I grew up in London and before this quest, I had heard of International Student House (ISH) London, but I had never heard of Goodenough College.
Both these homes away from home are part of the International Houses Worldwide Group, so I was keen to visit them as part of my London stop. Like I-House NYC they take people from across London’s universities, rather than being affiliated to just one.
Entrance to ISH on Park Crescent
ISH was my morning stop and I was greeted very warmly by the Armenian gentleman on reception who obviously loved his job and was definitely someone you would want welcoming residents and guests.
Me with Cynthia and Jilly Borowiecka
I was meeting Jilly Borowiecka who has worked at ISH for many years and is well known amongst the ISH alumni I have met. We were also joined by a current resident, Cynthia, who works part time with the alumni team. Cynthia is one of the nearly 90 scholars this year who are funded to live at the House to enable them to study at one of the universities or institutions in London. This scholarship program is something ISH is hugely proud of and are planning to expand it further next year.
The Nash crescent that ISH is in
ISH is housed in a beautiful Nash crescent right on the edge of Regents Park, however the interior communal spaces have been updated recently so there are plenty of areas for eating, meeting and studying. ISH accepts both undergraduate and graduate students.
The other side of the building
ISH was started by Mary Trevelyan, and opened in 1965, but a bit like Harry before she went into building a House she started by forming a club, the GOATs club that offered 100 international students a place to socialise and get support whilst they studied. Alumni of ISH are still called GOATs. https://ish.org.uk/goatsmembership/
Mary was a great friend of Sherry Warwick the former Director of I-House Berkeley and he often stayed at ISH when he was travelling and also spoke there many times.
A photography produced for the 50th anniversary featuring some of those who have supported or spoken at ISH over that time
My next stop was Goodenough College, which has an number of properties on Mecklenburgh Square, which is a lovely peaceful square despite it being right in the heart of London near Kings Cross. Goodenough was founded in the 1931 by Frederick Crawford Goodenough who was Chairman of Barclays Bank, to house male graduate students from the commonwealth countries. Women were added in a separate building after WWII and then in the 1970s the intake was opened up to the rest of the world.
Goodenough college
The site has beautiful buildings that are set around courtyard gardens which are beautifully maintained as it the whole building. It has a ‘Churchill room’ with lovely wooden panels, which was used by Churchill during the war. It also has a chapel. Because of its location it attracts a good number of music students, who enjoy playing the various grand pianos that are in some of the rooms. There are also usually enough Opera singers to put on a production at the College each summer, which is a very popular event.
The main gateway, with a glimpse of the courtyard beyond. Below the Library and the main hall just two of many beautiful rooms
I was made very welcome by Hannah Du Gray and Laura O’Sullivan from their Development and Alumni team and we had a wide ranging discussion about post graduate student accommodation both in London and abroad. They call their 700 residents ‘Members’ and usually have over 90 countries represented, with strong representation from Australia, the USA and Canada. It really is a beautiful set of buildings well worth a visit if you are in London.
One thing to note is that Goodenough does a subletting scheme when students are away, as well as to support occupancy in the summer and they have a very stylish hotel on the square too – so if you need somewhere to stay in London do have a look at their website (note the short stay ones tend to come up more last minute so keep checking back) http://www.goodenough.ac.uk/visitors/visitor-accommodation
Blue sky welcomed me as I stepped out of the Metro at Conca d’Oro and shortly after I was picked up by International House, super fan and very wonderful host, Adriano Romano. First stop, obviously, was coffee, which had to be accompanied by a not very slimming but utterly delicious, Cornetti Nutella.
I am not sure there are words to really describe the loveliness of Rome, it is the constant surprise around each corner, the food and the colours. Harry loved Rome too and enjoyed spending time with his very great friend James Yu, the ambassador from Free China to Italy. Luckily for Harry whenever he went to Rome, he stayed with Mr Yu and he put his limousine and chauffeur at Harry’s disposal.
Harry must have been here on March 11th (slightly after me due to his 2 weeks in Bangkok) as he celebrated his 83rd Birthday here with a big party thrown by the Ambassador. Harry and I share the 11th of March as our Birthdays. I will be having mine in New York at the end of my trip and I will be being 50!
My Rome event was an American Breakfast as a trip down memory lane of breakfast in the dining hall. I was joined by I-House alumni Adriano Romano, Claudia Pelican and Prof. Gemma Corradi Fiumara and by my first Goodenough College alum Pierluigi Barbarisi. We were also joined by Pierluigi’s friend Ana Maria Fageat a fellow London law student.
Pier Luigi Barbarisi, Ana Maria Fageat, Adriano Romano, Claudia Pellicano and Prof. Gemma Corradi Fiumara – photoshop courtesy of Adri!
Of course the conversation focused around coffee with the challenge of finding a decent expresso in London or New York back in the day!
Very smart silver candle from Claudia as my Roman candle to take to Paris friends
We also talked about how Rome has potential as a location for an International House and I shared the story of the Roman I-House that never was.
Just after the war an I-House alum, who was professor of economics at the University of Rome, along with a number of others decided that the Palazzo Salivate had potential as an International House Rome.
Palazzo Salviati – on the edge of the river Vatican side – today it is part of the Defence College
They were hoping for it to be funded by the American Economic Commission who were pouring money into post war reconstruction projects. They were planning 100 rooms and whilst Harry felt that the Palazzo was little ‘overdone’ for an I-House, he was excited by the plans. Everything was drawn up and seemed in place to do the necessary work to turn it into a House, when Harry had to leave to go back to the US. However it seems that there was then some serious procrastination amongst the group in Rome and they missed getting the funding they were looking for as Congress stopped contributing to such projects.
Not one to give up it seems that Harry continued to hold out hope that the building would still be secured and converted as per the original plans and so he persuaded the American Ambassador, Mrs. Claire Booth Luce to throw a tea party for him with prominent Italians, in the hopes that one of them might put up the funds. Sadly although he says they had a nice party, no funds were forthcoming. The Ambassador was much frustrated by the lack of willingness from the rich Italians, but Harry was more sanguine, saying that ‘if the interest is there, the need is there, it has to be fulfilled’ and that he was willing to ‘keep on’. He was ever the optimist. Perhaps the time is now right…
The view that the I-House would have had!
