By Deirdre Marlowe

We all know the quote: “What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."  Well, actually, occasionally, the Bard got it wrong. There’s a lot in a word. A friend recently went to Japan for the first time. I knew she would not learn Japanese but wanted to give her a few words that could prove helpful. Please and thank you, of course. Excuse me (Sumimasen ), is particularly important in Japan where things are often crowded, and people are conscious of personal space. Sumimasen is also used when entering a small shop to announce one’s presence and ask forgiveness for the interruption.

Since my friend is somewhat of a foodie, I also gave her oishi or delicious. I also advised her to never say “no” unless the situation is dangerous or unforgivable. I’d learned this in bustling Nagasaki station; I said ie and everything stopped, heads turned, and suddenly, I was in the wrong.

Slang can be in the wrong, too. My family lived in France for years. When I took my already foodie children to Paris, my dad told them to say dégueulasse if something was truly delicious. So, we were at a one-star restaurant and my kids told the server that the food was dégueulasse. The server was speechless. My dad’s slang was out of date; they were saying that the food was disgusting rather than délicieuse.

My wordly [sic] advice would be to learn the important words: "please, thank you, excuse me, delicious", but not the slang for it. For anything else, use the translation device on your phone or the mini dictionary you packed. Even if you bungle it, people like that you are trying to speak their language.

by Bill Magargal

Recently a US Servas host/traveler contacted the member help team, a bit miffed because the new and improved Servas version 2 website did not have all the hosting information that the "...old system used to have." The new system does indeed have all that information, plus the descriptive blurbs like, "More about this Address", and "More details" can be much more detailed than the old version.

It turns out that our traveler found host profiles that were incomplete, they had never confirmed that their information was accurate and up to date. Voila! Mystery solved. But it does point out the need for and relevance of periodically reviewing and confirming your online host, traveler, and hosting location information. 

Many of our hosts say they "Want more travelers", yet their profiles are incomplete. Often, they don't include a photo and have only the minimum boxes check. Why would travelers even bother to contact you if there you have just the minimal (or no) information in your profile. If for no other reason you should complete your host and traveler information as a courtesy so that travelers don't waste travel time pouring through blank profiles.

If you don't know how to edit and confirm your profile, check out the January, 2025 Open Doors article "How to Confirm Your Profile."

by Bill Magargal

Servas International (SI) unveiled its greatly improved website version 2.0 in 2024. The development team, led by Jim Leask (Servas Canada) did an outstanding job with this very complex and time-consuming project. It involved negotiating verbiage and design aspects in multiple languages, and interfacing with the hired programmers.

The result was an extremely successful release with very few bugs and minimal disruption. Jim dedicated most of his spare time to the project for about three years to make this happen. He is now ready to help, but not lead, a team to develop a phone App for the SI website. We are hopeful that people will step up to help with the project, and especially someone to fill the leadership role.  

Proposed Features:

The tech team has identified several functions they believe an App should include. If you have suggestions for other functions, please let us know. The current list includes:

Find Hosts: Ability to find hosts, including map-search functionality

Find Members: Host should be able to find members to learn more about them and to see their LOIs.

Communications: A messaging system to help hosts and travelers connect while ensuring all contacts are verified Servas members (not spam or commercial messages) 

Member Profile Editing: Members should be able to easily update and "Confirm" their profiles and LOIs.

Event Searches: The App should be able to easily search out and register for SI sponsored events as well as events hosted by individual groups/nations.

How You Can Help:

The development team can really use "normal" people to help with design and testing phases of the project. Techies often think a particular feature is "obvious", but often it is couched in geek-speak. So regardless of your tech skills, please consider helping out with the App development team.

If you would like to become part of the team, or have questions please contact technology@usservas.org.

by Bill Magargal

Our Open Doors newsletter is catching up to the New York Times. We are now available online 24/7 for downloading, reading online, and perusing by topic... and it is all free. The features are part of the website refresh project reported in this (Mar. 2025) issue, and it adds another good reason for members to visit the US Servas website.

The new webpage has three years of back issues in PDF format which you can either read online, or download. The page also offers a clickable list of news topics that take you to the blogs associated with that topic (see graphic below). The overall appearance of the page is better looking and conforms to the look-and-feel of the revised.

by Bill Magargal

Last year about this time the Tech Team announced a project to refresh the appearance of the US Servas website to make it easier and more intuitive to use. We are happy to announce that their efforts are bearing fruit.

