2016 summer

Accent S ummer 2016

ENJOY

SUMMER HOLIDAY

JUNE

J U LY

AU GUST

Tue

July 5/ 12/ 19/ 26

Tue

June 7/ 14/ 21/ 28

August 8-12/22-26 2016 ACC Mini Summer Camp

August 1/ 8/ 15/ 22/29 August 2/ 9/ 16/ 23/ 30 PizzaBuy One Get One Free

Mon

July 25-29 2016 ACC Mini Summer Camp

July 4/ 11/ 18/ 25 PizzaBuy One Get One Free

Mon

June 13-17 June 27-July1 2016 ACC Mini Summer Camp

June 6/ 13/ 20/ 27 PizzaBuy One Get One Free

Thu

July 7/ 14/ 21/ 28

Thu

ACC

June 9 Dragon Boat Festival

June 2/ 16/ 23/ 30

Thu

August 3/ 10/ 17/ 24/ 31 August 4/ 11/ 18/ 25

Wed

July 6/ 13/ 20/ 27/ 29

Wed

June 1/ 8/ 15/ 22/29

ACC Calendar-Summer Mon Tue Wed

August 19 RDV - Music Night

August 12/ 26

RDV - Music Night

August 5

Fri

July 22 RDV - Music Night The Flat Fives

RDV - Music Night The Soul Pack

July 8

July 1/ 15/ 29

Fri

June 17 RDV - Music Night M.J. QUARTET

June 10/ 24

June 3 RDV - Music Night Ray Anthony

Fri

August 20/ 27

August 13 ACC Team Play Day

August 6 88 Father's Day Event Air Rocket

Sat

July 2/ 19/ 16/ 23/ 30

Sat

June 18/ 25

June 11 Father's Day CraftClay Piggy Banks

June 4 2016 ACC Water Party

Sat

RDV=Rendezvous

August 7/ 14/ 21 28

Sun

July 3 American Independence Day Poolside BBQ July 10/ 17/ 24/ 31

Sun

June 5/ 12/ 19/ 26

Sun

For latest informotion please visit our online calendar at: www.americanclub.org.tw/events/

Accent

OUR MISSION The American Club in China is a non-profit organization established for the sole purpose of serving the American and International communities in a family atmosphere, providing the highest quality food, recreational and social activities. The club will endeavor to enhance a cultural exchange with the R.O.C., effectively utilizing all available resources and assuring proper responses to Members needs.

Contents | Summer 2016 President's Message

2

General Manager's Message

3

Do You Know

4

Food & Beverage News

8

Douglas Pierce

Hair & Spa

13

William Hsu Jr.

Sports News

14

Nutrition Column

21

Cover Story - Cool Dads in the Club, Happy Father's Day

22

Photo Gallery

28

ACC Classic Recipe

34

BOARD OF GOVERNORS Ellen Yin President

Godwin Chang

Vice President; House Committee Treasurer; Finance Committee Secretary; F&B Committee

Faye Angevine Rules Committee

Philip Chiang Sports Committee

Louis J Christen III Membership Committee

Jesse Chuang Social Committee

Giuseppe Izzo MIS Committee Stephen Tan HR Committee

Richard Yin

Security Ad Hoc Committee

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Jim Clark Sampson Mar Andrea Wu

DAILY OPERATION HOURS Cashier & Member Services

Daily

8:00 am

- 10:00 pm

Library

Daily

10:00 am

- 7:00 pm

Terrace Terrace Salad Bar

Tommy Chan

Rendezvous

Daily Lunch Daily Dinner Daily Daily Lunch Daily Dinner Daily Daily

Sabrina Chen

ACC Market Banquet Office Game Room TV Room

Daily Mon - Sat Daily Daily

Teen Room Nursery Fitness Center

Daily Daily Mon - Fri Sat & Sun & Holiday Daily Daily Mon - Fri Sat & Sun & Holiday

MANAGEMENT TEAM Todd Bretzlaff

Sigis Gyoson

General Manager

Sports & Recreation Director Marketing & Communications Manager

Gerry Gibb IT Director

Stella Hou

Financial Controller

Peter Hu

Purchasing Manager

Steven Hung

Human Resource Director

Chi-Wen Lin

Racquet Courts Outdoor Playground Pro Shop & Reservations

Engineering Director

Duxbury Low

Swimming Pool & Jacuzzi

Mon - Fri Sat & Sun & Holiday

Hair & Spa

Mon - Sat Sun & Holiday

F&B Director

Fanny Tung

Senior Membership Manager

Emily Wang

Hair & Spa Manager

7:00 am - 10:00 pm 11:00 am - 2:30 pm 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm 11:30 am - 10:00 pm 11:30 am - 2:30 pm 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm 11:30 am - 11:30 pm closed 10:00 pm Last Order for snack food 10:00 am - 9:00 pm 10:00 am - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 9:00 pm 9:00 am - 9:00 pm 11:00 am - 10:00 pm 9:00 am - 9:00 pm 6:00 am - 9:30 pm 7:00 am - 8:00 pm 6:00 am - 11:00 pm 7:00 am - 10:00 pm 7:30 am - 9:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 6:30 am 9:00 am

- 8:30 pm - 7:30 pm

10:00 am 10:00 am

- 7:00 pm - 5:00 pm

To advertise in ACCENT, please contact 02 2885-8260 ext 56 Sabrina Chen For membership information, please contact 02 2885-8260 ext 73 Fanny Tung Email ACC : member.services@americanclub.org.tw Website: www.americanclub.org.tw

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear ACC Members,

Ellen Yin

Summer is Here YEA! Walking by the pool on one breezy, sunny afternoon, two swimmers doing their laps, it was a beautiful scene. We have a beautiful club! I feel so blessed to be a member.

