies advisor and program coordinator.

John Taylor ’98 visited HKIS in Jan this year. His email is johntaylor@uwalumni.com.

’99 George Liao

gliao@hotmail.com Kevin Kiwan Chung

Kiwan99@hotmail.com Jonathan Ip

990379@hkis.edu.hk Eleanor Shing

eleanor.shing@yale.edu hyper_mama@hotmail.com Erin (Henderson) Biank: works as the director of piano programs at Carroll College Academy in Wisconsin.

She will complete her Masters of Music degree in August 2005 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She and her husband Daniel will celebrate their third wedding anniversary this summer.

Melanie Elisabeth Black: http://melanieblack.com - went to HKIS in R1, R2 and grades 1 to 7 with brother William Black ’93. On October 19, 2004 she left NC to serve as a volunteer for the Peace Cor ps as a secondar y math teacher in Namibia.

Neha Gupta: currently lives in NY. He attended to HKIS in high school and has a sister Nitika Gupta ’05 who’s a senior.

He went on to get a degree in economics from Northwestern University and now works for Lehman Brothers.

Nicole Pang: I just graduated from Tufts University in May of last year and have returned to Hong Kong to work. My family (mother was a 3rd grade teacher at Upper Primar y) have moved back to Seattle so I’m living with my Aunt and uncle. I star ted working at CNN in October and am working for a show called TalkAsia.

’00

’02

Theresa Cheng

Andrew Chan

theresacheng@yahoo.com

hkis83@hotmail.com

Stella Shi-Di Ma: presently resides in MD. She attended HKIS in grade 8 and in high school. She got a degree in economics from New York University and is now a congressional intern.

’01 Lauren Tanner

Lauren@tannershome.com David Munho Choi

choi@purdue.edu

Angela Ho

angela_k_ho@hotmail.com Bob Pan

funkmaster_bp@yahoo.com Ryan Christopher Will: presently residing in NY. He attended HKIS from grades 3 to 7 with brother Michael Will ’96. He is taking up associates in criminal justice from the University of Tampa. When he has finished school he will attend the Black Water USA Training program and study to become a certified personal security specialist.

Michelle EMMA James

m.james1@ugrad.unimelb.edu.au Victoria Lyo: I’ m graduating from Wellesley College this spring double majoring in Biological Sciences and Chemistry, and I will be attending UCSF for medical school in the fall.

Ryan Christopher Will: lives in New York. Taking NYPD test this February and looking forward to a career in law enforcement.

Joyce Kuo: Along with attending school full time and working 3 part-time jobs, I am a rhythm guitarist/ vocalist in a local, northern California rock band. Check out the website www.my-monster.com for upcoming tour dates, mp3 downloads, etc. I am currently involved in a couple side projects, including a pseudoGer man power-pop group called Ausrocken and a jam band called Pedestrian Death.

’03 Timothy Chang changs@natim.com.hk Kristen Chin evelynfsm@hotmail.com Candace Ho caho@UDel.Edu Jane Sit Jmsit@syr.edu Coco Alexandra Chan: currently residing in Hong Kong. She went to HKIS from R1 to grade 10 with cousins Linne Tsu ’96, Keane Tsu ’99, Evelyn Chan ’01 and Giff Chan ’97.

’04 Lavanya Narasimhan: Studying at BU in adver tising/film. Attended Boston reunion. Spent first semester getting used to the “T” and missing MTR and Citybus, Loves getting to know Boston City - and its snow. Enjoying herself thoroughly and is looking forward to her coming year. Alumni at BU: Leslie Chan, Lauren Mounce, Karen Ng, Alvina Lai, Ingrid Chen and Amy Vlastelica.

Ingrid Chen: A student at Boston University taking up communications and public relations. Attended Boston reunion. It’s so surreal to see all HKISers sitting at a table in Boston’s Chinatown. I felt like I was back in the HKIS cafeteria, except for the fortune cookies part. Being in Boston, I realized how much Amer icans need to lear n about Chinese culture — there’s no such thing as egg rolls, fortune cookies or beef broccoli. Nevertheless, I love the City: ever y passerby can be a best friend. Boston University’s great, am loving every professor here (there are professors who are actually older than Mr. Eichert!), but HKIS will always be my first love.

Lulu Zhou: Won the Hang Seng Scholarship in 2004 and now studying at Harvard University. She attended the Boston reunion on Feb. 1 5 . I ’ m e n j oy i n g t h e s q u i r r e l s a n d the frequent precipitation at Harvard University, MA. There’s nothing like waking up to fresh snow from an over night snowfall. Boston is an interesting city to go to school in, but I miss quality Chinese food.

Fiona Fong: A freshman at Har vard College majoring in economics. Spends her time figure skating, ballroom dancing, working with “An Evening with Champions” show and Woodbridge Inter national Society. Attended the Boston reunion.

Abigail Darby: She’s a freshman at Harvard University and spent the fall memorizing the periodic table and playing jr. hockey (both field and ice). Will likely major in special “History and Science” concentration. Misses Hong Kong’s “25 oC” weather. Attended the Boston reunion.

Mi Kyung Kim: Attended the Boston reunion. I currently attend Emerson College in Boston. I am majoring in TV/Video, but planning to switch to Film, as well as minor in Management. I see other alums at least a couple of times a month, since Boston is a relatively small city. I like Boston and I’m having a great time here, but nothing compares to Hong Kong.