The initial work was spearheaded by the marketing and SYLE teams under the leadership of board member, Tys Sniffen. They sought out and commissioned a web developer to redesign the Home page, SYLE page, and streamline the Servas page banner, menu, and footer. The new pages are much more attractive, plus they contain a lot more information. Here is a link to the new Home page if you want to take a peek. The SYLE page is also much cleaner looking and it too has a lot more useful information (see SYLE).

In addition to the screen layouts, we are streamlining the menus. In the "About Us" menu example below you will note that there are four items in the "About Servas" submenu. Previously, these were listed under the cluttered "About Us" menu. Also, the 4th item on that menu is Board of Directors where visitors must be logged in to see the submenu items, otherwise they can only click on it to see photos and small blurb about our current directors. The "Board Business" menu choice will take logged-in members to a page with board minutes, and actionable items like the merger vote mentioned in the (March 2025) issue of Open Doors. The election items will only appear at certain times of the year when appropriate.

by Marie Spodek

One morning during the Costa Rica conference I was drawn out of my room by the allure of a lovely covered patio in the courtyard between our bungalows. I brought my “journal” book, which I carry with me in which I ponder life, occasionally with written comments, but more often with “mindful sketching.” Within minutes, five women surrounded me asking what I was doing. With very limited common language (which has never stopped me in any of our travels), I explained “mindful sketching.”

Of course, they all wanted to try their hands at drawing. Fortunately, I had paper and pens for everyone, so we set our minds to the task. We silently sketched for about fifteen minutes and then sat for a “photo op.” Each of us had totally different, uniquely personal sketches & doodles. Later, several women shared that they want to continue the practice.

Mindful Sketching only requires paper and pen and quiet time. It is a zen-like, doodling exercise where one shuts out conscious thoughts as much as possible and simply focuses on the tip of the pen... letting it wonderously wander. We didn’t know what each of us is thinking but it was clear that on this occasion we all felt a commonality that didn’t require explanation.

Marie Spodek is a long-term US Servas member and emergent fiber artist. She lives with her husband, Bill Magargal, in Philadelphia, PA.

Share Your Story with the World!   by Tys Sniffen

US Servas is built on connection, cultural exchange, and the spirit of hospitality — but to grow, we need to reach beyond our immediate circles. While one-on-one conversations are powerful, imagine the impact if every member shared their Servas experiences on a larger scale. Social media, community groups, and local events offer incredible opportunities to introduce new people to our mission of fostering peace and global understanding.

Have you ever posted about your Servas experiences on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn? A simple story about a memorable hosting experience or a transformative trip can inspire curiosity and open the door to new members. You might also join local travel forums, attend cultural meetups, or write a guest blog for a travel site. The more visible Servas is, the more people will realize they belong in this community.

This month, challenge yourself to think bigger. Share a post, tag friends who might be interested, or even host a live Q&A about your experiences.   Tag @us_servas as well, so we are seen by a wider audience! If you’re part of a travel club or a community group, suggest a presentation about Servas. Small actions can lead to big results when we tap into the power of digital and in-person networks.

Let’s grow US Servas together! How will you spread the word this month?

by David Hills

One of the improvements that comes with Servas.org Version 2 is a simplified and much improved Letter of Introduction! Some of the new features include the following:

Tips on Fine-tuning Your LOI

Less is more: Keep in mind that people will read and remember text that is succinct and to the point. It’s easy to write more than you need to in “About me”. Hold something back to share with your hosts.

by Gail Brecher Jaworski

I have hosted travelers several times, but until recently I have not had the opportunity to be a traveler guest. Based on my experience with both roles, I offer the following advice.

To hosts: I would like to say: Please answer every request, even if the answer is no. I have emailed eight hosts and only got answers from two people. If you don't usually use email, please specify how travelers should contact you in your Servas host profile.

To travelers: The purpose of this organization is friendship and exchange. I am not here to be a substitute for a hotel room and restaurant. I am here to share with a person, as in a real face-to-face human being, a different view of the world. If you rush off to your personal tourist attractions, failing to offer to cook. prepare, clean up, then I am not a host but an unpaid servant.

Teresa Crockett

Are you a Friend of US Servas? We appreciate your support and interest. Are you ready to take the next step and enjoy all the benefits of Servas membership? Become a Host/Traveler household! If you cannot host other Servas members overnight, consider becoming a Day Host and sharing a meal or a visit.

We encourage all adults in a household to join Servas and to submit a joint application to change their status from Friend to Host/Traveler. Simply list both/all names on the Host/Traveler application and ask people who know you to provide references for you together. Remember, all adults traveling together with Servas must be members with a valid Letter of Introduction. Applying together saves everyone time. Get ready to see the world together – elsewhere or in the comfort of your hometown.