westchester club may newsletter

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THE LANGUAGE CLUB OF WESTCHESTER
www.westchesterlanguageclub.org



MAY 2010

Vol. XI, No. 5

Editor: Marlene London



MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Sun., May 2 @ noon Italian Expo at Westchester Community College

Wed., May 5 @ 7:00 p.m. Casaletto, 15 South Central Avenue*, Elmsford

El Cinco de Mayo

Wed., May 12 @ 7:00 p.m. Casaletto Hebrew table

Thurs., May 13 @ 10:30 a.m. Papotage @ l’Alliance Française de Westchester

Wed., May 19 @ 6:00 p.m. OUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY GALA @ Davenport Club

Wed., May 26 @ 7:00 p.m. Casaletto **Chinese table Hebrew table

Thurs., May 27 @ 6:30 p.m. Le Salon du Livre

Sun., June 27 @ 2:30 p.m. Picnic @ Caramoor and Sonidos Latinos SAVE THE DATE!



*Until now we’ve been putting 15 Sawmill River Road as Casaletto’s address. Your editor just learned that the correct address is 15 South Central Avenue, per their website: www.casalettoristorante.com/directions.html. Apparently the latter address works best with a GPS. South Central Avenue becomes Sawmill River Road a few blocks down the street.



**The Chinese table normally meets the third Wednesday of the month. This time it is not because of the Gala. It is always a good idea to contact Dlewis987@verizon.net to confirm.



Nota Bena: Our French, German, Spanish, and Italian tables meet every week.



FROM YOUR EDITOR:

• Hurry! You have just a few days left to register for our grand 25th ANNIVERSARY GALA May 19 at the elegant Davenport Club in New Rochelle! Greta Inowlocki is taking your reservations until May 5, and after that date the price will be higher! See details, below. Note the starting time of 6:00 p.m.



A few years ago Albert and I went to a meeting of the [then] new language club of Dijon, France, and were impressed to see 80-100 young people conversing in various languages! Their leader, Manuela Cervera (whose father was Spanish and whose mother was German), and her husband Michel will be coming to the Gala! Manuela teaches German to young people 18-20 years of age who are preparing to enter science or business grandes écoles. Michel is organist at their church, is a retired math professor, and is managing pension funds.



Some of you have wondered what we do with the funds in our Treasury. We anticipate spending about $800 on the Gala for entertainment, the printed Program, and incidentals. The $45 paid by each of us is for the restaurant only. The fee that we each pay at our normal parties covers all expenses. But we Board members did not want to charge more for the Gala dinner; and since our Silver Anniversary really is an extraordinary occasion, we feel this is a good use for some of our money. Thank you for your continued participation in our 50/50 raffle, which allows us to organize a special event such as this!





MEMBER NEWS:

• Marion Rehl is breathing much better after a week’s stay at Sloan Kettering.

• Daphne Dyce and Barbara Burnap orchestrated a lovely luncheon April 10 honoring Walter Melford. The afternoon included a slideshow of photos starting with Walter’s childhood in Germany and a recording of his playing some piano pieces, with his commentary. We look forward to seeing Daphne at at our French table on a regular basis.

• If you would like to join Gerda Lederer’s German book club, speak to her at Casaletto, or contact her at drglederer@verizon.net.

• George Rehl (German table) is President of the Performers of Westchester. To view their Spring program, go to www.performersofwestchester.org. As seating is limited, reserve now!

• Frederic Katzenberg will perform on the oboe Saturday, May 8, at 3:00 p.m. at the New Rochelle Library.



SUNDAY, MAY 2, FREE ITALIAN EXPO AT WCC:

The Italian Club at Westchester Community College has organized an afternoon of lectures, films (including cooking demonstrations), entertainment, and more in and near the Classroom Building at 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, NY. Lunch Italian style will be available for purchase, and there will be a salami and cheese tasting as well. An added feature, sure to attract automobile aficionados, will be an outdoor display of many of the great Italian autos and motorcycles renowned all over the world. Generous supporters have agreed to bring their Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Fiats, and Vespas! Indoors, the day will include:



-Calabria Exhibit: 12:00 p.m.

-Cooking demonstration films: “The cooking of Puglia”: 12:00-12:30 p.m.

“The Cooking of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna”: 1:00 -2:00 p.m.

-Cultural film, “Rome: The Eternal City”: 12:00-1:00 p.m., 1:30-2:30 p.m., and 3:30-4:30 p.m.

-Film on Ferrari and Fiat cars and on founder, Gianni Agnelli: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

-Lecture by author Anna Mione on the “Roman Catholic Church in America at the Turn of the 20th Century”: 1:00-3:00 p.m.

-Film “Pride and Passion: The Italians in America”: 2:00-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-5:00 p.m.

-Music by a D.J. 2:00-5:00 p.m.

-Feature Film “Nights of Cabiria” directed by Federico Fellini (with Eng. subtitles): 3:00 p.m.

-Free Italian books.

