Vol. 10 , No.2 April 2000
Club News
Annual Nippon Club Picnic
The date for the 10th annual Nippon Club Picnic is finalized. We anticipate a large crowd again this year so once again the picnic will be held at the spacious Morrisville Community Park. We will have pig picking, hot dogs, yakisoba, BBQ corn on the cob, cotton candy, and other foods. The events will include a silent auction, door prizes, and party clowns. Please note that the possession, use or display of alcoholic beverages is prohibited by park rules. Come and join us for a fun-filled day outdoors.
When: Saturday, May 20, 2000 1:00
p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Registration starts at 12:00 noon
Where: Morrisville Community Park (see map above)
Admission: $6.00 per adult ($5.00 advance ticket)
Children 12 years and under free
For further information and tickets, please call Mr. Francis A.
Moyer at the NC Japan Center. Tel.: (919) 515-3450
Adopt-A-Highway
The Nippon Club had its first Adopt-A-Highway
clean-up day for 2000 on Saturday, February 26. We cleaned our
assigned section of US Highway 70. There were 17 participants.
Thank you for your participation. It was scheduled 30 minutes
later than usual in anticipation of cold weather; however, it
turned out to be a very fine day and was in fact rather hot for
February. Due to a long interval since the last Adopt-A-Highway
action it was one of the more difficult efforts and took longer
than the usual two hours. We collected 64 bags of trash along our
portion of Highway 70, making at least that part of North
Carolina a lot cleaner and prettier. We found some unusual items
this time: a door, a bed frame, and a mattress!
The next Adopt-A-Highway operation will be in June. The detailed
information will follow. We hope a lot of people will participate.
Nippon Club Web Site
The Nippon Club opened its web site on a trial basis. The officers are examining the future direction for the web site with the aim of enriching your life here in North Carolina. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
http://homepages.go.com/~nippon_club/
Your E-mail Address
As we announced in the previous newsletter, we are currently collecting Nippon Club members' e-mail addresses so that we can inform you occasionally about timely matters that affect Club members. Please send your e-mail message to Nippon Club Membership Director, Yukihiko Yamaguchi, at nippon_club@geocities.co.jp at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your cooperation. We respect your privacy, and will not be using your information for any purpose other than these occasional announcements.
New Board Member and Change of Officers
The Nippon Club welcomes its
newest Board Member, Mrs. Setsuko Hoffman. Mrs. Hoffman moved
from California to the Triangle area in June 1999, and has a
strong desire to serve in Nippon Club activities. In addition,
the Membership Officer has changed from Mr. Yasunori Tonooka to
Mr. Yukihiko Yamaguchi. Your continued support for the Board of
Directors of the Club is appreciated.
We are continuously recruiting Board Members and Officers for
improved activities and contribution to the community. If you are
interested in serving the Club, please let us know.
Community News
Guide to Summer Performances Available
The North Carolina Arts Council has published a free guidebook listing information about summer music and theatrical performances in our state.The programs include The American Dance Festival in Durham, the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival in High Point, East Carolina Summer Theatre in Greenville, and much more.It also includes the state’s historical dramas such as “The Lost Colony” in Manteo, about the mysterious disappearance of the first English settlement in North Carolina, and “Unto These Hills” in Cherokee, a dramatic account of the experiences of North Carolina’s Cherokee Indians.The booklet includes a map, information about schedules, programs, fees, and advice on local restaurants and hotels.For a free copy of “Dance, Theatre, Music: North Carolina Guide to Summer Performances 2000”, call 1-888-454-1213.
Or visit the web site at http://www.ncarts.org
Strawberry Season
One of the great springtime events in North Carolina is strawberry picking. The berries usually are ready for picking in mid-May to early June, and there are several pick-your-own strawberry farms in the area between Research Triangle Park and Cary. The farmer will have a parking area, and a booth set up at the edge of the field where you can get a basket to put the berries in. He will direct you to an area of the field, or a particular row, which has not yet been picked. The berries are grown on raised beds, so the only “rule” is not to step on the plants and to pick only the ripe berries along your part of the row before moving on. The farmers don’t mind if you eat a few berries along the way! When you are finished picking, bring the basket back to the booth, and the farmer will weigh the berries, and transfer them to a cardboard tray which you can take home. Often they will also have free recipe cards which you can take home, with recipes for strawberry jam, “smoothies”, and other strawberry treats.