Story Snippets….
Roman Sisters – Prof. Gemma Corradi Fiumara – In the 1960s Gemma wanted to go and study in the US but her parents were reluctant to be persuaded. So they said that she could on the condition that both her and her sister went together and that they won scholarships to pay for their studies. So they did. Gemma went to study Philosophy as an Undergrad and Sofia to study her Masters in Comparative Law in New York and both lived at I-House. As a result of their experience they have both gone on to do amazing things with Gemma writing a number of notable academic books, the most recent being Psychic Suffering; from Pain to Growth. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1782202692/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Her very latest book is a historical novel The Pilgrim Kings: A Story of the Magi. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilgrim-Kings-Story-Karnac-Library/dp/1782205586/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550426501&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pilgrim+kings+a+story+of+the+magi
Sofia went on to found the Erasmus project of student exchanges in Europe. https://www.sofiacorradi.eu Sadly Sofia was not well enough to join us for the brunch, but talking to Gemma it was clear that both her and her sister never took no for an answer and found a way through to achieve their aims whether getting agreement between two countries for their students to travel between them or getting a book published.
Prof. Gemma Corradi Fiumara (right) with Claudia Pelican
The Infamous Pesto Party – Adriano Romano – When Adri was in the House he was often to be found cooking in one of the flats with a kitchen. One day he decided to give a simple Italian cookery lesson and teach some 15 friends to make Pesto. He assembled the ingredients, basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Argentinian Parmesan (apparently Italian was hard to come by and too expensive for student budgets) and a blender and they produced the pesto and cooked pasta for it to go on. The resulting dinner was considered so delicious that it seems that the recipe spread quickly through the House that evening and soon pesto was being enjoyed on all floors. Adri enjoyed his party and the next day was returning to Italy. When he arrived he found that he had a telephone message from a key member of the I-House staff that he must call her immediately. When he did he was reprimanded for his culinary lessons, as it had resulted in no one eating in the dining hall that evening, which in turn resulted in a loss of wages for the catering staff. Adri was obviously apologetic but it did not stop him continuing to share his Italian cooking with I-House friends during his remaining time there.
2nd Generation at Goodenough – Pierluigi Barbarisi – Pierluigi was recommended to stay at Goodenough College in London, a member of the International Houses World Wide group http://ihouseworldwide.org, by his Uncle who had lived there in the 1970s. Pierluigi told us about the garden, swimming pool and tennis court that they enjoyed in its very central London location. Like the I-House NYC, Goodenough residents are drawn from over 70 countries are post graduate students and can be from any institution in London giving them a wonderful international grounding and life long friends.
Pierluigi Barbarisi (right)
Making Movies – As Claudia Pellicano studied Journalism and Acting when in NYC, the conversation moved to the fact that I-House and the surrounds were used for filming whilst Adri and Claudia were at the House. Claudia remembered that an episode of Gossip Girls was filmed in the House and Adri that Law and Order was filmed in the surrounding streets. Sadly neither of them got to star in either production.
Lunch with Mario De Rosa, who will be a wonderful ambassador one day
I am writing this today from Voulas, which is by the Mediterranean at the end of the Athens tram line. Winding here through the Athens suburbs the bakeries and florists have embraced St Valentine with heart shaped cakes and bread abounding.
Voulas near Athens
Once again, I have scant detail about Harry’s time here in Athens, but I do know from the letter he wrote at the end of his trip that “going with two Greek friends up the Acropolis, I saw the exact spot where the Apostle Paul made his famous speech to the ‘Men of Athens’ in which he said, ‘God hath made of one blood all nations to dwell on the face of the earth’.” Which he felt was akin to the I-House motto of ‘Let brotherhood prevail’. So obviously as I set out early to climb up the Acropolis, I stopped at Aerophagus hill which where Harry is referring to.
The Acropolis from Aerophagus Hill
It was a grey and blustery winter morning and no one else was about. I climbed up the metal steps as the original marble ones cut into the rock, that Harry would have used, looked a bit slippery and treacherous and paused on the top imagining Harry there with his two friends looking out over the whole of Athens. I expect there may have been less buildings and more countryside 53 years ago. It was very peaceful and looking closely there were signs of spring in the surrounding archaeological site, with small yellow flowers and the rosemary bushes blooming.
Plaque with Apostle Paul’s sermon to the ‘men of Athens’
I love visiting historical or ancient sites and imagining them bustling with people. The structures on the Acropolis have been adapted over the ages to be churches, mosques, temples and houses, so there is plenty to ponder. That they are still standing at all today is remarkable.
It was windy up the top…
Finding alumni in Athens had proved one of my more challenging destinations. However luckily for me Alex Varelas, took a trip down memory lane last March and visited I-House NYC some 30 years after his time there. Julie Pape from the alumni office showed him round and subsequently connect me to him. Through a chance meeting Alex re-connected with Kosmas Michail who had also been in the NYC House at the same time. Kosmas and his wife Leslie Jones are Sakura Sweethearts who met at the House. Evangelia Avloniti who stayed at International Student House London completed our small but perfectly formed gathering.
Alex’s resident’s card from 1990, obviously he does not look any older…
Alex had chosen a very traditional Greek restaurant in a residential district of Athens. One of the joys of my trip is that I have eaten in places that as a tourist I would never have visited. I was instructed to go and inspect what dishes were on offer at the open kitchen viewing area, full of huge pans of delicious stews and vegetables.
Alex Varelas, Kosmas Michail, Leslie Jones, Evangelia Avloniti & me at Fillipou restaurant
Around the table we had a mix of arts, with Leslie a cellist and Evangelia an art historian turned literary agent and science and business with both Kosmas and Alex originally training to be Electrical Engineers, but the common theme was the breadth and internationality of the time with others in the Houses.
Istanbul candle went to Leslie who bought the Athens candle which I shall take to Rome
It was a delightful evening and I hope that it will be the start of alumni in Athens re-connecting.
Leslie, heads up the Music Department at DEREE, the American College of Greece and was taking a number of her students to a concert at the Athens Concert Hall and kindly invited me to come. The hall has amazing acoustics and we enjoyed – Nikos Skalkottas: Symphonic Suite No. 1 and Johannes Brahms: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83.
