Many Asians consider the upcoming New Year’s holiday (according to the lunar calendar) to be the most important in the year.  We on the NSC board therefore wish all members and friends (Oriental or not) a most happy and prosperous New Year of the hare (except in Vietnam, where it is the year of the cat).

For some who may not know much about this holiday, I compiled a few interesting (at least to me) facts.  Some implementations (which may vary from place to place in the Far East).  Please help me if I say anything wrong! Read the rest of this entry »

1. The Von Trapp family of “Sound of Music” fame established a ski hotel in the US.  Which resort?

2. Eastern Boilerplate describes what condition?

3. Which was the first N. American resort to stage a Winter Olympics?

4. What, or who is Ullr?

5. What are vertical gate combinations in a ski race called?

6. At what ski resort did Sonny Bono run into a tree?

Answer to Last Month’s Puzzle:

With 2 candles, devise a way to determine when 3/4 hour has passed within a few seconds.

1. Light both ends of candle #1 and just one end of candle #2 (as close together as possible).  Assume that holding the candle sideways doesn’t change the rate of burn.)

2. When candle #1 is all burned out (after 1/2 hour), light the other end of candle #2.

3. When candle #2 burns out (after 15 mins more), it will be 3/4 hour from the beginning.

Pictures by Bill Lee

Answer to last month’s puzzle:

Replace all the Xs with digits to make this division valid.  It’s easier than you think. Read the rest of this entry »

About a dozen members and friends enjoyed a day at the newly-re-opened Oakland Museum on this Sunday.  It was a “free” day so we got there an hour early just to make sure.  I normally avoid “free” days since they are typically very crowded but even though the line was about 200ft. long by opening, Read the rest of this entry »

Festival presented by our friends at SnowBomb.  Tickets get you 3 free lift tickets and other free stuff.   50% off General Admission for NSC members.

SF Fort Mason, Nov 6 + 7, 2010:

http://sfskiandsnowboardfestival.eventbrite.com/?discount=SkiResorts

Santa Clara Convention Center, Nov 13 + 14, 2010:

http://siliconvalleyskiandsnowboardfestival.eventbrite.com/?discount=SkiResorts

In the absence of a message from the president this month, I thought I’d give you all a bit of my history from me.

I started skiing back in high school in Connecticut around 1953. We mostly drove N to Vermont, but it was pretty icy, cold and rocky so I can’t explain why I continued the sport under those circumstances. After moving to California, I joined NSC in 1966 – the year Hi Fujii was president. I was also a member of Chi Ski during part of that time so I could ski most weekends with one club or the other. I was on the NSC board from about 1970 until I dropped out after getting married in 1972. I continued skiing (on and off) after that, including trips to Canada and a half dozen areas in Europe. Read the rest of this entry »

To date, 4 people voiced interest in such an event, and while waiting for more, the available dates in
June were all taken. I will continue to monitor the bayareacurling.com website for new dates and post
them on our website. The latest times seem to be at Oakland Ice vs. Fremont.or San Jose Sharks Ice. Read the rest of this entry »

Answers to last month’s puzzle:  The census taker:  Write out all possible combinations that add to 13. Out of the 8 total possible age combinations, there are only 2 that when multiplied equal 36. When the lady said her eldest was upstairs Read the rest of this entry »

Ataxophobia: Fear of untidiness/disorder
Athazagoraphobia: Being forgotten/alone
Aulophobia: Fear of flutes Read the rest of this entry »

To date, 4 people voiced interest in such an event, and while waiting for more, the available dates in
June were all taken. I will continue to monitor the bayareacurling.com website for new dates and post
them on our website. The latest times seem to be at Oakland Ice vs. Fremont.or San Jose Sharks Read the rest of this entry »

Six die-hard hikers (including 3 all the way from Sacramento) met at the Palace of Fine Arts for a rather cool hike around the Mansions and gardens of the upper Broadway area. Just as I assured everyone that the sun would soon come out, I thought “famous last words”, and we saw the sun for Read the rest of this entry »