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Lydia Kho: has been at HKIS for 12 years teaching AP European history, American studies and modern world and wester n civilization, Chinese histor y and culture, AP human geography and humanities 1. She will be taking early retirement and enjoying herself in Hong Kong. She will also be travelling to the US to visit her daughter Galina ’01. To reach her please email lydiakho@gmail.com and in Hong Kong call her at 2564 2598.

Bob and Pat Dow, Phil and Liane Koester, Dorothy and Jack MacSlarrow

Phil Koester: Dear HKIS alumni, We thought this would be of interest to the readers of your alumni magazine.

The picture is during a Chinese New Year Celebration February 2005, at Phil and Liane Koester’s house Dorothy and Jack Macslarrow worked at HKIS from 1989-1992.

Bob and Pat Dow worked at HKIS from 1992-1995.

Phil and Liane Koester worked at HKIS from 1995-2004.

All three men (Jack, Bob and Phil, respectively) were HKIS middle school counselors and currently live within 30 miles of each other in Washington.

Hope you enjoy the picture - a rare piece of HKIS history.

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Hong Kong International School

Donna Koehneke: The Lutheran Education Association (LEA) presented Donna Koehneke, a Reception 2 teacher at HKIS, with the 2005 LEA Distinguished Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher Award in May. We are extremely proud of Donna as this is the first time the award has been presented to a teacher working outside of the United States.

LEA was founded in 1942 and has some 5,500 members worldwide. It works to link, equip, and affir m educators in Lutheran ministries, helping them become excellent educators.

Jonathan C. Laabs, Ed.D, the Executive Director of LEA, flew in from the US especially to present the Award to Donna at the ceremony in the presence of both her present and for mer students, their parents, faculty and staff at the Church of All Nations in Hong Kong on May 18th.

The award recognizes excellence in teaching and administration at all levels. LEA looks for teachers with an understanding of their school’s role and mission, and for those that exemplify overall excellence in education.

The Passing of Earl Ness It is with sadness that we report the passing in September last year of Earl Ness, ex-board member of HKIS. HKIS remains deeply indebted to Earl for his years of dedication and suppor t to the school. Earl died in San Francisco after a long battle with cancer.

Reunion Notices: Class of 1975 – 30 year reunion

Class of 1995 – 10 Year Reunion

Friday November 11 – 14, 2005 (Veteran’s weekend)

The reunion will take place sometime next year in 2005.

We are still in the preliminary stages of getting things organized, so all suggestions are welcomed. The most important thing we need right now is to get as many names and addresses as we can. Please forward any contacts that you have of any former classmates of ours.

Email David ’95 at dcheng23@hotmail.com or Christie ’95 at xt_yih@yahoo.com.

Los Angeles, California All friends and classmates invited. Possible Activities include Chinese dinner and dancing, (but not limited to these), Beach Barbecue, Universal City Walk, Dim Sum, and lots of time to catch up with old friends.

At DragonTales press time, plans are still being formed but when you read this, time will be short.

For more information contact: David Knisely ddknise@hotmail.com

Class of 1996 – 10 Year Reunion Jennifer Doman ’96 has offered to be in charge of the 10 year reunion in Vegas Summer of 2006, so get prepared!! Email jenginad@hotmail.com

Steve Koch 800-262-1127 X110 mastalkoch@aol.com Judi Rower jrower@hotmail.com

Class of 2001 – 5 year Reunion

Class of 1981 – 25 Year Reunion

A Class of 2001 reunion is being planned for this coming academic year and if you have not heard about it yet, please email Lauren Tanner ’01 at lauren@tannershome.com if you would like to come!

Remember, we’re having our 25th Reunion in Boston in 2006 - contact Karen Staniek ’81 or Anna Agell ’81 or email alumni@hkis.edu.hk

Class of 1982 – 25 Year Reunion

Hong Kong Reunion 2007 For information contact Kenneth Koo ’79 kkoo@tccgroup.com.sg

This reunion is in the preplanning stages. To help and to send your contact information, email Sheila Baker Gujral ’82 at sheilamcneila@hotmail.com

Class of 1985 – 20 Year Reunion September 16-18, 2005 San Francisco Organized by Michael Taylor (michael.taylor@ca.pepsi.com), Valerie (Smith) Hinsley, Lori Delahunty, Lanchi Venator, and Dave Jones Please contact Michael Taylor or visit http://www.hkismyreunion.com for additional information, and details.

HKIS’ 40 year Anniversary Reunion in Hong Kong Date: mid-late June 2007

Class of 1986 – 20 Year Reunion Location: Where it all began – in Hong Kong!

April 7-9, 2006

Contact: Kenneth Koo ’79 at kkoo@tccfleet.com or

Las Vegas Organized by Francine Jacome

Kelvin Limm ’79 at kelvin.limm@leadcommander.com

If you’re interested in attending our reunion or receiving information, please send your most current email to reunion@jacomenet.com

Do you want a hard copy of the Alumni Directory?

Yes or No - please let us know at alumni@hkis.edu.hk

HKIS Alumni Website: http://dragonnet.hkis.edu.hk/alumni

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Our Alumni continue to give back to HKIS. Wendy Hsu ’85 - Annual Fund Ball Chair 2005, and Sunny Tan ’91 - Annual Fund Alumni Co-chair in 2001-2003 are fine examples of alumni who want to help HKIS move to the next level of excellence. If you would like more information on how you can help HKIS through the Annual Fund, please contact the Community & Resource Development Office today.

Hong Kong International School 1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam, Hong Kong http://giving.hkis.edu.hk (852) 3149-7820 crd@hkis.edu.hk