Story Snippets…
Missing match maker– Kosmas Michail and Leslie Jones – When Leslie Jones moved from Oregon to study the Cello in New York, she originally lived in another dorm, but realizing I-House was closer to her school she decided to re-locate. She already had an established set of friends and was doing long hours of rehearsing for her recitals so she was not one to be found in the pub or socializing. It was only with much persuasion that her friend Jan Fießig got Leslie to agree to come to his farewell breakfast as he was leaving the House to go back to Germany. He had mentioned to Leslie previously that she should meet Kosmas as he was a wonderful philosopher and Jan felt they would get along. Jan was right and romance blossomed after his departure and Kosmas and Leslie became a Satura Sweetheart couple. Sadly, Jan never knew that his matchmaking was successful. Leslie has tried to trace him a number of times with no luck. So, they and I are hoping that perhaps someone reading this might know him still and ask him to get in touch.
Delights of London – Evangelia Avloniti – Evangelia left Greece to go and study Art History at the Courtauld Institute in London and was offered a place in some accommodation that was some way away from there. Rather than accept it she enquired again about any other options and was pointed in the direction of International Student House London (ISH). She moved in and was captivated by the breadth of nationalities living alongside her counting friends from Ethiopia, Pakistan and India to name but a few. When her sister came to London they managed to extend their association with ISH by moving into one of the apartments owned by ISH near Marylebone High Street, not a location where students can usually afford to live in London! She loves being back in Athens, but misses the international dimension of entering a room at ISH and meeting new friends from new countries every day.
I-House ‘magic’– Alex Varelas – We were reflecting on the difference between the I-House experience and other multicultural / international study experiences and Alex was comparing his time at I-House with his time at INSEAD business school near Paris, where he studied for his MBA. ISEAD certainly is international environment with over 40 countries represented in his class. These classmates from all nationalities worked hard and played hard together, but still for Alex it could not compare it to the diversity and cultural understanding he experienced by living at the New York I-House. Having 70-80 countries represented and sharing a ‘home’ together made it the most international and cross cultural experience for Alex. Which is the ‘magic’ that Harry described often in his letters to others about living at any of the I-Houses.
Masterclass in Rhetoric – Leslie Jones – Leslie was recalling that Gerald Ford came to speak at the House whilst she was there. She decided it was an opportunity not to be missed and went along. She recalled what an engaging and charismatic speaker he was but also how when he was done, reflecting on what she had heard, she found that he had not really said anything at all. An enjoyable masterclass in political rhetoric indeed.
Post office postscript…
Greece scored highly on the postcard quest. Postcards are abundant at every tourist spot and stall. I secured 4 for €1 and there is a handy post office opposite the entrance to the Acropolis. The lady behind the counter was a bit tardy in opening up and as I waited the post man appeared to collect the cards from the box outside, but he waited for me to buy my stamps and took the cards, speeding off behind the trees in his blue van…
I have landed at Istanbul airport many times in transit to other places in Turkey but never actually visited, so I was keen to see what the city had to offer. Chris re-joined me for the weekend from the UK, which was lovely so I was all set for a wonderful time in country 9 out of 18.
Pinar Ozbek, had done all the hard work for the event and it was an all I-House NYC turnout. She suggested BUMED, which is the alumni club for Bogazici University, as our meeting place.
Chris and I arrived a bit early and as we went to the reserved table we were approached by a gentleman. Mehmet Atar, explained that he had never lived at I-House but his friend Professor Dr. Orhan Kural had, but was not able to attends, so had asked him to represent him. He then presented me with his card which said he was the Honorary Consul in Istanbul for the Republic of Vanuatu! A role he explained he had been offered after doing some mining engineering consultancy in Vanuatu.
Chris with the Honorary Consul for Vanuatu, Mehmet Atar
We had a very lovely meeting with a lively crowd. Nilgun Okay and her sister Nesrin, both residents, came with Nilgun’s daughter. They also bought their I-House memorabilia with them. Including a newspaper article from the Turkish press about their performance at I-House at Fall Fiesta. They told me that at least 5 other cousins or relatives of theirs have also lived at the House!
Nesrin & Nilgun Okay with the press article about Fall Fiesta
Brunch turned into afternoon coffee as the conversation continued and I hope that this was the start of many a Turkish alumni meet up.
Pinar had chosen BUMED for our meet up as the Bogazici University also has links to the Dodge family, who gave some of the land that I-House NYC is built on. So I was keen to see some of the buildings. Our first attempt to get onto campus had not gone well due to my lack of Turkish, but luckily Sinan Acikalin (who is hoping to live at I-House from September when he goes to Columbia to do his MBA), son of Tarik Acikalin who lived in the House around 1975, said he would give us a tour the next day. Which it turned out was wonderfully sunny.
The University is set high up above the Bosphorus at its narrowest point, where castles on either side allowed the Ottomans to control the seaway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It has the most amazing views. Originally Robert College it was started by two US philanthropists in 1871. The College was to open its doors to students of all races, nationalities and religions without prejudice or discrimination, which was unusual in those days. Over the next 100 years the campus was expanded until in 1971 it became Bogazici University. Today Bogazici is one of the most prestigious in Turkey.
In keeping with his support of the I-House philosophy, Cleveland H. Dodge’s donations to Bogazici were all about encouraging students to eat and socialise together and therefore learn about each other.
We visited the Dodge Gymnasium which is constructed of the blue limestone quarried on the campus. It was financed by Cleveland who was Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1909 until 1926, and his father, William E. Dodge. For many years it was the first modern gymnasium in Europe and had the only indoors running track in Turkey (sadly no longer in existence). The first basketball game in Turkey was played here in 1908. Today the original floor is still in place and the building has been lovingly maintained by its very charismatic caretaker, who was keen to show us around.
Cleveland funded the Henrietta Washburn Hall or the Social Hall, it is called today. It was completed in 1914 and named after Henrietta Loraine Washburn, daughter of Cyrus Hamlin and wife of George Washburn. It is used as a recreational hall by the students, it contains a theater, lounges, club rooms and a canteen. He also donated a famous organ which is in the auditorium.
Again I do not know if Harry visited the campus but with the connections to his friend Cleveland, he may well have done and I am sure he would have approved of the University’s philosophy of inclusion as well as admired the wonderful views over the Bosphorus.
