by Armand Gutierrez, President  

Last month I had hopes and dreams of getting up to Tahoe for some early skiing. And although the resorts did have a decent layer of snow on the ground it just wasn’t enough to open the main lifts and runs that I usually frequent. But Mother Nature has once again made several visits and created that winter wonderland that we all look forward to on the slopes. Since the Sun Peaks trip is coming up I definitely need to get up to Tahoe and start my season before the trip.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Snake! Yes, the Chinese New Year starts January 29^h and ends February 2^nd. People born on Snake Years (1929, 1941, 1953, etc,) are believed to be wise, calm, and graceful, with great introspective traits. Are you one of them? Do you know anyone with those traits?

Coming up on Saturday, 18 January, is an NSC Potluck at Miraido Village in San Jose, Japantown. See the newsletter for details.

2025 FWSA Summer Ski Trip – Valle Nevado, Chile

Is skiing in South America on your bucket list? It’s been on my list for a number of years and I can’t pass this one up. If you’ve skied Canada, and Europe, now is the chance to add Chile to your list. This is the first FWSA summer ski trip to Valle Nevado, Chile. This is a 10-day trip with 7 nights in Valle Nevado and 2 nights in Santiago. Lift tickets are included on this trip, and if you have an Ikon Pass a discount is available depending on the type of Ikon    Pass you have. If you are interested then please contact me at your earliest convenience (president@niseiskiclub.org).

2025 NSC Ski Week

Final arrangements for the Sun Peaks ski trip have been made and in less than a month we’ll be flying the friendly skies of Alaska to Seattle and then to Kelowna followed by a scenic bus ride to Sun Peaks.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Actions prove who someone is, words just prove who they pretend to be.

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Nisei Ski Club Potluck!

Save the Date!

Invite your Friends!

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Starts at 12 Noon

Ends when the Fun Ends!

Miraido Village in 550 N 6th Street,

San Jose, Japantown

Bring a Main Dish or Appetizer

We will take care of the salads, desserts & drinks

Let’s Play Mahjong, Card, Games and Let’s Talk Story!

IMPORTANT!

To let us know that you are coming! ~ Jeanne Katsuro

Please let me know what type of Main Dish or Appetizer you are Bringing!

Email: Subject Line “Potluck”

ClassicRock570@aol.com

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.

Come see the 2024 World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the San Francisco Giants. See the players: DH Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, to name a few, including Most Valuable Series player, Freddie Freeman. They beat the New Work Yankees 4 to 1 in an exciting final win!!

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 Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

Sign Up Soon! We have 20 people who are interested in signing up for the France Trip. October 23 – November 3, 2025 Reservation is for 38 people.

Signup with this hyperlink for the France trip here deposit $698

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1286433

Here are the answers to most of your popular questions for the France Magnifique Vacation.

1. The deposit of $698 is completely refundable up to April 24
2. The insurance refundable of $549 is completely refundable up to April 24
3. April 25 or after if you purchased insurance, the amount you paid minus the insurance.
4. Collette insurance you can cancel for any reason – no medical excuse necessary.
5. Sign up for the France now & sign up for the Pre and Post Trips Later
6. You can sign up for the dinner at the Paris Latin for a champagne flowing can-can kicking music driven cabaret later. Value: $225
   This is the event I am hoping that Nisei Ski Club can pay for from our commission it will depend how many people sign up.
7. Bonus Information! Collette is giving us more money back!

Participants who had travelled with Collette Travel will get Loyalty Points!

5% of your land portion of your trip and insurance
For Eastern Canada Travellers, this amount is approximately: $140 to $190 each person’s Loyalty Dollars vary.

More than just travel insurance. It is Medical Insurance as well

Collette Travel Insurance Plan Covers the following

1. Cost of the trip including the deposit
2. Cancel for Any Reason ~ No Medical Reason Needed Emergency Medical Expenses Covered in France
3. Medical Needs including Hospitalization up to $50,000 Note: Your own medical insurance policy may not cover medical expenses in another country
4. Travel Delay Coverage Example: If your travel partner needs to stay in a Hospital for a medical emergency, your expenses to stay in France with your partner will be covered up to $150/day up to $2100
5. Emergency Dental Expenses ~ $75
6. With the Collette Travel & Medical Insurance there is No Deductible.

We are currently working on a pre-trip to London for 3 days and a post trip in Paris for 3 additional days.  More information to come.

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

A magical island topped by a gravity-defying abbey, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay count among France’s most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe’s major pilgrimage destinations, this holy island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is its breathtaking bay.

Sign Up! France Manifique Trip October 23 – November 03, 2025

Reservation is for 38. It will be fun for Nisei to fill the whole bus!

Signup with this hyperlink for the France trip here deposit $698 which is fully refundable by April 2025

https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1286433

First Come First Serve! If you want to add 3 more nights to the end of the Paris Manifique Trip, I have reserved only 6 rooms currently.

Those of you who want to go to France with Nisei Ski Club!

    I have arranged a 3 night Post Trip in Paris to stay at

        Hyatt Regency Etoile where we will be ending our France Manifique Trip.

            Price is $1140 per person which is $380 per night.

            The price includes breakfast and tax and fees.

                Tax is 8.45%

                Plus there is a 20% VAT or Value Added Tax on both the breakfast and the room.     

            Here is an approximate break out of the taxes and fees

                $275 Room

                $  20 Breakfast

                $295 Total

                $   59 VAT 20% Value Added Tax

                $   24.92     8.45% City Tax

                $378.92 Total

            If you want to try to compare the prices.

