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.

Aug 1
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)
Directions
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 4th 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 21st. 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 20th 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 20th and Sunday, July 21th.
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!
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 7th., 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 Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
Its summer time and my friends in the neighborhood are showing off their summer garden. They’re growing tomatoes, mesclun greens, zucchinis, cucumbers, banana peppers and kale. My friend Connie gives me a weekly bag of organic home-grown veggies. This is perfect for me since I eat a huge salad for dinner. I call it my go to “rabbit food”.
This week she gave me a bag of dinosaur kale. YUMS. Once they are cleaned, I use them for my smoothies. For this batch, I will used them to make Kale Pesto. We are so use to making our own basil pesto if we can find basil or we get that jar of Pesto sold at Costco.
This Kale Pesto is made with just kale. Without the basil, it’s a more cost-effective way to make pesto. It’s also one that you can enjoy all year round, when basil isn’t as plentiful in the supermarket (or garden).
Enjoy!
Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.
Total Preparation time: 15 minutes
Servings: One pound of your favorite pasta
Ingredients
Directions
TIPS & NOTES:
Note: Recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups pesto. Use half for 1 pound pasta, and freeze the remainder (about 1 1/4 cup) for another day!
To freeze, transfer to a pint container, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top, cover, and freeze.
Roland Lee NSC Board Member
The group consist of 8 riders met at 10:00am in Corte Madera. Everyone came with different riding experiences. One rider suggested a new title “A BEAUTIFUL DAY in PARADISE”.
Beautiful because it was a gorgeous day for a bike ride. The temperature was in the 80’s. There were minimal wind and no white caps visible in the bay. The San Francisco Bay gave us a stunning backdrop.
We assembled at PIXLEY Park in Corte Madera. Everyone signed the NSC’s Release and Liability form. Name Tags were distributed and everyone was ready to roll out for the 20-mile trip. The group took off while I was looking for my bike gloves and pumping up my tires. I guess I became the “Sweeper”. The first 35 minutes of the ride was an uphill battle. When I finally caught up to the group, I asked them to wait at the top of hill so we can ride as a group.
At Chapman Street and Camino Alto, we started the descent. Camino Alto is a moderately busy road. You can pick up a lot of speed going downhill on the curves. Caution, there’s a Stop light at bottom of the hill. On arrival to East Blithedale, everyone turned left.
The “Sweeper / Me ” had to made sure the last person has made the turn towards the correct path. We rode at the underside of Freeway 101, around quiet Richardson’s bay . You can see the San Francisco skyline in the background climbing up Seminary Drive.
On our way to Tiburon, it was an undulating ride with very few difficult sections. After about an hour we arrived in picturesque Tiburon Downtown and stopped at Caffe Acri Coffee shop at #1 Main Street.
We stopped for coffee and a snack. After snacks, we took a group picture near the ferry station. A beautiful place for photos with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
24th Annual Tiburon Classic Exotic Car Show
The car show had about 30-40 cars from Land Rovers to Jaguars. I’d like to give honorable mention to Elaine Graves and her husband Gary for making the long commute from San Ramon to make it to the bike ride.
Elaine who injured her ACL, has been rehabilitating her ACL and MCL knee injury which she suffered on the first day of last season. She missed out on the NSC Jackson Hole Trip and the entire season. Three cheers for Elaine! We wish her the best this season.
Lunch at Corte Madera Shopping Center
When we arrived back to Corte Madera about 2:30pm, we had lunch at Starbird Chicken, a fast food restaurant loacated at Corte Madera. They advertised themselves as having the “Best Fried Chicken Sandwich’s in the World”.
A very bold statement to make. We all had some sort of fried chicken meal.
However, I noticed that Miss Burger-Mistress did not partake in the fried chicken judging adventure. I guess she was saving her stomach for a better dinner. She earlier had a Hamburger to tie her over.
I would like to thank our lead guide Alex, who took point position to lead group throughout the trip. I took “Sweep position”
We’ll see you next year’s bike ride. “ A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL !! “
by Tom Ryugo, NSC Member
I showed up at the Corte Madera Community Center at 9:30 sharp – and nobody from NSC was there. Thought I went to the wrong place or maybe nobody decided to bike. Turned out people were just late.
Roland Lee was our fearless leader along with his son Alex, made sure everyone’s bike was up to snuff and then off we went.
There were eight of us altogether – myself, Roland, Alex, Elaine, Gary, Carolyn, Xieng, and Dave. Roland had said it would be a 2.5-hour ride.
Our route went south through Camino Alto Open Space and then over 101 through Strawberry and Belvedere. Went over some slightly strenuous hills but nothing that would kill you if you use low gear. Then it was down along Tiburon Blvd until we got to the Tiburon Ferry terminal where we stopped for coffee at Caffe Acri .
There was a classic car show going on Paradise Drive and we had to walk our bikes through. Then resumed riding around Tiburon past multimillion dollar houses along the Bay. Because of the car show that blocked traffic on Paradise Drive, there was virtually no traffic going through that part of Tiburon. Eventually, the route flattened out or was downhill – which suited some of the riders just fine.
At the end of our ride, Roland suggested lunch at Starbird Chicken in the Corte Madera shopping center. By then, it was 2 o’clock – so much for just 2.5 hours to ride! The rumor was Starbird Chicken had the best chicken sandwiches in the world. To be sure, the sandwiches are excellent. After the long ride in the warm day, that hit the spot.
Debbie Stewart, FWSA, VP of Int’l Travel
Greetings!
Now that we’re approaching the end of ski season and are looking towards adventure travel…
We are still accepting registrations for the FWSA 2024 Africa trip…tell all your friends and come join us!
I have attached the flyer and registration packet.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
by Armand Gutierrez, President
It’s June and the start of the 2024-2025 NSC season. Our recent elections resulted in several changes to the board – one board member “retired” and one board member is replacing the retired board member. Thanks to all of you that took the time to vote, and you can read the full election results in Karen Soo’s article.
NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic
The NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic is scheduled for 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
The 2025 NSC Ski Week will be at Sun Peaks, BC from 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. Sports America has posted the Epic/Ikon links for the 2024-2025 season and are offering a 6.5% trip rebate 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: Never confront seven men when packing a six-gun – Col. Sherman Potter
by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
Here are the results, 37 NSC members out of our 89 members voted (41.5 %).
Thank you to the 37 members who took the time to vote.
Congratulations to our Newly Elected Board Members for 2024-2025.
President – Armand Gutierrez
Vice President – Jeanne Katsuro
Trip Director – Karen Soo
Treasurer – Frank Chang
Newsletter Editor – Karen Soo
Membership Chairperson – NA
Board Members:
Curtis Otaguro
Joel Hayashida
Roland Lee
Jeff Honda
We want to thank Tina Woo who served on the Nisei Ski Club as Membership Chairperson for 5 years, and the board appreciated all her hard work and devotion to the Nisei Ski Club.
At our May Board meeting we discussed that there was no new Membership Chairperson nominated/elected, so Armand Gutierrez volunteered to assume that position with the Board’s approval. He has the experience with Mailer Lite, our new mailing and membership database program.
We are excited about having new energy on our Board to help us grow our club with new and exciting ideas for Ski and Social Events.
Congratulations again!
by Tina Woo, Membership
June marks the start of the 2024-2025 Nisei Ski Club season. Beginning May, you can take advantage of the $5 discount if you sign up before June 8th. ( We’re extending the date for another week)
Download and complete the membership form here and mail form and check to Armand Gutierrez.
The 2024 ski season has been phenomenal with incredible snowfall history. With record storms many of the California resorts have extended their seasons. You can ski at both Mammoth Ski and Palisades Ski Resorts through Memorial Day, May 27, 2024.
The board of Nisei Ski Club is continuing to meet monthly and discuss plans for this upcoming year. We strive to provide community and camaraderie for our members.