To find the farms, drive along Hwy 55 or Hwy 751, between I-40 and Hwy 64. Follow the “Strawberries” signs! One of the largest farms in the area is Jean’s Berry Patch (Tel.: (919) 362-5800), which is located at 3003 Hwy 751, across from Apex Nursery, near where Hwy 751 crosses Hwy 64.Other farms are located on small country roads off the main highways, near the communities of Carpenter and Green Level - just follow the signs!
Easy Strawberry Shortcake
Set aside some of the prettiest strawberries
for decorating the top of the cake. Slice the rest of the
strawberries, and add a little sugar. Slice the cake horizontally,
and put a layer of Cool-Whip (thawed) and strawberries in between
the layers. Top with more Cool-Whip and decorate with the whole
berries. Easy and elegant!
Day Trips and Weekend Trips
Relaxed Vacation - Lake Lure
Japanese people often think Americans are good
at enjoying life. My husband’s parents are typical Americans in that
sense.They take vacations to Hawaii and the Caribbean Islands a
few times a year. My husband and I joined them on one of their
tropical vacations, where they rented a house and enjoyed a
relaxed time. We went swimming and sun bathed at the nearby beach,
enjoyed leisurely strolls, and took naps as we pleased.
My parents-in-law, however, always go to Lake Lure in North
Carolina for their anniversary. This quiet town, located near
Asheville, has a lake by the same name surrounded by beautiful
trees and fresh air. They always stay at The Lodge on Lake Lure,
a bed-and-breakfast inn at the lakeside. The Lodge has a spacious
living room and adjoining dinning room. The dining room gives you
a commanding view of the lake. Breakfast is prepared and served
by the couple who owns the inn. The food I ate there was so
delicious, especially the breakfast ? my favorite was eggs
benedict ? which is one of the specialties of this inn.
Lake Lure has a street filled with pretty antique shops. Other
attractions in the area include nearby Chimney Rock, where parts
of “The Last of the Mohicans” were
filmed, and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, America’s
largest home, a 40-minute drive away.
The Lodge provides free boat rides around the lake in the evening.
After the boat ride, the Lodge owners serve complementary wine on
the patio. It is very romantic to enjoy wine with the background
of a beautiful sunset on the lake. My mother-in-law asked me,
"Do you think your mother will like this place?" My
mother is a traditional Japanese housewife who cooks, cleans and
washes clothes everyday. Japanese people, it seems to me, tend to
enjoy vacations by spending their time sight seeing. The first
thought that came across my mind was: would my mother like this
place where there are no big attractions? I replied, "if my
Mom did like this place, it would be because she wouldn't have to
do anything. She wouldn't have to think about what to cook for
dinner, and she could just relax and enjoy herself." A
middle-aged American woman sitting next to us said to me, "that's
why I come here. I don't need to do anything here." Hearing
her say that made it clear to me that my mother would also like
it for the exact same reason.
My idea of vacation has changed through my parents-in-law. Why
not leave your home for a while and enjoy a leisurely vacation,
too?
Lake Lure: http://www.lakelure.com , http://www.lake-lure.com
The Lodge on Lake Lure: (800) 733-2785, http://www.lodgeonlakelure.com
The Japan Club welcomes the new newsletter contributing editors! On March 25 (Sat.), the new volunteers participated in their first meeting which was held at Foster's Market in Chapel Hill. Topics of discussion included a new series, and the Club's web site. If you would like to join us, please contact the Editor-in-chief.
Editors:
Tomohiro Fujiyama, Hidenori Moriyama
Carol Parker, Margie Reinitz
Kayo Teramoto
Eriko Baxter (Editor-in-chief)
Translator:
Junko Gilbert
nippon_club@geocities.co.jp
April/16/2000 Copyright (C) Nippon club of the Triangle All Right Reserved.