Nisei Ski Club

by Tina Woo, , Board Member

BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!   BEAT LA!

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd;

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for GIANTS (OR DODGERS),

If they don’t win, it’s a shame.

For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,  at the old ball game.

Do you love baseball?  Would you be interested in joining fellow Nisei Ski Club members in the classic battle between the SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers.  If so, please complete this survey.  How many tickets can we order for you?  Sunday, July 13, 2025 at SF Oracle Park.  Game time:  12:45 pm.

Name & Contact Info_________________________________

____ # of tickets you need? 

Please email Tina Woo for if you are interested at baseball@niseiskiclub.org

She would like to start the process of ordering tickets for the game.  View Reserved Section 313 beginning with Row 12.  Go Giants!  Go Dodgers! 

by Judy Hom, Board Member

I hosted a second mahjong event because Jeanne Katsuro and others told me that they were interested in playing and learning more about mahjong. This year, 12 people signed up. Like last year, this was a potluck in addition to mahjong. After all, you can’t play on an empty stomach. There was a yummy assortment of food: spam musubi, oyster sauce chicken wings, egg rolls, dim sum, mapo tofu and more.

At the break, Ida Koo delighted us with her Hawaiian shaved ice. Ida brought her heavy duty shaved ice machine, syrups, Azuki beans, condensed milk, and ice cream. It was amazing. The day was warm so the shaved ice was a delightful and welcome treat.

Okay, back to the mahjong. At this event, we concentrated on the Hong Kong style of play and scoring.

Jeanne challenged her intermediate table to win with a minimum of 3 fan. No chicken hands or gai woo for her table. There was lots of yelling, screaming, and laughing coming from her table. And, there were some awfully big hands. Curtis was the biggest winner with 8 fan self draw (ji mo!). Everyone had to pay him 384 chips.

At my beginner table, I shared my list of mahjong tidbits like not patting another player’s shoulder which gives them bad luck. David Tom decided to test that superstition and patted Bev Lee’s shoulders a few times. We learned how to count fan and used chips (no money) so people could see who was the big winner at our table. Everyone ended up pretty even so patting Bev’s shoulders didn’t do much harm.

Sarah Lowe did a wonderful coaching the newbies. Dean Santo and James Chan had some big hands at that table.

Even if they didn’t win a hand, everyone had a great time at the event. I got a lot of questions about scoring. I put together these scoring tables from Amy Lo’s “The Book of Mahjong” and Benny Constantino’s “Let’s Play Mahjong”.

Fan

Agree on table limits before playing. A common limit is 6 fan. Each fan is worth 2 points (or 2 chips).

Ji Mo

Ji mo (self win) earns an extra fan. Everyone is a loser and must pay double.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Hey Fellow Chefs,

Halloween is just around the corner and before you know it, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It’s almost scary how perfect these creepy witch finger cookies are as a Halloween treat. Buttery shortbread cookies are easy to make with green dye, and are finished with “bloody” raspberry jam and almond finger nails.

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

 Servings 28 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar confectionery
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Almond extract
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon salt, if using salted butter
• 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
• green food coloring few drops
• Raspberry Jam

Instructions

1. In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract; beat in flour, baking powder and salt.  Add a few drops of green food coloring until it reaches your desired green.    Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for the nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using a paring knife or toothpick, make several places to form knuckle.
3. Place on lightly greased baking sheets or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. 
4. Lift up almond; squeeze raspberry jam onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so the jam oozes out from underneath. Let cool. Makes about 28 large cigar size cookies.

Recipe Notes

1. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days. They will keep for an extra day or so in the refrigerator, but will also likely dry out a bit.

2. To freeze, place the baked and cooled cookies all together in a plastic zipper bag. Squeeze out any excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Have a safe Halloween – October 31, 2024

https://archive.org/details/hd-it-is-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-1966

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

September is here and the Sierra Nevada foothills already received a dusting of snow. Of course, it won’t last long but let’s hope it’s a sign of the times to come when winter sets in and Mother Nature brings us dumps of snow. Before the ski season starts there are still a number of non-ski events coming up:

• 7 September, Saturday, Mahjong Event at Judy Hom’s House of Tiles
• 11-19 October, Eastern Canada Trip with Jeanne Katsuro at the helm
• 9 November, Saturday – Pickle ball Event with Tina Woo

2025 NSC Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski trip is making another change, from a small “group” back to a normal-sized group now that there are 18 signups and room for a few more. There are condos available, but it will be necessary to put new signups on a waitlist until a condo can be filled with four people. So, if you’re sitting on the fence about going, then now is the time to submit your application. For those of you that have made a deposit then August 15^th was the due date for the second payment. Go to the NSC website and download the Sun Peaks Flyer, fill it out, and send it in (don’t forget your check).