Donations for Gilda’s Club Cancer Association, for the Abruzzi Earthquake Relief Fund, and for the Westchester Community College Italian Club will be appreciated.



EL CINCO DE MAYO:

Sunday, May 2, the local Mexican community will celebrate this holiday at Untermyer Park, North Broadway in Yonkers, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Due to inadequate funding, the event will be abbreviated but will include Mexican dancers and workshops for kids.



Our Board of Directors did not organize a special meal to celebrate this holiday because our Gala, which will be here shortly, is a big expense for everyone. But for the weekly price of just $18 Casaletto will prepare at least some portion of the meal Mexican style Wednesday, May 5. So we will decorate the dining room. Dress in Mexican clothing if you’d like! Also, Cinco de Mayo event this year was uncertain do to funding issues. It was decided this weekend that we will proceed with an abbreviate event but an important tradition for us to continue just the same.





PAPOTAGE:

Le prochain papotage avec Gérardine et Antoine à l'Alliance Française de Westchester aura lieu le jeudi 13 mai. Les Papotages se tiendront le deuxième jeudi de chaque mois de 10h30 à midi au 6è étage à 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains. C'est une opportunité de parler de n'importe quoi dans une ambiance agréable. Si on n’est pas un membre de l’Alliance, on doit payer 5,00$.



THE LANGUAGE CLUB’S SILVER ANNIVERSARY GALA MAY 19:

Alex Perlov will be our Master of Ceremonies at the elegant Davenport Club, 400 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle for our Silver Anniversary Gala Wednesday, May 19. A special menu, including an hour-long Open Bar starting at 6:00 p.m. with an assortment of hors-d’oeuvres, will be offered at the price of $45, tip and tax included. Bob Geier will perform at the keyboard along with electronic violinist Eugene Park. The synergy between these two is amazing! A few of our members will also perform, and there will be plenty of time for dancing as well! Members who bring family/guests may reserve their own table or portion thereof. Each table will seat 8-10. Following the hors-d’oeuvres, the menu will consist of Minestrone, Salade Maison, Penne Alla Vodka, a choice of Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus or Chicken Française or Baked Atlantic Salmon with Dill Sauce, Roasted Potatoes and Vegetable Medley, Rolls and butter, 25th Anniversary Cake with Ice Cream, as well as Coffee or Tea. Sodas are included. Please complete the form at the end of this newsletter and give it with your payment (in cash or a check made out to Cash) to Greta Inowlocki no later than May 5. After that date, the cost is $50. Directions from Westchester: Cross County Parkway East to the Hutchinson River Parkway South to Exit 12. Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue, and go to North Avenue. Make right, and go to end. Turn right onto Pelham Road. Go one light to Church Street and turn left. Follow to the end, and turn right onto Davenport Avenue. Follow ¼ mile to the Davenport Club. www.davenportclub.com

Cancellation Policy: Anyone who has paid in advance but fails to attend and has not canceled for reasons that are acceptable to the Board will not be reimbursed. Cancellations must be made at least two days in advance of the event. We will reimburse only if we have made enough from the evening’s proceeds to guarantee the minimum number required by the restaurant.



SALON DU LIVRE:

Participants in Melanie Lauer’s French book club, held at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT, where she works as a librarian, have been reading contemporary French and francophone literature and discussing it in French. The group meets the last Thursday of each month, so the next discussion will take place Thursday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. Le prochain livre sera Moi, Tituba Sorcière de Maryse Condé. C’est l’histoire d’une esclave de la Barbade qui connaît des moyens naturels de guérir. Elle vient à Boston pendant les célèbres procès des sorcières de Salem en 1692. Copies can be borrowed from Melanie or the library, or the books can be purchased from www.Amazon.ca or www.alibris.com. Questions? Contact Melanie at our French table or at the Ferguson: (203) 351-8236. Directions: From I-95, take Exit 8 (Atlantic St.). Go north on Atlantic all the way to the end, where it turns into Broad and Bedford Sts., where the library is located, across from McDonald’s. Parking on the street is free after 6:00 p.m., or you can park nearby in the Target or Burlington Coat Factory garages.



WESTCHESTER ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER:

For information on the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe and its offerings, go to: www.wiccny.org





FRIDAY NIGHT FILMS AT WCC:

All performances of the Friday night films begin at 8:00 p.m. in Classroom Building Room 200 at Westchester Community College, 100 Grasslands Road, Valhalla. Tickets are $11 ($10 for seniors). For further information, call (914) 606-6700.



May 7 THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION (Brazil, 2008)



Set in 1970, a momentous year for Brazilian sports and politics, Cao Hamburger’s nostalgic coming-of-age story centers on Maura, the ten-year-old child of leftist parents who drop him off at his grandfather’s apartment while they suddenly go “on vacation.” What they don’t know is that the old man has just died. A gruff neighbor named Shlomo reluctantly takes the boy in and introduces him to the Jewish-Italian community of São Paulo, where he makes new friends, roots for the Brazilian soccer team, and witnesses a brutal government crackdown while waiting for his parents to return. This “sweet and somber film” by a Brazilian director of German and Italian heritage, is “sensitive, delicate, and involving”. 105 minutes. In Portuguese, Hebrew, and Yiddish, with English subtitles.



