Vol. 16, Issue 203
“Dedicated to Excellence”
August 2017
Helen Michiko Singh— She passed away in the early morning hours of August 18 2017 due to complications from pneumonia. She is predeceased by her Mother, Jean Tomiko Uyede, her father, Henry Ichiro Uyede, and her spouse, Ramdath Ramlogan Singh. She leaves a son, Daniel Singh (his wife Wilma), and a daughter, Michiko Singh and grandson, Liam. She is survived by her sister, Joan Hendriks, her brother, Tak Uyede and her sister, Kiyoko Akeroyd, her devoted sister and primary caregiver for the last fourteen years.
Helen (Michiko) Singh Oct 2, 1939 — Aug 18, 2017
A child of the Japanese Canadian interment, she rose to become a respected teacher, musician, caring mother, a Boy Scout leader (She was the first female Scout leader in Canada) and community leader.
2 photos by Karel Ley
A caregiver for fourteen years Kiyoko
Celebrated of Life of Helen Michiko Singh Sept. 2, 2017 at Trout Lake CC
Vol. 16, Issue 203
August 2017
ON STAGE...
Singing or playing an instrument is easy, fun and stress-free in the welcoming environment of one’s home, around a campfire with friends or under the summer sun. But, playing on stage in front of a sea of unknown is different and requires specific preparation. When all eyes are on you, preparation and proper reaction is vital to a successful performance. Preparation— Before stepping on stage (singing or making a speech) preparation is key! The best way to succeed is knowing your set perfectly; practice makes perfect does it not? You’ll need to work hard in order to avoid any hiccups. Whether, you are a solo act or in a group, repeating your set beforehand is prime important. It is equally important that your practice sessions be productive. If you are in a group, it’s necessary to prepare a set list ahead of time, define how and when the group will advance, and rehearse the song that will require more efforts to master. Each participant needs to prepare individually in order to arrive If possible, try recording yourself during your practice sessions. It’s a good exercise and a great way to train your ear and identify possible areas of improvement. Finally, don’t hesitate to make notes in your structure. If you are in a group, the rhythm section can play the role of conduct or and a small sign or nod. D-day has arrived and you’re about to step on stage… your knees are trembling you’re sweating and your stomach is in knots … your performance anxiety has gotten the best of you.
First off, do not add extra stress, performance anxiety is perfectly normal! Even the biggest artists like Adele and Luciano Pavarotti battle with preperformance anxiety! The good news is that there are lots of simple exercises to overcome it when your time to shine arrives. Let yourself go and relax as much as possible, focusing on the following exercises: Deep breaths (breathe in deeply and exhale fully). Taking a power nap is another beneficial way to curtail the stress but be careful to not make it more than 20 minutes so as to not be groggy when you take the stage! If you are in a group, try a group massage taking turns making sure that others are calm and composed. If you are solo, bring a tennis ball with you and place it under your foot and roll it around. It is an easy, quick and effective massage. Humor is also a great way to eliminate stress and create a serene ambiance. Live performance — The pre-performance stress is over, you’re on stage, and everything is going well untila small glitch happens that ruins the mood: technical problems, wrong notes, an unruly crowd. Don’t let it get to you! Remind yourself that the majority of the issues perceived by musicians as disastrous actually go unnoticed. So, when these glitches arrive, do not stop playing! Keep going as if nothing’s happened, stay concentrated and inspired and continue to give the best of yourself! With all these tips, it will be easier to hop on stage and ignite the crowd for the performance of your life!
STROKE RECOVERER’s Review Mailing Address: #105 - 1717 Adanac Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 4Y9 Canada Published every month, if possible. Contributions are always welcome. The articles should be in, not later than day 25th day of every month. Disclaimer: The views expressed in Stroke Recoverer’s Review newsletter: articles, submissions and spotlights are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of this newsletter or the editor of Stroke Recoverer’s Review. Editor reserves the right at any time to make changes as it deems necessary. It is the purpose of this periodical to share a variety of viewpoints mostly from stroke survivors August 2017 Karel Ley Deb Chow Jose Suganob
Production of SRR Jose Suganob
Inside this issue:
On Stage...
2
Happenings Around Us...