Answers to last month’s puzzle:
The calendar with cube faces that show the day of the month: 1—31. Die A: 0, 1, 2, 6 (turned upside down also works for a 9), 7, 8. Die B: 0, 1, 2. 3, 4, 5. Read the rest of this entry »

Ankylophobia: Fear of immobility of a joint
Antlophobia: Fear of floods
Anuptaphobia: Fear of staying single
Aphenphosmphobia: Fear of being touched
Apotemnophobia: Fear of amputees
Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouth.
Asthenophobia: Fear of fainting/weakness
Astrophobia: Fear of stars or celestial space

This year will be a transition period for the NSC newsletter.  The only reason we used to have monthly board meetings was to determine the content of the monthly newsletter.  There is a whole process and schedule for getting an event and budget approved.  I’m streamlining this and I want events to be posted on the website as soon as they are approved by the board. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi.  I’m Morgan Hua, the newly elected 2010-2011 NSC President.  I’ve been a member since 1989 and from 1998 I’ve served on the NSC board in various positions including 2001 President.  I’d like to thank Joel Hayashida for serving as President for the last two years.

Joel has made a number of changes and I plan on continuing his improvements.  Board meetings used to take five hours and I used to call them Bored Meetings.  Joel was able to cut down the board meetings to less than two hours.  This year, I’ve decided to eliminate the monthly board meetings and use electronic communication as a method for club business.  We have already passed the 2010-2011 budget, voted in Karen Soo as a Board Member, and approved Karen’s Oakland Pixar event.  (Actually, Karen Soo did get write-in votes, but the Board certified the election before she accepted the position, so the Board had to vote her in separately). Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to Alice and all the election committee for twisting all those arms and convincing people that it really will be rewarding and fun to be on the board for next year. We look forward to another great NSC year with lots of well-run ski trips and other fun activities. See New List of New Officers. By the way, if you know about an interesting activity the club might enjoy and would like to introduce us to it, let Alice Horio know at vicepresident@niseiskiclub.org. If you can’t organize the event yourself, Alice may find someone on the board to lead it. I actually led my first SF stairs hike for the club before I joined and this has turned into one of the most enjoyable periods of my life.

To date, only 4 people voiced interest in such an event, and while waiting for more, the available dates in June were all taken. I will continue to monitor the bayareacurling.com website for new dates and post them on our website. The latest times seem to be at Oakland Ice vs. Fremont.or San Jose Sharks Ice. Now that the Olympics are over, interest in this sport is dying down and there should be more available dates. Let me know at newsletter@niseiskiclub.org if interested. I believe we can run this event with a low number if we combine with another group.

Answers to last month’s puzzle: Remove FIVE LETTERS and what remains is a word you can find in any English dictionary. What’s the word? AFPIOVELLOEGTI(T)ERESS or APOLOGIES. My puzzle book left out a second “T” in the string (in parentheses)—Sorry.

For this month, remember those calendars with 2 cubes that are positioned adjacent each other so that the sides facing you show the day of the month: 1—31? Without looking at one, what are the digits on each of the 6 sides that are required to show 1 through 31?

Algophobia: Pain
alliumphobia: Garlic
allodoxaphobia: Opinions
amathophobia: Dust
amaxophobia:Riding in cars/vehicle
amychophobia: being scratched
anablephobia: looking up
anemophobia: air drafts or wind

We sold 989 bowls of chicken salad and 198 bottles of water at the event for a net profit of $2336.  Thanks to all the volunteers, the Mtn. View Buddhist Church, Tanimura & Antle for the lettuce and green onions and the committee of David Tim, Hoyt Nelson and Hi Fujii led by Alice Horio.  A full report of financials will follow.

(pictures by David Tom)

Mother Nature blessed 17 of us with nearly perfect weather for this hike along quiet forest trails to 6 lacy waterfalls which were about at their peak for the year.  Brian Lee led us along sometimes steep trails with sometimes Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wanted to try curling? This is your chance! Throughout the year, the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club and Sharks Ice offer many low-cost curling clinics, usually at the start of each season. Curling Clinics are a comprehensive introduction to the Olympic sport of curling. You will learn Read the rest of this entry »