Sebastopol World Friends

Sebastopol World Friends (SWF) was organized as a Sebastopol City Commission in 1985, the year it began a sister city relationship with Yamauchi, Japan. SWF won a National Award from Sister Cities International for the Best First Year’s Program.

In 1992, a sister city agreement was signed with Chyhyryn, Ukraine. Hundreds of West Sonoma County youth have participated as student ambassadors. Both important exchange programs continue today.

Since 1988, the Sister Cities International Young Artists Showcase has encouraged youth from around the globe to consider the honorable mission of Sister Cities International and express their interpretation of that mission promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, cooperation through one individual, one community at a time. Hundreds of artists have shared their talent with the sister cities community over the past 20 years.

This guy really gets it, offering his home to complete strangers once a week in the hopes of fostering new friendships. Take a look at this "All Things Considered" report from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99172304

Well, there goes my plan of being on this trip and avoiding the blog, unfortunately having an hour to kill and Chris and Kim being...well...Chris and Kim, I am forced to express my thoughts and feelings to the world. It is still difficult to get used to my surroundings, I have recently changed host families and that is still rather awkward. Every time I leave my room or look around or don't eat they ask, you need something? you hungry?

We have just finished a full day and a half of visiting Moscow! The weather could not have been nicer for us. It was supposed to have been rainy the whole weekend, but some light sprinkles are all we have seen.

The past few days have been amazing. I still am slowly realizing that I truly am not in my homeland anymore. Many things that I take for granted are so different here. This is truly a fantastic benefit of living with natives. Even when doing touristy things, our hosts do things that are natural to them.

The three of us (Chris, Kate, and Kim that’s me!) have really been having a great time. It’s a little chilly with the rain the past few days, when you are out site seeing. Thankfully there are more restaurants than there was ten years ago and we are able to stop and have home brewed tea when we need it!

The first few days have been amazing! Today we met with the head of the District of Chyhyryn. It was a short, but very good meeting. At over 2 meters tall (~6'4") he cuts an imposing figure. He spoke of competing in a national competition for most beautiful and attractive region of Ukraine.

I feel so loved and wanted. My host family was so excited to see me. They waited patiently for dinner while I washed up from the trip. They provided me all kinds of Ukrainian foods. (What a spread!!) Katooshka (potatoes) with some dill sprinkled over them, served with sour cream. They also had made fish cakes, and pancakes (with onion, cabbage, egg, flour).

Are you interested in being a Student Ambassador to Sebastopol's Sister Cities? Then pre-apply now as new ambassadors for both Yamauchi and Chyhyryn will be chosen in the fall. Any questions can be directed to me at joalars@yahoo.com. Looking forward to having you with us! - Joan