Kitchen Renovation Project Update We have the posters up in the lobby. Temporary menus are ready to serve members and we are excited that our kitchen is getting a long overdue facelift and heart transplant at the same time.

Food Cost CPI Our annual budget is prepared based on an annual inflation of 2%. However, as of April 2016, Food Inflation in Taiwan has hovered around 8% for 3 consecutive months whereas overall inflation dropped down to 1.8%.

It’s a concern. This large food inflation increase is partly due to severe weather conditions at the beginning of the year that destroyed much of the agricultural crops. Another increasing cost for food manufacturers is the effort to adapt to ever changing laws and regulations of repeated decisions made in haste by TFDA. Food inflation in Taiwan is expected to trend over 7% annually for the next 5 years.

There is no immediate plan to adjust prices at the outlets. Management and the Board have reached a consensus to wait until after the kitchen renovation then re-evaluate after taking into consideration of cost reduction impact from efficiency improvements before we visit price increases.

Security Update Our Security and MIS teams were hard at work. A feasibility study was conducted on access control for both the parking lot and main entrance, which was further narrowed down to 3 options. I should have asked for TWO pages for this month’s write-up to provide more details. We will have to wait till after the summer to resume on this subject.

Reciprocal Clubs We have hundreds of reciprocal clubs around the world, take advantage of them!! Some even offer hotel rooms if you are looking for accommodations. Please don’t hesitate to contact Membership Services to write you a letter of introduction in the city of your destination.

Have a great summer!

2

Ellen Yin President

GENERAL MANAGER'S MESSAGE

Dear Members,

Todd Bretzlaff

Around the time you receive the summer Accent Magazine, we will have commenced the Phase I construction on the main kitchens. In preparation for the construction and to allow the Club to still serve Members a limited menu in Terrace, Gyoson and Rendezvous during the construction; the Club has established temporary kitchen operations to still offer selected items. As such, the Club will still be able to provide a variety of sandwiches, salads, Indian and Asian dishes while also providing the full salad bar in the Terrace and Rendezvous. In Gyoson, we will be able to provide selected sushi and sashimi, yakitori, teppanyaki and a noodles station. Breakfast will be served from Sigis which will continue to offer the standard menus for lunch and dinner. For Members looking for hamburgers and french fries, they will need to go to either the Pool Bar or Sigis as neither Terrace and Gyoson will be able to provide any deep-fried or skillet fried items until after the completion of Phase I, scheduled for August 6.

In preparation for next year, the newly organized Security Committee has made significant headway towards a clear scope of works to establish controlled access into the Club. This standard measure as utilized in most Membership Based Clubs, is designed to ensure the safety and security of our Members while making ACC a true “haven of safe refuge” that will introduce a convenient but controlled process of validating Members in order to get into the Club. And although the ACC team strives to know all the Members, with over 4500 Members and dependents, it is a necessary measure to protect the integrity of ACC as a Private Club. The Committee has evaluated numerous options and mechanisms to facilitate this process but after considering the input of many experts within the field of security (some of who are Members), to ensure smooth logistics and keeping the cost reasonable, the system will likely involve a swipe system with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) type card at the Club’s entrance. We will keep you posted as the Committee finalizes the tender.

Another project for next year is the likely renovation of the Squash / Multi-purpose Building. As the building is now 22 years old and significantly more worn than the rest of the Club, the feedback from Members to bring this building back into an updated condition and to a standard consistent with the rest of the Club is significant.

Based on feedback and queries from many of you, we know that this work is long overdue and fortunately it is the final outstanding facility from the initiative started in 2007 to refurbish the Club to an improved standard.

As this project will impact the Club for 20 to 30 years, the House Committee has been looking at all possible options to expand and introduce popular amenities and usage of this space. The most frequent requests by Members are for the Club to offer a better option for basketball and a regulation size badminton court. Other requests include providing additional space for fitness and aerobics classes, gymnastics and even a climbing wall. Once we have a better idea of what is feasible or not, we will share the Board’s and House Committee’s recommendations.

As we enter our busy summer season, we need to request all Members to be sure to comply with all the Club Rules which are in place ensure an enjoyable environment for all. A few that we would like to mention include the expectation that parents ensure their children are well supervised and not permitted to run or be rambunctious inside the Club for obvious reasons. We have also received complaints of individuals changing babies’ diapers in the locker rooms and washrooms. Please be reminded that diaper changing should be done either in the family change room, the washroom in children’s nursery or the disabled washroom near the lobby. It is also important that all Members do not talk on mobile phones within the Club premises (with the exception of designated areas) and that Members must use headphones when listening to any audio devices. If an individual receives a phone call, they can accept the call but are expected to proceed to a designated area expeditiously. And with the increased load on parking, it becomes necessary that chauffeur driven vehicles are not permitted to park in the Club carpark during lunch from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

We thank all of you for your support and assistance to ensure a pleasant Club environment as we provide you with the genuine care and comfort which would be expected from your “home away from home”.

