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Events 2011-2012

  • Thanksgiving Exchange

    Friday, November 11, 2011 8:13 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The pre-Thanksgiving lunch was well attended. We had all the traditional dishes including turkey, two types of cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato hash and casserole and more. Several members who were not familiar with the tradition brought tasty specialties from their own countries. 

    After lunch, we started the program with Brigitte giving a welcoming introduction. Then Lalitha introduced the speakers Mary Louise and Joyce. The topic was the Thanksgiving Tradition which is celebrated in both the US and Canada.
    We learned from Mary Louise that in Canada Thanksgiving is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October. It is more about celebrating the harvest season and it is not as big a holiday as it is in the US. Many Canadians spend the holiday in their lakeside cottages. A favorite activity is skeet shooting.
    Then Joyce spoke about the Thanksgiving in the US. She gave a very interesting account of the history and the meaning of the Thanksgiving traditions in the US, where it is a 4-day holiday in November. We learned that it originated in the Autumn of 1621 when Plymouth governor William Bradford invited neighbouring Indians to join the Pilgrims for a three-day festival of recreation and feasting in gratitude for the bounty of the season.
    Many of us heard for the first time that some families serve turducken instead of turkey for Thanksgiving. This is a dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey, hence turducken: turkey, duck, and chicken or hen.

    We concluded by discussing our next Cultural Meeting in January 2012. As usual, we’ll be meeting upstairs in the Hunneman Room, at the Brookline Library. The theme will be Christmas, Hanukkah and/or New Year celebrations from around the world. We have already:
    POLAND: Anna and Danuca will talk about Christmas traditions in Poland.
    SPAIN: Maria will talk about how Christmas is celebrated in Spain and the tradition of King’s Day. Robin, who lived in Madrid, Spain for two years, will tell us about her personal experience and impressions of the festivities in Spain.
    US/ISRAEL: Elaine will talk about Hanukkah and its traditions.
    CHINA: Diana and Doris will describe the Chinese New Year festivities.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Submitted by Lalitha R.

  • Cooking Club : All Things Pumpkin

    Wednesday, October 26, 2011 8:06 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A seasonal cooking session around pumpkins.

    Françoise and SamLisa and NancyLisa and NancyThe cooks

  • October 2011 Cultural Exchange

    Thursday, October 13, 2011 7:59 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    We had our very first Cultural Exchange program on Thursday October 13, 2011 at the Brookline Public Library.  It was a success.  23 members attended.  We all shared a potluck lunch and dessert.
    Iko had just returned from Japan where she had attended a glamorous wedding hosted by a renowned family in Japan. She talked about how Japanese weddings have changed through the generations from the traditional (Shinto) weddings of her parents, where the bride wore elegant kimonos, to the current popularity among the youth of wearing white wedding dresses (following the Christian tradition), with French cuisine for the wedding dinner. She mentioned that in Japan they appreciate all things French.
    Iko also bought her own wedding album to share with us and she regaled us with stories of matchmakers and the role of men and women in a Japanese marriage.

    Meera, who had lived in Japan for some years, bought several kimono. Iko demonstrated how to wear a kimono by putting one on Lalitha.

    We concluded the cultural program by discussing the next Cultural Exchange event, which will take place Nov. 10. The subject will be the American Thanksgiving Tradition.

    submitted by Lalitha.


  • September 2011 Pub Night

    Saturday, September 24, 2011 7:56 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The luck of the Irish was with us at the Pub Night on September 16!  The pub, Four Green Fields, was having a Guiness tasting that evening; we each received a small (6 oz.) sample of Guiness Stout and got to keep the glass.  There was live Irish music that evening, but since we were in the upper room, conversation was still possible.  The picture below shows Mary and Sarah raising a glass to toast Mary Louise, organizer of this successful event.  The next Pub Night will be Friday, October 21.


  • Welcome Back Lunch September 2011

    Thursday, September 22, 2011 7:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    As usual, the food was wonderful at the Welcome Back Lunch on Sept. 22.  There were many requests for recipes, and we will try to address that in the future.  Thanks to Evelyne and Ines, who brought their laptops, which allowed a few more members to sign up for access to the Members portion of the website.  Because we are in a transition state, we also distributed a paper copy of the directory.  Murphy’s Law dictates that just after the most recent directory went to press, several new members joined the club and two existing members moved, so there will always be changes.  We want everyone to realize that the most up to date information will be on the website directory.



  • Harbor Tour and Lunch

    Monday, September 12, 2011 7:53 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Lunch Bunch met on Monday, Sept. 12 for a tour of Boston Harbor given by the staff of U Mass.   Doris attends classes there, and got the inside story on this tour.  Members might want to keep this in mind for next summer;  it is only on Mondays during the summer, but would make a very nice event if you have visitors from out of town.  The tour conductor was very informative, and we saw many Boston landmarks ( the Zakim Bridge, the Charlestown Boatyard with the  U.S.S. Constitution, and the Boston Skyline) from a different perspective.  The weather was  sunny but not too hot, in short, perfect for spending time on the water.  When the tour was over, we took the Red Line back into town and had lunch at the restaurant “49 Social” in the Theater district. Thank you Doris for organizing.



  • September Neighborhood Coffee

    Saturday, September 03, 2011 7:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Coffee in Newton Center

    Leona graciously offered to host our first Neighborhood Coffee of the new season.  Her home in Newton Center reflects her interest in Japan.  Although Leona is Canadian, she was born in Japan, and spent her early years there.


    Among other topics, we spent a good deal of time chatting about the availability of classes and lectures in the Boston area.  Ann, who lives in Houston half the year, told us about the World Affairs Council, which has branches many cities; 

    www.worldboston.org is the website of the local branch, and their free lectures on international relations are held one Tuesday a month, in the evening at the Boston Public Library.  Boston University has a program for lifelong learning called Evergreen in which people 58 or older who have obtained the permission of the instructor can audit undergraduate or graduate courses for $150 per class. Finally, and most costly is the Harvard University's Extension program.


    Do you know of any other organizations to help IWCB members or other newcomers keep their minds sharp? 


    - submitted by Joann


  • Alumnae Return

    Saturday, September 03, 2011 7:48 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A small group of club members met at the Prudential Center in the courtyard for a reunion with Mary and Pat.  It is always fun to see IWCB Alumnae who return to visit Boston.  Mary and Pat were very active in the formation of the Club, Pat being the original Secretary and Mary being one of the Vice-Presidents. Mary left for Singapore, but will now be located in San Francisco.  Pat spent some time in Abu Dhabi and has now returned to live in the UK. Both continue to receive the newsletter, and we hope they will also check the website from time to time.

    - submitted by Joann


  • Book Launch

    Saturday, September 03, 2011 7:43 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Member Debra Samuels’ book My Japanese Table is a wonderful collection of stories and recipes for traditional and modern Japanese food that she gathered over 40 years, more than 10 of those years living in Japan.  Debra is a New England JACL member, a bestselling cookbook author, cooking instructor, and a regular contributor to The Boston Globe food and travel pages.  

    In this very special book talk, Debra highlights her experiences making obento for her family.  

    Refreshments feature samples of some of her recipes. 

  • August 2011 Pub Night

    Monday, August 22, 2011 7:41 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The management at Four Green Fields continues to impress with their willingness to work with the club members at Pub Night.  The upper room was occupied by a local association of attorneys, so IWCB was allowed to have our function in the Thatch House, a small, gallery-like space on the main floor.  The group was lively, but we could converse comfortably in this nice room.


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