My First PediCab Ride at the Portland Grand Floral Parade 2018

Article contributed by Yeshe Versluys

(The son of PSSCA board member JeanLi)

Hi, my name is Yeshe and I attend Lake Oswego Junior High.

On June 9th, 2018, I participated for my first time in the annual Grand Floral Parade, part of Portland’s Rose Festival. I had a great time riding in the pedi-cab representing the Suzhou-Portland Sister City Association. We (My mom and I) arrived bright and early in the morning at the meeting place (which took some effort to find) and immediately got to work, decorating our cab with bundles of bright and scented flowers. Our fellow decorators from other associations commended us on our extravagant bundles of flowers lining the bright orange cab. Finally, our group arrived at the start of the parade, and I saw just how complex, but well organized an operation this was. Horses lined the street, their riders mounted high above everyone else, sporting bright colors and intricate designs in their clothing. I also noticed the various floats that were positioned behind our ensemble of 20 or so carts. Then we started moving.

I have two favorite moments from the parade; the first one was when our caravan entered the coliseum. I remember waving at the massive crowd of people lining the edges of the room, I couldn’t help but smile, taken away by the big audience and grand introduction. As our fleet exited the coliseum, I knew this would be a fun day.

My other favorite moment from the parade was seeing all of the different people, from different backgrounds and a wide range of ethnicities, coming together for this event. It brought a grin to my face as we paraded down the streets smiling, waving, and our drivers cheering their heads off (figuratively). I also enjoyed seeing people’s faces light up when they recognized the various cities being represented, I heard people on the side saying things like “Oh, Oh, Suzhou! I recognize that!”. I even saw some of my classmates there.

All in all, I had such an amazing time and I look forward to attending and maybe even participating next year!

2017 Suzhou Cultural Delegation Visit

The Mayor’s Office, represented by Hector Miramontes, Director of Foreign Relations, and the Portland-Suzhou Sister City Association, represented by President Lynne McIntyre, welcomed the Suzhou Cultural Bureau led by Mr. Jie Li, Director General of the Suzhou Cultural Bureau. Also accompanying the Suzhou delegation was Mr. Shi Hai Chen, Director of the Zhangjiagang Municipal Bureau of Culture and their Assistant Ms. Jincy Chen.

The purpose of the meeting was to restate the commitment of Portland and Suzhou to the enduring friendship between the two cities and to discuss the opportunities provided by the 2018 PSSCA 30th Anniversary Celebrations, and to build upon the two sister city’s cooperation of cultural  exchanges.

After discussing a number of exciting opportunities at this meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed. The ultimate goal, as stated by Mr. Jie Li is to achieve a cultural project that will have an enduring affect for generations to come. Also attending the meeting were Robert Fraser, PSSCA VP; Lisa James, Executive Director of the Lan Su Chinese Garden; Jean Li and Frances Li, PSSCA Board Members,  Cathy Chinn, PSSCA Past President; and Helena Gao, Editor of China Media.

2017 Jiangsu International Youth Art Contest

Principal Julie Rickman of the Hope Chinese Charter School accepted the invitation from PSSCA President Lynne McIntyre and her VP Robert Fraser to participate in the 2017 Jiangsu International Youth Art Contest sponsored by the Jiangsu Provincial Government and Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation.

The purpose of this Contest was to highlight the friendship between the young generation of Jiangsu’s 13 cities including Portland Sister City to Suzhou and those in their sister cities around the world. This Contest encouraged the participation of children aged between 6 and 12 to introduce their hometown by painting in the universal language of art.

The theme of this Contest was “Painting Your Home, Dreaming Your Future”. The selected works will be exhibited in China, and the young artists will be awarded a certificate to celebrate their participation in this Contest. All students participating in the contest from Hope Chinese Charter School will receive a Certificate of Friendship with the City of Suzhou from PSSCA.

Yuan (Yuri) Liu Lead Chinese Teacher & Curriculum Coordinator, coordinated the project with the able assistance of Third Grade Mandarin Teacher Sara Li, Third Grade English Teacher, Carrina Schindler and Kindergarten English Teacher Kelly Matsushima. Approximately 40 students in total from both classes participated. Samuel William's artwork (right) from the Hope Chinese Charter School was one of three drawings submitted from the third grade for the competition.

2016 World Friendship Day

March 12, 2016 PSSCA hosted a table at the Saturday, March 12, 2016 World Friendship Day event at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Vancouver, Washington. The event, sponsored by Friendship Force Columbia Cascade, commemorated the founding of Friendship Force International in 1977, a non-profit organization introduced by President Jimmy Carter that promotes international cultural exchange visits including home stays. PSSCA Board representatives, Maihwa Frances Li, Jennifer Li, Alice Yan Lee and Bonnie Starkey, hosted one of the 14 exhibitors’ tables at the event, displaying books and items from Suzhou and promoting the upcoming PSSCA Gala at Lan Su Chinese Garden on June 23

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Friendship Force International provides opportunities to explore new countries and cultures from the inside by bringing people together at the personal level. Through the signature program of home hospitality, local hosts welcome international visitors into their culture, sharing with them meals, conversation, and the best sights and experiences of their region.