A 50/50 mus tournament (50% of proceeds go to the winners!) will be held with registration from 12:00-1:00. The tournament will start promptly at 1:00pm

BBQ at 12:00 noon, $20 members, $25 non-members, $40 member family, $50 non-member family

Mus 50/50 tournament registration 12:00 – 1:00, play starts at 1:00. $15 per person, $30 per team.

Lake Sammamish
2000 Northwest Sammamish Road
Issaquah, WA 98027-8918
(425) 455-7010

1) The census is confusing and even in a country of immigrants where mixed heritage and race is the norm the census attempts to bucket people into groups. This is why I sent my e-mail in the first place…to help navigate the “bucketing”

2a) If you are “lucky” like me your answer to the question # 8  of the census is only one (1) convoluted answer:
Question 8. Is Person 1 (2, 3, 4…) of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin? Answer: Yes, another Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.
Fill in the blank with: Basque
Question 9. What is Person 1 (2, 3, 4…)’s race?
Answer: White

2b) If like so many of us you happen to be the product of more than one heritage (this is America, right? I’d say this is pretty much the norm) then your answer becomes more convoluted than 2a.

Question 8. Is Person 1 (2, 3, 4…) of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin? Answer: Yes, another Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.
Fill in the blank with : ____% Basque & ____%Heritage 2, etc…
Question 9. What is Person 1 (2, 3, 4…)’s race?
Answer: Depending on your ethic background this could again be White or any of the other choices. If you are of mixed race check Some other race and fill in the blanks accordingly.

3) If you aren’t Basque at all the same rules apply. Take credit for your rich cultural heritage. We’re all American, but we all came from somewhere else and the census and everyone who uses this data for the next 10 years will be working off the answers to the questions we make today.

A happy St Patty’s Day to all from a Basque who recognizes on St. Patty’s we’re all a lil’ bit Irish

Ondo pasa,

Joe G

Kaixo danori (Hello everyone),

Remember your heritage as you sit down to fill out your 2010 US Census. As in census’ past this year’s census asks both about 1) Ethnicity and 2) Race. As has been the case in the past the US government convolutes “Spaniards” with “Hispanics” even though any History, Chicano Studies, or Spanish student (like myself) would tell you this is technically incorrect. That being the case the ethnicity question specifically asks if one considers themself Hispanic but then allows for a selection of “Hispanic, other” which is a broad category that includes “Spaniards” and allows for a fill-in-the-blank where “Basque” can be written. Even for our brothers and sisters from across the border in France this seems like the best way to articulate being Basque (certainly not a perfect system). In fact this seems to be the only way. Race then refers to ones “social and cultural characteristics” which by the US census definition describes Basque ancestry as “White” (see below).

It is important to fill out the Census accurately and completely because it is the database of information for demographics of age, sex, ethnicity, race etc that is drawn from every time in the next 10 years that any US federal, state or local agency requires such data as well as many non-governmental agencies. As one Professor put it, “…an accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives.” – C.N. Le, Professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst-from http://2010.census.gov/2010census/why/index.php Accessed 03/18/10

Take credit for all of your ancestry, not just your Basque ancestry. The US melting pot is what makes this country unique.

For more information on the 2010 Census check out:

The US Census Bureau

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php

and for more information on definitions and the Census in general check out the Wiki page at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States_Census

• “White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as “White” or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.”^[9]

–
Joe M. Guerricabeitia
VP of Seattle Euskal Etxea
(Seattle Basque Club)
www.seattleeuskal.org

Here it is: If you only read one book this year, make it this one.

Boling’s historical fiction follows three generations of Basques as they live, work, and love in the time of the turn of the twentieth century up through the ending days of World War II, including the cold and destructive bombing of their village by the Nazis at dictator Franco’s request. The story follows three brothers and their descendants while fishing, farming, and smuggling, keeping alive in the face of the Spanish Civil War. While this may sound like something akin to a family saga a la The Thorn Birds, what keeps Guernica out of the syrupy range is Boling’s writing: sparse, descriptive, never florid, but always meaningful. It’s a family drama without the overly expressive or descriptive words that make it into melodrama, but the writing fills you with the dust in the soil, the turbulent sea, the danger of the mountain passes. Make no mistake: this is definitely a book that could have gone the way of the melodrama. But Boling’s writing prevents this, and does so wonderfully.

