Music, Cultural Exchanges, & More!

After not playing for several years, I was finally able to play with the UW-Parkside Reunion band.  I'm hoping to be able to keep playing again, this fall in the Parkside Community Band, as well as get on the substitute list for the Racine Municipal Band.  It's fun.  Here is me, at the event:

In participating in the reunion event for the Parkside 50th anniversary, I was able to get on a list to host a couple of members of a German municipal band, which is actually a community-based band.  They will be here September 14th - 16th.  I'm looking forward to it, and hope people will come to the event.

Not only will I be hosting them, I'll be helping to pick them up, take them to their appointments here (which includes a concert), and back to where they need to go to depart to the next stop on their tour.  It will be a nice lesson in cultural exchanges for my son & husband, also.

Speaking of Lessons (chapter 46) - In chapter 46, Lessons, in my friend, Soldwolf’s story, Meeting the Parents, it’s more than pizza, for those who aren't used to "Earthling" food... Maybe it's the cheese, and they should visit Wisconsin? But wait... tactical issues need to be discussed, and lessons need to be reviewed... More training on tactical issues is also in order. The hero's lovely is sweet, yet, she knows how to keep him in line while keeping their best interests in mind.

Speaking of homemade pizza, my son did a good job not long ago on his. I also miss cooking with him when he was little... To be able to have good family relationships... Well, I guess I'll just have to live vicariously, this way.

Be dears and read it, okay? Don’t worry about Big Brother, because I’ll be the one to give you the Big Sister Interrogation (Ch 3). But the best type of A Mother’s Gift (Ch 20) I can give to my son is to keep pursuing my options to set the example. Maybe I just need some Celebrations (Ch 32) to lighten up the mood? And if you don’t comply, we’ll haul you to Zrik'hlfa, the capital of Tamal (the planet that the hero's lovely is from), for some major Takedowns (Ch 40). For now, I have some major Discoveries and Decisions (Ch 45) to make for myself... Kind of like how April showers bring May flowers. What do May Flowers bring? Pilgrims... I wonder what kind of pilgrimage I ought to go on?

Sometimes, personal touches can help move professional connections forward. Read on to read all of the details! I guaranty you, more than heads will be rolling here, and maybe some people will be turned into sausage! I just hope it doesn't end up on the pizza... With enough readership, the publishers on DeviantArt may pick up the story to publish it into a real book, which I'm hoping will happen!

I'm also a co-administrator for a support group, and the founder of this Sibling Abuse Survivors is on a Blogtalk Radio show.  Please have a listen, HERE - Thank you!

People, Talents & Hey!

I met Soldwolf, the author of Meeting the Parents, a little over a year ago at one of the places I volunteer with.  He'd been regular there for a while, and very established in his role there, and has been very active with the day to day activities that happen.  The place is lucky to have him there, especially in the morning, and even the paid staff relies on him a lot.  With all that he gives of himself to the center to serve the neediest people in the community, he still takes a lot of guff from fellow staff & especially the clients.

Because the clientele is highly needy to an extent, coming in for a variety of reasons, there are those who are thankful to be there to help make their ends meet, then there are those who want to get anything and everything they can get their hands on.  My friend has no issues firmly telling people "no", and often, because he is firm with his principle, some people misinterpret him as being mean, rude, etc...  





It is interesting, because as much flack as he takes, these people get forgiven, and he faithfully comes in ridiculously early to dedicate a part of his day to ensure that things are going smoothly.  Many people seem to overlook that.  Yet I think there are those who go in that makes it worthwhile for him to go in, such as the very talented resident artist who does an excellent job drawing & painting people/scenes there.  There are also a couple of musicians (a pianist and an aspiring fiddler), and I think I remember someone bringing in a knitting or crocheting project along that line.  Being that I'm pretty crafty myself, I understand why Soldwolf appreciates these people who help brighten the day, when others can be stressful.

In getting to know him, I find that he's smart, funny, and very accommodating.  When he puts his foot down, there is always a logical reason for it.  And, if people were to actually give him 10% of the slack he gives everybody else, they'd realize he's a good guy to know...  And, I really enjoy his military sci-fi story, which is still a work in progress (I've posted chapters in previous blogs), and because I think reading is a good thing, I'm sharing since you know, sharing the love is the right thing to do.

Chapter 39 - Fireworks

Now, who doesn't love a good fireworks show?  But who am I kidding?  Us Asian people love our light & sound shows.  It would be neat to learn how to become a pyrotechnic, and the hero's Japanese friend won't miss it, either.  I like how the author captured authentic cultural characteristics in the story.  It is also cute how certain things can sound really strange to someone from another planet when they don't have a basis for reference.  You're going to have to read about which sweet treat it is...