Sports America has posted the Epic/Ikon links for the 2024-2025 season and is offering a 6.5% trip rebate (based on pass price) if you purchase the passes from Sports America and go on the Sun Peaks trip:

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

Password: snow

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see – Henry David Thoreau

Send in your deposit to hold you space.

by Judy Hom, Janet Gee, NSC Members

If you missed the inaugural NSC Mahjong event in 2023, here’s a repeat event on

Saturday, September 7^th., 2024

Do you want to learn how to play mahjong or get more practice playing? Then, sign up for the NSC Mahjong event and potluck! Judy Hom, Janet Gee, and our coaches can teach you the basics if you don’t know how to play or coach you if you already know to but want more practice. We will focus on the Cantonese style where we play with 13 tiles and flowers. We will also explain how to score: HK and Classical Chinese style scoring. If learning more about mahjong is on your bucket list, then sign-up! When you sign up, you will receive a cheat sheet and a list of mahjong resources. We know that all NSC members like to eat so this is also a potluck event. 

Date:            Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time:           11am – 3:pm

Where:         Judy and Winston’s backyard, 18995 Carlton Avenue, Castro Valley

Cost: $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Bring a potluck dish to feed 4 or more.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 16 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by August 31st

Please fill out a form for each person that is attending. For more information, please email Judy at mahjong@niseiskiclub.org.

SIGN UP HERE: MAH JONG

Will we see one of these Mah Jong Tables at Judy’s house?

by Tina Woo, NSC Member

What and Why Pickleball?

Over the last few years, pickleball has been rising in popularity.  Pickleball is considered one of the fastest-growing sports in the US.  But, what is pickleball exactly and why is it so popular?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines tennis, badminton and ping-pong using a paddle and a plastic ball with holes (called a wiffle ball).  It’s a game for players of all ages and skill levels.  It’s a great introductory sport.  It can also be challenging, fast-paced and competitive.

Why is Pickleball so popular? 

•  It’s ideal for all skill levels
• Pickleball is a social activity
• Pickleball is healthy
• Short learning curve, appeal to all ages and fitness levels, low costs

Want to learn more about pickleball?  Come and join us for a Nisei Ski Club pickleball event on Saturday, November  9 from 9-11 am at the Sunnyvale Tennis Center. For those who can’t make it, please plan to join us for lunch.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Hey Fellow Chefs,

Julia Child and I share the same August birthday. To celebrate, we’re off to celebrate and eating our way through Italy. Yes you heard me right. First stop to Stresa for a destination wedding and then hiking and eating our way to Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice, Burano and Milan. My palette will welcome the local Italian wine, fresh pastas and gelatos.

See you next month with new recipe posting and my adventurous trip abroad. If you have a family recipe that you would like to share with us, send me an email at newsletter@niseiskiclub.org

In the meantime, have a great summer and enjoy this..

My New York BFFs are calling me Karulia. Just like Benifer, Traylor or Swelce. Does Karulia has a nice ring to it?

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

By Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

The Chinese American Museum of Northern California (CAMNC) in Marysville was recently awarded a California Humanities for All Quick Grant for an exhibit entitled The Forgotten Chinatowns of Northern California. The grant is to invite ten Chinatowns to submit photos and text to create a new exhibit at CAMNC that will reflect the history and current condition of their respective Chinatowns. 

Ten different Chinatown communities have signed up for The Forgotten Chinatowns of Northern California exhibit, representing the communities of Auburn, Fiddletown, Folsom, Hanford, Locke, Mendocino, Red Bluff, Sacramento, San Jose, and Stockton. The community of Marysville is also being represented.

The exhibit will be a regular exhibit at CAMNC, and will open on September 7, 2024 at 12 noon.