The Nisei Ski Club board is excited to announce several events scheduled for the balance of the year. We have an event almost every month; from a Livermore hike in May, bike ride in June, the annual luau picnic in July, a possible bowling event in August, a Mah Jong event in September, the Eastern Canada trip in October and a third annual November pickleball event. And, don’t forget Sun Peaks in January/February 2025!! Come and join us!
We look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
by Roland Lee, Board Member
Join Nisei Ski Club for bike ride around the Tiburon Loop on Saturday, June 15th, 2024
Bike riders are welcome to join the event. If you are not planning to ride, you can visit the 24th Annual Tiburon Classic & Exotic car show. There is also a Museum on the water front walkway path at the end of the car show. http://tiburonclassiccarshow.com/home/
The NSC bike ride, car show, and museum are all free.
We will meet for lunch after the bike ride. There are restaurants on the main road near the Tiburon Ferry.
Electric bikes can be rented at the Trek bike store next to CHP office in Corte Madera. They cost $ 100.00 for 24-hours.
RSVP by Wednesday June, 12
Please let us know if you are a Bike Rider or Non-Bike Rider.
Email to Roland Lee Tiburonloop@niseiskiclub.org
See the attaché Flyer below –
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 in July.
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 The Obon Festival.
Dates – Saturday, July 13th and Sunday, July 14th.
Save those dates. We would like our members to participate and lend a hand with the bazaar.
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..
This year, the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (MVBT) Obon Festival bazaar committee members are developing 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 13th and Sunday, July 14th.
At this time, the sign-up site is still in “the work in progress” stage and will not be ready for the June newsletter.
We will keep you up to date as we get more information.
Thank you for stepping up to the plate to VOLUNTEER!
Jun 1
by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
Summer is just around the corner. Here is a dish that’s perfect for a hot summer day and great dish to bring to a NSC potluck. Its cool, refreshing and easy to make.
Somen salad is a popular Hawaiian dish consisting of cold Somen noodles mixed with dressing, variety of meats and veggies.
You have an option of stuffing the Somen salad into these Japanese fried tofu pouches call Aburaage.
Aburaage is Japanese deep-fried tofu pouches. It’s used extensively in Japanese cuisine, such as in inari sushi, miso soup, topping for soba, udon noodles, stews, and hot pots. You can purchase these items in your local Asian Supermarket like Ranch 99.
These Somen noodles stuffed in the tofu pockets reminds me of little footballs. They so to eat too.
Reminder, the NSC picnic in coming up on July 21st any volunteers willing to make this dish?
Bon Appetit – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
Dressing:
To make dressing:
Combine all ingredients in jar and shake well.
To make salad:
Cook noodles in boiling water until done. Do not overcook. Rinse under cold running water until cool and then drain.
Assemble salad by putting shredded lettuce on the bottom of 13”x9” dish. Arrange noodles on top of lettuce, then top with eggs, kamaboko, ham, and green onions.
Chill thoroughly. Just before serving, pour dressing over the entire salad
Optional – Mix Somen salad together and stuff them in the tofu pockets and serve. The tofu pockets are already cooked and seasoned, you just need to drain the excess liquid, and it’s ready to use.
by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
New York is full of musical entertainment during lunch time.
I like the energy on the guy with the yellow suit.
Can you name that song playing on the brass?
Only in New York..
“Altitude with Attitude”
Far West Ski Association’s 91st Annual Convention will be held in Reno, Nevada, the “Biggest Little City in the World.” Hosted by the Bay Area Snow Sports Council & Sierra League & Council, Far West is looking forward to coming back to Reno, Nevada, June 6-9, 2024.
Debbie Stewart, FWSA, VP of Int’l Travel
Greetings!
Now that we’re approaching the end of ski season and are looking towards adventure travel…
We are still accepting registrations for the FWSA 2024 Africa trip…tell all your friends and come join us!
I have attached the flyer and registration packet.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
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