Story Snippets…
Key Positions – Nilgun Okay – Nilgun stayed at I-House for 4 years, which even in the 1980s was over the usually permitted length of time. She worked out that if she was to stay she would need to get one of the ‘Key Positions’ whilst studying for her PHD in Earth & Environmental Sciences. So she got the position of Special Assistant Pub / Vending Machines. Apparently she also worked the till in the canteen and was able to quickly reduce a long line of hungry students by getting them through the checkout fast! Nilgun was the first woman in Turkey to get a PHD in that field.
Nilgun Okay pointing out her entry in the Key Positions book
Dying Swan – Pinar Ozbek – Before coming to I-House Pinar danced for the Istanbul State Ballet for 8 seasons. At the House she performed the Dying Swan solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSl1_WwFk6Y Today she still teaches ballet alongside her academic teaching.
Greyhound Touring – Tarik Acikalin – Tarik wanted to do an MBA and in the 1970s the Turkish government would sponsor students to go to the US to study. Tarik got places at 3 US MBA schools including Columbia and applied for the government scholarship. There were 10 scholarships up for grabs and Tarik just missed out by being 11th in the ranking. So he started to study for his MBA in Turkey. Some 9 months later he got a call from the government office that said they would award him the scholarship for the next academic year. Tarik was undecided but got in touch with the 3 schools where he had places, but only Columbia would still accept him and would give him some credit for his year of study in Turkey. He decided to take up the offer and had 2 happy years living at I-House. A huge classical music fan, one of the highlights was access to great concerts in NYC while he was there. At the end of his stay at the House he and a Turkish friend set off to tour the USA by Greyhound bus for a month. No one believed they would last more than to California and back, but they did. They often slept on the bus rather than getting a hotel, and visited many places in their four weeks on the road.
Beirut was one of the stops I was most looking forward to when I set off, not only because I had never been to Lebanon, but also because it was not so long ago that sadly the war prevented all tourism here and still when you tell people you are coming they ask if it is really safe.
It, along with the other middle eastern countries were also important in the International House story as from the beginning of the Houses they have had Arabic, Jewish, Sunni, Shia and Christian residents from the region all living side by side. This has often involved heated debates but at the end of the day they have shown each other respect and sought to understand and developed tolerance and friendship within the I-House context.
For someone who has been lucky to live in relative peace in the UK, seeing the bombed out and bullet hole ridden properties around the city was disconcerting and sad. My taxi driver told me about how he and his wife escaped to Saudi during the war, but when they had children they could not afford the schools in Saudi and his wife and 3 children returned to Lebanon in the midst of the War, I could not imagine the daily worry for him and his wife through that period. Thankfully they all survived and he now had 5 grandchildren.
It is nearly 30 years since the fighting stopped and restoration and regeneration are also everywhere. There is a focus on design and elegance, art and food and the long and fascinating history of the country. More than this the people are charming, we were welcomed and helped by everyone we met.
Sandy Edmonds, Harry’s granddaughter
This stop was also special as Sandy Edmonds, Harry’s granddaughter, joined me from her home in Vermont. Sandy is my father’s first cousin, but family politics meant that they only met a very few times. She is the most wonderful woman, a true lover of art and people, having been an art teacher for many years in US Public Schools. So, it was a delight to explore Beirut together.
Main gate AUB
I do not have any information about what Harry’s actually did on this stop, but with his close connection to the Dodge family I imagined that he would have visited AUB (American University Beirut) as Bayard Dodge, was president from 1923-48 and Dr. David Stuart Dodge held various positions from 1961-97. http://www.aub.edu.lb/President/Pages/history.aspx
Ada Dodge Hall named after Dr. D. Stuart Dodge’s deceased daughter
Harry may perhaps have met with Samuel B Kirkwood the president at the time. Originally, we were going to have the honour of meeting Mr. Khouri, the current AUB president, but he was called away on business so we did a campus tour instead.
AUB tour by Ali, in the pouring rain, they gave us some very smart AUB umbrellas!
Our guide Ali, a current AUB student in Finance was utterly charming and showed us around the beautiful campus.
The re-built main College Hall at AUB
The University kept going as far as possible through the war and he showed us the tunnel that allowed the medical students to get to the hospital from the campus to go on duty without going up onto the street. Parts of the campus were destroyed including the main hall, but have been re-constructed and they even have a very funky building by Zaha Hadid http://www.zaha-hadid.com.
Zaha Hadid building at AUB
There is an cedar grove in the middle of the campus that were planted by the founder Dr Bliss and are still standing. I imagined Harry standing by the President’s House which has the most wonderful view out to sea, or perhaps he even got to go in!
View from the President’s House at AUB
After our tour we met up with Chicago I-House Alum Rajab Ghazzaoui, who is currently working at the AUB business school. Over coffee he was able to explain more about the complex politics of Lebanon and the region and also the challenges of daily life in Beirut. These include electricity being rationed to 3 hours a day for most householders, unless they have a generator, the traffic and lack of public transport. The newly formed government is a welcome sign, but the continued corruption that is endemic makes it hard to keep hope of real change, good jobs and growth. The war forced many to experience living overseas either, mostly in Europe or Saudi Arabia so they have a broader perspective that you might find in other countries.
Coffee with Rajab Ghazzaoui
My event at this stop was to be hosted by Dirk Kunze, I-House NYC alum and his team at FNST Lebanon & Syria in their very funky office space Garage 664. FNST is a German not for profit focused on liberal principles and political education. They operate in around 60 countries and focus on promoting freedom and dignity in all areas of society and hold events that encourage international dialogue, rights for minorities and democratic control.
Dirk Kunze being interviewed by the media at my event
This event was to be very different to all the others on my trip as it was open to the wider public as part of FNST’s Alphabet Series of events. We were letter ‘H’, fitting for Harry! The title of our event was ‘Humanity in the times of populism, the value of international networks’. So we could weave together my event and what FNST do in their work.
Raya Haffer El Hassan, Minister for the Interior Lebanon
On my quest to find attendees at the Beirut event I had contacted an alumna of International Student House DC, which is part of the World Wide International Houses group, Raya Haffar El Haasan. Raya had been Finance Minister of Lebanon and I though it would be wonderful if she could come. To my delight she said she would.
