by Armand Gutierrez, President  

Last month I finally made it up to Tahoe on two weekends (well, going up on Sunday and skiing Monday and Tuesday). Although it hasn’t snowed since the New Years weekend, the snow was in good condition despite the warm temps. But it hasn’t snowed since that big storm on New Year’s weekend and that made for a dry January. And current predictions show nothing for the first two weeks of February. Looks like all the snow is hitting Canada and the big freeze and snow dumps on the east coast.

Membership Report

Let’s welcome Hong Wu, Winnie Fang, and Gary Ching as new members that joined in January and our total is now 109 members.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Horse! The Chinese New Year starts February 17^th kicking off the 16-day Spring Festival. The Horse gallops in with vibrant and fiery energy, symbolizing adventure, vitality, and momentum. People born on Horse Years (1954, 1966, 1978, etc,) are believed to be lively, charming and adventurous. Are you one of them? Do you know anyone with those traits? Check out Karen’s article on the outlook for Year of the Horse.

2026 NSC Ski Week to Park City, 7-14 February

The Park City team is off Park City for a week (7-14 Feb) of skiing, schussing, dining, and experiencing the slopes and glades in Utah.

 Bill Lee, our unofficial photographer, will return with his usual album of photographs chronicling our adventures.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge – Carl Jung

by Angela Ren, NSC Member

Twenty-five Nisei Ski Club members headed out on Collette’s France Magnifique trip for 12 days in late October.  We all had a fabulous time immersing ourselves in French culture, cuisine, and history as well as meeting and spending time with old and new friends.

Here are some of the highlights:

Versailles:

We were scheduled to have in the morning a guided tour of the private apartments of King Louis XIV in the Royal Palace.  Unfortunately, the Royal Palace had a power outage so our tour ultimately had to be cancelled.  Instead, our group spent the morning touring the palace’s expansive and grandiose formal gardens.  The gardens cover approximately 2,000 acres and contain 55 fountains and 155 statues.  Most of us only saw a very small portion of the gardens but there was the option to rent a golf cart which made it a little easier for those of us who wanted to cover a little more ground without wearing out our shoes on the very first day of the trip.  The power was restored around 2pm so some of us that were still in the area rushed back to the Palace entrance and had the opportunity to walk through some areas of the Royal Palace.

Giverny:

At Giverny, we visited Claude Monet’s countryside home and the colorful living work of art which is his garden where we saw the artist’s inspiration for his works, including the setting for his iconic Waterlilies.

Caen & Normandy:

In Caen, we explored the Caen Peace Memorial Museum which is dedicated to providing a comprehensive history of the D-Day landings and Europe’s post-war transition.  In Normandy, we strolled through the Normandy American Cemetery and Visitor Center.  Collette was very thoughtful in providing a flower arrangement for our group to pay our respects during the Taps Ceremony, which serves as a daily moving tribute to honor the sacrifices of the WWII Allied Forces.  Next, our group traveled to Omaha Beach where we all enjoyed beautiful views on a sunny day. 

Arromanches:

Our stop in this town was at a local apple orchard farm where we were treated to a brief tour of how their apple cider was made and of course, we were given samples of apple cider to taste.

Saint Malo:

We traveled to Le Mont St. Michel, an UNESCO site that is otherwise known as the “Wonder of the West” where our entire group was able to ascend the 350 steps up to the Abbey which dates back to the 11^th Century. We then strolled through its surrounding old village which is filled shops and restaurants. 

Chinon & Loire Valley:

In the medieval village of Chinon, we visited a Farmers Market where we saw a Vietnamese food booth and a small Chinese take-out restaurant that our group quickly descended upon for lunch after not having any rice for a week!  We then visited a local winery where we sampled some of their wines.  In Loire Valley, we spent the next 2 nights at a 15^th Century Chateau that was once a favorite retreat of Louis XIII. 

Paris:

Our last stop on this trip was in Paris where we took a scenic cruise gliding under the romantic bridges along the Seine River.  NSC treated our entire group for dinner and a dynamic champagne-flowing, can-can kicking, music-driven night at the cabaret.   The next day, our large group split up into 2 groups – one group took in Paris’ most iconic sites on a panoramic city tour.  The other group joined a local guide to the hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre and its iconic Sacre-Coeur Basilica.  Our last evening together celebrating the conclusion of our French voyage with an exclusive dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

We all said “Au Revoir” (Goodbye) to each other after the Eiffel Tower dinner since some group members were taking an early flight home the next morning while the rest of the group were staying longer in Paris or traveling to another location.  I would not hesitate taking another Collette trip with Nisei – we all shared some unique experiences and made some wonderful memories.  How can I say no to that?

Here’s a slideshow of our trip.

by Christie Tasaka Dews, New NSC Member

After meeting Jeanne while standing in line for the Nisei Matsuri Festival—what I consider a very fortuitous encounter—she invited me to the Nisei Ski Club Potluck. This gathering was my very first NSC event, and what a wonderful introduction to the club and its community. From the moment I arrived everyone was kind and welcoming, eager to include newcomers. There was an abundance of great food and I had the opportunity to learn how to play mahjong—many thanks to Greg and Judy for their patience—followed by a lively round of Mexican Train Dominos for good measure.

I was impressed by the variety of trips and events already planned, as well as those currently in the works. Hearing members share stories from past outings and talk excitedly about upcoming adventures made me eager to be part of future excursions. I am excited about the non-winter activities organized. I enjoy things that can be done in a single day—short attention span? Possibly!

Who knows–I might even convince some new friends to try an escape room! While I cannot promise I will be a master at escaping, I am 100% curious and can already imagine the mysteries to be solved. Either way, fun was definitely had by all. I truly enjoyed myself and look forward to continuing to have fun, meet new people, and make new friends while getting to know my new surroundings in the Bay Area.

I stayed longer than expected and left feeling grateful for that serendipitous encounter with Jeanne outside the SJBC Betsuin. I find myself inspired to buy a mahjong set like Judy’s so I can teach my girls to play, lucky to have discovered such a welcoming group and smiling as I wonder what is yet to come.

Yes—I am joining the NSC!

Happy New Year!

Here’s a slide show of the pot luck party.

by Sandy Kiyomura, NSC Member

The snow Gods and Goddesses blessed us in January. Some of us skied at Northstar and were fortunate to “TOST” the New Year with champagne or apple cider. Pictured here (left to right) were Dan Lew, Sandy Kiyomura, Alice Schroeder, Judy Bracken, Elaine Graves and Carol Henri. The next day stormed followed by powder. Skiing powder was fun, but traffic was not. Highway 80 closed down and Dan and I were fortunate Judy and Mark invited us to stay at her home in Tahoe Donner. Driving home with new snow was a little tricky, but glad to report I did not skid (or brake) all the way to Auburn.

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

We have only 2 remaining seats on the trip!

Total capacity is 24 people and Everyone is part of Nisei Ski Club!

Join our adventure to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand

An Extraordinary price at $7149 for double occupancy for 19 days and 31 meals

With an Additional Pre-tour of 6 days and 4 nights in Singapore Starting Oct 24

And an Additional Post-tour of 4 days and 3 nights in Thailand Ending Nov 19

We always have a Great Time Exploring and Sharing Together.

Join us! It is so Much Fun!

Sign up: Fast!  This is a Very Popular Trip! https://groups.gocollette.com/en-US/link/1337636

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

How many of you had come crossed a chocolate chip cookie that was too flawed? A cookie that is too sweet, too soft or made with too much chocolates. Here a cookie that’s made with a lot salted butter, the dough has just enough flour to hold it all together and right amount of light brown sugar to suggest a chocolate chip cookie.