We can’t wait to see you this summer!!!!

Sincerely,

Todd Bretzlaff General Manager

3

DO YOU KNOW

A Warm Welcome to New Members Sonam Bhutia & Summer Wu / Benjamin & Nadine Cerletti / Jessica Chang & Howard Du Kevin & Linda Chen / Jessie Hsu & Wennie Chu / Jessica Kao & Kai Mao Hsiao Ian Ko & Kelly Chen / Sieyes Shaw & Linda Yang / Raghavendra & Shoba Shenoy Chia-Wen & Lily Yeh / Erick Yin & Grace Teng

Bon Voyage to Resigned Members

Alice Chen / Jeffrey Juan / Kenneth & Ming-Sha Lee / Per Ove Lilljequist & Charlotta Bengtsdotter Hong Long Ma / Jennifer & Aaron Marshall / Joseph Martin & Shu Chin Hung Wayne & Karen Nankil / Scott & Siobhon Pollock / Kai Speth & Kate Chung / Ing-Wen Tsai

New Chairs in Sigis Did you notice Sigis looking fresh and chic lately? The club merely reupholstered the chairs! The new fabric was chosen for its style and performance. The pattern is architectural, geometric and wonderfully scaled. The coloration of orange , gray and beige is modern which compliment the existing decor and color scheme of the restaurant.

Guest Visiting Policy and Guest Fees Summer will coming and many of our Members will be inviting friends to the Club to relax and enjoy the activities and facilities. Therefore it’s appropriate to remind our Members of ACC’s House Rule #4 regarding accompanying guests.

A Member hosting a guest must register their name, Club Membership Number, entry date and their guest(s) name(s) in the official guest book located at ACC’s front desk.

Members hosting guests must be present on Club premises throughout the stay of their guests.

Please be reminded that only direct children of ACC Members who are under 28 years of age are Members.

For those ACC Members' children who are 28 years and over, including all other Members' relatives are Guests.

All applicable guest fees must be promptly "signed for" by the ACC “Host Member" when registering for any of the sports facilities or the children's nursery, when such facilities are being used by their guest(s).

Members are required to retain their signed ACC receipt (yellow copy) which must be shown by the Member as a pass to allow their guest(s) to access and use the sports facilities.

The fee per guest per daily visit for use of ACC ‘s Sports Facilities (Swimming Pool, Fitness Center, Tennis, Squash, Multi Sports Room, Table Tennis, Sauna, Steam Room, Jacuzzi and Shower/ Locker Rooms) are: ages above 3 years and adults NT$500 Monday to Friday; NT$1,000 Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

ACC Employee of the Month – April 2016

Name: Joan Su 蘇怡汶 Department: Sigis Chef

4

Sigis Chef Joan our employee of the month who has been with the ACC family for over two years is well known to members and staff alike for her participation in the Club’s 2015 cooking competition and for her willingness to shoulder responsibilities under any circumstances. Case-in-point; in an April Rendezvous event late in the evening Chef Joan returned from being off-duty to personally prepare late after-hour dinners – a service very well received and much appreciated by the Members in question. This dedication is an exemplary example of our staff’s support to management in the Club’s pursuit of excellence and to be ‘the Best Club in Asia’ACC F&B management and staff recognize Joan as a valuable “behind-the-scenes” colleague well deserving of being our April Employee of the Month.

Sigis

June Monthly Specials

ltalian Squid Salad Fresh Small Squids with Olives, Bell Peppers, Pickles and Lemon Vinegar Dressing

NT$320

F&B NEWS

Baked Grouper with Crab Meat Cheese-baked Grouper with luscious Crab Meat

NT$580

Business Lunch

Mondays ~ Fridays, 11:30 am ~ 3:00 pm Price: NT$590+10% Duck Breast with Brandied Cherries

Grilled King Prawn with Scallop

Baked French Duck Breast on crisp Asparagus, drizzled with Beef au Jus

Tender Scallop wrapped in broiled King Prawn with Fruit-curry Sauce

NT$530

NT$780

Salad / Boiled Egg with Silverfish Mains (Choose one)

. Spicy Sausage Penne with Tomato Sauce . Barramundi on Cannellini Bean with Tomato Salsa . Mediterranean Beef Blade Stew

Dessert /

Daily Selection with Coffee or Tea

July & August Monthly Specials

Beef Carpaccio Bell Peppers, Onions, Padano, Olive Oil, and ground Black Pepper

NT$560

Braised Seafood with Puff Pastry Fresh Tomato Braised with Mussels, Prawns, Scallops, Squid, Fish and Corn.

NT$580

Business Lunch

Mondays ~ Fridays, 11:30 am ~ 3:00 pm Price: NT$590+10% Sausage and Lamb Stew

Parma Ham Chicken Roulade

Tendered Lamb and Sausage Slow-stewed with Cannellini

Parma Ham and Chicken Leg wrapped with Zucchini, Bell Peppers and Truffle Sauce

NT$590

NT$450

Salad / Prawns and Mango Salad Mains (Choose one)

. Artichoke Mushroom Risotto with Duck Breast . Barramundi with Creamy Capers Sauce . Sliced Beef Blade with SautĂŠed Potatoes

Dessert /

Daily Selection with Coffee or Tea

9

F&B NEWS

RENDEZVOUS June & July Music Nights

Monthly

July

June

August

Cucumber Cooler

Pisco Sour

Singapore Sling

NT$220

NT$220

NT$220

Terrace

Terrace Own Sandwich Counter Promotion From the month of June ~ August, Terrace will offer Members to make and choose their own sandwich from the sandwich counter NT$280 10

Summer Special ACC Moscato Mimosa

NT$200

(Provided every Friday and Saturday from June to August)

F&B NEWS

July & August

Promotions

Rendezvous Terrazas Altos del Plata Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Argentina

Terrazas Altos del Plata Chardonnay, Argentina Color: Golden yellow with greenish highlights Aroma: This Chardonnay has a marked fruity

Color: Deep red Aroma: Great intensity and marked

black fruit notes. This Cabernet stands out for its spicy profile of red pepper Taste: Elegant, presence of sharp tannins and a fruity finish

and fresh profile. Aromas of pineapple, white peach and apricot combine with notes of chestnut and a slightly toasted touch Taste: Stands out for its freshness and balance.

Pleasant with a greasy mouth feel persistent acidity and presence of toasted hints

NT$950/bottle NT$200/glass

NT$950/bottle NT$200/glass

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Merlot 2012

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013

30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot 2% Cabernet Franc This cabernet merlot blend takes inspiration from the classic red wines of Bordeaux.

Cape Mentelle has developed an international reputation for outstanding Bordeaux varietal and blended wines which are perfectly suited to the climate and soils of Margaret River. This blend seeks to capture the depth and structure of cabernet with the dark fruit and plush flavors of merlot which when blended create a well-rounded, full and rich style.

46% Semillon

Region: Margaret River Variety: 54% Sauvignon Blanc,

Region: Margaret River Variety: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon,

Cape Mentelle takes a minimal approach towards this classic Margaret River blend.

The aim is to preserve as much fruit intensity and regional character as possible, whilst providing a full flavored distinctive white wine.

The style accentuates the fresh fruit characters of both varieties with the added complexity and palate weight offered by a small portion of barrel fermentation.

NT$1,200/bottle NT$250/glass

A

B

C

Sigis

NT$980/bottle NT$200/glass

Market

A

Retail Price: NT$1,200

Get

20% off

Domaine Chandon Shiraz 2012 (Special Price: NT$960/bottle)

B

Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir 2014

Retail Price: NT$1,200

for any 3 Bo Purcha ttles sed

(Special Price: NT$960/bottle) C

Domaine Chandon Chardonnay 2014

Retail Price: NT$1,200

(Special Price: NT$960/bottle)

6

Purchase any bottles Chandon wines selection get 1 bottle complimentary!

11

HAIR & SPA

Summer is the right time to restore and maintain skin moisture and softness. For optimum results, schedule a body scrub followed by an aroma therapy massage. You will not want to miss it.

Body Scrub + 1 hour Relaxing oil Massage

only NT$4,000

Material from Andrea Paris nature-made Juniper Powder mixed with Juniper berry essential oil and lavender essential oil.

( original NT$5,500 )

Andrea Paris - one of Europe’s top organization group SOPHIA-FRENCH, Andrea Paris is a cosmeceutical line providing specialized curative effect and meditative result based on different skin types. With long and meticulous investigation by professional doctors and medical practitioners through continuous of medical theory research, scientific statistical analysis and clinical studies, Andrea-Paris prepares a series of naturally-made products for recovering from non-surgical cosmetic procedures, bringing your skin extraordinary beauty.

For more information, please call 02 2886-5912

N ew

Arrival

1/

2/

3/

A Man Called Ove

by Backman, Fredrik

The Guilty

by Baldacci, David

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

4/

Farm

by Priddy, Roger/Green, Dan(lLT)

Library 13

SPORTS NEWS

2016 Fed Cup (World Group II Playoff )

ACC’s Tennis Coach Stephanie was captain of the Chinese Taipei ladies team who competed in the 2016 Fed Cup - World Group II Playoff held in Poland on April 16 & 17.

Under Stephanie’s captaincy, the four Chinese Taipei players had a very a confident win - being overall champions in the ladies singles and ladies doubles events. These wins elevated Stephanie’s Chinese Taipei Ladies Team to its highest position in Fed Cup history.

ACC is so proud of our Coach Stephanie for this fantastic and historic achievement.

Congratulations Stephanie from all of us!

SPRING

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

This year’s Finals were played on Sunday, April 24 Tecnifibre were generous enough to provide prizes for the top 2 players in the main draw & the top 2 in the consolation draw. Special thanks to ACC who once again provided some refreshments for the players and Coach Alan, showing his support by \ refereeing some of the finals and answering questions put to him regarding squash rules during the day. Some Finals were scheduled for the upcoming week due to players travelling but all are now complete, results & final placings listed below; 1/ East: William Dong 5/ North: Tony Yuan 9/ West: Jim Clark 13/ Southeast: Peter Sutton 14/ Art Cozad 2/ Cullen Welbourn 6/ Liran Golan 10/ Bruce Warden 3/ Northeast: Scott Greenberg 7/ Northwest: Steven Pan 11/ South: Ryan Searle 15/ Southwest: Redmond Roy 4/ Sean Lewis 8/ Henry Chang 12/ Robin Palmer 16/ Phil Reynolds

East: William Dong

North: Tony Yuan

Notice 16

West: Jim Clark

South: Ryan Searle

All Tennis Courts will be closed for resurfacing from Monday, June 27 to Monday, August 1, 2016.

