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gardeniahung's blog

gardeniahung's blog

Since September 1977, thirty-seven (37) years ago, I was involved in the French Club at Northeastern Illinois University, assisting and helping the Moderator Professor Dorette Klein when Bruno was the President of the French Club, and I was the Vice-President. 

One year after, I became the President of the French Club at Northeastern Illinois University in 1980-81.  The French Club at NEIU was very active in the campus community and Dorette Klein enjoyed hosting the International Food Festival, French concerts, Dance, and French Language Travel Immersion experiences to Oregon, Illinois, Montréal and Ville de Québec in Canada, for French Club members--when I was a college student at Northeastern Illinois University from 1977 through 1982, during five (5) years.  In addition, I was nominated for membership in the French National Honor Society at Northeastern Illinois University.

After years helping Dorette Klein, she recommended me for international language work in French, Spanish, and English at the Belgian corporate company called Groupe Européen S.A., also known as GESA Assistance, upon request from respiratory and pulmonary specialist physician Dr. Ben Carasso M.D. and his wife Dina Carasso who were involved with the Director José Poquet and the Executive Assistant Secretary Huguette Callaway from Glen Ellyn, Illinois USA.  While I worked for GESA Assistance, I helped to arrange corporate services for customers, clients, and the GESA staff events.  On several occasions, I was involved with the GESA Assistance staff arranging and planning holiday events at The Signature Room on the 95^th Floor of the John Hancock.

Figure 1 The Signature Room on the 95th Floor of the John
Hancock Center in Chicago

The Signature Room  on the 95^th Floor of the John Hancock Center is on top of the world,
overlooking the Gold Coast and the lakefront skyscrapers and high-rise residential buildings.
Located atop the John Hancock Center, The Signature Room  at the 95th® offers diners exquisite food, superb service, and a dazzling skyline view. The elegant wood designs and art deco interior create an inviting and intimate atmosphere, while the floor-to-ceiling windows exhibit the
stunning Chicago skyline and 360 degree views of the entire city.

Thirty-three (33) years ago, I began to work for Berlitz  Schools in Chicago, teaching English As A Second Language, Spanish, and French at 2 North La Salle Street. 

Berlitz is still a language teaching institution locally and globally—in Chicago, some people say “glocally”. 

Berlitz  is a global leadership training and education company with a comprehensive portfolio for building communications skills development, global leadership training and customized dynamic solutions for cultural competency, available via multiple delivery platforms. 

Berlitz Corporation is a global leadership training and language education company with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1878 by Maximilian D. Berlitz in Providence, Rhode Island. Berlitz Corporation is a member of the Benesse Group, with more than 550 company-owned and franchised locations in more than 70 countries.

I worked for the Berlitz Schools of Languages in Chicago, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, and Schaumburg, as a Consultant for the Berlitz Schools 1981 – 1995 (14 years).

I worked as a Certified Teacher in Illinois. Professional Legal Interpreter and Translator in English, Spanish, French, etc. I worked at Berlitz, 2 North LaSalle Street with English as A Second Language corporate clients, when June was the Receptionist and Josefa was working there.  Milanka trained Berlitz Language Consultants how to teach foreign languages using the Berlitz method of questions and answers by inference, deduction, and logic.  Also taught for Berlitz at the Water Tower Place and also in Hinsdale, Oak Brook when Beth was the Director and Sally were working there and
the Berlitz Junior Program was used for the Brook Forest Elementary School Foreign Language program and for Butler Middle School. Taught for Berlitz in Schaumburg when Steve was the Director there.

Figure 2 Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue and Pearson
Street in Chicago, Illinois USA

I also worked teaching languages as a Certified Elementary School Teacher for the Berlitz Junior Program at the Brook Forest Elementary School, in Oak Brook, Illinois USA.  From September 1989 – December 1990 (1 year 4 months), I was teaching at the Brook Forest Elementary School on 31st Street and Summit, Oak Brook, Illinois US.  I worked as a Certified Elementary School Teacher for the Berlitz  Junior Program at Brook Forest Elementary School, teaching English, French, and Spanish by assignment for Berlitz  Director Beth, Assistant Sally, Receptionist, June, Steve, and other Berlitz staff in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Chicago, Illinois USA.

When I used to work for Berlitz at the Water Tower Place, across from the John Hancock Center, I used to park my car across the street.

Figure 3 John Hancock Center Parking in Chicago

When Mirtha Quintana told me one day that she had decided to plan her wedding reception at The Signature Room on the 95^th Floor of the John Hancock Center, I mentioned that I had dined at The Signature Room several times for the holidays and with my family.  So, I offered to help her make arrangements for her wedding reception at The Signature Room on the 95^th Floor of the John Hancock Center.  Afterwards, I had to visit The Signature Room to pick up the wedding reception menu prepared by the Belgian Chef who worked there, so that Mirtha Quintana, her Mother Josefa  and her fiancée Christopher Toomey with his family could look at the menu and decide which were the best wedding dinner menu choices available for their special wedding day.