The panel for the discussions including 2nd from right Omar Chatah (IH NYC)
Last weekend Dirk emailed me to say that in the formation of the new and long awaited government Raya had been made the first woman Minister of the Interior. He thought that this would probably mean that she would not be able to attend. However, this proved not to be the case. Raya amidst the whirlwind of her appointment, made time to come because she wanted to tell the audience how important her time at ISH DC had been in shaping her understanding of the other and how she applies this to her work. She was totally delightful as we chatted before the event began and she and Dirk helped light the candles at the end.
We had 50 people attend the event, I would love to say I was the draw but Raya in her new role, was that, but I got to share Harry’s idea, the I-House story and also welcome the other alumni in the audience, Omar Chatah and Naoki Takyo from I-House NYC and Rajab Ghazzaoui from I-House Chicago. It was so lovely to have Sandy Edmonds there too to hear both from Raya but also others about how impactful their time at the House had been on their outlook and lives.
Alumni, Raya El Haasan (ISH DC), Dirk Kunze (IH NYC), Rajab Raab Ghazzaoui (IH Chicago), Naoki Tokyo (IH NYC)
I will definitely be coming back to Lebanon, I want to see all the other things it has to offer outside of Beirut and truly hope that with continued dialogue and perseverance, the Lebanese people will feel they are living in a thriving and stable country. If you haven’t been do put it on your list.
Story Snippets….
Surrogate Mothers of I-House Chicago – Rajab Ghazzaoui – Having been used to living at home whilst studying for his undergrad, when Rajab was accepted to UChicago for his Masters the thought of finding an apartment and all that entailed was daunting. So he phoned the accommodation office and they gave him the options including the I-House. He called them back to ask ‘one flat fee and everything is included?’, ‘Yes’ they said. He was instantly sold. Arriving at the house he decided to take one of the student jobs and ended up working in the office of the Director Denise Jordan and her team. They instantly took a shine to him and he ended up with not one but three surrogate mothers, who helped him navigate his time in the House. From explaining how the washing machines worked to ensuring he was eating properly or up to date with his admin, they were there to support him. He says that he really grew up whilst he was there.
Challenging stereotypes at Fall Fiesta– Naoki Takyo – Every year at I-House NYC they hold the Fall Fiesta, where the residents showcase culture and food from their countries. Naoki, said that he had recently found the VHS tape of his Fall Fiesta at the House (I am impressed he still had something to play it on!) and that re-watching it he was reminded how he wanted to break the stereotype that all Japanese are very serious and have no sense of humour. He and his fellow Japanese residents were dressed in Kimono and it seems that Takyo raised more than one laugh from the audience, achieving his goal. When I asked him and his wife about how he had done this it seems that “what happens at Fall Fiesta stays at Fall Fiesta”, but I think it involved some dance moves and showing more leg than you might normally under a Kimono!
Appreciation of the ‘other’– Raya Haffar El Hassan – Excerpt from her speech at the event – “For us residents, ISH (International Student House DC) was a home away from home. It provided a safe shelter from the harsh realities we, as international students, had to confront in trying to adapt to new surroundings and environment. During my stay I was fortunate to have built strong and lasting friendships with many of my co-residents. Friendships, I am happy to say that I still have to this day. These are the kinds of bonds that survive the passage of time. My friends were from all over the world – Nigeria, Colombia, Peru, Morocco, Eritrea, US, Denmark, just to name just a few. What a wonderful place ISH was and I am sure it still is. The bonds I was able to form lessened the feeling of homesickness and were essential for my mental and emotional development and wellbeing. I cannot begin to explain how important and life changing living at ISH was for me. The House offers a crash course in the importance of cultural diversity and appreciation of the ‘other’. It makes one re-examine engrained political and religious views and allows for the better acceptance of one another. So when I received Alice’s invitation to attend this event I did not hesitate for a minute, it instantaneously unlocked all the cherished memories I had from my time at ISH and made me jump at the opportunity to re-live them again and to meet other residents in Lebanon who might have shared similar experiences…. I believe this prepares us to become international citizens better equipped for careers in the Global market and provided us residents with a much larger perspective on life.”
Post office PS – for those that are following the Postcard saga (see Postcard blog post) – Lebanon proved the most challenging to date. Every request for stamps was met with a blank look. Whilst I was at AUB, our guide Ali said and there is the Post Office on Campus. So I popped in full of hope that they would have stamps. Well I may as well have asked for transport to the moon as I showed the man behind the counter the postcards. He asked a colleague and they decided eventually that the franking machine could provide the postage and I handed over $3. He promptly put my postcards in his drawer. I protested and he took them out and put them on his counter nodding that he would do the franking and put them in the post. I had to leave then, so I did not see that done, and I very much doubt they will ever arrive in the UK! Leaving Lebanon, I spotted a post box in near my departure gate at the airport. The only one I had seen in my time there. I made enquiries at the newsstand nearby about stamps pointing at the box and once again a look of incredulity from the cashier. After a lengthy explanation about what a stamp was, he went ‘ahh stamp, NO only outside at Lebanon Post!’
Way back in the mists of planning this trip, I contacted the Executive Director of I-House Chicago, Denise Jorgens. She is truly an embodiment of everything my great grandfather would have wanted for someone running one of the Houses. She immediately embraced my project and when she saw that one of my stops was Delhi, offered for the University of Chicago Centre there to host a tea as my event. https://www.uchicago.in/about-us/
Aditi Mody, who runs the Centre, is an I-House Chicago alumna and so here and her team were equally enthusiastic.
So, it was that I was warmly welcomed to the U-Chicago Centre. Being India where attendance is sometimes problematic, even when people have said they would come, Aditi and I were quite prepared for it to be just the two of us having a lovely cup of tea. However, we had the most delightful crowd of alumni and friends of I-Houses join us as well as Bill Mitchel Associate Provost and Exec Director of UC Arts, who was visiting India for the first time.
I had been particularly excited about meeting two of the I-House NYC alumni, Mr Narendra Jain, who had emailed me that he had met Harry in 1966 when he came to Delhi on his world trip and also Professor P.B. Mangla who had also met Harry when he was at the I-House in the early 1960s.
