WE TALK ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN ISSUES, WATCH LINE DANCING AND EAT JAPANESE TREATS!

      What are we up to? Not much!

     Today!

     Last week was full of activity, though. 

     A friend (MaMa Asale Kimaada) invited us to come to an exhibit of "the African  

American History - From Antiquity To Present Time" It was held in the Church of the Living God in Oakland. I and Roberta picked up Evelyn - one other acquaintance - and we went there. It turned out, the full purpose for the meeting was to talk about the stigmas, suffered by the African American community. A founder of the Tarah Foundation spoke. She is a grandmother, whose granddaughter was born with positive HIV status, having contracted the disease from her mother. The grandmother spoke about the sickness and how it affects people, not only in a physical sense, but also from the attitude others have

toward it. The girl, her granddaughter, told poetry and danced with a friend. She looked fine, but that is the result of being properly medicated.

     It broke my heart to look at the child and think of countless others, suffering because of their or their parents' or partners' negligence. HIV is spread through  dirty needles and sexual contact, or through the infected body fluids. 

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, PLEASE, IF NOT FOR YOUR OWN                            LIFE, THEN FOR THE SAKE                                                             OF YOUR LOVED ONES!

That's how its suppose to look

     On Monday, a Japanese lady invited us to watch her at a Senior Center in Hayward, line dancing! Did you ever see line dancing?

That's more how it looked
at the Senior Center

     Roberta and I went to a Senior Center in Hayward. We pulled up chairs and for the next hour watched a large room-full of people doing their best to follow the instructor and do the right steps in the right order. It was fun. My acquaintance, Emi-san is Japanese, and upon completion of the lesson she introduced us to her friend, Shizuka-san, also from Japan. They then took us for a picnic to the Japanese Garden, located next to the Center. 

     It was not easy for Roberta to walk short distance to a gazebo, standing, raised, by a tiny lake, but it was worth it! At this time of the year, the garden is not at it's best: there are no roses or other flowers yet. I found the garden a little too manicured for my taste, but the air was fresh and delicate plum and almond blossoms begin to appear on the branches all over the green       tangle near the gazebo. Emi-san pulled out the treats:     - homemade spam musubi                                                                                   

                                                       and mochi.                                    I didn't expect to have a lunch as yet (Roberta and I just ate our breakfast before going to the Senior Center). We enjoyed it very much, nevertheless! Emi-san, who sells Mary Kay cosmetics, gave me a small lipstick case and wouldn't take any money for it. 

     We had a marvelous time! Next Monday, we'll do it again, and Mary also wants to come, although, then we'll have to ourselves make some treats for an extra person. Thank you, Emi-san!