Happy Birthday, Paulie!

 Paulie, our little grandson, is three years old today! 

It has been a beautiful day with dazzling blue sky and shimmering warm sunshine. At 4:00 pm, Paul and I finally stopped our work on hand for a while to start our daily walk. On hearing some buzz above, we saw four single prop airplanes making various formations in the sky. As if determined to accompany our walk, they dipped up and down, far and near, but never left us for a second. Joining them were clans of crows flying westward to their roosts. What a busy Sunday afternoon!

As if it were not busy enough, Nick called to coordinate a birthday party for Paulie on FaceTime. There would be three families together, his family of four in Pleasanton, Kumsil, Joseph and Nancy down in San Diego, and Paul and me in Santa Cruz. 

Courtesy of Titangos Photography

As planned, we heard FaceTime ringing shortly after 5:00 pm. Chatting, and laughing, Leni and Paulie occupied the whole camera, while five adults, Papou, two grandmas, uncle and aunt, were admiring them approvingly and indulgently. Both kids were so excited at the anticipation of a birthday cake made of chocolate and cream. Paulie duly made a wish, blew out his candle, and got down to his business of eating cake, and opening his birthday presents which turned out to be a miniature car and fire truck. He was simply in seventh heaven. This is the first year Paulie was able to grasp the meaning of a birthday celebration, and Leni could help her little brother by opening the gift wrapping and playing with the vehicles.

The party was dispersed soon afterwards, after exchanges of love and wishes for all, and over 60 screen captures from Paul. Cannot wait to see them.

Happy Birthday, Paulie. Happy work anniversary to me. Paulie not only shares my Year of the Chicken, but also the memorable day of December 20th when I started to work for SCPL in 1999.

Grey Bears of Santa Cruz

People in Santa Cruz have lots of things to feel proud of, such as Hawaiian-like scenery with the lush. green Santa Cruz mountains, the blue ocean, mild weather, progressive politics, and relatively controlled population growth. There is one more unparalleled achievement for them to have great pride in: The Grey Bears of Santa Cruz that have contributed significantly to the well-being of the county's environmental protection as well as to their aging population. In fact, it is a one of a kind organization in this country.

At 12:40 pm, Paul and I drove to pick up our scheduled holiday dinner. Grey Bears organizes two annual events, Holiday Dinner and Harvest Picnic. Owing to Covid-19 this year, The sit-in Holiday Dinner has been changed to two Sunday drive-through pickups on December 6 and 13 to serve its 4300 Santa Cruz senior members. 

As it rained heavily around noon, we were a little bit worried about the waiting time. But our worry was unwarranted, for half a dozen volunteers made an almost 180 degree circle to direct the incoming traffic all the way from Chanticleer Avenue to the food facility. They were all in long raincoats, with reindeer horns on their heads, courteously waving our cars forward. There were about half-dozen people greeting us at the facility, checking our names and delivering the dinner trays to each car. As a special treat to end our pickup, a cheerful young boy volunteer waved us Happy Holidays.

Courtesy of Titangos Photography 

Both Paul and I were deeply impressed with today's unique Holiday Dinner pickup. The whole event was well-organized and executed. There was hardly any waiting in the queue, since a schedule had been in place for the various ten-minute pickup slots. Volunteers and senior customers alike were happy and festive, despite the driving rain and hovering pandemic. 

Grey Bears has truly made our holiday season special. I could not help but wonder about its origin, even though we have been its members for years. Grey Bears of Santa Cruz was founded in 1973 by two visionaries, Kristina Milliard and her boyfriend Gary Danny to support the undernourished elderly poor in Santa Cruz, with fruits and vegetables from their home gardens, which soon spread like a wild fire. In 1974, the first Grey Bears Holiday Dinner was hosted at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. In 1981, the first Harvest Picnic took place at Harvey West Park. As early as in 1975, there were 1200 Grey Bears members, with $1 membership which has now increased to $30 for its 4300 members. 

According to Our Mission-Who We Are, Grey Bears has delivered 2.3 million pound of food, provided over 1,916.550 meals, and served 40,000 hot meals from its kitchen. How can a nonprofit organization with modest membership fees sustain such an impressive contribution, and stay even stronger five decades and more later? There are several winning elements to the sustainability of Grey Bears business success. 

