Hi Everyone,

    If you haven't received any emails from our secretary Harper, and want to be included in the club email list, email me your email to ssherburne@newpaltz.k12.ny.us and I will send it to Harper.  Feel free to let others join our club if they would like!

   I hope you have found some interesting things searching around on the Internet.  If you find anything good, please email me the link to add here so others can enjoy. Please, if you are watching anime, share things that are no worse than PG-13 rated!  Watch out for bad language and too much violence! 'Tis a school club : ).  I watched Travelogue China and Journeys in Japan today. 

   China showed harvesting honey from bee hives, making rapeseed oil, ham that has been salt cured for 3 years and can then be eaten without cooking, making statues and vases from copper, and the source of another tributary of the Pearl River.  The rapeseed oil is like a vegetable oil and it is all done by hand.  Seeds are dried, washed twice in strainers by hand, ground by a stone (the only 'tech' involved), and formed into disks which are put in giant presses.  The presses are long wood frames.  The disks go in with straw between them. Then the end of the column of disks is pounded with mallets to drop by drop fill a bowl placed under the column.  WOW. 

   Japan went to Akita Prefecture up north (prefectures are Japan's version of states) in February (not sure which year) for snow festivals.  One had a dog snow festival with blessing of the dogs (don't forget, an akita is a dog).  Little temples were made of snow, statues of dogs were made of snow, and dogs were made of paste and on display at homes.  One town everyone made kamakura, snow domes.  There were big ones by each house, hollowed out, and visitors were invited inside for some snack or drink.  By the river everyone made small ones, hundreds, that had a lit candle at night.  Look up Yokote Kamakura Snow Fetisval and look at some of the images.  Stunning!  Also, go to  https://jw-webmagazine.com/2019-yokote-kamakura-snow-festival-b5f61b071a7a/  to read about it.  Lastly the show went to the Namahage Sedo Festival.  As best I can explain it, folks dress up as namahage, a sort of demonlike being, portrayed by men wearing hefty oni (ogre) masks and traditional straw capes (mino) during a New Year's ritual of the Oga Peninsula area.  The namahage are kind to elderly people telling them to be healthy and they will see them next year, while telling children to listen to their parents and not be lazy : ).  Their English website is

https://www.namahage-oga.akita.jp/english/sedo.html .  Do page down to see all the pictures.

   Meanwhile, school as we shall know if going forward for this year will be a Google Classroom experience.  Consider me an extra Resource if you need help with anything.  I was an electrical engineer at IBM, so I can certainly help you with Math.  I am good at critiquing your writing - ask away.  Also, you may have noticed when you are in my classroom, that there are a bunch of websites on the board.  These are great Resources for anyone!