At the opening, representatives from each community will do a presentation (CHCP Director Mike Mak will represent both the San Jose and Stockton Chinatown communities). Afterwards, CAMNC will sponsor a working dinner at 5:30 pm. Each Chinatown community is entitled to 2 guests at the dinner; additional guests (limited) can attend for $20 each.

CAMNC’s goal is to publicize the history and current efforts in the various Chinatowns in Northern California. This exhibit is also an opportunity for the Chinatowns to network and learn from each other. If there is enough interest, this exhibit can evolve into an annual conference.

For more information: contact CAMNC Director Brian Tom at brianltom@gmail.com

BONUS TOUR – David Lei will give a walking tour of the Marysville Chinese Temple and other nearby Chinese American heritage sites.  Starting at 10am, Sept 7th.  Meeting Place – the Marysville Chinese Temple – 1st St &, D St, Marysville, CA  

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Winter is just 3 1/2 months away. Check out Warren Miller’s 2024 new movie 75.

Find out where it is playing in your neighborhood. https://warrenmiller.com/film-tour

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

July is over, and so is the hot weather towards the end of the month and we all survived 90+ temps. We may complain about the heat, but then it didn’t last that long and it was much hotter for longer in Arizona and New Mexico. I have no predictions for August. But keep in mind; there is talk about another La Niña year.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic were held on Sunday, July 21st, and the weather was great, a great crowd of 50+ people, and a number of new faces. Everyone dined on a variety of cuisine, and the board was introduced. If you missed this event now you will have to wait until next year.

2025 NSC Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski trip is going to change to a small “group” trip due to the lack of signups. In order for this trip to not be cancelled there needs to be at least 6-8 more signups so we can meet the minimum of 10 for air. So, if you’re sitting on the fence about going, then now is the time to submit your application. Can you be the person that will keep this trip alive? Sun Peaks has a lot to offer and there are plenty of lodging spaces available. For those of you that have made a deposit then August 15^th is the due date for the second payment. Go to the NSC website and download the Sun Peaks Flyer, fill it out, and send it in (don’t forget your check). That’s the group shot after the Farewell Dinner at Sun Peaks in 2014.

Sports America has posted the Epic/Ikon links for the 2024-2025 season and is offering a 6.5% trip rebate (based on pass price) if you purchase the passes from Sports America and go on the Sun Peaks trip:

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

Password: snow

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: No one ever says, “It’s only a game” when their team is winning.

by Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

As part of the “end of summer” celebration gathering, Sandy Kiyomura will give lessons on Cha-Cha and the Swing. Sandy has been an instructor at the Mastick Senior Center in Alameda for several years. Bring your dancing shoes and a potluck for everyone to enjoy.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about Nisei Ski Club, meet club members, find out about future events as well as next year’s planned week-long Sun Peaks ski trip and a Japan Fall Trip! 

Date – Saturday, August 24th

Time – 12 pm – 3 pm

Where – Sandy’s Outdoor Dance Studio in Harbor Bay, Alameda.

Cost: $5 for members and non-members. Bring a potluck dish to serve 6-8, beverages will be provided.

Space is limited to 25 sign-ups. Please RSVP by Monday, August 19

Sandy will provide the address upon receiving your RSVP.

RSVP to Sandy Kiyomura at dance2@niseiskiclub.org

by Judy Hom, Janet Gee, NSC Members

If you missed the inaugural NSC Mahjong event in 2023, here’s a repeat event on

Saturday, September 7^th., 2024

Do you want to learn how to play mahjong or get more practice playing? Then, sign up for the NSC Mahjong event and potluck! Judy Hom, Janet Gee, and our coaches can teach you the basics if you don’t know how to play or coach you if you already know to but want more practice. We will focus on the Cantonese style where we play with 13 tiles and flowers. We will also explain how to score: HK and Classical Chinese style scoring. If learning more about mahjong is on your bucket list, then sign-up! When you sign up, you will receive a cheat sheet and a list of mahjong resources. We know that all NSC members like to eat so this is also a potluck event. 

Date:            Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time:           11am – 3:pm

Where:         Judy and Winston’s backyard, 18995 Carlton Avenue, Castro Valley

Cost: $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Bring a potluck dish to feed 4 or more.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 16 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by August 31st

Please fill out a form for each person that is attending. For more information, please email Judy at mahjong@niseiskiclub.org.

SIGN UP HERE: MAH JONG

Will we see one of these Mah Jong Tables at Judy’s house?

Send in your deposit to hold you space.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Another successful NSC picnic took place on Sunday, July 21st in Las Palmas Park, Sunnyvale.
According to the Evite, 50 plus current NSC members and potential new members came out. The weather cooperated and we got the best picnic spot #2 with tree-covered shading.

The picnic tables were filled with delicious pot luck dishes and scrumptious desserts.  At the end of the day I was surprised there were no left overs to bring home. SORRY, let us know if we should order more hot dogs for next year?

A big thank you to Roland Lee for being our NSC Grill Master, grilling the hot dogs, hot links and ribs. If you arrived early I hoped you tried Curtis’s ribs that fell off the bone. He forgot the BBQ sauce, but it was mighty tasty with the dried rub.

Roland brought out his Mah Jong set and there were a few who tried their luck on the game.
Don’t forget Judy and Janet’s NSC Mah Jong Event on Sept 7, 2024 FLYER HERE

What was there to eat?

I heard one of the hits of the dessert tray was Haruko’s Kurimanju

Armand conducted his annual membership meeting. He introduced the new board and talked about the upcoming Sun Peaks trip and the possibility of including minors to our future weeklong ski trips.

-A big thank you for Armand for getting the iced beer.

-A big thank you to Frank for getting the iced soda and water.  

-A big thank you to Morgan for getting the permit for the Las Palmas Picnic spot #2.

-A big thank you again to Curtis for setting up the picnic area and returning all the picnic supplies to our Shed in Sunnyvale.

-A big thank you to Bill Lee and Celeste Rogers for taking pictures of the picnic.

And a big THANK YOU TO YOU!! Thank you for getting off your seats to take the NSC group photo and bringing your entrées and desserts to share. Without your participation, the club will not exist.

I missed the picnic this year and I miss you boys and girls. I hope join you in the 2025 Picnic.

Have a great summer.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Here’s a simple cookie recipe that uses only 5 ingredients.

YES, let me repeat… 5 ingredients to make a small batch of banana bread chocolate chip cookies in my little toaster oven.

Whether you eat these for breakfast, dessert or as a snack, they will certainly satisfy your sweet cravings. They don’t contain any dairy, eggs, flour or gluten, and you would never even know because they are that good!

Enjoy.. Julia and I have Birthday Celebrations this month!!

Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Total Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 large cookies or 6 regular cookies or 13 little bite size cookies. (I prefer this one)

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (mashed)

1/4 cup organic peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or any chips you prefer)

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

New York City is filled with colorful murals. When a mural is visible, it prevents the graffiti artist from tagging the blank wall. https://newyorksimply.com/nyc-best-murals-new-york-city/

I saw this mural in Chinatown. Can you find the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals?
It took me awhile to find them. https://www.chinatownmuralproject.org/

HINT – The flying Phoenix is not a member of the Chinese Zodiac animals.

July is here and we have officially stepped into the second half of the year. I’m not sure how the British celebrate Independence Day but I’ll bet it’s not with the same gusto and élan as here in the states. So do your part on the 4^th of July by raising Old Glory high above and into the field of blue

NSC Initiatives From Last Season

Last year I presented two initiatives for the upcoming season: Family Memberships and the FWSA Website Award. A proposal for the Family Memberships is being developed, and our website is about 65% of meeting the FWSA requirements. Both initiatives are still a work-in-progress and will take a little bit more time to complete.

Mt. View Obon Festival

The Mt. View Obon Festival is on 20-21 July at the Mt. View Buddhist Temple. Yes, there is a slight conflict because our Annual Membership and Luau Picnic is on the 21^st. In the past NSC members volunteered to work various booths, with the Beer Booth the most coveted prize. If interested in volunteering then go to https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/ and see where your talents can best be used. Rest assured that there will be a variety of delicious cuisine, carnival-style games, cultural events, lots of people, the famous Beer Booth, and try not to bring home any goldfish in a plastic bag. For more information visit their website at https://obon.mvbuddhisttemple.org

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic

The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic is on Sunday, July 21st, so mark your calendars. As usual the club will be providing beverages and a lunch entrée and you can bring a favorite side dish. Details will be on the Picnic Flyer

2025 NSC Ski Week

There has been a date change for the 2025 NSC Ski Week at Sun Peaks, BC and is now 1-8 February. So mark your calendar and start planning on a ski week to Canada’s second largest resort with 4,700 skiable terrain acres. Also, check your passport’s expiration date. Air Canada no longer carries skis when flying to Kelowna, but fortunately we have 25 seats available on Alaska Air, and 7 additional seats if you’re not taking any skis. That’s the gang at Sun Peaks in 2014. Take a look at the flyer in this newsletter, fill it out, and send it in to secure your spot on the trip.

