Portale Family

At the end of that seminar in Honolulu, on August 20th, I flew back to Kona. The next week I taught in an evening class in Kona about some of my experiences pioneering work in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The classroom.

Sharing some of my experiences.

We arrived Sunday afternoon and 18 hours later I departed again, going to Honolulu to teach a one-week seminar in a Korean school. The Korean translator, Hannah, did an amazing job.

The Korean school in Honolulu.

Sharing in the classroom.

Hannah translating for me what the students are sharing.

On Saturday August 15th Judi and I went to my high school reunion. It was a great time of seeing people I hadn’t seen in decades. We each wore a badge with a picture of our high school graduation picture on it, so we could identify people. I recognized several without seeing their picture, but for most of the people I needed to see their graduation picture. But as you can see, I haven’t changed a bit since then. I can’t understand why so many people had to look at my picture to recognize who I was. The next morning, Sunday August 16, we departed for home in Kona.

Departing for the high school reunion.

The badge of my high school graduation picture.

Saying goodbye and praying with my mother before leaving California for Hawaii.

We returned to San Jose in Northern California where we visited with all my siblings and also celebrated Judi and my 48th wedding anniversary. Then we traveled to Riverside in Southern California with our daughter Lisa to visit our son Daniel and our daughter-in-law Kim. From there we drove back up via Fresno. In Fresno we met a friend Justin who we had not seen in 45 years. It was an emotional time. He worked with us in 1970 when I took a team to Marseille, France. He moved to Fresno a few years ago. Then we had dinner with our son Joseph and his family before returning to San Jose.

Visiting with my brother, and my two sisters at my sister Fran and brother-in-law Dave’s house.

Our 48th anniversary dinner at Georgio’s, our favorite Italian restaurant in San Jose.

An anniversary tradition I started on our honeymoon of taking a picture of my beautiful bride across from me at the restaurant.

Meeting with our friend Justin after 45 years.

Our daughter Lisa doing a selfie with her niece and nephew at dinner in Fresno.

On the weekend Judi and I with our daughter Lisa traveled down to Fresno to spend time with our son Joseph, our daughter-in-law Michelle and our two grandchildren. While there my 9 year old grandson chauffeured me around in a golf cart.

My young chauffeur

From Paris we flew to San Francisco and spent a couple of days with our good friends Al & Carolyn Akimoff to celebrate his birthday. Al showed us many of the places where he grew up there. Then we traveled down to San Jose to spend some time with my family, my mother, sisters and brother, as well as our daughter Lisa.

with Al and Carolyn

Below the Golden Gate Bridge

With a college friend Phil

With my mom and sisters

The last three evenings we met in Belleville, an immigrant district of Paris with people from Asia and north Africa. Once again we presented various cultural presentations, shared stories from our lives and had literature available to them in many of their languages. Many people would gather to listen and watch.

People gathered to listen and watch.

A modern street dance group from California.

The group from a Spanish church in Paris.

Hip hop flash mob.

Our literature table by the performances.

We had Chinese literature available.

Sharing a story from my life.

Talking with people coming with their questions.

Personal contact with people.

Giving out literature.

Personal contact.

Personal contact.

Talking to young men from north Africa.