First of all, Grey Bears is savvy at business transactions, especially in its real estate purchases. Unlike Santa Cruz County Senior Center which still pays exorbitant rent to the Live Oak School District, Grey Bears purchased its first lot at 2710 Chanticleer Avenue in 1985, and adjacent lot at 2650 Chanticleer in 1992, the third lot at 2620 Chanticleer in 1996, and the fourth lot of 10,000 square foot at 2608 Chanticleer in 2008 as a food distribution facility. With ample space, it was able to expand its operations, such as the contract with the county to set up a public recycling center in 2000, and e-waste recycling in 2002, and to spin off a computer lab and store. In addition, it has started a composting program with the county since 2006.

Secondly, Grey Bears is a shining example at utilizing volunteers. In 2018-2019 alone, it had 810 volunteers; with an annual average of 81,460 volunteering hours. Unlike some governmental agencies which hire highly paid positions to supervise volunteers, Grey Bears relies on talented and experienced volunteers for administrating all operating posts, such as food assembly and delivery, teaching classes, manning both physical and online stores, repairing electronics, composting, office and data entry, etc.

Thirdly but not lastly, Grey Bears knows how to recycle and turn donations into value-added products at its thrift and electronic stores. Instead of dreading donations as other some public agencies do, it redistributes the return profits back to circulation to support and sustain itself.

The Baztan Trilogy

Paul and I spent the last three nights viewing the Baztan Trilogy on Netflix. The trilogy is based on the novels by Dolores Redondo, a phenomenally successful crime novel writer in Spain. It become more fascinating when it was produced by German producer Peter Nadermann who was involved in the adaptations of Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell’s novels. 

It is truly a welcome treat to watch the setting in rain-drenched and lush-forested Basque Country, when California hast suffered both persistent droughts and forest fires. The trilogy has every desirable element: a young female Inspector Amaia Salaza commands a team to investigate a serial killer of young girls in several towns of Spain (The Invisible Guardian). Gradually, the murder of teenager girls is transitioned to the mysterious death of infant girls and the belief of hundred-year-old mythology turns out to be a local cult and witchcraft sponsored by a rich and influential man (The Legacy of the Bones). The final Offering to the Storm is a full exposure of culprits behind all tragedies and Salaza's family secrets. 

It is interesting to see that Spain is a class- and wealth-conscious country. In general, the rich and famous are above suspicion, whenever a crime occurs. We observe it either from the TV documentary Camel, Who Killed Maria Marta, to the TV series High Seas. Since Salaza is a highly regarded local bakery, and Juez Javier Markina's father was wealthy, it takes the whole trilogy to unearth the root of all evil from these two families.

The other fascinating aspect is that the Spanish female protagonists are freer in demonstrating their feelings, such as loud weeping, public baby nursing, and casual extra-marital affairs, which perhaps enhances their femininity and Latin characteristics. 

Using the environment to create a mysterious and moody atmosphere is of great necessity. The incessant rain at a times turns into floods and certainly helps to expedite car crashes, body injuries, and criminal activities. The eternal dark skies and evening/night scenes have indeed trademarked the genre of horror and even post-apocalyptic themes. I cannot help but wonder if rainy Spain might have contributed, after all, to the drought and fires in California and other north-western states.

 

Forest Is Born

My big niece Wendy gave birth to her son Forest this morning, 10/21/2020. It is a happy baby of 8 pounds, and 7 ounces; 21 inches long.

His birth is of great significance on at least three counts. He is the first baby born to two families who had been waiting anxiously for years. His middle and last name Wang Lubell-Doughtie represented and melted three ethnic groups into one. 

He is also a baby of modern medicine. With the accurate diagnose, treatment and care of his mother's doctors from Cornell and Yale, he is born strong and healthy. 

Welcome, Forest. Congratulations his parents, and grandparents. Congratulations, America!

Experience from both Ends of the Spectrum

Since June 2020, I have been inundated with news about the cessation of Recorded Books (RB), one of our major audio providers. I was trying to ignore such a calamitous change until the official takeover letters arrived from both Overdrive and Blackstone this week.

