Sunday, December 16, 2018

Upcoming and December review


UP~COMING 

January 13 2019

Zuse Meyer--artist and professor originally from Germany

On " Insights thru Visual Experiences"

February 10 

Heather Steele (Ph.D Engineering from Birmingham U)

2017 Daiwa Anglo Scholar/ Now at Railway Technical Research Institute, Tokyo 

"Transport: Needs vs. Global Warming--Future Fuel: Hydrogen Powered Trains "

 

W.E.L.L. Annual Conference and Retreat (for women)

February 8 thru 10 (noon)  Theme: Empowering Women thru Creativity

Registration open until Dec 22 ( bilingual) http://welljapan.org

   

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      Our last meeting of the year (Dec 9) had your moderator and members making a few remarks about Christmas being a season of the happiness that comes from giving to others.-- with an  emphasis on  family ties and returning to one's hometown (especially for expats) or relatives gathering together.  

Even as we get older (as quoted from Dickens) when we sadly remember all those no longer with us at Christmas, those memories too bring a special kind of joy. However, many people who are estranged or without family can find these holidays a particularly miserable time.       

      Did you believe in Santa (the plump guy with whiskers as well as a "symbol" of giving) , if so (as we shared) when did you stop?

And  finally I passed on a true story about sibling concern and the magic of Christmas gifts for children (see bottom of page).

 

      Then  Chuck Olson in part from recent experiences visiting with his temporarily dislocated young grandson (and family)  who have just moved,  and traveling with his magician Trump-supporting brother in their ancestral Norway, made a presentation about gaining self-awareness thru trying to understand recent research on the neuro/endocrine/evolutional/environmental/biological basis for our behavior and interactions with others. He provided a handout and presented some of the ideas especially in the books by  Daniel Siegel and  online courses by Robert Saplosky.

It is hard to do justice to Chuck's various points but i include here the web links to his major sources. One idea he mentioned when talking about  the frontal cortex (in various parts) --which we now know is the location of emotional control and rational future planning-- is that it does not fully develop until around age 25. Dana as a teacher and counselor echoed some of Chuck's comments and mentioned some of her strategies for defusing confrontations  and helping guide elementary school kids. 

Daniel Siegels Mindsight web site is at


a link for the Mindsight book is at


For the 'No Drama' Discipline at


A link to Robert Sapolskys Human Behavioral Biology lectures is at



      Finally, Stan Yukevich spoke and lamented the growing lack of "adult" restraint  of many Americans (indeed in contrast to many Japanese)  as he examined some of the finer (also weaker) characteristics and legacy of GHW Bush--who now we most agreed looks better in comparison to those (not only Trump) who have come after.  Bush died November 30,2018.

      Using a handout, Stan pointed out he was a patrician not a self-promoter, a Republican with compassion  and with a  traditional conservative "less is better" approach to government.  Although not agreeing with some of his positions/actions (such as Bush's reluctance to support AIDS research and GLBT rights) Stan mentioned Bush's war record in WWII--at 94 the last statesman/politician of his generation. Bush showed willingness to work across party lines and  to sacrifice reelection by raising taxes in order to preserve programs and hold down the deficit. 

 

 

      In the end we did not have time to sing any carols (which is probably just as well as we did not have a leader this year who can carry a tune). Next year maybe we can also delve more into other religious traditions of this holiday time.

      At dinner some of us video-chatted with former member Bonnie McClure who is doing well in Berkeley.

 

      Join me in  thanking all who have contributed to this year at fellowship, especially FUKAI Naoko who has stepped in to help TAKAMATSU Yasuyo  with membership and setup.

 

      Again best wishes to all for  a happy and safe holiday season and a good coming year.

 

Peggy Kanada, moderator

 

 

A Christmas Story

 

        Because of my father’s poor health during World War II, our family moved from a tenant farm in the Virginia hills to the city of Harrisonburg so my mother could work in a silk mill making parachutes for the boys overseas. On Christmas Eve, I felt lonely and misplaced as I listened to the strange city noises, so different from the familiar sounds of the countryside. Much to my dismay, the family had been so busy moving that we had no tree to decorate. As a 5-year-old, I yearned for a real tree; my older brothers had always enjoyed selecting a cedar or pine from the nearby woods when we lived on the farm.

My brother Gary sensed that something was bothering me and asked, “What’s the matter, Janie? Why are you so sad?”

“We don’t have a tree and It’s Christmas Eve,” I replied. “Where will Santa leave our presents?” To soothe my nostalgic tears, my older brother found a large paper grocery sack, upon which he drew a  beautiful green Christmas tree with big red and blue bulbs and bright yellow tinsel.

      “This will have to do this year,” Gary explained. “I’m sure Santa will understand.” The next morning, I received a tiny toy phone from Santa and homemade popcorn balls from Mother and Daddy, but my special gift was my brother’s work of love: the paper tree hanging on the wall. — Jane Allen, Alabama. 

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