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Teaching each other! What an excellent idea. I'd like to find someone I could work with, too. Maybe Spanish! Wonderful way to spend time and develop the intellect. Love it! Thanks for sharing. Bev ----- Original Message ----- From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 11:10 PM Subject: Most Wonderful Time of Year ># 271 Monday, December 25, 2006 - THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR > > At 6:45 AM, Fremont's Lake Elizabeth was cold and dark. The chill wind cut > into my fingers as I stretched my aged frame, getting ready for > Chinese/English lessons and Tai Chi. > > I read the little Mandarin study card in my hand-"ta gang xue, bie xiao > ta"-"he's > just started learning; don't laugh at him"-which seemed somehow > appropriate. > > In the distance, a small thin figure, Li, who walks three miles to Tai Chi > practice, and comes 45 minutes early so she and I can work on English and > Chinese. > > "How are you? I am fine thank you!" she says, asking and answering the > question all at once, by way of saving time. > > "Ni hao? Huhn her, shieh shieh!" I say back, which means precisely the > same > thing-at least, I hope it does. > > As usual, she had a sentence written out in her English notebook, to > practice. Today's was "It is a time to help poor people". She said it a > dozen times or so, word for word. Then we developed it, substituting > "Christmas" for the word at the beginning, and adding short phrases that > fit > with the theme, like, "they need warm clothes and food." > > Then we went over the five little cards I had brought from "Chinese at a > Glance", a handy learning tool bought from the internet. > > The excitement of learning diminished the cold. > > Imperceptibly the light changed, outlining leaves on wet ground. > > Voices reached us. > > "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!" > > First singly, then by twos and threes, our group coalesced, everybody > talking at once. Li and I kept working at our lessons, pausing only > briefly > to greet everybody-- > > May Chen, our teacher, arrived. Although she was smiling, and never > uttered > a single hint of command, instantly the cards were put away, and the > voices > quieted. > > We got right to work, warming up the knees and shoulders. > > When our breathing was accelerated, and the blood sent tingling through > our > limbs, she trotted lightly to the concrete picnic table, and changed the > music-and instead of the usual Tai Chi tunes-- > > An orchestral version of "Oh, Holy Night" lilted out across the shadowed > lake. > > It moved me more than I can say. > > And when it hit the highest note of the song, "Oh, ni--ight diviiiine-" I > was just in my favorite part of the whole Chen routine, when the left leg > shoots out to the side, scraping along the earth, and the body crouches to > the right. I gradually eased my way down, no hurry, until right hip > rested > on right heel, left leg full out, both hands overhead-and just for an > instant I felt like the athlete I always wanted to be. > > We were together, united, the spirit strong among us. > > All around were men and women from every walk of life, whose only common > denominator was Tai Chi. We were Buddhist, Protestant, Catholic, Judaic, > and > (although I never asked) I think one person from an island where Islam is > the most common faith. > > And everybody got along. > > Sometimes I become so frustrated with the overly-conservative religious > leadership which tries to block the research, that the passion rises in > me, > and I forget that ours should be a disagreement among friends. > > For it is men that make mistakes, not the faiths which guide our lives. > > We each of us fumble, all our lives, toward a distant light. > > However you celebrate this joyous time, as the world turns toward the sun > again, I wish you blessings of the season. > > Spring is on the way. > > EXTRA! > > Here is a special advance communication from CAMR, the Coalition for the > Advancement of Medical Research, that group of groups which rallies us > all. > > (P.S. Look for your favorite groups-the one Karen and I co-founded is > Californians for Cures-and if your group is not listed, contact your > leadership and ask why. We all should be there!) > > January 1, 2007 > > Members > The United States Senate > > Members > The US House of Representatives > > Dear Members of Congress: > > We, the undersigned patient advocacy groups, health organizations, > research > universities, scientific societies, religious groups and other interested > institutions and associations, representing millions of patients, > scientists, health care providers and advocates, write you with our strong > and unified support for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. We urge > expedited passage and enactment of this legislation when the bill comes > before each chamber in the 110th Congress. > > The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will move stem cell research > forward > in our country. The bill holds promise for expanding medical > breakthroughs, > and hope for millions of patients and their loved ones. > > The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is pro-patient and pro-research. A > vote for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will be considered support > of more than 100 million patients in the U.S. and substantial progress for > research. Please work to enact this legislation immediately and thank you > for your support. > > Sincerely, > > > Affymetrix, Inc. > Alliance for Aging Research > Alpha-1 Foundation > ALS Association > American Association for Cancer Research > American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological > Surgeons > American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association > American College of Neuropsychopharmacology > American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists > American Diabetes Association > American Gastroenterological Association > American Medical Association > American Parkinson's Disease Association (Arizona Chapter) > American Society for Cell Biology > American Society for Microbiology > American Society for Neural Transplantation and Repair > American Society for Reproductive Medicine > American Society of Hematology > American Thyroid Association > APBD Research Foundation > Association of American Medical Colleges > Association of American Universities > Association of Independent Research Institutes > Association of Professors of Medicine > Association of Reproductive Health Professionals > Axion Research Foundation > Biotechnology Industry Organization > B'nai B'rith International > California Institute for Regenerative Medicine > California Institute of Technology > Californians for Cures > Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation Cedars-Sinai Health System > Children's Neurobiological Solutions Foundation > Christopher Reeve Foundation > Columbia University Medical Center > Cornell University > CuresNow > Duke University Medical Center > Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation > FasterCures > FD Hope Foundation > Genetics Policy Institute > Hadassah > Harvard University > Hereditary Disease Foundation > International Foundation for Anticancer Drug Discovery (IFADD) > International Longevity Center - USA > International Society for Stem Cell Research > Jeffrey Modell Foundation > Johns Hopkins > Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation > The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society > Massachusetts Biotechnology Council > Mount Sinai School of Medicine > National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research > National Association for Biomedical Research > National Association of State and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) > National Coalition for Cancer Research > National Council on Spinal Cord Injury > National Health Council > National Multiple Sclerosis Society > National Partnership for Women and Families > National Venture Capital Association > New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research > New York Stem Cell Foundation > New York University Medical Center > Parkinson's Action Network > Parkinson's Disease Foundation > Pittsburgh Development Center > Project A.L.S. > Quest for the Cure > Research!America > Research for Cure * > Resolve: The National Infertility Association > Rett Syndrome Research Foundation > Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins > Rutgers University > Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research > Society for Women's Health Research > Stanford University > Stem Cell Research Foundation > Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation > Stem Cell Action Network > Student Society for Stem Cell Research > Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's, Inc. > Texans for the Advancement of Medical Research > Tourette Syndrome Association > Travis Roy Foundation > Unite 2 Fight Paralysis > University of California System > University of Minnesota > University of Rochester Medical Center > University of Southern California > University of Wisconsin-Madison > Vanderbilt University and Medical Center > Washington University in St. Louis > WiCell Research Institution > Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation > Wisconsin Association for Biomedical Research and Education > > By Don C. Reed, Chair, Californians for Cures, www.stemcellbattles.com. > > Email Don at: [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn