By W.T. WIMPY HIROTO
Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away
If you could use some exotic booze
There’s a bar in far Bombay
Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away
In llama land there’s a one-man band
And he’ll toot his flute for you . . .
Once I get you up there
Where the air is rarified
We’ll just glide, starry-eyed
Once I get you up there
I’ll be holding you so near, you may hear
Angels cheer ‘cuz we’re together . . .
— James van Heusen / Sammy Cahn
Never let it be said CR2S stints on new column intros to catch your attention. Borrowing lyrics made famous by Frank Sinatra, come abide with me while together we search for that elusive bar in India and the flutist in Peru. The angels will always be with us.
= * =
But instead of India and the Peruvian Andes, let’s snatch a glimpse of the ongoing Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Not being an ice or snow enthusiast (an interest rather foreign to the average Nisei), skeletons, luges and half pipes do not rank with photo finishes, two-minute drills or no-hitters.
And yet I will admit to watching several exhilarating, hand-clapping events: one was when Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu emerged from Saturday’s mistake-strewn finals to win the gold (after I successfully put the hex on Canadian Chan).
And then there was the U.S. thriller in a “meaningless” hockey game against the Russians. The gutsy American shootout victory against a more talented Ruskie squad was a heart-stopper.
However, the sour taste of Ashley Wagner being named to the U.S. women’s skate team over the official qualifier Mirai Nagasu still rankles. Yeah, Wagner is the two-time reigning champion and younger, prettier and white. I say we put the selection committee in an Arizona relocation center and leave them there for four years.
If you get the impression CR2S is not exactly a jingoist avidly following the medal count, kampai, you win a bottle of sake. I don’t imagine the FBI or HUAC are much interested in what I have to say these days. Even if they are, what can they do? Deport me? Where? Poston?
Not meant by any means as a complaint, but I’ve been to funerals the past five weekends in a row, six for the year already. This past Sunday’s L.A. Times obituary section had nine JA death notices! [I’m a ghoul who checks the daily tally.] I realize it’s a simple matter of ethnic generational mathematics and our time is up, but gosh darn, can’t the frequency rate be put on hold for a while? CR2S doesn’t care to be the last bottle of beer on the wall, but a few more sunrises will be appreciated. Por favor.
“Aside from sudoku, crossword puzzles and naturally with you, reading a lot, what else do you suggest one can do to keep a healthy and active mind? Well, A.O., thanks for asking to begin with. Some things, like reading, I’ve done all my life; other mental gymnastics because they’re challenging and good exercises. [Whether they forestall the onset of Alzheimer’s is debatable.]
Something I’ve not been doing too long is JUMBLE, the scramblde word game found daily in the Times business section. Example: Unscramble the following group of letters into four words: HIPSOB, ROIDON, RETGOF, DIRHAS. You will find answers at bottom of column. Don’t/can’t peek. Since it’ll be a first for many, continue to read without penalty. Frustration is guaranteed. If you can’t solve right away, give it a rest and return later fresh; same holds true when doing difficult crossword puzzles.
One question consistently being asked: What happens to the millions of dollars that will be realized from the ultimate sale of the Keiro campus since it is technically community-owned with no stockholders?
Because of persistent and misleading rumors, CR2S in January used an analogy to waylay wild stories regarding Keiro’s future: “Yom Kippur will not soon be replacing Oshogatsu …” I wrote to make the point no great changes were likely no matter who the buyer was. I am forever astounded by the astuteness of readers. S.Y. immediately responded: “Knowing how you enjoy ‘playing’ with words, am I getting ahead of myself by predicting that Jewish Home for Aged is the unnamed suitor for Keiro’s hand and assets?”
As expected, got a flow of answers to my most recent request for reader help: electric shock when opening my apartment door and preventing the stickiness of mochi. [And thank-yous to those to whom I have no way of returning messages.] The interior carpeting I agree has something to do with the shock; it differs from the one outside in the hallway, where I’m not shocked. And yeah, atmospheric conditions have an effect.
As far as my sticky mochi dilemma is concerned, my bad, I forgot to tell you that CR2S did not bring a toaster oven when moving. And Pam on dish prior to placement into microwave to defrost is one solution. There is still the delicate challenge of keeping fingertips from being painfully singed when twisting the delicacy into eatable pieces. But c’est la vie, nothing good comes easily.
bishop = indoor = forget = radish