In the event of inclement weather during this period, it is possible that this maintenance activity will be extended beyond August 1.

We apologize for any inconvenience that may be caused.

3 Learn valuable lifesaving CPR and first-aid techniques, and basic water safety, while getting some great exercise. All participants must be able to swim 100 meters (any stroke) and swim a short distance, while carrying 1 kilogram.

All participants will receive an official National Water Lifesaving Association certificate.

Please Sign-up at the Poolside.

Open to swimmers: Age: 8~15 years SKILLS REQUIRED: Advanced swimmer→WE CAN SWIM ACROSS THE POOL USING MORE THAN 2 DIFFERENT STROKES. Schedule: June~August, Monday to Friday 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm

Cost: NT$4,800 per week

If you want to have a group lesson in a different time frame, please check with the Aquatics Staff for scheduling.

June 6-10 / June 13-17 / June 20-24 / June 27-July 1 / July 4-8 / July 11-15 / July 18-22 / July 25-29 August 1-5 / August 8-12 / August 15-19 / August 22-26

4 Now we are having Discover Scuba Diving Lessons for ACC members, which will be a group event held in the ACC pool.The purpose of the Camp is to teach basic scuba diving skills designed to provide an enjoyavble and safe diving experience. (A Discover Scuba Diving Certificate will be issued upon successful completion of this camp) The Camp will be held by certified PADI instructors!

We welcome parent’s participation!

Open to swimmers:

Age: Over 8 years and already an advanced swimmer.

Schedule: June~August, Monday to Wednesday 12:00 noon - 1:30 pm Cost: NT$5,000 for three lessons per week The group lesson fee is NT$1,000 per person for a one-hour lesson.

Group class student size will be a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4.

Private lesson fee is NT$2,000 for a one-hour lesson.

If you want to have a group lesson in a different time frame, please check with the Aquatics Staff for scheduling.

June 6-8 / June 13-15 / June 20-22 / June 27-29 / July 4-6 / July 11-13 / July 18-20 / July 25-27 August 1-3 / August 8-10 / August 15-17 / August 22-24

5

Experience the fun and passion from learning basketball skills.

Schedule: For children ages 6~9 years Date: Monday~Friday Time: 9:30 ~ 10:30 am Limited to 10 children per week

Fee: NT$3,500 per person

June 6-10 / June 20-24 / July 4-8 / July 11-15 / July 18-22 / August 1-5 / August 15-19

For children ages 10~12 years Date: Monday~Friday Time: 1:30~ 2:30 pm Limited to 10 children per week

Fee: NT$3,500 per person

June 6-10 / June 20-24 / July 4-8 / July 11-15 / July 18-22 / August 1-5 / August 15-19

19

SPORTS NEWS

Thank you so much for joining this year's ACC Swim Challenge.

All the swimmers swam 102 km in competition for the Rio Olympic Games 306 Gold Medals held from April 11 to May 29.

FIRST PLACE OF THE ACC SWIMMING CHALLENGE WENT TO:

Sohee Chu THE RUNNER UP IS

Richard Chang THIRD PLACE IS

Michaela Stevens OTHER CONTESTANTS WERE Mark Brandon / Liran Golan Li Le Hun / Stanley Lin Louis Ruggiere / Candice Searle C.Sterng / Louise Wikstrom Richard Yang

Simon Lee

Li Le Hun

Special thanks our member Sandra Jin and Saffron Restaurant sponsors of the ACC Swimming Challenge 2016

FRIENDLY REMINDER

20

For your safety and especially for the safety of your children in and around the Swimming Pool, please be thoroughly familiar with ACC Swimming Pool Rules which are posted by the Poolside and on the ACC website.

Adherence to these rules will also eliminate unnecessary distractions to the ACC lifeguards whose prime responsibility is to look after the health and safety of all users of the ACC Swimming Pool.

NUTRITION COLUMN

T

FROM GUT HEALTH to Beautiful Skin

he community of microorganisms that live inside our gastrointestinal tract, also known as the gut microbiota, has gained traction in the medical community in the past couple of years.

This may sound like a relatively foreign subject to you. However, are you familiar with buzzwords like probiotics, prebiotics, or noticed the sudden boom in yogurt variety available at the supermarket?

This is all due to the growing interest in the bacteria population that resides in us. The human body has 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells. It is our job to keep the good and bad bacteria in balance, meaning the good outnumber the bad.

More than 80 percent of the body’s immunity resides in the gut, so it’s hardly surprising that what’s living in there is going to have a large impact on our overall health. However, it’s only been in the past five to six years that scientists have figured out a way to sequence gut microbiota, very much like how DNA is studied. Since then, the microbes have been hailed to possibly have a range of effects on us from body fat to mental health. Since the sweltering summer heat is already upon us in Taiwan and the days of bundling up has come to an end, we’ll focus on understanding the gut-skin health connection.