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/ (2 1/4 sticks), cold (room temperature if you’re using a handheld mixer), cut into 1/2 pieces (see note)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (not too fine; you want chunks, not little shards)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Demerara sugar, for rolling
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

PREPARATIONS

1. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes for a stand mixer; 6 to 8 for a hand mixer). Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and mix just to blend. If necessary, knead the dough with your hands to make sure the flour is totally incorporated. At this point, the dough should be smooth and feel like Play-Doh with no pockets of flour.

2. Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. (Don’t be afraid to make them compact. Shortbread is supposed to be dense. That’s part of why it’s so good.) You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but plastic wrap is easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form a 6-inch log, 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious, crisp edges).

4. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (if you hit a chocolate chunk, slowly saw back and forth through the chocolate). If the cookies break or fall apart, just press them back together — the dough is very forgiving. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much). Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.

TIPS

The cookie dough con be mode ahead end stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. Cookies can be baked and stored in plastic wrap or on airtight container for 5 days.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Happy New Year!!

The Chinese New Year in 2026 marks the Year of the Fire Horse, starting February 17, 2026, and ending February 5, 2027, bringing intense energy, freedom, and passion, as the Horse embodies speed, independence, and hard work, amplified by the Fire element for bold action and potential change.

People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be often confident, agreeable, hardworking, and independent, disliking being controlled.

Check out your horoscope in the Year of the Horse 2026.

http://raymond-lo.com/14556/year-of-the-dragon

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Happy Valentines Day!!

Just a friendly reminder Valentine’s Day is Saturday, February 14th. Don’t forget to get your sweetheart flowers, chocolates and a Valentine’s card. (Date It)

Here are some of my favorite “Love” tunes to get you into that romantic swinging mood.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Nihonmachi Outreach Committee will present its 46th annual Day of Remembrance on Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event commemorates Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin Roosevelt which led to the forced removal and incarceration of over 125,000 persons of Japanese descent during World War II.

This year’s theme “Neighbors Not Enemies” refers to the legislation that would repeal the outdated and discriminatory Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The Neighbors Not Enemies Coalition of San Jose Japantown was created in 2025 to support public education on the Alien Enemies Act, advocate for the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, and stand up for our neighbors who are currently being targeted by racist immigration policies and denials of their due process rights. Nihonmachi Outreach Committee and Asian Law Alliance are members of this large coalition.

Richard Konda, Executive Director of Asian Law Alliance, is the featured guest speaker. Richard was recently recognized by the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN) with the 2025 Changemaker Award for his phenomenal career devoted to civil rights and social justice: “For decades, Richard has been a steadfast advocate for equity, fairness, and community empowerment, embodying the spirit of transformative leadership this award honors.” ​

The Day of Remembrance program includes community speakers, the traditional candle light ceremony honoring survivors of the camps, the candle light procession through San Jose Japantown, and a performance by ukulele artist Jake Shimada.

San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin is co-sponsoring the event which will be held at the Church’s Annex at 632 North Fifth Street, San Jose. Doors open at 5:00 pm and seating is limited.

Nihonmachi Outreach Committee is a voluntary organization dedicated to educating the public about the incarceration of immigrants and U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry, including their children who were U.S. citizens by birth. While the forced removal and incarceration happened over 80 years ago, their effects reverberate today. We are committed to defending all communities on issues of civil and human rights, justice, equality, and peace.

This event is free of charge but donations are welcome.

Date
February 15, 2026

Time
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Location
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 N. Fifth Street, San Jose, CA 95112

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The month of January has been super cold last week.

Oof, that’s real winter 🥶 8–15 degrees is the kind of cold that makes your face hurt just walking outside. At that point it’s not even fashion anymore—it’s full survival mode: down jacket zipped to the chin, hat pulled low, gloves permanently on.

Honestly, weeks like that make January feel twice as long. No wonder everyone starts daydreaming about somewhere warm by mid-month.