My office mate who teaches our ESL and Community Education classes had to leave the office and cross 2 times zones because of a family death. She had already had a graduation/holiday party planned for the members of her classes. Our supervisor and I gladly stepped in to lay the party out, pass out the certificates and chat up with the guests and of course, eat pizza.
We didn’t really expect a big turn out, mostly because my office mate is the star of the show. Truly loved by the 40 languages of students that she represents, she’s an excellent instructor and all around good person. As her students began to roll in, you can immediately sense disappointment in having Sonya not there.
After a few pleasantries, conversation was already beginning to become a little stale. In any language, you can never go wrong when you bring up the topic of food. That rejuvenated all discussion. We sipped on rice punch from Korea, nibbled Mexican macaroons, ate pizza (onions and cheese?), and had good ole American Mesquite BBQ chips.
One of the students brought her two small children. As we were discussing the politics of Putin in Russia on our end of the table with a student from the Ukraine, we heard the words Capris Sun Juice Boxes at the other end. A hush fell upon the guests. Suddenly, discussions began to flare up, words and sentences mixed in English and the native tongues were a buzz with the words “straws”, “wrappers”, “all over the house”, and “boxes and boxes of Capris Sun”.
It was if we were holding the first ever ” Capris Sun Summit” right there in the library center meeting room. With the passion that these moms of the nations had over Capris Sun Juice Boxes and Pouches, imagine what could be accomplished across the world?!