Ultimately, the three largest factors that impact the microbiota are diet, lifestyle, and antibiotic regiment. Antibiotics don’t discriminate between the good and the bad bacteria. When you wipe out the good, it is much easier for the bad bacteria to grow and take their place. A one-week course of antibiotics can affect your gut microbiota for up to three years if one doesn’t actively try and restore it to a healthy balance. Otherwise, incorporate these easy changes for four days to a week to let your good microbes bounce back.

Steps to Jump start the good guys in your gut: 1/ Stock up on probiotic rich foods.

No sugar added Yogurt (eat regularly) Make sure the variety you pick contains LIVE cultures.

Look for: Lactobacillus bulgarcus, Streptococcus thermophiles, and Bifidobacterium lactis. (at least 100 million cultures/ gram, or 20 billion / 8oz) Kimchi, sauerkraut This could be fermented cabbage, cucumber, radish, or any type of vegetable.

When cooking with it, remember to add it in at the very end to avoid cooking off the live bacteria. The safest bet is to toss it directly into a salad.

Miso This classic fermented soybean paste can be used as your salad dressing base, fish marinade, or quick tofu soup.

Supplements Some of the brands that may be easier to find in Taiwan are NOW, Culturelle, GNC Ultra, Bio-Kult, and Nature Made. Go to any health food or organic foods store and ask if they carry any variety.

2/ Eat foods, AKA prebiotics, to feed the microbes.

Stay away from the overly processed, junky foods.

Your probiotic population won’t flourish if you’re living on coffee, cake, and KFC. Studies have shown that eating junk food for 10 days reduced microbiota diversity by a third.

It’s all about the vegetables.

The probiotics love munching on the fiber and certain compounds found in garlic, onions, and foods high in resistance starch (last month’s article).

Foods that make you toot.

Legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans are also great for feeding the good microbes.

3/ Foods to temporarily avoid.

Gluten Face

Dairy Face

Sugar Face Lines and wrinkles on the upper forehead

Spots on forehead

Swollen eyelids

Spots on cheeks

Puffy and red cheeks

Bags and dark circles under eyes

Widespread acne and spots

Pale cheeks

Sagging under the eyes Gaunt look to the face Spots all over the face (specifically pustular acne)

Spots on chin

Dark patches around chin

Thinning of the skin

Grey/pasty white hue to the skin

Concentrated spots on chin

All dairy and gluten These should be cut out of your diet during this period of time. This is because they can cause gaps in your gut wall to enlarge, increasing permeability-not a good thing.

Added sugars Bad bacteria, fungi (yeast), and viruses feed on sugars. Sugars found in fruits shouldn’t be a problem. It’s the processed sugars found in beverages, desserts, and packaged foods we want to avoid.

When you increase the permeability of your gut, and the bad microbes are flourishing, toxins are more likely to enter your system. The immune system will detect these invading toxins and attack it, which results in inflammation. This inflammation can cause reddening, bloating, discoloration of the skin. Acne and small cystic bumps can start to appear as a result also.

Text and photo

by ACC Nutritionist Ms. Debra Liu

21

Cool Dads in the Club

I

Happy Father's Day

knew a family growing up with 20 children. Yes, 20! The parents, Ron and Ella, have six biological children and fourteen adopted children. Some of the adopted children are sibling sets, and the gender breakdown was 13 boys and 7 girls. Hanging out with such a large family meant that there were always enough kids around to play a game of full-court basketball, and we spent many summer nights on the court together.

Text by Rachel Sawatzky; Photos from Harold Mandel, Ben Schwall, Rod Van Dooren 22

Ron, the patriarch, was one of the kindest and hard-working men I knew, and he had more than enough love and energy for all those kids. All of his children are grown now, and he’s moved into the role of grandfather and great-grandfather. Any guesses as to how many grandkids and great-grandkids he has? Hint: it’s more than 100! (108 and counting). That’s pretty unimaginable for most of us! I’ve heard firsthand that their family reunions are a blast! They spend several days together- all the kids and grandkids- and everyone has a wonderful time catching up, eating, playing sports, and swimming.

I recently got in touch with one of Ron’s daughters and asked if she could interview her Dad over the phone for me. With 57 years of fatherhood under his belt, I knew he’d have some pearls of wisdom to share with other Dads.

Here’s what he said: “Fathers need to treat each child as an individual; not all children have the same abilities- they may be talented in other areas. So appreciate all their special characteristics. Fatherhood isn’t easy, though. There will be disappointments. Even though your kids may go down the right path, keep your doors open during this time. We all make mistakes. Love your children and be there for them and work through difficult situations together.” When Ron was asked what he enjoys about being a father, he said, “I love being with my children and learning new things about them. I’ve enjoyed watching each child play sports.

We’ve spent a lot of time laughing together and enjoying life.” His final advice to Dads was this: “Think twice, talk once.”

The American Club is home to many families, and if you are at the Club on the weekends, you are sure to see a lot of fathers spending time with their children.

You’ll often find them in the pool, on the playground, a and even in the nursery!

