Aikido, Aikido, Spiritual

Winter Retreat 2016 – Aikido Center of Mountain View

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Winter Retreat

February 12, 2016

Aikido Group Photo

Group Photo

Arrived at CYO, Occidental.

Welcome to the Winter Retreat
Welcome to the Winter Retreat

B: “Nice… how’s your ankle?  How are you liking it so far?”

A: “Ankle is doing okay.  Having allergic reaction to pollen.  6:30 am aikido is my next class”

February 13, 2016

B: “How’s that working out – being the only teen?  How’s the food?”

A: “food is great.  i have to eat a lot more since i’m doing 4 hours of aikido.  kinda tweaked my sprained ankle today in the last class; sitting out of afternoon zazen.  it’s alright, nobody is super talkative and we all just sort of sit and chill on our own, so there isn’t  a lot of pressure on me.”

B: “Glad the food is good.  So you’re not sitting zazen?  Other women besides Emily?  The retreat is for reflection and camaraderie. ”

A: “I’m gonna sit zazen in the morning.  I didn’t this afternoon bcuz of ankle and cough.  there are 3 other women besides me n emily”

February 14, 2016

Chris Sensei & AMS
Chris Sensei & Amelia

February 15, 2016

 

Dance, Dance Performance

Sankai Juko UMUSUNA – Memories Before History

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October 11, 2015

We saw Sankai Juko once again at the Yerba Buena Center for Performing Arts.  The last time they were in the area was 5 years ago and we saw them then as part of Amelia’s birthday celebrations.  This time it’s to celebrate Dad’s birthday.

Ushio Amagatsu
Ushio Amagatsu

Once again we were treated to a profound incomprehensible mystery of the universe through the dance and movement of Sankai Juko.

Program Notes:

“UMUSUNA is a very old word originating from ancient Japan that has the same root as ubusuna (one’s place of birth).  Ubusu means birth, the beginning of  life, or entering the world.  The word umusu also embodies the concepts of everything and nothing, existence and nothingness.  Na evokes the land, the ground/soil and one’s native place.”

  1. Atokata: Imprints
  2. All that is born
  3. Memories from water
  4. In winds blown to the far distance
  5. Mirror of forests
  6. Sedimentation and erosion, ad infinitum
  7. Ubusu

Dancers: Ushio Amagatsu, Seminaru, Sho Takeuchi, Akihito Ichihara, Ichihiro Hasegawa, Dai Matsuka

We went with long-time friends Terry Ku and Dennis Cheng.  Dinner at Buca de Beppo as usual.

10th Grade, Activism, School

Sources of Strength

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Sources of Strength

AMS has been nominated by her teacher to participate in this new program at Paly.  See the excerpt of the email sent out to her parent.

“Dear Paly parent,

Congratulations! Your child has been nominated by the school’s teachers and administrators because theyve been identified as a leader on campus and someone whose voice is heard by other students. They will be receiving an invitation letter this week (SEE ATTACHED) to participate in a new school-wide program at Paly called Sources of Strength.

What is Sources of Strength?

Sources of Strength ( sourcesofstrength.org) is a training program that brings peer leaders together in partnership with caring adults. Sources is a widely used national best practice program. More than 10,000 youth leaders have participated from across the U.S. and Canada. The program uses a fun-filled style of active learning to encourage open discussion about the very real problems that youth face and the sources of strength that help in navigating those problems. It trains peer leaders on how to connect their friends – and themselves – to the help and support they need when they’re struggling, aiming in particular to significantly reduce those in severe distress who may consider ending their lives by suicide. The program will be led by a certified trainer and adult leaders from Paly. Ultimately, Sources is an “upstream” wellness program designed to leverage student voice to help change the culture of our school for the better – one that helps youth identify, discuss openly, and strengthen protective factors in their lives.”

10th Grade, Famous People, Stories

Celebrating the Birth Centennial of NVM Gonzalez

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September 11, 2015

Joining friends and family to celebrate NVM Gonzalez’ Birth Centennial at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.  A postage stamp will be issued by the Philippine Government in early 2016 to commemorate NVM.

NVM Gonzales Birth Centennial
NVM Gonzales Birth Centennial

 

“The Bread of Salt”: http://nvmgonzalez.org/works/pandesal.pdf

We also got on the official Department of Foreign Affairs web site for this celebration.

10th Grade, Aikido, School, Spiritual

Aikido

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August 20, 2015

AMS started training in Aikido by joining the Saturday Teen Class at the Aikido Center.  After about a month she was invited to start attending the Beginning/Basic Aikido class on MWF.  So she’s going to Aikido 4 times a week.  Her progress has been meteoric due to the amount of time she’s spending on the mat and her 10 years of ballet training.

The Way of Harmonious Spirit
The Way of Harmonious Spirit

September 19, 2015

AMS is now attending the Adult program on Saturday.  Soon she will join the other adult classes on Tuesday/Thursday.  We’re still trying to balance her schedule between school work load and Aikido.  She is also a founding member of the Paly Aikido Team.  Her teacher for that is also a black belt at the Aikido Center.  He has suggested she’s ready to test and because she’s training with the adults she will be able to skip two belts and go straight to BLUE.

November 21, 2015

Amelia has been accepted by the circle of black belts practitioners.  Although she has enough practice time to rank, she will wait to test for 5th kyu in March 2016.

The Warrior Novitiate
The Warrior Novitiate

 

Adventure, Japan Travel, Philippines Travel, Summer, Summer 2015, Travel

Philippines 2015

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June 5-6, 2015

San Francisco to Narita, Tokyo

Waiting for a Flight to Narita
Waiting for a Flight to Narita

Narita (Tokyo) to Manila

Arriving at NAIA
Arriving at NAIA

Manila Hotel

 

 

Intramuros and Fort Santiago

Culasi

10th Grade, Activism, School

Palo Alto High School – Social Justice Pathway

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AMS has been accepted into the Social Justice Pathway at Paly starting in 10th grade.

From the Social Justice Pathway Blog (http://palysocialjustice.blogspot.com/:

“The Social Justice Pathway is a three-year program featuring self-direction and project-based learning in an interdisciplinary model rooted in community action and collaboration. This program is for students interested in empowerment, conviction and the passion to build a better world. It’s an opportunity for authentic education and experiential learning beyond the high school walls.”

Mission Statement:

The Social Justice Pathway is a three-year program featuring self-direction and project-based learning in an interdisciplinary model rooted in community action and collaboration.  This program is for students interested in empowerment, conviction and the passion to build a better world.  It’s an opportunity for authentic education and experiential learning beyond the high school walls.

While our vision gives us a “North Star” and provides direction, our mission statement simply defines our purpose and it is a biggie: build a better world. It helps us to answer three questions about why Paly Social Justice Pathway exists:

WHAT—a three-year high school program that blends subject curriculum with community action to empower students to make positive change to “their world”

WHO—students and teachers who want more control over and value from their education

HOW—give students and teachers to the responsibility and opportunity to connect individual convictions to real world change. To, Access, Adapt, and Act to make our community and world a better place

–Eric Bloom