Members of Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club of Cerritos were treated to few surprises at their first meeting on January 23, 2025. The Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake will start on January 29, 2025, and will end on February 16, 2026. In anticipation of the start of the Lunar Year of the Snake, Ann Kho and her Angklung Group of Cerritos performed the Chinese song, Gong XI, an Indonesian song with drums, and other songs with their bamboo Angklungs. Frances McCormick and Ping Chen later sang a Chinese New Year Blessing Song in Mandarin.
According to Wikipedia, people born in the Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake are considered by the Chinese to be lucky, because just as snakes shed their skin and emerge stronger. Year of the Snake people are associated with intelligence, intuition, wisdom, transformation, and renewal.
Club members joined Hedy Anduha as she led the singing of Happy Birthday in Hawaiian and English to the January birthday celebrants who were present at the meeting. The lucky celebrants included Meling Agcaoili, Annette Clary, Lucio Forte, Helen Limbo, Karen Richards, and Patsy Tsuda.
As part of the meeting, the Refreshment Committee provided Mandarin oranges, almond cookies, and a special Indonesian dish with beef, vegetables and noodles. The noodle dish was generously donated by Anne Kho with wishes for long life for everyone. Refreshment Committee members Bette Kurihara, Frances McCormick, and Anne Ohara plan and serve some refreshments that are paid by the club at monthly club meetings. They also serve other refreshments that members donate and want to share.
Since President Carmelita Tiongson was ill and not able to be present, Program VP Rosaria Loke Manetta served as President Pro Tem. “Loke” in Hawaiian means “rose.” Loke invited Larry Anduha to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meeting and asked John Yanagihara to lead the singing of Hawaii Ponoi. She later conducted the business meeting and received reports from VP of Membership Myrna Matsuno, Treasurer Ken Matsuno, and other board members. Loke then introduced the fun program for the night, free Bingo games, with a chance to win prizes. Irene Perry helped to call the Bingo numbers and members were delighted to win gift certificates and other donated prizes.
The meeting ended with members gathering in a circle and singing Hawaii Aloha and Aloha O’e , as they joined in singing the songs that were led by Hedy Anduha.
Recording Secretary Helen Limbo later sent a flyer to remind members to go to the Festival of Friendship at the Los Cerritos Center on Saturday, February 1, from noon to 4 p.m. to see different cultures presented in dance and music. She asked members to support club members by going to the Sears Stage at 1 p.m. to see the Da’ Hawaii Seniors Club’s Na Kupuna Wahine O’ Cerritos, and the Angklung Group of Cerritos at 3 p.m. At 2:25 p.m, the club’s members of Na’ Ipo Hula will be performing at the Forever 21 Stage.
The public is invited to come to the Festival of Friendship on February 1, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Los Cerritos Center to enjoy the multicultural performances in music and dance.