[Culturechat] Lifting Our Spirits

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 10:28:19 -0800

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A column in the SF Chronicle this morning lifted my holiday spirits, and =
once again reminded me of how precious a community working together and =
maintaining tradition is to our world. =20

=20

For 48 years Sundar Shadi, a "gentle-man" in El Cerrito erected an =
elaborate holiday scene in the Bay area in the yard outside his home.  =
Our holiday wasn't complete until we drove by, as did thousands of =
others.   The scene was a touchstone for generations.  He did this for =
48 years until his health waned five years before his death two years =
ago.  Everyone assumed that it was the end of a lovely tradition.

=20

This was not a typical energy guzzling, blinking lights display.  His =
display showed the journey to Bethlehem, and he made each of dozens of =
figurines by hand, from whatever materials were around.  He used old =
coffee cans and lampshades, milk cartons, fruit boxes and wood to built =
the city, the animals and people.

=20

The city of El Cerrito picked up where he left off.  His children =
donated the pieces to the city.  Since then the El Cerritos Chapter of =
the International Soroptimists Club and a huge cast of volunteers have =
set up the display on a piece of open ground.  The local electric =
company is helping out too, donating a new location with better access =
for all.  What Shadi did alone, from September to December for forty =
years, more than a dozen people now gather to do each year.  Several =
local firefighters helped as he god older and lost most of his sight, =
but he eagerly maintained artistic control.=20

=20

More than 100 buildings make up the city of Bethlehem, and there are =
more than 60 sheep on the hillside below.  Sheepdogs and shepherds tend =
to them, while three wise men ride camels towards the city, just behind =
a line of figurines making a trek toward the city.  An angel watches =
over the scene, and a star shines brightly. =20

=20

The column reads:  "About the only thing you won't find at Shadi's =
display is a nativity scene, but it certainly wasn't because the man who =
obsessed over the smallest details forgot about that element.

=20

He was Hindu, not Christian, and minus the nativity scene, the display =
is a holiday piece than can be seen to represent the religious =
viewpoints of Christians, Jews, and even Hindus."

=20

To view the images of the holiday display, go to =
www.holidaydisplay-elcerrito.org/

=20

We'll be driving by, to celebrate Sundar's legacy, and a city's respect =
for a beloved tradition.  Joan.

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<DIV>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">A column in the SF Chronicle this morning =
lifted my=20
holiday spirits, and once again reminded me of how precious a community =
working=20
together and maintaining tradition is to our world.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; 
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
For 48 years Sundar Shadi, a "gentle-man" in El Cerrito erected =
an=20
elaborate holiday scene in the Bay area in the yard outside his =
home.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Our holiday wasn't complete =
until we=20
drove by, as did thousands of others.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; The scene was a =
touchstone for=20
generations.&nbsp; He did this =
for 48=20
years until his health waned five years before his death two years ago. =
<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;Everyone assumed that it was =
the end of a=20
lovely tradition.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
This was not a typical energy guzzling, blinking lights =
display.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; His display showed the journey =
to=20
Bethlehem, and he made each of dozens of figurines by hand, from =
whatever=20
materials were around.&nbsp; He =
used old=20
coffee cans and lampshades, milk cartons, fruit boxes and wood to built =
the=20
city, the animals and people.
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The city of El Cerrito picked up where he left off.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; His children donated the =
pieces to the=20
city.&nbsp; Since then the El =
Cerritos=20
Chapter of the International Soroptimists Club and a huge cast of =
volunteers=20
have set up the display on a piece of open ground.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; The local electric company is =
helping=20
out too, donating a new location with better access for all.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; What Shadi did alone, from =
September to=20
December for forty years, more than a dozen people now gather to do each =

year.&nbsp; Several local =
firefighters=20
helped as he god older and lost most of his sight, but he eagerly =
maintained=20
artistic control. 
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">More than 100 buildings make up the city of =
Bethlehem,=20
and there are more than 60 sheep on the hillside below.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Sheepdogs and shepherds tend =
to them,=20
while three wise men ride camels towards the city, just behind a line of =

figurines making a trek toward the city.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
</SPAN>An angel watches over the scene, and a star shines brightly.<SPAN =

style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>The column reads:<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</SPAN>"About the=20
only thing you won't find at Shadi's display is a nativity scene, but it =

certainly wasn't because the man who obsessed over the smallest details =
forgot=20
about that element.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>He was Hindu, not Christian, and minus the nativity scene, the =
display is=20
a holiday piece than can be seen to represent the religious viewpoints =
of=20
Christians, Jews, and even Hindus."</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>To view the images of the holiday display, go to </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.holidaydisplay-elcerrito.org/"><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
size=3D3>www.holidaydisplay-elcerrito.org/</FONT></A></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman">We'll be driving by, to celebrate Sundar's =
legacy, and a=20
city's respect for a beloved tradition.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
Joan.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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