Not that the sparse but beautiful prose does anything to keep the reader at arm’s length from the characters. The very situation that the people find themselves in make it damn near impossible to not feel an emotional bond with them, to not anguish over their possible fates. Let’s be honest: with a title (and a subject matter) like Guernica, you know that it can’t possibly have a happy ending for everyone. And I am not ashamed to admit that I was absolutely wracked with tears for at least a sixty-page stretch of the novel. The writing of the bombing was almost unbearable as characters scrambled for their loved ones and watched people die. Limbs littered the street and men and women and children burned alive in bomb shelters. The chaos, the panic, the length and desperation and inevitability of the scene paints the horror of the useless attack.
Eventually I am honor-bound to mention…do I think this is an all-time best book ever written ever? No. Honestly, no. There are problems, including the inclusion of Pablo Picasso as an occasional character. This sometimes seemed extraneous, even though it was done in a manner entirely consistent with Picasso, the historical character, and did add a layer that will be familiar to many people. The novel is also prevented from possible utter Greatness by a plot twist in the final quarter of the book that made even emotion-wrenched me say, “Hm…unlikely. Tenable, yes, even possible…but unlikely.” This twist smelled slightly of a need for some happiness or at least a not-wholly-tragic ending (Lord of the Flies, anyone?), but in light of a beautiful quote of learning what to do with the love spent after someone dies, the plot twist hangs in there just enough to not be entirely ludicrous. Besides, I’d spent so much time crying at that point that I was ready for some little ray of light. I put my face in it and accepted it. This book is as much about the endurance of love and joy as it is about needless destruction and death in the face of war, and in the persistance of love I can accept a bit of haggling on the plot.

Guernica is Boling’s first book, and as I’ve mentioned it’s not without its flaws. But the good in the book – the sparse writing, the ability to tell a large and tragic story with a strong voice – largely outweighs the bad. Plus I haven’t read anything in a long time that had the ability to not only make me cry, but to keep me crying, leaving me breathless and hopeless for page after page. I don’t say things like this all that often, and it’s not very frequent that I can recommend a book without qualm. This is it. Go forth and seek Guernica.

Saturday, December the 5^th 2009

At 2 p.m.

Mayview Circle, Burnaby, BC

The Zazpiak Bat Basque Society is celebrating

Christmas and Euskera day – December 5th

With Olentzero!!! (olentzero flyer)

Everyone is invited!  Friends, family and children!!

menu

Basque Fish Soup

Lamb Roast with Vegetables

Rolls/ Wine

Cakes, Coffee

Members: $20.00    non-members: $25.00

Children 12 years & younger: FREE

RSVP by November 30^th

Elena @ 604 526-9232 / Tomás @ 604 526 0408

or send an email at: bcbasque@bcbasque.com

*** Please make reservations A.S.A.P. so we can

purchase gifts for the children attending. ***

Each team played 9 other teams in their randomized bracket for a best of three series. Mus play started at 8:30am and broke for lunch at 12:00pm. After a rocky start with a two match loss, SEE was 2:2 at lunch. Following the wonderful meal of chuleta, chorizo, morcilla, tortilla, ogia and ardaua (can you have a Basque meal without wine and bread?!?) SEE continued winning with a 3  match streak and were  leading the bracket with a record of 5:2. Ultimately SEE’s team ended with a 5:4 winning record in a 3 way tie below the winners of the bracket. Not bad considering that I haven’t played a single hand of mus in 2009 and haven’t played with my father in even more time!

All of the mus players were very friendly. Sadly many were not aware Seattle or WA even had a club, a fact we hope to change by holding the 1st WA based NABO meeting this October and by continuing to attend events like the annual mus tournament where club members, not just board members, meet face-to-face.

At 7:30pm the national mus champions were announced. Two women from Winnemucca carried the title and will be representing NABO in the international tournament which will be held this Fall in Bizkaia Spain. Second place went to Jean Flesher (the lead of the band entertaining the evening at 9pm) and his partner of Salt Lake City. I am unsure who 3rd place went to. Fourth place was held by Jose Maria Artiach and Xanti Alcelay of Boise, ID.

When the results are published by NABO I will post the final standings. Zorionak to the team from Winnemucca. Not only is this the 1st  female team to win a NABO tournament, but I think this gives pause to all of us to realize our Basque women can bluff and bs just as well as the men

Under the heading “Pages”

Event Calendar-Now the 1st permanent link on the left-hand side of the main web page links to our *new* Event Calendar. Here we will post all of the SEE events and any Basque events we know about in our general vicinity that SEE members might want to participate in. If you have events that you would like added to the SEE calendar e-mail any of the board members and we can post them on the site.

Under the heading “Post Categories”

Meetings-Going forward SEE will be publishing the meeting notes in this section so members can stay informed about what items the board is working on.

Newsletter- A new category for newsletters that should make searching them easier as well.

Under-

Post Calendar-This shows which days during the current month new posts were published on. Also by clicking the days posts were made (days shown in blue) you can jump directly to the posts.

Archives-SEE web posts are now archived by month so if you have a general idea when an older post was published you should be able to find it quickly!