I came into contact with RB right after my employment at Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) in 1999. I started with language materials, most notably the Pimsleur language learning system, and then moved on to be responsible for all audiobooks after Dody left SCPL and Heidi became branch manager of Scotts Valley. Working together with RB managers like Craig Mears, and then Mark Haley, and staff members like Katie, Melissa and Susan, we have succeeded in cultivating in our Santa Cruz County users a fine taste for audiobooks of virtually all print books. We have been transitioning from technologies of audio tape to compact disc, and to digital. Changes are painful, but provide a great motivator for me to write and publish a series of papers such as Language Learning Resources at Santa Cruz Public Libraries: an Examination of User Services (Aug. 2006), Library Innovations in the 21st Century: An International Perspective (Jun. 2007), Learning Library 2.0: 23 Things @SCPL (Jan. 2009), and finally Library Services for All Ages – Building Economical, Equal, and Complete Audio Collections (January 2018)

Seeing a majority of RB staff losing their longtime jobs, and a customer-oriented company disintegrating, I am reminded time and again of myself at the same crossroads exactly 22 years ago. In August 1998, I was in my second year working for DIALOG, a database provider, in Mountain View. Just as I was feeling comfortable with my colleagues and customers, we were informed that the company had been sold to MAID, a British business remotely relating to the information industry. 

A series of unfortunate events began to occur. Over 25% of experienced workers were laid off, another 25% of resourceful people resigned to find jobs elsewhere. By October, the new owner decided to move the company to Cary, North Carolina, to save overhead cost. Along with the few employees left, I was offered a job in Cary. I did not take the offer, but went to Cary anyway with Paul, to do a two-week training for the new-hires there in November, while Nick was staying with Lew in Santa Cruz. By the end of 1998, I was officially out of a regular job, resorting to my former substitute jobs with Santa Clara County Library and San Jose State University. 

Adding to the substitute job list was Santa Cruz Public Library. In January 1999, I started a a month long job training with four other trainees, Barbara, Tinka, David, and Victor. In late spring, Reference Coordinator Gary Decker hired me for his Local History Photography Project, thus resulting in my first paper about SCPL, Represent a Unique Local History (Jun. 2000). 

In that December, I was officially employed as a Reference/Cataloging librarian. The rest is a full circle with RB. Readers, please be aware of the eventual bad news, if the company you are working for is bought by another entity.

 

 

Sunny Spanish Shows: White Lines and High Seas

After three seasons of the dark and gloomy Hannibal, Paul and I have decided to brighten the course of our viewing by embarking on a couple of Spanish TV series, such as White Lines, and High Seas (Alta mar).

                                                               Courtesy of Capital FM

As promised, both series have delivered us with bountiful sunlight, blue water and glittering costumes, even when in a dire calamity. White Lines is a collaboration between Spain and Canada, detailing Zoe Walker leaving her sheltered life and library work behind to investigate the disappearance and death of her brother Axel Collins on Ibiza, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea known for its nightlife, electronic dance music, and summer club life. The investigation ends with more deaths being adding to the list, including that of her father, as well as the destruction of families, pervasive drugs and related violent murders, and disillusioned freedom once the truth has been exposed.

Three seasons of High Seas follow Eva and Carolina Villanueva, two sisters traveling together on the ocean liner, Bárbara de Braganza (formerly Covadonga), from Spain to Rio de Janeiro in the 1940s, and to Mexico in the 1930s. Deaths, war criminals, virus outbreaks and finally the sinking of the ship accompany them all the way to their destinations.

Courtesy of Netflix

The stylish acting and ensembles are among the unique characteristics of Spanish TV shows. Violent crimes are committed in beautiful scenic places by elegantly dressed people, rich or poor. Even Zoe who works at the University of Manchester library, can be seen decked out in princess style in the eyes of her doting father. The soap opera style murder mystery is another strong element with these two Spanish TV shows. They seem to have everything for everyone. 

What a welcome relief from Hannibal!

 

Delicious in Acorn TV

Acorn TV does have a lot to offer, besides British movies and TV shows. This time it treats the audience with rich Italian cuisine in Delicious (2016-2019), starring Dawn French, Iain Glen and Sheila Hancock.

Courtesy cdn.images.express.co.uk

The story takes place in Cornwall, England. Penrose Hotel's owner Leo Vincent has a great passion and fame for Italian food. He is having an affair with his ex-wife Gina Benelli from whom he has stolen many Italian family recipes for years. At his son Michael's 18th birthday party, he and Gina are caught in the act by his second wife Sam. He wants to be forgiven but is denounced by both women. Out of desperation, he swallows an extra dosage of pills to calm his nerves, but dies of a heart attack. Since then, he has been transformed into a ghost, hovering around to watch and comment on his two wives managing the hotel, and his two children and his elderly mother leading a new life without him.

Courtesy images.immediate.co.uk 

The story itself is reasonable, but the scenery, Italian decor, and cooking are fascinating. But what truly intoxicates everyone is the lust for life, Italian style. Just like her well-loved Vicar of Dibley, Gina is thoroughly adored by men in Delicious. The same rings true of Mimi, her wisecracks, and gutsy spirit to live fully to the last minute.

The Slap from Acorn TV

Two nights ago we finished The Slap (2015), an eight-episode Australian TV series based on Christos Tsiolkas' novel. The show is of particular interest to Paul and me for multiple reasons. It is written by a Greek-Australian author, describing a Greek immigrant family living in Melbourne, and their life and relationships with each other and with other ethnic groups.

The story starts with Hector Apostolou’s 40^th birthday party. Extended family members and friends are gathered to celebrate his big birthday. Before long, the small family yard is filled with people of all ages, high with energy and a few higher with alcohol. Young Hugo is the son of Gary and his wife Rosie, who is one of the two closest friends of Hector's wife, Aisha. At the age of four, he is still being nursed for body comfort and night sleep. While playing cricket with the other boys, he throws a tantrum by grabbing the bat, and wielding it around dangerously towards anyone approaching him. Harry, Hector’s cousin, bravely intervenes by holding the wriggling, out-of-control Hugo. Seeing the boy is still not quieted down, Harry slaps him on the cheek, and thus all hell breaks loose. Hugo’s parents not only storm out of the party, but threaten to sue Harry for violence against children.

Courtesy Acorn TV

The child abuse lawsuit by Rosie against Harry gives rise to further conflicts between family loyalty vs. friendship, traditional values vs. contemporary lifestyles, happy family facade vs. infidelities, and the Australian Dream vs. life disappointment for immigrant families and their descendants.

Ultimately, traditional family declares victory through dedicated narrations highlighting eight characters, one in each of eight episodes: Hector, Harry, Anouk, Manolis, Connie, Aisha, Rosie and Richie. On the one hand, Aisha returns to her kids and husband; Harry and Sandi are expecting their second child; and Anouk is content writing her novel and being a support to her mother. On the other, Manolis decides to continue with his life journey, disappointed or not, with his now much happier wife, Koula; and Richie finds his love after being released from the torment of false knowledge that Connie has been raped by Hector. Even Gary and Rosie have obtained their salvation by moving out of Melbourne to have a new life in a brand-new city. Perhaps it is the secret of Greek happiness.

Elijah with Chippy Now

Last Friday in bed, I received the sad news about the passing of Elijah from his mother Gail. It turns out that in the first week of our Shelter in Place, Elijah took a turn for the worse. After having been given a shot by the vet, he went to sleep while Gail was holding him in the car.

Elijah was a brother of Chippy's from the same litter. One day in May, 18 years ago, they were waiting together to be adopted on the staircase of  the Santa Cruz Main Post Office. My manager at the time, Dody, picked up Elijah for Gail, while I got Chippy. Two cats were so happy waiting for the end of our work day in our Cataloging Department office. Chippy was grooming constantly whereas Elijah was just meowing joyfully. I will never forget the time when he was so distraught to find his sister gone. Paul had come by earlier and took her home in a wooden breadbox I had just bought.

In the ensuing years, Dody, Gail, and I tried a couple of times to give them a reunion through their birthday parties, but Elijah was too shy to feel comfortable among strangers. Now, Elijah and Chippy are together again in a span of less than three months. They are truly special cats, giving our two families full and undivided attention and affection. In the 18 years they were with us, they shared our happy and difficult times. I feel somewhat comforted that Gail was with Elijah to the very end. It is my greatest regret that I was not with Chippy when she passed. I was trying to get a few hours' sleep for work on the morning of the last day of 2019.

As my niece said in her card to us, "We are sorry that Mrs. Chippy is no longer with us. She will be dearly missed," and so will Elijah. They lived apart, but are united now, with their Grandmother Jindi to look after them both.