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| Waffle with raspberry topping |
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| Side order : Pancake with bacon and sausage |
PANCAKES with champagne – how delightful! I
was musing over the menu, while a French student dressed in a Japanese costume
waited patiently to take my order.
Many
years ago (in the 1990s), my husband, my son Jason and I, attended a “Pancake Breakfast” in the Phyllis Forward
Simpkins International House (I-House), San Jose, United States. My choice for the breakfast was
a banana pancake/waffle with raspberry topping plus a side order of bacon and sausage,
a glass of orange juice, fruits and tea. Champagne was served intermittently.
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| All smiles while waiting for our delectable pancakes |
Twice
a year, students from the I-House organise a fundraising event called Pancake
Breakfast. It is held on Sunday from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm, for family, friends
and the public. Patrons pay a token sum at the entrance.
Prizes
are given to Residents who bring in the most guests. Residents take on
different hosting roles such as chefs, waiters, hostesses, dishwashers,
cleaning-up aides, ushers, announcers, performers, photographers and
receptionists.
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| Students taking on different roles in the kitchen |
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| Students working in the kitchen |
The place took
on a carnival-like atmosphere. Flags of different countries where students come from were displayed on the walls. Students - dressed in traditional costumes from
other countries - added colour and glamour to the event.
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| Flags from different countries displayed on the walls |
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| Students dressed in traditional costumes mingling with guests |
Throughout
breakfast, students entertained us: playing on the piano, guitar or flute.
Others performed dances like the hula and belly dance. There was an ongoing
auction for items volunteered by the students such as portraits drawing, guitar
or French lessons, massage or facial treatment. It was an innovative method
of raising money!
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| A student playing the flute |
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| An ongoing auction |
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| Belly dancing |
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| A guy sportingly belly-dancing with the gals |
Some
of the students serving us shared their experiences.
The “waiter”
from Malaysia said he enjoyed being part of a team working for a cause. “As I
take down orders and serve the guests, I also enjoy the music and
entertainment,” he remarked cheerfully.
A
Hong Kong student in a Dutch costume found the fundraising experience
enriching. “I enjoy learning the different types of dishes from other
countries,” she exclaimed.
A German student
said that living at the centre helped him to make friends from different
disciplines. “I have become a more balanced person and my English has
improved,” he shared.
“After living
here for one year, I have a better insight of people from different parts of
the globe,” chipped in an American student.
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| Posing with some of the students in traditional costumes |
I-House is a
co-educational residential home for American and international students
(undergraduates and post-graduate) attending San Jose State University (SJSU).
 |
| International - House, with national flags of different countries |
The Residence
was set up in 1978, by the late Alan and Phyllis Simpkins, to foster international understanding and to fill the need
for foreign students’ accommodation. Students come from all parts of the globe
to participate in a truly intercultural environment.
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| Alan and Phyllis Simpkins |
The centre helps
students acclimatise to life in America and adjust to living with a roommate
from a different country. It provides some kind of “maternal support system”
for homesick students.
Students
learn about each other’s customs, as well as go places and do things together.
Currently there are students from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
The Pancake
Breakfast is also like an Open House for guests. After breakfast, Jason, a
former resident, took us on a tour of I-House, which was like walking down
memory lane for him.
Along the
corridors of the basement, the photographs displayed reminded him of his
friends and his enriching stay there. He showed us the games room where he played
table tennis and the kitchen where he shared midnight “noodle” snacks with
other Asian students.
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| Photographs displayed along the corridors |
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| One of the charts with photos along the corridor |
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| Chart showing photos of activities for the year 1997 |
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| Kitchen and dining room |
“Whenever we
have dinner, it is like a mini United Nations gathering,” quipped Jason.
Fundraising
events are common in Malaysian schools and colleges too. We call it "fun-fair"
and patrons buy coupons before or during the event for use on the actual day. Instead of pancakes, the items on sale include fried noodles, nasi lemak (coconut rice),
curry chicken, curry puffs, kueh-kueh, sandwiches and many types of drinks. There are also lucky draws, jumble sales and many challenging games for patrons.
Fundraising
events are beneficial to students all over the world. When students work
together selflessly for a common cause, they learn to be humble, cooperative
and patient as well as gain organisational abilities and discipline.
Attending the pancake breakfast in the International-House
was an enjoyable experience. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.
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