Mr. Narendra Jain
Mr Jain, arrived looking about 20 years younger than his 91 years, clutching a plastic folder of carefully preserved papers that he had saved since Harry came 53 years ago! It turned out that Harry’s visit to Delhi was his first ever to India. It was used to inaugurate the Delhi alumni chapter of the I-House and Mr Jain, had the list of names and addresses of the 60 people who became members at that time. He also had press clippings and the letter outlining Harry’s arrival and the dinner that Harry was to attend to inaugurate the chapter, of which Mr Jain was going to be treasurer. Finally, he shared a hand written Christmas letter from Harry which had been sent to alumni which he wanted me to keep. I was quite simply overwhelmed and touched by this wonderful man and the fact that he had so carefully preserved these memories over all these years.
There used to be a passport to the world of alumni you could visitHarry’s Christmas letter to Friends around the World in 1977
I have been staying at the YMCA Tourist Hostel which is perhaps not what one would call luxurious, there is a bed and hot water and a simple breakfast. However, it must have been fate to choose there as it turns out from the letters that Mr Jain shared that that is where Harry’s dinner was held in 1966, with the US ambassador Chester Bowles and his wife attending. The dinner cost 15 rupees per couple! (Harry had worked for the YMCA in his early career so that may have had some link too.)
Prof. P.B. Mangla, had come to study at the Library and Information Technology school at Columbia on a scholarship in the early 1960s which set him off on a career that saw him live in 8 countries and travel to over 50. He has long been associated with University of Delhi and held many positions including Dean of the Faculty of Arts. His time at I-House helped him navigate the cultures of the countries he worked in and visited and as he recounted often found him meeting I-House alumni in far flung locations.
Vikram Mathur (ISH), Prof. P.B. Mangla (IH NYC)
It was very lovely to have a mix of I-House NYC and Chicago alumni which allowed them to share stories and similarities and differences between the Houses. We were also joined by Vickram Mathur who lived at ISH London and is now one of their Trustees. The ISH alumni are very active still in Delhi (and elsewhere), at a recent event they had around 60 attendees.
After I had shared some of mine and Harry’s story, we went around the room so everyone could introduce themselves and share some of their I-House stories. I always love this bit as with a range of ages and careers it is so fascinating. Once again the emotional connection to the Houses as a homes away from home, even many years after leaving was washing around us as well as the images and stories from lifelong friendships made over food, whilst dancing, playing ping pong or surviving snow storms in Chicago.
Lots of candles at this stop, we had Mr Jain and Prof Mangla light them Arant Nath – Editor of the Caravan giving me his book
I left the U-Chicago event with a huge smile on my face, so glad to have met such wonderful alumni and so touched that Harry meant so much to those who met him.
My next stop was a Speakers Dinner for the One Globe Forum https://www.oneglobeforum.comwhich was being hosted by Harjiv Singh an NYC alum. He and his German Sakura Sweetheart wife, Julia, met at I-House in the 1980s. Julia had taken me out to lunch the previous day and had shared their love story, which has partly informed her first novel ‘Leap of Faith’. https://www.amazon.com/Leap-Faith-Julia-Regul-Singh/dp/8129124807?fbclid=IwAR1lRftV0nlwfyqdWvrJjACaK5iGwmhwx_R-Bjp7TEZo5w3rGWQZ70h6uGg Julia was 24 and coming to do her Masters in Urban Planning at Columbia. Arriving at I-House the first person she met after being greeted by Romeo on reception was Harjiv. She went up in the elevator to her floor and as the doors open there was Harjiv and his roommate in their room opposite ‘checking out’ everyone arriving on the floor. Despite Julia’s view that she was too young to get into a serious relationship and consider marriage, romance blossomed and they now have 3 children and are happily navingating a wonderfully complex cross cultural life in Delhi. Because Julia was not always to be found in her room at I-House, it seems that it was used to accommodate a variety of visitors, many of whom I met during the evening, which gave others the opportunity to experience the House even if not official residents!
Harjiv and Julia Singh
I must also mention the lovely dinner that Anil Chauhan and his wife took me for the night I arrived in Delhi. Anil, also a NYC alum, was off to Bangalore on business so could not attend the other events. Anil promotes India Biotech and was wonderful at bringing me up to date with India politics and economics. Anju teaches home economics and so was a brilliant guide to try all the things on the buffet that I would not normally have done. I went back to my hotel feeling very full.
Anil and Anju Chauhan
In the press article Mr Jain shared, Harry is quoted as saying “This is is my first visit to India. I have been round the world three times by ship but never touched an Indian Port. I now regret not having been here before and not being able to stay long enough now. I’m too old to cover the whole country, but perhaps in a year or two I will make a special trip to India.” Sadly, I don’t think he ever did but he was certainly warmly welcomed on his visit.
Story Snippets…
Chai and Samosas– Shahana Basu – Chicago I-House has culture hours and one of the ones in Ishaan’s time that was most popular was the ones hosted by the Indian residents which featured Chai and Samosas. She also recalled how when the I-House Chicago was under threat of closure the alumni rallied round and reversed the decision through a concerted campaign of letter writing about the importance of the I-House to the student life at the University.
International Students’ House Delhi– Tista Bagchi – Tista shared the work of Anjani Kumar Sinha Ph.D (1935-2018) who set up International Students’ House at Delhi University and modelled a lot of activities on the I-House in Chicago where he was a resident in the late 1960s. Mr. Sinha died in 2018 after a career which saw him promote the I-House ideals of tolerance, understanding and international friendship.
House Hunting – Sonal Shah – When Sonal arrived in NYC to study she was all set to find a flat to live in for her time there. She had looked around and had found a potential flat mate. However she then heard about I-House from friends. Encouraged to apply she was excited when she got a place, but slightly worried that the potential flatmate would be annoyed, however apparently she was very understanding and so Sonal was able to go off and enjoy her time at the House without feeling bad.