The Club is a fantastic place for dads to bond with their kids. I have many wonderful memories of my husband swimming with my kids during the hot summer months. In honor of the upcoming Father’s Day celebration, we’d like to highlight three fabulous ACC Dads. Here they are in their own words…

Ben Schwall I’ve been a father now for the past 8 ½ years. It changed my life, dramatically, and I suspect more than most, for a few reasons. First, I got a late start. I married later than most and was already 41 when I first became a father. Forty years a bachelor makes the transition to fatherhood a bit more dramatic. Also, although I got a late start, I made up for it and had four children back-to-back. Our oldest is 8 years old and the youngest is almost 2. Our house can be a noisy place. But the biggest change for me was suddenly changing from being the lead character in my own life to being a supporting character in our child’s life. Where to live, what food to buy, where to go on vacation were still things I decided, but it was not for what I wanted but for what I thought was best for “the family,” which really meant the new child.

I definitely have had some proud moments as a father. For example, we’ve been fortunate that our children have been able to have some success with modeling. A few years ago my brother and his family were visiting Taiwan, and as we exited the MRT at the zoo, my nephew pointed up at a billboard ad and shouted, “Hey, That's Flo!!” What father would not be proud of that?

When thinking about fatherhood, I think I may get it a bit easier than other dads and for sure easier than my wife. I travel a lot for work and when I come home, the children are always happy and excited to see me and jumping up and down; it is nice to be missed. I then get to play with them, go to the zoo, or take them to the playground. It is always nice to come home to this and be arriving on a Friday evening. After several days home, though, my role has to switch back to being the father and not just the ‘fun guy who is back’. “Have you done your homework? It is bedtime! Turn down the TV!” By the time the next business trip pops up, it is all “DAD!” and not much of the fun guy who just got home. But this is the way it should be. It is great to have a nice welcome back, but the main goal is to help set the boundaries , teach manners and help with the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively) of raising 4 children. This is what it is about: the forming and shaping of the children, not just the playing with them. I get a good reminder of this every time I return from a trip.

The ACC is a great place for me to take my kids.

Without question, my favorite thing to do with my children is to swim in the pool. The youngest has yet to join us, but I know there will soon be four monkeys crawling all over me in the pool. That’s a nice way to spend a weekend afternoon.

One of the hardest parts about being a dad is that you sometimes may not agree with mom (or she may not agree with you!). There is no “operating manual” to refer to and it is tough when there are differing views on what is “best” for the kids.

I’ll close with a funny story, since parenting is full of funny stories! Our eldest son, Emmet, was almost 2 years old, but he had already learned how to “bake a cake” by watching his sister play on the iPad with an app that allowed kids (and some Moms!) to pretend to bake a cake: you would pour flour, crack an egg, mix them with water in bowl and then put it into “the oven”.

However, our little Emmet was clever and realized that we in fact had real oven-like thing called a microwave. He got the app just to the point where the virtual cake is supposed to go into the virtual oven, and then he pulled over a chair, climbed up to the microwave, put the “cake” into it and turned it on. The Apple repairman later told me that he thought he had heard every possible reason for an iPad to break, but nuking it in a microwave was new to him! In case you are wondering, it cannot be repaired.

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I try to ‘be there’ as often as I can in juggling other life responsibilities such as being a husband, my work commitments or business travel. I love conversations over dinner; I love supporting them when they’re competing in sports and I love playing sports with them. And of course TAS homework is a nonnegotiable daily occurrence, which sometimes I loathe and other times I actually enjoy (usually the latter, because I end up learning something myself).

Rod Van Dooren My wife, Diana, and I started dating when we were 17 years old. We were married at 22 years and our first child was born in March, 1999, so I guess that means that I’ve been fathering in a fashion for 17 years. With a new baby in our lives, life as we knew it did change, but not dramatically. Even though our firstborn was the most precious thing in our lives, and we were doting parents from the beginning, Diana and I made a conscious decision that we’d continue to do the things that we wanted to do and just find a way to make it work. Philosophically speaking, we are pretty big on providing our children with real-life experiences- no sugarcoating- and I guess this started from infancy.

I really appreciate when our children make the most of the opportunities that we provide them – when they be the best that they can be. Effort and attitude are important to us, so they make me very proud if and when they fully commit to something.

Furthermore, we’re blessed to be able to provide our children the opportunity to be involved in serving in less-fortunate communities abroad. Witnessing them providing service with a giving and loving heart makes me very proud. Diana and I are big on children acting and speaking respectfully, so seeing them acting and speaking respectfully, as we’d define it, puts a huge smile on my face.

My experience with fathering is what I learned from my father, who was a fine role model. I’m very cause-and-effect in my thinking, so I try to be the ‘voice of reason’ with my children. I try to help them look at situations with perspective and to better understand the context, rather than take the literal line; how we hear things is not always as they were intended to be heard.

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As a father, I can be quite sensitive and emotional, but I’m not afraid of my children seeing this. I want them to realize that emotions are not a weakness, particularly in the case of a man. And I’m not into giving gifts as a way of showing love. I genuinely like doing ‘the little things’ for them. This is the way I was raised. These ‘little things’ meant the world to me. So, as an example, I love to wake early to go into my children’s bedrooms to wake them each morning. I love picking up their clothes off the ground, their used food plates off the table, or an empty milk bottle off the bench. I love taking them from place to place in the car or on the scooter. I know this may sound pathetic to most of you, but it works for me. I enjoy it – even if I don’t receive the simple ‘thank you’ as often as I’d like.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to father four children.

You can’t take a day off being a parent. Even though my children are aware that I’m only human, I want to be a good example to them. I want my daughters to know what behaviors they should look for in men and to know what not to accept or tolerate. I want to be a role model for my son. It’s a lifelong commitment.