May 14 I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND (Czech Republic, 2008)

A wry yet winsome comedy about a waiter who wants to be a millionaire. Starting his career before World War II, the clever, diminutive young man works his way through two foreign occupations, restaurant by restaurant, lover by lover, learning the secrets of the service industry, female sexuality, and survival in a country where the reins of government keep changing hands. The Wall Street Journal called I Served the King of England “a zesty fusion of picaresque adventure, absurdist whimsy, and Chaplinesque grace.” 118 minutes. In Czech, with English subtitles.



May 21 HAPPY GO LUCKY (England, 2008)



Poppy is a 30-year-old London school teacher with a perpetual smile. Her cheerful disposition is put to the test when she signs up for driving lessons from a terminally pessimistic instructor named Scott. A fascinating study in character and attitudes, Happy Go Lucky explores the people and neighborhoods of working class London with surprising twists at nearly every turn. “A richly exuberant entertainment for our troubled times.” 118 minutes.



CARAMOOR JUNE 27:

Sunday, June 27, we will picnic at 2:30 p.m. and will remain there to the sounds of Tiempo Libre performing a program starting at 4:30 p.m. called Sonidos Latinos, featuring Paquito D’Rivera on clarinet and saxophone. Hispanic Magazine calls this Latin band muy caliente! Al fresco tickets will cost just $10.00! Please purchase your ticket at the box office next to the Venetian Theater. Bring a dish to share. In case of rain, our outing will be cancelled. However, the concert will still take place under the huge tent (Venetian Theater). Tickets there are more expensive. For more info, www.caramoor.org.

LANGUAGE LEARNING:

The New York Times (April 10) Frugal Traveler has lots of ideas for learning a foreign language without breaking the budget: http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/expensive-language-lessons-doesnt-translate/?nl=travel&emc=tda4

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: (contributed by Greta Inowlocki)

La France est un pays extrêmement fertile. On y plante des fonctionnaires,il y pousse des impôts. - Georges Clemenceau



L'homme n'est pas fait pour travailler. La preuve, c'est que ça le fatigue. - Georges Courteline



Tous les hommes naissent comédiens, sauf quelques acteurs. Sacha Guitry

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Jokes of those great Jewish comedians:



Patient: "I have a ringing in my ears." Doctor: "Don't answer!"



Q: Why don't Jewish mothers drink? A: Alcohol interferes with their suffering.



I just got back from a pleasure trip. I took my mother-in-law to the airport.

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Wer viel arbeitet, macht viele Fehler.

Wer wenig arbeitet, macht wenig Fehler.

Wer nicht arbeitet, macht keine Fehler.

Wer keine Fehler macht, wird befördert.

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Adamo passeggiava nel Paradiso Terrestre. Si sentiva molto solo. Allora Dio gli chiese: “Adamo, cosa c’è che non va, ti vedo molto giù.” Adamo piagnucolando gli disse che non aveva nessuno con cui chiaccherare. Mosso a compassione, Dio gli promise che gli avrebbe dato una compagnia, una DONNA! “Questa persona”, disse Dio, “ti procurerà il cibo, cucinerà per te, quando ti toglierai i pantaloni, essa li laverà per te. Non discuterà mai le tue decisioni, anzi, sempre le condividerà. Avrà cura del tuoi figli e non ti chiederà mai di andare nel mezzo della notte a vedere come stanno. Non ti contraddirà e sarà sempre la prima ad ammettere di avere torto. Non avrà mai il malditesta e ti darà sempre amore e passione quando ne avrai voglia.” Adamo, a bocca aperta, chiede a Dio: “Ma quanto costa una donna così?” “Un braccio e una gamba.” “Senti, e cosa mi dai per una costola?” Il resto è storia …

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Un vecino al otro:

- ¡Oye! ¿Por qué cierras las ventanas cada vez que tu mujer se pone a practicar sus lecciones de canto?

- Para que los vecinos no crean que le estoy pegando.





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Yes! I/We,________________________________________________, would like to attend The Language Club of Westchester’s 25th ANNIVERSARY GALA Wednesday, May 19, at 6:00 p.m. at The Davenport Club in New Rochelle. My payment in the amount of __________ ($45.00 each), in cash or a check made out to Cash, is enclosed. My telephone number is:__________________________

My email is:_____________________________________________



My entrée choice (please check one) is: __ Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus OR __Chicken Française OR ___ Baked Atlantic Salmon with Dill Sauce.



Payment must be received by Greta no later than May 5. After that date, the cost will be $50.



Kindly send this completed form and payment to:



Greta Inowlocki, 4 Ravenswood Court, West Nyack, NY 10994



Questions? E-mail intrend@yahoo.com or call (845) 510-9630