A Bengali Welcome – Aditi Mody – When Aditi arrived at I-House Chicago on her first day to her surprise she was welcomed by the then President of the I-House, Professor Ralph Nicholas, in perfect Bengali. Aditi had grown up in the State of West Bengal speaking Bengali so Prof. Nicholas made her feel immediately like I-House would be home for the next few years. Prof. Nicholas area of expertise was in South Asian societies and cultures with an emphasis on Bengal. Aditi did say that her Bengali heritage may have been why she often enjoyed meals with the Professor and his wife during her time at the house, creating warm wonderful memories. https://anthropology.uchicago.edu/people/emeritus-faculty/ralph-w-nicholas
Bangkok has been one of my tricker stops to find alumni, so when I made contact with Jyoti Sarinthorn an alumni from I-House Sydney, I was very excited. I prepared her for a dinner a deux, however in the end we mustered 4 alumni for dinner.
As my ‘Thai Trip Inspiration’ blog post describes, Bangkok was a significant stop for Harry. As I do not have edition No. 2 of the iHouse World Newsletters for the stops beyond Hong Kong, apart from staying with Vidura for two weeks I do not know much about Harry’s time here. There was no I-House to visit but I am assuming there were Thai alumni to meet.
Bangkok was a first in that I had my first ISH alumni, Charles (originally from the USA) join an event. Charles studied for his undergrad in NYC so had also visited I-House NYC to listen to illustrious speakers meaning he understood the set up there. Book and Jomphong from I-House NYC completed the party.
Jomphong & Jyoti
Charles
Book
Whilst eating the delicious Thai food, the facilities, activities and layout of the different Houses was compared. It seems that ISH and I-House both have the all important Pub, whilst I-House Sydney residents, having none resort to taking over the Pub across the road!
I passed on Nelson Fung’s Hong Kong candle with its delicious sent to Book, who gave me a very interesting candle to take on to Delhi. It is a candle from his friends wedding. They are a couple who met doing Cheer-Leading and married in 2015 – which in Thai years is 58.
The candle has some Buddhist thoughts for both husbands and wives – a top 5 for each which go something along the lines of…. (for those who speak Thai you will be better off reading what it says!)
For the Women 1) Be a good organiser of the household, 2) Be supportive of your husband, 3) Don’t cheat i.e. have an affair, 4) Keep the property and money you have safe, 5) Work hard
For the Man 1) Give complements and support, 2) No sarcasm, 3) No affairs, 4) Give respect, 5) Give jewellery!
Thank you to my Thai Gentleman and Lady for continuing the hospitality of Thailand that was shown to Harry on his trip.
Story Snippets…
Thai Boxing – Book Mongkol Jarujanya – I was asking questions about the different Thai sports and Jomphong was trying to persuade me that I should go to a Thai Boxing lesson at the Gym before I leave, when Book shares with us that whilst at I-House NYC he learnt Thai boxing from a Mexican! Not something he had done before in Thailand and it helped him feel confident walking the streets of NYC late at night.
Turning a London Experience Around – Charles – When Charles arrived in London for his Post Grad study, he was assigned accommodation by the Institution he was studying at. However when he arrived and went to see it it was grim, dirty, miles from anywhere, no other student near by and generally miserable. Charles went back to the accommodation office and said that he could not live there and they said they would pay him to live there (which shows how bad it must have been). Charles was depressed as his time in London was not working out as he had visioned it. Shortly after he came across International Student House by Regents Park. It was evening but he went in and got chatting to the residents and decided this was the place for him. Approaching the admissions team, he was told that there were no places so he would not be able to escape the dreaded student housing he was in. He stood firm and insisted that he really did need to move and they then said that if he was willing to share in a double or triple he could come. Charles goal was to meet people so this was ideal! He had a very happy time at ISH and learnt how to drink like an Englishman at the Pub amongst many other cultural lessons.
When Doris Ramirez from the Phillippines applied for a place on the Human Rights Advocacy Program (HRAP) at Columbia University in 2014 she was not thinking about starting a family. However by the time she was awarded the place and a scholarship that helped fund it she was pregnant so she was faced with a difficult decision about what to do. She decided to join the program as it was an opportunity of a lifetime and was due to finished one month before her due date.
All 10 of the students on the HRAP program get admission to live at I-House so that is where Doris found herself living when she arrived in New York. All was going well until her waters broke unexpectedly when she was 5 months pregnant. She was rushed to hospital and spent the next few weeks there as doctors tried to give her baby a better chance of survival by delaying its birth.
Far from home, it was her I-House friends and the Filipino nurses at the Hospital who befriended her and kept her spirits up. Her I-House friends bought her food to the Hospital to try and keep her eating well as the American Hospital food was not tempting her.
On the 31st of October 2014, Maria Angelina Fatima was born weighing just over 3lbs. Amazingly just two days later Doris was back at Columbia determined to complete her program. Fatima was in the Hospital for another month in the special care baby unit before she was allowed out. So Doris juggled her studies with spending time at the Hospital with her baby.
By this point it was December and Fatima was at last discharged from Hospital but was not allowed to fly home to the Philippines for at least another month. The I-House team allowed Doris and Fatima to take up residence in a slightly larger room at I-House. Being a new mum is never easy and it was particularly hard for Doris trying to complete her program and care for Fatima. It was a snowy winter and often as the snow fell so did her tears of exhaustion as she looked out of her I-House window. Whilst it was tough there were also great acts of kindness and care by both I-House residents and also the Filipino nurses who had met her at the Hospital. The nurses seemed to be able to miracle up baby formula and other supplies when they were needed.
Fatima’s father was able to come and visit for long enough so that he could look after Fatima and Doris could complete her program, so he too became an I-House resident.
Just before they left to go home to the Philippines, Fatima was baptised and the party afterwards was held at I-House and there were special invitations to all the wonderful I-Housers who had lived on Doris’ floor and supported her so well. There were also plenty of others who came to see Fatima as a baby at I-House is not a usual occurrence and particularly one with such a story to tell. The HRAP program that year had 10 participants from all around the globe. Doris and Henry made them all godparents to Fatima.
Fatima’s birth certificate states 500 Riverside Drive as her address, I am not sure if anyone else has I-House as their birth address, I would love to hear if there is.
Doris told me hers and Fatima’s story over dinner in Gerry’s Restaurant in Quezon City where she and Henry live. Doris is a Lawyer specialising in Human Rights and never one to make her life easy is trying to work out how to get her Masters in Migration Studies.