Admin-The admin area helps the board jump directly to the website features that allow us to post and make web changes.

Last but not least I added a tiny compressed version of the Washington state/ikurrina symbol that Blas Uberuaga created for the club as what is known as a “favicon” or favorite icon. This is now proudly displayed in front of the web address when you access the SEE site and is also shown on the web page tab if you are using tabbed browsing.

~j

Once I learned of the CSI-Euskadi connection I got back to the subject of my  initial search for some Basque rock gems. Here is what I came up with:

Hertzainak-Aitormena-Classical Version-A classic from my 1992 trip

Hertzainak-Aitormena-Rock Version-New to me

Negu Gorriak-Radio Rahim-A classic;  I probably 1st heard this in 1991

Gozategi-Nirekin-Off the “Red” album which was played on loop in the caravan my family rented in 1996. Also my Amuma Angeles Murelaga’s favorite. She would always sing the chorus, “Emoixtaxux muxutxuek, maitie…” Maite zaitut Amuma! I am sure you are singing this in heaven

King Africa-La bomba-Not Basque, not the original, but we sure danced to this a lot in the summer of 2000. Eskerrik asko Gernikako cuadrilla

Azul, Azul-La bomba-Bolivianos with the original?

Tom Jones-Sex Bomb-Another gem from summer 2000. Why is it that sometimes the crappiest songs are the funnest to dance to? Obviously not Basque…

Gloria Gaynor-I will survive-Summer 2000; I was there 2 months, need I say more? If they played it we danced to it! Oh, clubbin’!

Los del Rio-Macarena-I know…I can’t believe I went there, but…

Oh, I love the way music triggers memories whether you want it to or not. For that reason these tracks will always be great to me ~j

Here is our new program for the Basques from the Diaspora. As we’ve done
in previous years, we are once again offering you the possibility to come
and enjoy the Basque Country in a trip full of emotions, especially
dedicated to the Euskal Etxeak.

Basque Eusk 2009

This summer you would like to come to the Basque Country. But you still
don’t know if you would come by yourself, how long you would stay and
where to start your journey?

Perhaps you’d like to learn more about your roots? But how could you find
the place where your ancestors used to live? Do you still have some family
living there?

Or maybe you’re just eager to discover more about the Basque gastronomy,
its folklore or its festivals?

Where are you going to sleep? And what about transportation?
Do you know the best spots where to relax and have fun? Where are the good
places to have lunch or dinner?

You don’t speak Basque well, nor Spanish or French? Would it be a problem?

Well, if you’ve asked yourself these questions before, you now have found
someone to answer them.

HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR ROOTS WHILE HAVING A GOOD
TIME!!!

To find out more, have a look at our web page on http://www.basque-eusk.com/
And click on Basque Eusk 2009. If you want to sign up, you can do it
directly through our web page or print out
And fax the PDF application form to   +34 94 465 60 03

June 15th is the deadline to sign up

So, hurry up!

For more information, please contact: Matt
Basque-eusk@bideak.info

Kaixo Lagunok,

Hemen duzue Diasporako Euskaldunentzat gure programa berria.
Urterolez Euskalerria ezagutzeko aukera paregabea eskaintzen dizuegu,
bereziki Euskal Etxeetako lagunentzako sortua

Basq Eusk 2009

Uda honetan euskalerria bisitatu nahi duzue?. Baina ez dakizue
bakarrik etorri ala ez? Zenbat denbora eta bidaia non hasi ez dakizue?

Arbaso euskaldunei buruz gehiago jakin nahi duzue. Baina, nola
aurkitu dezaket nire arbasoen etxea? Agian familia izango dut
oraindik Euskal Herrian?

Gastronomia ezagutzera etorri nahi duzue, folklorea, jaialdiak,
ardoa…

Non egingo duzue lo? eta, Nola bidaiatu Euskal Herritik?

Euskararik hitzegiten ez baduzu ezta frantsez edota espainolik .
Arazo bat izango da?

Aurretik galdera hauek egin badituzue, ORAIN ERANTZUNA DUTE

ORAIN AUKERA PAREGABEA DAUKAZUE ARBASOEI BURUZ IKASTEKO.
HARTU DENBORA!!!

Gehiago jakiteko , gure web orrian klik egin     http://www.basque-eusk.com/
eta bertan Vasc Eusk klikatu, erregistratu nahi baduzue zuzenean webean
egin eta PDF aplikazio orria FAX  + 34 94 465 60 03  bialdu

Ekainaren 15erarte erreserba dezakezue

Beraz, ANIMA ZAITEZ!!!

Informazio gehiagorako MATTekin harremanetan jarri

basq-eusk@bideak.info