3
BLAST Early Bird
4
Jokes Honklers & Cacklers
5
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Vol. 16, Issue 203
August 2017
Happenings Around Us…
Near Brittania Community Center Al Mattison Lounge (AML) is open Mondays to Sundays. Drop-in for 55+ Center for Older Adults can vary due to special events or programs. Internet Lab Hours:
Monday: 12:00 am—5:00 pm Wednesday: 12:15 pm to 5:00 pm (except on 3rd Wednesday of the month) Thursday: 10:00 am —5:00 pm Friday: 10:00 am —5:00 pm Saturday: 12:30 —3:00 pm Sunday: 12:30 —3:00 pm Lunches
Drop-in lunch in the +55 AM Lounge $5 Monday and Friday at 12:00 noon *Pot luck lunches on the last Thursday of every month. 55* Center Programmer: Anne Cowan 604-718-5837 Britannia CC +55 Walking Club
Best Foot Forward—This program for those aged 55+ and up. It is for recreational, educational, and social. Run by it’s participants, with volunteers leaders for each walk. These volunteers have dedicated numerous hours not only in leading the walks, but in researching & preparing each trip. Leaders document each trip on the +55 blog, writing about the group’s weekly adventures. http://britsenior55plus.blogspot.com
THE EDGE of the SEA... DID YOU KNOW?
The coffee filter was invented in 1908 by a housewife from Dresden, Germany. Melitta Bentz was looking for a way to brew a perfect cup of coffee without the bitterness often caused by over brewing. She decided to try making a filtered coffee, pouring boiling water over ground coffee, and filtering out the grind. Melitta experimented with different materials, until she found that the blotter paper that her son used for school worked best. She cut a round piece of blotting paper put it in a metal cup, and the first Melitta coffee filter was born. Shortly thereafter, Melitta and her husband, Hugo, launched the company that still bears her name. Other uses of Coffee filters … Cover food in the microwave…Coffee filters are microwave-safe. Use them to cover bowls or dishes to prevent splatter when cooking or baking in your microwave oven. Filter cork crumbs from wine… Don’t let cork dropping ruin your enjoyment of a good glass of wine. If your attempt at opening the bottle results in floating cork crumbs, just decant the wine through a coffee filter. THE KING OF CORN…
Remember Guy Lombardo (19021977) and the Royal Canadians? Millions of Canadians wouldn’t have dreamed of New Year’s Eve without them & their bouncy singalong version of ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ Over Lombardo’s long career, the London, ON native sold more than 300 million recording.
If the jagged coastline of British Columbia, including islands, could be straightened out, it would stretch over 256,000 kilometers — five times the width of Canada. This narrow strip of land is ever affected by the Pacific Ocean, which relentlessly pounds on some shores, gently bathes others, and creates a mild, moist climate unparalleled in Canada. The vast maze of fjords, deep channels, tide-swept rocks, mudflats, estuaries and beaches supports an amazing abundance and diversity of organisms. The rich life spectrum begins with the action of offshore winds, waves, and currents, which result in the deep upwelling of nutrients into the sunlit zone of the coastal ocean, Blooms of phytoplankton ——-—– especially in summer — form the basis of the marine food web that supports creatures from microscopic, shrimp-like copepods to blue whales. AMUSING MUSES...
Emily Carr(1871—1945) British Columbia artist famous for her impressions in oil of West Coast Native totem poles, had a quirky side. While running a boarding house in Victoria to support her art, she surrounded herself with animals. Among the pets of her acquaintance were a cockatoo, a parrot, various dogs, a white rat and a monkey named Woo that often wheeled about town in a baby carriage. Page 3
Vol. 16, Issue 203
August 2017
BLAST 2018 Early bird—Deb Chow, BLAST
Wow! Can’t believe it’s the end of August. Over four months since we’ve been out of Templeton. I wish, I had good news to tell everyone. Unfortunately, I have nothing to say about the home front. Only sad news of Helen’s passing. Key, being caregiver, for first, her Mom and then Helen is synonymous with old Templeton Stroke Recovery. The Akeroyd’s and Uyede’s have played such a major role with all our events as well as jumping in whenever personal crisis with our members arose. I can’t imagine what life will be like for Key to think only of herself. For over thirty years, she has always put someone else first and now her boys D’you Know JUNO?
The name of Canada’s answer to the Grammys has two namesakes— Pierre Juneau, first chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, & Juno, chief goddess of the Roman pantheon. The molten glass and silver-plated aluminum statuettes are awarded annually to deserving Canadian musicians. The award, first presented in 1970, was originally made of walnut and called the Gold Leaf Award. The following year, it was renamed to honour Juneau, who enacted the Canadian Content rules, which stipulate the percentage of Canadian content (currently 35 percent) that Canadian radio stations are to air.
will be looking after her. I hope, she continues with our new group. Actually, Key is stroke recovery BC. Heart felt condolences to all. I am happy to announce; our BLAST Early bird fee is...ta da te da, drum roll…$200! whoo-hoo!