But of course, even during a celebratory fireworks show, not everything is fun and games.  The hero is in charge of some military operations, and of course, there are always things that need to be done, especially with personnel.  Other things are going on in the background.  Do heads roll?  Is there a death toll? You'll have to find out what kind of damage control is being done yourself.

Chapter 40 - Takedowns

Oh, and what a takedown...  I'd really hate to be in the position of this guy...  When a retired military officer comes out of retirement to see you, you know it isn't good!  And the intel that is being dug up, wow...  It's HUGE!

And with the Hero & his lovely (among those there to support them), being that they have pull within the military, still have to balance the work/life cycle delicately...  The tension & excitement grows, as to what will happen next.

The author's highlighted name at the top will bring you to his writing profile, and for those who want to read from the beginning, the title of the story will take you to chapter 1.  With more people stopping in to read, the better chance he gets of having publishers taking his story, once he's done, and actually printing it into a book.  With how he gives his time, also being a veteran, this would be a great way to be able to give back to him.

Father's Day Facts

In the USA, we take for granted that every year, we celebrate Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June.  Not every country does this.  Certain countries expect that every day, you honor your parents in some form or another, especially when you still live at home.  In Japan, they celebrate Girls' Day on 3/3, Boys' Day on 5/5 - though it's starting to shift to having 1 Children's Day per year.

Here are the countries, other than the United States, which celebrate Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June every year:  Argentina, France, Netherlands, Chile, Canada, United Kingdom, India, and Japan.  Other countries do celebrate but on different days.

It is interesting though, how different cultures celebrate.  Breakfasts and brunches are somewhat popular around the world.  Going fishing or on other outings that the dads enjoy are also popular.  One that is underrated yet great, especially for dads who have everything, is to donate to a good cause in his honor would also be something cool.

Speaking of giving to dads, an author friend is a giving dad.  While I don't know how he pulls it off on occasion, but, evidently, his military background helps him keep a good regimen going.  He gets to the Hospitality Center before 0600 all 4 days in the morning and helps set up for breakfast to feed the people who come in, make the coffee for everyone, and all of the things that need to get set up to run smoothly.  Once that is in place, it's taking in and organizing all of the various donations which include food from multiple sources, among other donations for clothing and more come in, on top of getting called to make more coffee, get supplies for the main meal into the kitchen, and everything else...  These people are lucky to have him there helping.  

Would you be a dear, and give this Navy dad of 3 grown daughters a read?  It would cool to be able to make Plans & Tours (Chapter 37) and treat our families, like in Soldwolf’s story, Meeting the Parents. Children can be handfuls. You either know how to handle 'em, or you don't, and they still crack me up to pieces. It's also interesting learning a little bit about Military etiquette. And, just like any place else, you have young ones who wander off, and adults who can't keep track of themselves, much less anyone else... Let's just hope the mischief is kept to a bare minimum!

4th of July is coming up in just a few weeks, where it’s like a Festival (Chapter 38) all by its self. Who doesn't love festivals? And a designated driver? But no, it isn't because of what you might think... It just would be nice once in a while. Of course, with every festive gathering, there are always gifts. Now I'll have to find what happened to MINE (you'll have to read the chapter to figure out what of mine I'm talking about) to show off & take pictures of... And it's so fun to introduce people to customs familiar to me but new to them, so I almost wish that I could be this type of gift bearer! The Lady is also Japanese, so I am relating with her as she gives her omiyage to people (okay, so I'm only half, and was a child in coming here, but...)

Just remember, every read he gets, gets him one step closer to being able to be found by publishers to turn this work in progress into a book. And what would YOU give to a Navy dad if you knew one, anyway? I don't know...

Interesting tidbits of Racine, WI

Most people know me as an advocate.  Even if you don't, it's probably one of the 1st things that come to mind, just because I don't ever seem to step out of that role, even during a regular dinner.  That is primary before even my interest in politics.  What people may or may not know, is that I love history just as well.  I love learning about it.

I came to Racine in 1977 as an 8-year-old from Tokyo.  I've always loved being near large bodies of water and learned that Captain Gilbert Knapp is the founder of "Port Gilbert" (where the mouth of the Root River meets Lake Michigan), and has an elementary school named after him, which is the 1st American school I attended.  Neat.  Captain G. Knapp first was a shipmate at the ripe young age of 14 and eventually served in the Civil War.  Here is a picture, potentially a part of his uniform that is displayed in the VFW.  Pretty neat, isn't it?

