I've been reading your website and really enjoyed it. Why did you stop!!?? Been hoping to see the next issue... Are you the same "chico Fisk" that my dad talks about?

If you are, I have some pictures of you with us 3 kids.
But for now, here is a picture of my class in 1969, that I would love for you to publish it on your website.

From left to right: back row: Liliana Tadic, Deborah Harvey, Monica Roman (me), Miss Murray, Lisa Stansbury, Maria Pia Paulsen middle row: Francisca Garreaud, Robert Clark, Alessandro Marini, Robin Laurich, Vangie Fahm, Kristin Smithberg front row: Patty Zent, Paola Marini, Trudi Nelson (I think this is her name, I used to call her Tutti, so I'm not sure)

I hope you publish it and ask everyone to write me at monicaroman2k@aol.com I recently heard from a very good friend thanks to your list! I love it!

A little about me, if you want to publish it. Life has taken me in all directions since the time this picture was taken. After leaving the Chilex School, I went to Guadalupe de Ayquina in Calama for a couple of years where I think I gave the nuns "canas verdes" with my "individuality". They were just too glad to see me go when I decided to transfer myself to the newly formed Liceo de Chuquicamata. Of course I informed my parents that same afternoon. (!) These were turbulent times, and the military coup caught me during my senior year. I graduated and went to Santiago to study at the Manpower Institute while we waited to put all our stuff in order to go to Brasil, which we did in 1975. I have not lived in Chile since then. I spent 7.5 years in Rio, had the best time! I grew up, went to college, hitched hiked from Fortaleza to Rio in the summer of 79, and "sambei em muitos carnavais!". There I studied Biology, and was a researcher at a University and a teacher at an american school called Our Lady of Mercy. It was hard teaching Biology in English! Tell Mr. Miller (Len Miller) that him and another teacher I had at the Liceo inspired me in my career choice. But the economy was bad, and I could see no hope for the future, being that the work environment in Brasil is very "machista"! So, I decided to follow my sister Teresa and came to the U.S. Totally "wet-back" or how do you call those of us who fly in? My life in the US is divided into two parts: the illegal alien part, and the now part. During the first part I survived by working as a secretary for an Ecology firm (well I was the xerox copy girl, then they gave me a promotion) very nice people! But I made more money washing dishes for a catering company, so I quit and became a full-fledged caterer up until the second part. So, from washing dishes I became an Operations Manager (was my mom proud!). In the meantime I had discovered this marvelous thing, the computer, so was busily studying computer programming while I waited for the green card. The wait was long! so I grew tired of catering and took up delivering pizza. I had a blast, but decided to go back to Chile for a few months in 1988 to wait for the green card. I ended up waiting only 4 months. Upon my return to the US, I decided that I needed a break and delivered pizza for a year. I think if I ever won the sweepstakes, I would deliver pizza...it was a lot of fun! At year's end, I decided to get serious and went back for a computer programming certificate. At that time I met a great guy who would share my life for a few years. When I graduated, the first of a series of lay-offs started to happen in the computer industry; I graduated the same month that they layed off 2500 people from IBM, and the market was not good. So I ended up working for the IMF, most recently on a database; and stayed there through two Master's degrees (Human Resources, and Information Systems). After working for a little bit in the HR arena as an HR Director (cof, cof...), I decided to open my own IT business and have been doing that for a year now. I develop databases, I love it! I am also beginning to do some web/graphic design...I just might be going full circle because at the time the picture here was taken my dream was to be an artist (painter). One of my clients asked me to stay on full time, so I am doing that in the mornings--steady income doesn't hurt anybody.

On the personal level, my "marriage" dissolved and I went to live with my sister Cecilia and we bought a house in 96 where we brought our parents to live. (Hernan Roman, and Alicia Torres). We are still adapting to be caretakers but wouldn't have it any other way. My sister Teresa visits often, and shares her daughter Claudinha with us on weekends. Claudinha is the highlight of our week. But I'll let my sister tell you about her, otherwise she will kill me. My life has become very gringa, with time spent gardening (a lot of time!), going out with friends every now and then, running, swimming, and going to the gym. My goal is to run a triathlon when I turn 50. I'll probably move back to Chile at that time and open a Bed and Breakfast. All are invited!

Let me know if you need help with your website, I'll be glad.