However, the regular price will be raised to $250. It would be nice to consider creating your own sliding scale by means of donation. We are stroke survivors creating BLISS ( Better Life In Stroke Survival) We are not attached to any organization and thrive on the generosity of individuals who donate time, money, materials, and expertise. Speaking to that, I have great news for BLAST. I finally got to meet Tillie, Rick Gill’s wife. She will be looking after our BLAST DINNER
Stroke Survivors, Caregivers, and Friends! Come, join us for dinner! September 15th, 2017 (Friday) Dinner starts at 5:30 pm Trocadero’s 2411 Nanaimo St, Vancouver, BC (North of Broadway)
finances. The new address for BLAST is #209—4689 52A St., Delta, BC V4K 2Y7 Mark your calendar… We will open the registration for BLAST 2018 on September 15th, 2017 to the Early bird. Deadline for the Early bird will be November 30th, 2017. Easter long-weekend (next year 2018) will be Good Friday, March 30th to Easter Monday 2nd, 2018. Coming up is our September 15th dinner on Friday this month at Trocadero’s. Hope to see you there…. —Deb Chow, BLAST deb@turtletalk.ca 604-253-8665 after 11 am
THE CANADIAN-OLD DUTCH CONNECTION
Maude E. Sutherland, young daughter of a Pictou, NS doctor, is credited with designing the famous logo of a little white-bonneted girl on the Old Dutch Cleanser cans. Around 1907, the American-based Old Dutch company ran a logo contest, open to residents of Canada and the United States. Maude’s submission won. The is an unsubstantiated rumour the American Georgia O’Keeffe was one of the professional artists hired to depict the short-listed entries for presentation to thte panel of judges. It is believed that some of thte artists’ proof are still in circulation.
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Vol. 16, Issue 203
August 2017
JOKES
HONKERS & CACKLERS...
WHEN I DIE... jokeonli
THE CHILD... jokeonli
A man and woman were married for many years. Whenever there was a confrontation, yelling could be heard deep into the night, “ When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!”
The child was a typical four-year-old girl — cute, inquisitive, bright as a new penny. When she expressed difficulty in grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to pull out his wedding photo album, thinking visual images would help.
Neighbors feared him. The old man liked the fact that he was feared. Then, one evening, he died when he was 98. After the burial, her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, “Aren’t you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way out of the grave and haunt you for the rest of your life?”
The wife said, “Let him dig. I had him buried upside down… and I know he won’t ask for directions.” TOO HOT ...TOO COLD... Jokeonli
Too hot…blanket off Too cold...Put blanket on Too hot again...Stick one foot out ...Perfect Hears creepy noise… Sticks foot back in
Sex with a 55 year old woman, is much like with a 20 year old except, it’s less likely to turn into child support payments. SHE’S DRUNK... Jokeonli
I stumbled into bed last night. He says: “You’re Drunk!”
I asked him how he knew… He said: “You live next door!”
HONKERS and CACKLERS...
While easily recognized by its colouring the Canada Goose ranges in size and sound from the deep voiced ‘giant’ honkers of the southerly regions, to the small, Mallard-sized One page after another, he pointed out ‘cacklers’ of the Arctic. There are 12 the bride arriving at the church, the recognized sub-species of Canada entrance, the wedding ceremony, the geese. Their distribution, size, and liferecessional, etc. cycles vary according to location of “Now, do you understand?” he asked. their breeding grounds. “I think so,” she said, “is that when Small northern birds breed, raise their young, moult, and regrow their flight mommy came to work for us?” feathers in the shortest period of time due to the extremely short summer If your eyes hurt season They also migrate the furthest after you drink coffee, south. Large southern geese take longer you have to take the spoon to breed and moult, and may not migrate out of cup, first… at all. Habitual in behavior, family units remain together through the winter, AN OLD LADY... Jokeonli returning to the same breeding grounds An old lady offers the bus driver some each spring. Adult birds may still breed peanuts...so, the driver happily munches at age 40. them. In the north, the Canada Goose nests on Every 5 minutes, she gives him a hand- islands or islets, often close to woody ful more peanuts. vegetation, or on waterlogged sedge Driver: Why don’t you eat them your- grass. The ‘great muskeg’ of northern Ontario and Hudson Bay—an area covering Old lady: I can’t chew. Look, I have no 325,000 km2 — is one of the largest teeth. breeding areas. Driver: Then, why do you buy them? ONLY ONE MATCH STICK.... self?
Old lady: Oh, I just love the chocolates When a bird s alive, it eats ants. When a bird is dead, ants eat the bird. around them... So, time can turn at any time, don’t deBe decisive. value anyone in life. You may be powerRight or wrong, make a decision. The road of life is ful but time is more powerful than you. paved with flat squirrels One tree makes one thousands of match who couldn’t make a sticks, but one match stick can burn one decision — unknown thousand trees. Page 5