Captain Knapp did all sorts of neat things, like start a business, served in public office, but my favorite part is that he was a military guy.  Seriously, who doesn't love our brave men in uniform?  Just to let you know, the author and my friend Soldwolf has also served in the Navy for a LONG time, and please, do NOT call him Sir, because he works for a living!  If you wouldn't be so kind, though, please keep reading the chapters of his story, Meeting the Parents, which is a military Sci-Fi with an inter-species relationship along with the humor that goes with life in combat, cultural differences, and everything else that comes with life.  Links to previous chapters have been posted in previous blogs.  You can access them when you go to read the chapters since there is a list to the side you can click on to see where you're at and go from there.  Chapters are listed from newest to oldest, from what I can see, FYI.  The author is also a Racine citizen.

Chapter 9:  Later That Day 
Chapter 10:  Back Yard
Chapter 11:  Outdoor Dinner
Chapter 12:  Grandmother

Please support these stories here, with enough hits on each chapter and story, it's one step closer to being able to get published eventually, into an actual book.  In helping to do so, you're even helping this advocate possibly get a signed copy of the book, which would be so exciting!

Reading, writing & tutoring

I am a tutor for the Racine Literacy Council.  It's fun.  They're also having a new tutor training at the end of the month.  I like tutoring, not only because you get certain perks, like treats and events, but, it's personally rewarding.  It's really neat to see how the students progress, and adult students learning English or polishing up their reading and writing skills is a really neat process to watch.  Each year, a book is written, called Life Journey where the students submit their stories.  One of the tutors is a gardener and cook, and he brings in his goodies.  Many of the students bring in homemade food from the region they came from.  So many good things going on, from chili cookoff, tutor recognition, pot lucks, cookouts, etc. it helps bond the people who are there, and I am fortunate to be a part of this.

And, of course, speaking of reading, I'd like to plug the next 4 chapters of the story Meeting the Parents, written by my friend Soldwolf.  It's a military Sci-Fi with some endearing characters and intergalactic romance where the couple went through a ton of stuff to try to make it last.  I'm getting a connection with the main female character, who is strong and badass in her own right, but still very chick.
Chapter 5 - Big Sister Interrogation 3
Chapter 6 - Big Sister Aftermath
Chapter 7 - Morning Revelations
Chapter 8 - Morning Revelations 2

Happy reading, and any likes & comments are most welcome! Just remember, the more hits this story gets, the better chance there is to get published to a real book.  Thank you in advance!

I have a story about that!

Hello Blogspot bloggers!  It has been a while, and it's good to be back.  I have updates, more advocacy & a story to share.

Since blogging last in August, I'd had several interviews with a ton of interesting and great places, landed a great game, tried to help a couple of people out, kept my side gigs, and lost the game...  Other personal issues are happening, but, nothing I can't handle.  While I loved the paid gig I'd landed, and I really appreciated my time there, sometimes these things are meant to be temporary rather than permanent.  We'll leave it there.

In the interim, I was presented with two different people who needed some personal advocacy and needed a safe haven, so I'd taken them in, individually.  That didn't work so well, either, though it was a learning experience.  Neither of them really had it in mind to better their situations, and I found out that maybe I'm better at generally helping the masses than I thought, on a more basic level rather than the smaller groups I once used to thrive on.

So, it's back to the drawing board after I take care of some personal issues.  In the meantime, to keep active in the community, I still volunteer as an advocate for Sexual Assault Services, a tutor with the Racine Literacy Council, animal care at the Eco-Justice Center, and various duties including administrative work at the Hospitality Center.  I hope to be able to get into further details about each of these agencies in future blogs.  They're all great places for their own reasons.

Anyway, I remember when my son was preschool age...  his favorite thing to say, when he wasn't interested in the conversation, was "I have a story about that"! and the way he used to climb up on my lap and get really close was way too cute.  Sometimes I miss those days, but, today he is a 19-year-old college student at Gateway Technical College pursuing a Culinary Arts associates degree while working as a kitchen assistant at Sebastian's, and he makes me proud to be his mom.

Speaking of stories, though...  I have a few friends who are authors, musicians, artists, etc. and one author named Soldwolf is writing a story called Meeting the Parents, which is a Military Sci-Fi featuring an intergalactic love affair that starts with a series of events, leading to some steamy romance in quest of happiness and the humor that goes with it all...  As of right now, the story is still a work in progress (not quite finished yet), and with enough hits on his chapters, it has the chance to become published into a real book.  I'd like for that to happen, so, could you be as kind as to read, like, even comment, and support the writing?  Here are the 1st 4 chapters:
Chapter 1 - Meeting the Parents
Chapter 2 - The Morning Edition
Chapter 3 - Big Sister Interrogation
Chapter 4 - Big Sister Interrogation 2