I have concluded that it is a very good price given the Hyatt Regency Etoile Location and the other extras we get.

If you take this Post Tour with Collette, it will be covered in the $549 Collette Travel Insurance.  It will not cost more money for the insurance.

Travel Insurance must be purchased at the time of the initial deposit.

For those travelers who are coming from San Jose, it will also include the travel to and from the SF Airport on the later date.

I have Reserved only 6 rooms for the group at this price.

First Come First Serve!

In order to reserve this Post Tour you have to sign up for the basic France Manifique Tour and then we can add it on.

If there are more rooms needed, as time goes by the prices go up.

Currently, the price for this Post Tour is reserved.

2024 FWSA African Adventure Tanzania and Zanzibar

Sandy did not run into Mufasa but she did have an encounter with the wild beasts of Tanzania and Zanzibar. Check it out….

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome (a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape.

In Japan, it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki.  While eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year, and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.

Here is a microwave mochi that was taken from the Nisei Ski Club Recipe Book.

Enjoy!

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

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 8 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mochiko
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• katakuriko (potato starch)
• Pam spray

Directions

Mix mochiko, sugar, and water together in a bowl. The  mixture will be thin. Pour the mixture into a microwave-proof container that has been sprayed inside with Pam.

Microwave at low power for 3 minutes, then microwave at medium power for 3 minutes, and finally microwaved at high power for 3 minutes.

Allow to cool for a few minutes (but don’t let it get cold or it will be hard to work with).

Spread some katakuriko on a cutting board and place the (still warm) “mochi blob” [my son’s term] on the board.

Shape the “blob” into a long sausage shape and cut pieces off. Roll the pieces in a little mochiko or katakuriko so they won’t stick to each other. Cool and eat.

*Also good rolled in kinako (soy bean powder). If you  do this, allow the mochi pieces to cool before rolling in the kinako (or kinako may absorb moisture and get gummy).

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Happy New Year to you and your family in 2025.

I caught this episode on CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Paulie on 12/29. Do you recognize the interior?

https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/gIZ8ed0UnknCmp_ngIih3TTpHlvoD_jI

I hate to be they guy on the right.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The 2025 Chinese Lunar New Year animal is the Snake. Discover the meaning behind the Year of the Snake below.

As 2024 comes to an end, it is time for new goals, resolutions, and aspirations. New Year’s is a holiday many enjoy celebrating with loved ones, often performing superstitions to set a positive tone for the year ahead. However, the deeper, meaningful side of welcoming a new year—like 2025—is sometimes overlooked.

While most of the world celebrates the new year on January 1, others mark the occasion later. For instance, the Chinese New Year won’t take place until January 29, 2025. The event is actually a 15-day festival during which participants engage in various cultural traditions to celebrate the start of a brand-new year. A unique aspect of the Chinese New Year is that each year is represented by a zodiac animal, which can offer insight into what the year might bring.

What Is the Animal for the 2025 Chinese New Year?

In 2025, the Chinese New Year zodiac animal will be the Snake.

What Is the Meaning Behind the Snake?

The Snake represents those born in the years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, and 2037. According to the Chinese New Year website, people born under the Snake zodiac are described as “cautious, introverted observers, cool and mysterious in behavior due to their suspicious and insecure nature. However, their armor conceals abundant sensitivity, wisdom, and passion that will surely surprise their few confidants.”

What Does the Chinese New Year Animal Represent for 2025?

According to the Chinese New Year website, While 2025 is a challenging year for Snakes due to their Ben Ming Nian, lucky stars offer strong opportunities for career and financial growth. Stay focused, take necessary precautions, and balance challenges with joyful events to make the most of the year.”

According to the website, here are some lucky tips for Snakes in 2025 to help avoid any unlucky moments:

• Lucky numbers: 1 and 8
• Lucky colors: Red and Black
• Lucky flowers: Camellia and Orchid
• Lucky directions: West and South

by Armand Gutierrez, President  

The recent rainstorms came just in time to provide enough snowfall to enable most of the resorts in Tahoe to open before Thanksgiving! Of course not all lifts or runs or open, but there still is skiing to be done. It’s been a number of years since I’ve skied in December, but I’m planning on it this time around.

Membership Report

Let’s welcome back returning member Angela Ren for the month of November and our total is now 82 members. Angela is a former member as Membership Chairman 2002-2003.

2024-2025 Far West Skier’s Guide

The annual Far West Skier’s Guide is now available for your viewing pleasure on the website at https://www.niseiskiclub.org/events/. This is their 37^th Annual Edition and the largest at 116 pages. It is jam-packed with information about Far West Ski Association programs, snow sports industry news, and feature articles from award-winning authors.  Also included is the Councils and Clubs section, a great reference for readers looking for a club to join. (NSC is mentioned on several pages, can you find them?).

2025 NSC Ski Week

The Sun Peaks ski trip is full with 22 people, and two FWSA friends that made their own arrangements and will be joining us on the slopes. Final arrangements are being coordinated with Sports America and now is the time for everyone to get a few days in at Tahoe before we leave for Sun Peaks. The photo was taken on 6 November and is the new West Bowl Express chair.

Christmas Greetings

This has been another good year for NSC with the many events during the year- a first-ever non-ski event to Eastern Canada, the annual Luau/Membership Meeting picnic, and Mahjong and Pickleball events. On behalf of the NSC Board I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.

Questions: contact president@niseiskiclub.org

QotM: Truth does not mind questions, a Lie does not like being challenged.