She told me that they call Fatima their miracle baby as had she been born so prematurely in the Philippines it would have been very unlikely that she would have survived as the neonatal care is just not as good, a sobering thought for all of us who are parents. Their dream is to take Fatima to visit all of her 10 HRAP Godparents in their home countries which will be quite a trip.
My children are now 18 and 17 and I certainly still remember the first few weeks after my eldest was born as being utterly exhausting and confusing as I got to grips with being a mother. I can’t imagine trying to complete a university program at the same time! Spending the evening with Doris, Fatima and Henry was such an unexpected delight and Doris’ resilience was inspiring.
We have plans to meet at the NYC I-House 100 year celebration and Doris is going to bring a special candle with her as her family owns a candle making business. That really will be passing the light on….
Bonifacio Global City has sprung up in the 20 odd years since I last visited Manila. Sitting in the 9th floor apartment of a friend from my MBA, I can see out over a park which seems to have trapeze and circus skills being taught at all hours of the day, I can see fancy restaurants, an art centre and shiny offices, not necessarily the image that some would have of Manila.
In the Early Bird Breakfast Club restaurant, I was joined for brunch by three alumni from three houses. Leah Jordano from NYC, Neil Tan Gana from Berkeley and Virginia Teodosio from Sydney.
Professor Virginia Teodosio who is still passionate about her work on cooperatives and sustainable farming
We were reflecting on Harry’s arrival in Manila as reported in the iHouse World Newsletter Vol 2. no 1. He was met by 28 alumni at the airport and amongst his visits was ‘courtesy call on President Marcos’! I am told by my new Filipino friends that President Marcos was very early in his tenure and at that point things were looking positive as to his outlook and leadership of the Philippines so it would have been a great honour for Harry indeed.
He had a packed schedule with visits to the President of the University of the Philippines, the Rice Research Institute, a dinner at the Commercial Bank & Trust Co. Building and a farewell party!
We were also reflecting on the challenges of gathering a group of I-House alumni in Manila today considering that the Filipinos have been a strong presence in the resident group right from the start of I-House NYC in 1924. Filipinos students started to arrived as pensionados (or sponsored students) in universities like Colombia and NYU in 1903. Between 1910 and 1948 14,000 Filipino students came to study in the US, with many choosing the West Coast universities, and so some would no doubt have lived at I-House Berkeley.
In Chicago the 1940 census recorded 1,740 Filipinos living there and the majority are cited as having come to study “to acquire the American Diploma they believed would boost their place on the Islands’ ladder of success.” So all three original I-Houses have strong Filipino connections.
We continued my candle relay handing over the Taiwan candle in a Taiwan Beer Glass that Grace Hong gave me in Taipei, to Leah who had bought my Manila candle. It seems that Manila Wax Commercial have the monopoly on candles in Manila and Leah had chosen one of their Yellow ones (they come in White, Red or Yellow). I was also able to give Virginia and Neil one each of the tea light candles that Tudor had bought to the Taipei event.
Leah had also kindly bought me some very tasty dried mango…
I then had a very lovely and unexpected afternoon of sightseeing with Neil, who took me to the newly refurbished Natural History Museum and to see the sights of Rizal Park, which on a Sunday afternoon was packed with families enjoying their afternoon. Our trip led us to discuss the joy of spontaneity which Neil said is a big feature of the I-House experience, where by joining up with people and saying yes to doing things it opens up new understanding and builds international friendships. Just as Harry had imagined it would.
Sources: Unintentional Immigrants: Chicago’s Filipino Foreign Students Become Settlers, 1900-1941, Barbara M. Posadas and Roland L. Guyotte, Journal of American Ethnic History Vol 9, No. 2 pp. 26-48
The Filipino Diaspora in the United States July 2014
A combined set of I-House NYC and Berkeley alumni arrived around a huge round table in a private room in the Shin Yeh restaurant in Taipei. The photo of Harry and Florence was placed in the middle of the rotating wheel on the table and so they watched over us and travelled around and around as we chose from the delicious dishes.
Only touching briefly on the Brexit fiasco in the UK and the US government shut down, we moved onto more enlightening discussion about time spent at I-Houses. Music, dance, love and food themes wove through the conversations about both Houses.
We also pondered the challenge of the Houses keeping that magical diversity through careful admissions policy which as countries fortunes ebb and flow avoids one nation dominating the resident population and how vital dining discussion were to building international friendships and understanding.
Grace Hong provided a very appropriate relay candle in a Taiwan Beer glass, which is suitably small as Kampai toasts require beer to be downed in one so the size avoids both getting drunk and over full. We lit the candles to pass the light on and said ‘Harry Edmonds’ whilst our group photo was clicked, and there was a sense that a combined Alumni Taiwan group had been formed that together would collect more friends for the next gathering. We stood up to leave but conversation struck up again around the room in small groups, so it was sometime before we finally said goodbye….
Story snippets…
Pub Disco Romance – Tudor Pasco – Tudor had enjoyed DJ-ing whilst doing his undergrad degree in France and so soon became a regular DJ feature in the Pub in I-House NYC. He loved the breadth of music that was both appreciated and that he was introduced to. From South American salsa, to Indian Bangra, to cheezy pop all could get the crowd on their feet. It was over the DJ turntables that Tudor met his Taiwanese wife and became Sakura Sweethearts. They now live in Taiwan with their 5 year-old twins.
Entrepreneurial Dreams – Jowy Tani – Jowy is a Consultant Neurologist. Every year the Taiwanese government gives scholarships to 5 doctors to go to the US to study entrepreneurship for a year, in the hopes of making them more creative. Gaining one of these scholarships at Berkeley, Jowy was faced with the decision of where to live. He was thinking of renting an apartment, when he read something by Mark Zuckerberg which said that Facebook was started in a Dorm so he decided that he should go for the more creative and connected life of a Dorm and chose I-House for his year. As well as practicing in Taipei hospitals he is working on a variety of projects that will improve the lives of dementure patients.
Food from home– Courtney Gates – Courtney’s memory of her first day at I-House is meeting the only Taiwanese resident in the House at that time. Having recently returned from teaching English in a small town in Taiwan, Courtney was keen to strike up conversation with him. Her new friend was also able to provide taste reminders of her time in Taiwan as, in his tiny I-House room, he was creating soya based drinks of his homeland. A skill he passed onto Courtney.
100,000 Grains of Sand 