My Dear Fellow Members,
   I trust this message will find each and every one of you in good health.
   Time is going by very fast... Although I feel I have just addressed you with my previous message in the Spotlight November issue, yet we have moved forward on many fronts.
   Please join me in welcoming the following 3 gentlemen to their new duties in the service of the Club and its members.
   Mohan Gulrajani has been appointed as the Vice President of the Kobe Club. Mohan joined the Club in 1996. He served on the Balloting Committee for a year in 2005-2006, and since then he has been active in the General Committee. In addition to organizing exciting events at the Club, Mohan has been active behind the scenes with many issues related to the future of our Club.

Typhoon Tala:
   On September 3rd the Club was hit by typhoon Tala which caused havoc in the Middle Parking Lot. Several heavy branches were broken off the Himalayan Fir tree, and some of the branches fell on the parapet towards Toa Road, causing a segment to crumble and fall down about 4 meters. There were no personal injuries.
   The wall and parapet are about 120 years old. The parapet has been deteriorating over the years, and discussions on how best to renovate it have been going for some time. Tala did put this to the fore. The wall is designated a cultural asset, and the parapet is of a unique construction - an adobe core encased in cement. The construction method is not practiced anymore, and trying to rebuild the original design with modern materials is prohibitively expensive. Wherefore, the Club took in bids for fitting of a fence on top of the wall with a design that would blend in with the wall’s history.
  Kobe City approached the Club management after the damage, and enquired about what were the Club’s intentions with respect to repairs, considering the historical value. The Club management explained our situation. Kobe City expressed interest in the renovation and would like to be kept informed about progress of the design and costs because they might be interested in providing some economic support for the project. The Club office has been in continuous contact with Kobe City, and provided the City with 2 proposals which are going to be discussed at a Kobe City meeting in November. We are now awaiting the outcome.
   It is the 2nd time for the Club to experience the branches falling down during a typhoon. Last time, it was in September 2004 when a parked car sustained heavy damage by the fall of broken branches. The trees had reached a height of 29m, and the Club office was worried that a personal injury might occur eventually in the future. Contacts were made with specialists in the field, and the trees were trimmed according to their advice.

Jürgen Jepsen, House &Grounds
General Committee

   The Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011. Many people lost their loved ones in the Tohoku region. It is very sad to lose someone important so suddenly.
   Mr. Rainer Weiland was the President who dedicated himself to the Club. When he came back from his journey in Europe with his wife, he had a terrible pain in his back. He was hospitalized on 27th September, and three days later on 30th September he left us without saying a word. We still cannot believe that he is no longer with us, and it will take us time to accept his death. He was at the Club almost every day, and he spoke to all the staff members very friendly and equally. He showed us his new iPad. He loved arts, and he smiled very happily when talking about delicious foods. When I spoke to him over the phone last time, he wanted to come to the Club to have dinner soon. But he could not make it. We wish he could have enjoyed dinner at the Club with his wife once again. On behalf of the Kobe Club staff members I would like to thank him for his dedication to making the Club a better place and his kindness to all the staff members. We pray for the repose of his soul. He was never pessimistic. We respect his spirit, and we will work harder for the Club.
   The new President of the Kobe Club Mr. Imad Ramadan, the Committees’ and Sub-Committees’ members have been working hard to make the Club prosperous. The Kobe Club is a members’ club. Please come to have a nice meal, attend Club events, enjoy interesting conversations with other members, relax to read books or newspapers at the Club, and make the Club a more enjoyable place. 
   On behalf of the staff members I greatly appreciate your continued support, and wish you happiness during this holiday season and throughout the coming New Year.

Sawako Okabe, Manager

Saturday, November 12th

   Last weekend my wife, Yuko, and I attended the annual Black Tie Ball at the Kobe Club. We were excited about attending because this event is really one of the signature formal evening events in the Kobe Club’s Annual Calendar, and although we had always heard good things about the event, we had never attended ourselves.
   When we arrived, many guests were already sitting in the Bar enjoying drinks and looking suitably attired. That is to say, everyone looked fabulous! We all moved into the ballroom and sat down at our tables.
   Our President Imad Ramadan got up and welcomed everybody to the event, and then invited Mrs. Tomoko Weiland, the wife of our late President Rainer Weiland to make a short speech. Coming so soon after Rainer’s passing, at first several of us on the General Committee were not sure whether to proceed with this event, but she reminded us in her speech, that Rainer had really been looking forward to it. She further reminded us that the best way that we could honor the memory and the legacy of her husband and our great former President, was to enjoy the Club that he loved, to use its facilities and to attend its events. Many of us who enjoyed the company of Rainer at the Club over the years know how much he enjoyed the Club and its wonderful food, drink and events and so the words of Mrs. Weiland were extremely appropriate and welcomed by everybody.
   The event that followed combined the warm and elegant atmosphere that we expect of the Kobe Club with the great food that Chef Kamiki-san and his team never fail to supply. Music was provided by excellent pianist Ms.Ohara, and many of us took the opportunity to take to the dance floor and enjoy some magic ball moments with our partners.
   Tanya Huvanne and Marlene Gardner got on stage and introduced the Raffle to help the Hungry at the Food Bank with prizes such as the special quilts that Marlene and others had made for the occasion. The Kobe Club General Manager Okabe-san and our Executive Chef Kamiki-san and their respective teams were warmly applauded by everyone for the wonderful contributions they made to making this such a memorable evening.
   Everyone had a truly wonderful time, and I choose to believe that Mrs. Weiland was indeed right to say that Rainer was watching us from Heaven sharing in our enjoyment.

Adam Lindemann

Sunday, October 30th

   It was a dark and rainy day. Perfect for a vampire, as too much sunlight can be detrimental to one's health. Dark and rainy is also a wonderful time to be inside enjoying the company of others. A perfect day for the Kobe Club Halloween Party.
   My Uncle, the Count of Frisco had flown in for the event, and he must have come through Egypt as Cleopatra was with him.
   The interior of the Club and ballroom had the lights dimmed and curtains closed, my type of lighting, and decorations were everywhere, really setting the scene for a fabulous party.
   There were crafts for coloring on the tables and trick-or-treat bags to color and decorate.
   Adults and children were dressed up in wonderful costumes. There were princesses, vampire children, pirates, witches, afro heads and even Buzz Lightyear. A feast to the eyes!
   We folded an Origami ghost and the festivities began!
   As always, Chef Kamiki and the Kitchen Staff had put together a delicious buffet table to delight both the eyes and the palate. The Spooky desert tray was wonderfully decorated and was the center of many pictures and conversations.
   After filling up on the lunch delights, we started right into the games. The children are getting so good at "Ghosts and Skeletons", and there were many winners. And then it was on to the great Pumpkin Rolling Race! Lots of cheering and the sounds of rolling pumpkins filled the hall.
   Then came the favorite of everyone, the Trick-Or-Treating! We set off to the corridors of the Club to knock on doors and getting candy to fill the bags that everyone had so beautifully decorated.
   Then it was time for Ice Cream and feasting on the desert tray, followed by Pinatas for both the young and older children. More candy!
   Thanks go out to everyone on the Kobe Club Staff for their hard work and preparing for yet another Great Halloween Party!

By Count Du Rokko (Nathan Bryan)