Sports America has posted the Epic/Ikon links for the 2024-2025 season and is offering a 6.5% trip rebate (based on pass price) if you purchase the passes from Sports America and go on the Sun Peaks trip:

Use this for Epic passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

Use this for Ikon passes: https://www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

Password: snow

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back. – Babe Ruth

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

In honor of our country’s 247th Birthday Celebration, Happy 4th of July.

Have a great time with your family and friends. Be safe and watch out for those fireworks.

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Please join us on Sunday, July 21st at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale for our annual Nisei Ski Club Luau Picnic.

Time – 12:00pm – 5:00pm

You will receive your Evite invitation sent out from Armand G.

Please RSVP no later than July 18th, so we can order the right amount of food for the picnic.

NISEI SKI CLUB LUAU PICNIC INFO

Join us and meet your fellow members.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Come on out and volunteer your time to help the local community.

Mountain View Buddhist Temple is having their annual Obon Festival.

Dates – Saturday, July 20^th and Sunday, July 21st. Sorry , The NSC Picnic is also Sunday , July 21st.

This year, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (MVBT) Obon Festival bazaar committee members had developed an online volunteer sign-up page for the various activities and booths leading up to the bazaar and during the two-day bazaar on Saturday, July 20^th and Sunday, July 21^th.

 https://sangha.mvbuddhisttemple.org/obon/

In the past years Nisei Ski Club members had volunteered at the Obon Festival Beer booth. You know how that goes. A little pour, a little taste on the side. BURP..

Here is the link for the BEER BOOTH- Hurry before it gets filled up.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QckOVYsOJPz8RGsCpTcKptgqLAyikNJCPb4AJ54J3QQ/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!

Send in your deposit to hold you space.

by Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

As part of the “end of summer” celebration gathering, Sandy Kiyomura will give lessons on Cha Cha and the Swing. Sandy has been an instructor at the Mastick Senior Center in Alameda for several years. Come practice, get tips and have fun. 

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about Nisei Ski Club, meet club members, find out about future events as well as next year’s planned week-long Sun Peaks ski trip and a Japan Fall Trip! 

Date – Saturday, August 24th

Time – 12 pm – 3 pm 

Where – Sandy’s house in Harbor Bay, Alameda.

Cost: $5 for Members and Non-members. Bring a potluck dish to serve 6-8.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 20 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by

August 19

We can also do a 5-mile walk/bike on a car free path nearby. 

Sandy will give you the address upon receiving your RSVP.

RSVP to Sandy Kiyomura at dance2@niseiskiclub.org 

We hope to see you there!

by Judy Hom, Janet Gee, NSC Members

If you missed the inaugural NSC Mahjong event in 2023, here’s a repeat event on

Saturday, September 7^th., 2024

Do you want to learn how to play mahjong or get more practice playing? Then, sign up for the NSC Mahjong event and potluck! Judy Hom, Janet Gee, and our coaches can teach you the basics if you don’t know how to play or coach you if you already know to but want more practice. We will focus on the Cantonese style where we play with 13 tiles and flowers. We will also explain how to score: HK and Classical Chinese style scoring. If learning more about mahjong is on your bucket list, then sign-up! When you sign up, you will receive a cheat sheet and a list of mahjong resources. We know that all NSC members like to eat so this is also a potluck event. 

Date:            Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time:           11am – 3:pm

Where:         Judy and Winston’s backyard, 18995 Carlton Avenue, Castro Valley

Cost: $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Bring a potluck dish to feed 4 or more.

Beverages will be provided. 

Space is limited to 16 sign-ups. Pls RSVP by August 31st

Please fill out a form for each person that is attending. For more information, please email Judy at mahjong@niseiskiclub.org.

SIGN UP HERE: MAH JONG

Will we see one of these Mah Jong Tables at Judy’s house?