In addition, Christopher Toomey wanted to lease a Rolls Royce for the wedding day at the Lakeview Presbyterian Church.  Since Christopher Toomey was from St. Louis, Missouri, he was not familiar with the corporate services available in the Chicago area.  Mirtha Quintana and Christopher Toomey asked me for assistance to help them arrange their wedding day reception and transportation leasing of a Rolls Royce for the wedding party.  I also helped Mirtha Quintana find her Wedding Dress and drove her in my Nissan 200SX Sports Car to pick up the Wedding Dress at David’s Bridal in Norridge, a western suburb near the Harlem and Irving Plaza.  Then drove Mirtha
Quintana back to her Chicago home on Richmond Street near Grace Avenue.

Pieceful Heart Is On Benedictine Drive in Lisle, Du Page County, Illinois USA

Harrison is A Small Town in New Jersey and

Pieceful Heart is on Benedictine Drive in Lisle, DuPage County, Illinois

By Gardenia C. Hung-Wittler

During my Sophomore year at Madonna High School Catholic School, my parents were getting a divorce due to irreconcilable differences after nineteen (19) years of marriage given to stress at work in different part-time jobs and evening work, my Mother’s Graduate Studies for a Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature at Loyola University Lewis Tower Campus downtown in Chicago, marital arguments, etc. 

By 1976, my parents were already separated and I lived with my Mother renting a second floor apartment owned by Bruno Schlizner at 3116 West Waveland St. near Addison and North Kedzie, on the Northwest side of Chicago, Illinois.  The Hispanic tenants downstairs spoke Spanish and had two young sons, Martin and Craig Torres who lived with Mrs. Torres and husband, their parents. 

In the middle of my second year of a private Catholic high school, my Mother decided to move to Harrison, New Jersey, near her Cuban sister-in-law Mirta García and her son José Alberto and the father of her second son David.  My Mother used all the savings she had to move with a truck from Chicago, Illinois to Harrison, New Jersey—plus she charged additional expenses to credit cards with my Father’s name which billed later under his name.  Mirta García and her family found an apartment for my Mother and two children in Harrison, New Jersey where I was transferred to attend Harrison High School with my Cousin José Alberto.

While my Mother lived in Harrison, New Jersey, she was referred for Bilingual Teaching for Public Schools in Union City, New Jersey.

The move to Harrison, New Jersey did not take long for my Mother who decided to move back to Illinois a few months afterwards.

Fortunately, Harrison High School provided transfer student records for me to return to Madonna High School and finish my sophomore year with the rest of the Catholic High School curriculum until senior year graduation in May 1977 with a high school diploma from Madonna High School.

Thirty-one (31) years later, after I moved to the Village of Lombard, the Lombard Police and Fire Department allowed strangers to take my 1977 High School Diploma and Yearbook from Madonna High School on October 5, 2008, along with my 1973 Elementary School Diploma from Avondale Grammar School in Chicago, and other personal documents, my Red Dragon Journal, legal case files, expensive books that I have purchased with receipts and reported as expenses in my Lombard taxpayer’s IRS income tax filings as a DuPage resident homeowner in the State of Illinois, USA.

While the Lombard Police and Fire Department have had unauthorized access entry to my private Lombard home, I have also lost many expensive Sewing Embroidery Cone Threads, Tools, Templates, Sewing Machines, including a LillianVernon miniature sewing machine from China which I used at Pieceful Heart in Lisle to quilt Illinois Star square patches during the Quilting Session with Mrs. Egan in DuPage County, Illinois USA.  I used to order by mail from Lillian Vernon based Virginia and I ordered two (2) miniature sewing machines, one for my Mother as a gift to her, and one for me.  Both of the Lillian Vernon miniature sewing machines made in China have been stolen since I was living in the Village of Lombard, York Township, DuPage County, Illinois 60148-3028 USA.

In addition, there are many other Lombard household belongings personal clothing, fashion garments, Silver Fox Furs, leather gloves, hats, books, business resources, (2) Craftsman Power Drills from Sears in Oak Brook, Illinois; many kitchen electronics in boxes, Kitchen Aid Accessories to make Italian Pasta, Baking Molds, Fine Linen Table Clothes, Olympus Camera, and a lot of expensive household items that the Village of Lombard and thieves have not compensated nor restituted to the daughter of Mr. Roberto Hung and his surviving family in the State of Illinois, USA.

Keith Steiskal, George Seagraves, Ray Byrne, Laura Fitzpatrick, Diane Arturi and other town officials in the Village of Lombard, York Township, DuPage County, Illinois have been witnesses of the crimes and accomplices in the removal of personal belongings, documents, books, and household items which were taken without consent and authorization from the Lombard resident homeowner Gardenia C. Hung-Wittler while she has lived at 502 S. Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard in District 5, Village of Lombard, Illinois  60148-3028.