With four children, I find it hard to make one-on-one time with each of them. I need to focus on finding those moments…moments where it’s just the two of us- where I’m listening attentively, showing support and providing advice where required.

If I could give some insight to a future Dad, I’d say this: if you have multiple children; don’t assume that the needs of your children are all the same. You can’t rely solely on your intuition to understand them. Ask questions. Seek clarity. Never assume that things are okay. Be encouraging.

Harold Mandel

I’ve been a father for just over 10 years and I marvel at how fast time has gone by since our daughter, Mireille, was born. During my ‘pre-daddy’ life, I had all the time in the world, even to indulge in late evenings playing the drums around town. After Mireille came along, I hung up my drumsticks for my new gig as a dad. The only encores I heard for awhile were from Mireille, at roughly 3-hour intervals throughout the night! Eventually her sleep rhythms got in sync with mine…and she’s been my favorite audience ever since.

When I announced that I was to become a father, I was buried under an avalanche of well-intentioned advice from friends, relatives, colleagues, taxi drivers and even passengers on planes, buses and trains. I soon realized that while everyone was speaking from their heart, each person was drawing from a very personal experience. So in retrospect, the only piece of advice that I would offer a new parent is this: secretly imagine that all your wellwishers are prefacing their comments with “this is what worked for me.”

This technique is a reminder that every parent-child experience is unique and, at least in my case, allowed me to accept the mountain of advice with a smile.

For me, fatherhood consists of a lot of family activities; laughter and good humor are a constant. For example, we all share a weakness for classic comedies and old Hollywood musicals and it’s not uncommon for Mireille and me to single out some of our favorite tunes and make up funny lyrics. Every activity is an opportunity for a good chuckle!

We are also a very affectionate family and are fortunate that Mireille is a good-natured and cuddly daughter. Friends tell us not to be surprised if things change when the ‘teen’ years are upon us, but the last ten years have been a real treat and we are continuing to savor every precious moment.

Father Knows Best We asked some dads in Taiwan what they often tell their children, hoping that the children will take their words to heart. Here’s what they said: Don't let anyone work harder than you today. - Carl You are always given the opportunity to positively participate in the next moment of creation to help create more beauty, love, and goodness. - Tim Always do your best- no matter what- and be proud of yourself for giving it your all. - Doug A failure is only a failure if you fail to learn from your failure. - Matt Every man has a train of thought on which he rides when he is alone. The dignity and nobility of his life, as well as his happiness, depends on the direction that train is going, the baggage it carries and the scenery through which it travels. - Dwight (quoting Joseph Fort Newton) The lazy man’s way is always the hardest.- Bob 25

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ACC Members Only. For more information or sign up, please see the ACC website event page.

Father's

Day Event

Air Rocket Saturday, August 6 2:00 – 3:30 pm / South California Room Adults NT$99; Kids NT$550 (7 years and above) Attendance restricted to 25 kids Jet Air Rocket is really cool to play - not only for kids but also for adults!

Join us to build-up the air rocket and “rocket it” in Bei-an Park or by riverside! Do not miss this fun and cool event! *For safety - we require parents (at least one dad or mom) to accompany their kid(s) for this activity, because the kids will be handling knives and glue guns. * All participants will be divided into teams: 4 to 6 for each team. * All materials are only for use in the event, the Air Rocket materials must be handed-in – they cannot be taken home.

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PHOTO GALLERY

Tennis Margarita Cheers ! Everyone had a great time in our Tennis Margarita event !

2016 Indoor Cycling Marathon Yeah, we survived ! Two hours cycling marathon !

Farewell Tennis Ladies Luncheon ACC’s beautiful tennis ladies- Beth and Kelly will be missed and never forgotten

Spring Tennis Tournament

Go! Jennifer and Alex, ACC is proud of you!!

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PHOTO GALLERY

Kids Cooking Class Corn Pizza and Cake

I can’t wait!!

ACC kids tried by themselves. Good job!!

Chef demonstrated how to melt butter first and then pan fry vegetables and ham

Look at my Corn Cake and Pizza, they look very delicious, don’t they?

Mmm…. cheese melted on the corn, tastes yummy!!

Kids’ Flight Science Class Cyclotron Aircraft Look at our Members’ kids - so focused and they learned so fast

Boy’s wry faces, who looks the most scary?

Instructor Po-Jung taught kids how to fold the paper airplanes

It’s time to fly our cyclotron airplane, let’s make them fly high and far away!

My airplane flew back, it’s fun!

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PHOTO GALLERY

Mother's Day Craft Mrs. Rabbit Paper Doll

We used paper rolls to build up a very cute Mrs. Rabbit Doll - moms and dads came to roll together.

Look at my handmade Rabbits - we will present to my mom!

ACC Life

ACC beautiful workout ladies, social luncheon on May 23

Splash!! Summer is here and kids always love ACC’s pool, playing over and over on the slide ~

Retirement Party for James

The ACC team gathered to wish our long term staff James a “Heartfelt Farewell” and thanks for taking care of our Members for 29 years!

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https://www.facebook.com/americanclubtaipei

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I’m willing make a concession

for both of us but that doesn’t mean you can always have your own way.

CR ad Center Magazine.indd 1

5/20/2015 10:20:51 AM